Fly River

The Fly at 1,050 kilometres (650 mi), is the second longest river, after the Sepik, in Papua New Guinea. It rises in the Star Mountains, and crosses the south-western lowlands before flowing into the Gulf of Papua in a large delta.

Description
The Fly flows mostly through the Western Province, though for a small stretch it forms the boundary between PNG and the Indonesia province of Papua. This section protrudes slightly to the west of the 141°E longitude line. To compensate for this slight gain in territory for PNG, the border south of the Fly River is slightly east of the 141°E longitude line. As part of this deal, Indonesia has the right to use the Fly River to its mouth for navigation.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fly_River

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Digul River

The Digul (Dutch: Digoel) is a major river in southern Papua province, Indonesia, on the island of New Guinea.

The swamplands upstream were known by the name "Boven Digul" (Above the Digul, in Dutch) and hosted a penal colony at Tanahmerah (Red Earth) in the early 20th century, when Indonesia was a colony of Holland. As a result of the abortive 1926 revolt by the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI), the Dutch exiled 823 of the most troublesome revolutionaries here.

Rising on the southern slopes of Maoke Mountains, the Digul flows first south and then west to empty into the Arafura Sea. For much of its length it travels across a low region of extensive swamps and creates a delta near Dolak (Frederik Hendrik) Island. The river has a length of 525 kilometres (326 mi) and is navigable as far as Tanahmerah.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digul_River

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Mount Agung

Mount Agung or Gunung Agung is a mountain in Bali, Indonesia. This stratovolcano is the highest point on the island. It dominates the surrounding area influencing the climate. The clouds come from the west and Agung takes their water so that the west is lush and green and the east dry and barren.

The Balinese believe that Mount Agung is a replica of Mount Meru, the central axis of the universe. One legend holds that the mountain is a fragment of Meru brought to Bali by the first Hindus. The most important temple on Bali, Pura Besakih, is located high on the slopes of Gunung Agung.[2]

Gunung Agung last erupted in 1963-64 and is still active, with a large and very deep crater which occasionally belches smoke and ash. From a distance, the mountain appears to be perfectly conical, despite the existence of the large crater.

From the peak of the mountain, it is possible to see the peak of Mount Rinjani on the island of Lombok, although both mountains are frequently covered in clouds.

The 1963-64 Eruption
On February 18, 1963, local residents heard loud explosions and saw clouds rising from the crater of Mount Agung. On February 24, lava began flowing down the northern slope of the mountain, eventually traveling 7 km in the next 20 days. On March 17, the volcano erupted (VEI 5), sending debris 8–10 km into the air and generating massive pyroclastic flows.[3] These flows devastated numerous villages, killing approximately 1500 people. Cold lahars caused by heavy rainfall after the eruption killed an additional 200. A second eruption on May 16 led to pyroclastic flows which killed another 200 inhabitants.[4]

The lava flows missed, sometimes by mere yards, the Mother Temple of Besakih. The saving of the temple is regarded by the Balinese people as miraculous and a signal from the gods that they wished to demonstrate their power but not destroy the monument the Balinese faithful had erected.

Climbing the Mountain
There are two routes up the mountain, one from Besakih which proceeds to a higher peak and starts at approximately 1,100 m (3,610 ft) and another which commences higher from Pura Pasar Agung, on the southern slope of the mountain, near Selat and which is reputed to take four hours. There is no path between the two routes at the top. Cecilie Scott[5] provides an account of the ascent from Pura Pasar Agung. Greg Slayden describes a climb from Besakih[6] claimed to have taken a remarkable four and a half hours to the peak and Ken Taylor[7] that took much longer and which included getting lost.

Guides are available in Besakih and the mountain can also be climbed without a guide. The climb from Besakih is quite tough. It is sometimes tackled as a single climb generally starting about 10.00pm for a dawn arrival at the peak and sometimes with an overnight camp about three quarters of the way up. It is far harder than the more popular Balinese climb up Gunung Batur. It is not a mountain that needs ropes and not quite high enough for altitude sickness but adverse weather conditions develop quickly and warm waterproof clothing is required and should be carried. There is no water available along the route.

Proceed through the temple complex then continue on a path that travels continuously upwards on a steep narrow spur through open forest and jungle most of the way. There is little potential to get lost until the route opens up towards the top where the correct route doubles backwards. Many climbers miss this turn and continue up a small valley which can be climbed out of with some difficulty.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Agung

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Rangda

Rangda is the demon queen of the leyaks in Bali, according to traditional Balinese mythology. Terrifying to behold, the child-eating Rangda leads an army of evil witches against the leader of the forces of good - Barong.

