Luxury Sailing Cruises & Diving Liveaboard

Welcome on Board Matahariku Phinisi Sailing Boat!
The MatahariKu is a wooden cruise ship built to the design of the classic Indonesian freighter the Pinisi. Carefully and professionally equipped and furnished, it offers high standards of comfort and safety, and will unfailingly convert your cruise into an unforgettable adventure.

The MatahariKu was launched in April 2010 and shortly thereafter undertook her maiden test voyage, a long one in mixed weather. Stretched to her limits, she performed outstandingly and the voyage served to introduce the last improvements and further evaluate complete operations.

The ship has achieved what the owner and designers aimed for – a safe, comfortable and pleasing maritime environment on which all the troubles of the busy western world can be forgotten. Luxury is only at arm’s length on the MatahariKu. Delicious snacks, exotic cocktails, classic local dishes and an atmosphere never to be forgotten.

You can book trips individually or as with your own group as charter (max 10 passengers).
Prices are on request. The prices are all inclusive.

So what does ‘all inclusive’ actually include? All meals, water, soft drinks, coffee and tea, snacks, entrees, and transfers to and from the ship, airport and hotels.

Not included are alcoholic drinks, if you would like we can arrange for these to be on board; airline tickets, hotel costs prior to and after the cruise, and the one transfer from the airport to the port of embarkation. We naturally will make best efforts to retain these prices but small changes may be inevitable.

Ten percent of the cruise charge is payable on booking and the full cruise charge should have been received by us four weeks prior to departure.

MatahariKu – vessel statistics
Length overall : 32 meters
Length deck : 32 meters
Beam : 8 meter
Draft : 2.8 meters
Main engine : 1×6 cylinder Mitsubishi
Generator : 1×45 Kva Hyundai
Cabins : 5×2 person (AC, hot water and bathroom)
2×2 person (bunks, AC, hot water and bathroom)spacious
Lounge : spacious
Galley : spacious, with full AC and equipment
Rear deck : spacious, with large dining table and deck chairs
Other decks : various, with extended facilities for recreation

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Sumatra Island of Indonesia

Sumatra (also spelled Sumatera) is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia (two larger islands, Borneo and New Guinea, are shared between Indonesia and other countries), and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km² with a population of 50,365,538. Its biggest city is Medan with a population of 1,770,000.

The earliest known use of the name is in the title of 11th century king, Haji Sumatrabhuji (King of the Land of Sumatra)[citation needed], but settler colonies were arriving in Sumatra in 500 B.C. and several significant kingdoms flourished there. I Ching, the Chinese Bhuddist studied Sanskrit and spent four years of his life working in Palembang. Explorer Marco Polo also visited Sumatra in 1292.

Sumatra boasts a huge range of plant and animal species but has lost almost 50% of it’s tropical rainforest in the last 35 years and many species are Critically Endangered such as Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhino, and Sumatran Orangutan.

87% of Sumatrans are thought to be Muslim with 10% Christian, 2% Bhuddist and 1% Hindu.

Etymology
Sumatra was known in ancient times by the Sanskrit names of Swarnadw?pa (“Island of Gold”) and Swarnabh?mi (“Land of Gold”), due likely to the gold deposits of the island’s highland. The first word mentioning the name of Sumatra was the name of Srivijayan Haji (king) Sumatrabhumi (“King of the land of Sumatra”), who sent an envoy to China in 1017. Arab geographers referred to the island as Lamri (Lamuri, Lambri or Ramni) in the 10-13th centuries, in reference to a kingdom near modern day Banda Aceh which was the first landfall for traders. Late in the 14th century the name Sumatra became popular, in reference to the kingdom of Samudra, which was a rising power. European writers in the 19th century found that the indigenous inhabitants did not have a name for the island.

Administration
The administrative regions of Sumatra (or the smaller islands nearby) are:
* Aceh (capital: Banda Aceh)
* Bangka-Belitung (capital: Pangkalpinang)
* Bengkulu (capital: Bengkulu)
* Jambi (capital: Jambi)
* Lampung (capital: Bandar Lampung)
* Riau (capital: Pekanbaru)
* Riau Islands (capital: Tanjung Pinang)
* West Sumatra (Sumatera Barat) (capital: Padang)
* South Sumatra (Sumatera Selatan) (capital: Palembang)
* North Sumatra (Sumatera Utara) (capital: Medan)

Geography
The longest axis of the island runs approximately 1,790 km (1,110 mi) northwest–southeast, crossing the equator near the center. At its widest point the island spans 435 km (270 miles). The interior of the island is dominated by two geographical regions: the Barisan Mountains in the west and swampy plains in the east.

To the southeast is Java, separated by the Sunda Strait. To the north is the Malay Peninsula, separated by the Strait of Malacca. To the east is Borneo, across the Karimata Strait. West of the island is the Indian Ocean.

The backbone of the island is the Barisan mountains chain, with the active volcano Mount Kerinci’s 3,805 m (12,467 ft) the highest point, located at about the midpoint of the range. The volcanic activity of this region endowed the region with fertile land and beautiful sceneries, for instance around the Lake Toba. It also contains deposits of coal and gold. The volcanic activity stems from Sumatra being on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.

To the east, big rivers carry silt from the mountain, forming the vast lowland interspersed by swamps. Even if mostly unsuitable for farming, the area is currently of great economic importance for Indonesia. It produces oil from both above and below the soil—palm oil and petroleum.

Sumatra is the largest producer of Indonesian coffee. Small-holders grow Arabica coffee (Coffea arabica) in the highlands, while Robusta (Coffea canephora) is found in the low lands. Arabica coffee from the regions of Gayo, Lintong and Sidikilang is typically processed using the Giling Basah (wet hulling) technique, which gives it a heavy body and low acidity.

Most of Sumatra used to be covered by tropical rainforest, but economic development coupled with corruption and illegal logging has severely threatened its existence. Conservation areas have not been spared from destruction, either.

The island is the world’s 5th highest island, and the third highest in the Indonesian archipelago.

Largest cities
1. Medan, North Sumatra 1,770,000
2. Palembang, South Sumatra 1,277,000
3. Padang, West Sumatra 986,000
4. Bandar Lampung, Lampung 940,000
5. Pekanbaru, Riau 796,000
6. Jambi, Jambi 457,000
7. Bengkulu, Bengkulu 386,000
8. Banda Aceh, Aceh 295,000
9. Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra 205,000
10. Lubuklinggau, South Sumatra 201,000

Flora and fauna
Sumatra supports a wide range of vegetation types which are home to a rich variety of species, including 17 endemic genera of plants. Unique species include the Sumatran Pine which dominates the Sumatran tropical pine forests of the higher mountainsides in the north of the island and rainforest plants such as Rafflesia arnoldii (the world’s largest individual flower), and the titan arum (the world’s largest unbranched inflorescence).

The island is home to 201 mammal species and 580 bird species. There are 9 endemic mammal species on mainland Sumatra and 14 more endemic to the nearby Mentawai Islands. The species present include: Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Orangutan, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Sumatran Elephant, Sumatran Striped Rabbit, Dhole, Dayak Fruit Bat, Malayan Tapir, Malayan Sun Bear and the Bornean Clouded Leopard.

The island has lost 48% of its natural forest cover since 1985, and many of the remaining species are endangered. The Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhino, and Sumatran Orangutan are all Critically Endangered, indicating that the highest level of threat to their survival. In October 2008, the Indonesian government announced a plan to protect Sumatra’s remaining forests. However, the construction of illegal roads through prime tiger habitat has continued since then by companies led by Asia Pulp & Paper, the pulp and paper company well known for illegal logging and breaching environmental law.

The island includes more than 10 National Parks, including 3 which are listed as the Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra World Heritage Site—Gunung Leuser National Park, Kerinci Seblat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park. The Berbak National Park is one of three National Parks in Indonesia listed as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Demographics
Sumatra is not very densely populated, about 96 people per km²—more than 45 million people in total. It is nonetheless the fifth most populous island in the world. The most populous regions include most of North Sumatra and central highlands in West Sumatra, while the major urban centers are Medan and Palembang.

The people represent many different ethnic groups, speaking 52 different languages. Most of these groups, however, share many similar traditions and the different tongues are closely related. Malay-speaking people dominate the eastern coast, while people in the southern and central interior speak languages related to Malay, such as the Lampung and Minangkabau people. The highland of northern Sumatra is inhabited by the Bataks, while the northernmost coast is dominated by Acehs. Ethnic Chinese minorities are also present in urban centers.

A majority of people in Sumatra are Muslims (87%), while 10% are Christians, 2% are Buddhist and 1% Hindu.[7] Most central Bataks are Protestant Christians, a religion introduced by the German Rhenish Missionary Society.

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Jawa Island : Land of Thousand Temples and Volcanoes

Java (Indonesian: Jawa) is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 136 million, it is the world’s most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia’s population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java. Much of Indonesian history took place on Java; it was the center of powerful Hindu-Buddhist empires, Islamic sultanates, the core of the colonial Dutch East Indies, the island was at the centre of Indonesia’s campaign for independence. The island dominates Indonesian social, political and economic life.

