Siak Palace, One of the Past Glory of Evidence

Siak Sri Indrapura was the centre of an islamitic Malayan kingdom which enjoyed its golden age from the 18th through 20th century. Sultan Abdul Jalil Rakhmad Syah founded the kingdom in 1725. He was the first in a family tree of 12 sultans who would reign until 1945. In November 1945, the last sultan, Sultan Syarif Kasyim II, sent a cable to the president of the Republic of Indonesia stating his loyalty to the republic, and he contributed his properties to the struggle of independence.

The old palace of Siak Sri Indrapura is definitely worth a visit. It is located 125 km northeaset from Pekanbaru and can best be reached from Pekanbaru over land. The palace was built in 1889 by the 11th Sultan Abdul Jalil Syafuddin, who ruled Siak from 1889 to 1908.

The palace stores a collection of properties of the last sultans. In the reception area, life size figures of the sultan and his courtiers welcome the visitor. Inside the palace, one can admire the gold plated royal throne and a duplicate of the royal crown. The original gold crown has been brought to the National Museum in Jakarta. Large photographs of the last sultans decorate the walls of the palace.
Left: Duplicate of
the royal crown

The last sultans formed a part of the Dutch establishment. Much of the decor in the palace is European. A big attraction is the Komet, a large German music player, whose perforated metal disks tinkle tunes of Mozart, Beethoven and Strauss, brought by the sultan from a visit to Europe in 1896. People say that there are only two left in the world.

Close to the palace, at the banks of the Siak river, is the Royal Mosque. Next to the mosque there are some graves of the royal family.

Beautifully Beaches Pangandaran

Pangandaran is a small town and a subdistrict in southern Ciamis regency, West Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern coast of Java. Pangandaran is a popular tourist destination, having a beach which is considered to be one of the finest in Java and which offers excellent surfing.

A kite-flying festival is held on the beach in July and August. It is reported that the locals used to fly kites in the evenings to catch bats, and may still do so. There is a local belief that wearing any green garment in this area will anger Loro Kidul, the Javanese guardian spirit or goddess of the southern sea, and will bring misfortune.

The Penanjung Pangandaran nature reserve is nearby on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow neck of land. About eighty percent of the nature reserve is secondary rainforest. The flora of the nature reserve includes the Rafflesia.

A tsunami hit the area on 17 July 2006. An undersea earthquake measured at 7.7 on the Richter scale triggered a three metre high tidal wave. Extensive damage was caused and hundreds of people were reported to be dead or missing

Pangandaran is a Tourist Location in West Java, Indonesia. Pangandaran is Family friendly and has also for individual Tourists much to offer. In the Bay Area Pananjung are two beautiful Beaches for swimming, surfing or just relaxing. Here you have much Activities and Adventures like Trekking, Snorkeling, Fishing and many more..

The National Park

On the southside From Pangandaran is a National Park mostly as Jungle. You can Walk there with a Guide to the beautiful Waterfalls and enjoy the flora and fauna. Or by a 1 day Trip around the Park

Batu Karas

Batu Karas is a little Village 1 hour away from Pangandaran. It's famous for Surfing there.

Batu Hiu

Batu Hiu is a Place between Pangandaran and Batu Karas. Batu Hiu means Shark's Rock wich is a coastal rock having the shape of a shark. It's nice for relaxing there or swimming at the Beach.

Green Canyon

The best Way to go to the Green Canyon is with a Guide or by Rent a Motorbyke. At a Boat Station are many Boats who drive to the Green Canyon. After 45 Minutes Boat drive over a nice River you are there. There is also the chance to swimming in the Green Canyon.

Getting Here

Pangandaran is locatet at the Southcoast from West Java, Indonesia in the District Ciamis. See the Descriptions above and the Map for further Information.

From Jakarta

A fast Way from Jakarta is by bus. The buses drive nearly every hour from Kampung Rambutan bus station toward Pangandaran. Most buses drive directly to Pangandaran. With some buses you have to change the bus in Ciamis or Banjar. The trip lasts around 7 hours and cost around Rp.50'000 without AC and around Rp.80'000 with AC. The fee depends on the bus company.

It's also possible to rent a Car with a Driver in Jakarta. This will cost around Rp.1'500'000.

From Bandung

With the bus you reach Pangandaran on the bus station Cicaheum. Some buses drive directly to Pangandaran. With some buses you have to change the bus in Ciamis or Banjar. It's recommendable to take a bus who drive direct to Pangandaran. The buses from Banjar are small and mostly overcrowded.

