Bromo – Tengger – Semeru National Park

And this is for you who love travelling and like somethng nature and fresh , we’re gonna share about Bromo – Tengger – Semeru National Park 🙂

This is Bromo, is one of the most popular Mountain in East Java

This is Bromo, is one of the most popular Mountain in East Java

Bromo Mountain located at the regencies of Pasuruan, Probolinggo, Lumajang, and Malang. Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a sand ‘sea’. This unique feature covers a total area of 5,250 hectares at an altitude of about 2,100 m asl. The crater of Mt. Bromo has a diameter of about 800 metres from north to south and 600 metres from east to west. Most of the area within a radius of 4 km from the crater centre is considered hazardous.

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park has sub-montane, montane and sub-alpine ecosystem types, with big trees that are hundreds of years old. There are about 137 species of bird, 22 species of mammal, and four species of reptile in this Park.

Some of the endangered and protected animal species inhabiting the Park are the marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), deer (Cervus timorensis russa), long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak muntjak), red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), panther (Panthera pardus), Asian wild dog (Cuon alpinus javanicus) and various species of bird such as the besra sparrow hawk (Accipiter virgatus virgatus), crested serpent eagle (Spilornis cheela bido), rhinoceros hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros silvestris), black drongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), brahminy kite (Haliastur indus), and ducks that live on the Ranu Pani, Ranu Regulo and Ranu Kombolo Lake.

Furthermore, there’s some place, that you have to visit because that place are soooo beautiful and amazing. there are:

Cemorolawang: one of entrance gates through which visitors pass to see the expanse of the sand sea and Bromo’s crater from a distance; camping is possible here.
Tengger Sand Sea and Mt. Bromo: horse riding; climbing up concrete steps to the rim of Mt. Bromo’s crater, and witnessing the sunrise.
Pananjakan: viewing a magnificent panorama of Mt. Bromo, Mt. Batok, and Mt. Semeru.
Ranu Pani, Ranu Regulo, Ranu Kumbolo and Mt. Semeru. These cool, misty lakes (” 2,200 m asl.) are a frequent stopover on the way to Mt. Semeru’s peak (3,676 m asl.).
Ranu Darungan Lake: camping and observing animals and plants; incredible views.
Best time of year to visit: June to October, and December to January.

SOURCE:

http://www.dephut.go.id/INFORMASI/TN%20INDO-ENGLISH/bromo_NP.htm

Going Around the City of Malang: Ijen Street

For those who love taking photos and sightseeing, you’re gonna like this! 😀

Either the city or the regency of Malang has a lot of beautiful places. In this post, we’re gonna talk about what’s inside the city. So…….let’s get started 😀

In this post, we’re gonna talk about Ijen Street

Ijen Street

We know that this place is just a street and maybe some of you think that there’s nothing special in it. It’s not full of places to go for shopping, like in Beijing Lu in Guangzhou, China, for example. Not at all. It’s a….well….just an ordinary street. But do you like taking photos? Or maybe just walking around and enjoying the beauty of the Dutch architecture? Ijen Street will be the right place to go.

Ijen Street, in front of Gereja Ijen (the Church of Ijen)At a glance, looks like it's not in Indonesia (well, ignore the motorcycle's pict)

Ijen Street, in front of Gereja Ijen (the Church of Ijen)
At a glance, looks like it’s not in Indonesia (well, ignore the motorcycle’s pict)

Anyway, that picture above (yes, the picture of the church) shows Ijen Church. Seems like that’s one of the only buildings at Ijen Street that remains unchanged. I mean, I know that the buildings at the Ijen Streets have the Dutch architecture, but some of them have already changed. It seems like in some buildings, the Dutch and Indonesian architecture have become one.

This house is one of those Dutch buildings that remains unchanged. So Dutch :3

This house is one of those Dutch buildings that remains unchanged. So Dutch :3

Malang LibraryThis building has Dutch-styled-wall and Indonesian-styled-rooftop

Malang Library
This building has Dutch-styled-wall and Indonesian-styled-rooftop

Ijen Street (Jalan Ijen) was constructed in 1914 with Herman Thomas Karsten as the architect. He must be a genius. Seriously, anyone who had an idea of constructing a road like this MUST BE a genius! I mean, constructing two ways street, with park between them. With sidewalks surrounded by palm trees.