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 first or second language. While the majority of the people of Java are Muslim, Java has a diverse mixture of religious beliefs, ethnicities and cultures.

The island is divided into four provinces,West Java, Central Java, East Java, and Banten, and two special districts, Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

Etymology
The origins of the name ‘Java’ are not clear. One possibility is that the island was named the island after the jáwa-wut plant, which was said to be common in the island during the time, and that prior to Indianization the island had different names. There are other possible sources: the word jaú and its variations mean “beyond” or “distant”. And, in Sanskrit yava means barley, a plant for which the island was famous.[2] It was hence referred to in Indian, specifically Tamil literature by the Sanskrit name “y?vaka dv?pa” (dv?pa = island). Another source states that the “Java” word is derived from a Proto-Austronesian root word, meaning ‘home’.

Java lies between Sumatra to the west and Bali to the east. Borneo lies to the north and Christmas Island to the south. It is the world’s 13th largest island.

Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin; it contains thirty-eight mountains forming an east-west spine which have at one time or another been active volcanoes. The highest volcano in Java is Mount Semeru (3,676 m). The most active volcano in Java and also in Indonesia is Mount Merapi (2,968 m). See Volcanoes of Java. Further mountains and highlands help to split the interior into a series of relatively isolated regions suitable for wet-rice cultivation; the rice lands of Java are among the richest in the world.[4] Java was the first place where Indonesian coffee was grown, starting in 1699. Today, Coffea arabica is grown on the Ijen Plateau by small-holders and larger plantations.

Geography
The area of Java is approximately 139,000 km2. The island’s longest river is the 600 km long Solo River.[6] The river rises from its source in central Java at the Lawu volcano, then flows north and eastward to its mouth in the Java Sea near the city of Surabaya. The island is administratively divided into four provinces (Banten, West Java, Central Java, and East Java), one special region (Yogyakarta), and one special capital district (Jakarta).

Temperatures throughout the year average 22°C to 29°C and humidity average 75%. The northern coastal plains are normally hotter averaging 34°C during the day in the dry season. The south coast is generally cooler than the north, and highland areas inland are cooler again. The wet season begins in October ending in April during which rain falls most afternoons and intermittently during other parts of the year. The wettest months are January and February. West Java is wetter than East Java and mountainous regions receive much higher rainfall. The highlands of West Java receive over 4,000 mm annually, while the north coast of East Java receives 900 mm annually.

Ethnicity and culture
The Javanese kakawin Tantu Pagelaran explained the mythical origin of the island and its volcanic nature. Despite its large population and in contrast to the other larger islands of Indonesia, Java is comparatively homogeneous in ethnic composition. Only two ethnic groups are native to the island—the Javanese and Sundanese. A third group is the Madurese, who inhabit the island of Madura off the north east coast of Java, and have immigrated to East Java in large numbers since the 18th century. The Javanese comprise about two-thirds of the island’s population, while the Sundanese and Madurese account for 20% and 10% respectively.

Four major cultural areas exist on the island: the kejawen or Javanese heartland, the north coast of the pasisir region, the Sunda lands of West Java, and the eastern salient, also known as Blambangan. Madura makes up a fifth area having close cultural ties with coastal Java. The kejawen Javanese culture is the island’s most dominant. Java’s remaining aristocracy are based here, and it is the region from where the majority of Indonesia’s army, business, and political elite originate. Its language, arts, and etiquette are regarded as the island’s most refined and exemplary. The territory from Banyumas in the west through to Blitar in the east and encompasses Indonesia’s most fertile and densely populated agricultural land.

In the southwestern part of Central Java, which is usually named the Banyumasan region, a cultural mingling occurred; bringing together Javanese culture and Sundanese culture to create the Banyumasan culture.[citation needed] In the central Javanese court cities of Yogyakarta and Surakarta, contemporary kings trace their lineages back to the pre-colonial Islamic kingdoms that ruled the region, making those places especially strong repositories of classical Javanese culture. Classic arts of Java include gamelan music and wayang puppet shows.

Java was the site of many influential kingdoms in the Southeast Asian region, and as a result, many literary works have been written by Javanese authors. These include Ken Arok and Ken Dedes, the story of the orphan who usurped his king, and married the queen of the ancient Javanese kingdom; and translations of Ramayana and Mahabharata. Pramoedya Ananta Toer is a famous contemporary Indonesian author, who has written many stories based on his own experiences of having grown up in Java, and takes many elements from Javanese folklore and historical legends.

Languages
The three major languages spoken on Java are Javanese, Sundanese and Madurese. Other languages spoken include Betawi (a Malay dialect local to the Jakarta region), Osing and Tenggerese (closely related to Javanese), Baduy (closely related to Sundanese), Kangeanese (closely related to Madurese), Balinese, and Banyumasan The vast majority of the population also speaks Indonesian, often as a second language.

Religion
More than 90 percent of the people of Java are Muslims, on a broad continuum between abangan (more traditional) and santri (more modernist). Small Hindu enclaves are scattered throughout Java, but there is a large Hindu population along the eastern coast nearest Bali, especially around the town of Banyuwangi. There are also Christian communities, mostly in the larger cities, though some rural areas of south-central Java are strongly Roman Catholic. Buddhist communities also exist in the major cities, primarily among the Chinese Indonesian. The Indonesian constitution recognises six official religions.

Java has been a melting pot of religions and cultures, which has created a broad range of religious belief. Indian influences came first with Shaivism and Buddhism penetrating deeply into society, blending with indigenous tradition and culture. One conduit for this were the ascetics, called resi, who taught mystical practices. A resi lived surrounded by students, who took care of their master’s daily needs. Resi’s authorities were merely ceremonial. At the courts, Brahmin clerics and pudjangga (sacred literati) legitimised rulers and linked Hindu cosmology to their political needs.

Islam, which came after Hinduism, strengthened the status structure of this traditional religious pattern. The Muslim scholar of the writ (Kyai) became the new religious elite as Hindu influences receded. Islam recognises no hierarchy of religious leaders nor a formal priesthood, but the Dutch colonial government established an elaborate rank order for mosque and other Islamic preaching schools. In Javanese pesantren (Islamic schools), The Kyai perpetuated the tradition of the resi. Students around him provided his needs, even peasants around the school.

Pre-Islamic Javan traditions have encouraged Islam in a mystical direction. There emerged in Java a loosely structured society of religious leadership, revolving around kyais, possessing various degrees of proficiency in pre-Islamic and Islamic lore, belief and practice. The kyais are the principal intermediaries between the villages masses and the realm of the supernatural. However, this very looseneess of kyai leadership structure has promoted schism. There were often sharp divisions between orthodox kyais, who merely instructed in Islamic law, with those who taught mysticism and those who sought reformed Islam with modern scientific concepts. As a result, there is a division between santri, who believe that they are more orthodox in their Islamic belief and practice, with abangan, who have mixed pre-Islamic animistic and Hindu-Indian concepts with a superficial acceptance of Islamic belief.

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Kalimantan Island: Second largest rainforest on the World

Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located at the centre of Maritime Southeast Asia. Administratively, this island is divided between Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei. Indonesia’s region of Borneo is called Kalimantan, while Malaysia’s region of Borneo is called East Malaysia or Malaysian Borneo.

The North and North-western part of the island are the East Malaysian state of Serawak and Sabah, with the newly independent state of Brunei Darusalam between them. The rest of the island is part of Indonesia, divided into four provinces – East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and South Kalimantan.

Borneo/Kalimantan is the huge adventure travel destination. It is one the world’s third largest island covering the area of 747,000 square kilometer and covered by one of the world’s largest stretches of tropical rain forest through which flows tremendous mighty rivers which are the island’s highway.

Dayak is a collective name for over 200 different tribes living throughout Borneo’s interior . They are the true ‘people of the jungle’. The Dayak people lives in the hinterland along the banks of major river and in a long house. It is customary for them to live with a whole extended family or with one clan. Each family has their own compartment and the chief of the clan will occupy the central chamber Mahakam River – This giant muddy river is the highway to the interior.

The Mahakam divides itself into three geographical sections. The lower Mahakam, stretches from Samarinda to Muara Prahu just beyond Lake Jempang, an easy tour for visitors short on time. The middle Mahakam includes a series of villages and the upper Mahakam, is an isolated region generally reached by plane at the Datah Dawai airfield at Long Lunuk.

Orang Utan is derived from the Indonesian/Malay language means man of the forest. Borneo and Sumatera island are well known with its large rain forest on the equator, Orang Utan of a significant numbers exist on both islands. Travel to Borneo nowadays access available from few points of Indonesia such as Balikpapan, Surabaya and Semarang of Indonesia.

Borneo, of which Indonesian Kalimantan covers two-thirds, is a single, vast-ecosystem in which the thick, exuberant forest that covers the world’s third largest island acts as an enormous sponge.

