Poised on an elevated plateau that meets with limestone cliffs sweeping down to the ocean, the view from the Alila Villas Uluwatu is nothing less than picture-perfect. Here contemporary Bali-inspired living design seamlessly integrates with personal journeys of cultural richness, continuing the Alila tradition of a total destination experience that is serene, sensual, and surprisingly different.

Re-discover the joy of pure relaxation in unparalleled comfort and space, with a personal butler to take care of your every whim. Indulge all your senses – in the culinary delights of the signature fine-dining and traditional warung-style restaurants, the spectacular clifftop pool and bar, or in the sanctuary of Spa Alila. Surrender yourself to the enchantment of Bali’s beauty and serenity in the luxury of flawless perfection.

Located on a clifftop plateau along the southern coastline of Bali on the Bukit Peninsula, Alila Villas Uluwatu is just 30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International airport and 15 minutes from Jimbaran Bay near the renowned Uluwatu Temple.

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Melbourne. On pilgrimages to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Indonesian Muslims are not only carrying out haj rituals, says a chief editor of a woman’s magazine.

They have also unintentionally become real life models of Indonesian Islamic fashion, she says.

Jetti R. Hadi, the editor in chief of NooR, a magazine specializing in Muslim fashion, said that during the haj a lot of people complemented Indonesians’ attire. “People would say, ‘Oh, you have such beautiful clothes’. The women always look attractive,” she said recently.

As the most-populous Muslim country, with a growing number of women opting to wear the jilbab or headscarves, Muslim fashion has emerged as a promising industry in Indonesia, with many designers focusing on clothes and accessories that adheres to Islamic principles of covering the skin and hair of women.

In the international fashion scene, Muslim wear and accessories in the coming years is projected to reach 20 percent of the total fashion industry, which was worth US$1.7 trillion in 2008, according to Jetti.

While none of the Muslim countries are capitalizing on this, those in the Indonesian fashion field are set to make Indonesia the “Mecca” of Muslim fashion, Jetti said.

The government, realizing the various designers of Muslim wear, who combine colorful Indonesian fabrics of batik and ikat with interesting cloth design — distinguishing itself from Middle Eastern countries style Muslim clothes of dark abayas, burqas, and niqabs — are currently joining forces with the industry to promote the country’s Islamic fashion.

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Property prices in some parts of Asia are skyrocketing; since the first quarter of 2009 China’s rose 68% and Hong Kong’s 31%. But some of the best real estate buys may be farther south.

Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia top the list of best places in the region to be a landlord, according to rental-yield data calculated by the Global Property Guide, a research house and website. In those places the cost of buying an apartment is relatively low compared with the money that can be earned by renting it out.

Jakarta boasts the best rental yield, 12.34%; Manila has 8.98% and in Kuala Lumpur a landlord can make back 8.76%. Rounding out the top five are Bangkok, Thailand, and Auckland, New Zealand.

“Not only will you make more money from the rent, but also the chance that the value of your property will appreciate is greater,” Montague-Pollock says. “The yields are an excellent signal of property markets in general.”

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The most eagerly anticipated event, Jakarta Great Sale (JGS), was once again smash the town. This extravagant shopping spree was underway on June 18th 2010 and set to run until July 18th 2010. If you happen to be in Jakarta this month, prepare your feet-ness to stop by over 33 malls which scattered throughout the town, includes Arion Plaza, Atrium Senen, Emporium Pluit, Mall of Indonesia, Senayan City, Blok M Mall, and Pluit Village. Jakarta Great Sale 2010 will be supported by 69 brands (national and international) at some 1,200 outlets with discount up to 80 percent.

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Indonesia’s national airline, Garuda Indonesia took deliveries of three Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft under a sale and leaseback agreement with MC Aviation Partners (MCAP), the aircraft leasing and trading arm of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Garuda Indonesia currently has in order a total of 50 boeing 737-800NGs from Boeing. To support its network expansion Garuda Indonesia will be receiving 24 aircrafts this year including 23 Boeing 737-800NG and one A330-200.

“The new aircraft will be used on domestic and regional routes and supports our five-year ‘Quantum Leap” expansion strategy. We plan to increase the number of domestic departures by double to 2,072 per week and international departures more than threefold to 1,222 a week by 2010,” said Emirsyah Satar, President & CEO Garuda Indonesia.

