Bangli, is the only regency in Bali which does not have beach as tourism object. However, Bangli also has other potentials that is very unique which could only be found in this regency, such as nature panorama and unique customs of its people. One of the villages which have unique customs in Bangli is Penglipuran Village. The location of this village is easy to be reached. It is located near Kintamani and Bangli famous attractions, Tampaksiring Palace and Tirta Empul. This village is located in the Bangli District, Bangli Regency, around 45 kilometers from the capital city, Denpasar.

When you enter this village, you will be amazed by the architecture of the houses which are all the similar. The similarities are in the form of gate which has bamboo roof and 2.5 meter high, slim door in a size of one adult, and the color of house which use the natural brown color made from dirt. Another similarity is in dividing parts of a house. A house in Penglipuran Village must follow the arranging rule of bale (small hall), room, and kitchen. Almost all of these buildings use bamboo as their part.

According to the headman of this village, the similarity that exists in here is designed to create togetherness amongst the villagers. Besides that, they hope that they could preserve the nature by keep using natural elements in their life. Due to its commitment, this village got Kalpataru Award (award for environmental conservation) from Indonesian Government. However, because of modernization some of the villagers now begin to use bricks to build house instead of bamboo. Related to this situation, the headman stated that he understands and allow some of them using bricks because it is still natural and the form of the house still obey the rule of this village.

The harmony of this village is not the only attractive thing here. The natural surroundings are also interesting. With entrance ticket starting from Rp 7,500 until Rp. 10,000 per visitor, you could enjoy a great atmosphere of this classic Balinese Village. Since becoming one of the mainstay tourism objects in Bali, more than 100 people visit this village every day.

This village possessed a beautiful panorama, fresh air, comfort, silence, peace, and uniqueness of village layout. It is supported by the hospitality of the villagers and their awareness in conserving the nature. Moreover, they have their own system in managing the use of water from its source.

In Penglipuran, the village is divided into three areas/zones: parahyangan (head), pawongan (body), and palemahan (foot). Parahyangan is the most sacred and highest area in this village around 700 meters above sea level. In this area there is a temple called Penataran Temple. Down the stairs from this area of temple, you will enter the pawongan zone which consists of west and east settlements. These settlements are divided by a main road with 3 meters width which stretch out from north to south. In pawongan zone, there are 226 patriarchs with average livelihood as farmers, ranchers, and bamboo artists. The ancestors of this village taught them to be friendly with the environment. Thus, 40 percent of this 112 hectare village is bamboo forest. Moreover, cutting down bamboo in Penglipuran could not be done haphazardly. The person who wants to cut down his bamboo tree must get permission from the village’s priest.

Respect for Woman

According to a humanist Ketut Sumarta, the characteristic of Bali Aga (Ancient Bali) people is their high respect for woman. The form of this respect is realized in an “Awig-awig” (village rule) of Penglipuran Village.

According to this awig-awig, any man in this village is only allowed to marry one woman. Polygamy is strictly prohibited. If a man is out doing polygamy whether it is known by his wife or not, he will still get punishment. The one who breaks the rule will be excommunicated. He will not be allowed to live in his wife house. Even, he will not be allowed to enter the temple.

In Penglipuran, the excommunication place is called Karang Memadu. The size of this place is very narrow. From long ago, until now Karang Memadu has never been occupied, so it shows that no one ever break the rule of this village.

Besides polygamy, stealing or robbing is also strictly prohibited. If someone is found stealing anything, the punishment is also severe because he/she will be asked to give at least 5 chickens for offerings with various colors to every ancestor’s temples that he/she has.

Another unique thing of this village is the custom of their villagers who do not cremate their family who pass away. This is uncommon thing in Bali because cremation or also known as Ngaben is a tradition for the other Balinese people. The corpse of the villager will only be buried without cremated. The reason behind this custom is apparently related to the effort of conserving nature. It is said that, cremating the corpse could result environmental pollution, so they prefer burying the body of their passed family under the ground.

The effort of this village’s residents in conserving nature is a great example for everyone. This village has lived in harmony for a long time because of that effort. Penglipuran is a village that you must visit when you spend your holiday in Bali.

Sundak is a beautiful beach located in Sidoharjo Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul, Yogyakarta. According to the story which is told by the local residents, the name Sundak was taken and then used after in this location there was a fight between a dog and a hedgehog. The fight was initiated when a stray and hungry dog met a hedgehog in this beach. This hedgehog was chased down into a cave and then ended up eaten by this dog. The owner, who was looking for his dog saw his dog went out of the cave soaking wet with half of the hedgehog’s body. Curious, he checked into the cave and found the other half of this animal’s body and also a spring. After that fight, the owner of the dog called this beach as “Sundak.” Sundak is the combination of two words, “asu” which means dog, and “landak” which means hedgehog. Besides that, the spring that was found in that location was used as the water source for the local residents. Now a water pipe is installed here to flow the water into the settlements around there.