Formed over millions of years, the rainforest of Kalimantan is almost completely self-sustaining, requiring little more than water from the skies to survive. The soil on which the forest grows is thin and poor, and rather than drawing nutrients from the ground, it feeds on its own debris, recycling the nutrients contained in the rotting compost on the floor. Trees soar upwards, reaching a height of seventy meters or more, providing support for vines, creepers and orchids, and creating a dense canopy of leaves that protects the layer of humus from being washed away by the fierce tropical storms. While the thick cover of the forest blocks direct sunlight, rotting leaves and root mass store water from the rains, releasing it gradually during the dry season. Thus, the forest also creates and maintains the dark, warm, dank environment essential for its own continuous growth and that of the life within it.

In sheer terms of number and range of types of plants and animal, this forest is richer than any place on earth. More than five million species live here, more than half of the world’s total, all on a single island. These include virulently poisonous mushrooms that glow in the dark, proboscis monkeys, named for their droopy, fleshy noses, orchid s in colors bright and subtle, carnivorous pitcher plants that lure insects by mimicking the pungent odor of rotting meat, the mighty orangutan, which build nests of leaves and branches where they sleep, often more than thirty meters above the ground, and more than six hundred different types of bird, including the hornbill and the pheasant.

Kalimantan is a single, vast ecosystem in which the thick, exuberant forest that covers the world’s third largest island acts as an enormous sponge.

The Punan, the original people of Kalimantan, and the Dayak, a later wave of migrants who arrived several thousand years ago, have lived in harmony with their natural environment for thousands of years, harvesting the produce of the forest without causing significant damage.

Some Dayak still live in communal longhouses on river banks and survive through the practice of a form of slash-and-burn farming ideally suited to the lightly populated hinterland. There are many different tribes, each with its own culture and language: some, like the Keyah and the Kayan, stretch their ear lobes with heavy brass rings and cover their bodies with tattoos of vines, snakes and abstract, swirling patterns. Amongst others, old women, shamans and healers, conduct exorcisms in deep trance.

Geography
Borneo is surrounded by the South China Sea to the north and northwest, the Sulu Sea to the northeast, the Celebes Sea and the Makassar Strait to the east, and the Java Sea and Karimata Strait to the south. It has an area of 743,330 km² (287,000 square miles).

To the west of Borneo are the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra. To the south is Java. To the east is the island of Sulawesi (Celebes). To the northeast is the Philippines.

Borneo’s highest point is Mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, with an elevation of 4,095 m (13,435 ft) above sea level. This makes it the world’s third highest island.

The largest river systems are the Kapuas River, with approximately 1,143 km the longest river in Indonesia, the Rajang River in Sarawak with some 563 km the longest river in Malaysia, the Barito River about 880 km long and the Mahakam River about 980 km long.

Borneo is also known for its extensive cave systems. Clearwater cave has one of the world’s longest underwater rivers. Deer cave, thought to be the largest cave passage in the world, is home to over three million bats and guano accumulated to over 100 metres high.

The Island of Borneo is divided administratively into:
* The Indonesian provinces of East, South, West and Central Kalimantan
* The Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak (the Federal Territory of Labuan is located on nearshore islands of Borneo, but not on the island of Borneo itself)
* The independent country of Brunei (main part and eastern exclave of Temburong)

Ethnic and biological diversity
There are over 30 ethnic groups living in Borneo, making the population of this island one of the most varied of human social groups. The native ethnic groups are Austronesians and their languages belong to the Malayo-Polynesian language family. Some ethnicities are now represented by only 30-100 individuals and are threatened with extinction. Much culture, language, ethnomusic and traditional knowledge has yet to be documented by anthropologists. Ancestral knowledge of ethnobotany and ethnozoology is useful in drug discovery (for example, bintangor plant for AIDS) or as future alternative food sources (such as sago starch for lactic acid production and sago maggots as a protein source).

Certain indigenous people (such as the Kayan, Kenyah, Punan Bah and Penan) living on the island have been struggling for decades for their right to preserve their environment from loggers and transmigrant settlers and colonists. Land reform is needed for future development in the face of rapid economic changes.

The type of rainforests found in Borneo include the high diversity mixed dipterocarp forest, the rare peat swamp forests and heath forest.

Researchers scouring swamps in the heart of Borneo island have discovered a venomous species of snake that can change its skin color. Scientists named their find the Kapuas mud snake, and speculated it might only occur in the Kapuas River drainage system.

World Wildlife Fund has stated that 361 animal and plant species have been discovered in Borneo since 1996, underscoring its unparalleled biodiversity.In the 18 month period from July 2005 until December 2006, another 52 new species were found.

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Lombok Island : Bali Sister Island and New Paradise on the East

LOMBOK ISLAND INFORMATION
Lombok (1990 pop. 2,403,025) is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It is part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is roughly circular, with a “tail” to the southwest, about 70 km across and a total area of about 4,725 km² (1,825 sq mi). The administrative capital and largest city on the island is Mataram.

History
The Dutch first visited Lombok in 1674 and settled the eastern part of the island, leaving the western half to be ruled by a Hindu dynasty from Bali. The Sasaks chafed under Balinese rule, and a revolt in 1891 ended in 1894 with the annexation of the entire island to the Netherlands East Indies.

Geography and demographics
The Lombok Strait marks the passage of the biogeographical division between the fauna of the Indomalayan ecozone and the distinctly different fauna of Australasia that is known as the Wallace Line, for Alfred Russel Wallace, who first remarked upon the distinction between these two major biomes.

The island’s topography is dominated by the centrally-located stratovolcano Mount Rinjani, which rises to 3,726 m (12,224 ft), making it the third-highest in Indonesia. The most recent eruption of Rinjani was in June-July, 1994. The volcano, and its sacred crater lake, Lake Segara Anak, are protected by a National Park established in 1997. The southern part of the island is a fertile plain where corn, rice, coffee, tobacco, and cotton are grown.

The island’s inhabitants are 85% Sasak (a people, closely related to the Balinese, but mostly practising Islam), 10-15% Balinese, with the small remainder being Chinese, Arab, Javanese, and Sumbawanese.

Economy and politics
Lombok has much in common with nearby Bali, but less well-known and less-visited by foreigners. It has been working to increase its visibility to tourists in recent years, promoting itself as an “unspoiled Bali”. The most-developed center of tourism is Senggigi, spread in a 10-kilometer strip along the coastal road north of Mataram, while backpackers congregate in the Gili Islands off the west coast. Other popular tourist destinations include Kuta (distinctly different from Kuta, Bali) where surfing is considered some of the best in the world by leading surfing magazines. The Kuta area is also famous for its beautiful, untouched beaches.

While the area may be considered economically depressed by First World standards, the island is fertile, has sufficient rainfall in most areas for agriculture, and possesses a variety of climate zones. Consequently, food in abundant quantity and variety is available inexpensively at local farmer’s markets. A family of 4 can eat rice, vegetables, and fruit for as little as US$0.50. Even though a family income may be as small as US$1.00 per day from fishing or farming, many families are able to live a happy and productive live on astonishingly small incomes.

In early 2000 thousands fled from religious and ethnic violence that swept over the island, and tensions remain. Some travel websites warn that tourists sometimes provoke anger in this economically depressed region. This warning lacks credibility, since all of Lombok has had a long history of welcoming visitors to the island. Both the government and many of the residents recognize that tourism and the services required by tourists is Lombok’s highest source of income. Further proof of the island’s hospitality is show by the fact that tourists are virtually never seriously injured by any interaction with the local population. There is also a refugee camp on the island, costs paid for by Australia, which holds mostly Hazara Afghans who have tried to enter Australia by boat.

Cities
* Bangsal – little harbor servicing the Gili Islands
* Kuta – a surfing mecca like its Bali namesake, but that’s where the similarities end
* Lembar – for boats to Bali
* Mataram – the largest city by far
* Senggigi – the main tourist strip, including the neighboring beach of Mangsit

Understand
Located just east of Bali, Lombok has been promoted as “an unspoiled Bali” for quite some time, with beautiful beaches and the large, looming volcano of Mount Rinjani.

The more Islamic culture in Lombok compared than Bali may explain the reason why Lombok is quieter than Bali in terms of parties and nightlife, which can be either a positive or a negative depending on your point of view. Lombok is also becoming increasingly popular for honeymooners.

Culture
Lombok’s people are 85% Sasak, culturally and linguistically closely related to the Balinese, but unlike Bali’s Hindu they are Muslims. A notable non-orthodox Islamic group found only on Lombok are the Wektu Telu (“Three Prayers”), who as the name suggests pray only three times daily, instead of the five times required in the Quran.

Climate
While tropical, hot and humid, Lombok is drier than neighboring Bali, which makes it a particularly attractive option during the October-December rainy season (it rains on Lombok too, but rarely for more than an hour). The peak of the tourist season, though, is May through August.

Get in
By plane
Lombok’s only airport is Mataram’s Selaparang Airport (AMI), which occasionally also shows up in flight schedules as “Ampenan” (hence the seemingly odd airport code). There are frequent connections to Denpasar on Bali (30 min) and Surabaya (1 hour) on Garuda, Merpati and Germania Trisakti (“GT Air”), but only a single flight per day to Jakarta (on Garuda). A flight offered from and to Yogyakarta (on Garuda) is currently not being scheduled anymore. International flights are limited to Kuala Lumpur daily on Merpati and Singapore thrice weekly on Silk Air, with visas available on arrival. Lombok Network maintains a useful, mostly-updated flight schedule listing all flights to the island.

