People may think that Indonesia is not a good place for cultivating grapes / vine to produce a good wine. So far, people only know that the good wines come from non-tropical countries, like from Europe, America, or Australia. The fact is that, now Bali also has competed against those countries as a producer of good wines. Now, you can visit this Balinese vast vineyard as well as try the local wine product in Buleleng, Bali.

Buleleng regency in the northern part of Bali Island has a lot of tourist destination like temples and beautiful ricefields. Not just that, Buleleng also has been widely known for its reputation as the best local grapes supplier.

Unfortunately, some of the vineyards in Buleleng have been forced to shut down because of the narrowing lands. Extreme climate was also the a contributing factor to the death of the vines in this area. However, there is still one big vineyard that could survive until now with their well known product, Indico wine.

Indico wine is very famous in Bali. Bali, as known by people is also a famous tourist destination in Indonesia. Many people come to visit Bali for its nature, culture, and arts. However, Bali is not only about those three things mentioned earlier because the tourists could also visit some vineyards in Buleleng regency which are note less attracting and fascinating than the other tourist attractions.

Although Bali has some good vineyards, Indico wine is one of the best wine products originated from Bali. This wine is usually processed into beer, whisky, cognac, and the other kinds of alcoholic beverages. Surprisingly, this wine is not only famous in Bali and Indonesia, but also already spread all around world.

Indico winery is located in Puputan Bali street and has been visited by so many tourists in their holiday time in Bali. The vineyards are actually located on top of the hill of Singaraja with its quiet and peaceful atmosphere. Indico wine Bali brand has gained wide reputation all around the world for its fine white and red wine.

This vineyard and winery was built by Gde Sumarjaya Linggih in 1998 with its company name, PT Banyu Sakti. He was interested to try producing wine because of the abundance of grape harvest in his hometown, Singaraja. At that time, economical crisis was very severe resulting in soaring price of imported wine from the other countries.

Making his bold decision, Linggih then declared partnership with expert wine grower from England, Stephen Arthur Spinney. To strengthen his winery and improve the quality of his products, he bought some better machines. He also declared partnership with local farmers and improved the distribution networks.

Those hard efforts were successful. If at the beginning of his career he could only sell 2000 liter wine per year, now he can sell approximately 8000 liter wine in one year. The variety of the wines has also increased to 4 kinds of wine, like Red Wine, White Wine, White Blush, and Port.

According to Linggih, in a month his company could seel 10.000 bottles of Indico. The distribution of the product is more on the hotels, which sell Indico in their bar. Indico has also been exported to Singapore and other countries, but still the main market of this product is Bali.

From the beginning, Linggih believe that Indico could get a proper place in the wine market, even though Balinese and Indonesian do not have the culture of drinking wine, like the westerns. That is why, he aimed for the foreign tourists as his customers. He said confidently that Indico does not need to pursue customers to their country because the customers come by themselves to Bali to seek for comfort, beauty, entertainments, and exotics. The tourists who come to Bali must be more attracted to try typical local beverages rather than usual beverages that they always drink in their country.

Nowadays, we can see Indico wines in every bar, restaurant hotel, or market in Bali, and of course some in other countries. The main office itself is located in Denpasar, but its vineyard could be found in Singaraja. The tourists who visit Bali are very welcomed to see the process of making Indico wine which now has become famous all around the world.

Have you ever swam directly from the natural hot water? If not, come and find it out in Bali! Swimming in a pool with the natural hot water; you can find it in Banjar, Lovina, Bali. It is just located 24 km west from Singaraja or you only need 2.5 hour driving from Ngurah Rai International Airport. This place is named Air Panas Banjar; ‘Banjar’ is the name of the village, “Air Panas” can be translated as “Hot Spring”, so it can be called as “Banjar Hot Spring”. The specific location of this place is in Desa (village) Banjar, Kecamatan (ditrict) Banjar, Kabupaten (regency) Buleleng.

The hot water originally came from flowing spring water of a volcano. Because of that, the hot water still contained sulfur which is good for skin and health. The skin fungus, acne, itch and rheumatic disease can be treated by the sulfur which is contained in hot spring. The temperature of the water is around 37° – 40° Celsius. So, you can directly swim into the hot water pool comfortably. Here, while relaxing your body into the pool, you can see the beautiful panorama of a natural tropical garden, listen to natural sound of flowing water and hear the voice of birds singing around there. A river near the pool will directly bring you back to nature.

