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Indonesia - A Hidden Treasure Trove

With its incredible diversity, India is a feast for the senses for people around the world, with its colour, character, philosophy and organised chaos. All my life I have revelled in this and considered myself very fortunate to be a part of it. However, it has made my search for such diversity and vibrancy elsewhere much harder.

Having planned some time off to travel last year, my wife, Sophia, and I narrowed the list of places we wanted to visit to South America or Indonesia; and when a good friend related fascinating stories from Indonesia, it seemed like a sleeping giant that the world knew little about so we decided to go and see it for ourselves.

Consider some of these facts: The largest archipelago in the world with about 18,000 islands, Indonesia stretches along the equator for more than 5,000 km. Almost 60% of Indonesia's land is forested and it has more than 500 volcanoes - 12% of which are still active! The fourth most heavily populated country in the world after China, India and the United States with close to 250 million people, comprising some 300 ethnic groups who speak an estimated 600 languages and dialects.

Part 1 Bali - the island of the Gods!

As a first time visitor to Indonesia, I was excited as well as a little nervous. It's a massive country, spread over thousands of kilometres. So like India, yet so unlike India, with its endless islands forming a chain along the equator.

Indonesia to me was a slightly incomprehensible mix of a remarkably beautiful tropical paradise and danger; with communal troubles and civil disturbances, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and earthquakes. During our trip we hoped to find a fascinating reality that lay between those two opposing themes.

The excitement stemmed also from the fact that we had a month to spend there exploring these marvellous islands; home to active volcanoes, spectacular beaches and unique wildlife, like the Komodo dragon.

We started our trip in the relative comfort of the well developed tourism infrastructure on the island of Bali. In fact only thing that was difficult was trying to get a reasonably priced flight from New Delhi, as we had left it so late! Everything worked out finally and an uneventful Malaysian airlines flight later through Kuala Lumpur, we landed in Bali at Denpasar airport. The landing was spectacular as the plane comes down close to the white sandy Jimbaran beach; as you fly in, all you can see is the sea coming closer and closer until a few seconds before touch down the runway is suddenly visible.

As Indonesia has recently relaxed its visa regime for Indians, it was possible to get a visa on arrival - as an Indian passport holder, it is still a novel experience to travel to countries and get a visa on arrival! Laos, Thailand, Hong Kong (interestingly enough one needs a visa for China though), Cambodia and Maldives are a few of the others.

It was a hassle free experience and one can straight away see the advantages it brings to tourism and business travel. This is even more important in light of the Indian Tourism Board's efforts to push a similar proposal through for visitors to India.

Having pre-arranged some budget accommodation in the nearby beach town of Sanur, we hired a taxi to get us there. Bali's excellent tourism infrastructure made it an easy and painless process, we didn't even need the Indonesian we had been learning, a language much easier to learn than many.

Bali, appropriately called 'the island of the gods' is an excellent example of the religious and cultural diversity which exists in Indonesia, and consists predominantly of Hindu communities. By contrast the island of Java, where the capital Jakarta is located, is predominantly Muslim and the island of Flores (where we headed to later in our trip) is mostly Christian.

The widely spread islands with their mix of peoples, cultures and religions means that Indonesia has faced a similar problem to India in terms of language. Bahasa Indonesia is the national language but interestingly has faced similar challenges in many parts of the country to that with the adoption of Hindi as the national language in India. Indeed in Bali, Balinese is widely spoken.

The Balinese worship the various gods of Hindu mythology and are all as familiar with the Mahabharatha and the Ramayana as many Indians are. Each house is in fact considered a minor temple, adding further to the astounding statistic of some 20,000 temples on this small island of no more than two million people.

Offerings are made twice daily to the gods of the house and to the gods honoured in small shrines everywhere. As you drive around Bali, the sight of women carrying rice-and-flower offerings on banana leaves is common. Indeed, the word Bali, dating from the 9th century, means "offering."