After accidentally named, this beach was getting famous and could attract visitors. It is not only because of the unique name, but also because of the beauty of this beach with its white sand and peaceful ambience. Now, this beach even has been visited by both local and foreign tourists. Because of that, Sundak Beach has been developed by the local government as the mainstay tourism object especially in the region of Gunungkidul. Although becoming mainstay tourism object for its region, this beach is still administered by the local residents, not the government.

Features

No wonder this beach is one of the most attractive places located in Yogyakarta, because the beauty of Sundak Beach is real. The coastline is covered by clean white sand combined with clear water of the sea. Besides that, the beach is shallow and could be explored until 30 meters from the coast. Under the water, there are some small corals and rocks as the home for the tiny sea biota that you could see in this beach.

There are also some rock hills and limestone cliffs in the north of this beach with height around 12 meters. These hills are like decorating the beach which adds another beauty for this beach. In one of these hills, the spring that was mentioned above could be found.

In the afternoon, the tourists could enjoy the amazing view of sunset in the horizon of Indian Ocean whilst enjoying the peaceful ambience of this beach.

Access

From Yogyakarta to the capital of Gunungkidul Regency, Wonosari, you could get on a public bus departs from Giwangan Terminal, Yogyakarta. You could also choose between minibus and big bus with charge starting from Rp 4,000 or more. The trip could take around one hour. After arriving in Wonosari Town, the passengers will be deployed around Wonosari Market. From here, you should get on a minibus heading to Baron or Krakal Beach. It will take around 40 minutes until 1 hour before arriving at the location.

However, if you go to this beach by personal vehicles directly from Yogyakarta, it will be easier with approximate travelling time around 2 hours.

Entrance Ticket

The entrance ticket into the area of beach in Gunungkidul is Rp 1,500 per person. It will be charged in the main road before entering the beach area. However, when you enter the Sundak Beach Area, no entrance ticket will be charged, except the parking ticket for Rp 1,000 or Rp 2,000.

Accommodations and Other Facilities

Sundak Beach is still in the category of newly opened beach, so you will not find any resort or lodge around here. However, in the other beaches located in the west of Sundak Beach there are a lot of lodges enough for spending nights, such as in Kukup Beach, Krakal Beach, or Baron Beach. Moreover, the room charge for one night is also cheap starting from Rp 20,000 – Rp 50,000. There are also some homestay around these beaches.

For dining option, you could try some food shops or taverns made for attracting tourists. In these places there are wide selection of seafood and other dishes. The food stalls lining up in the beach offers you various kind of local seafood dishes which are worthy to be tried.

Google Map

Tapaktuan is the name of a small town in South Aceh. This region has been known possessing a potential natural beauty which could match the beauty of the other tourist destination in Indonesia. However, hard access to the Tapaktuan Town makes this tourism object could not develop well. Tapaktuan has a beautiful beach with the same name as its town, Tapaktuan Beach. This beach is clean, has clear white sand, and has an amazing sunset which makes Tapaktuan Beach similar to Kuta Beach in Bali.

According to the local legend, Tapaktuan Beach was the place where Teuku Tapa fought a couple of Dragon who kidnapped Naga Princess. Thus, in this beach on a hill you could see a giant footprint which is said as a remnant of that fight. A lot of tourists usually take their photograph in this unique location.

In the part of the beach where the giant footprint exists, there are some prohibitions that should be obeyed by this beach’s visitors, such as: do not laugh too loud, do not swear or use bad language, and other prohibitions. If someone ignores the prohibition, it is believed that something bad could be happen, including a big wave that could hit the location.

From on top of the hill where the footprint is located, you will be able to see the amazing view of the ocean in front of you. The blue ocean is so vast that you could not see the edge of it. Below, there are also the view of the beach with its white sand and rolling waves.

To reach the location of this giant footprint, you must up the tiring steps until you reach the top of the hill. This is going to be a challenge for you. However, the tiredness that you feel will be paid off by an experience of seeing a giant footprint which is so unique. It could be imagined how big the Teuku Tapa was when he fought the dragons. Actually, in Gampong Padang region, Tapaktuan Town there is also a giant grave which is said as the place where Teuku Tapa was rested. This grave is more than three meter in length and often visited by many tourists.

Besides this beach, you could visit a place named Ie Dingin. In this place, there is a beautiful multi tiers waterfall. However, the access to this place is a little bit extreme, so to visit all the tiers and enjoy its view, you must be brave to climb rocks and hills. Many people are only able to climb until the third tiers because of the extreme access. Moreover, in the rainy season, the access would be more dangerous. However, it does not mean that you could not reach the top of this waterfall. Some of the visitors of this place could also reach the top. So, nothing is impossible especially for the people who have high enthusiasm.