Rangda is important in Balinese culture, and performances depicting her struggles with Barong or with Airlangga in that tale are popular tourist attractions as well as tradition. She is depicted as a mostly nude old woman, with long and unkempt hair, pendulous breasts, and claws. Her face is traditionally a horrifying fanged and goggle-eyed mask, with a long, protruding tongue.

History
Bali is a Hindu island, and it is suggested that Rangda may also be closely associated with Durga.[1] She has also been identified with the Hindu mother warrior goddess, and Kali, the black mother goddess of destruction, transformation and protection in Hinduism.

While Rangda is seen as fearsome and by many as the personification of evil, she is also nevertheless considered a protective force in certain parts of Bali, much like Kali is seen as a benevolent mother goddess in the Indian states of West Bengal, Assam and Kerala. The colors associated with her — white, black and red — are identical with those associated with Kali. Her iconography is similar to that of both Kali and Chamunda, who are closely related.

Other interpretations claim that Rangda may be derived from the 11th century Javan queen Mahendradatta who was exiled by the king, Dharmodayana, for allegedly practising witchcraft. The tale surrounding this is that she proceeded to take her revenge by killing off half the kingdom, which by then belonged to her and Dharmodayana's son Erlangga, with plague before being overcome by a holy man. The name Rangda means "widow".

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangda

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Kudus

Kudus is a regency (Indonesian: kabupaten) in Central Java province in Indonesia. Its capital is Kudus, located in the east of Semarang, capital of Central Java.

History
The city of Kudus was something of an important Islamic holy city in the sixteenth century. It is the only place in Java that has permanently acquired an Arabic name ('al-Quds', Jerusalem). Sunan Kudus, one of the nine Wali Sanga, was said to have been the fifth imam (head) of the mosque of Demak and a major leader of the 1527 campaign against 'Majapahit', before moving to Kudus. The Mosque of Kudus (Masjid Menara) which dates from this period, remains a local landmark to this day. It is notable for both its perseverance of pre-Islamic architectural forms such as Old Javanese split doorways and Hindu-Buddhist influenced Majapahit-style brickwork,[1] and for its name al-Manar or al-Aqsa. The date AH 956 (AD 1549) is inscribed over the mihrab (nice indicating the direction of Mecca).[2]

Contemporary Kudus
Most residents of Kudus are Javanese although there is an Indonesian Chinese minority in the city centre, as well as an Arab neighbourhood, Kudus Kulon, to the west of the city centre.

The city is considered the "birthplace" of the kretek clove cigarette, which is by far the most widely-smoked form of tobacco in the country. Haji Jamahri, a resident of the city, invented them in the 1880s, and the city remains a major centre for their manufacture.

A festival named Dandangan is held for about one week before Ramadhan, Muslim's fasting month in Kudus Kulon.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudus

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Indramayu

The town of Indramayu is located in the North coastal area of West Java, and East from jakarta (the capital) and North East from the city of Bandung and North West of the city of Cirebon. The town of Indramayu is situated below sea level, which means that it is risky if there is high tide in stormy conditions. The town is only protected by some dunes and barrages at the seaside. The climate is quite dry. The number of (registered) citizens of Indramayu regency is about 1.6 miljon. The town itself only inhabited by less than 24.000 people. The estimated land surface of the town of Indramayu is 2.006 square kilometres. Crude oil is found in the Indramayu area. The local population nearby the shore are living from fishing. Furthermore there is kapok, clove, citrus and other fruit cultivating. Indramayu is famous for the special sweet mangosteens. Indramayu was knowns as Indonesian no 1. rice Supplier in early 80's to late 90's. Because of a lack of industry and labour provision, there is a migration to other parts of Indonesia.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indramayu

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Ludruk

Ludruk is one of the theatrical genres in East Java. It is a form of traditional performance presented by a troupe of actors (or comedians) on a stage, re-telling the life stories of everyday people and their struggles. It is occasionally interspersed with jokes and accompanied by gamelan to form a musical.

The dialogue or monologue in ludruk are mostly comedic. The actors would almost always use the Surabaya dialect. Although, there would be the occasional guest stars from other areas, such as Jombang, Malang, Madura, Madiun, who each would use a different Javanese dialect. Despite the fact that many different dialects are employed in one performance, as a whole, they are simple and straightforward, making ludruk easily understood by everyone.

A typical ludruk performance begins with a performance of Remo Dance and followed by a portrayal Pak Sakera, a legendary 19th century Madurese hero.

