VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

In Nganjuk Regency, East Java province, Indonesia, there is a natural tourist destination filled with myths and legends. It's called the Singokromo Waterfall tourist attraction. This 30 meter high waterfall has beautiful views. Besides, there are myths that are believed to this day. If you bathe in Singokromo Waterfall, you will quickly meet your soul mate for those who are not married yet. This myth has been believed since the appearance of the waterfall.

It is said that this place is a meeting place for lions or tigers who want to mate. Therefore, the village ancestors named the waterfall Singokromo. Singo means lion or tiger, while Kromo means mating or breeding. Singokromo Falls is also said to be beneficial for married couples who do not yet have children.

Singokromo Waterfall is precisely located in Ngliman village. It is around 30 kilometers from Nganjuk square with around 1-hour driving. After arriving at the entrance, you have to pay an entrance ticket of Rp6000 or less than 1 US dollar per person. Then the journey continues by walking along the path for about 500 meters. Along the way to the waterfall you will be presented with beautiful natural views, in the form of thousands of roses blooming on either side of the road.

Singokromo Waterfall has a fairly large water flow. If you want to feel the freshness of a waterfall, you have to be careful. The depth of the pool under the waterfall reaches 2.5 meters. For safety, the tourism management does not recommend visitors to shower or bathe. Visitors are advised to bathe at the edge of the waterfall. Singokromo Waterfall offers beautiful waterfall views. You can capture interesting moments by taking selfies while at this tourist attraction. If you want to camp, the tour manager also provides camping sites and equipment. This waterfall is equipped with bathroom facilities, a gazebo and food stalls.

Pattimura University in Ambon City and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam held a meeting in Ambon City to establish lecturer exchange collaboration to improve the quality of education towards an international standard campus. The Chancellor of Pattimura University, Prof. Freddy Leiwakabessy, in his statement in Ambon, Thursday, February 15, said that Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam is one of the universities that has collaborated with Pattimura University since 2020.

Present at the meeting were the Deputy Chancellor of Pattimura University for Planning, Cooperation and Information Systems Dr Ruslan Tawari, Chair of the International Office Jonny Latuny, Manager of the Vrije Universiteit Collaboration Program Wendelien Tuijp, and one of the foreign professional teaching staff at Pattimura University Prof Fridus Steijlen. The meeting was intended to further strengthen cooperation between Vrije Universiteit and Pattimura University, through plans to implement the Mobility Grant program.

Mobility Grand is a partnership collaboration program between Vrije Universiteit, Gadjah Mada University and Pattimura University. Implementation of this program takes the form of lecturer exchanges, implementation of Focus Group Discussions and other academic programs. Initially, the implementation was targeted at the Faculty of ISIP and Medicine and it is hoped that it will develop and collaborate with various faculties at Pattimura University.

Head of the International Office, Jonny Latuny, explained that Vrije Universiteit was interested in conducting a Mobility Grant Program with Pattimura University because Vrije Universiteit (VU), as one of the universities in developed countries, wanted to study how developing countries provide services to society.

Kambang Iwak Tourist Park is a beautiful city park with a lake in the middle which is now increasingly visited by many people, including Palembang residents and tourists. Kambang Iwak Park is located between Tasik Street and Sutomo Street, Palembang City.

This park, which covers an area of around 5 hectares, is equipped with various facilities which are continuously updated. These facilities include a children's playground, sitting place, drinking water taps, and free hotspot facilities for those who want to access the internet while relaxing and enjoying the shady garden.

This tourist park is one of the favourite tourist attractions to enjoy the green atmosphere and several Dutch heritage buildings. Kambang Iwak has now become a public facility for Palembang residents to gather, because it is equipped with various supporting facilities. 

The location of this park, not far from the city center of Palembang, makes Kambang Iwak easy to reach, both using private and public transportation. There is no entrance ticket fee to enter this area. Entering Kambang Iwak you will be greeted by lush green trees.

In the middle of the park there is a clean lake and is equipped with a fountain that comes to life every hour of the day. In the middle of the lake there is a bridge which is about 200 meters long. The bridge divides the lake and connects Tasik Street and Sutomo Street which are on the other side.

Apart from that, this park is also equipped with facilities and infrastructure that can make tourists feel at home chatting there. There is a jogging track for those of you who want to exercise, then there are lots of sitting places on the edge of the park lake. In the park area there are also many stalls or food stalls that serve various menus. 

The right time to visit Kambang Iwak is in the morning and evening, because at that time the air is cool enough and comfortable to enjoy this park. Because of its strategic location, this park is a gathering place for young people to carry out activities, such as skateboarding, dancing, playing guitar, taking photos, and so on. At night, this park is still busy with tourists because it is very bright with decorative lights surrounding almost every corner of the park.

If you are a culinary lover, and are in South Sulawesi, one of the typical South Sulawesi foods that you must try is Songkolo Bagadang. It is called songkolo because it comes from the word "Sokko" which means sticky rice. Because songkolo comes from processed sticky rice. "Bagadang" or staying up late is added because this food is often found late at night.

This Songkolo menu is included in the type of heavy food, because the main ingredient is made from white or black sticky rice. This sticky rice is cooked with coconut juice or coconut milk that makes the sokko taste delicious and sticky, especially with the addition of grated coconut which has been processed into "bajabu" or serundeng. Bajabu is often the best pairing for delicious sokko and is the right combination to shake up the tongue.

Usually, songkolo or sokko is combined with crispy anchovies, salted eggs and tomato sauce. Even in some places, songkolo is sometimes combined with chicken or beef. The combination of various flavors, including sweet, sour, spicy, savory and sticky, will add to the enjoyment of eating this songkolo. If you intend to bring songkolo or songkolo bagadang at home, then usually each portion of songkolo bagadang is wrapped in banana leaves tied with rubber. One pack of songkolo is sold from Rp 10 thousand to Rp 15 thousand. It’s very cheap, isn’t it?

For Makasar residents, songkolo is generally also eaten in the morning as breakfast before doing activities. What's unique is that when buying songkolo, you have to weigh it first, because there are 1.5 ounce packages and 2.5 ounce packages. These are, of course, different prices.