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Beautiful Indonesia

The most beautiful Indonesian island you’ve probably never heard of
Published Thu, Jan 16 20201:54 AM EST
Ron Gluckman, contributor


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Flores’ crater lakes.
Caroline Pang

From the veranda of the Ayana Komodo Resort, a long wooden pier snakes into the rugged sea off Waecicu Beach. At sunset, the sky explodes with fiery showers of color. It’s a perfect picture for the Instagram Age, with dozens of delicious, chocolate-chip shaped islands sprinkled across the horizon.

The five-star resort opened in September 2018 outside of Labuan Bajo, a small town on the western end of the Indonesian island of Flores.

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Islands dot the landscape off of Labuan Bajo.
Helminadia

It’s part of a massive infusion of infrastructure designed to distinguish Flores from Indonesia’s other 18,000 islands, including the country’s most famous Bali island. The ambitious plan is fittingly called: Ten New Balis.

Announced by the Indonesian government in 2016, the plan was met with great fanfare — and for good reason. Bali has become a global icon, attracting 40% of Indonesia’s foreign visitors, many who venture no farther.


A secret no more

Expanding tourism to other sites and islands is a goal of President Joko Widodo, who was soundly reelected last year.

Progress is visible everywhere around Labuan Bajo. What was once a small fishing village is now supercharged with boom-town zeal and non-stop construction of restaurants and hotels.

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Flores is home to hot springs and caves, including Rangko Cave (shown here).
Sirintra Pumsopa

A long-time favorite of the diving world, the tiny town has two dozen dive shops, according to Benedikt Schaefer at Blue Marlin Dive.

“It’s world famous, and rightfully so. You can do different dives every day,” he said.

Though the plan outlined 10 locations to transform into tourism capitals, four were chosen as “priority destinations” — Borobudur, Mandalika, Lake Toba and Labuan Bajo. Because of booming Labuan Bajo, the entire island of Flores is receiving a tourism lift.


Komodo dragons and Starbucks

A new airport opened in Labuan Bajo in 2013, and it is already slated for expansion into an international hub.

The town’s harbor is in the midst of a $2 billion overhaul which ushered in another upscale hotel, Inaya Bay Komodo, that opened in late 2019.

It’s in a huge complex with a swirling spaceship design that is reminiscent of a smaller version of Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, and it features the first Starbucks in hundreds of miles.

Even more important are the new boat terminals that are designed to welcome yachts, ferries and cruise ships.

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Padar Island is a favorite spot to visit from Labuan Bajo.
Helminadia

The island-dotted waters around Labuan Bajo are already packed with boats, a fleet estimated at several hundred, according to travel agent Ndiwar Kewali, owner of Komodo Dominik Tour.

Like others around town, his business focuses upon nearby Komodo Island, home to the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard and undisputed superstar of Flores tourism.

Labuan Bajo’s airport was formerly called Mutiara II to distinguish it from Mutiara SIS Al-Jufrie Airport on the nearby island of Sulawesi. But nobody would confuse the two today.

Arrivals at Labuan Bajo — mainly from Bali and Jakarta — land at a quaint airport looking like something from Hollywood blockbuster, Jurassic Park. The walls and shops are decorated with giant murals of Komodo dragons.

“Everyone comes for the Komodo dragons,” noted Anna Karas, director of public relations for Ayana Komodo Resort. “The dragons have definitely put this place on the map.”


A dragon-sized controversy

A major tremor of dismay rocked the area last year when public officials announced plans to close Komodo National Park. Outrage inflamed the town.

“Everyone is against it,” said Kewali. “I don’t believe it will happen. It’s just talk, politics,” he added.

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Flores is one of less than five islands in the world where Komodo dragons live in the wild.
Aprison Photography

“If they close the park, it would hurt so many people,” said local guide John Bhago. “It would be a disaster.”

Soon after, the plan was withdrawn. But Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat, governor of East Nusa Tenggara, stirred the pot with a proposal to push visitation fees to $500 per person to limit lizard tours to high-end tourists. He later suggested they be increased even more, perhaps to $1,000.
Entrance fees currently start at around $11 per person.

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A major tourist draw, Komodo dragons have a famously venomous bite and are known to occasionally attack humans.
USO

As this dragon-sized controversy continues to grip Labuan Bajo, around the lush tropical island, adventurous visitors are intrigued by sights that have drawn travelers for centuries.
Exploring Flores

The Portuguese first arrived in the early 1500s, giving the island its name, which translates to “flowers” in Portuguese.

