Welcome to Indonesia

In the south western of the island of Java, where the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean and equatorial waters of the Sunda Straits merge, is on of Indonesia's paramount national parks, Ujung Kulon. Rich in wildlife and forest, noted for its charm and diversity, it is the home of the highly endangered Java Rhinoceros and bestowed with the status of World Heritage (natural) site.
Ujung Kulon which means West Point, possesses an exceptional profile of Indonesia's wilderness from forested mountain ranges to coral seas. What makes it even more remarkable is that the park remains a pristine haven of nature, on Java, one of the most densely populated island on earth.The park is 120,551 hectares are divided into 78,214 ha of land and 44,337 ha of surrounding reefs and sea. It can roughly be separated into three areas, the triangular shaped Ujung Kulon Peninsula, the Gunung Honje Range to the east of the Peninsula's Isthmus and the Island of Panaitan to the north west.
Ujung Kulon's tropical maritime climate, somewhat cooler than inland areas of Java, produces an annual rainfall of approximately 3250 mm. Temperature range between 25° and 30° C with a humidity level generically between 80% and 90%. April to October are the drier months, particularly between July to October. During these months there are long periods of fine, calm weather with occasional spells of overcast skies, rain and rougher seas.
Ujung Kulon National Park is one of the last remaining natural forest on Java and one of very few areas offering a profile of sea-shore to mountain top tropical vegetation.The park holds well over 700 species of plant life of which at 57 are classified as rare in Java Island and perhaps the world. Learn more the animal life in Ujung Kulon click here !
Ujung Kulon National Park has a vast array wildlife, quite a member of which are endangered or rare. Some of animals are so unafraid that freely wander in and around the tourist lodges, others are sighted almost every days, many are heard rather than seen and same core rarely seen. Learn more the plats life in Ujung Kulon click here!
The park has a wide variety of marine habitats. The rocky shores, mangrove swamps, mud flats, sea grass beds, coral reefs and sea trenches, providing diverse and fascinating insights into the underwater world. source : Visit UjungKulon

Bunaken ispart of the Bunaken National Marine Park, which has some of the highest levels of marine biodiversity in the world.^{[citation needed]} Scuba diving attracts many visitors to the island. Bunaken is located at the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. It belongs administratively to the municipality of Manado.

The Bunaken National Marine Park was formally established in 1991 and is among the first of Indonesia's growing system of marine parks. The park covers a total surface area of 890.65 km², 97% of which is overlain by sparkling clear, warm tropical water. The remaining 3% of the park is terrestrial, including the five islands of Bunaken, Manado Tua, Mantehage, Nain and Siladen. Although each of these islands has a special character, it is the aquatic ecosystem that attracts most naturalists.

The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility), refreshing in temperature (27 to 29 °C) Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high. For example, 7 of the 8 species of giant clams that occur in the world, occur in Bunaken. The park has around 70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Although the exact number of fish species is unknown, it may be slightly higher than in the Philippines, where 2,500 species, or nearly 70% of all fish species known to the Indo-western Pacific, are found.

Oceanic currents may explain, in part, why Bunaken National Marine Park is such a treasure trove of biodiversity. Northeasternly currents generally sweep through the park but abundant counter currents and gyros related to lunar cycles are believed to be a trap for free swimming larvae. This is particularly true on the south side of the crescent-shaped Bunaken Island, lying in the heart of the park. A snorkler or diver in the vicinity of Lekuan or Fukui may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies. The gobies, smallish fish with bulging eyes and modified fins that allow them to attach to hard surfaces, are the most diverse but least known group of fish in the park.

Biologists believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park. Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and hungry. Many species of fish are closely associated with particular types of corals (folious, branching, massives, etc.) for shelter and egg-laying. Others, like the enormous Bumphead Parrotfish, Balbometopon muricatum, are "coralivores" and depend on hard corals for their sustenance. Bony mouth parts fused into an impressive "beak" allow these gregarious fish to crunch corals like roasted peanuts.

Some 20,000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National Marine Park. Although there are inevitable conflicts between resource protection and use by people, the Indonesian government is taking a fairly unusual and pragmatic approach to park management. The idea is to promote wise resource use while preventing overexploitation. Local communities, government officials, dive resort operators, local nature groups, tourists and scientists have played an active role in developing exclusive zones for diving, wood collection, fishing and other forms of utilization. Bunaken Marine Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

source: wiki

Located just east of Bali, Lombok has been promoted as "an unspoiled Bali" for quite some time, with beautiful beaches, enchanting waterfalls and the large, looming volcano of Mount Rinjani. The anticipated tourism boom has been halted on several occasions. In 2000, mobs of the ethnic Sasak people, ostensibly provoked by fundamentalist Muslim agitators from Maluku, looted and burned churches as well as homes and businesses owned by Hindus and ethnic Chinese (who profess to be Christians). The bombing of nightclubs in Bali in 2002 further exacerbated fear held by tourist. For many years many Embassies issued advisory travel warnings against the travel to Indonesia. The ensuing years have been peaceful, but tourists have yet to regain confidence that travel to Lombok is safe.