There are no resorts or lodges for staying over around this area. So, if you want to stay a couple of days here, you must go to the Tapaktuan again to find a lodge. In Tapaktuan, there are various kinds of resorts and lodges starting from the cheapest until the decent one.

For dining option, you must not worry because wide selection of restaurants and shops with various menus are available in this town. Tapaktuan is the west coast route for heading to Medan and vice versa, so in this town there are a lot of restaurants which is open daily even 24 hours. Some of them is also built on top of the hill offering a spectacular view of the sea while you enjoying your meal.

If you live outside Sumatra Island, the best way to go here is to get on an airplane only until Medan City. The reason is simple because Medan is closer to Tapaktuan than Banda Aceh, the capital city of Aceh. From Medan, which is the capital of North Sumatra Province, you will only need to use a bus with fee around Rp 30,000. The trip will take around 4-5 hours. It is a lot shorter than departing from Banda Aceh, which will need up to 9-10 trip. Although this region is called Legend Town, you should not worry, because it also offers a beautiful nature to be explored.

Raja Ampat is the name of islands located in West Papua, Indonesia. The name of this region has been very famous worldwide for its beauty on land or under water. Raja Ampat is the paradise of coral reef, so this place is a “sacred” place for the divers all around the world. According to the local legend, the name “Raja Ampat” was originated from a story about a woman which founded seven eggs. Four of these eggs hatched into four different princes. They parted to different places Waigeo, Salawati, East Misool and West Misool and then became king there. Meanwhile, the other three eggs, hatched into a ghost, a woman, and a stone.

In the record of history, the area of Raja Ampat has been occupied by the fishermen for a long time who apply Maluku custom in their group. In this custom, the residents are the member of village community. Every village is led by a king. However, since the era of Muslim Sultanate in Maluku, Raja Ampat had been claimed by the Sultanate of Tidore. When the Sultanate of Tidore lost to the Dutch, Raja Ampat was ruled by the government of Dutch-Indies.

In the Regency of Raja Ampat, there are 88 villages and 10 districts, which are the expansion area of Sorong Regency. The total area of Raja Ampat reaches approximately 46.000 km2. 15% of that area is land, and the rest is sea. From 610 islands, the occupied islands are only 35 and not all of the islands have name. There are 4 main islands here, Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo. Raja Ampat Islands is in the area of Coral Triangle. Coral Triangle is an area which is rich with the variety of sea biota in the world. Some of the countries which are located in the Coral Triangle are Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Japan, and Australia.

It is estimated that there are more than 1.070 species of fish in the Islands of Raja Ampat. The fish are the kinds with high demands such as tuna, mackerel, grouper, napoleon wrasse, red snapper, sea cucumbers, shrimp, and lobster. Thus the main profession in this area is fisherman. Besides that, the local residents also do pearl and seaweed cultivation which are exported to Australia, New Zealand, China, and Japan. Some of the islands even have more potential like gold, coal, oil, gas, nickel, and the other minerals.

The Most Complete Underwater Flora and Fauna in the World

Raja Ampat has been acknowledged by the world as one of the best 10 waters for diving. According to the visitors who had dived in this area, the waters of Raja Ampat is said as the one who owned the most complete flora and fauna in the world. The species of corals are estimated reaching 537 species.

A research in 2001 until 2002 reported that there are more than 540 kinds of hard corals (75% of the total number in the world), more than 1,000 kinds of corals, coral fish, 700 kinds of mollusks, and gonodactyloid stomatopod crustaceans. It means that 75% of coral species in the world is located in Raja Ampat.

Halmahera Eddy

The water condition of Raja Ampat Islands is influenced by the water mass from West Pacific Ocean. It could be seen from the current of the ocean which moves from east to northeast and in line with the island of Papua. This current is called Halmahera Edy by the researchers. The existence of this current makes the underwater of its area fertile. The temperature of the water also contributes to the fertility, with range from 27o – 28o C. The light could penetrate until the depth of 30 – 37 meters under the water. That fact explains why there are a bunch of coral reefs in Raja Ampat.

The ecosystem of the coral reef could manage their own food actively for the other organism inside it. Hence, the waters of Raja Ampat are the best place for the fish to fulfill their need for food such as plankton for the small fish, or other fish for the bigger one.

Access

For visiting Raja Ampat, you can depart from any place in Indonesia which has airport facility. For example, if you are from Jakarta you could go to Sorong first through Manado. The length of the flight is up to 6 hours. When you arrive in Sorong, Papua, you could go to Waisai which is the city of Raja Ampat Regency.