What a very peaceful place for you to relax your mind, body and soul. As the main point, this place consists of three hot water pools which each pool has a different function. The first pool is located in the highest area and it has the hottest water temperature. This pool is purposed to be a place for those who want to get soaking in a hot water. The hot water is flowed from a head of dragon statues around the pool, so you will feel like taking a shower under the mouth of dragon. What an unique experience of showering! Actually, there are ten statue of dragons consisted in this pool in which the five statues are placed in the first pool and five others placed in the second pool.

In addition, the second pool is a perfect place for swimming and it also has the widest pool area. The depth of this pool is only one till two meters and the water temperature also lower than the first pool. So, it is a good place for children or adult to swim. The last pool is the smallest pool and it’s placed separately from two main pools. This pool consisted of three small waterfalls with three meters high. The waterfalls are supposed to be a natural massage of water for those who want to relax their body muscle. If you want to feel a different sensation of massage, try this one. You will get many advantages if you come to Banjar Hot Spring. Besides getting a healthy skin, you will find a perfect place to relax. After spending time in a hot water, you may feel hungry or thirsty. Don’t worry, this place is completed with a good facility of hotel and restaurant. The restaurant is directly located near swimming pool. It offered Balinese food, Indonesian and western food with a delicious taste. Enjoying a cup of Bali coffee here with the natural tropical view is also recommended for you to give a try. If you want to stay for a longer time, spending one or two nights in the romantic hotel near the natural hot spring water with the tropical garden view will be the unforgettable night for you to remember. The price for the food in the restaurant and room in the hotel will be very cheap. Besides that, the entrance fee for visiting Air Panas Banjar or Banjar Hot Spring is only spent Rp. 5.000 for adult and Rp. 3000 for children. What a very cheap price for enjoying natural hot water with a wonderful tropical garden panorama. For buying souvenir, you don’t need to go far away.

Many souvenir shops are available in this area. There are many sarongs, T-shirts, unique necklaces, bracelets, and many more offered by the local people. One tip for you if you want to buy some souvenirs here is that bargaining is allowed. Most of the souvenirs are not in the fix price, so you can bargain to get a lower price as well. This place is highly recommended for you to visit if you spend your holiday in Bali.

Trunyan is a name of a village in the area of Batur Mountain, Kintamani, Bangli. This village is very famous for its uniqueness. What is the difference and uniqueness that this village has? Let us see!

To reach Trunyan Village, you need to cover a distance for about 65 km from Denpasar and about 23 km from Bangli City. Along the way, you will pass Penelokan, a place where you can see Batur Mountain and its surrounding clearly. From here, you can also see the beauty of Batur Lake and feel the fresh air from the highland of Bali. The remains of the frozen lava around the mountain also become an attraction for the tourists. Besides that, there is also Toya Bungkah hot spring which could be found in the foot of the mountain, near the lake. This hot spring is a perfect place for relaxing your tired muscle after taking a long distance.

To ensure easy access for the visitors to go to Trunyan, a boat dock is now built on the lake in Kedisan Village. To cross to Trunyan, you can rent the boat for Rp 250.000 each which could contain up to seven persons. Once you get on the boat you can enjoy the sensation of cruising the Batur Lake, going around the Lake, and at the same time heading to Trunyan Village. In one hour, you will arrive at this unique village.

After setting foot in Trunyan Village, you can see directly that this village is surrounded by green hills and of course Batur Lake. Reputedly, there is a Taru Menyan tree which radiating fragrance around the village.
According to the local story, this fragrance even once attracted King Gede Pancering Jagat to visit this place from far away. In this place, he met Ida Ratu Ayu Dalem Pingit around the tall pines. It is said that in that place, they married each other watched by the residents of the tall pines forest which at that time was still hunting for food. The Taru Menyan tree apparently was the one that turned into a goddess which is none other than Ida Ratu Ayu Dalem Piningit; the wife of King Gede Pancering Jagat.

Before doing the wedding ceremony, the King asked the citizens to build a village named “Taru Menyan” which slowly changed and now become “Trunyan.”

Trunyan has a lot of uniqueness, but the most attracting one is its unique funeral ceremony. Not like the typical Balinese Hindu which do “Ngaben” or cremation ceremony for the deceased, in Trunyan the corpse of the local residents are not incinerated, but only put on the graveyard without buried. This tradition is related to the Taru Menyan trees which grow around the village. It is believed that the fragrance of the trees have been absorbing and neutralizing the odor from the decayed corpse.

