Olele Marine Park Expected to become World-Class Destination

Olele Marine Park Expected to become World-Class Destination

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TEMPO.CO, Gorontalo - Residents of Bone Bolango District in North Sulawesi is hopeful that Olele Marine Park can become a world-class destination. “If the government does its best to promote it, we are confident that Olele Marine Park can compete with other marine destinations in Indonesia,” a local says.

Olele Marine Park offers the beauty of biodiversity. The area has also become a diving and snorkeling spot.

Residents expect the government to build supporting facilities, such as roads, hotels, culinary spots, etc.

A French tourist Allain Guillard expresses his admiration of Olele underwater beauty. He says that the area has a great potential.

“Gorontalo is the best diving spot in Sulawesi Island, particularly Olele Marine Park,” says Guillard who claims to have dived a hundred times.

He says that he found the ‘hidden paradise’ by accident when he stopped for a transit before heading to the Togean Islands, Central Sulawesi.

Bone Bolango District head says that the government has been promoting the destination both at national and international stages. It has also made some breakthrough to improve the infrastructure of the tourist attraction including engaging with investors to develop marine and nature tourism.

Aside from Olele Marine Park, the government is also stepping up efforts to promote other attractions, such as Botutonuo Beach, Lombongo natural tourism and Danau Perintis and Pinogu agro-tourism. ANTARA

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Kingkong and Love hills, two best sunrise spots at Mount Bromo

Kingkong and Love hills, two best sunrise spots at Mount Bromo

If you're looking for the best spot to catch a sunrise view from Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, then head over to Kingkong Hill and Love Hill in Wonokitri village, East Java.

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“Kingkong and Love hills are two interesting spots to catch the sunrise and view of Bromo and Batok mountains,” explained the head of the reporting evaluation data and public relations subdivision at the park, Sarif Hidayat.

Both hills are located side by side, the Kingkong hill, however, has an uphill route.

The hill was named Kingkong because one protruding cliff in this hill resembles the face of a King Kong. The cliff was formed naturally and located right behind the safety fence.

King Kong hill is 2,600 meters above sea level and it’s lower than Penanjakan 1 Bromo area. Both Penanjakan 1 and 2 Bromo are the most-visited spots to catch the sunrise view.

“From Kingkong Hill, visitors can also see the view of Bromo caldera, Mount Semeru and city views of Probolinggo and Pasuruan,” said Sarif.

As for the Love Hill, legend has it that in the past two people met at Mount Bromo, the two eventually got married and went back to the spot where they first met and named it the Love Hill.

Recently, Bromo Tengger Semeru National park made an announcement that Penanjakan Hill is closed for tourists for three months from September 11 to December 10.

During this three-month period, the hill is undergoing renovations that include stairs, pavilions and tribune areas. The management is also creating new entry and exit paths for visitors, as well as repairing the fences.

Apart from Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, other national tourist destinations that are also being improved include Lake Toba, Belitung, Tanjung Lesung, Thousand Islands, Borobudur Temple, Mandalika Lombok, Komodo Island, Wakatobi National Park and Morotai. (asw)

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Banyuwangi's De Djawatan Benculuk attracts visitors to magical woods

Banyuwangi's De Djawatan Benculuk attracts visitors to magical woods

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Visitors to Banyuwangi in East Java may want to stop by De Djawatan Benculuk, a sprawling green area with unique, towering trees. 

Located 45 kilometers from the Banyuwangi city center, the area measures some 6 hectares in size.

"This area is owned by [state-owned forestry firm] Perhutani. The locals call it the forest in the city. The trees here are trembesi trees," Puji Widodo, the Perhutani's local forest ranger told kompas.com recently.  

Puji added that the De Djawatan Benculuk area had been developed [for recreational purposes] over the past three months and was now maintained in cooperation with the Banyuwangi Tourism Agency. Puji said it previously served as a teak wood area.

"The trembesi trees are more than 100 years old," he said.

The De Djawatan Benculuk area management has prepared several photo spots for visitors. Two of the spots are elevated to afford a good view of the trees as well as on old trucks on the ground for photographs.

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Footpaths are also set out for visitors who want to walks around the woods. The area is already popular for pre-wedding pictures and as a picnic destination. 

Celin, 26, a visitor from Jember, said she had found out about the park on Instagram. She had come to visit it with some friends from university. 

"I had originally thought it would be just average. When I came here, it turned out to be even better than on Instagram. It's like [being in] the Lord of the Rings," Celin said, referring to the fantasy movie. (liz/kes) 

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Nongsa in Batam welcomes 1,500 foreign tourists during long weekend

Nongsa in Batam welcomes 1,500 foreign tourists during long weekend

During the Idul Adha long weekend that fell from Sept. 1 to 3, Nongsa in Batam welcomed a total of 1,500 foreign tourists from countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Korea, India, Sri Lanka and Japan.