Sanur - rather unfairly nicknamed 'snore' by us - was a very sleepy town, that had begun to lose its charm through its efforts to pander to all kinds of tourists. Our sense of discovery, lead us to search for the real Bali and we headed to a small island, Nusa Lembongan, about two hours away by boat.

Nusa Lembongan is one of 3 islands that sit across the Badung Strait on the Southeast coast of Bali along with Nusa Ceningan & Nusa Penida. These 3 islands are somewhat impoverished, relying on seaweed farming, cattle and other low-return activities, with tourism the brightest light on the horizon. The boat ride across the Badung Strait was smooth to begin with, but as we had been warned, the straits are extremely deep and there is always a large swell in the middle -finely illustrated by the teenage girl sitting behind us unable to keep her breakfast away from the fish!

Although we had to get off at the main jetty, we had made up our minds to make our way to Mushroom Bay, an amazing white sand beach which we had spotted from the boat. Getting there meant either taking a small, but expensive, motor boat taxi, or hiking with our heavy back packs up and downhill for a couple of hours.

Of course, having decided on the water taxi option, we couldn't find one until a booming Australian drawl asked if he could help. Indeed he was the owner of the water taxi company who had been living on Nusa Lembongan for years. Mushroom Bay was every bit as pretty close up and we booked ourselves into some Balinese style lodging for a few nights.

Breakfast by the beach is a luxury for anyone and we certainly indulged at the rather aptly named but predictable Bali Café. There was a sense of exclusivity to Mushroom Bay which was only disturbed at about mid-day for a few hours by day trippers from mainland Bali. We spent that time exploring the island and the first time around decided to do a walking tour. Incredibly greenery, and some stunning beaches, were our reward although after a while the humidity made the walk more of an effort than we would have liked. And, of course, temples and offerings were everywhere.

The next day we decided to explore a bit further by hiring a motor cycle, with my wife bravely (according to her!) agreeing to ride pillion. The roads were not great and extremely steep in places, but off we set off. It is hard to lose one's way around the island and we made it to the other side of the island, stopping off to admire the views and when stopped by friendly inquisitive children.

Our plan was to visit the other two neighbouring islands, if possible, and were told we could drive our bike across a narrow bridge. The bridge was indeed narrow but what worried us even more was the approach ramp - a small miscalculation of a few inches and the probability was that we would miss the bridge and land in the sea. As not-so-brave adventurers, we decided that I try it alone without my passenger. Success!

Driving through Nusa Ceningan, it was apparent that the island was much poorer than Nusa Lembongnan; the difference was tourism. Residents of Nusa Ceningan survived mostly through sea weed farming and when the trade wasn't going well they had a difficult life.

We stopped at a site where there were clearly plans to build a resort. Most of the structure and layout were in place, but now had been left to rot. As we were enjoying the views and thinking, how wonderful it would be to resurrect the resort, and would it ever be feasible, a man appeared from behind the buildings and came over. Suddenly worried that we were trespassing and that there was no other soul in sight, we tried to apologise and move away. But he was very friendly and told us about the plans for this place and how it had all gone wrong when his foreign business partner decided to pull out when tourism in Bali went into a tailspin after the bomb attacks several years ago. At last our few phrases of Bahasa Indonesia had come in useful! That, with English and body language had helped us communicate.

Having had a relatively quiet and relaxed introduction to Indonesia we were ready to make our way back to mainland Bali and get intrepid in pursuit of the Komodo dragon and to see whales in the remote village of Lamalera, in one of the eastern most parts of the archipelago.

To be continued.....

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/indonesia-a-hidden-treasure-trove-329123.html

Vacation to Yogyakarta, City of Culture in Indonesia

Have you ever went to Yogyakarta, or have you hear Yogyakarta City. If you don't know, let we see a moment. Yogyakarta is located about 500 km east side from capital city of Indonesia. Yogyakarta known as student city since it have many university and also know as 2nd Indonesia tourism city after Bali. Average temperature is tropical temperature, so it will be good if we visit to Yogyakarta at dry season from February until September.
Yogyakarta have many interesting place to be visit. For you who like past inheritence, there are many buddhist temple. The biggest temple is Borobudur temple. For you who like to go to beach, there are many good beach. Let we see the vacation place and interesting place in Yogyakarta deeper. For a moment let we explore about temple in Yogyakarta.