By boat
Slow boats from Padang Bai on Bali leave about every hour for the four- to five-hour trip to Lembar (Rp 35,000). The slow ferries are a bit rusty and dusty, with minimal restroom facilities, and are used mostly by locals, with few tourists on board. Access to the passenger deck is usually from the vehicle deck via steep and narrow stairs, so maneuvering heavy luggage is a challenge. Would-be porters wait by the docks, and will happily carry your stuff for Rp 10,000 per item. Sometimes they insist on doing so even when you don’t ask. They can be a bit intimidating, and sometimes try to overcharge. Lots of Kuta travel agents offer end-to-end transport, including a van ride from your Bali hotel to Padang Bai, the ferry ticket, and a ride from the dock on Lombok to your ultimate destination, for Rp 130,000 and up depending on where you are going in Lombok.

Fast ferries run from Benoa on Bali to Lembar on Lombok twice daily in season, one daily in the off season. The trip takes just 2 hours but costs US$25/30 depending on class. Perama Tour also runs daily cruises from Padang Bai directly to Senggigi for Rp 220,000.

Get around
By bemo
Bemos (converted passenger-carrying minivans) are the main means of long-distance transport on Lombok. They can be hailed down on all larger streets, and will happily take you even short hops around Senggigi. Fares are cheap: for example, as of November 2005 the official fare from Mataram to Senggigi is Rp. 1500/person, but tourists tend to get charged a bit extra and empty bemos will expect you to charter them for a higher price yet. Travel agents can also get you on semi-regular shuttle services, which connect Senggigi, the airport, and the harbors of Lembar (for Bali) and Bangsal (for the Gilis).

By taxi
Metered taxis are a fairly new development on Lombok, but they have become quite common in Mataram and Senggigi. The largest operator is Blue Bird, although there are a few other companies competing for your custom. As of November 2005, flag fall is Rp3,850 and the meter ticks up a few hundred rupiah for every hundred meters past 2 km. Figure on Rp10,000 for hops around town and around Rp30,000 from Senggigi to Mataram.

By horse cart
Horse-pulled carts known as cidomo are very common on Lombok, and while a bit touristy in Senggigi, they’re still a serious method of transportation. Make sure that you bargain the rate before the journey. In the Gilis there are no cars or motorbikes, so cidomo or bicycle is the only way to go.

By boat
Traditional fishing boats known as perahu ply the waters around Lombok, and are instantly recognizable due to their rather unusual feature of having two logs attached by bars on both sides like a catamaran, for greater stability in heavy swells. They can also be chartered, either directly from owners (in which case some knowledge of Bahasa will come in handy) or via any travel agent, who will of course take their cut. Some prices to aim for are Rp.200,000 from Bangsal to the Gilis or Rp.500,000 for a full day.

By bicycle
Traffic is relatively light throughout the island so travel by bicycle is quite possible, and provides a very different cultural experience to other means of transport. You should bring your own touring bike, as local bikes are of a very basic quality although there is one biking tour operator (Lombok Biking)that has decent bikes and guides.

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Sulawesi Island : Land of The Lord, Beaches and Great Diving

Sulawesi (formerly more commonly known as Celebes, a Portuguese-originated form of the name) is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands.

Etymology
The Portuguese were the first to refer to Sulawesi as ‘Celebes’ however the origins of this name are unclear. One suggestion is the Bugis word si-lebih for ‘more islands’ – a reference to its shape suggesting it was more than one island. The modern name ‘Sulawesi’ possibly comes from the words sula (‘island’) and besi (‘iron’) thought to be reference to the rich Lake Matano iron deposits. Other suggestion is that it comes from the portuguese word “celebres” or famous ones, as these islands were famous for their spices throughout Asia and even Europe, this being the reason that attracted them to these islands.

History
The settlement of South Sulawesi by modern humans is dated to c. 1500 BC. Following Bellwood’s model of a southward migration of Austronesian-speaking farmers (AN), radiocarbon dates from caves in Maros suggest a date in the mid-second millennium B.C. for the arrival of an AN group from east Borneo speaking a Proto-South Sulawesi language (PSS). Initial settlement was probably around the mouth of the Sa’dan river, on the northwest coast of the peninsula, although the south coast has also been suggested. Subsequent migrations across the mountainous landscape resulted in the geographical isolation of PSS speakers and the evolution of their languages into the eight families of the South Sulawesi language group. If each group can be said to have a homeland, that of the Bugis – today the most numerous group – was around lakes T?p? and Sid?r?g in the Walenna?depression. Here for some 2,000 years lived the linguistic group that would become the modern Bugis; the archaic name, which is preserved in the languages of other Indonesian groups, was Ugiq. Despite the fact that today they are closely linked with the Makasar, their closest linguistic neighbors are the Toraja.

Pre-1200 CE Bugis society would have been organized into petty chiefdoms, which would have both warred and, in times of peace, exchanged wives with each other. Personal security would have been negligible, head-hunting an established cultural practice, and crocodiles and malaria a common source of mortality. The political economy would have been a mixture of hunting and gathering and swidden or shifting agriculture. Speculative planting of wet rice would have taken place along the margins of the lakes.

Starting in the 13th century, access to prestige trade goods and to sources of iron started to alter long-standing cultural patterns, and to permit ambitious individuals to build larger political units. It is not known why these two ingredients appeared together; one was perhaps the product of the other. By 1400, a number of nascent agricultural principalities had arisen in the western Cenrana valley, as well as on the south coast and on the east coast near modern Parepare.

The first Europeans to visit the island (which they believed an archipelago due to its contorted shape) were Portuguese sailors in 1525, sent from the Moluccas in search of gold, which the islands had the reputation of producing. From 1669, the Dutch East India Company had a presence at Makassar, and in 1905 the entire island became part of the Dutch state colony of the Netherlands East Indies until Japanese occupation in World War II. Sulawesi was incorporated in the independent ‘Republic of Indonesia’ during the Indonesian National Revolution from 1945 to 1950.

Geography
Sulawesi is the world’s eleventh-largest island, covering an area of 174,600 km?. The island is surrounded by Borneo to the west, by the Philippines to the north, by Maluku to the east, and by Flores and Timor to the south. It has a distinctive shape, dominated by four large peninsulas: the Semenanjung Minahassa; the East Peninsula; the South Peninsula; and the South-east Peninsula. The central part of the island is ruggedly mountainous, such that the island’s peninsulas have traditionally been remote from each other, with better connections by sea than by road.

The island is subdivided into six provinces: Gorontalo, West Sulawesi, South Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, and North Sulawesi. West Sulawesi is a new province, created in 2004 from part of South Sulawesi. The largest cities on the island are Makassar, on the southwestern coast of the island, and Manado, on the northern tip.

Flora and Fauna
Sulawesi straddles Wallace’s Line meaning that it has a mix of both Asian and Austronesian species. However, the majority of Sulawesi’s wildlife belongs to the Australasia region. 2,290 km? of the island is devoted to Lore Lindu National Park.

There are 127 known mammalian species in Sulawesi. A large percentage of these mammals, 62% (79 species) are endemic, meaning that they are found nowhere else in Indonesia or the world. The largest native mammal in Sulawesi is the dwarf buffalo, locally known as the anoa. By contrast, because many birds can fly between islands, Sulawesian bird species tend to be found on other nearby islands as well, such as Borneo; only 34% of Sulawesi’s birds are found nowhere else. The most important among these last is the maleo, a bird that spends most of its time on the ground. It has undergone an observed very rapid decline. An international partnership of conservationists, donors, and local people have formed the Alliance for Tompotika Conservation , in an effort to raise awareness and protect the nesting grounds of these birds on the central-eastern arm of the island.

Sulawesi also has several endemic species of freshwater fish, such as those in the genus Nomorhamphus, a species flock of livebearing freshwater halfbeaks containing at least 19 distinct species, most of which are only found on Sulawesi.

The island was recently the subject of an Ecoregional Conservation Assessment, coordinated by the Nature Conservancy. Detailed reports about the vegetation of the island are available. The assessment produced a detailed and annotated list of ‘conservation portfolio’ sites . This information was widely distributed to local government agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Detailed conservation priorities have also been outlined in a recent publication .

The lowland forests on the island are, unfortunately, almost gone. Because of the relative geological youth of the island and its dramatic and sharp topography, the lowland areas are naturally limited in their extent. The past decade has seen dramatic conversion of this rare and endangered habitat. The island also possesses one of the largest outcrops of Serpentine_soil in the world, which support an unusual and large community of specialized plant species. Overall, the flora and fauna of this unique center of global biodiversity is very poorly documented and understood and remains critically threatened.

Demographics
The 2000 census population of the provinces of Sulawesi was 14,946,488, about 7.25% of Indonesia’s total population. The largest city is Makassar.