Ludruk differs to ketoprak from Central Java, in that the plot in ketoprak is often drawn from Javanese history & legends and focuses more on delivering a particular moral message. Whereas ludruk tells the story of everyday life, and mostly that of the underprivileged, intended to entertain rather than to educate.

A famous ludruk comedian or actor is Kartolo, who is from Surabaya, East Java. He has been active in the ludruk scene since the 1960s. He has his own ludruk troupe, which he named Kartolo CS. The troupe consisted of a few actors, each having its own distinct character, which is reprised for every performance. For example, Kartolo is always the smart and cunning one, Basman has the big voice and is the chatty one, and Sapari is the naughty one who is always fallen victim for one thing or another.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludruk

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Kuda Lumping

Kuda Lumping also called "Jaran Kepang" is a traditional Javanese dance depicting a group of horsemen. The dance employs a horse made from woven bamboo and decorated with colorful paints and cloth. Common Kuda Lumping dance only performed the dance of the troops riding horses, however another type of Kuda Lumping performance also incorporated trance and magic trick. When the "possessed" dancer is performing the dance in trance conditions, they can display unusual abilities, such as eating glass and resistance of whipping. Jaran kepang is also a part of Reog dance performance. Although this dance is native to Java, Indonesia, it also performed by Javanese immigrants in Suriname, Malaysia and Singapore.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuda_Lumping

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Soko And Ongkong Mantitab Waterfall

This tourism object is located in 8 km in Puruk Cahu-Puruk Bata-Saripoi Street (Tanah Siang district). Soko / Mantibab Waterfall which till now used as a source of standard water PDAM Puruk Cahu, solid with Ongkong (a kind of beautiful lake, with clean and transparent water).

Quoted from :http://indonesia-tourism.com/central-kalimantan/barito_utara.html

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Supan Apui Warm Pool

This warm pool is the only warm pool that now met in North Barito regency, and the existing finite also have not known yet what is the special quality from the temperature water. This tourism object is located in Olong Siron and Kalali village, Tanah Siang district.

Quoted from :http://indonesia-tourism.com/central-kalimantan/barito_utara.html

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Wakatobi National Park

Wakatobi National Park is a marine national park, south of Sulawesi island of Indonesia. The name of Wakatobi is an acronym of the four main Tukangbesi Islands: Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia, and Binongko. Since 2005 the park is listed as a tentative World Heritage Site.

Location and topography
Wakatobi National Park is located south-east of Sulawesi, between 05°12’-06°10’S and 123°20’-124°39’E, between the Banda Sea to the north-east and the Flores Sea to the south-west.

It consists of four larger islands: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, as well as many small islands such as Tokobao, North Lintea, South Lintea, Kampenaune, Hoga and Tolandono. The highest elevation is 274 metres (899 ft) on Wangi-Wangi, followed by Lagole Hill (271m) on Tomia, Terpadu Hill (222 m) on Binongko and Mount Sampuagiwolo (203 m) on Kadelupa.[1] The water depth varies, with the deepest parts reaching 1,044 metres (3,425 ft).

Flora and fauna
The types of vegetation found in the national park are mangrove forest, coastal forest, lowland swamp forest, riverbank vegetation, lowland rainforest, mountain rainforest and coral reefs. The Wakatobi Archipelago has 25 groups of coral reefs including fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls. A survey conducted in 2003 identified 396 species of coral belonging to 68 genera and 15 families. These include Acropora formosa, Acropora hyacinthus, Psammocora profundasafla, Pavona cactus, Leptoseris yabei, Fungia molucensis, Lobophyllia robusta, Merulina ampliata, Platygyra versifora, Euphyllia glabrescens, Tubastraea frondes, Stylophora pistillata, Sarcophyton throchelliophorum, and Sinularia species.

Among the recorded species of seabird are the Brown Booby, Common Kingfisher and Malaysian Plover.

Turtles in the park include the Hawksbill turtle, Loggerhead sea turtle, and Olive Ridley.

Human Habitation
The two main settlements in the region are the administrative centre for the islands Bau-Bau, and the provincial capital of South East Sulawesi province, Kendari. In 2001 there were nearly 90,000 people living in the islands.

The indigenous people who live around the Park belong to the Bajau tribe. Locals still commonly use spear-fishing.