Trunyan has three kind of graveyards which according to the local tradition, could be classified from age, the completeness of the body, and the process of the death. The main graveyard is the holiest and the best one. The corpses that are put here are the corpse which have complete body parts and normal way of death (not by suicide or accident). The second graveyard is for the babies, teenager, and unmarried people. However, the rule is still the same with the main graveyard. The third graveyard is called “Setra Bantas” which is prepared for handicapped people and people whose death process was not normal, like suicide or accident.

From those three, the most interesting one is the main graveyard. This graveyard is only 400 m in the north of the village. The corpse are left on the ground covered only from the feet to the chest and around the corpse, bamboo fences are used for separating it from the others. There are seven pits for the corpse, and if all of them are occupied, the older corpses are taken and replaced by the new one. The older corpses will be just put beside the pit. So, do not get surprised if you can see so many human bones are scattered around this graveyard. Exactly, those bones are the main uniqueness and also attracting power of this place.

Another uniqueness of Trunyan are the archaeological remains. Trunyan inscription in the 891 year of Saka said that there is a Temple called Pancering Jagat, like the name of the name of the king that built this village. In this temple, there is a holy building with seven roofs and inside it, there is a 4 m tall megalithic stone sculpture which is very sacred for the local people. Besides that sculpture, there is also Barong Brutuk Dance which is believed as the manifestation of King Pancering Jagat.

This is it! a monumental and fascinating masterpiece of Bali Island. Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park or usually know as GWK is an excursion park and art monument in the southern part of Bali. This place is located in Ungasan-Jimbaran Hill, Nusa Dua, Badung, approximately 40 km in south Denpasar.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana stands on a limestone highland and from there, amazing panorama of the southern coastal area of Bali with beautiful natural background could be seen clearly. This statue is located in the height of 146 m from the ground or 236 m above sea level. In this cultural park area, it was designed to build a landmark of Bali in the figure of Lord Wisnu giant statue riding a Garuda in about 12 m height. The statue was designed by a famous Balinese sculptor, I Nyoman Nuarta. This monument is going to be developed as cultural park and become an icon for Bali and Indonesian tourism. Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue is a modern manifestation of Balinese ancient culture and tradition.
Lord Wisnu in Hinduism, is a God of universe maintainer and guardian riding a Garuda (mythological eagle). This masterpiece was inspired by Adi Parwa Story in the episode when Garuda showed his devotion and sacrifice to save his mother from slavery. Then, Garuda devoted himself to Lord Wisnu becoming Wisnu’s mount and granted full protection from the God. This story was also carved in the Kidal Temple reliefs, which is located in Malang, East Java.

Lord Wisnu is represented as a source of wisdom and guardian. He is also represented riding a Garuda bird who is the symbol of power and prosperity. Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a symbol of culture-based natural balance. In the concept of Tri Murthi, Wisnu’s duty is to maintain the universe and Garuda is Wisnu’s mount as the symbol of selfless devotion. Garuda is pictured in a form of a human with eagle’s head, wings, and tail. He has white face, red wings, and giant golden body which could hinder the sun light. In Japan, Garuda is also a mythological bird in form of half human, half bird. The Japanese call it Karura and in Thailand it is called Pha Krut. In fact, Indonesia and Thailand are both using Garuda as the national symbol.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue is expected to be able to keep the balance between “sekala” or real world and “niskala” or unreal world so the harmony of universe could be maintained. Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue is a symbol of nature and world saving. This cultural park is also meant to educate people to sustain the cultural inheritance as long as possible.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana is a the biggest mega-project in Bali. The plan is building a statue with 146 m height and Garuda’s wings expanse reaching 66 m with 4000 ton approximate weight. From the area total size of 200 ha, at the moment only 100 ha used and the building progress still in the 15 %. Right now, only hands and half body of Wisnu and also head of Garuda are ready.

Made from the mixture of copper, brass and steel at some parts, this statue is going to give the visitors a visibility until 20 km, which means that this statue will be observable from Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, even Tanah Lot. When it is finished, 4000 ton gold mosaic would be posted as the decoration.

