lombok rinjani trek and hikking

lombok rinjani trek and hikking

lombok rinjani trek and hikking

Borobudur Temple (Forgotten Wonder of the World)

The Borobudur Buddhist sanctuary, more than a thousand years old, is recognized as one of the greatest stupa and World's wonder of its kind in the world. Today, it is the center of tourist attraction in Central Java. The name Borobudur is believed to have been derived from the Sanskrit words, Vihara Buddha Uhr, meaning the Buddhist Monastery on the hill. Borobudur temple is located in Muntilan, Magelang and is about 42 kilometers from Yogyakarta city. It is the greatest Buddhist work of art existing in the world. Borobudur's architects and sculptors designed it to serve the purpose of veneration, worship and meditation, though Borobudur is not a temple as such.

Using untold number of labourers, the early architects designed the structure built around a natural mound of earth resting upon a stone foundation of two layers, square in plan with regular shaped projections making 36 corners in all. The top has a great stupa, standing 40 meters above the ground. The walls of the Borobudur are sculptured in bas-reliefs, extending over a total length of 6 kilometers. It has been hailed as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world, unsurpassed in artistic merit, each scene an individual masterpiece. Built around the turn of the 9th century A.D. It is said that if you put your arm through one of the bell-shaped stupa and can touch the stone within, you will have your wish come true. A must on your itinerary.

Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat Palace

The palace court, a grand and elegant masterpiece of Javanese architecture, lies in the center of the city. It was founded by Prince Mangkubumi in 1755. The prince was then called Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono I. He chose to build the palace between the Winongo river and the Code river. The palace meeting hall is called the Pagelaran and often the place where formal meetings of the palace officials are held. Meanwhile, the Manguntur Tangkil hall is the place where the Sultan is seated. This hall lies in Sitihinggil.

Siti means ground and Hinggil means high. The front gate is called Danapratapa and is guarded by two giants statues called Gupala. One is called Cingkorobolo and the other Bolopoto. They are all supposed to protect the palace from any harm or evil. The main part of the building is called Purwaritna, in which the Sultan officiated his duties. Beside this building, there are two store buildings called Panti Sumbaga. One was used for the Sultan's private library and the building where the Sultan lived or stayed is called Gedong Kuning. The palace visitors can enjoy the atmosphere of the Keraton of former times by visiting the life-size drama of wedding ceremonies, performed by puppets which are intentionally arranged to create such an atmosphere. Many sets of gamelan (Javanese musical instruments), antiques and heirlooms have made the palace of Yogyakarta a most interesting tourist attraction in the city of Yogyakarta. The palace of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat is a place where the family and relations of Sultan Hamengku Buwono X make their residence.

KRAKAL BEACH

The sloping beach of Krakal is very nice, wide and white sandy beach interrupted by some coral ridge. The beach is very suitable for sunbathing but remember your sunblocker, particularly at the middle od the day. For the snorkelers amongst you, many tropical fish can be seen here. Krakal is only 9 kilometers from Baron beach.

GLAGAH BEACH Glagah beach is located some 40 kilometers south-west of Yogyakarta, in Kulon Progo Regency. The Serang river, which runs to the South sea, empties out at this beach. Running alongside the river, is a green field with shady coconut trees which is a convenient place to camp or just to relax.

SAMAS BEACH Samas beach is located to the south-west of Yogyakarta, located in Bantul Regency. You can find a natural beach with its white sand. It is about 35 kilometers from the Yogya city.

Pilgrimage to SENDANGSONO May and October are considered as holy months to honour Maria, Mother of Jesus Christ. Thousands of Roman Catholics frrm all over Indonesia and even from abroad, make their pilgrimage to Sendangsono in these months. Pilgrims walk as far as 3.5 kilometers along the road starting from Banjaroya Kalurahan (village) office on the Sentolo-Muntilan road to reach the Promasan Church.

PARANGTRITIS BEACH

A seaside resort 27 kilometers from Yogyakarta, Parangtritis beach is one of the most famous beaches in Yogyakarta. It has been a tourist destination for a long time. You may take a horse ride to explore the shore. Every Sunday, many local people visit the beach just for recreation or relaxation. According to Javanese mythology, the Goddess of the South seas (the Indian Ocean) Nyai Roro Kidul or Ratu Kidul, was married to Panembahan Senopati who established the Mataram Kingdom.

Since that time, every year, the Sultans of Yogyakarta have made special offerings to her in a beachside ceremony called Labuhan. To celebrate the Javanese new year, there is a special ceremony called Satu Suro held nearby Keraton Yogyakarta, the royal palace. You may be lucky to see it.

PARANGKUSUMO BEACH The western part of Parangtritis beach, is where the Labuhan ceremony, called Parangkusumois, is held. People believe that the beach is meeting place between the King of Mataram and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul. Every Wage or Kliwon night according to the Javanese calendar, many people come to meditate there.

BARON BEACH

This beach forms a bay which protrudes between two green coral ridges. It is located about 60 kilometers from Yogyakarta. To reach it, you travel down a winding road through the mountain with lovely panoramas over the green valleys and views of terrace limestone hills. It features the mouth of an underground river.

KISKENDO CAVE

Kiskendo Cave is located in the Menoreh mountain, Kulon Progo Regency. The area lies about 700 meters above sea level, so the air is always cool and fresh. The panorama of its environment is beautiful indeed. To the East, vast lowlands extending around the Progo river can be admired and to the South, the Indian Ocean. This cave can be reached by motor bikes or cars. But for those using big vehicles (i.e. bus) you are advised to stop at the Girimulyo district and to proceed by smaller vehicles because of the narrow road. Along the way to the cave the beautiful view of the mountainous area and the terraced rice field are a beautiful sight.

SELARONG CAVE Selarong cave is an historical site, which used to be the guerrilla headquarters of Prince Diponegoro in the struggle against the Dutch colonial between 1825 - 1830. He moved to Selarong after his home at Tegalrejo was attacked and burned down by the Dutch. This cave located some 14 kilometers south of Yogyakarta, on the top of a hill with many Guava trees.

CERME CAVE

Cerme cave is a former meeting place used by Walisongo to spread and teach Islamic religion in Java. The word "Cerme" comes from "Ceramah", a speech that was held during the meeting when discussing the plan of the establishment of the Great Mosque in Demak, a city in the northern part of Central Java. The cave is a 1200 meters long alley which has beautiful stalactites and stalagmites and a cool, clear stream in it. There are smaller caves which used to be meditation places like Dalang cave, Ledhek cave, Badhut cave, and Kaum cave. Cerme is located in Srunggo, Selopamioro, Bantul Regency, about 22 kilometers from Yogyakarta.

MOUNT MERAPI

Mount Merapi is situated north of Yogyakarta with a height of 2,920 meters. From a distance, you can always see white smoke emerging from the top, amid the moving clouds in the deep blue sky. The top can be observed from the western slope, Turi village, about 15 kilometers from Yogyakarta. For a better view, visit Plawangan, the observatory resort, by walking up a path way from Kaliurang for about an hour.

Mount Merapi

KALIURANG Kaliurang, a popular mountain resort some 24 kilometers north of Yogyakarta. The sleepy green valleys and the lazy hills provide a nice setting for the youth to go camping or mountain climbing. Sometimes, especially at night, one can see a spectacular sight of lava coming down the mountain. Various tourist facilities are available, like restaurants, hotels, tennis courts, swimming pools, parks, and a camping ground.

Sambisari Temple (From the 10th Century)

Impian Monalisa-This Shiva temple was discovered in 1966, located about twelve kilometers east of Yogyakarta, on the north of the main road between Yogyakarta and Solo. The temple is very unique. It was covered by volcanic ash and dust because of the eruption of mount Merapi in 1006 and became buried six and a half meters below the surface of surrounding land but remained in perfect condition.

Sewu Temple (Buddhism Temple) Sewu temple is located 2 km to the north-east of Prambanan Temple. "Sewu" is the Javanese word for thousand. This is the second largest Buddhist temple complex in Java, including several other small temples like Lumbung, Asu, Bubrah, and Lor Kulon temple. Restoration is professionally underway to reach its original form. It is a MANDALA, manifesting the universe in the center temple of Mahadeva, surrounded by four rings of 250 smaller temples of Gods.

Prambanan Temple (Hindu Temple)

IMpian Monalisa-The Prambanan temple is the biggest and a most beautiful Hindu temple about 20 minutes from Yogyakarta city. This magnificent Shivaite temple derives its name from the village where it is located. Locally known as the Loro Jongrang temple, or the temple of the "Slender Virgin" it is reputed to be the biggest and most beautiful Hindu Temple in Indonesia. 17 kilometers east of Yogyakarta, the temple is believed to have been built by King Balitung Maha Sambu in the middle of the ninth century.