The people of Sulawesi are famous for their dedication to their diverse art abilities, which include pottery, weaving, and dancing. Their pottery was originally made specifically for the purpose of storing rice and water, but when the Dutch arrived, it became useful for commercial exporting and sale, and was noted for its extensive detail. The Sulawesian people also excel at intricate weaving, and repeat the same pattern at least once in every project they do. Although the women are predominantely weavers, both genders dance. The male dance is rigid, mechanical and robotic, while the female’s dances are fluid and smooth. They combine these aspects to tell a story

Religious faiths
Islam is the majority religion in Sulawesi. The conversion of the lowlands of the south western peninsula (South Sulawesi) to Islam occurred in the early 17th century. The kingdom of Luwu in the Gulf of Bone was the first to accept Islam in February 1605; the Makasar kingdom of Goa-Talloq, centered on the modern-day city of Makassar, followed suit in September.[15] However, the Gorontalo and the Mongondow peoples of the northern peninsula largely converted to Islam only in the 19th century. Most Muslims are Sunnis. Muslims can be found in all parts of Sulawesi.

Though Islam is the religion of the majority of Sulawesi’s people, large regions of the island observe other religions as well.

Christians form a substantial minority. According to the demographer Toby Alice Volkman, 17% of Sulawesi’s population is Protestant and 2% is Roman Catholic. Christians are concentrated on the tip of the northern peninsula around the city of Manado, which is inhabited by the Minahasa, a predominantly Protestant people, and the northernmost Sangihe and Talaud islands. The famous Toraja people of Tana Toraja in Central Sulawesi have largely converted to Christianity since Indonesia’s independence. There are also substantial numbers of Christians around Lake Poso in Central Sulawesi and among the Pamona speaking peoples of Central Sulawesi. There has also been growth in the Christian population of the Banggai Islands and the Eastern Peninsula in Central Sulawesi, traditionally thought of as Muslim areas (which in the past were controlled by Muslim sultanates in Tidore and Ternate). Christians can be found in every major Sulawesi city.

Though most people identify themselves as Muslims or Christians, they often subscribe to local beliefs and deities as well. It is not unusual (and fully accepted) for Muslims and Christians to make offerings to local gods, goddesses, and spirits.

Smaller communities of Buddhists and Hindus are also found on Sulawesi, usually among the Chinese, Balinese and Indian communities.

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Sumbawa Island : Beautiful Nature and Mighty Volcano

Sumbawa is an Indonesian island, located in the middle of the Lesser Sunda Islands chain, with Lombok to the west, Flores to the east, and Sumba further to the southeast. It is in the province of West Nusa Tenggara.

Sumbawa is 15,448 km² (three times the size of Lombok) with a population of around 1.5 million. It marks the boundary between the islands to the west, which were influenced by religion and culture spreading from India, and the region to the east that was not so influenced.

Demographics
Islam was introduced via the Makassarese of Sulawesi.
Sumbawa has historically had two major linguistic groups who spoke languages that were unintelligible to each other. One group centered in the western side of the island speaks Basa Samawa (Indonesian: Bahasa Sumbawa) which is similar to the Sasak language from Lombok; the second group in the east speaks Nggahi Mbojo (Bahasa Bima). The kingdoms located in Sumbawa Besar and Bima were the two focal points of Sumbawa. This division of the island into two parts remains today; Sumbawa Besar and Bima are the two largest towns on the island, and are the centers of distinct cultural groups that share the island.

Volcanoes
Sumbawa lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire. It is a volcanic island, including Mount Tambora (8°14’41”S, 117°59’35”E) which exploded in 1815, the most destructive volcanic eruption in modern history (roughly four times larger than the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa, between Java and Sumatra, in terms of volume of magma ejected). The eruption killed as many as 92,000. It also apparently destroyed a small culture of Southeast Asian affinity, known to archaeologists as the Tamboran kingdom. It launched 100 cubic kilometers of ash into the upper atmosphere, which caused 1816 to be the “year without a summer

In a certain way Sumbawa is the most western island of eastern Indonesia. It is -travelling from west to east- the first island that isn’t directly influenced by the hinduist cultures from Jawa and Bali. On this mainly islamic island, adat still is an important factor.
Sumbawa consists of two different parts: Sumbawa Besar in the west and Bima in the east. In the western part most people speak a language which looks like the language of the Sasak from Lombok. The language, spoken on Bima, looks like the one on Flores and Sumba. In the past, Sumbawa Besar has been influenced from Bali and Bima from the Makasarese from Southern Sulawesi. The name Sumbawa, which is the name of the island for those who don’t live there, is only used for the western part of the island by the population itself.
Sumbawa is three times the size of Lombok, while the number of people living there is far less, about one third of that of Lombok.The island is rough and mountainous and isn’t blessed with a fertile area like on Lombok. The irregular coastline consists of capes, peninsulas and deep bays. The islands is 15.600 sq.km in size and stretches over 280 km from west to east; the width varies between 15 to 90 km.
About 85 per cent of Sumbawa is too mountainous for agriculture, but the valleys of the river which are filled with vulcanic materials bring in very wealthy harvests. These valleys used to be home to many small states.

Dramatic world record
Sumbawa is part of the northern vulcanic chain of Nusa Tenggara. The island has always known vulcanic activity, but not a single eruption was as dramatic as the one of the Tambora in 1815. The Guiness Book of Records says this was the biggest eruption ever. More than 36 cubib km rocks, debris and ashes were blown into the sky. The beheaded, 2851 meter high cone now houses a vast caldera.
By estimation 10,000 people were killed during the explosion and another 30 to 40,000 (some estimations say half the population) died of starvation. A vast area was covered under a 50 cm thick layer of ash, which killed all life. The mess was that big that parents sold their child for three kilos of rice – as the story goes.
In 1845 a Dutch geologist reported big areas that were still covered under a layer of 50 cm of debris and ashes. The explosion entirely destroyed the sultanated of Sangar and Pekat, which were located at the same peninsula as Gunung Tambora. The vulcano has been resting since that eruption, but the vulcanic tradition of the island is not a thing of the past. In 1985, Gunung Api (the ‘firemountain’) on the island of Sangeang became active and several thousand people had to be evacuated.

Early history
It is assumed that the first Austronesians reached Sumbawa around 2000 BC and they brought with them agriculture.
However there has never been an extended archeological survey, the decorated stone sarcofaguses connect the island with other megalyth cultures which are to be found all over Indonesia. A stone with characters on it was found along the Bay of Bima not too long ago, probably with an Pallava- or Sanskrite background. They probably date from the 7th century. Bronze drums in Dongson style which have been found on the island, among them a very nice one on the island of Sangeang which was really made my Dongson-crafstmen, confirm that the northern coast of Sumbawa was located along the trade route to the spice and sandelwood-islands.

The Eastjawanese principalty of Majapahit, which was the biggest principalty of Indonesia at it’s biggest, was trading with Sumbawa and probably had some political and military power as well. After the fall of Malapahit West-Sumbawa cam under the rule of the Balinese principalty of Gelgel – because of maritial relations and military expeditions. In the 15th and 16th century the principalty claimed rule over Flores, Timor, Solor, Savu and Sumba, but it’s still the question whether this was more than just a one time military expedition to get some slaved and to control the trade in the region.

The Bo says that mahajara Pandu Dewata had five sons, one of them Sang Bima. The traveller and charming guy met a very beautifull girl and did what gods usually do under such circumstances. The short living affair gave them a girl.
On a later journey he met the daughter without knowing it was her and fell in love with her. But even gods aren’t allowed to commit incest. When he disclosed her identity, Sang Bima told her to lay the just born twin sons on the river bank. It probably was with the hand of god that the childness ncuhi, a clan leader, found them and took care of them. One of the boys, Indra Zamrud, founded the dynasty which he named after his father: Bima. The other boy, Indra Komala, founded the Dompu principalty west of Bima. The royal texts say that the dynasty already had 17 rulers before they addoptes islam in 1630.

Arrival of islam
In the 17th century a family dispute between the two brothers about the throne of Bima ended up to be a civil war. The conflict was won in the first place by Salisian, named ‘the usurpator’ by the royal messages. After his initial defeat the Ma Batawadu, the right one, went to Makassar in Southern Sulawesi to ask for help. He was told that he could get all military help he wanted – and a free princess if he wanted to – on the demand that he converted to islam.. Ma Batawadu agreed and returned with an army of tough Buginese and Makassarese warriors, which defeated the troops of his brother. In 1630 he became sultan under the name Abdul Kahid. Ever since the royal cronics tell about the ‘connection of blood, religion and laws’ with Southern Sulawesi.
The syara, the islamic book of law, was widely accepted until the Dutch rule forced the rules to be less important in 1908. However Bima is now strictly islamic, the government doesn’t accept fundamentalism. (Inhabitants of Bima tried to kill President Soekarno because of his supposed anti-islamic ideas, but they only succeeded in killing several schoolgirls). To displeasure to the local population even a discotheque was opened, but just two kilometers outside the city limits.
The inheritance of the rule of the rulers of Sumbawa Besar has been less good than that of Bima. The royal line died in 1820 when an islamic adventurer from the sultanate Banjarmasin in Kalimantan got hand on the royal heirlooms and the throne. The dynasty which he founded lasted until the independence of Indonesia.

