VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

An Indonesian film titled "Labuan Hati" (2017) directed by Lola Amaria was successfully screened in New York. The screening was held at Turkish House, Turkish Consulate General in early May. This was one of five films of MIKTA countries screened every Tuesday until 4 June 2024. Indonesian Consul General in New York Winanto Adi said MIKTA is a regional group promoting the strengthening of relations and cooperation promotion as a platform for dialogue and collaboration. The film Labuan Hati showcases the beautiful nature of Indonesia, especially Labuan Bajo.

Some 150 guests joined the MIKTA Movie Reception that served various snacks and beverages from MIKTA countries. The Indonesian Consulate General in New York served kue mangkuk which literally means bowl cake made of rice flour, croquettes, and wedang jahe or herbal drinks made of ginger root. MIKTA is a regional organization consisting of Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkiye, and Australia. The organization founded in 2013 aims to build a platform for the diverse member countries to strengthen cooperation.

Labuan Hati is a drama and road movie from Indonesia, released on 6 April 2017. The casts are Nadine Chandrawinata, Kelly Tandiono, Ully Triani, and Ramon Y Tungka. Labuan Bajo was a meeting point of the three young women. They took a boat together for 7 days and 6 nights, under the guidance of diving instructor named Mahesa (Ramon Y Tungka). This will bring them into friendship and rivalry to be the best in front of Mahesa.

Indonesian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia Santo Darmosumarto held a  meeting with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Home Affairs of Cambodia Sar Sokha to discuss efforts to strengthen bilateral cooperation, including in combating transnational organized crime, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on Tuesday (14/5).

Ambassador Darmosumarto expressed his appreciation for the continuous support and assistance from the Cambodian Government for some efforts made by the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh to facilitate the needs and protect Indonesian citizens in Cambodia. The support also ensured that the Indonesian General Election last February which took place in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Poipet, Chrey Thum and Bavet ran smoothly.

In addressing transnational organized crime particularly trafficking in persons, cyber crime and drug trafficking, Ambassador Darmosumarto appreciated the cooperation between relevant agencies in both countries especially the Cambodian National Police and the General Department of Immigration. Deputy Prime Minister Sar Sokha has acknowledged that these agencies have been actively responding to reports from Indonesian citizens who are victims of such crimes.

Meanwhile, according to statistical data from Cambodian authorities,  it is estimated that there are around 100 thousand Indonesian citizens living in Cambodia. This is a dramatic increase  when compared to before Covid-19 , there were only around 2,000 Indonesians living in Cambodia. They work in various fields  among others as hotel staff, cyber engineers and restaurant owners.

Moreover, Indonesia is also ready to share its experience and expertise in tackling the threat of international terrorism. There is also potential for concrete cooperation in combating drug trafficking and cyber crime  as both countries work together to ensure stability and peace in the region. This is essential if Southeast Asia will remain a driving force for global economic development.

As both countries strive for development and prosperity, cooperation between Indonesia and Cambodia is vital in creating a safe and conducive environment for development. By working together, Indonesia and Cambodia affirmed their joint commitment to fighting against transnational crime and protecting the interests of both countries.

If you travel to Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, you should visit its waterfall tourist spots. Karanganyar Regency has many waterfalls located on the slopes of Mount Lawu. One of the newly opened waterfall attractions is Ngargoyoso Waterfall. Its main attraction is the approximately 30-meter waterfall whose water comes from the river around the rice fields. The river flow will fall into a stream forming a kind of pool. You can splash around in the pool below the waterfall.

Ngargoyoso Waterfall is under the management of Lawu Group. Some other tourist attractions under the Lawu Group are Sakura Hills in Tawangmangu and Kemuning Sky Hills, or Kemuning Glass Bridge. The entrance ticket price is 20,000 rupiahs or about 1.2 US dollars per person. With the price, you can enter the tourist area and play with water to your heart's content. You have to walk down about 5 minutes from the parking lot along the stairs because the waterfall point is at the bottom of the cliff. Arriving at the bottom of the cliff, you will see a waterfall about 40 meter- high that falls into the river. You can take pictures with the waterfall in the background. Not only taking pictures, you can also play in the water. At the bottom of the waterfall, a sort of pool can be used to play water.

Besides playing in the water, another activity that can be done is to ride the "keranjang sultan" (sultan's basket), a kind of flying basket ride that floats above the river. For one way, the ride costs 20,000 Rupiah, or about 1.2 US dollars per person, while round-trip costs 30,000 Rupiah, or about 1.8 US dollars. You can also dine at food stalls around the waterfall while enjoying the natural beauty.

The Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy participated again in the largest international tourism exhibition at the Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF) 2024 which took place at Coex Hall A in Seoul, South Korea from May 9 to 12, 2024. The Ministry presented the Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion in collaboration with the Indonesian Embassy in Seoul, the Jakarta Tourism & Creative Economy Office, the South Sumatra Culture and Tourism Office, and Garuda Indonesia. This was stated by Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, Sandiaga Uno when attending the 2024 Seoul International Travel Fair (SITF), Saturday (11/5).

The Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion featured Balinese decorations. Complementing the pavilion is a "Wonderful Journey" theme to promote the 5 Super Priority Destinations. The Indonesian Pavilion also featured 14 tourism industries, including travel agents/tour operators, hotels, golf, and tourism attractions.

Quoted from the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy's press release, Sunday (12/5), Minister Sandiaga explained that the foreign tourist market from South Korea is still one of the potential markets for the tourism industry in Indonesia.

South Korea ranks 8th out of the top 10 countries contributing the most foreign tourists to Indonesia in 2023 and continues to show a positive trend and reach more than 300 thousand visits.

Deputy for Marketing of the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy, Ni Made Ayu Marthini, said that Bali has become top of mind for South Korean outbound tourists.

In addition to Bali, Wonderful Indonesia also offers 5 Super Priority Destinations outside Bali, such as Lake Toba, Borobudur Temple, Mandalika, Labuan Bajo, and Likupang, and focuses on the leading segments in the South Korean market, namely golf and leisure. Marthini also explained that in targeting the luxury segment, the Indonesian tourism industry prepares tour packages that suit tourists from South Korea.

The Wonderful Indonesia Pavilion also promoted destinations in Indonesia as filming locations. Recently, the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy has launched a film location ecosystem called ‘Indonesia Film Facilitation’ (https://www.iffa.id/), as an access for international filmmakers to visit various beautiful filming locations in Indonesia. Promoting destinations through movies can expose more destinations in Indonesia and encourage more Korean tourists to visit Indonesia.