Malang, Paris of East Java

Hullo! We know we don’t post here very often. Been busy these weeks! ><

So now we’re gonna talk about Malang. We do have some reasons why we want to talk about Malang. First, we study in this city. Now, we’re sophomores in International Relations Department, Faculty of Social and Political Science, University of Brawijaya. And our campus is in Malang. So we think that it’s gonna be awesome if we talk about it. Second, if we didn’t talk about Malang, people wouldn’t know about those amazing things in here. But don’t worry, we’re also gonna post about the other places (Indonesia has a lot of great places to visit!), but for now, let’s just enjoy this city :3

Map of Java
(source: maps.google.co.id)

What do you know about Malang? Its apples? Its Mountains? Or even its history? Whatever it is, you have to know that there are many things to discover. Do you like hiking? Or going to the beach? Or going for a culinary tour? Or historical building? We have it all!

Malang is located in East Java. Malang is the second biggest city in East Java. However, it’s not a really big city, yet there are lot of places and things to discover in this city. Some people call it ‘Paris of East Java’.

In the ancient times, Malang used to be ruled by two kingdoms: Kanjuruhan Kingdom and Singosari Kingdom. Malang Regency also used to be an important place when Mataram Hindu Kingdom ruled. Also, there are some temples in Malang, built when those kingdoms ruled, such as Candi Badut, Candi Kidal and Candi Jago. We’re not gonna tell you the stories about it now (it’s gonna take forever for you to read this post if I tell the whole stories). But don’t worry, we’re gonna post about it later. Promise.

Ok, back to the topic. So yes, Malang was ruled by some kingdoms (they were powerful kingdoms by the way). Malang also used to be ruled by the Dutch and the Japanese. But, it looks like the Dutch had given more influence more than the Japanese did.

On 1767, the Dutch started to rule Malang. Due to its cool weather, Malang was the popular destination for the Dutch and other Europeans during the Dutch colonization.

On March 8th, 1942, the Japanese took Malang from the Dutch. The Japanese ruled Malang until 1945. The Dutch then re-colonized Malang again. The Dutch really had influenced Malang, especially its architecture. We’re gonna post more about it later 😉

A house at Ijen street, Malang. So Dutch, isn’t it? 😉
(source: http://cache.virtualtourist.com/4/4527539-A_Dutch_architecture_house_at_Jalan_Ijen_Malang_Malang.jpg)

Anyway, we’re gonna say this again: Malang has a lot of places to visit and you can do a lot of interesting things in here, such as hiking, swimming, sight seeing, shopping, culinary tour and so on.

Bromo National Park
(source: http://www.goway.com/asia/indonesia/indo_img/bromo-national-park-java480.jpg)

So, are you interested? I bet you are! 😀

You are very welcome here in Malang!

To go to Malang, you can go by

By Plane

Malang’s Abdul Rachman Saleh Airport (MLG) is a small airport with a few flights everyday from Jakarta on Garuda Indonesia, Sriwijaya Air, and Batavia Air. Regional airline Wings Air have launched a new route, serving Malang, East Java, and Denpasar, Bali

In addition to MLG Airport, Malang can also be reached through Surabaya Juanda Airport (SUB),and take a train or bus service to Malang.

By Car

Malang is about 100 km south of Surabaya; 2-3 hr via the Surabaya-Gempol highway.

By Bus

There are frequent bus services into Malang’s Arjosari bus station from Bungarasih bus terminal in Surabaya. Non AC from Probolinggo 14,000.

By Train

Overnight train services link Jakarta and Bandung, to Malang. There are several train services a day from Surabaya. One advantage to arriving in Malang by train is that the station is much more central than the long-distance bus terminals. (Malang Travel Guide – Wikitravel t.thn.)

 

REFERENCES:

About Malang. http://www.eshi-asm.fp.ub.ac.id/about_malang.html (diakses November 27, 2012).

About Malang Regency – The Cool Regency in East Java. http://www.eastjava.com/tourism/malang/history.html (diakses November 27, 2012).