Garuda Indonesia also plans to almost double its current fleet  of 71 aircraft to 116 aircraft by 2014 based mainly on Boeing 737-800NGs and Airbus A330-200s/300s, which are operated on medium and long haul routes.
“We are pleased to announce this important transaction and to expand our relationship with garuda Indonesia, our valued customer”, said Tatsuo Sato, MCAP’s Group CEO

The new Boeing 737-00NGs feature Garuda Indonesia’s new signature interior, with individual touch-screen LCD TVs throughout Executive and Economy Classes with Video on Demand (VOD) entertainment systems offering 25 features films and 25 audio tracks.

The airline also has on order 10 Boeing 777-300 ERs which will be used on new ultra long-range flights starting 2011 as it expands its international network.

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1. ABOUT
The Sundanese are the second-largest ethnic group in Indonesia. There is a complex history behind their rich cultural traditions. This history can be traced back to the fifth century AD and the Tarumanagara dynasty, which established trade links extending as far as China. A succession of Sundanese kingdoms was followed by 350 years of Dutch colonization. During this time Sundanese lands became an important source of spices, coffee, quinine, rubber, and tea for export.

2. LOCATION
The Sundanese number more than thirty million people. The vast majority live on the island of Java. Java is a small island, but it is the administrative and economic center of the Indonesian archipelago (chain of islands). The larger Javanese ethnic group forms the majority in Java’s central and eastern provinces. The Sundanese constitute a majority in West Java. West Java spreads over an area of 16,670 square miles (43,177 square kilometers), about half the size of greater metropolitan Los Angeles, California. The northern coast is flat, and the southern coast is hilly. The central area is mountainous and is marked by some spectacular volcanoes.

3. LANGUAGE
Like other Indonesians, most Sundanese are bilingual. They speak both their native tongue, Sundanese, and the Indonesian national language. Generally, Sundanese is the language of choice among family members and friends, while in the public sphere, Indonesian is used. Both languages are part of the Austronesian language family.

Sundanese is extremely diverse, with various regional dialects. However, all are divided into different levels of formality depending on the social status of the person being addressed. Thus, the words one uses when talking to one’s father differ from those used when talking to a friend or to one’s younger sister. Most people use only two levels, or sometimes three. However, some older people make use of four.

Sundanese naming practices are extremely varied. Some people have only a single name, while others have a first name and a last name. Women do not legally change their names after marriage but are frequently called “Mrs. [name of husband].”

4  FOLKLORE
Myths and heroic stories are an extremely important part of Sundanese culture. Such stories are told through films, puppet shows, oral poetry, novels, and even comic books. Some are regional in character. They explain the history of a local kingdom, or the mythical origin of a lake or mountain. Others, like the Ramayana, are Hindu in origin.

One myth the Sundanese think of as distinctly their own is the legend of Nyi Loro Kidul, the Queen of the South Seas. As the story goes, in the fourteenth century there was a princess in the Pajajaran kingdom whose thirst for power was so great that her father placed a curse on her. The curse gave her more power than he himself had, but allowed her to wield it only over the South Seas. The princess was then reincarnated as the exquisitely beautiful Nyi Loro Kidul. Said to live off West Java’s south coast to this day, she is more powerful than all the spirits. She is said to have received nighttime visits from Javanese kings and Muslim saints in her palace beneath the waves. Men who swim or fish off the south coast are warned not to wear green, for those who do are often spirited away by Nyi Loro Kidul and never return.

5. RELIGION
The overwhelming majority of Sundanese are orthodox Muslim, although some are Catholic or Protestant. Many Muslims pray five times a day, travel to Mecca at some point in their life, and fast during the holy month of Ramadan. In towns and cities, there is a mosque in every neighborhood. Each day the calls to prayer are broadcast over loudspeakers for everyone to hear. There are still many non-Islamic elements in Sundanese ceremonies and rituals, particularly those surrounding the growing of rice. They probably come from the Hindu religion that preceded the spread of Islam, or from pre-Hindu Sundanese culture.

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Bromo has a natural charm that was remarkable, will never run out of our admiration by the beautiful natural scenery. Mount Bromo derived from Sanskrit, meaning god Brahma, or a major. This bromo mountain, a mountain that is still active and the object of a very popular tourist area of East Java. Bromo mountain has a height 2400 meters above sea level.

