Komodo island

Komodo National Park is located in the center of the Indonesian archipelago, between the islands of Sumbawa and Flores. Established in 1980, initially the main purpose of the Park was to conserve the unique Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) and its habitat. In 1986, the Park was declared a World Heritage Site and a Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, both indications of the Park’s biological importance.

Komodo National Park includes three major islands: Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller islands creating a total surface area (marine and land) of 1817km (proposed extensions would bring the total surface area up to 2,321km2). Moreover, the Park includes one of the richest marine environments including coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds, seamounts, and semi-enclosed bays. These habitats harbor more than 1,000 species of fish, some 260 species of reef-building coral, and 70 species of sponges. Dugong, sharks, manta rays, at least 14 species of whales, dolphins, and sea turtles also make Komodo National Park their home.

The majority of the people in and around the Park are fishermen originally from Bima (Sumbawa), Manggarai, South Flores, and South Sulawesi. Threats to terrestrial biodiversity include the increasing pressure on forest cover and water resources as the local human population has increased 800% over the past 60 years. In addition, the Timor deer population, the preferred prey source for the endangered Komodo dragon, is still being poached. Destructive fishing practices such as dynamite-, cyanide, and compressor fishing severely threaten the Park’s marine resources by destroying both the habitat (coral reefs) and the resource itself (fish and invertebrate stocks).

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Bali Islands - Indonesia

Bali Islands indonesia

Despite the loss of one of its major sponsors, the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is set to go ahead this October, and aims to be even bigger and better than ever. “It will go on and it will not disappoint,” said the festival’s founder and director, Janet De Neefe, after learning that lead sponsor Citibank would not be supporting the festival this year.

Ditta Amahorseya, head of corporate affairs at Citibank Indonesia, said it was unfortunate that the company had to withdraw its sponsorship. She said the decision was made after Citibank was sanctioned by the central bank over two cases, one involving the death of a credit card customer and the other related to the alleged embezzlement by a Citibank customer relations officer.

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Under the sanctions, Citibank cannot add new credit card or premium banking customers for two years.

“We deeply apologize that we had to withdraw from our partnership with this prestigious festival,” Ditta said.

Festival organizers plan to hold a variety of events from Oct. 5-9 in more than 50 venues around Ubud, including panel sessions, workshops, readings, literary lunches, book launches and cocktail parties. Some events are free to the public, while others require visitors to purchase a ticket. Organizers hope to draw around 25,000 visitors and participants, which would be 20 percent more than last year, with an increased number of Indonesian readers and writers.

“I’m truly excited that we are using more Indonesians than ever as authors and moderators,” De Neefe said.

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The annual event has always shown its commitment to promoting Ubud as the center of arts and culture. The festival was started by the Saraswati Foundation in 2004, with the hope of drawing tourists back to the island after the 2002 bombing.

This year’s theme is “Nandurin Karang Awak,” or “Cultivate the Land Within” — a line from an epic poem by Balin

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Posted in: Asia,Bali Islands - Indonesia,Indonesia

Jakarta - Indonesia

Whether you love it or hate it, there is no escaping Jakarta, Indonesia’s overweight capital. This ‘Big Durian’ is filled with all the good and bad of Indonesian life.
Lonely Planet Road Trip

At first glance, this hot, smoggy city, which sprawls for miles over a featureless plain, feels like nothing more than a waiting lounge for the millions queuing up to make their fortune. Jakarta’s infamous macet chokes its freeways, town planning is anathema and all attempts to forge a central focal point for the city have stuttered and ultimately failed. The first – or only – thought on most travellers’ minds is how quickly the city and its polluted streets can be left behind.

Beneath the veneer of glass fascias, concrete slabs and shabby slums, however, this is a city of surprises and a city of many faces. From the steamy, richly scented streets of Chinatown to the city’s thumping, decadent nightlife, Jakarta is a Pandora’s box, filled with unexpected gems. Here it’s possible to rub shoulders with Indonesia’s future leaders, artists, thinkers, movers and shakers, and to see first hand the deep-seated desire so many Indonesians have to rise above the poverty they were born into. Populated by Bataks from Sumatra, Ambonese from Maluku, Balinese, Madurese and Timorese, Jakarta is also a vast cultural melting pot in which the larger Indones­ian identity is forged; it is Indonesia in a nutshell.

Jakarta certainly isn’t a primary tourist destination, but parts of the old city (Kota) offer an interesting insight into the capital’s long history, and there are a handful of good museums scattered about. But if you want to get under the skin of Indonesia, a visit to this mammoth city is an absolute must.






















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Posted in: Asia,Indonesia,Jakarta Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia
Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia comprises 17,508 islands, and with an estimated population of around 237 million people, it is the world's fourth most populous country, and has the largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia is a republic, with an elected legislature and president. The nation's capital city is Jakarta.


The transcontinental country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Malaysia. Other neighboring countries include Singapore, Philippines, Australia, and the Indian territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Indonesian archipelago has been an important trade region since at least the seventh century, when the Srivijaya Kingdom traded with China and India. Local rulers gradually adopted Indian cultural, religious and political models from the early centuries CE, and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Muslim traders brought Islam, and European powers fought one another to monopolize trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratization process, and periods of rapid economic change. Across its many islands, Indonesia consists of distinct ethnic, linguistic, and religious groups. The Javanese are the largest and most politically dominant ethnic group. Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a majority Muslim population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka tunggal ika" , articulates the diversity that shapes the country. However, sectarian tensions and separatism have led to violent confrontations that have undermined political and economic stability. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level of biodiversity. The country is richly endowed with natural resources, yet poverty is a defining feature of contemporary Indonesia.

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Posted in: Asia,Indonesia