Malang Travel Guide – Wikitravel. http://wikitravel.org/en/Malang (diakses November 27, 2012).

want to learn the history of Malang? | Vacadi Adventure | Indonesia-Vacations.com. http://indonesia-vacations.com/malang-history/ (diakses November 27, 2012).

Islands in Indonesia

Like we said before, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world. which is the most well known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), and Papua. First, we want describe about Sumatra.

SUMATRA ISLAND

Sumatera Island

Sumatra Island is one of the major islands in Indonesia, located in the western part of the Indonesian archipelago, bordering the Indian Ocean the west, the Bay of Bengal to the north, the Strait of Malacca in the east and to the south of the Sunda Strait. Area of ​​the island is approximately 443,085.65 km2, is the sixth largest island in the world. Some of the names are often used to refer to the island especially in the past is Andalas, Swarnadipa. In the administration of the island of Sumatra is divided into 10 (ten) provinces namely Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Riau, Jambi, South Sumatra, Bengkulu, Lampung, Bangka Islands, Riau Islands.

If viewed by boundary region, north of Sumatra Island bordering the Bay of Bengal, the eastern side of the Strait of Malacca, south of the Strait of Sunda, and west to the Indian Ocean. In the east of the island, found many swamps drained by large rivers, among others. In the western part of the island, lies the Bukit Barisan that stretches from north to south. Only a few areas of the island is suitable for rice farming. Along the line of the hill there are volcanoes that are still active, such as Mount Merapi (West Sumatra), Bukit Kaba (Bengkulu), and Kerinci (Jambi). Sumatra also has many lakes, including lakes Freshwater Sea (NAD), Lake Toba (North Sumatra), Lake Batur, Maninjau, Above and Below (West Sumatra), Ranau lake (South Sumatra), It’s Not Revenge lake and Lake Test (Bengkulu).

Sumatra Island is an island rich in agricultural products. Of the five provinces rich in Indonesia, there are three provinces on the island of Sumatra, the province of Aceh, Riau and South Sumatra. The results of the main island of Sumatra is Palm Oil, Tobacco, Petroleum, Tin, Bauxite, Coal and Natural Gas. Producing area of ​​the mine on the island of Sumatra and the resulting mine types are generated in the Arun natural gas, petroleum produced in Pangkalan Brandan, Duri, Dumai, Bengkalis, Palju and Gerong river. Coal produced in Tanjung Enim. Tanjung Pinang produces bauxite and tin produced in Muntok.

JAVA ISLAND

Java IslandJava island located at the southern of Indonesia. Geographically, Java island located at the southern of Indonesia. To the west is bordered by Sumatran island, and on the east by Bali island. To the north is bordered by Java Sea. The island of Java Indonesia is administratively divided into six provinces: Banten, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Yogyakarta Special Region, and Capital District of Jakarta. Five largest and most popular cityIndonesia are in Java, namely Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, and Semarang.

There are approximately 136 million people live on this island. The majority ethnic population of Java island is Javanese and Sundanese. In general, the Javanese  inhabiting the center and eastern part of Java while the Sundanese in the the western area. Although, now the island of Java has been lived with various ethnic groups from all over the world.

Java also has many mountains as a result of volcanic processes that are also believed to be one of the formation triggers of this island. One of the most active volcano in Java namely Mount Merapi (2968 m). While the highest mountain in Java is Mount Semeru or Mahameru (3676 m).

BORNEO ISLAND

Borneo Island

Borneo is the third largest island in the world (after Greenland and New Guinea, and comprises three separate countries: Malaysia (Sabah and Sarawak), Indonesia (Kalimantan) and the Sultanate of Brunei. Located southeast of the Malay Peninsula and southwest of the Philippines, Borneo is primarily mountainous, with dense areas of rain forest. The highest peak in Borneo, Mt. Kinabalu, stands at 13,455 ft. With a generally hot, wet climate, rain is more common than not, with some portions of Borneo receiving between 150 and 200 inches of rainfall annually. Between October and March, monsoons buffet the island.

Geographically, Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java island. To the east is Sulawesi, and to the northeast, the Philippines.

