VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Solo City has been the center of power in Central Java since the Mataram court was moved from Kotagede in 1745. The historical traces of Solo City are manifested through the cultural diversity that can be seen from dances, Solo batik, and the handicrafts that always look elegant and very artistic. With a population of around 550,000 people, Solo is one of the most densely populated cities in Central Java. However, the atmosphere of the city still feels comfortable and familiar, without any towering buildings in the middle of densely populated settlements. Becak is one of the easiest and most efficient modes of transportation when you want to enjoy your time in Solo. You don't have to worry if you finally want to choose to walk around Solo. In addition to the city being not too wide, the streets in Solo City are well laid out with smooth asphalt and some roads already have sidewalks.

Renting a bicycle at the City Tourism Office can also be an alternative to get around Solo City. However, you have to be more careful when riding a bicycle along the highway, because the traffic in Solo is quite busy with vehicles. There are several ways to get to Solo City besides using a plane. From Jakarta, you can also travel by night bus or train with a travel time of about 11-12 hours. Solo City has various attractions that you can explore, especially if you want to know more about Javanese culture. Of course, strict health protocols are also enforced in this area, so that your vacation with your family is safer, healthier and more comfortable.

Of course, many of you are familiar with the Dead Sea. The lake, which is located in an area between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and Jordan, is indeed very famous for its uniqueness. With a high salt content, anyone who enters the Dead Sea will float. In fact, not only the Dead Sea has this uniqueness. Indonesia also has a beach similar to the Dead Sea. The beach is called Tureleto Beach which is located in Nias, North Sumatra. Anyone who is swimming in Tureleto Beach will float. With this uniqueness, this beach deserves to be nicknamed the Dead Sea of Indonesia.

Tureleto Beach is not like the general beaches which are adorned with white sand. On this beach, there are rocks along the shoreline. According to local people, these coral reefs have emerged since the devastating 2005 earthquake that hit Nias and caused the sea water to recede. The existence of these corals is the main attraction for tourists, who visit Tureleto Beach. Moreover, tourists are often seen capturing the shapes of these corals into interesting photo objects.

The existence of these coral reefs also makes Tureleto beach less prone to waves, so the sea is very calm. With the calm water, you can swim as much as you want and you don't have to be afraid of drowning, because the sea water can make you float. There is life in the waters of Tureloto, although the water contains a fairly high salt content. You can also enjoy the view of fish and beautiful coral clusters under the water. You can also enjoy the uniqueness of the marine life on this beach from the shoreline or with snorkeling activities. The clear water makes a variety of marine life clearly visible from the shoreline. Traveling by using a motorized canoe can also be an option for interesting tourism activities on this beach. For those of you who like fishing, Tureleto is heaven. Tureleto beach corner is the best location for fishing.

This beach is included in North Nias Regency, Lahewa District, precisely in Balõfadoro Tuho Village. The distance from the city of Gunung Sitoli, the capital of Nias district is about 80 kilometers. To go to Tureloto Beach is not difficult, even very easy to access. You can use a vehicle, either car or motorbike. From the city of Gunung Sitoli, this beach can be reached for about 2 hours. Gunung Sitoli itself can be accessed from Kuala Namu airport, in Medan, North Sumatra. On Tureleto beach, parking facilities, public bathrooms, huts for shelter and food stalls are available.

The people in East Java, especially the Using community in the village of Macan Putih, Banyuwangi Regency, in fact, have a unique way to find a mate. Single man, who is attracted to a certain woman, must come directly to the woman's house to perform the act of flirting. This tradition is called ‘Gredoan’ which locally means "to tease". The Gredoan tradition is held once a year. As a matchmaking event, Gredoan is also held to celebrate the Birthday of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.

This tradition begins in the morning when the community first holds a celebration at the mosque. Then in the evening, the girls usually help their parents cook in the kitchen. At that time, the Gredoan tradition takes place. Man, who is attracted to a certain girl, will come to the girl's house. He will insert a stick through the gap in the wall of the house made from bamboo. The girl will then break the stick if she is willing to get acquainted with the man. Then, the man begins to get acquainted while seducing the girl. But their conversation is limited by a bamboo wall where the girl is inside the house and the boy is outside. Now, the rules of the Gredoan tradition are quite different. When the sticks have been broken, they are no longer acquainted and chat against a bamboo wall. Now, the man will be invited to come in and chat in the living room, of course accompanied by the girl's parents. But especially on this traditional night, they are given the freedom to chat until late at night. Frequently, couples who follow this tradition eventually get married.

The Gredoan tradition is very lively. Other residents, ranging from children to adults, parade around the village presenting various kinds of attractions to commemorate this tradition. Some perform fire stick attractions, play Hadrah folk music and carnivals of giant dolls. Among the various attractions, the fire stick attraction is the most eagerly awaited. The fire stick attraction uses bamboo and ropes that are burned at the ends. In this attraction, the local village youths demonstrate their skills in playing fire sticks, starting from showing off the ability to forming formations, Majoret attractions of martial arts.

If you travel to East Kalimantan, please visit Keraton Trayan Palace which has been designated as a cultural heritage and even it is used as a cultural tourism attraction. The palace is located in Pedalaman Village, Tayan Hilir Subdistrict, Sanggau Regency, West Kalimantan. It is about 94 kilometers from Pontianak City or it can be reached  for approximately 1.5 hours by motor vehicles. This building is a remnant of the Trayan Kingdom. The Tayan Kingdom itself had been known actively from 1683 to 1967, before West Kalimantan was inaugurated as a part of the Republic of Indonesia. In 1967, the Tayan Kingdom was inactive,  and it was left abandoned without a ruling king. Now, it has already been under the control of the Republic of Indonesia.

The Tayan Palace has a two-story stilt building made of ironwood. It is divided into five parts or rooms: the foyer, hall, court room, throne room, and kitchen. Like most palaces in Kalimantan, the Tayan Palace faces the southern part of the Kapuas River. The physical building of the palace is 110 meters long, and 70 meters wide, and it is built on 110 wooden poles which are two meters high. The front porch has 10 glass windows and the entrance on the south side which is in the middle is two glass doors. Meanwhile, the hall itself is an outbuilding which was built in 1931. Previously, the hall was used as a place for the Sultan to receive important guests and royal officials. Another part of this area is the room which is currently used to store royal heirlooms, gamelan, and cannon weaponry.

There is a siding room and it functions as a family meeting room, marriage ceremony room, and a meeting room for royal staff in the middle of the palace building. Moreover, there is also a throne room at the  back of the building that used to serve as the seat of the sultan and the empress. Initially, the floor of this room was higher than the courtroom, but now the floor height is equivalent to the courtroom. The last, the kitchen, which was originally only a connecting alley between the main building and the kitchen, but now it has been used as a place for cooking. Recently, the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing carried out the arrangement of the Tayan Palace area. Besides being a cultural tourism destination, this area can also become a new public open space. The arrangements that have been done are improving the roads in the Tayan Palace area, regional drainage, ramps and Kansteen, regional gates, football fields, recreational parks, the Palace yard and Great Mosque, beautification, and lighting.