Savana meadow mountain nature very cool, we can see the dry grass and desert that is very broad. A very interesting and beautiful at sunrise we saw from the summit of Mount in Pananjakan, because the fog that shrouded the mountain bromo create beautiful and mystical scenery. To reach the mountain Pananjakan, we can rent a car there is lots of hardtop at the inn. Or if you want to enjoy the natural scenery and healthy you can pass the path to the road climbing. But it is recommended you hire a guide who is very accustomed to the roads and terrain in Bromo.

In addition Tenggerese also has appeal because of their remarkable is clinging to the customs and culture that guide his life. In 1990 the tribe numbered perch recorded 50 thousand who live on the slopes of Sumeru mountain and around the caldera. They are highly respected by people around because they are holding fast to their culture by living honestly and not envy. It is said that tribe are descendants RoroAnteng perch (daughter of the King of Majapahit) and Joko Seger (son of Brahmin). Local languange they use daily is an ancient Javanese language. They do not have a caste language, very different from the language commonly used Java because it has a language level.

Since the time of Majapahit, said the area they occupy is sacred, because they are considered servants – servants of the Majapahit kingdom. Until now, they still adhered to Hindu religion, the public once a year perch KASODO ceremony. The ceremony is located in a temple which is under the foot of Mount bromo. And after that proceed to the top of the mountain bromo. Ceremony performed at midnight until the early hours of the full moon each month according kasodo Javanese calendar.

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Google said on Thursday that Internet use in Indonesia was expanding at a fast pace and was the leading emerging economy in terms of growth.

“Users are growing very, very fast. Indonesia is about to explode,” Google Asia Business Development director Emmanuel Sauquet said of Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
“It has very diverse and very active online communities. It’s the right place for us to come now,” he said. “Compared to other emerging countries, Indonesia is the fastest growing country.”
Google is collaborating with a local wireless broadband Internet company Bakrie Connectivity, whose new modem will come with Google Chrome web browser as a standard feature.
Indonesia’s population of more than 230 million people and low market penetration have made the Indonesia attractive for Internet companies.
The country has about 40 million Internet users, while it is also ranked third with the most registered Facebook users, after the US and Britain, with more than 22 million users.
A study by Yahoo! in Southeast Asia found that Indonesia is the largest and fastest growing online market in Southeast Asia. It marked a growth of 48 percent in 2010 of online usage compared to 22 percent last year.
Yahoo! recently bought local social networking website Koprol.

>>source

World famous for its amazing places for diving and coral reefs full of marine life, Manado, and especially the nearby Bunaken Marine Park is a mecca for divers, with great potential also for snorkeling. Friends of activities in nature and native cultures are going to love in Manado.

The tropical city of Manado is located at the northern tip of Sulawesi Island in Indonesia, near the Philippines and surrounded by some of the most diverse coral reefs in the world. There are volcanoes, rivers and forests ideal for hiking and rafting in Manado. Manado is the largest city and a regional capital of North Sulawesi, as well as one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia.

Manado Attractions: Paradise diving and snorkeling to hiking and rafting. Manado is a tourist destination with nature and activity, and although the city itself has some interesting views and some colonial architecture, most visitors spend their time at the dive sites and bungalows on the beach at the nearby National Park Bunaken Marine. Manado is the cultural center of the population Minahasa Christian and Buddhist temple in Ban Hin Kiong, is the main attraction of the city. There are also some souvenir shops and malls in the city.

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Located in the small village of Candikuning not far from Danau Bratan is the Bali Botanical Gardens, its full name being Kebun Raya Eka Karya Bali. A short walk from the nearby Bukit Mungsu Markets, you really cannot miss the entrance as you will see a giant corn-on-the-cob statue marking the way.

Without a doubt this is one of the most stunningly beautiful attractions Bali has to offer visitors. The Botanical Gardens are located on the slopes of Gunung Pohon, or Tree Mountain giving it a surreal atmosphere. Although only a square kilometre in area I estimate you would need three days to explore this Botanist’s utopia. Originally built in 1959 the Bali Botanical Gardens has over 800 different species of trees from around the world. Also, there are over 400 species of Orchids to be found and many in full bloom.

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Visiting a temple, particularly one that is a having a ceremony, or a special dance performance, is one of the special aspects of visiting Bali. Balinese temple design is a fascinating subject in its own right. Everything from the layout, to the structures to the decoration has a specific function. Locally geography often determines the actually shape of a temple and no two temples are exactly the same. There are however certain key elements that you will find in most temples.