Given the abundance of rainfall, it makes sense that Borneo’s flora is among the most diverse in the world. Borneo has nearly 11,000 species of flowering plants, about a third of which are indigenous. How dense is the vegetation? In one 16 acre area of Borneo’s lowland forest, over 700 species of trees have been recorded. In comparison, there are only 171 native tree species in all of eastern North America.

The Borneo jungles contain some of the oldest undisturbed areas of rainforest in the world. Some of the best and most spectacular areas of rainforest have been incorporated into National Parks, which to some extent, are a good enough reason to make the effort to visit Borneo. You cannot help but be captivated by the wonderful diversity of plant and wildlife to be found.

Borneo’s forests are some of the most biodiverse on the planet. According to WWF, the island is estimated have at least 222 species of mammals (44 of which are endemic), 420 resident birds (37 endemic), 100 amphibians, 394 fish (19 endemic), and 15,000 plants (6,000 endemic) — more than 400 of which have been discovered since 1994. Surveys have found more than 700 species of trees in a 10 hectare plot — a number equal to the total number of trees in Canada and the United States combined.

SULAWESI ISLAND
Sulawesi Island

Formerly known as Celebes, Sulawesi is shaped like a tropical orchid. It is Indonesia’s third-largest island with an area of 172,000 square km. The island of Sulawesi is divided into the provinces of North Sulawesi, South Sulawesi and Southeast Sulawesi. Sulawesi has great topographical variety-spectacular mountains, scenic coastline, lakes, rice and dense jungles-and offer wonderful opportunities for travelers.

Sulawesi surrounded by Borneo to the west, by the Philippines to the north, by Maluku to the east, and by Flores and Timor to the south. It has distinctive shape, dominated by four large peninsulas: The Semenanjung Minahassa, The East Peninsula, The South Peninsula, and The South-East Peninsula. The central part of  the islands s ruggedly mountainous, such that the island’s peninsulas have traditionally been remote from each other, with better connections by sea than by road

Geographically, strait of Sulawesi is known as the border of Wallace Line which separates two different kind of fauna between the eastern and westren part of indonesia it has a spesific flora and fauna such us ebony wood, hog-deer, and Maleo Bird which has large eggs. Altough not species rich relative to Borneo or Java, Sulawesi is high in endemicity because of its long isolation from Asia and Australian in Wallacea. This ecoregion exhibits high plant endemic, mammals in Asia and several endemic bird

The island is sub divided into six provinces: Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, South-East Sulawesi, and North Sulawesi. The largest cities on the islands are Makassar, on the southwestern coast of the island, and Manado, on the northern tip.

The name Sulawesi probably origins from “Sula” which means island and “besi” from iron, which was formerly known as Celebes is a beautiful island. it has an area about 227,000 km2 with the long and narrow peninsulas. There is no more 90 km spot of land from the seashore, this make the island has along beach line. It is an island with very beautiful seashore and highland scenery. One can see and enjoy  the uniqueness of this culture such as ceremonial, traditional dance, carving, beautiful weaving from cotton and silk, traditional house and fascinating natural tropical scene.

Major income on Sulawesi is agriculture and fishing.  Some of the products exported from the region are spice, fruit, maze, rice, tobacco, coffee, and sugar. There is also some mining industry here, mainly for gold, copper, tin, and diamonds.

PAPUA ISLAND

PAPUA ISLAND

Located in the north east of Papua New Guinea, the Islands Region comprises Bismarck Archipelago and North Solomon Islands and is the least densely inhabited region with a population of 750,000 (14% of PNG).

Administratively, the region is divided into five provinces – East New Britain, Manus, New Ireland, Bougainville and West New Britain. This region offers a raft of sea and land experiences – snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, walking, climbing, fishing, shopping, arts and crafts.

Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the rugged tropical island of New Guinea(which it shares with the Indonesian territory of Irian Jaya) as well as numerous smaller islands and atolls in the Pacific. The central part of the island rises into a wide ridge of mountains known as the Highlands, a territory that is so densely forested and topographically forbidding that the island’s local peoples remained isolated from each other for millennia. The coastline is liberally endowed with spectacular coral reefs, giving the country an international reputation for scuba diving. The smaller island groups of Papua New Guinea include the Bismarck Archipelago, New Britain, New Ireland and the North Solomons. Some of these islands are volcanic, with dramatic mountain ranges, and all are relatively undeveloped.