Some traveled by sea via Singapore and others arrived at the Hang Nadim Airport.

A total of 156 Singaporeans and tourists from Penang and Johor Bahru in Malaysia reportedly went to Nongsa to participate in the 3 Nations Friendship Golf Batam, 116 people who are part of Sathya Sai Baba community, a spiritual teacher in India, took a vacation in Nongsa, and 711 people from Church Group in Singapore also spent their free time there.

The rest of the foreign tourists were in Batam either for leisure activities, team building or social gathering.

All hotel rooms at Turi Beach, Batam View Resort, Nongsa Point Marina and Montigo Resort are said to be fully booked during the long weekend.

The chairman of Nongsa Sensation Batam Island, Anddy Fong, said the average spending of these tourists was S$200 (US$147.4).

“That means a total of S$900,000 is spent in Nongsa,” said Anddy.

Meanwhile, a guest at the 3 Nations Friendship Golf Batam Island named Dato’ Jimmy Ong said he enjoyed his time in Batam. “I enjoy it; the service and panoramic views at Tering Bay golf and Springs golf are extraordinary. Malaysians are having a national holiday for five days,” told Ong.

He later suggested for a direct flight to be available from Penang to Batam.

“Direct flight is really important, because it’s inconvenient for us to be carrying golf equipment and then taking a transit in Singapore or Subang. Malindo Air flies to Penang, maybe the government can approach them,” Ong added. (kes)

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Amount of Tourists Climbing Mount Tambora Increases

Amount of Tourists Climbing Mount Tambora Increases

TEMPO.CO, Mataram - Head of Tambora National Park Budi Kurniawan predicts the number of climbers of Mount Tambora in 2017 is to reach more than 2,000 people. This figure increased significantly compared to the year before, when as many as 1333 people climbed the mountain.

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According to him, the number of tourists who climbed Mount Tambora in the last two years continues to increase. The number of climbers during the period of January-July 2017 reached 800 people, both domestic and foreign climbers.

But if added with the number of climbers who commemorated the 72nd anniversary of Independence of the Republic of Indonesia on August 17, 2017, as many as 1,000 people climbed the mountain, the total climbers of Mount Tambora has reached 1,800 people during January-August.

"Usually in the new year holiday season, the interest of climbers is high, we are optimistic that the number of climbers of Mount Tambora in 2017 is more than 2,000 people," he said.

According to him, the increasing number of climbers is due to the effects of the promotion of natural tourist areas by central and local governments.

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Moreover, the local government also has a routine agenda. The West Nusa Tenggara Provincial Government together with Dompu and Bima Regencies hold a Tambora Festival regularly every year. This is done in order to increase the number of tourist visits to the island of Sumbawa, especially Tambora National Park.

"It could be that the increasing number of climbers are significantly impacted from the Tambora Festival," Budi said.

Budi said as the tourist interest of climbing Mount Tambora increases, the supporting facilities will be improved.

The facility that needs attention is a decent retreat for climbers. The location must be equipped with facilities of bathing, washing and toilet facilities (MCK), as well as landfills.

The effort to build and organize the climbing route is done by BTNT together with the Nusa Tenggara Barat Tourism Office and Dompu and Bima Districts. In addition, with other relevant parties.

"We have learnt from the current condition of Rinjani to not let the national park become a garbage dump by climbers," said Budi.

Tambora National Park is located in Dompu and Bima Regencies, Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara. ANTARA

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Lake Maninjau Favorite Tourist Destination

Lake Maninjau Favorite Tourist Destination

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian province of West Sumatra continues to promote its diverse cultural and natural attractions in order to boost tourism in the province.

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Some of the popular natural attractions include the Twin Lakes in Solok District, Harau Valley in Limahpulu Kota District, and Lake Manijau in Agam District, which serves as one of the leading tourist destination in West Sumatra.

Agam district government has recorded the number of foreign tourists visiting Lake Maninjau to be quite high, reaching 1 thousand people per month.

Local Tourism Office chief for tourism development and destination section, Syatria, remarked in Lubukbasung that the foreign tourists visiting Lake Maninjau are dominated by visitors from Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, Britain, Australia, France, Canada, and the United States.

"The foreign tourists admitted that they visit Lake Maninjau to enjoy its natural beauty and enchanting panorama," Syatria stated.