Related Article About Papua

1. Indonesian Diving Spots With Spectacular Coral Reefs

2. Attractions in Papua

Tanah Lot is a beautiful temple located on a beach in the area of Beraban Village, District of Kediri, Tabanan. From the capital city of Tabanan, this temple is located 11 km south. Meanwhile from Denpasar, this temple is approximately 30 km to the west and could be reached in 1.5 hour driving or 43 km from Kuta and need around 2 hour driving.

Tanah Lot Temple was built on a rock hill in a beach and could be visited on foot in a couple of minute from the parking area. From the coast, this temple is only 100 meters and could be easily visited if the beach is in low tide. This tourism object is very famous for its amazing sunset. The word “Tanah Lot” consists of two words, “Tanah” which means coral rock/land and “Lot” or “Lod” which means sea. Thus, the word Tanah Lot could be interpreted as a rock in the middle of the sea.

Tanah Lot Temple is a member of Dang Kahyangan Temples and has a function as a place for worshipping sea guardian god. Tanah Lot Temple was built in the 15th century by Hindu Pedanda (priest) called Danghyang Nirartha which came from Majapahit Kingdom. Danghyang Niratha was on his way spreading Hinduism from Java to Bali. Before building a temple in this location, he felt a strong holy vibration radiated from the area of this beach. According to the legend, Danghyang Nirartha was successful in strengthening the belief of the local residents for Hinduism. However, a local priest and the leader of this village, Bendesa Beraban was unhappy because most of his followers shifted side following Danghyang Nirarta. This local priest was so angry and then tried to expel Danghyang Nirartha from his village. He agreed, but before leaving the village with all his magical power he moved a big rock into the beach and built a temple on top of it. He also transformed his scarf into some guardian snakes. These snakes even still exist until now and these snakes are the species of sea snake characterized by their flat fish-like tail and black with yellow stripes body. Bendesa Beraban was so amazed and finally became the followers of Danghyang Nirartha too.

In some particular months, if you visit the area between Tanah Lot Temple and the cliff, you will be able to see a wonderful glowing sun set in the middle of the cliff’s hole. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is rare and could only be seen in the months when the sun’s position is a bit north.

In some of the holes under the temple of Tanah Lot, there are some sea snakes which by the local residents are believed as the guardians of this temple. These snakes are very friendly, but cannot be disturbed. People say that the venom from this snake is 3 times more dangerous than the venom of cobra. There is also a freshwater spring here and could only be seen when the wave is low.

The area of Tanah Lot is a holy area, so if you visit this beach, you must obey the rules here such as dress politely, do not swear or use vulgar language, and do not do misdeed activities. If religious ceremony is being held, you must not make noise or you can find an enough distance for taking photograph so you do not disturb its process.

As a mainstay tourism object, Tanah Lot has been maintained professionally and equipped well with various facilities. In the entrance of the temple, there are a lot of art shops offering various kinds of local handicrafts. There is also art market which sells variety of typical Balinese souvenirs, like shirts, Balinese cloth, udeng (Balinese cap), hats, sleepers, accessories, jewelries, paintings, sculptures, and other interesting stuffs. If you are hungry, you do not need to worry where to find something to eat. Many restaurants and shops are available in this area providing you various selections of dishes to be tried.

By buying the entrance ticket, every visitor will automatically get an accident insurance from the administrator of this area. The same rule is also applied for the parking ticket. You can visit this temple with ease because your vehicle also gets insurance. From the parking area until entering the area of the temple, you will see the shops and merchants, besides some shops mentioned above, there are also merchants offering shell necklaces, photo frame, temporary tattoo, drinks, even Polaroid/instant photo.

Indonesia is widely known as one of the countries which possess the largest and the best underwater biodiversity in the world. The area of coral island in Indonesia is estimated reaching 60 thousand square meters, spreading from the westernmost area (Sumatra) until the easternmost area (Papua). The beauty of Indonesian underwater ecosystem needs to be more promoted. All this time, Indonesians only focus on developing land and culture tourism without realizing its underwater potential. However, now the underwater beauty of Indonesia has begun to be explored more as the places like Raja Ampat, Bunaken, Wakatobi, and Tulamben getting more reputation worldwide.

One of those diving site, Tulamben, is located in Bali. Tulamben is the name of a beach which is located in Karangasem Regency. To go to this beach, from Denpasar you could use the By Pass Ida Bagus Mantra Route (Denpasar), heading to Klungkung, and then Karangasem. From the city of Karangasem, you could continue your trip from the Abang Intersection heading north. After 30 minute trip, you will enter the area of Tulamben Beach.

For every diver, it is very important to know the whole set of equipments which will be used for diving. This is necessary to guarantee the safety and comfort while diving underwater. The complete equipments for diving including diving suit, breathing regulator which is also used for balancing your body underwater, masker, snorkel, coral boot, fin for moving underwater, oxygen, and the most important equipment in diving called SCUBA of Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. Those equipments must be well prepared before jumping into the water. If you are a beginner, you do not need to worry because in this place a guide and instructor will be available to help you with the equipments until give instruction when you are underwater.