Candi Borobudur (Borobudur Temple)
It's located about 50 km north west of Yogyakarta and one of remarkable monument in Indonesia, a splendid work of art and the largest budhhist temple in the world. If you come and visit. Below is the photo taken when I went to Borobudur temple

Candi Sewu (Sewu Temple)
It hase about one thousand of temple located in one place. Based on people story, it was made by man who would engage beautiful lady, but the lady asked the man to build one thousand temple before morning. So the man build this one thousand temple in one night. Well whether you believe or not, this place is interesting place to visit

Candi Sari (Sari Temple)
Another candi located 13 km from Yogyakarta. Almost same with the others, this temple is budhist temple.

Well, actually at least there are five famous temple located around Yogyakarta. Those temple is place that we should be visit when we go to Yogyakarta. For next, we will take a look another interesting place in Yogyakarta for Vacation.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/vacation-to-yogyakarta-city-of-culture-in-indonesia-481837.html

My name Wulan Indah from Indonesia, I like to travel and visit interesting place, especially in my own country Indonesia. If you like to know more, please visit http://myvacationpackage.blogspot.com/

Indonesia in One Place - Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta

Now, i would like to talk about the attraction place in Jakarta City. Namely is Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) which is in this place, you can see and explore all about Indonesia from culture, art, atmosphere, religion, lifestly, tourism, and many more.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) is an area of cultural tourism in Jakarta. Located on the coordinates of 6 ° 18?6 .8 “LS, 106 ° 53?47 .2? BT, in the middle of TMII, there are a lake that tell how so large the Indonesian archipelago in the small shape. Or, in other means, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah as Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park was built to be the showcase of Indonesia. You can see whatever you want about Indonesia, you will find many Indonesia natural & cultural richness such as unique replication of traditional houses (pavilion) from all around Indonesia. I think, this park can represent your want in knowing about Indonesia only go to the smaller place than you go exploring the Indonesia in the real. It’s so match if you do not have enough time to explore Indonesia.

In this park, or usually it called TMII, there are various parks, which shows the beauty of flora and fauna of Indonesia such as orchid garden, jasmine gardens, ponds, freshwater aquarium and bird parks. Also there are some museum which is devoted to the history of sport, culture and technology such as the Museum of Indonesia, Museum Pusaka, Museum of Transportation, and The Center for Science and Technology / Pusat Peragaan IPTEK. In Indonesia, almost every tribe has a shape and building in different color, not even one tribe rarely have more than one type of traditional buildings. Building or traditional architecture, which they always followed by environmental and cultural owned. In TMII, illustration, are realized through the Regional Platform, which represents tribes in the nation’s 26 provinces of Indonesia.

There are some information about this park that you can find at this site, or you can go directly into the official website of Taman Mini Indonesia Indah.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/indonesia-in-one-place-taman-mini-indonesia-indah-in-jakarta-668552.html

Blogger, visitindonesian.com owner

Jepara, a Safe Place to Visit in Central Java - Indonesia

Thanks God! This year in the high wet season, there's no flooding or other nature-disasters happened in Jepara and hopefully nothing happen in the next few months. You may seen in TVs that there are many nature-disasters happened recently in Indonesia, mostly flooding.

The nearest town which had flooding is Kudus, a 35 kilometre town from Jepara.
So if you have any plan visiting Jepara for business matter, no need to worry because everthing is alright here in Jepara, they only trouble is when you coming to Jepara you should asking your taxi driver in Semarang that he must take safer and quicker way out to Jepara through
Genuk main street, to avoid flooding that always happen in Kaligawe street, ask the driver and he must be know it.