Popular with backpackers for decades, idyllic Flores abounds with lush foliage and striking volcanoes, highlighted by the famous three-colored crater lakes by Mount Kelimutu.

With so much emphasis these days on cultural and ethno-tourism, Flores is home to an array of authentic tribal villages with rich folklore and fantastic weaving traditions.

On a road trip from Labuan to the old villages around Bajawan, guide John Bhago points out a cascade of stunning churches. Flores is the most Christian part of the world’s most populated Muslim-majority nation.

Even more surprising than the soaring steeples and colorful depictions of Jesus and Mary, is seeing them alongside mosques.

“In Flores, everyone lives in harmony,” he proudly noted.

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The spider web rice fields in Flores, Indonesia.
Tanutkij Wangsittidej

A must-stop is Ruteng — if only for a hike to the hills above Cancar Village — to savor the breathtaking views of the famed spider web rice fields.

Framed by mountains, the fields tilled by indigenous Manggarai people resemble enormous cobwebs, or as another tourist quipped “alien landing fields.”

Ruteng is also home to hot springs and the Liang Bua cave, where the remains of a unique species, called Homo Floresiensis, were discovered in excavations in 2003. The remains of Flores ancient ancestors are sometimes referred to as “hobbits” as excavations showed the people were just over one meter tall, much like the fictional characters in the novels of J.R.R. Tolkien.

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Traditional villages of Flores.
Courtesy of Ron Gluckman

Dozens of traditional villages can be found around Ruteng and further east to Bajawa, with thatched-roof huts and communal areas seemingly unchanged for centuries.

Bena is especially picturesque; it sits on a green plain with dazzling views of Mount Inierie, the largest volcano on the island. The houses are topped with hand-made spirit figures, like warriors, animals and tiny houses.

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A spirit figure atop a tribal village house.
Courtesy of Ron Gluckman

Bena and some of the major villages can feel a bit tourist-trodden, but it’s easy to arrange homestays and treks to more distant villages.


Room to grow

Driving around the island demonstrates Flores’ vast tourism appeal and equally immense needs. Roads are few, and hotels and restaurants are mostly basic.

Connecting the dots from Komodo Airport to these distant rice fields, cultural villages, volcanoes and gorgeous beaches will require tremendous investment.

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A woman weaving textiles in Bena.
Bruno Guerreiro

“Growth in Flores has been massive,” said Lydia Susanti, guest services manager at Puri Sari Beach Hotel, which like most in Labuan Bajo, is in the midst of expansion.

“Tourism on the island is booming, but we really need to make sure all the island benefits, not just Labuan,” she said. “We’re unprepared — in terms of human resources, education and training,” added Susanti, who grew up in Ruteng and has worked in tourism around Indonesia.

Still, she concedes an undeniable freshness in Flores.

“In terms of infrastructure, this is definitely not Bali. But in terms of nature, it is more.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/16/flo...or-komodo-dragons-is-indonesias-new-bali.html

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West Sumatra, Sianok canyon, jam gadang (big clock). Bukit Tinggi Town

 
Semarang named cleanest tourist destination in Southeast Asia
Tuesday, 21 Jan 2020

Semarang, a Central Java city known for its acculturation of Javanese and Chinese cultures, has been named as the cleanest tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

The Asean Clean Tourist City Standard (ACTCS) bestowed the title on Semarang for the year of 2020 to 2022.

Semarang city secretary Iswar Aminuddin received the award on behalf of Mayor Hendrar Prihadi in Brunei Darussalam on Thursday.

Hendrar said the city owed various parties for the accomplishment, including members of the public.

“Stakeholders, the Semarang administration, members of the public, and the media [played a role], ” he said on Sunday (Jan 19) on the sidelines of an event in Semarang.

“Everyone has committed to changing Semarang for the better.”

The ACTCS initiative is meant to provide Asean member countries with tools that will help improve the quality of tourism in their cities, as well as improving the livelihood of local residents by alleviating poverty, according to the official Asean website.

Hendrar went on to say that the administration would remain focused on maintaining the city’s cleanliness through a number of public campaigns such as the Semarang Won’t Litter Movement, which was also expected to reduce plastic waste.

Other measures would entail reducing vehicle emissions and increasing the amount of green public spaces (RTH) to more than 30 per cent of the region, he said.

Semarang is home to 259 parks and green spaces, both private and public, at the time of writing. Around 29 parks were revitalised in 2018.

In addition, the administration also managed three new park projects last year.

Semarang Culture and Tourism Agency head Indriyasari said Semarang was much less polluted than any other city across the province.