Colonial period
On the whole, the Dutch weren’t very interested in Sumbawa. They tried to monopolize trade, especially the trade in sappanwood, but they didn’t succeed in that. Only in the start of the 20th century the Dutch had a firm rule over the area. There was some heavy resistance, but the Dutch won the battle due to their superior weapons and organisation.
The influence of the Dutch lasted two years, when the Japanese entered. The Dutch only left behind the Dutch speaking aristocrats, the eldest still speak Dutch. The local aristocracy had the right to visit Dutch schools.

The Japanese were welcomed to the island in the first place, but they soon got hated when they killed, looted and raped people on the island. After the war, Sumbawa became a part of the Dutch instated United States of Indonesia for a short time, before being integrated in the Republic of Indonesia. The three districts of the island (Sumbawa Besar, Dompu and Bima) are related to the sultanates which had exsisted until the colonial time. In 1951, the third sultan of Bima, Salamuddin, which reigned from 1913, gave away power to the central government. Hir heirs were placed at high governmental positions in Bima and Jakarta.

Two ethnical groups
The Tua Samawa (Orang Sumbawa) in the west and Dou Mbojo (Orang Bima) in the east are the two main ethnical groups on Sumbawa. The Samawa (‘Sumbawa’ in fact is a deformation of this name) are related to the Sasak on Lombok and the Balinese through language. The language which is spoken in Bima – nggahi Mbojo – is closely related to the language spoken on the eastern islands. Several thousand Balinese live in the west, a few hundred in the east. Because of the contacts with Sulawesi there are also Buginese, Makasarese and Bajau colonists to be found. Some of the original inhabitants retreated in the mountains to cling to their traditions, mainly because of the arrival of the islam. In West-Sumbawa traditional communities (the Tau Tepal) can be found in the area of Tepal and Ropang. In the east you can find a traditional population, the Dou Donggo, which live on the southern flanks of Gunung Soromandi and in the region of Wavo, east of the highway between Bima and Sape.
The Dou Donggo still follow the leadership of their clan leader (the ncuhi) and maintain traditional rites which are related to the spirits of ancestors with agrarian- and live-cycles. Their ‘holy three’ consists of heaven, the water and the wind. Their religion is named Marafu, and looks like the Marapu religion on Sumba. The Donggo sacrifice water buffalo’s, goats and chicken (depending on their social status) to favour the gods and spirits and to beg for good harvests and a good health. Around the time that planting starts, in the month November, a fertility ceremony is held in which all Bou Donggo participate.

The Donggo are separated into two groups. The Donggo Ipa (‘far mountain population’) consists of a few thousand people and still live the traditional way in the mountains of the peninsula west of the Bay of Bima. The Donggo Ele (‘eastern mountain population’) have been influenced more by islam and live in the highlands east of the airport and the bay, in the subdistrict Wavo Tengah.

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Komodo and Rinca Island in Komodo National Park Indonesia

Komodo National Park, the last remaining habitat of the world’s largest lizard, is one of the most unique and beautiful places on the planet. Consisting of island groups and their surrounding waters, the Park is widely recognized as an outstanding storehouse of globally significant terrestrial and marine biodiversity and, in acknowledgment of its immense value, was designated a Man and Biosphere Reserve in 1986 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

The Park was established in 1980, originally to protect the Komodo dragon, which occupies a unique position in the Park’s terrestrial ecosystem and has a high tourism value. This charismatic species has naturally become the flagship species for the Park. Today, the Park’s conservation goals have expanded to include the entire ecosystem, both marine and terrestrial.

However, there is much more to Komodo National Park than the dragons. The Park lies at the heart of the Wallacea bio-region, a transitional zone between the terrestrial flora and fauna of the Asian and Australasian regions. This overlap between two distinct evolutionary eco-regions results in high levels of species richness, and the area is of immense importance for terrestrial conservation.

The oceans of Komodo National Park are equally important, and lie within an area known to scientists and conservationists as the Coral Triangle. This area, where the great Pacific and Indian Oceans converge, is the only equatorial region in the world where there is an exchange of flora and fauna between oceans. It is the heart of the world’s marine biodiversity, containing the richest coral diversity in the world and is home to many highly diverse and threatened marine habitats including fringing and patch coral reefs, mangrove forests, sea grass beds, sea mounts semi-enclosed bays and deep-water habitats.

Considered one of the world’s best dive destinations, the Park boundary encloses 1214 km² of coral reefs and coastal marine waters, which are home to more than 800 species of fish, and 385 species of reef-building coral from 70 genera. To put this diversity in perspective, the entire Caribbean Sea, which covers an area of 2,754,000 km² and encompasses the range of habitats from coastal shallows to deep oceanic habitats, is home to only about 1500 species of fish and 30 coral genera. The Park also provides an important habitat and migratory corridor for a diverse assemblage of whales and dolphins, green and hawksbill turtles, dugongs and numerous species of shark and ray. Other spectacular features of Komodo National Park are the resident spawning aggregations of grouper and populations of manta ray, which feed in the strong currents.

From some of the most vivid coral gardens in the world to surreal savannah dotted with Lontar palms to monsoon forest, the Park presents a uniquely primordial environment. The presence of the world’s largest lizard on these islands, together with a rich marine fauna, present opportunities for wildlife viewing that are not possible anywhere else on earth.

FACILITIES
LOH LIANG – KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
Loh Liang on Komodo Island is one of two official terrestrial gateways to Komodo National Park. In 2007, new visitor facilities were constructed here, comprising an arrival area with a visitor reception building, visitor toilets and visitor orientation space; combined restaurant and retail shop with adjacent visitor toilets; and local souvenir pavilion. Buildings are low impact, with minimal foundations.

Arrival Area
Located about 20 metres back from the beach, past the 3m-high stone-faced wall that supports the ‘Komodo National Park World Heritage Site’ sign is the arrival area. A low, stone-faced wall runs alongside the path that leads to the area. Here you will find a large wooden pavilion that houses the visitor reception, a smaller one that is the visitor orientation space and visitor toilets. At the visitor reception, you or your tour leader will pay park entry fees if they have not been paid in advance and procure the services of a naturalist guide for the trek. A representative from PNK and the Park Authority are stationed here to serve you. The guide will escort you to the visitor orientation pavilion, where information panels and a large map of the Loh Liang walking trails will help you decide which of the several available treks to take. After orientation, you are then guided on one of the trails, of various lengths, inland.

Restaurant
All trails at Loh Liang return to the beach area via a single-storey building incorporating an open-sided restaurant with sea glimpses through the trees and a retail shop. The restaurant serves a variety of Asian and international dishes as well as snacks and hot & cold drinks.

Opening Hours 8am – 6pm
Food Asian & International
Seating Capacity 60
Payment Cash only, no credit cards

Retail Outlet
The Loh Liang retail outlet is on the right-hand side of the building that incorporates the restaurant. The shop sells a range of high-quality, attractive GOKOMODO merchandise and selected additional items relating to Komodo National Park and the region it occupies. T-shirts, polo shirts, linen shirts, caps, stuffed toys, bags, key rings, mugs, postcards, books, silver jewellery and textiles are all sold in the shop. As with all PNK revenue-generating activities, 100% of the profits will be used to help improve the visitor experience, support conservation and local people and other park management-related activities

Local Souvenir Stalls
Local souvenir sellers’ stalls are situated beneath a specially erected shelter. These sellers are all from Komodo Village, a few kilometres further down the coast. A variety of traditional arts and crafts can be purchased here, including unique and beautifully carved likenesses of Komodo Dragons – some a few inches long, others up to a metre and more in length. Be prepared to bargain – it’s a part of the culture!

Best Time to Visit the Park
Komodo National Park lies in one of the driest regions of Indonesia with an average rainfall of 800–1000mm a year. There are only two defined seasons in the Park, dry and wet. Most rainfall occurs between December and March during which time the arid, yellow and umber landscape of the Park’s islands and atolls burst into startling green. Between April and November, there is virtually no rainfall whatsoever. High average temperatures and low humidity mean that land based activities like trekking are best confined to mornings and afternoons.

The mating season for Komodo Dragons is generally between July & August – female dragons then nest between September & November. Whilst these periods offer excellent opportunities to view unique behaviours, it should be noted that Komodo dragon sightings during mating season are slightly more rare than at other times during the year.
Between November and March, winds from the west cause large waves to break along Komodo Island’s western coast. For the rest of the year, winds are dry and come from the south. Tide driven currents can be treacherous throughout the year however, reaching speeds of up to eight knots in places. The reason why water travels so fast within the Park is because Komodo and Rinca form a bottleneck passage between two large deep bodies of water, namely the Pacific Ocean to the north and the Indian Ocean to the south. This also gives the Park its incredibly rich and diverse marine eco-system.

