Tag:indonesia

Kemaro Island and a love story

Kemaro Island and a love story

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 […]

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Palembang and River Musi in South Sumatra

Palembang and South Sumatra

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. […]

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Mahayana Buddhist temple Borobudur

Mahayana Buddhist temple Borobudur

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 […]

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The Hindu temple Prambanan

Prambanan a monumental Hindu temple

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 […]

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Yogyakarta centre of Javanese culture

Yogyakarta centre of Javanese culture

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”. […]

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Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park

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 […]

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Megabat isn't a flying vampire

Megabat isn’t a flying vampire

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 […]

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Gamelan orchestra

Gamelan music the mystic of Indonesia

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 […]

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Goa Ngerong the mysterious cave

“Goa Ngerong” the mysterious cave

The “Goa Ngerong” cave near Tuban, East Java is the right destination for a short weekend trip.  Located not more than forty minutes to drive by car from Tuban away. The cave locates in the small town of Rengel. It’s a famous place for locals. The entry to the area is directly on the road from Tuban to Bonjenogoro. You cannot miss the small gate on the road. Indeed “Goa Ngerong” the mysterious cave has something special. As in many […]

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