And if everything running well, you will be reach Jepara in the next 1,5 hour.
Or if you join our programme “Jepara Buying Trip” you no need to worry of anything because we already arranged valued service for your visiting from pick you up in Semarang airport, rent a car service, translator service, buying & sourcing agent assistance till stay in 4 stars exclusive resort in Jepara, everything in one single price to pay, and if you registered member of XploreJepara.com, gain discount up to 20% from the price shown on this programme.
Become a member is free, there's no annual member fee or so on.
Be our guest and be succeed with your business with us.

An essential service to complete above service is, XploreJepara.com provide you with furniture quality control and inspector agent services if you wish to buy furniture products from Jepara suppliers in bulk quantity by container load to make you sure received quality products and act on your behalf to arrange your order from production till shipping properly at no hustle free activity on your importing process. Of course there's additional cost to pay for such service, so please click this link for details.

Once, Jepara is save place to visit in Central Java, no need to worry on flooding, tsunami, earthquake or other nature disasters happen in this town.
So feel free to visit this cluster industry of furniture products in Indonesia at anytime.

Any question before you coming? Send us email to: info@xplorejepara.com or call us to +62 291 333 6040, +62 812 283 3040 or instant message by Yahoo Messenger to our id name : xplore.jepara

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/jepara-a-safe-place-to-visit-in-central-java-indonesia-331860.html

Agus Prayitno
XploreJepara.com Your Gate to Jepara's Furniture, Handicraft and Tourism Industry

Life Off the Tourism Track: Discovering Semarang

Surrounded by mystic mountains, Semarang is an appealing place to unwind the mind and soul through excursions along the clay trails. Semarang has a mesmerizing old world charm towered with Dutch colonial architecture fused with contrasting modern mid-rises. Far away from the hustle and bustle of tourist destinations, Semarang presents itself as a place where you can enjoy the serenity along with the composite mix of Javanese, Chinese, Indian and Arabian cultures. The simplicity of Semarang is bound to strike an invisible chord with the traveler who has the passion to discover the natural ambience of life as it is.

Semarang is the capital city of Central Java in Indonesia and is located on Java's northern coast. A trip to the Candi Hill gives a breathtaking view of the mystic plateau’s port, the scenic lowlands and the green paddy fields. One of the major attractions in the city is the beautiful Sam Po Kong temple built in honor of the Chinese commander, Cheng Ho of the Ming Dynasty who visited Semarang in the early 15th century. The Dieng Plateau situated north of the small town named Wonosobo has many beautiful ancient Hindu temples which are worth a day's tour. Alternatively, within two hours distance, you can go to Borobudur temple in Muntilan and then to Prambanan temple in Klaten. Apart from the monument Tugu Muda, Semarang has quite a few museums showcasing Javanese culture. There a several amusement parks in the city which makes your trip all the more happening.

The best part in Semarang is its amazing landscape which owes a lot to its coastal area in the northern part with Tanjung Mas as its international harbor. The southern part has hills which stretch from Candi to Bukit Sari with the picturesque Mount Ungaran at the background. The hills of Bukit Sari are endowed with a dreamy appeal which looks charismatic during dusk and it’s just the perfect place to be with your loved one. For nature lovers, make sure not to miss the scenic drive to Salatiga and the adjacent cities like Solo and Yogyakarta. Semarang is also popular for its street food which comes unbelievably cheap and you can actually pamper yourself with the authentic Semarang cuisine and other local delicacies. Semarang also boasts of a picturesque golf club, Semarang Golf Club, where you can indulge yourself all day long.

Putting up is quite easy as there are several mid-range and luxurious hotels in Semarang which offer a combination of friendly and professional service. Nearly all the hotels are in set in admirable locations and offer an easy access and getaway to the Ahmad Yani International Airport. Taxis and rental cars are the preferable ways to explore the areas in and around Semarang.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/hotels-articles/life-off-the-tourism-track-discovering-semarang-371178.html

Avail best deals on Semarang hotels through AsiaRooms at affordable prices and make your trip to this serene paradise of Indonesia a captivating experience to remember.