However, this statue building progress does not fulfill the target. GWK was built in 1997 and planned to be finished in 2005. Nevertheless, the project was once stopped because of the insufficient funds. It is estimated that around 600 billion rupiahs will be needed to make it done. If this project is finished, it would be the largest and the highest statue in the world, leaving the famous Liberty in the second place with its 46 m height and 204 ton weight.

As a matter of fact, Garuda Wisnu Kencana is also a name of Balinese dance. This traditional dance is danced by 3 male dancers as the Garudas and 2 female dancers as Lord Wishnu and Goddess Laksmi. It was firstly shown in 1997 art exhibition in Bandung and Pesta Kesenian Bali XX (Bali Art Festival) in 1998. The dance was created by I Nyoman Cerita as the choreographer and I Gde Arya Sugiartha as the composer. This dance tells the story of Wisnu’s journey to find Tirta Amerta or immortal holy water which is assisted by Garuda and Goddess Laksmi.

Lombok is a name of an island Sunda Kecil or Nusa Tenggara archipelago which is divided by Lombok Strait (separates Lombok from Bali) and Alas Strait (separates Lombok from Sumbawa). Uniquely, “Lombok” also means “chili” in Bahasa Indonesia. This island’s shape is round with a “tail” in the southwest side nearly reach 70 km. The size of this island is 5.435 km2, with its capital Mataram City.

Although not as famous as its neighbor island, Bali, Lombok now has shown that this island deserves attention from the world of tourism. Below are some favorite tourist destinations in Lombok.

1. Senggigi Beach

Senggigi Beach is the most popular beach in Lombok. It is located in the west coast of Lombok. Although Senggigi Beach is not as great as Kuta Beach in Bali, when we come to this beach, we can feel similar atmosphere that might found in Kuta. However, different from Kuta, this beach is still quiet and natural. The underwater view is so fantastic. This is really a perfect place to do snorkeling, because the coral reefs are mounted so it breaks away the wave resulting calm water surface. Some comfortable and classy hotels are also available around the beach with varied prices and facilities.

2. Gili

“Gili” means “island.” There are 3 famous Gili in Lombok, they are Gili Air, Gili Meno, and Gili Trawangan. Actually, the Gili of Lombok are not only those 3, there are other small gili/islands around Lombok. However, these 3 islands are the most famous so far. Almost everyday, these gili are filled with tourist, both local and international. These gili are always busy welcoming their visitors.

There is a unique slogan amongs the visitors of 3 gili, “3NP” or “No Polution, No Police, and No Policy.” In gili, motor vehicles are not allowed to keep the freshness of air around the islands. The only vehicles available there are non-pollution vehicles, such as bicycle and cidomo (horse-drawn carriage).

The length of travel to access these islands is about 15 minutes from Senggigi Beach. After that, boat is used to cross over to the Gili and you can read more about gili island here.

3. Pantai Kuta

This is not the famous Kuta Beach in the shore of Bali Island. Shared a name with a famous beach, this beach is also located in the same region called Kuta. Same with the another Kuta, this beach also offers a beautiful beach panorama with its scorching sun and white sands. Once in a year, the lucky visitors could see the procession of Sasak called Bau Nyale. In this ceremony, the fishermen race to get Nyale worm in the sea.

According to the legends, there was once a princess named Princess Mandalika. Because of her enormous beauty, so many princes and men fell in love with her and marry her. In the end, Mandalika could not make her decision so she committed suicide jumping to the ocean. She promised that once in a year she would come back. So, it is believed that her long hair transform to the Nyale worms. Kuta Beach is going to be a new icon of Lombok’s tourism sector. The massive development of the beach surrounding area is also going to assist this beach’s development as a tourist attraction.

4. Surga Beach

“Surga” means “heaven.” This beach perfectly suits the meaning itself. Surga Beach is located in East Lombok in the region of Jerowaru. This beach is famous for its beautiful panorama and beautiful beach with clean white sands. For the surfers, this beach is the right choice for riding the wave. There are also another beautiful beach in the southern region like Heaven on Planet Beach, Kaliantan Beach, Cemara Beach, and Ekas bay which is called Gili Indah.

5. Cemara Beach

Cemara Beach is an attractive beach in East Lombok. Its location is between Surga Beach and Cape Ringgit. Just like the other beaches in Lombok, Cemara Beach has sparkling white sand. If you want to enjoy the panorama of the blue Indian Ocean with its beautiful corals directly, some boats are available to rent. About 10 minute crossing to the next islands, you can see the experience that you will never forget.

