In the center of the strait that divides Sumbawa and Flores, this island is the native land of the biggest existing reptile. The Komodo Dragon (or Komodo Monitor), huge lizard that the inhabitants of the island call “ora”, is one of the oldest species in the world and a direct relative of the dinosaurs. Here there is one village only, near the beach and populated by a small community. It hosts numerous exotic species of birds, but the most interesting attraction of the visit is the Komodo Dragon in its natural environment.
The very fertile Java
island is a world apart. The most populated island of the world boasts an
international fame for dance and theatrical traditions, the Wayang puppet, the
gamelan music and the batik fabric, the old temples and the elegant palaces,
but above all the beauty of its landscapes: from the Ujung Kulon tropical
forest to the alpine pasture of the Gede Pangrango mount, from the Parangritis
dark-sand dunes to the lunar heathland of the Bromo mount.
Situated on an upland
at 670 m o.s.l. in the region of the western Java, it is an Indonesian study
and scientific research center. The surrounding hilly areas host the main plantation
of tea and cinchona of Java: a great percentage of the quinine produced in the
world comes from these heaths. The volcanic nature is disclosed here in all his
power through the geyser and the smoking crater of the Tangkuban Prahu mount.
More colloquially
known as Yogya, this city is the cradle of the Javanese culture. The most
representative monument is Kraton, the palace of the sultan erected in 1757.
With the scattering of flourishing industries of batik, silver and leather, it
has great shops of antiques. Other interesting centers are the Taman Sari (castle
of water), the Imogiri tombs, reachable by climbing 345 steps and the Gembria
botanic gardens. Near the city there are the Prambanan (erected in the X c. in honor of Shiva, Brahma
and Vishu and the highest Hindu temple of the country) and Borobudur temples
(the biggest Buddhist temple of the world, a huge architectural complex, built
in about 850 BC and abandoned in the X c. AC).
A pretty city, at 1308
m a.s.l. on the banks of the Beratan lake, a vacation place for local people,
famous for the Candi Kunig flower market. The Ulun Danu is a nice temple that
raises up on a small promontory sticking out of the lake.
At 1000 m a.s.l. on
the slopes of the Gunung Agung mount, sacred volcano of Bali, it raises up on
the mother temple of the island. The Pura Besakih is a huge complex of over 30
temples and since the X c. it has been the chosen scenario for the most festive
celebrations.
The busy capital of
the island is the ideal place for shopping, tasting the Indonesian cooking and recalling
the historic past of Bali. A must-visit is the new Bali Art Center Museum.
It is the colonial
city of the western coast and the access point to Pura Luhur Batukaru, one of
the six most important temples of the island. Built in the XII c., it is found
at the foot of a volcano and is surrounded by a thick and rich vegetation.
The Tanah Lot temple,
on the western coast, not so far from Kediri, offers one of Bali’s most
spectacular views: situated on an isolated rock, near the coast.
For decades the
village has attracted celebrities and artists from all over the world, looking
for new creative juices in this part of Bali. Nowadays there are many shops
that run along the main street, selling paintings, wooden sculptures, fabrics,
fancy-goods and a huge quantity of small objects. The atmosphere has not
changed.
A real attraction that
is worth visiting. Each village has its own vocation: Celuk is famous for
silver, Medangan is a village of painters, Mas is the headquarter of workshops
and whittlers (producing masks), Pengosekan is another center for painters,
while in Ubud you can find both painters and whittlers. Here you can do great
shopping, buying nice craftsmanship objects and negotiating for the price.
The most celebrated
attraction of Sulawesi, the country of the Celestial Kings, it is found at
about 450 km north of Ujung Padang. The Toraja are known for the traditional
residences, richly decorated with roofs raised at the extremities, and for
their rituals and funeral uses. Here the dead are put down in rock tombs and
their effigies are placed on small underlying balconies.
Once called Makassar,
it is nowadays the capital of the southern Sulawesi: a very active and
prosperous city. The central area is dominated by the Fort Rotterdam, situated
side by side of a great number of old buildings, Chinese temples, a vast square
and an adorable orchids garden.
Main city of the
Toragia country, it is reachable after experiencing an adventurous itinerary of
narrow and curvy mountain streets. Here there are beautiful proofs of richly
engraved Toraja houses.
This large province occupies
the western half of the New Guinea. A mountain chain goes along its whole
length culminating in the Puncak Jaya with its 4.484 m. The irregular uplands
are the most populated areas. In the northern part the Memberano river runs
through little hills and then divides itself to create the vast Meerlakte area.
The Baliem river runs towards the south along the only cleft of the central mountain chain
until flowing into one of the biggest marshes of the world. Despite the
stretched vegetation, which is second only to the Amazonian one, the Irian’s
soil is thin and subject to erosion. The variety of vegetation includes insect
eaters, bioluminescent fungi and 2.700 species of orchids. In the mountain
areas there is a tropical alpine vegetation, composed mainly of ferns and
strange plants that make up the panorama of the still inviolate, mysterious and
fascinating places.
It is known as the homeland
of two ethnic groups, the Toraja in the mountains and the Bugi in the areas
along the rivers and on the coast. Sulawesi actually hosts a great variety of
populations and offers a lot of panoramas and natural wonders. People are
mainly known for the fascinating ancestral rituals, that are made to assure the
spiritual ascent of the dead’s souls.