Peace Through Tourism

It is staggering to think that elephants sought higher ground immediately before the Tsunami hit Asian shores on December 26th 2004, while no advanced technology existed in the form of an early warning detection system that could prevent the loss of human life ... or so said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Tourism of Sri Lanka. I can't say for sure. I wasn't there. I was safe and dry in Varese, Italy at the time, and a long way from Pound Ridge, New York, from where I hail.

I have been honored to be one of the many panelists at the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism Global Summit in Pattaya, Thailand, an organizational conference dedicated to exploring the ways in which tourism can and does promote peace. I was one of the only westerners there and was surrounded by Ministers, Members of Parliament and others dedicated to the concept of sustainable tourism and peaceful tourism.

While I spoke about the strategies that western tourism enterprise has utilized to confront terrorism and natural disaster in the U.S. and Europe over the past few years, my fellow panelists from Sri Lanka, Uganda, Cambodia and South Africa, to name a few, discussed the ways in which terrorism, internal armed-conflict, war and poverty have affected their lives and those of their families and countrymen. Among a group of co-panelists at breakfast one morning, I was the only person to not have held the status of refugee at some point in my life. To the extent I have changed houses or homeland, it has been entirely through choice and a quest for new experience and I know nothing of fleeing for my life or the lives of my children. My colleagues from across the sea, in contrast, have been counting the years, and in some instances, the months, days, hours and minutes of peace.

It is amazing to me that the more I am exposed to through travel and interaction with peoples of other countries, the more ignorant I feel. Like most people, I know that people living in other parts of the world do not share the same standard of living that I do, but I did not know that the single greatest killer of children world-wide is unclean water. I did not know that my colleagues in Jordan get water once a week, but that my female Jordanian colleagues have virtually no "glass ceiling" that prevents them from advancing professionally. I didn't know that there are still cold-storage containers on the shores of the Andaman coast in Thailand that contain the bodies of unidentified loved ones after the wave hit and I didn't know that police boats and huge fishing trawlers still lie kilometers from the sea where they lie against buildings, but otherwise upright, as if they are simply dry-docked in the wrong place at the wrong time.

What is sustainable tourism and how can we in the western world assist our brothers and sisters in less developed areas to face problems that affect fragile economies so dependent upon tourism? And how can we, as tourists, promote peace when we travel? So many of us, as individuals as well as public and private enterprise, donate money. Is that the way to assure that families and businesses post traumatic natural or terrorism-related episode continue to survive? It appears, based on what I have seen and heard here, that despite our display of compassion, exemplified by our overwhelming generosity, that this may not be the answer. Houses built with Tsunami donations, for example, but which failed to consult the cultural, physical and spiritual needs of the people, lay vacant. Boats built with Tsunami donations lay idle on the shores awaiting beurocratic clearance before they can be used by Thai fisherman. Tsunami money to Sri Lanka remains unutilized because the Sri Lankan administrative offices charged with administering the money, are located in an area of the country which is governed by a para-military entity not recognized by the U.S. or the United Kingdom.

The best answer seems to be exemplified in the request I heard time and again from His Excellency Akel Biltaji, Special Advisor to His Majesty King Abdullah II of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordon, His Excellency. Eng. Ziad Al-Bandak, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, Palestine National Authority, Ibrahim Yusuf, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia, and James Lu, President of the International Hotel and Restaurant Association, to name a few. The way to be a part of sustainable tourism in each of these countries, is for the average tourist to "come back." This means -- to go back to Bali and to Jordan as soon as possible after the recent bombings, to frequent the hotels that were rebuilt after the Tsunami, but that are not yet at full occupancy, to eat the fish caught by local fisherman served in local restaurants and to buy the handicrafts of the indigenous peoples. The way to be part of the movement of "peace through tourism" is to be an ambassador of acceptance, traveling with an open heart and open mind, and demonstrating respect in our words, behavior, and interaction with peoples of all cultures. "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness," said Mark Twain. In this era of terrorism, a reality that Mr. Twain probably never contemplated, truer words were never spoken. As a general rule, we do not hate people we understand, and we have no reason to destroy what we do not hate.