Its parapets are adorned with a bas-reliefs depicting the famous Ramayana story. It has eight shrines, of which the three main ones are dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma (all are manifestations of God in Hindu). The main temple of Shiva rises to a high of 130 feet and houses the magnificent statue of Shiva's consort, Durga. Prambanan Temple is beautiful temple, in fact, it is a group of temples. The biggest temple dedicated to Shiva (one of manifestation of God) with two other smaller ones, on its right and on its left, dedicated to Brahma and Wisnhu (manifestation of God) respectively. Reliefs decorating the walls of the temple depict the story of Ramayana.

Prambanan

Impian Monalisa-Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.

It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.

The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the precise damage".^[2] However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

BUKIT TINGGI - A HILL TOWN

THE TOWN LOCATED AT THE TOP HILL Send Photo to a Friend TheParamount picture of BukitTinggi Mayor's Office Impian Monalisa-THE PICTURE ABOVE IS A LANDSCAPE OF MAYOR'S ADMINISTRATION OFFICE VIEW FROM FORT DE KOCK BUKIT TINGGI literally means TOP HiLL, BUKIT in bahasa means HILL and TINGGI means High, as we were realized that BUKIT TINGGI is a nice TOWN in West Sumatra located at the Hill side. Beside the Hill side, this lovely town was also located between two mountain, MERAPI MOUNTAIN and SINGGALANG MOUNTAIN, in a clear sunny day we can see a beautiful Panorama of Both MOUNTAIN's Peak from a Park where a big CLOCK monument stand still elegantly

Send Photo to a Friend Post Office Building at Bukit Tinggi

TOWN CENTER and COG- WHEEL Train As a former of one of the Dutch site in an ancient time, Bukit Tinggi is a most developed small town than the other region of West Sumatra Province. Around Jam Gadang (Clock Tower) as a TOWN CENTER we can find Dutch Architech Houses side by side with Minangkabau's architectural building as seen at the picture, it is Bukit Tinggi Post Office building. The other historical remnants of the Dutch times was a railway train which link the capital city of West Sumatra Province- PADANG - to Bukit Tinggi, where one can see the railway not far from Lembah Anai Water fall if we travel from Bukit Tinggi to Padang vise versa, the railway is an unique one by there is an additional line at the center of the railway, the track for COG-WHEEL train which was designed to steep hill, unfortunately the train now is not in operation because of maintenance reason

FORT DE KOCK Anno 1825 As a Former Dutch Colony, One can find a Fortress which was been built in 1825 as a defence of the Dutch army against the struggle of local peoples which lead by TUANKU IMAM BONJOL. The fortress was built in Bukit (hill) JIREK, now as one compound of Bukitt Tinggi ZOO

Send Photo to a Friend Benteng Fort DE KOCK

Directions to the Rio Salado Operations Center

Impian Monalisa-From Phoenix: Take the Loop 202 east to the Priest Drive or Center Parkway exit. Exit north (left), cross the freeway overpass and turn east (right) on Washington Street. Look for the Marquee Theater on the south side of the road (SW corner of Mill Avenue and Washington Street). Enter the Marquee Theater parking lot and travel south. The Operations Center is located under the freeway.

From Van Buren Street heading south: Look for the Marquee Theater on the SW corner of Van Buren (Mill Avenue) and Washington Street (Curry Road). Enter the parking lot just south of the Marquee Theater. The Operations Center is located under the 202 freeway.

From Mesa: Take the 101 (Pima Freeway) north to the 202 west to the Center Parkway exit. Exit at Center Parkway and travel north to Washington Street and turn right. Look for the Marquee Theater on the SW corner of Mill Ave. and Washington St.. Turn into the Marquee Theater parking lot and go south to the Operations Center, located under the 202 freeway. You can also enter the parking lot on Mill Avenue, south of the Marquee Theater.

From Scottsdale: Take Scottsdale Road south - it turns into Rural Road at McKellips. Continue south to Curry Road and turn right. Go to Mill Avenue and turn left, enter the parking lot just south of the Marquee Theater. The Operations Center is located in the south end of the parking lot, under the freeway.

From Downtown Tempe/Mill Avenue heading north: Cross Tempe Town Lake and turn east (right) on Curry Road. Look for the first street on the right side of the road called Lake View Drive. Follow the road down to the lake and continue up to the Marquee Theater parking lot. The Operations Center is located at the south end of the parking lot, under the freeway.

For more information, call (480) 350-8625.

What About Transit?

The City of Tempe’s Transit Program, Tempe in Motion, provides bus, bicycle and walking services throughout the city, including the Tempe Town Lake area. In addition, the City continues to participate in planning the Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail transit (LRT) project.