This island is able to
set a special mood, with its extraordinary atmosphere, a landscape typified by
the splendid terraced paddy fields, the imposing mountains, the infinite
waterfalls and beaches. In the background there are the Balinese temples.
It is the nearest
pure island east of Bali, whose name means “chili pepper”. Here there is the
Rindjani mount, that, with its 3.726 m, is one of the highest volcanic peaks in
Indonesia. What stands out the most is the morphologic contrast of the various
regions: the rocky southern coast (Kuta), the western part has sparkling
terraced paddy fields, banana thickets, coconut palms and fertile plains. The
eastern slope is barren and looks deserted. The north, dominated by the
Rindjani mount and covered of thick forests, offers unforgettable glimpses. There
are also wonderful beaches, characterized by different types of sand: white in
the Gili islands, black in Ampenan and dark brown in the beautiful Senggigi.
It is the
paradise for scuba divers and emerges from the sea over the Sulawesi extremity.
Its sea bottoms go into the Marianna Trench, the deepest abyss of the planet.
The sea and relax lovers will find here much delight: an extended and backward
pure-white-sand beach, the crystal clear water of the ocean and the spectacular
sunsets.
White
beaches, crystal clear water, colorful fish, sea bottoms for snorkeling
excursions make this little island an excellent place for seaside relax. Part
of the Gili archipelago (Gili Air and Gili Meno are the quietest islands and
are reachable by boat excursions) is the most developed and busiest site:
indeed there are a lot of restaurants, typical night-life bars, diving and
snorkeling centers and schools. Here the touristic flows expanded in the ’70s
and the atmosphere conserves those years’ energy, with a lot of young people
that animate the famous “full moon party” nights.
It is the
neatest island to Lombok. Its white-sand beaches are maybe the best ones of the
Gili islands. It is quieter in comparison with Trawangan, but there is also a
bit of night life. Along the main street – a pretty sand track – there are bungalows and small
restaurants. Here every place is good to snorkel.
The
smallest one of the three Gili, it is also the one that mostly turns the
fantasy of staying in a semi-deserted island into reality. Even in the high
season it remains the most secluded island. Most of the structures are found on
the eastern coast, near the most picturesque beach. In the backcountry there
are small farms, coconut plantations and a salty lake.
Established
in 1827, they cover an area of 250 hectares. Here live over 10.000 species of
trees, 3.000 different typologies of orchid (one of the largest collection of
the world), an herbarium, a museum and a great library.
At 2.130 m
o.s.l., there is this upland, characterized of geothermic phenomena that
emphasize the volcanic genesis of the Indonesian archipelago. A characteristic
environment, stud with volcanic cones, sulfurous springs, geysers, multicolor
lakes, fertile vegetable-cultivated fields and footprints of Hindu and Buddhist
temples.
Java is famous
for its tea; large plantations extend in the freshest hilly regions like the
Pass Puncak, near Bogor and around Subang, in Pengalengan, not far from Bandung.
Stopping at
the edge of a smoking sulfurous volcano thinking about the immense forces
enclosed in it: in Java it is possible to experience it, even though only few
of its 15 active volcanos are accessible. The Tangkuban Prahu in Bandung
(easily reachable by car), the Bromo mount and the Merapi near Yogyakarta are
also worth visiting.
Aware of
the necessity to safeguard its extraordinary fauna, the Indonesian government
has established numerous reserves and bird sanctuaries, all visitable. In the
western Java the parks are situated in Cikepuh, Ujungkulon and Palau Dula
(birds); in the eastern Java in Maelang and in Baluran. This last one hosts large banteng herds, wild
pigs, deer and countless species of exotic birds.
After going
through a curvy way from Bedugul, you’ll be thrilled by the cool and sparkling
beauty of the lake surrounded by conifers, an unexpected panorama in a tropical
island.
One of the most
popular destinations of the island, with the active volcano of the Batur mount
and the beautiful surrounding lake. Six old villages immersed in a luxuriant
vegetation stand out around the crater: the local populations preserve a
specific culture that is reflected in the residences and in the
lifestyles.
Natural wonders
with their volcanic origin fascinate the visitors. In Sulawesi there are many
of them: the most famous and active ones are in the southern province of
Makule, in Karumengan, Lahendong, Kinilow and in the northern province of
Leilem.
The
incomparable natural beauty and the constantly fresh climate make these regions
really attractive. In the central province there are the Lindu and Poso lakes
and in the northern Sulawesi there are a lot of lake localities like Kakas,
Passo and Eris, situated around the Tondano lake. Other worth visiting lakes
are Limau, Limboto, Illo Lei and the most famous of all, the Sondaken lake in
Minahasa.
In the western
part of the Sonda archipelago there is Flores: once known by the young people
as the snake island, its current name comes from the Portuguese. The main
attractions are the Keli Mutu, three volcanic lakes situated at a couple of
hours north-east of the Ende capital that have the feature of presenting three
different colorations. The 90% of its inhabitants profess the catholic
religion, but anyway there are many other beliefs and pagan rituals that
survived and a lot of them are really alive and contribute in increasing the
island’s charm.