For beginner divers, Tulamben Beach is the perfect choice because the current under its water is rather calm. However, for the intermediate of even pro divers, this site is still an attractive diving spot since the underwater beauty that this beach offers is quite charming. Underwater beauty is actually the main reason for every diver doing this sport. The beauty of the coral reefs and its biota could give a peaceful feeling for everyone who sees it. The skill of diving is also important because the more skillful a diver is, the calmer he will be under the water.

Diving is an exciting yet challenging activity which is suitable for refreshing activity, escaping from the stressful daily routines. However, the excitement of diving around the underwater biota should not result damages for this priceless beauty because once this ecosystem takes damage, it will need a long time to be recovered.

These are the reasons why you need to visit Tulamben

Complete facilities. There are a lot of tourism facilities such as hotels, restaurants, and shops. For tourists who want to see the underwater life, the diving operators are also available and all of them are systemized well.

Not far from the gulf of Tulamben, there is an attractive and safe diving site. In this site there is a wreckage of USAT Liberty Glo, a former army transportation vessel which was drowned by Japanese torpedo in 1942. The Liberty is a paradise of various sea biotas such as sea snail, crab, shrimp, ghost pipefish, pygmy seahorse, Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) or even shark.

This diving spot is one of the easiest spots. All divers from the beginners until the experts could dive well here. The location of US Liberty, for example, could be directly reached from the coast around 25 meters with depth around 5 meters until 30 meters.

If you bring camera, make sure it has big capacity because it will be hard for you to stop taking photographs in this site. The beauty of its underwater panorama is amazing.

Tulamben is rich with species of fish. In the Liberty wreckage, you could see thousands of Jack fish, shark, or barracuda silhouette swimming around you. With the guidance from the instructor, you could spot on some small animals which camouflage perfectly in this location.

Besides the wreckage of USAT Liberty, there are also other interesting spots to be visited such as Tulamben Wall (Drop Off), Paradise Reef which contains artificial coral reefs with plane frame, Matahari Reef, and Seraya which is the paradise for surfers and underwater macro photographers.

The price for diving in Tulamben is very reasonable for what you will see there. There are also packages to be chosen including staying and diving facilities. If you want to get a diving certificate, an on-site diving course is available.

Bajra Sandhi is the name of a famous monument and museum which is located in the capital of Bali, Denpasar. This monument of Balinese struggle against the Dutch colonists is exactly located in Jalan Raya Puputan Niti Mandala, in front of Denpasar Governor’s office. Balinese Struggle Monument was started to build in the center of Denpasar City since 1988 and was inaugurated in 2003. As its name implies, this monument keeps the memorabilia of the Balinese freedom fighters’ persistence since the royal era where they were forcing the independence until the modern era where they were struggling to maintain this nation’s independence especially in the region of Bali.

The idea of building Balinese Struggle Monument was proposed in 1980 by Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra who was the governor of Bali at that time. In that year, he got the idea of creating a particular place for commemorating the hard effort of Balinese in repelling the Dutch colonist from this island. Then in 1981, a monument design contest was held to select the best architecture. The contest was won by an architectural student of Technical Faculty of Udayana University named Ida Bagus Yadnya. After that, in 1988 the construction was begun and after 13 years, it was finally finished. In 2001, the concrete building was finished, and one year after the dioramas was added into the museum and environment maintenance was done. In September 2002, a decree from the Governor of Bali about the hiring of the chief of the monument maintenance was implemented. In June 2003, the monument was inaugurated by Mrs. President, Megawati Soekarnoputri, and finally in the 1st of August 2004, the Balinese Struggle Monument or Bajra Sandhi Monument was opened to public.

This monument which is located in the middle of Renon Field or also known as Nitimandala Field, has attracted so many visitors because of its well maintained surroundings and great architecture reflecting the toughness and also the artistic side that Balinese have. This monument is also situated in a strategic location because it is situated in front of Bali Governor’s Office and Regional Parliament’s Building. This area was the independence battlefield between Balinese armies and Dutch armies. This war is popular as “Perang Puputan” which means “all-out war.” This monument was established to pay homage to the war heroes and give a symbol of honor for Balinese struggle over the independence of Indonesia.

This monument stands on a 138,830 m2 land with the main building’s size approximately 4,900 m2. The adult visitors should pay Rp 2,000 for entering the building and children should pay Rp 1,000 for the entrance ticket; A very cheap price. When you enter the museum inside this monument, you will see a lot of interesting things. The interior of this monument is as good as its exterior. The collection of this monument consists of total 17 various dioramas showing the struggle of Balinese freedom fighters. Some of them show the heroic story of the Balinese in repelling the Dutch colonists, such as the story of Jagaraga war in Buleleng, Puputan Badung war, and Puputan Klungkung war. Not just that, some of the dioramas also show the lunge of Balinese in protecting national independence after the proclamation of Indonesian Independence in 1945. For example, the war in Buleleng Harbor, war in Bali Strait, until the famous Puputan Margarana war under the command of Lieutenant Colonel I Gusti Ngurah Rai.

