VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Pulo Sibandang Tourism Village was inaugurated as one of the top 50 best tourist villages in Indonesia in the 2024 Indonesian Tourism Village Award (ADWI) on July 4. The village, formed by a collaboration of three villages -- Sibandang Village, Papande Village, and Sampuran Village -- is one of the 16 sites of the Toba UNESCO Global Caldera Geopark. Pulo Sibandang Tourism Village has a natural abundance, surrounded by the eye-pleasing blue water of Lake Toba. While traveling there, you can immediately see the fertile land on Sibandang Island, an outcome of the Mount Toba eruption. The land there is planted with various plants, such as udang mango, the small-sized mango typical of Pulo Sibandang Tourism Village.

Pulo Sibandang Tourism Village is located in North Tapanuli Regency, North Sumatra. From Silangit Airport, getting to the Pulo Sibandang area only takes about 45 minutes by land. While arriving at the village, you will immediately see the expanse of the waters of Lake Toba. Besides enjoying the lake view, you can go sailing a wooden boat (solu), watch traditional dances, go trekking, and go cycling. You can also join the udang mango agrotourism. It has a sweet taste, with thin flesh. Apart from eating mangoes, tourists can also see the first mango trees, hundreds of years old, planted by the Dutch.

One of the villages on Pulo Sibandang, Papande village, is a producer of the woven cloth of Harungguan ulos. According to legend, Harungguan ulos were once only worn by kings. Harungguan ulos clothes that are woven by the community still use traditional looms and natural dyes. In Pulo Sibandang Tourism Village, you can watch people weaving Harungguan ulos.

Besides that, you can also learn the history of the Sibandang Kingdom. There are traces of the kingdom that still stands on Pulo SIbandang, such as the stone fort and Ruma Bolon which was the king's palace at that time. Some royal-era furniture is also still found in Ruma Bolon.

Photo source: kemlu.go.id

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Phnom Penh and the Indonesian community in Cambodia collaborated to renovate the Indonesia-Cambodia Friendship Primary and Secondary School in Prey Veng Province, Cambodia. This initiative is a contribution from the Indonesian community to the local community which coincides with the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Cambodia and the 79th anniversary of Indonesia's independence.

The inauguration ceremony of the newly renovated school was held on July 6 and attended by Indonesian Ambassador to Cambodia, Santo Darmosumarto and Governor of Prey Veng, Suon Somalin, as well as Tonn Sa Im representing the Cambodian Minister of Education, Youth and Sports. In additon, donors were also present from the Indonesian community, including Indonesian businessmen in Cambodia and Indonesian citizens living and working in Cambodia.

The school renovation, which cost around US$34,000, includes updating school equipment, laboratory equipment, tables and chairs, toilets, a school gazebo that can be used for reading or other activities, as well as a new school gate. The donation was fully raised by the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Indonesian community in Cambodia, which currently reaches more than 100,000 people.

Ambassador Santo Darmosumarto stated that the renovation of the school is a testament to the lasting friendship and cooperation between Indonesia and Cambodia. According to Ambassador Santo, Indonesia has a long history of contributing to the Cambodian community, and the school was first established in 1995. Currently, the Friendship School has around 790 students from kindergarten to junior high school.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Indonesian Society in Cambodia (PERMIKA), Arik Mintorogo, said that reviving the school not only provides better educational facilities for the students but also strengthens ties between the two countries.

Ambassador Santo further said that the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh and the Indonesian Community in Cambodia are committed to ensuring that students at the Indonesia and Cambodia Friendship School have proper facilities for learning. According to Ambassador Santo, these students are the future of bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Cambodia.

Welcome back to “Mari Berbahasa Indonesia” or “Let’s Speak Bahasa Indonesia”, a segment that introduces you to Indonesian vocabulary and guides you to speak in the Indonesian language. “Let’s Speak Bahasa Indonesia” is a collaboration between Voice of Indonesia, the Overseas Service of Radio Republik Indonesia, and the Language Centre and Development Agency at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia. Today’s topic is “Di Bali” which means “In Bali”. Stay Tuned!

Here is a conversation entitled " Baik Dipanggang di Oven maupun di Tungku" which means "Whether Oven Roasted or Stove Roasted". This conversation takes place between Chris and a waitress at a restaurant in Bali. The waitress said that both stove-baked and oven-baked chicken betutu taste equally good.

Chris (P)                  : Ayam betutu ini direbus atau dipanggang?

Pramusaji (W)         : Di restoran ini ayamnya dipanggang di tungku. Di tempat lain  

                                  mungkin dipanggang di oven.

Chris (P)                  : Apakah rasanya beda?

Pramusaji (W)         : Rasa ayam betutu, baik yang dipanggang di tungku maupun di

                                   oven, sama-sama enak.

Here are some vocabulary related to today's material.

rasa which means taste

ayam betutu which means betutu chicken

dipanggang which means roasted

tungku which means stove

oven which means oven

sama-sama which means equally

enak which means delicious

Rasa ayam betutu, baik yang dipanggang di tungku maupun di oven, sama-sama enak which means the taste of chicken betutu, whether roasted on the stove or in the oven, is equally good.

direbus which means boiled or stewed

restoran which means restaurant

In the conversation, there is the statement rasa ayam betutu, baik yang dipanggang di tungku maupun di oven, sama-sama enak which means “the taste of betutu chicken is good, whether roasted on the stove or in the oven”.  In this statement, there is an expression baik yang dipanggang di tungku maupun di oven (2x) which means "Whether roasted on the stove or in the oven".

The expression contains a connection between“ayam betutu dipanggang di tungku” which means betutu chicken roasted on the stove and “di dalam oven” which means in the oven which is paired by the conjuction “baik” which means whether or both and “maupun” which means or and and. The conjuction baik and maupun which means whether and or in the expression connects the parts of the sentence that states how betutu chicken being rosted in a stove and being roasted in an oven, which produces the same quality of taste.

Betutu is a Balinese speciality that can be made from chicken or duck. The word betutu means 'a dish made from chicken or duck meat that is seasoned and cooked in a shell until the meat and bones are tender'. The special seasoning gives off a distinctive aroma of spices and can make the texture of the meat tender. Betutu was declared an Indonesian Intangible Cultural Heritage by the Indonesian government in 2017.

Photo credit: tempatwisata.pro

North Sumatra Province has many tourism destinations both mountain and marine tourism. One of the destinations in North Sumatra is Siba Island located near Belawan City. Although it is on the seashore and takes quite a long time from the downtown of Medan or about one hour by motor vehicles, Belawan is still classified as an administrative area in Medan City with sub-district status. There are several tourism destinations in Belawan; one of them is Siba Island. This Island is located in Sei Baharu Village, Hamparan Perak District, Deli Serdang Regency, North Sumatra.

Initially, this location was a fish farming area, which was the main livelihood of the local residents in Belawan. However, a local resident named Syarifuddin Siba took the initiative to manage the place to be a tourist-friendly area. The island then became popularly known as Siba Island. The facilities on this island are quite complete, such as a water park, restaurant, and even a resortoraccommodation. There is also a hall room to accommodate various corporate and social events. At Siba Island, you can enjoy the rare mangrove forest scenery and engage in various water activities, such as speed boating, banana boating, or simply fishing on the calm seaside.

To reach Siba Island, you can depart from the special pier of Siba Island Resort located on Jl. Serma Hanafiah Belawan, next to Marina Restaurant. Speed boats are provided by the Siba Island management at a rate of Rp70,000 or 4,32 US dollar, for a round trip, taking about 30 minutes. During the trip to the island, you can enjoy the stunning green views, especially the mangrove forest that grows along the coast.