“It explains why the number of tourists visiting the city increased to 7.2 million in 2019. I hope the number, as well as the quality of the tourist experience will keep improving this year, ” she said, adding that the majority of tourists spent a day or two in the city.

In an effort to improve the quality of the tourist experience, the local administration has announced that 72 tourist events are in the pipeline. Two such events, the Sam Poo Parade (traditional Chinese carnival commemorating the arrival of Admiral Cheng Ho in Semarang) and the Old Town Festival, have been included on the Tourism Ministry’s Calendar of Events this year.

https://www.thestar.com.my/news/reg...leanest-tourist-destination-in-southeast-asia

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Indonesia is a very beautiful country. Very undiscovered for foreigners as most tend to visit Bali which is just 1 Indonesian island.
Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. 17.000 islands. In comparison KSA has "only" 1300 islands (most in the MENA).

@Indos can you post some photos from Sulawesi and Papua Barat?

Indonesia is becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination for Arabs. Malaysia is still ahead but I believe that Indonesia will soon rank as the number 1 tourist destination for Arabs in South East Asia.




Bonus video:


If Arab know about Indonesia more, they IMO definitely will choose Indonesia over Malaysia. Even Malaysian themselves like Indonesia so much, this is why Malaysian tourist are the biggest foreign tourist in Indonesia.

Here is the one of places to visit in South Sulawesi. South Sulawesi are populated by Muslim where North Sulawesi are populated by Christian. This is why IMO South Sulawesi can be a good place for Arab tourist since almost all food here is halal, just like other Muslim majority region in Indonesia.

 
Indonesia is becoming more and more popular as a tourist destination for Arabs. Malaysia is still ahead but I believe that Indonesia will soon rank as the number 1 tourist destination for Arabs in South East Asia.
Not true because as a matter of fact, Indonesia attracted more Arab tourists compared to Malaysia.

saudi.jpg


In 2018 alone, the number of Saudi Arabia tourists visiting Indonesia was over 160 k while in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia didn't even make it to the top 15 international visitors in the country.

In fact, Saudi Arabia only contributed 33 k tourists to the country.

ksa.jpg


https://www.arabnews.com/node/1494501/world
 
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Not true because as a matter of fact, Indonesia attracted more Arab tourists compared to Malaysia.

saudi.jpg


In 2018 alone, the number of Saudi Arabia tourists visiting Indonesia was over 160 k while in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia didn't even make it to the top 15 international visitors in the country.

In fact, Saudi Arabia only contributed 33 k tourists to the country.

ksa.jpg


https://www.arabnews.com/node/1494501/world

That is great to hear. Indonesia is a far more beautiful country than small Malaysia (with all due respect) and even though there are Arab-Malaysians as well there are up to 5 million Indonesians of Arab ancestry and people to people ties are much greater given the fact that Saudi Arabians of Indonesian origin are one of the largest groups of naturalized people in KSA and the Indonesian expat community.

In general KSA/Arabian Peninsula have had very close ties with South East Asia, in particular the Muslim communities. Whether in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines or Brunei.

If Arab know about Indonesia more, they IMO definitely will choose Indonesia over Malaysia. Even Malaysian themselves like Indonesia so much, this is why Malaysian tourist are the biggest foreign tourist in Indonesia.

Here is the one of places to visit in South Sulawesi. South Sulawesi are populated by Muslim where North Sulawesi are populated by Christian. This is why IMO South Sulawesi can be a good place for Arab tourist since almost all food here is halal, just like other Muslim majority region in Indonesia.


I was wrong. I was thinking about transit (Malaysia being a regional transit hub for tourists visiting the region) but turns out that Indonesia is significantly ahead and it actually makes sense. People to people ties/families traveling to visit relatives cannot be ignored but is often forgotten.
 
@ArabianEmpires&Caliphates @Bengal71 @Nilgiri

This Vlog made by Indonesia Tourism Ministry will show you several beaches that you can visit in Lombok Island, the beach is still relatively empty if you compare it to Bali beach. Lombok is an island next to Bali island and populated by Muslim so no need to worry about food either. Unfortunatelly the Vlog is made in Indonesian language but the name of several beaches will be mentioned.

 
I will post some Tourist destinations not far from our capital city, Jakarta.

1. Peucang island, Ujung Kulon National Park. Location: Banten, West Java

 
2. Ujung Kulon National Park. Banten, West Java. If you like jungle and wild life you will like this experience. The last Java Tiger photo was taken in this park at 1970's.


One of the exiting thing that can be done here is rowing down the Cigenter river


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