Besides dioramas, there are also some heroes portrait paintings, such as the picture of I Gusti Ngurah Rai with its soldiers, Ciung Wanara. In this monument, there is also a library contains historical archives and books, Balinese food shop, and handicrafts shops. The visitors could also go to the top of the Bajra Sandhi’s tower to get an amazing panorama of this monuments’ surrounding. From here you could see clearly the view of Denpasar City and activities on the Renon Field. The great architectural design of this monument is also a great place to take photographs.

To visit this historical monument, you could easily use personal vehicles or public transportation because of its strategic location in the middle of the city. It will need around 30 minute driving from Ngurah Rai International Airport or approximately 13 kilometers from the airport. From the area of Kuta, it will need around 20 minutes to reach this monument. This monument is opened daily for public, except for the national holidays. From Monday to Friday, it is opened from 08.00 until 17.00, while in the weekend it is opened from 09.30 – 17.00.

Besides Bali, Lombok is a good alternative tourists’ destination in Central Indonesia. There are a lot of newly developed tourism objects in this island, but there is one object which has becoming favorite, the Three Gili. Gili in Sasak’s language means Small Island, so, Three Gili is three small islands of Lombok which consists of Gili Terawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. These Gili are so famous because of its beach beauty and peaceful atmosphere.

Gili Air

Gili Air (Water Gili) could attract many tourists because of its beautiful panorama and tranquil situation. This island is the closest island to the main island of Lombok amongst the Three Gili. The size of Gili Air is approximately 188 hectare. The local residents of this island are around 1,562 people. Regardless of its small size, Gili Air has school facilities from Kindergarten until High School.

Just like the other Gili, Gili Air is also a great place for diving. The best spot for diving and snorkeling is located in the Aast Coast Area of Gili Air. In its water, tourists could observe turtles, various fish, and colorful coral.

Gili Meno

Gili Meno extent of 150 hectare and could be gone around in 1.5 hour using cidomo, a traditional horse-drawn carriage. Gili Meno is a good destination for snorkeling because of the cleanliness of its beach and beauty of its coral reef. In this island, there is also saltwater lake which is used by the local residents to produce salts.

Besides, becoming fishermen the local residents of this island indeed become salt sellers. However, due to the high visit of tourists, more jobs are available for them such as working in hotel, restaurant, tutoring for diving, cidomo coachman, and so on. Unfortunately, in Gili Meno there is no school. The children must go to Gili Trawangan for studying. In this small island, besides snorkeling or diving the visitors could also visit Gili Meno Bird Park. In this park, collection of various birds and crocodile are shown.

Gili Trawangan

Gili Trawangan is the biggest island if compared to the other Gili. The size of Gili Trawangan is 340 hectare with 1,529 people living here. Usually, the tourists who visit Three Gili will prefer staying over in this island because of its complete and comfortable accommodations. There are a lot of resorts or lodges to be chosen from the cheapest until the luxurious one. Besides that, some of the local residents also rent their rooms for the tourists.

Gili Trawangan is also the most crowded island amongst the other Gili. This island is the favorite place for private party. Abundance of resorts and restaurants are available along the coast, even a special place for watching sunset is also available. In the high season, the number of tourists visiting this island in one day could reach 100 people. The number of ships or vessels visiting this island could also reach 10 ships per day.

For the transportation, besides cidomo there is also cikar dangol in this island. Cikar dangol is similar with cidomo but without roof, because it could also be used for transporting goods. In Gili Trawangan there is also a turtle conservation place which was built by Gili Eco Trust. Twice a year, there will be an event for releasing the turtles into the sea. Many people will come and participate in this event. The conservation of the turtle in this island also affect the tourism sector, because the observing the turtles are one of the attractions in diving or snorkeling.

These Three Gili offers a total escape from the stressful daily routine and crowded atmosphere of the cities. The common contributors to the sound pollution in the cities, motor vehicles, are prohibited. Thus noise-free situation is guaranteed in these islands. For traveling around the island, you could go on foot or using cidomo.

In the afternoon, the tourists usually prefer diving or snorkeling around the island. If you are a beginner in diving, you do not need to worry because in Gili Trawangan there are some certified diving and snorkeling courses. However, if you do not want to dive or snorkel but still want to see the beauty of the Gili’s underwater life, a lot of glass-floored boats are also available to be rented. In the evening until night, the best activity to do here is enjoying sunset whilst relaxing in the cafes along the coast. For you the seekers of nightlife, you can still come to the bars and cafes at night in Gili Trawangan. These cafes are usually full of foreign tourists who spend their day partying until midnight.