Bus Service: There are six bus routes that serve the Tempe Town Lake area, routes 56 – Priest, 62 – Hardy, 66 – Mill/68^th Street, 76 – Miller, Neighborhood FLASH (Free Local Area Shuttle) and Yellow Line. Most Tempe buses run Monday through Saturday until 1 a.m. and Sunday until 10 p.m., with rush hour service every15 minutes Monday through Friday from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m.

There are numerous bike paths throughout the Tempe Town Lake area. Tempe is a bicycle friendly community, with more than 125 miles of bikeways. All buses are equipped with two bike racks and most major destinations in Tempe provide convenient bicycle parking.

Walking is a healthy, environmentally friendly alternative to driving. There are many places to walk in Tempe, including Tempe Town Lake. All major streets and most local streets in Tempe have sidewalks.

Light Rail: The City continues to participate in planning the Central Phoenix/East Valley light rail transit (LRT) project. A proposed 20.3-mile starter segment will begin operating in late 2008. This starter segment would run from the Chris-Town area to downtown Phoenix, through downtown Tempe and into Mesa. The light rail line would serve the Tempe Town Lake area, downtown Tempe and Arizona State University. In addition, a new LRT bridge will be constructed over Tempe Town Lake.

Lombok

Just East of Bali is the small island of Lombok. Taking its name from a spicy red pepper used liberally in local cuisine, Lombok has long been a melting pot of Indonesian art, music, and tradition. Recently developed tourist facilities draw visitors to Lombok's serene beaches, soaring mountains and old temples.

The culture of the western part of the island is still heavily influenced by Bali. The temples or pura provide some of the most fascinating glimpses into the island's Balinese heritage and their annual harvest ceremonies are famous attractions (see Bali page).

The Eastern part is the home of the native islanders, the Sasaks. The Sasaks culture, mostly Muslim, represents the majority of the nhabitants of the island.

The island features Gunung Rinjani or Mount Rinjani, an active volcano and the second highest mountain in Indonesia outside Irian Jaya at 3,726 meters (12,224 feet). The name Rinjani comes from an old Javanese word for "All Great", and according to Sasak legend, the volcano serves has a primary home of princess Anjani, the daughter of the islanders' Supreme God.
The rains that run down from the Mt. Rijani have produced one of the Indonesia most fertile valleys, and the islanders grow acres of rice, soy beans, coffee, cinnamon, vanilla and many others spices.One of Lombok's principal handicrafts is weaving. You can visit workshops to see how ikat cloth is made.
The island is famous for pottery and basketry that are woven from stripes of rattan and banana leaves..
The Gilis, three tiny islands off the Northern coast, are magnificent with white sand beaches and fascinating coral formations. Snorkeling or diving trips can be arranged through hotels and dive shops. In the sea, divers can find rare species of giant clams, turtles, sharks, manta rays, and blue spotted sting rays gracing the warm coastal warters.

Bali: Sweet Homes

Sweet home in Bali

Bali is now attracting more and more rich famillies of Jakarta or even foreigners.

Typical tropical houses could be found , where one can spend the afternoon, in a spacious veranda, and wait till evening the arrival of the guests.

The place is a must for evening parties .

Indonesia, a must for volcanologist

The Bromo Caldera in Java

Impian Monalisa-The islands of Indonesia are among the newer pieces of real estate on the globe. They were formed only about fifteen million years ago., as a result of shifts of land under the ocean and volcanic eruptions.

Indonesia has some 155 centres of active volcanism. Java and Bali are the most volcanically active islands in the world with 20 of their volcanoes having been active in historical times.

In addition, 13 older volcanoes have active solfatara (vents emitting hydrogen sulphide and other sulphurus gases) and fumaroles (vents emitting high pressure steam and other gases.

Some peaks such as Semuru, Merapi Agung, and Ciremai have classic shapes, and some, such as Tengger and Batur, have dramatic calderas where the peak has been blown off leaving a plain or a lake with smaller peaks within.
The Lake Batur in the largest worldwide volcano caldera, in Bali.

The Batur complex has been described as one of the world's largest and finest caldera. Volcanoes have played a crucial role in the geological and human history of Indonesia. Their impact has been positive because they create land through lava flows, ash deposits, and mud flows, forming thick layers of fertile sediment. But at the same time they have hurt, when they occured.

The largest eruptions or geological events took place in Indonesia

The frequent geological activity is generating deadly events. Earthquakes are by far the cause of most of the causalties, either directly or indirectly with the tsunamis. Recently, every body will remember the tsunami of December 2004, where 80,000 Indonesian of Sumatra, in the Aceh province, were found dead. But we can find in the archives of the volcanology that among the largest known events were the eruption of Mount Tambora and the Krakatoa (or Krakatau).