As I walked around Khao Lak in Thailand, an area that was almost completely washed off the map by a wall of water, I was also reminded of the words of Francis Ford Coppola, "Time is the lens through which dreams are captured." As my lens captured the images of hotels, local businesses and homes in ruins, I feel that it was simultaneously capturing the ghosts of the people who walked in and out of these thresholds. But, it also captured the dreams of the Thai people to rebuild their land. It captured the dreams of lasting peace of the Sri Lankan people whose internal armed-conflict screamed to a halt because they lost almost all their weapons and ammunition in the wave. And it captured my dream for all of us in the Western world to revisit this world of smiles, elephants, pristine shores, Buddhist temples, limestone caves, blue skies and peaceful waters.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/peace-through-tourism-17201.html

Aceh Tourism Information - Indonesia Travel Guide

Aceh is a special territory of Indonesia , this position is the same with Jakarta and Yogyakarta. Aceh was located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Aceh's full name is Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

Banda Aceh is the provincial capital and largest city of Aceh. Banda Aceh is a city which was established on April 22, 1205 by Sultan Alaidin Johansyah, is one of the oldest Islamic city in the South-East of Asia. The population was approximately around 500,000 peoples in 2007. The prior city name was Kutaraja, determined as the provincial capital in 1956. Later its name was changed into Banda Aceh, where the first part of its name comes from the Persian bandar and means "port" or "haven". It is also proudly referred to as the "port to Meccah", as Islam first arrived in Aceh and spread throughout Southeast Asia.

In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and fierce resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the Indonesian government. Aceh has substantial natural resources, including oil and gas - some estimates put Aceh gas reserves as being the largest in the world. Relative to most of Indonesia, it is a religiously conservative area.

Until December 26, 2004, Banda Aceh was a relatively a little known town. On that day the Indian Ocean earthquake struck off the western coast of Sumatra. Banda Aceh was the closest major city to the earthquake's epicenter, and suffered further damage when a tsunami struck shortly afterwards. It was the worst hit area out of all the locations hit. 130,000 people died and many more were injured. 3 and a half Years after tsunami , a small number of people are still living in barrack-style temporary living centers (TLC) or tents. Reconstruction is visible everywhere, that a great thing for aceh people.

Nice to See in Aceh

Still a little people knows that Aceh is rich of events, attraction and unique cultures that it can be fascinate anyone. Aceh is also rich in natural beauty, waves and sea garden which is suitable for diving. Some of most beautiful Aceh tourism and historical sites and beaches have been damaged by the massive earthquake and Dec '04 Tsunami but peoples there take care of their beautifull places.

This province which is also known as "Porch of Mecca" (Serambi Mekkah) has various coastal attractions, handicrafts and various coastal attractions, handicrafts and nature tourism. Besides that, You can also enjoy spiritual tourism and family tourism. The Government of Aceh wants to change the image that the tour is interesting not only on the beach or other beauty nature places but also spiritual sites and family attractions that can provide insight and spiritual values.

Some of nature interesting place are Lhok Nga beach, Ujung Bhate beach, Rencong handicrafts, hot spring water, etc. Spiritual and family tourism such as Indragiri Citadel Mosque (one of the oldest mosque in Aceh), tomb of Admiral Malahayati, Teuku Cik Ditiro tombs, etc.