There are many ways to go to Three Gili. If you depart from Bali, you could go directly to Gili Trawangan by speedboat, cruise ship, or ferry. However, if you go here by plane, you could contact some tour operators to assist you crossing to these islands from Lombok’s main island. The trip only takes a few minute, even to the farthest Gilli (Gili Trawangan) it will only take around half hour. You could also cross to these islands by heading to Bangsal from Mataram City, and then rent a traditional boat from there. It will be a cheaper alternative for visiting Three Gili. Moving from one Gili to another Gili will only take around 10 minute trip using boat.

Melbourne is one of the big cities in Australia. As one of the big cities, Melbourne indeed provides grandeur of a metropolitan with some potential of tourism objects. Melbourne is a labyrinth of alleys with some luxurious bars, exclusive restaurants, and boutiques. This city is very neat and well organized, so in 2011 The Economist Magazine even enthroned Melbourne as most comfortable city in the world. It could be imagined that the most comfortable city in the world must demand a high standard of life. So, you might think that this city is not “friendly” enough for the backpacker tourists (especially Indonesian) who want to visit this city and spend a couple of days enjoying the atmosphere of Australia in an affordable set of price.

You do not need to worry. Besides all of the expensive and exclusive places, Melbourne also still has some free and affordable attractive tourists’ attractions to be visited. For you who are very cautious with your money, these places might become a great choice for your visit to Melbourne.

City Circle Tram

Tram is the mainstary transportation of this city, especially around the downtown. To serve the passengers, the government of Victoria State has provided free city circle tram. The route of these trams usually passes some center of business and shops. To get on this free ride, you just need to find a place with “city circle” sign around the town.

The exact route is Flinders Street – Harbour Esplanade – Docklands Drive – La Trobe Street – Victoria Street – Nicholson Street – Spring Street – Flinders Street. The reverse route direction of this tram is also available. Free ride is not only the good service that you will have, because inside the tram, you will be informed about the tourism objects or venues which are passed; very recommended for the first timer.

Address

Nicholson Street
Melbourne Victoria 3001
Australia
Google Map

Shrine of Remembrance

As its name implies, Shrine of Remembrance is a monument which was built to honor the soldiers who passed in the World War I. This white great building is surrounded by beautiful park consists of lush trees and green yard. Here, the visitors could visit an education centre (including three classrooms and meeting room), an audio-visual centre, gallery space, a retail shop and an administration office, the Hall of Columns, Gallery of Medals, entry courtyard and Remembrance Garden. The location of this monument is not far from the downtown and could be easily reach by city circle tram. Its artistic building, historical value, beautiful park and free entrance make this place as a favorite for the tourists.

Royal Botanic Gardens

Royal Botanic Gardens of Melbourne is located near the Shrine of Remembrance. This area is approximately 38 hectares wide with collection of native and non-native vegetation including over 10,000 individual species. Living collections at the Botanic Gardens include Australian Forest Walk, California Garden, Cacti and Succulents, Camellia Collection, Cycad Collection, Eucalypts, Fern Gully, Grey Garden, Herb Garden, Long Island, New Caledonia Collection, New Zealand Collection, Oak Lawn, Perennial Border, Roses, Southern China Collection, Tropical Display-Glasshouse, Viburnum Collection and Water Conservation Garden which are chosen for their value, rarity, diversity and interest. There is also a Children’s Garden in this garden with playground for the children.

Address

Private Bag 2000
Birdwood Avenue
South Yarra, Victoria 3141
Australia

St. Kilda Beach

St. Kilda Beach is one of the icons of Melbourne and the most famous beach in this state. This beach is located around 6 kilometers from the downtown. Besides swimming, many people like sunbathing on the beach and the adjacent grass area which is also filled with palm tree for shading. People also engage in other watersport activities, such as windsurfing, sailing, kitesurfing, rollerblading, beach volleyball, jetskiing and waterskiing. There is also a walking track along the beach and a bicycle track.

Address

109 Barkly Street
St Kilda VIC 3182, Australia
0410 624 684

Southbank

If you are in Melbourne, there is no reason for not visiting the Southbank and walking along the Yarra River. Southbank is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, located direct south of the Yarra River. In this area you could walk around the town and find a lot of interesting places, city views, and cafes lining on the pedestrian. If you think that the prices in these cafes are too expensive, you can still stop by the coffee stalls or other cheaper cafes. There are also some bridges crossing Yarra River, such as King Street Bridge or Spencer Street Bridge.

Parliament House

The parliament house is officially used by the Council of Victoria State. This great building is located in the Spring Street and could be easily found by using tram of train. As long as no meeting session is going on, visitors could go on tour inside this building. This building has a nice architecture and interior which was built around 1855. Inside this building, specifically in the Queen’s Hall you could see a statue of Queen Victoria.