6. Segara Anak Lake

Lombok is famous for its quiet, peaceful, and natural beach. However, aside from the beaches, Lombok also has other favorite tourism objects which are also worthy to visit. One of those tourism objects is Segara Anak Lake. Segara Anak is a lake located in Rinjani Mountain caldera about 3775 meter above sea level (masl). The view of this lake is amazing with its natural ambience thus so many tourists come and do mountain climbing to see it directly.

Segara Anak Lake’s size is 1100 ha with 230 m depth and 2010 masl height. There are so many fish in this lake, so a lot of people come here not only for its beauty, but also for fishing the abundant fish. In the middle of the lake, there is a 2376 masl high mountain, called Barujari Mountain. “Barujari” is a Sasak (Lombok indigenous people) word means “just built,” which might referring to its latest eruption in 2004 or 7 years ago.

Kupang is a region located in the southeast part of Indonesia. Kupang may not as famous as its neighbor islands or regions like Sumbawa, Lombok, or Bali. However, the exoticism of a tropical island that this island offers deserves a visit for a new excursion experience in Indonesia. Here are the popular attractions that you may visit in Kupang.

Oenesu Waterfall

Oenesu Waterfall, is a famous tourism object that you can found here in Kupang, Nusa Tenggara Timur. This waterfall could be reached in 17 km from the city of Kupang. This tourist attraction has been known for a long time and has been a favorite place to spend holidays by the local or foreign tourists. The area of Oenesu Waterfall covers approximately 0.7 ha which consists of Heterogenic Forest and beautiful riverbanks.

The uniqueness of this waterfall is the multi tiers that could reach 4 tiers in one waterfall. In the gap of the waterfalls, there are some backwaters that allows you to swim and enjoy the green surrounding. The easy access to reach this waterfall adds another value for this attraction.

Lasiana Beach

Lasiana Beach is a popular beach for the local people to spend holidays. This beach is located in Cenral Kupang District, Kupang City. Lasiana Beach’s size is about 3.5 ha. The visitors like to visit this beach in the holidays or weekend. The distance from the city is only 12 km and this beach could be easily accessed from the city of Kupang through the main road. Besides that, some public facilities were just built for the tourists, like restrooms, restaurants, and hotels.

This beach has an amazing panorama with its white sands and beautiful wave. In the afternoon, you can also watch the sun set beautifully into the horizon line of this beach. The water is so calm and shallow which is perfect for swimming. On the beach, you can also see the line of coconut and palm trees which add the ambience of tropical holiday. Moreover, some fresh coconuts were sold by the local people to relieve your thirst. In the area of Lasiana Beach you can find some unique building called Lopo-lopo. These buildings are the typical buildings of Timor which use the stack of reeds as their roof. In the west side of the beach you can find an area of small hills which make the panorama even more beautiful.

Pantai Tablolong

Tablolong Beach have a distance of approximately 25 km from the city of Kupang. For most of the local residents, Tablolong Beach is a location for fishing area. In the exact position, Tablolong Beach is located in the tip of Timor Island. The position of Tablolong Beach which faces the Semau Island directly is beneficial for the fish in the deep waters to protect themselves from the danger of high wave or storm. Thus, the area of Tablolong Beach is rich of fish.

A board written “Pusat Olahraga Memancing Tablolong,” will welcome you the first time you reach the beach line. Indeed, the tourism event which is often held in this beach is fishing competition, even world class fishing competitions. This international tournament has been held to introduce some tourism object in Kupand, especially this Tablolong Beach to the world. Some fish that usually found in this area are marlin, bayonet fish , mackerel, wahoo, bigeye trevally, barracuda, and tuna.

Japan Cave in Baumata

In Baumata, there are some caves which were used as protection bunker by the Japanese Army in the World War II. You can explore this historical cave and give you a flash back of Japanese colonization in Indonesia, especially in Nusa Tenggara Timur. This historical cave is only 300 m from the Baumata pool. After exploring the Japan Cave, you can relax reduce you fatigue by swimming in the Baumata swimming pool.

Baumata swimming pool is a public swimming pool which also become a favorite place to visit by the local residents. These Japan cave and Baumata swimming pool are the alternatives of tourism attraction in Kupang besides Oenesu Waterfall, Lasiana Beach, and Tablolong Beach.

Japan Cave and Baumata Swimming pool could be reached from kupang in the distance of 16 km and only 6 km from the El-Tari Airport.

