PARANGTRITIS BEACH – YOGYAKARTA

Pantai Parangtritis adalah tempat wisata terbaik untuk menikmati sunset sambil having fun menaklukkan gundukan pasir dengan ATV (All-terrain Vechile) ataupun menyusuri pantai dengan bendi dalam senja yang romantis.

Pantai Parangtritis terletak 27 km selatan Kota Jogja dan mudah dicapai dengan transportasi umum yang beroperasi hingga pk 17.00 maupun kendaraan pribadi. Sore menjelang matahari terbenam adalah saat terbaik untuk mengunjungi pantai paling terkenal di Yogyakarta ini. Namun bila Anda tiba lebih cepat, tak ada salahnya untuk naik ke Tebing Gembirawati di belakang pantai ini. Dari sana kita bisa melihat seluruh area Pantai Parangtritis, laut selatan, hingga ke batas cakrawala.

Pantai Parangtritis sangat lekat dengan legenda Ratu Kidul. Banyak orang Jawa percaya bahwa Pantai Parangtritis adalah gerbang kerajaan gaib Ratu Kidul yang menguasai laut selatan. Hotel Queen of the South adalah sebuahresort mewah yang diberi nama sesuai legenda ini. Sayangnya resort ini sekarang sudah jarang buka padahal dulu memiliki pemandangan yang sanggup membuat kita menahan nafa

Resources : http://www.yogyes.com/id/yogyakarta-tourism-object/beach/parangtritis/

TAMAN MINI INDONESIA INDAH

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) or "Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park" (literally translated) is a culture-based recreational area located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. It has an area of about 250 acres (1.0 km²). The park is a synopsis of Indonesian culture, with virtually all aspects of daily life in Indonesia's 26 (in 1975) provinces encapsulated in separate pavilions with the collections of architecture, clothing, dances and traditions are all depicted impeccably. Apart from that, there is a lake with a miniature of the archipelago in the middle of it, cable cars, museums, a theater called the Theatre of My Homeland (Theater Tanah Airku) and other recreational facilities which make TMII one of the most popular tourist destinations in the city.

This idea to build the smaller scale of Indonesia was originally came from former Indonesian first lady,Siti Hartinah or best-known as Tien Suharto. The idea came out at a convention on 8 Cendana Street at March 13, 1970. Through this recreational site, she hoped more Indonesian people will have more national pride than before. The project called "Indonesian Miniature Project" was started by Harapan Kita Foundation in 1972. The concept of this culture-based recreational area was taken from the fact that Indonesia has unparalled richness and diversity from many different aspects.

TMII was originally located on a public area of 145 ha, as farms and fields. Later, the team was able to convert these fields into a suitable location for the construction. The topography of TMII is rather hilly, consistent with what the builders required. The team claimed the advantage of utilizing this uneven terrain was the ability to create interesting and diverse landscapes and enclosures, as well as reflecting the various characteristics of the Indonesian environment.

Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taman_Mini_Indonesia_Indah

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home of a pilgrimage temple, the Pura Tanah Lot (literally "Tanah Lot temple") and a popular tourist and cultural icon for photography and general exoticism.

Tanah Lot means "Land [sic: in the] Sea" in Balinese language. Located in Tabanan, about 20 km from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.

Tanah Lot is claimed to be the work of the 15th century priest Nirartha. During his travels along the south coast he saw the rock-island's beautiful setting and rested there. Some fishermen saw him, and bought him gifts. Nirartha then spent the night on the little island. Later he spoke to the fishermen and told them to build a shrine on the rock for he felt it to be a holy place to worship the Balinese sea gods^.

The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples were established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast.

At the base of the rocky island, poisonous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders. A giant snake purportedly protects the temple, which was created fromNirata’s scarf when he established the island.

Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanah_Lot

Karang Bolong Beach

The name Karang Bolong means Rock (Karang) with a Hole (Bolong). This may have been some frozen lava, formed during the eruption of Mount Krakatau. Karang Bolong beach is the beach recreation area where there is a big rock with its hole in the center, facing the open sea. The Rock forms a gate facing the sea, making it look very picturesque. There is a small forest, which has been converted into a recreation spot. There is a river flowing down to the sea where people can have a bath of fresh water after swimming in the salty sea.
Karang Bolong beach is located 50 km from Serang town or 140 km from Jakarta, on Karang Bolong Street.