Enjoy the Natural Wealth in the Heart of Sumatra

It is home to the highest mountain in Sumatra, Mount Kerinci, 3805m an active volcano. Mount Kercini has been closed to visitors since 2004 because of high volcanic activity. Kerinci last erupted on 6th August 2004. On Sept 2007, a number of minor seismic events occurred. On 9 Sept 2007, vapor emissions increased, pulsing at 5 minute intervals, and accompanied by inky black ash. The plume rose – 700 -800 m above the crater rim and ash fell within 8km of the volcano. The Center of Volcanology and Gelological Hazard Mitigation reported that the Alert Status was raided to 2 (on a scale 1 – 4). Visitors and tourists were not permitted to approach the crater closer than 1km though many people are still climbing despite these warnings.

You can either reach the National Park from Jambi or Padang (which is closer).

The National Park is mostly inaccessible due to the dense rainforest this park offers protection to some of the most endangered species of wildlife including the Sumatran Tiger, Sumatran Rhinoceros, Sun Bear, elephants, Clouded leopard, Tapir and over 370 species of birds.

The Rafflesia arnoldi, largest flower in the world, can also be found within the park.

The main access point to the park is Sungaipenuh in the province of Jambi. There is a National Parks office located in Sungaipenug where you will need to get a permit to access the park. Sungaipenuh is 246km from Padang around a 6 hour bus trip.

20km south of Sungaipenuh is the small lake Danau Kerinci at the base of Gunung Raja (King Mountain).

The highest lake in South East Asia, Danau Gunung Tujuh, at 1950m above sea level is located close to the village of Pelompek, 8km from Kersik Tua. It's about a 3.5 hour trek up to the lake. The lake is within the Kerinci Seblat National Park so you will need to get a permit in Sungaipenuh before going.

Nias Island Hop Rock

For surfers, Nias is "Paradise on Earth". The 2005 earthquake has uplifted many reefs of the island, making surfing on the "Point", the legendry right-hander near Sorake, even more challenging and exciting than in the past!

However, surfing spots are only a slice of the wonders that Nias Island has to offer. The island's unique and exotic setting - an ancient megalithic culture in a rugged tropical landscape - is even more intriguingly wondrous. The islanders call their island Ono Niha or Land of the Niassan. And that is what it fully is; A world unto itself!

Though you might have heard some travel stories about Nias, describing the island as a place of impenetrable jungles and feared head-hunting raids, there is no need to worry coming face to face with head-hunters (except perhaps in cultural performances) as this practice was brought to an end in the beginning of the 20th century. The island's lush forests and virgin beaches provide a unique opportunity to experience a feeling of last frontier, a world beyond the equator.

The unique combination of an untouched tribal culture with arcane rites and untamed nature make the island a world class destination for adventurous eco-travellers, where you will be welcomed by the local Niassan with the call "Ya'ahowu" or "Hello"!

Often the best travel experience happens unplanned, like the discovery of an amazing landscape after a wrong turn, or an impromptu drinking session with locals when you're stuck in a village during a thunderstorm. It sneaks up on you and catches you unprepared. The next thing you know, you are having tremendous fun, losing yourself in wild abandon while at the same time trying to soberly carve the moment in your head as it happens second by second, not wanting to miss a single thing.

In South Nias it is bound to happen. Not only once, but probably for the entire length of your visit, provided you keep an open heart. This is an island where warriors sit next to you at mealtime, where hundreds of enemy's skulls were buried beneath the ground on which you walk, where a spear-carrying five-year-old can be found fish-hunting in the middle of the day for his lunch. This is the island of tough and resilient men, virgin forests and waves as high as multiple-story buildings. We are not talking tour buses and two-hour allocations to click away on your camera in front of some ancient temples. We are talking real experiences, where you truly get up close and personal with the mystical island, bringing home not some crappy souvenirs but an amazing story to tell and hopefully a changed heart.

Papua, In the Middle of the Wild Tribes

Papua views of geography a central east-west mountain range dominates the geography of New Guinea, over 1600 km in total length. The western section is around 600 km long and 100 km across. The province contains the highest mountains between the Himalayas and the Andes, rising up to 4884 m high, and ensuring a steady supply of rain from the tropical atmosphere. The tree line is around 4000 m elevation and the tallest peaks contain permanent equatorial glaciers, increasingly melting due to a changing climate. Various other smaller mountain ranges occur both north and west of the central ranges. Except in high elevations, most areas possess a hot humid climate throughout the year, with some seasonal variation associated with the northeast monsoon season.