The Islamic culture in Lombok compared to the Hindu culture Bali may also explain why Lombok is less popular than Bali in terms of shopping, cuisine, nightlife, and a multiplicity of accommodations. Conversely, Lombok offers visitors a chance to see traditional cultures (such as local markets, traditional villages, and numerous traditional celebrations). Lombok is also becoming increasingly popular with tourist and honeymooners who want to relax in an inexpensive, tropical, uncrowded atmosphere, with many "hidden beaches" and majestic scenery. Nothing happens quickly in Lombok and visitors who are stressed from their daily lives back home find Lombok a delightful getaway.

source: wiki

These cruises and sea safaris offer a convenient way for visitors to Bali to enrich their experience of Asia and catch a glimpse of pre-historic times by taking a journey into regions of Indonesia little known to the rest of the world.

You can do all this either in just a few days on a scheduled cruise or, more leisurely, on board of a chartered Bugis "Pinisi" schooner – and without any of the hardships often connected
with visiting remote areas.
There are regular departures from Bali throughout the year,
and the fares fit all budgets.

Go to Bali Cruises

Bandung (pronounced [bʌndʊŋ]) Indonesian: Kota Bandung) is the capital of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's third largest city, and 2nd largest metropolitan area, with 7.4 million in 2007. Located 768 m (2,520 ft) above sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most other Indonesian cities.

The city lies on a river basin and surrounded by volcanic mountains. This topography provides the city with a good natural defense system, which was the primary reason of Dutch East Indies government's plan to move the colony capital from Batavia to Bandung.

It has an area of 167.27 km² and 2,290,464 people in 2005, with a density of 13,693 people/km².^[1] For the Hasil Survei Sosial Ekonomi Daerah 2007, 2,364,312 was the population.

The Dutch colonials first opened tea plantations around the mountains in the eighteenth century, followed by a road construction connecting the plantation area to the capital (180 km or 112 miles to the northwest). The European inhabitants of the city demanded the establishment of a municipality (gemeente), which was granted in 1906 and Bandung gradually developed itself into a resort city for the plantation owners. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and European boutiques were opened of which the city was dubbed as Parijs van Java.

After Indonesian independence on 1945 onwards, the city experienced a rapid development and urbanization that has transformed Bandung from idyllic town into a dense 15,000 people/km² metropolitan area, a living space for over 2 million people. Natural resources have been exploited excessively, particularly in the conversions of protected upland area into highland villa and real estates. Although the city has encountered many problems (ranging from waste disposal, floods to chaotic traffic system, etc), Bandung however still has its charm to attract people flocking into the city, either as weekend travellers or living in.

source from wiki

Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. It also has a greater population than any other city in Southeast Asia. It was formerly known as Sunda Kelapa (397–1527), Jayakarta (1527–1619), Batavia (1619–1942), and Djakarta (1942–1972). Located on the northwest coast of Java, it has an area of 661.52 square kilometres (255.41 sq mi) and a population of 8,489,910.^[1] Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political center. Jakarta is the twelfth-largest city in the world; the metropolitan area, called Jabodetabek, is the sixth-largest in the world.

First established in the fourth century, the city became an important trading port for the Kingdom of Sunda. As Batavia, it grew greatly as the capital of the colonial Dutch East Indies. Renamed Jakarta in 1942 during Japan's occupation of the Java, it was made the capital city of Indonesia when the country became independent after World War II.

Major landmarks in Jakarta include Indonesia Stock Exchange, the Bank of Indonesia, and the National Monument (Tugu Monas). The city is the seat of the ASEAN Secretariat. Jakarta is served by the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Halim Perdanakusuma International Airport, and Tanjung Priok harbour; it is connected by several intercity and commuter railways, and served by several bus lines running on reserved busways.

source from wiki

Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. Once the centre of powerful Hindu kingdoms, Islamic sultanates, and the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, Java now plays a dominant role in the economic and political life of Indonesia. Home to a population of 130 million in 2006^[1], it is the most populous island in the world, ahead of Honshū, the main island of Japan. Java is also one of the most densely populated regions on Earth. If the island were a country, it would be the tenth most populous in the world, just ahead of Japan.

Formed mostly as the result of volcanic events, Java is the 13th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in Indonesia. A chain of volcanic mountains forms an east-west spine along the island. It has three main languages, though Javanese is dominant and is the native language of 60 million people in Indonesia, most of whom live on Java. Most residents are bilingual, with Indonesian as their second language. While the majority of Javanese are Muslim, Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs and cultures.

source wiki