TOURISM FEE FOR CONSERVATION
PARK ENTRANCE FEE
WEST MANGGARAI RETRIBUTION FEE

All visitors entering the boundaries of Komodo National Park are expected to pay a ‘Tourism Fee for Conservation.’

This revenue directly supports and benefits conservation (monitoring, rehabilitation, research and facilitating surveillance and enforcement), community development (alternative livelihoods, training and capacity building, micro-financing, and improvement of public services), and nature-based tourism development (construction, maintenance and operation of visitor facilities, including jetties, interpretation/information centers, restaurants, toilets, mooring buoys, and development of new tourism products).

Only by visitors contributing financially to sustainable Park revenues, can the Park’s unique marine and terrestrial biodiversity be protected and preserved for future generations.
The amount of the fee depends on the length of stay in Komodo National Park. Currently, fee amounts per visitor are as follows:

OF STAY	Foreign Visitor	Indonesian Nationality/ KITAS Holder	East Nusa Tenggara Resident	Indonesian Student
1-3 days	US$15	Rp. 75,000	Rp. 10,000	Rp. 1,000
4-8 days	US$25	Rp. 125,000
9-15 days	US$35	Rp. 175,000
+ 16 days	US$45	Rp. 225,000

A 50 percent discount is granted for foreign visitors aged below 16 years. The fee is payable in US dollars or equivalent Indonesia rupiah.

Visitors receive a receipt for the fee amount, which is stapled to an entrance ticket made from recycled paper, and entitles the holder to a short, guided trek at either Loh Liang, Komodo Island or Loh Buaya, Rinca Island. Each trekking group is limited to a maximum of ten people. For longer trekking activities, an extra charge applies.

In addition to the Tourism Fee for Conservation, visitors to the Park must also pay a National Park Entrance Fee (Ministry of Forestry Decree No. 363/Kpts-II/1997 and No. 0878/Kpts-II/1992) and a West Manggarai Retribution Fee (West Manggarai Decree No. 22 Year 2005 concerning Entrance Fee Compensation for Tourism Objects in West Manggarai Regency).

FEE	Length of Stay	Foreign/ KITAS	Domestic
KNP Entrance Fee	1-3 days	Rp. 20,000	Rp. 20,000
West Manggarai Retribution Fee	1-3 days	Rp. 20,000	Rp. 10,000

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Flores Island : The most beautiful island of Indonesia

GEOGRAPHY
Flores island is one of the island on East Nusa Tenggara province. It stretches between the east longitudes of 118° and 125°, and between the latitudes of 8° and 11° south. The east Nusa Tenggara cover the area 49,880 sq km and it has a population of 3,500,000. Flores becomes one of the biggest island on the territory of East Nusa Tenggara or NTT which comprises 566 islands, including many smaller islands which are not in-habitated and unnamed. The three main islands are Flores, Sumba and Timor from which comes the term ‘Flobamor’, which has been familiar as one of the names of NTT.

Flores is the volcanic island and has unique and spectacular attractions. Mount Kelimutu has become a favourite destination, with its three crater lakes of different colours. Sumba is the island famous for its arts, handicrafts, particularly the textile weaving, and cultural assets. Timor, being the principal island with Kupang as its capital, serves as the centre of government and economic activities.

The other permanently inhabitated islands are Lembata, Adonara, Solor, Palue, Nules, Komodo, Rinca, Sumba, Sabu, Raijua, Rote, Semau, Alor and Pantar.

Roughly 57 percent of the territory is hilly with mountains rising to 2427m (Gunung Mutis) in Timor and 1792m (G. Kelimutu) in Flores. The mountains of East Nusa Tenggara are not as high as in West Nusa Tenggara where the highest mountain of all of Nusa Tenggara is G. Rinjani in Lombok (3726m).

Geologically, East Nusa Tenggara can be regarded as being divided into two zones:
a volcanic inner curve formed by the islands of Rinca, Komodo, Flores, Alor, Pantar, Adonara, Lembata and Solor, which have fertile soils; and an outer curve of limestone and other rock formations, made up up of Sumba, Sabu, Rote, Semau and Timor.

Flora and fauna
The west coast of Flores is one of the few places, aside from the island of Komodo itself, where the Komodo dragon can be found in the wild. The Flores giant rat is also endemic to the Island.

In September 2004, at Liang Bua Cave in western Flores, paleoanthropologists discovered skeletons of a previously unknown hominid species. Homo floresiensis, affectionately termed hobbits after the small characters in the Lord of the Rings, appear to be miniaturized versions of Homo erectus standing about one metre tall. They may have existed until as recently as 11,000 BC. Local reports of elf-like people, the Ebu Gogo, or the Orang Pendek of Sumatra, have caused speculation that Flores man may have survived into the historical period, or even to the present. The discovery has been published in the October 28, 2004, issue of Nature magazine and the April 2005 issue of the National Geographic Magazine. [1] However, on August 21, 2006, the National Geographic Newsletter published an article reporting that several scientists now believe that the remains discovered in 2004 were not of a different species but were pygmies. Flores was also a habitat of the extinct Stegodon dwarf elephant until approximately 18,000 years ago.

Culture
There are many languages spoken on the island of Flores, all of them belonging to the Austronesian family. In the centre of the island in the districts of Ngada and Ende there is what is variously called the Central Flores Dialect Chain or the Central Flores Linkage. Within this area there are slight linguistic differences in almost every village. At least six separate languages are identifiable. These are from west to east: Ngadha, Nage, Keo, Ende, Lio and Palu’e, which is spoken on the island with the same name of the north coast of Flores. Locals would probably also add So’a and Bajawa to this list, which anthropologists have labeled dialects of Ngadha.

Portuguese traders and missionaries came to Flores in the 16th century, mainly to Larantuka and Sikka. Their influence is still discernible in Sikka’s language and culture.

Flores is almost all Catholic and represents one of the “religious borders” created by the Catholic expansion in the Pacific and the spread of Islam from the west across Indonesia. In other places in Indonesia, such as in the Malukus and Sulawesi, the divide is more rigid and has been the source of bloody sectarian clashe

Tourism
The most famous tourist attraction in Flores is Kelimutu; three coloured lakes in the district of Ende. These coloured lakes change colours on a regular basis. The latest colours (late 2004) were said to be turquoise, brown and black.

There is good snorkelling and diving on several locations along the north coast of Flores, most notably Maumere and Riung. However, due to the destructive practice of local fishermen using bombs to fish, and locals selling shells to tourists, combined with the after effects of a devastating tsunami in 1992, the reefs have slowly been destroyed.

Labuanbajo (on the western tip of Flores) is a town often used by tourists, from where they can visit Komodo and Rinca. Labuanbajo also attracts scuba divers, as whale sharks inhabit the waters around Labuanbajo.

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Sumba Island : Land of Primitives Villages in Indonesia

Sumba is an island in eastern Indonesia, is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of 11,153 km², and the population was officially at 611,422 in 2005. To the northwest of Sumba is Sumbawa, to the northeast, across the Sumba Strait (Selat Sumba), is Flores, to the east, across the Savu Sea, is Timor, and to the south, across part of the Indian Ocean, is Australia.

Geography
The Sumbanese people speak a variety of closely related Austronesian languages, and have a mixture of Malay and Melanesian ancestry. Twenty-five to thirty percent of the population practises the animist Marapu religion. The remainder are Christian, a majority being Dutch Calvinist, but a substantial minority being Roman Catholic. A small number of Sunni Muslims can be found along the coastal areas. The largest town on the island is the main port of Waingapu, with a population of about 10,700. The landscape is low, limestone hills, rather than the steep volcanoes of many Indonesian islands. There is a dry season from May to November and a rainy season from December to April. The western side of the island is more fertile and more heavily populated than the east.

Sumba is one of the poorer islands of Indonesia [3]. The health situation on the island is unfortunately dramatic as a high percentage of the population still suffer from malaria and infantile death is high. A Frenchman is developing a new program to provide wells to some small/isolated communities.

The island of Sumba is well known of its sandalwoods, horses, impressive megalithic tombs, typical hand woven textile (“ikat”), and still untouched beautiful beaches. There are two entering point in to Sumba island from anywhere in the Lesser Waingapu & Waikabubak (Tambolaka). These are the people could enter Sumba for either by flight or boat

Sumba island covers an area of 11,150 square km which is now populated by about 350,000 people. Generally the climate similar to other part of Indonesia where a dry season (May to November), and a rainy season (December to April). The island of Sumba is well known of its sandlewood, horses, impressive megalithic tombs, typical hand woven textile (“ikat”), and still untouched beautiful beaches. There are two entering point in to Sumba island from anywhere in the Lesser Waingapu & Waikabubak (Tambolaka). These are the people could enter Sumba for either by flight or boat.

Sumba island has a great and unique position respect to the Sunda Banda archipelagoes, it is one of the biggest island on the East Nusa Tenggara region beside Flores and Timor. It represents an isolated sliver of probable continental crust to the south of active volcanic islands (Sumbawa, Flores ) within the forearc basin (Fig.1). It is situated to the north of passage from the Java Trench (subduction front) to the Timor Through (collision front).