The third major habitat feature are the vast southern and northern lowlands. Stretching for hundreds of kilometers, these include lowland rainforests, extensive wetlands, savanna grasslands, and some of the largest expanses of mangrove forest in the world. The southern lowlands are the site of Lorentz National Park, also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The province's largest river is the Mamberamo, sometimes called the "Amazon of Papua", which winds through the northern part of the province. The result is a large area of lakes and rivers known as the Lakes Plains region. The famous Baliem Valley, home of the Dani people is a tableland 1600 m above sea level in the midst of the central mountain range; Puncak Jaya, sometimes known by its former Dutch name Carstensz Pyramid, is a mist covered limestone mountain peak 4884 m above sea level.

A vital tropical rainforest with the tallest tropical trees and vast biodiversity, Papua's known forest fauna includes marsupials (including possums, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, cuscuses), other mammals (including the endangered Long-beaked Echidna), many bird species (including birds of paradise, cassowaries, parrots, cockatoos), the world's longest lizards (Papua monitor) and the world's largest butterflies.

The island has an estimated 16,000 species of plant, 124 genera of which are endemic.

The extensive waterways and wetlands of Papua are also home to salt and freshwater crocodile, tree monitors, flying foxes, osprey, bats and other animals; while the equatorial glacier fields remain largely unexplored.

In February 2006, a team of scientists exploring the Foja Mountains, Sarmi, discovered numerous new species of birds, butterflies, amphibians, and plants, including possibly the largest-flowered species of rhododendron.

Protected areas within Papua province include the Lorentz National Park, which is also a World Heritage site and the Wasur National Park, a RAMSAR wetland of international importance.

Ecological threats include logging-induced deforestation, forest conversion for plantation agriculture (especially oil palm), smallholder agricultural conversion, the introduction and potential spread of alien species such as the Crab-eating Macaque which preys on and competes with indigenous species, the illegal species trade, and water pollution from oil and mining operations.

Papua's ancient rain forests have recently come under an even greater threat of deforestation after the Chinese government placed an order of 1 billion US dollar or 800,000 cubic meters of the threatened merbau rainforest timbers, used in buildings for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

In remote forested valleys, several thousand smallholder farmers are growing Arabica coffee in the shade of Calliandra, Erythrina and Albizia trees. Chemical fertilizers and pesticides are not available in these valleys. Since there are no roads, the coffee is flown out and then exported from the port of Jayapura.

Kalimantan, Play with the Orangutan

Orangutans are large apes which can be found at the islands Borneo and Sumatra. These large apes swing from tree to tree by using their arms (brachiating). Orangutan in Malay language means "human of the forest". The Orangutan 's population is decreasing and is in grave danger of extinction. The Expected population is less then 40.000 in the world.

Early 2009 a rare subspecies of the orangutan is found in the area of Kars East Kalimantan, this subspecies of Orangutan has black fur as a gorilla. The Black Bornean Orangutan or Pongo pygmaeus morio was found by scientists team of The Nature Conservancy in the mountainous area of East Borneo. While there is no exact number, and hard to detect the total population, the scientist team has estimated the Black Orangutan Population between 1000 to 2000 individuals. With this new detect subspecies, there are currently three species of orangutans; Pongo pygmaeus sp. (Bornean orangutan) and Pongo abelii (Sumatran orangutan) beside the Black Bornean Orangutan Pongo pygmaeus morio. Orangutans are critically endangered species in the world.

Orangutans have short bowed legs and long strong arms. Orangutans have about 2/3 the size of a gorilla, and are covered with long reddish-brown hair. Orang Utan males have large cheek flaps which get larger at ages. They are similar to humans, including hearing, sight, smell, taste, touch, hands and feet, they have four long fingers plus an opposable thumb. The arm span can be more then 2 meter. Their body weight is between the 50 and 90 kg and they are omnivores (eat both plants/fruit and animals). They like to eat fruit, leaves, seeds, tree bark, plant bulbs, tender plant shoots, and flowers. but also eat insects and small animals as birds. Orangutans drink water that they have collected in the holes between tree branches. Orangutans can but rarely walk, they do not swim. Their age can be up to 50 years, and live in Tropical Rainforest. There is a small difference between the Orangutans from Borneo and Sumatra and can be separate in three subspecies, the Pongo pygmaeus pygmaeus and Pongo pygmaeus morio From Borneo, with a more round face and dark red and black fur, and the Pongo pygmaeus abelii From Sumatra, with a bit narrow face and paler hair, but genetically they are similar to interbreed.