Lake Manjijau, which was formed as a result of a volcanic eruption of Mount Sitinjau that occurred approximately 52 thousand years ago, is one of the top tourist destinations in West Sumatra.

It is located some 140 kilometers north of the provincial city of Padang, 36 kilometers from Bukittinggi, and 27 kilometers from the Agam district town of Lubukbasung.

"Besides enjoying the beauty of Lake Maninjau, most of the foreign tourists also take their time to visit the Buya Hamka Museum located beside the lake," Syatria added.

Inaugurated on Nov 11, 2001, the Buya Hamka Museum stores a collection of photographs, a collection of sticks, and a number of books by Hamka. This museum seems to be a guardian for maintaining Islamic values in the area around Lake Maninjau.

In addition to the Lake Maninjau, other tourist attractions frequently visited by tourists from Japan, South Korea, the Netherlands, France and others, include the Rafflesia Flower Garden in Palupuh sub-district.

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Rafflesia Arnoldii only becomes visible when its plump buds emerge through the bark of its host and develop into the large, fleshy flowers, which are pollinated by carrion-flies.

It is a species of flowering plant of the parasitic genus Rafflesia, which is noted for producing the largest individual flower on earth in Sumatra Island.

Every year, the natural beauty of West Sumatra, with its green landscapes, continues to attract both foreign and domestic tourists to the province.

The province also has the potential to develop forest tourism in places like Anai Valley, which can be promoted as a natural tourism destination in West Sumatra.

The Anai Valley Nature Reserve has a dense tropical forest, which is home to a diverse species of flora and fauna. Therefore, it is one of the top tourist destinations in West Sumatra.

The valley also has three waterfalls, a river, and a lake with clear blue waters for the tourists to enjoy.

Situated near the road connecting Padang and Bukitinggi cities, Anai Valley is one of the top tourist destinations in West Sumatra. Since the Dutch colonial era, the valley has been a nature conservation area, which is spread over 221 hectares.

Hence, the local government has improved the supporting infrastructure there in order for visitors to engage in sports tourism activities.

Tourists visiting the area can swim in the river and the lake, bathe under the waterfalls, or go hiking.

According to the governor of West Sumatra, the local government would also focus on promoting and developing the cultural sites of Minangkabau ethnic community, as part of its efforts to promote tourism in West Sumatra.

The cultural sites of Minangkabau in the areas of Siguntur Kingdo in Dharmasraya district and Minangkabau village in Balai Baliki also have immense potential to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

In addition, the natural tourism attractions in the province still need to be developed, especially those that are popular among the tourists.

Therefore, other tourism attractions in the region should be integrated with Minangkabau, which has the potential to attract tourists from all over the world.

The promotion and management of tourism in the area must continue to be optimized in order to reach its full potential.

According to the governor, the West Sumatra provincial government is committed to promoting the regional tourism industry through various efforts.

Meanwhile, the West Sumatra Cultural and Tourism office had declared Bukittinggi city, covering the districts of Agam, Tanah Datar, Pasaman, and Pasaman Barat, as a tourism development center in the province.

The West Sumatra Cultural and Tourism office head has saidthe decision was in line with the governments master plan on regional tourism development in West Sumatra.

As a tourism development center for West Sumatra, Bukittinggi will feature various attractions such as recreational centers, centers of scientific development, convention facilities, culinary centers, healthcare facilities, and outbound activities.

Bukittinggi will also serve as a tourism promotion center for Agam, Lima-Puluh Kota, Tanah Datar, and Pasaman, which offer many natural and cultural tourist attractions.ANTARA

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Jepara regency offers new diving spot at Panjang Island

Jepara regency offers new diving spot at Panjang Island

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If you’re still unsure on what to do over the long weekend, here’s a suggestion: Snorkeling or diving at Panjang Island, Jepara regency, Central Java.

This relatively new diving spot has the depth of 2.5 to 5 meters and houses plenty of fish species such as clown fish and kete kete.

To go there, tourists can travel by boat from Kartini Island. Diving equipments and tour guides are available on site.

“All of the tour guides have snorkeling certifications. We’ve also prepared special underwater cameras for tourists,” said Jogoloyou Jepara maritime and fisheries monitoring society (POKMASWAS) head, Mustain.

Visitors will also learn about the importance of preserving coral reefs at this place. The POKMASWAS community itself has been actively doing coral reefs transplantations and attachments since 2012.

Jepara regency has plenty of tourist attractions to explore such as Karimun Jawa and Ombak Mati beach in Bondo. The latter one is a rather unique place as the beach has no waves, hence the name ombak mati (dead waves).

As for accommodation, there are more than 1,200 places to stay in the Jepara province. (asw)

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