Address

Spring Street
East Melbourne VIC 3002
Australia
Google Map

Queen Victoria Market

No one ever match Queen Victoria Market or so called Vic Mart as the best place for shopping in Melbourne. This market is built on a seven hectare land which is the largest open air market in the Southern Hemisphere.

Today, this market is a major Melbourne tourist destination, offering a variety of fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry and seafood, gourmet and deli foods as well as specialty delicacies. It also has a large non-food related market, selling a diverse range of clothing, shoes, jewellery and handmade art and crafts.

If you are not in the mood for shopping, walking around this market is refreshing enough. For your information, Queen Victoria Market is closed on Monday and Wednesday.

Address

513 Elizabeth Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia
Google Map

Badung regency is well known for its potential in tourism sector. Some famous beaches or luxurious hotels are located in this regency. The potential ranges from beach into the hills. Apart from those tourism objects potentials, actually there are still a lot of tourist attractions that needs to be developed, especially in the area of South Badung which consists of hills and highlands. On this area air sport such as paragliding will be suitable for adding more value to the tourism sector for this regency. Paragliding could be a fun activity because this sport gives a fantastic sensation of enjoying the view of this island while flying without a machine. The best area for developing this tourism potential is in the Kutuh Hill, South Badung. Bukit Kutuh is still unfamiliar for the public, but for the tourists who are fond of paragliding, this place is their second home.

Kutuh Hill is located in the region of Timbes, South Badung, Bali. From Ngurah Rai International Airport this area could be reached in 20 minutes, meanwhile from the capital city Denpasar, this hill needs one hour driving. On this hill, you will be surprised because there are a bunch of people who also try paragliding, from the beginners until the pros; both from local and foreign tourists. It is often found that people need to queue to be able to leap off.

Kutuh Hill was started to be recognized in around 1990’s. This extreme yet challenging sport has been very attracting for the tourists who visit Bali, especially South Badung Area. From top of the hill, we could see the vast ocean, the beautiful line of coast, hotels, or settlements which are very spectacular if it is viewed from the height.

For guaranteeing safety, a paraglider pilot needs adequate skill and precision. The main equipments in this sport are main and reserve parachute, harness, and helm. Besides that, there are also some supporting equipments such as variometer, radio, H-T /G-P-S/ and windmeter. The kinds of parachutes which are used in this sport are varied based on the level of the pilot and the weight of the flight. The concept of paragliding is very simple, but very amazing. Paragliding parachute or usually called paraglider is a simple plane flying using the principals of aerodynamic. To be able to take off, a pilot needs a flat hill with 20-30 degree tilt. Meanwhile, to be airworthy, the wind should have around 15-25 kilometer per hour speed.

Before taking off, parachute will be expanded facing the wind. The parachute, stings, and harness will be checked before the pilot do fly. If all is okay, the pilot could move towards to the slope’s edge and leap off. With the blast of the wind, the parachute will be easily fly and soar into the sky. The combination of the wind speed and the pilot skill will be crucially needed for the flight. Besides the pros, a pilot/glider will need a guide for flying. The purpose is to ease to flight and avoid accident, especially in the landing process. Landing process is actually harder than flying, because it will need skill and precision.

Taking off from the hill, flying, and soaring like a bird are the most exciting experience for the tourists who try this sport. However, in paragliding, the wind is the determinant for the flight. Kutuh Hill is a decent place for developing paragliding in Bali. This hill meets the requirement to be a good paragliding center, because of its height approximately 150 meters above sea level and beautiful panorama. Besides that, when you fly in the sky of Kutuh area, you could see over the amazing panorama of Pandawa Beach. A little bit information, Pandawa Beach is a great beach with astonishing panorama located in South Kutuh. If you go paragliding in Kutuh, it must be cool to visit this beach too. For entering the beach, you must go through road which is flanked by steep cliffs. It was named after the Pandawa statues on the edge of these cliffs which now is in the process of finishing. Due to its enormous beauty, this location is often used for movie or commercial background and pre-wedding photo sessions.

In Kutuh Hill, there is also equipment rental. The price of this rental is varied from 250,000 rupiahs until 450,000 rupiahs for a 20 minute flight session. Before renting equipment here, the guests should be able to show flying and safety license. However, for the beginners who want to learn flying, in this Kutuh Hill there is also flying course with experienced instructors. These professional instructors will guide you from the basic things until you are in a real flying situation. For you who are curious and want to enter this course, you will be charge from 2.5 million rupiahs until 4 millions rupiahs. A little bit expensive though, but really worth it. For you who are fond of extreme or adventurous sports, paragliding in Kutuh Hill is a must if you visit this island.