Conservation and threats
After the designation of the Wakatobi Marine Conservation Area in 1996, the Wakatobi National Park with a total area of 1,390,000 ha has been established in 2002. It is managed by the Wakatobi National Park Authority (Balai Taman Nasional). In 2005 the park has been listed as a tentative World Heritage Site.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakatobi_National_Park

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Taka Bone Rate National park

Taka Bone Rate National Park is a marine park which includes the Takabonerate atoll islands, located in the Flores Sea, south of Sulawesi island of Indonesia.

The area, which consists of the atoll islands and surrounding marine area was granted national park protection status in 1992.

Geography
Taka Bone Rate is administered as part of Selayar Regency, South Sulawesi province. The atoll is located in Flores Sea, southeast off the coast from the southern "arms" of Sulawesi Island and to the east of Selayar island. It is located west of Wakatobi islands and far north of Komodo island across the Flores Sea. The the nearest large city is Makassar, from where it can be reached in about 16 hours by boat.

With an area of 530,765 hectares, Taka Bone Rate is the biggest atoll in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia, and the third biggest in the world after Kwajalein Atoll and Suvadiva.

The atoll consists of separate table reefs enclosing a lagoon filled with massive reefs. The atoll has around 20 islands, six of which are inhabited. There are 15 islands for diving and snorkelling.

Demography
The natives of the atoll are the Bonerate people. They traditionally trade for fishery sea products from the Bajau in exchange for freshwater and other land suply. The Bonerate are predominantly Muslim, although with strong elements of traditional beliefs.

They speak the Bonerate language, a Celebic language, and like most languages of Indonesia part of the greater Austronesian languages. Their closest linguistic relations is with people in the neighbouring Buton, Wakatobi and Muna Island in Southeast Sulawesi. Most also speak Indonesian.

Ecology
The atoll is of major ecological importance, with rich marine and bird life. The national park is considered to contain some of the world's highest marine biodiversity. According to the Indonesian Department of Forestry the atoll has 261 species of coral, 295 species of coral fish, 244 species of mollusc and other species such as hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Pacific ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), and green turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rawa_Aopa_Watumohai_National_Park

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Mount Halimun Salak National Park

Mount Halimun Salak National Park is a 400km2 conservation area in the Indonesian province of West Java on the island of Java. Established in 1992, the park comprises two mountains, Mount Salak and Mount Halimun.It is located near the better known Mount Gede Pangrango National Park, and close to the city of Bogor and the Bogor Botanical Gardens.

The park contains water catchment areas shielded from urban populations an agricultural areas to the north,as well as several endangered animals and rare birds.
Its mountain tops reach 1,929 metres and are often mist-shrouded, while its valleys are thought to hide much that remains to be discovered.Mount Salak is a critical water catchment area for its very high rainfall.The lower zones hold secure populations of the endangered West Javan Gibbon (Hylobates moloch moloch) - a sub-species of the Silvery Gibbon. Mount Halimun is its most secure habitat, but its range is restricted to a thin ring around the park as the species is not found above 1,200 metres.Javan Lutung (Trachypithecus auratus), and other endemic species are evident; about half its 145 known bird species are rarely seen elsewhere in Java.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Halimun_Salak_National_Park

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Mount Gede Pangrango

Mount Gede Pangrango National Park is a national park in West Java, Indonesia. The park is centred on two volcanoes—Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango— and is 150 km² in area.[1]

It evolved from already existing conservation areas, such as Cibodas Nature Reserve, Cimungkat Nature Reseve, Situgunung Recreational Park and Mount Gede Pangrango Nature Reserve, and has been the site of important biological and conservation research over the last century.[1] In 1977 UNESCO declared it part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.[2]

Mount Gede (2,958 m) and Pangrango (3,019 m) are twin volcanoes. The two summits are connected by a high saddle known as Kandang Badak (2,400 m). The mountain slopes are very steep and are cut into rapidly flowing stream, which carve deep valleys and long ridges.

Lower and upper montane and subalpine forests are within the park and have been well studied. To the north of Mount Gede is a field of Javanese Edelweiss (Anaphalis javanica). The park contains a large number of species known to occur only within its boundaries, however, this may be a result of the disproportionate amount of research over many years.[1]

Gunung Gede-Pangrango is inhabited by 251 of the 450 bird species found in Java. Among these are endangered species like the Javan Hawk-eagle and the Javan Scops Owl.[2]

Among the endangered mammal species in the Park there are several primates such as the Silvery Gibbon, Javan Surili and Javan Lutung. Other mammals include Leopard, Leopard Cat, Indian Muntjac, Java Mouse-deer, Dhole, Malayan Porcupine, Sunda Stink Badger, and Yellow-throated Marten.

Quoted from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunung_Gede_Pangrango_National_Park

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