Sources : http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/banten/karang-bolong.html

Pangandaran Beach

Small mainland peninsula with a national park with beaches and stunning scenery to rival the beaches of Bali on the south coast of Java. Pangandaran is one of Java's best-kept secrets as far as international tourists are concerned, but has been extremely popular with locals for along, long time. A small fishing town, it possesses one of Java's finest beaches and Pangandaran Nature Reserve teems with wild buffalo, barking deer and monkeys. The people are very friendly, this combined with the idealize surroundings make this a great place to spend a few days relaxing island-style. Pangandaran is halfway between Bandung and Yogya, about 5 hours by bus from Bandung and 8 hours from Jakarta.

This is the second beach resort area on the Indian Ocean after Pelabuhan Ratu. The site is 223 from Bandung and 400km from Jakarta. The trip by car or bus is recommendable because the road conditions are good. However, if we prefer to take the train, get into Bandung-Yogyakarta Express train and get off at the Banjar railroad station about 4 hours later. From here it will be another 50 km by bus to Pangandaran. The beach is called Penanjung, where most of the cottages and hotels are located, however, of modest ratings. Nothing luxurious should be expected. Pangandaran is especially of interest to nature lovers, as there is a wildlife reserve in the vicinity where wild birds and other indigenous animals live about freely to be enjoyed by visitors. In Pangandaran visitors will like fine white beaches, blue ocean and fine seafood. Twelve kilometers before arriving at Pangandaran visitors will see a huge rock on the beach, which is called Karang Nini.

Another place of special interest for nature lovers is a forest Conservation Park, close to the camping ground, which has basic facilities suitable for the younger set. Somewhat further out, west of Pangandaran, driving 23 km on the way to Parigi, lays Batu Hiu, meaning Shark's Rock, a coastal rock that has the shark shape.

Sources : http://www.indonesia-tourism.com/west-java/pangandaran-beach.html

JURONG ISLAND

Jurong Island is an artificial island located to the southwest of the main island of Singapore, offJurong Industrial Estate. It was formed from the amalgamation of several offshore islands, chiefly the seven main islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau, Pulau Pesek, Pulau Pesek Kecil, Pulau Sakra and Pulau Seraya. This was done through land reclamation. Land reclamation on Jurong Island was completed on September 24, 2009, 20 years earlier then scheduled. Jurong Island forms a land area of about 32 km² (12 sq mi) from an initial area of less than 10 km² (4 sq mi). Jurong Island is the largest island in Singapore (excluding themainland).

The outlying islands of Pulau Ayer Chawan, Pulau Ayer Merbau, Pulau Merlimau and Pulau Seraya were used to house fishing communities comprising small villages up to the 1960s. The villagers lived in Malay-style wooden stilt houses on the palm-fringed islands. Between late-1960s and early-1970s, three big oil companies planned to house their facilities on Pulau Ayer Chawan for Esso, Pulau Merlimau forSingapore Refinery Company and Pulau Pesek for Mobil Oil.

Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jurong_Island

WAKATOBI ISLAND

Wakatobi is the name of an archipelago located in an area of Sulawesi Tenggara (South Eastern),Indonesia. The name Wakatobi is derived from the names of the main islands that form the archipelago: Wangiwangi Island, Kaledupa, Tomea, and Binongko. The group is part of a larger group called the Tukangbesi Islands.

The archipelago, located in the biodiverse hotspot known as Wallacea. It is part of the Wakatobi National Park.

The Wakatobi is also home to Operation Wallacea, a UK based for non-profit conservation group looking at sustainable development of fisheries and coral reef research. An independent non-commercial website ^[1] has been set up about the marine park. This website contains tourist and travel information about the wakatobi, with additional resources about the biodiversity, conservation and local people.

The area of Wakatobi is fast gaining a reputation as one of the top dive spots around. This small collection of islands in the south east of Sulawesi enjoys some of the healthiest coral fields you are likely to see. The rich waters mean an abundance of marine life in all its forms and the area is now regularly visited by liveaboards.

Wakatobi is one of the newest and most exciting diving destinations in Indonesia, winning extraordinary praise from its visitors both for outstanding and accessible diving and the quality of service they receive from the dive operation.

Although it is simple enough to get to with charter flights from Bali, you still have the remote pioneer-diving feel when enjoying these sites. For fans of Wakatobi diving it is not only that there are so many incredible dive sites within easy reach of the resort, being only a short speedboat ride away, but also that a few fin kicks from the shore lies the best house reef in the world.

For serious divers looking for the one of the finest diving experiences in Indonesia, this could well be the place.

Sources : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakatobi