VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Beras Basah is a small island located in the Makassar Strait. Administratively, this island is included in the area of Bontang City, East Kalimantan. This beautiful island is now a destination for diving and snorkeling lovers. The fastest access to reach this island is via the Badak NGL pier by using a speedboat about 15 minutes. Another access is via Tanjung Limau Pier and Tanjung Laut Bontang City by using a motorized boat approximately one hour.

The name Beras Basah in English means Wet Rice. According to the local folklore, a long time ago, there was a ship belonging to the Kutai Sultanate that was sailing in the Makassar Strait. The ship was carrying food; one of which was rice. Then, the ship sank when hit by a big wave and spilled its baggage. Because the sea where the ship sank was shallow, the ship's cargo, which was mostly rice, did not sink, but some appeared like a mound. Over time, the mound of rice turned into a white sandy island like rice, which is always wet because it is surrounded by the ocean.

Beras Basah Island, which is located in the middle of the sea, used to have an area of approximately 5 hectares. Because it has been eroded by sea water, the island is now only about 2 hectares wide. But its beauty is unquestionable. The beach is clean and it has white sand with sea water, which is clear turquoise, adding coconut trees scattered in several places to provide shade. This area is comfortable for relaxing. In addition, on this island, there are also gazebos, changing rooms, toilets and stalls. On the island of Beras Basah, you can also play with banana boats and other activities. If you like the beauty of the sea, you can try diving and snorkeling. You can also walk along the beach and if you are lucky, you can find marine animals, such as sea urchins, squid and sea cucumbers.   

To improve the quality of education and expand international cooperation through cultural and language exchanges, the National Development University (UPN) "Veteran" Yogyakarta agreed to cooperate with Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU) Belarus. The cooperation agreement of both universities was inaugurated through the signing of a cooperation agreement by the two Chancellors in a virtual ceremony held Friday (14/1).

The Chancellor of UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta, Prof. Mohamad Irhas Effendi, in his remarks at the ceremony stated that this collaboration was carried out as a follow-up to the cooperation between the two countries in the field of education. Department of International Relations, Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, UPN "Veteran" Yogyakarta will be the focal point for the implementation of various programs of cooperation agreements with MSLU, including hosting the Belarusian Language and Culture Center in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, the Chancellor of MSLU, Natalja Laptseva expressed her joy at the agreement that was successfully inaugurated and signed. To follow up the implementation of the cooperation, Chancellor Laptseva conveyed the commitment of the university she leads to carry out various plans of action, including facilitating the establishment of the Indonesian Language and Culture Center, teaching Indonesian and organizing Indonesian cultural events at MSLU, as well as facilitating teaching Russian or other foreign languages and cultural exchange of Belarus to UPN Veteran Yogyakarta students.

Minsk State Linguistic University (MSLU) is located in Minsk City, Belarus and it has been established since 1948. This university provides foreign language teaching from 24 countries. MSLU has partnerships with 30 countries. Currently, there are 700 foreign students studying at various levels of education at MSLU. The Center for Culture and Indonesian Language at MSLU is expected to be the first step to open the Indonesian language department as the 25th foreign language taught at MSLU.

The Indonesian government has begun to allow the departure of Umrah pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. In Indonesia where the majority of the population is Muslim, Umrah is one of the important worships that many people covet. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation, which involves a trip to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, has been forced to stop. However, with the development of Covid-19 cases that are sloping around the world, especially in Indonesia, the Umrah service has begun to be carried out again. This year’s first Umrah pilgrims left Indonesia on January 8, 2022. There are 1,731 pilgrims who have departed using the One Gate Policy (OGP) scheme.

Director General of Hajj and Umrah at the Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hilman Latief said that the One Stop Policy scheme requires all Umrah pilgrims to undergo quarantine for one day before flying to Saudi Arabia via Soekarno Hatta Airport. They must carry out health screening and complete documents, including standard PCR examinations from the Ministry of Health.

However, more recently, the Ministry stated that it was temporarily suspending flights for Umrah pilgrims starting January 15, 2022. This decision was an effort to evaluate the One Gate Policy (OGP) scheme, including monitoring the development of the Omicron variant in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia.

According to the schedule, the Umrah pilgrims who departed on January 8 will return to Indonesia today, January 17, 2022. The Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah will observe the health conditions of the pilgrims upon arrival in the country, including in the context of the development of the Omicron virus.

Given the increasing number of people who have been exposed to the Omicron variant recently, the policy of temporarily stopping the departure of Umrah pilgrims must be understood by prospective Umrah pilgrims and Umrah Travel Organizers. The circular letter of the Directorate General of Hajj and Umrah Organization of the Ministry of Religion mentions that there are various rules for Umrah pilgrims after traveling abroad. It is mandatory to carry out quarantine in accordance with the provisions of the Covid-19 Task Force at hotels that have obtained legality. The quarantine period stipulated for Foreign Travelers entering Indonesia is 7 x 24 hours.

The temporary suspension and evaluation of the organization of the Umrah pilgrimage is, of course, for the good of many people. Director General of Hajj and Umrah, Hilman Latief has also emphasized that this evaluation is carried out in line with the development of Omicron in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Prevention is always better than cure, including comprehensive prevention of the spread of the Omicron virus that could occur from the Umrah pilgrimage.

The steps taken by the government and followed by all parties are expected to prevent Indonesia from experiencing a peak in cases of the Omicron variant of the Covid-19 virus, which is predicted to occur in mid-February to early March 2022.

Hopefully, no Umrah pilgrims are exposed to the Covid 19 virus with all its variants, especially the Omicron variant. May the evaluation that will be carried out by the Ministry of Religion will be successful. So, the departure of Umrah pilgrims can be carried out again.

Traveling is usually done with family or friends. But lately, traveling has been also done alone or called a solo traveler. Traveling solo certainly has its own experiences and advantages. Recently, Lonely Planet has released a list of the best tourism destinations for solo travelers to visit. One of the main factors in mastering the art of solo travel is to choose the right destination.

Ubud in Bali is well known as a beautiful place for solo travelers to relax. Surrounded by mountains with shrouded fog, Lonely Planet describes Ubud, Bali as an artistic and spiritual center. Ubud is a great place for solo travelers who want to relax, contemplate and recharge. It is an amazing place. There are lots of tourists who travel alone here so that tourists don't need to feel uncomfortable or worried when walking around. In addition, the local Balinese are known for their hospitality.

Solo travelers can also comfortably travel to a vegetarian restaurant or take a yoga class on their own. Ubud is also known as a healing center and you can join the program in several health places. Apart from Ubud, Lonely Planet's other preferred destinations are South America, night tours in Berlin, Singapore, Rome and Vietnam.