Below are the list of interesting places in Aceh

Banda Aceh

1. Museum Negeri. The museum is filled with antiques. Among the exhibits is a big clock, a gift from the Emperor of China and brought to Aceh by the famed Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414. Museum Aceh There is a museum in Banda Aceh located near the Governor's residence. The main building of the Museum is a house built in a traditional style by the Dutch Governor Van Swart in 1914. The museum is filled with antiques, and among the exhibits a big bell Cakra Donya a gift from the Emperor of China conveyed by Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414. On the bell can be found a Chinese script, Sing Fang Niat Toeng Juut Kat, no one knows what it really means.
2. Gunongan, Gunong means mountain in Acehnese, is a man made miniature mountain built by Sultan Iskandar Muda. This was a gift of Sultan Iskandar Muda to his wife, Putro Phang who came from Malaysia. This building likely functioned as an important recreational peace for the Queen and other royal family members to climb. Gunongan is one of the most historical building in Aceh. Situated in Teuku Umar street, located in the Taman Sari Park ,opposite of the Dutch graveyard, Gunongan survived earthquake and tsunami. On the plague planted in front of the building, it said that the year of the construction was 1607.

   You are allowed to climb, but you need to contact the guard, to open the door The view from the top is nice. It is nice to walk around the building, get higher and higher. It is quite enjoyable to visit this place during the late afternoon or sunset. I couldn't help myself to try to figure out how was the view of Banda Aceh in 1607. And how was the queen manage to climb the miniature of the mountain. It was an exciting thought.

3. Pinto Khop which are located at a few steps from the Pendopo are also charms of the city. Gunongan was erected around the 16th century during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Muda.
4. The Great of Baiturrahman Mosque is the main feature of Banda Aceh today. Lying at the heart of the city completed with excellent architectural style, this mosque is really one of Indonesia prime tourism sides. The Mosque was built during the REIGNs of Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636) and had caught fire several time including when the Dutch attacked Kutaraja (Banda Aceh) in 1873. Another mosque to replace the former one was later built by Dutch Military Government that was completed in 1883. The Mosque is extra ordinary in architecture and ornamentation. It has five onion shaped domes, two tall minerattes, wide white walls, and around is pillars various kinds of beautiful ornament.
5. Kerkhof or Churchyard is a much visited site especially by Dutch visitors. War Memorial of Kerkoff Peucut Kerkoff is the burial place of the soldiers who died in the Acehnese War. About 2,200 soldiers were buried in this graveyard including the General Kohler. Their names, where and when they died can seen at the gateway to the Kerkoff.

Aceh Besar / Jantho

1. Cut Nyak Dhien House. The house is a replica of the heroine Cut Nyak Dhien House, from the Aceh War. The house was burnt down by the colonial forces but a replica was built later. This house in Lam Pisang, about 6 kilometers from Banda Aceh, is now a museum.
2. Lhoknga Beach, White sandy beaches and charming and beautiful view, especially for enjoying the sunset. Lhok Nga is used to be frequented by many surfers from arround the world during the winter months. It's a long white sand beaches, and still famous place to be visited even after Tsunami. Lhoknga beach can be reached by bus, mini buses or taxis, about 17 km from Banda Aceh to Meulaboh directions. It takes around 20 minutes from the city. You'll find rice field on the way to Lhok Nga.... the new chapter of Aceh has been start, the new beginning of beauty and new life in Aceh after the tsunami.
3. Lumpuuk Beach, Lumpuuk beach used to be a popular beach. Calm water and overlook the nearby cliff island, it's just beautiful. There is also cave hidden on the hill rock.

   Although the situation is much different now, but still, it's still interesting place to see. Lumpuuk is situated near Lhonga beach.

4. Ujung Batee Beach, Ujung Bate is a black sand beach nice for walking and collecting seashells. The beach is decorated with pine trees. It is nice to go picnic, enjoy the shade under pine trees overlooking the beach and swayed by the waves.

Sabang (Pulau Weh), Sabang island has gorgeous beaches and spot for diving. Virging Iboih forrest with beautiful waterfalls and Keuneukai hotspring. This beautiful island on the most western tip, is where the measurement of geographical of Indonesia starts. The zero kilometer sign is situated in the island. Sabang is also a famous place for weekenders from Banda Aceh. The island is a gorgeous spot for snorkelling and diving. It has beautiful beaches with beautiful coral reefs. I hope I am not too boasting by saying Sabang is heaven for the divers. There are diving operators in Sabang. Famous spot for diving is Iboih, Rubiah island and Gapang. The facilities in Sabang are simple and modest. Moderate class is found in Gapang. There are cottages with AC and attached bathroom. Cottages in Iboih are much simpler. Bring your own sleeping bag If you don't dare to lay down in the thin mattress. The price is considerably cheap. Breakfast is rarely included. From Banda Aceh, it is recommended to take speedboat from Ulee Lheu. It only takes 45 minute with cost of Rp 60,000. If you are heading to Gapang or Iboih, you can take public transportation ( L-300 minibus stuffed with passangers). The cost is around 40,000 to 50,000 with travelling hours around 1 hour.

Aceh Utara / Lhokseumawe

Lhokseumawe is a town located 274 km from Banda Aceh which is now being developed as an industrial zone. Many gigantic plants are constructed following the discovery of huge LNG resources in the area. Touristic features of the town is a.o. Samudera Pasai. It was the first great Islamic kingdom of Indonesia. All that remains of it, however, is a graveyard 18 km east of the town. One of the graves belongs to Malikussaleh, as Samudera Pasai's first king. Other objects for visitors at Lhoksuawe city are Blang Kolam Falls and Ujung Blang beach

Aceh Tengah / Takengon

1. Takengon, Takengon is a town located in the central area of Aceh. It is being promoted as a tourist resort since its temperature is about 2O degree C (68F), cool enough for a holiday resort. The main feature of the town is Lake Laut Tawar. It is a pleasantly cool holiday resort, at an altitude of 1,200 meters above sea level. Central Aceh is one of Sumatra's foremost producers of high quality coffee. A warm water pool at Simpang Balik, Loyang Koro and Loyang Pukes caves by the side of Laut Tawar are also interesting objects.
2. Lake Laut Tawar, Located near Takengon, in the highlands of Cental Aceh, is very scenic. It has soaring cliffs around the shore which are ideal for rock climbing. The lake is also stocked with trout. There are warm water pools at Simpang Balik. Many caves dot the lake's surroundings, Loyang Koro and Loyang Pukes caves by the side of Lake Laut Tawar are interesting to explore. Motorboats can be hired for fishing and sightseeing.

Aceh Tenggara / Kutacane

1. The Leuser National Park of Gunung Leuser is probably the wildest in Indonesia, located in Southeast Aceh, can be reached from either Kutacane, or Takengon. This magnificent national park has a wealth of flora and fauna. The park also has research facilities for the study of primates, birds, insects, and other animals. Basic accommodation facilities are available at Ketambe. The rapids-infested Krueng Alas river inside the park is popular with rafters.
2. Alas River, The Alas River, 165 km southeast from Takengon, cuts through the Gunung Leuser National Park. This area is especially popular among the young and adventurous. The sharp bends and many rapids are challenging to white-water rafters.

Simeulue's Lobster

Simeulue is beautiful. although many places are not enjoyable for swimming because of its reefs. Most of beautiful beaches are found in Salang and Alafan sub-district. Simeulue is surrounded by small islands. There are surprisingly people living in some of those islands. As Simeulue has reefs around the island, this is a perfect place for lobster, shrimp and crabs. When you visit Simelue, your visit is not completed without having a plate of lobster. Sambai village (Teluk Dalam sub-district) is recommended favorite palce to get fresh lobster. Although you can't expect lobster to be cooked, you can buy lobster as much as you like, then take it to near small restaurant stalls and have them cooked for you. Although the wave is not as dramatic as in Nias island, not too bad areas for surfing. In Teupah Barat and Teupah Selatan, there are places nice for surfing. There is also one well-known resort name Willy's Resort (in Busung village) which is known among the surfers.

If you want to visit Indonesia, you can find more information about Indonesia travel guide at www.VisitToIndonesia.com

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/aceh-tourism-information-indonesia-travel-guide-1281259.html

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