Behind the Scenes
Behind the Scenes
East Java is geographically and administratively the eastern part of the main island of Java. The island with the capital Jakarta is the most important island in Indonesia. However, the other part of the island is considered geographically and administratively as Central Java and as West Java. In addition, there is the administrative district of Yogyakarta. In the west, East Java borders Central Java. That is the only landline border East Java has. While in the north the Java Sea is […]
Tuban is a midsize town in East Java at the Java Sea. The town locates three hours by car northwest of Surabaya. Tuban is a major economic and cultural centre. The city locates right away on the Java Sea with a harbour and a jetty. The national road No. 1 passes the city and connects Jakarta and Surabaya. Daily sneaking endless queues of trucks through the town. However, the city doesn’t have traffic jams and crowded roads like the big Indonesian cities. Although, a […]
On February 13, 2014, suddenly the volcano Mt Kelut erupted in a big bang. Mt Kelut is a stratovolcano, located around 100 km south of Tuban, between the cities Malang and Kediri in Indonesia. The eruption was very strong. My friends told me, that the bang was hearable even in Tuban. Moreover, the ash from the eruption fell down in Tuban as well. For two days a thin layer of grey ash covered the town. Fortunately, it’s the rainy season and […]
Madura Island is an island in the northeast of Java. The island is related to the Indonesian district of East Java with the capital Surabaya. The strait of Madura separates Madura Island and Java Island. The strait is around 2 km wide and looks more like a big river. The only access to the island by car is via the Bridge of Madura or a ferry from Surabaya. One of the most famous things from Madura is bull racing. The bull racing […]
Parangtritis beach is a beach in the south of Java island on the Indian Ocean. Located around 30 km east of the city Yogyakarta the centre of Javanese culture. It takes around one hour of travel time by car, from Yogyakarta to reach the beach. The beach is a popular tourist spot for locals and foreigners. Javanese myths tell Parangtritis beach is the home of Ratu Nyi Roro Kidul and her magical kingdom. She is the Queen of the South […]
Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located 25 km north of Yogyakarta. In fact, it’s one of the most active volcanos in Indonesia and in the world as well. Due to the composition and the character of a stratovolcano, Merapi is a dangerous volcano. The volcano is part of a chain of volcanos that dominate the landscape in the north of Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is an important city and urban centre. The area is usually also known as the centre of […]
Kemaro Island is an island in the River Musi. The island locates at a distance of around 5 km downstream from the Ampera Bridge in Palembang. The island locates close to the north bank of River Musi. For a long time, the island is a famous tourist destination for locals and even for foreigners visiting Palembang. The island is easy to reach by so-called speedboats. The speedboats for cruising on River Musi are available all along the river banks. The name is […]
Palembang and its river The Ampera Bridge is a bridge crossing River Musi in Palembang situated on the Indonesian island Sumatra. The bridge is the main connection between North and South Sumatra. Palembang is a city in South Sumatra and the capital of this region. The city situates on both sides of the banks of River Musi. In other words, River Musi divides Palembang into two parts. Among two others, the tremendous Ampera Bridge connects both parts of the city. The […]
Palembang is the capital of South Sumatra. The island of Sumatra is the western and largest island of Indonesia. While Palembang is the capital of South Sumatra, the city of Medan is the capital of the North. The city is the economic centre of the south. It’s one of the major cities in Indonesia. Palembang locates on the banks of River Musi. In fact, Musi divides Palembang into two parts. A bridge connects both parts of the city among two others. […]
The Mahayana Buddhist temple Borobudur situates in Magelang close to Yogyakarta in Central Java. Yogyakarta is the centre of Javanese culture. The city has had an important influence on Javanese history. However, the area is one of the sacred places in ancient Javanese history. The Borobudur temple was built in the ninth century. That was the time of the Srivijaya Empire in Sumatra. At this time Palembang was the capital of the empire. That was almost at the same time when […]
Prambanan is a monumental Hindu temple in Central Java. The temple locates around 20 km northeast of the city of Yogyakarta. The temple has also the name Candi Rara Jonggrang. However, the area is known as the centre of Javanese art and culture. The Hindu temple Prambanan is an important highlight in the Javanese culture and history. The temple exist since the ninth century. The temple honour the Hindu divinities Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. The Prambanan temple is an important milestone in […]
Yogyakarta is the centre of Javanese culture. It’s one of the most important cities in Indonesia. The city in association with Surakarta is the centre of classical Javanese art and culture. For instance, it’s the home of Batik art and Gamelan music. Arts, crafts and Wayang are other most famous Javanese arts. The city belongs geographically to Central Java. With their long history, the city dominated ancient Java’s significance for centuries. The district of Yogyakarta was also declared the “Sultanate of Yogyakarta”. […]
One of the most exciting places in Java is the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Located in East Java, the park consists of six volcanos in total. Only Mt Bromo and Mt Semeru are active stratovolcanos, all others extinct. The caldera gives a fascinating insight into the geology and the forces which shape our earth. Not only for millions of years in the past but even for today. The tremendous evolutionary processes still continue. In fact, both Bromo and Semeru […]
I knew from my friends about a free-living megabat colony (family Pteropodidae, Megachiroptera) not far from Tuban. A little village in the Javanese jungle between rice fields and banana trees that’s the place to go. A local villager guides me to a hill at the edge of the village. Giant tropical trees have overgrown the hill. How amazing, a big megabat colony occupied the trees as their home. When the villager hit the tree trunk with a piece of wood, the bats flying […]
Gamelan music is a traditional music style from Indonesia. The music is performed in an orchestra. Gamelan music, Batik and Wayang kulit are the most important things in Indonesian art and culture. The Gamelan is most common on Java and Bali islands. Sulawesi has its own kind of music called Kulintang and Bali has Rindik. Indeed there are other interesting things about Indonesia. But the traditional music and puppet theatre is Indonesian culture and part of social life. The unique atmosphere and the style of music […]