Papua or so called Irian Jaya or Jayapura is the most eastern province tip of Indonesia. Papua can be divided into two province, they are West Papua and Papua Province with its capital Irian Jaya. Papua has so many unique attractions which are quite hard to find in the other places especially in Indonesia, like Raja Ampat, Jaya Wijaya Mountain, and Lorentz National Park. Raja Ampat is a fantastically beautiful diving spot, Jaya Wijaya is famous with its eternal snow, and Lorentz National Park is the house of wide range of unique flora and fauna species. Below are the reviews of some favorite attractions in Papua.

Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat is an archipelago located in Irian Jaya Barat or West Papua. Raja Ampat means “Four King”, named based on four big islands surrounding the area. This place is a paradise of underwater beauty. It can be said that Raja Ampat is The King of Coral Reefs. That name was not made haphazardly. In fact, Raja Ampat possesses 75% of world’s coral reef type. Besides that, Raja Ampat is also rich of unique underwater faunas, like various species of Katai seahorse, wobbegong (carpet sharks), and manta rays. Thus, for you who are fond of diving, this place must be written in your destination list. However, it is not that easy because if you want to dive here you have to book first, since the waiting list for diving here is amazingly long. Not just foreign visitors, the local visitors also race each other to visit this place and if you want read more about raja ampat here.

Sentani Lake

Sentani Lake is a beautiful lake in Papua which is located between Cyclops mountain range at 70 – 90 m above mean sea level. Sentani Lake is a volcanic lake. Its size is approximately 9.360 Ha with average depth of 24.5 m. The sources of its water are 14 big and small rivers with one outfall called Jaifuri Puay. In the western side, Doyo Lama and Boroway, the depth of this lake is very steep. Meanwhile, in the western and central side of this lake, Puay and Simporo, it is very shallow. Besides that, there is also swamp forest in Simporo and Yoka. Some journals mentioned that the bottom of this lake contains sandy mud substrate (humus). At the shallow waters, pandan and sago plants grow. There are 24 villages spread along the lakeside and small island in the middle of the lake.

Sentani Lake is the largest lake in Jaya Pura Province. This historical location offers an amazing scenery where you can see some storks and eagles try to swoop down fish in the lake; a scene that you only watch on TV. You can also use a boat to cruise over the lake.

Lorentz National Park

In the 1999, this national park was established as one of the world heritage sites in Indonesia aside from Komodo Island National Park and Ujung Kulon National Park. This national park stretches up from the summit of Jaya Wijaya Mountain until the coastal waters at Arafura sea.

Besides the diversity of floras, faunas of this national park are also highly diverse. Some species of mammals like long snout babirusa, short snout babirusa, wallabies, wildcats, 4 different species of cuscus, and tree kangaroos. Besides those mammals, there are also abundance of bird species in this national park. There are about 630 bird species (70% of Papua’s bird species) here, like Kasuari, Megapoda, Cockatoo, Pidgeons, Burund Udang, Burung Madu and the rarest bird of paradise or Cendrawasih which is also the icon of Papua.

Eternal Snow on the Summit of Jaya Wijaya.

The summit of Jaya Wijaya is one of the phenomenal Seven Summits which are the targets of extreme mountaineers around the world. The summit of Jaya Wijaya is located in Lorentz National Park. This mountain summit is covered by eternal snow which is one of three eternal snowfields in the world found in tropical area. Carstenz Pyramid (4884 amsl) is one of Jaya Wijaya’s snowy summits which is gotten the predicate as the highest summit in Southeast Asia and Pasific. Carstenz Pyramid is not only famous for its high, but also for its thick snow layers.

Papua’s Archaeology

Beside its natural potential for tourist attractions, some archaeological inheritances of Papua also have great potential to be used as tourism object which could benefit the local people. Archaeological heritage in the territory of Papua comes from prehistoric stages of Mesolithic era where hunting and gathering food were human’s main activities. Archaeological relics from this era include the Grotto Dudumunir Araguni Island, Fakfak District, West Papua. In that place, it was also found ancient artifacts in the form of rake tools and arrowheads.

Relics from the same era were also found in the form of paintings on cave walls and rocks like in Tutari Hill, Doyo Lama District, Jayapura, Papua. Archaeological relics are scattered in almost all areas of Papua could potentially be a useful asset for tourism and the local community. The diverse of archaeological heritages in Papua could become a tourist attraction that attracts more tourists to visit Papua.