Papua MapNearly 85 percent of the main island is carpeted with tropical rain forest, containing vegetation that is a combination of Asian and Australian species. The country is also home to an impressive variety of exotic birds, including virtually all of the known species of birds of paradise, and it is blessed with more kinds of orchids than any other country.

Papua New Guinea’s climate is tropical, as one would expect in a country located just south of the Equator. December to March is the wet season, although occasional rain falls year-round. While Port Moresby, the capital, and other towns on the coast are quite hot in the summer months, temperatures are considerable cooler in the Highlands. July, August, and September are the best months for trekking vacations.

BALI ISLAND

BALI ISLANDAt last but not least, Bali Island. The island is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east.

Bali Islands is one of the thousands islands constructing the Indonesian Archipelago that has long been famous as a leading tourist destination in South Pacific or even in the world for its exotic and vibrant art and culture, natural beauties and the hospitality of the people. Bali islands covers an extent of 5,632.86 square kilometers consisted of mountain range stretches from the West tip to the East.

Hinduism is adhered by almost 95% of its population of more than 3 millions people, specifically blended with Buddhism and the Ancestor’s worship. It is made inseparable from everyday life and no opportunity is missed to worship Gods in an unending series of ceremony stretches from birth up to after death.

Bali Islands has such a mild and agreeable climate the wholeYear round, with average temperature of the day in coastal areas varies from about 28C (82F) during May-July to abut 30C (86F) in March-October, while the most pleasant weather is between May-September.

REFERENCE(s):

http://www.baliisland.org/ (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.javaindonesia.org/ (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.mongabay.com/borneo.html (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.papuanewguinea.travel/islandsregion (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://atlasnasional.bakosurtanal.go.id/fisik_lingkungan/fisik_lingkungan_detail.php?id=2&judul=Sumatera (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.indonesiapoint.com/tourist-attractions/sulawesi.html (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.sulawesi-experience.com/sulawesi-island-tourism-destinations.html (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.javaindonesia.org/general/an-overview-of-java-indonesia/ (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.geographia.com/papua-newguinea/ (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.papuanewguinea.travel/islandsregion (accessed 19 November 2012)

http://www.pbs.org/edens/borneo/awesome.html (accessed 19 November 2012)

Indonesia at a Glance

Map of Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world comprising 17,504 large and small tropical islands fringed with white sandy beaches, many still uninhabited and a number even still unnamed. Straddling the equator, situated between the continents of Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, it is as wide as the United States from San Francisco to New York, equaling the distance between London and Moscow.  Indonesia has a total population of more than 215 million people from more than 200 ethnic groups. The national language is Bahasa Indonesia. (Discover Indonesia | Visit Indonesia – Official Website for Indonesia Tourism and Travel Information n.d.)

Indonesia’s most well known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), the Maluku Islands (Moluccas), and Papua. Indonesia’s capital city is Jakarta, located on the western side of Java Island.

Indonesia

Indonesia is a very unique country. With 583 languages and dialects spoken by the different ethnic groups, confusion and misunderstanding are inevitable. Therefore, we have Bahasa Indonesia as our national language. With about 200 million population comprising more than 200 ethnic groups, conflicts are inevitable. Though there are those differences, we have something in common that unites us. We have Bahasa Indonesia as our national language, it unites us. We also have five principles of nationhood, called Pancasila – namely Belief in the One and Only God, a Just and Civilized Humanity, the Unity of Indonesia, Democracy through unanimous deliberations, and Social Justice for all – Indonesian societies are open and remain tolerant towards one another’s religion, customs and traditions, all the while faithfully adhering to their own. The Indonesian coat of arms moreover bears the motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – Unity in Diversity. (Discover Indonesia | Visit Indonesia – Official Website for Indonesia Tourism and Travel Information n.d.)

REFERENCE(s):

Discover Indonesia | Visit Indonesia – Official Website for Indonesia Tourism and Travel Information. http://www.indonesia.travel/en/discover-indonesia (accessed November 5, 2012).