Orangutans are intelligent Apes. They using objects as tools, such as for example, leaves as umbrellas to keep keep their self dry from the rain. They also use leaves as cups to drink water from.

Orangutans live alone and need large territories in order to get enough food. The female and male orang utan just stay together during mating time for a few days. The Baby orangutan will stay with it's mother untill about seven years of age.

The orangutans move every day and construct a new "nest" in the tree branches for the night where they will sleep. The nests are made out of leaves and branches, and will only be shared by a baby orangutan during the mothers nursing period. If Rain will fall down, then they make the nest with a roof from leafs, as protection to become wet. The best hours to spot Orang Utans are in the moring till about nine o'clock or late afternoon, as they often take a nap at mid-day.

Males have a large throat sac that lets them make these loud calls, and are capable of to make loud calls to claim his territory, and call females.

Orangutans in the age of seven years and older are capable to reproduce itself, the Females pregnant period is about 9 months and mostly give a birth to a single baby.

The biggest threat to the orangutan is a human.

Orangutans now are endangered species. Their numbers decreasing quickly as their forest habitat, beside the orangutans are caught and sold around the world as pets.

At Kalimantan there are several National Parks where Orangutans can be spot “easily”. Tanjung Putting National Park, at Central Kalimantan, here you can find them around Camp Leakey Rehabilitation Centre, Here they are the most easily to spot, as they are common with humans, feeding could be done. This is different with Kutai National Park at East Kalimantan, where they live much more wild in their habitat, but with some assistance of rangers and guides, mostly the Orangutan can be seen. Tangiling Reserve at Central Kalimantan is an other good spotting place for Wild Orangutans, a bit north of Palangkaraya City, cruising up the Kahayan River. Sungai Wain Reserve at East Kalimantan is a new National Park with about 200 wild Orangutans from the Wanariset Rehabilitation Center, easily to reach from Balikpapan in less then a hour.

Enjoy Nature and Culture of Toba

Lake Toba is an immense volcanic lake covering an area of 1707 sq km (bigger than Singapore) with an island in the center. Formed by a gigantic volcanic eruption some 70,000 years ago, it is probably the largest resurgent caldera on Earth. Some studies say it might have been associated with causing previous ice age/climate change and the largest human population bottleneck ever. The island in the middle - Pulau Samosir - was joined to the caldera wall by a narrow isthmus, which was cut through to enable boats to pass; a road bridge crosses the cutting. Samosir island is the cultural centre of Batak tribe who are mostly Christians in the modern days.

Most visitors fly to Medan and then travel by land to Parapat, the town by Lake Toba. Parapat is about 4 hours by car from Medan (4-6 hours by public bus). Public Bus fee is 22,000 IDR. A scheduled and shared 7 passenger minivan costs 60,000 IDR and can be arranged by most hotels in Medan (Feb 08). Raja Taxi +62 (0)617 366-555 operates a shared cab service leaving from Medan airport at scheduled times that costs 75,000 IDR per person (Dec 08). Alternatively, you can book the whole taxi, a Toyota Avanza which seats seven, for 450,000 IDR. Parapat is a nice little town with reasonable hotels/guest houses, good food options and so on. However its on the island itself that you get the real feeling of Danau Toba.

Local transportation around the lake takes the form of boats (cheaper, school boats with limited schedules and more expensive public boats that operate throughout the day). Public Boats from Parapat and surrounding areas sail from either Ajibata or Tigaraja to Tuktuk or Tomok at Samosir Island. The fee is 7,000 IDR per trip. There is also bigger ship which transports Cars and Busses sailing between Tigaraja and Tomok.

Kick back and relax after the frenetic atmosphere of Indonesia. Swim in the volcanically warmed waters of the lake or arrange an overnight 'party' boat out on the lake if you can get enough volunteers together. A beautiful place to do nothing at all. Plenty of second hand book shops to stock up on reading material. Traditional Batak Dance in Restaurant Bagus Bay every Wednesday and Saturday from 8.15PM onwards. After the dance, sit back and enjoy the folk songs done by a group of men.