Sad Kahyangan or Sad Kahyangan Jagad are six main temples which are believed as the pillars of Bali. The word “Sad” was derived from Sanskrit word means “six” and “Kahyangan” means “place of Gods.” Hence, “Sad Kahyangan” could be translated into “six places of Gods.” Here are those six temples:

1. Besakih

Besakih Temple is a complex of temples located in Besakih Village, District of Rendang, Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia. The complex of Besakih Temple consists of 18 temples and 1 main temple. Besakih Temple is the main temple of all temples in Bali. Among the temples in the complex of Besakih Temple, Penataran Agung Temple is the biggest, the highest in the number of “pelinggih” (small temple for specific God), the highest in the kind of offerings, and the center of all temples in the complex of Besakih Temple. In Penataran Agung Temple there are 3 main pelinggih of Tri Murti, they are Brahma who is the creator of universe, Wisnu as the caretaker, and Siwa as the destroyer.

2. Lempuyang

In various sources and manuscript or ancient inscription there are three big temples that are usually mentioned, they are Besakih, Ulun Danu Batur and Lempuyang. Lempuyang is located on top of the Bisbis Hill or Lempuyang Mountain, Karangasem. This temple is estimated as the oldest temple in Bali. Moreover, it is expected already in the era when Hinduism and Buddhism had not entered Bali yet. Lempuyang temple is the place of Hyang Gni Jaya or Iswara.

3. Goa Lawah

Goa Lawah means Bat Cave. In Bali, Goa Lawah Temple is a temple for worshipping Sea God. This temple could be found in Pesinggahan Village, Dawan District, Klungkung. Goa Lawah is the main temple of Pura Segara (Sea temple) in Bali. The story in Prekempa Gunung Agung manuscript tells that Lord Siwa send Sang Hyang Tri Murti (Brahma, Wisnu, and Iswara) to save the earth. Brahma went down to the earth manifested as Ananta Bhoga Dragon. On the other hands, Wisnu manifested as Basuki Dragon and Iswara transformed into Taksaka Dragon. Basuki Dragon, the manifestation of Wisnu had his head down to the ocean stirring the water so that the steam became cloud. His tail became the mountains and the scales became trees forming dense forests. It is said that the head of Basuki Dragon is symbolized by Goa Lawah Temple and its mounted tail is symbolized by Gunung Agung. The center of his tail is in Goa Raja Temple, one of the temple complex in Besakih. Some people believe that Goa Raja is connected with Goa Lawah.

4. Uluwatu

Uluwatu Temple or so called Luhur Uluwatu Temple is one of Balinese temple with spectacular scenery which for the tourists have been becoming the most favorite temple to visit in Bali. Located in the southwestern end of Bali Island, this temple perches on the top of the high and rocky escarpment with amazing sea panorama below.
Based on the history, this place was built in the eleventh century by Empu Kuturan; a Hindu priest came from Java. To enter this temple, the visitors must use shawl and sarong which could be rented there. The best time for visiting this place is in the sunset to see and feel the spectacular scenery at the edge of Bali Island.

5. Batukaru

Batukaru or Luhur Batukaru Temple is located in Wongaya Village in the district of Penebel, Tabanan. This temple is in the western side of Bali in the south slope of Batukaru Mountain. This name was named after the mountain itself. There is a unique ritual before entering this temple that it requires the visitors to pray at Jero Taksu Temple first, which is a bit far from this temple. Luhur Batukaru Temple is the place for worshipping the God of plants, thus in Luhur Uluwatu Temple, God was worshipped in the name of Ratu Hyang Tumuwuh. Tumuwuh means “growing”, so the God here manifests as the one who maintain the plants and water properly to make it grows well.

6. Pusering Jagat

Pusering Jagat Temple is located in Pejeng Village, District of Tampaksiring, Gianyar. This temple is the member of Sad Kahyangan with its position in the middle of Bali Island. In Hindu cosmology, middle or center is the place of Lord Siwa. Local people also believe that this temple is the center of the earth.

In this temple there are a lot of statues, like statues of Ganesha (son of Siwa), Durga (wife of Siwa) and also some Bhairawa. There are also ancient statues for the symbol of men’s genital or “purusa” and female’s genital or “pradana.” In Hinduism, Purusa and Pradana are the God’s first creation which became the seeds of life. Purusa is the seed of spirituality and Pradana is the seed of materials. The rendezvous of these Purusa and Pradana were the beginning of a life. There are also some inheritances in form of ancient vases which are called “Sangku Sudamala” symbolized the holy water for life. Inside Sangku Sudamala, an image that shown 1251 Saka year could be found.