It does not show still the effects of strong compression in contrast to islands of the outer arc system (Savu, Roti, Timor), while the magmatic units make up a substantial part of the Late Cretaceous to Paleogene stratigraphy.
Most Sumbanese are Christian (Catholic and Protestant), however, and part of them are still strongly keep their native and original religion called Marapu. Most cultural objects are related to the Marapu religion such as the shape of traditional houses, ceremonies, or kings’ graves and tombs.

The Customary houses designed in high-peaked roof to store the heirlooms and store. It is divided into male and female section, and generally surrounded by impressive megalithic tombs. Their famous ceremony are the wedding and funerals. where they usually sacrificed animals pigs, buffaloes, cattle, and horses.

The Megalithic tombs are made from the hard stone forming the megalithic shape. This covered by rectangle flat stone supported by four pillars about 1,5 meters high. The Megalithic tombs are actually located in the front of their houses
A primitive Sumbanese art objects strongly related with a social functions of Merapu belief. The carved stones and wood statues are representing the death, Merapu, and as medium for their contact. Metal ornaments and jewelry are usually for wedding ceremonies, and are related to the social status.

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Maluku Islands : The Spices Islands of Indonesia

Maluku, Indonesia, also known as the Moluccas or the Spice Islands, is a region of Indonesia consisting of approximately 1000 islands, that lies between Sulawesi and Papua. A place which is the transition zone between the Asian and Australian fauna and flora, and also between the Malay-based cultures of western Indonesia and those of Melanesia, Maluku, Indonesia, is a wonderful place to have a vacation in.

In the era of the Dutch traders, the islands of Maluku, Indonesia, were the only place on earth where nutmeg, mace and several other valuable spices were grown. In fact, Maluku, Indonesia, first came to be on the world map as the place where exotic spices could be imported from. Now, however, Maluku, Indonesia, is also a well-known tourist destination.

A province of Indonesia where only 10% of the total surface area is land, Maluku, Indonesia, is surrounded by seas, that is, at places thousands of meters deep. But, the vast sea-coasts and long beaches are not just the topographical features of the islands. The Maluku, Indonesia, islands are forest-covered, and mountainous. The mountains are mostly craters, and, the islands of Maluku, Indonesia, are sitting atop one of the most active volcanic belts of the world. In fact, the last 400 years have seen more than 70 eruptions in the Maluku, Indonesia.

Maluku, Indonesia, has many interesting places to see, that will make the visit of a tourist worthwhile. The major locations that one can go to while in Maluku, Indonesia have been listed down for you by LombokMarine.com.
Ambon, the provincial capital of Maluku, Indonesia

Maluku lies across a transition zone between Asian and Australian fauna and flora, and also between the Malay-based cultures of western Indonesia and those of Melanesia. there are over 1,000 islands in the Province most of which are uninhabited. 85% of Maluku is water and it sits astride one of the world’s most actively volatile volcanic belts. The region has known more than 70 eruptions over the last 400years. Tremors and volcanic explosions are by no means rare events and, in fact, many of the islands form classic scenes of volcanic cones rising out of the sea.

Maluku is blessed with incredible sea gardens, idyllic, tropical beaches and wonderful landscapes rich with a great variety of endemic plant and animal species. The rugged, forest-coated and mountainous hinterlands of the islands are home to the Racker tailed king fisher, the Red-crested Moluccan cockatoo, and other brilliantly-colored lorikeets and parrots.

Formerly known as the Moluccas, these are the famed Spice Islands, which Indian, Arab, Chinese and later European traders spoke of. These islands felt the force of 16th and 17th attempts by major European sea faring nations to establish their influence and power. In the year 1511, the Portuguese built their first fort in the area on the island of Ternate and established a monopoly of the clove trade. The Spanish also came, but posed little threat to the Portuguese.

It was the Dutch, who arrived in 1599, that proved to be a strong adversary in the quest for, and control of, Maluku’s tree surest Armed conflicts broke out, taking a heavy toll from the island populations as well as the rival European powers an’ when the Dutch finally emerged as victors they enforced the trade monopoly with an iron fist. Whole villages were razed to the ground and thousands of islanders died, especially on the island of Banda, in the so called Hongi Expeditions.

The British briefly occupied Maluku during the Napoleonic Wars, but Dutch rule was restored in 1814 and it wasn’t until 1863 that the compulsory cultivation of spices was abolished in the province. Now it is fish and other sea products that are Maluku’s major sources of revenue, but nickel, oil, manganese and various kinds of timber also contribute to the province’s wealth.

The main gateway into Maluku is through the provincial capital of Ambon, which is served by regular flights to most parts of the archipelago. Air and sea transportation connect the islands themselves together very well. The province has 79 seaports and 25 airports, but only about 4 km of roads. However, good roads on many of the islands provide easy access to the more remote places of interest.

PLACE OF INTEREST
Ambon
Ambon, the provincial capital of Maluku which is built on a hillside overlooking the bay, has a number of interesting sites of historical and cultural interests. Among them are the remnants of some old forts built by the Dutch East Indies Company during the heydays of the spice trade and the Museum Siwa Lima with its collection of local arts and crafts. More ruins of forts are found such as the Dutch one at Lima and those of the Portuguese at Hila, which are almost entirely hidden underneath the contorted roots of a giant Banyan tree. The ANZAC War Cemetery near Ambon town is the site of services held every year on April 25, to commemorate the Allied soldiers who died in the region during World War II. Ambon is at the Maluku end of the annual yacht race between Darwin, Australia and Ambon. The race usually takes place at the end of July and the beginning of August.

Coral Sea Gardens
Good beaches with coral reefs just off the shore are found around Pombo island Namalatu beach and at Hunimoa Beach on Ambon. A popular recreation beach on the same island is Natsepa, Honimua and Namalatu.

Banda Islands
The Banda group, about 132 kilometers southeast of Ambon, consists of three larger islands and seven smaller ones, perched on the rim of Indonesia’s deepest sea, the Banda Sea. Near the island Manuk, the water reaches a depth of more than 6,500 meters. Of the three biggest islands Banda, Banda-Neira and Gunung Api, the first two are covered with nutmeg trees and other vegetation. The third however, is entirely bare and highly volcanic. The last eruption of Mt. Api occurred only a few years ago.

The seas around Banda are the site of the famous Maluku sea gardens with their bright corals and colorful fish darting through the crystal- clear waters. Facilities for sightseeing, snorkeling and skin diving are available, as well as clean, comfortable cottages. Banda saw some of the bloodiest episodes of Maluku’s past history during the 17th century. In 1609, the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) dispatched Verhoeff to the islands to obtain the contested spice trade monopoly at any cost. Confronted by a superior power, the people of Banda were forced to allow the company to establish a fort, but in that same year Verhoeff was killed together with 45 of his men. The Company retaliated, but peace was not restored.

In 1619, VO.C. Governor-General Jan Pieterszoon Coen arrived at the head of a penal expedition and exterminated the entire population of Banda. The land was divided into lots, called “perken”, and given to former company employees, the “perkiniers”, who were obliged to grow nutmeg and sell them at predetermined prices to the company. Slaves did the actual work in the fields. The old “perkenier houses”, or what is left of them, and old churches still retain a peculiar colonial character to the port town of Bandaneira today. Two old forts Belgica and Nassau, are inside the town limits. Others are found elsewhere on the islands. See also the former Dutch Governor’s mansion, the Museum of History in Neira, and the huge nutmeg plantation nearby.

Seram Island
One of the biggest island in Maluku. The beaches in Ceram are generally beautiful and suitable for swimming, fishing etc. Sea gardens, Sago woods, Maiden forests. Naulu race, who still keep their habits and traditional way of life. Exotic nature, flora and fauna, Manusela National Park, Kasa islet and Babi islet surrounded by white sandy beaches, beautiful spots for swimming and fishing and gorgeous sea gardens. Wonderful waterfall and beautiful surrounding panorama in the village of Rumakai Antiques.

Halmahera Islands
Ternate, an island off the west coast of Halmahera in northern Maluku, was once the seat of an important kingdom which prospered from the spice trade. The Portuguese, the Spanish and the Dutch vied with each other for influence on this island. A stronghold of Islam in the otherwise predominantly Christian province of Maluku, Ternate nevertheless carries the clear imprints of both its pre Islamic past and its period of contact with the West, especially the Portuguese.

The old sultan’s palace in Ternate town is now a museum. In the vicinity are the ruins of old Portuguese, Spanish and Dutch forts. The remnants of the Dutch Fort Orange are right in town. About five kilometers west of the town, on the slope of a 1,715 meter tall volcano in the middle of the island, is Afo, with its giant clove tree, said to be more than 360 years old to be the ancestor of all clove trees in the world. Morotai Island, just off Halmahera’s northern arm, was an important airbase during World War II, first for the Allies and later for ~the Japanese until its recapture near the end of the war. The ghosts of war still linger in this area, where many wrecks of aircraft and rusting guns lie abandoned in the bushes.

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