Goa Gajah or literally means “Elephant Cave” is a historical and spiritual tourism object located in Bedulu Village, Disctrict of Blahbatu, in Gianyar Regency, about 27 km from Denpasar. The words “Goa Gajah” was derived from word “Lwa Gajah”, a word that appeared in Negarakertagama manuscript which was written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365 B.C.

Goa gajah was built in the eleventh century B.C., when King Sri Astasura Ratna Bumi Banten came to power. This cave was used as meditation place, which could be seen by the existence of some niches inside it. Besides that, there are also some holy pools with seven statues of angels holding holy waters around the cave. Unfortunately, now one of these statues is moved to the safer location because of damage taken after an earthquake a few years ago. These statues are actually the symbol of seven holy rivers in India, the place of birth for Hinduism and Buddhism.

This place has some priceless archaeological heritages, thus this holy cave has been being favorite place to visit by the foreign tourists and local tourists as well. This holy site is divided into three parts. There are a complex of ancient Hindu sacred buildings which were built around the tenth century B.C. There are also Hindu sacred buildings in the form of small temples or “pelinggih” which were built after the previous century. Whereas, the third part is the Buddhist heritage buildings. The archaeologists estimate the construction of these Buddhist’s buildings was done around the eight century B.C., about the same time with the construction of Borobudur Temple in Central Java.

In the eastern niche of the cave there are three big Lingga lined up on top of one base, meanwhile in the western side there is an Ganesha statue in the cave shaped like T. In short, at the central end or “keluwan” of the cave there are three Lingga as the symbol of Siva, or Sang Hyang Tri Purusa. Whereas, in the front or “teben” of the cave there is a Ganesha statue who is the son of Siwa in Hindu myth. Ganesha is a God with elephant head and human body; the son of Siwa and Parwati. In accordance to the existence of this Ganesha statue, Miguel Covarrubias argued that this cave was given name “Goa Gajah” or “Elephant Cave.” Ganesha in Hinduism belief is a “Wighna-ghna” and “Winayaka” God. “Wighna” means obstacle or defiance. By worshipping God in the form of Ganesha, people hope that they are given the spiritual guidance to have self endurance in facing every obstacle and defiance of the life. Besides that, Ganesha is worshipped as “Winayaka” for getting God’s guidance in growing discreet life. These abilities to face obstacle and to develop discreetness are the beginning of achieving a peaceful and prosperous life in this world.

In front of the cave, there is an ancient shower statue in a holy pool which until 1954 had been covered by dirt. At 1954 this place was excavated and six “Widyadhari” or female angels statues were found; three on the northern part and three on the southern part. These angels statues are placed on the “Padma” or lotus base. Lotus in Hinduism is a symbol of the universe. In the middle of this pool, there is one statue of “Widyadhara” or male angel. The other six Wiyadhari statues shed water into the pool as the symbol of fertility.

Beside the Goa Gajah temple , there are Hindu sacred buildings inherited from the era of Hindu Siwa Pasupata, and then after that era, or in the era of Hindu Siwa Siddhanta, “Pura” or Hindu temples were functioned as the sacred building. Hence, in the southeast part of the Goa Gajah, there are some temples, like: Limas Catu and Limas Mujung Temple for Agung and Batur Mountain God. There are also Gedong Temple for the ancestors of the Bedahulu Kings and Ratu Taman Temple for worshipping Visnu as the God of water.

In addition, there are also some ancient Buddhist inheritances, which even more ancient than those previous Hindu inheritances in Goa Gajah. Outside of the cave, in the western side, there is a Buddhist statue “Hariti Goddess” or in Bali known as “Men Brayut” statue. This goddess statue holds a lot of babies. In the mythology of Buddha, Hariti was a cannibal especially for babies meat. However, after she learnt Buddhism, she finally became a religious and child loving person. In the south of Goa Gajah, through the trench, a Buddha statue was found in Dhyani Buddha Amitaba position. In the pantheon of Buddha Mahayana, this position means that Buddha as the guardian of the western side of the universe. That is all the explanation of Goa Gajah features which are very interesting and worth to be visited.