Just as a Balinese family compound will be built on the kaja-kelod axis, so too are Balinese temples. Larger temples have 3 courtyards, smaller ones just 2. The entrance to a Balinese temple at the kelod (pointing away from Gunung Agung) end of the compound, is often a simple gate.

Here are some of the interesting buildings you will find in a Balinese temple:

Outer Courtyard (jaba) structures:

Bale – An all purpose pavilion used for meetings.

Bale Gong – This is the gamelan pavilion where the orchestra plays and instruments are stored.

Kulkul – A bell tower with a split-log hanging in the center. Used to summon people.

Candi Bentar – Split gate which separate the outer courtyard (jaba) from the middle courtyard (jaba tengah).

Middle Courtyard (jaba tengah) structures:

Paon – kitchen located in a open-sided pavilion. Used for preparing offerings.

Wantilan – A large pavilion used for dance performances.

Kori Agung – Stone capped gate separating the middle courtyard (jaba tengah) from the inner courtyard (jeroan).

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Indonesia Visa Exemptions

Nationals of the following countries are entitled to stay in Indonesia, visa free, for a period of up to 30 days:

Brunei, Chile, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

Visa-free short visits will not be extended without approval from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights/Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia. Such approval will only be granted under circumstances of natural disaster, illness or accident.

Visa-free entry requirements

1. A passport valid for 6 months from the date of intended entry into Indonesia.
2. Onward travel or return tickets.
3. Schedule of any compulsory vaccinations.

Nationals requiring approval

Applicants for an Indonesian visa from the following countries, will need approval from the Immigration Office in Indonesia prior to travel:

Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bangladesh, Cameroon, Cuba, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iraq, Israel, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tanzania and Tonga.

Applicants from these countries should have a recent bank statement showing a minimum balance of 1,000.00 GBP. The decision as to whether access is granted, under these circumstances, can take up to six weeks. The referral must be obtained before an application for a visa is made. Upon submission of the visa application, if all documents are in order, the visa should be issued within six working days. It is strongly advised that travel tickets are not purchased unless you have a valis visa in your possession.

Overstaying your visa

In the event that you overstay a visa in Indonesia the current fine is 20 USD (13 GBP) per day, for up to 60 days. If you overstay by more than 60 days the punishment becomes a 5 year prison sentence or a fine of 25.000.000 IDR (approx: 1806.89 GBP / 2772.30 GBP).

Departure tax

Departure tax varies by airport. The most expensive are Bali and Jakarta where you must have 150,000 IDR (10.94 GBP / 16.59 USD) payable in local currency. For domestic flights there is a charge of up to 30,000 IDR (2.19 GBP / 3.32 USD). The charges are payable for every flight, so if you get a flight from Bali to Indonesia and take an international connection, then expect to pay 150,000 IDR + 30,000 IDR = 180,000 IDR.

Indonesia Visa on Arrival

For the great majority of people, obtaining a tourist visa for Indonesia is simply a case of turning up at the airport with 25 USD and your passport. If you happen to be a national of any of the following countries, then you can take advantage of the Visa on Arrival service at the immigration desk in Indonesia:

Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Canada, China, Cyprus, Czech, Denmark, Egypt, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Latvia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherland, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Panama, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Surinam, Sweden Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and USA.

Visa on Arrival will not be extended without approval from the Minister of Justice and Human Rights/Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia. Such approval will only be granted under circumstances of natural disaster, illness or accident.

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Here’s an outstanding JAIPONG cassette from the great AAN DARWATI, this one is pretty incredible, top-rate JAIPONGAN!!!

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In Indonesian the weather is tropical with high temperatures and very little fluctuation throughout the year except in terms of rainfall. The Christmas holiday and school holiday periods are popular with Australian visitors. The majority of European visitors tend to arrive in the months of July and August.

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Internationally famous fashion designer and frequent visitor to Bali, Donna Karan, and creator of the famous DKNY brand, has launched a furniture line in support of cultural preservation in Bali.

Karan’s philanthropic Urban Zen Foundation seeks to combine the best of commerce and philanthropy. In explaining the inspiration for the new furniture line, Karan says, “It is philanthropy and commerce basically with a cultural point of view. Our three main missions are health care, education and preservation of culture. I think that the Balinese model to me is the absolutely appropriate model to launch because that is what Urban Zen is all about. It is about creating a community of creativity that also produces product so that they don’t leave their culture.”

The furniture line was launched from Karan’s 711 Greenwich Street, New York store, located next door to her NYC Urban Zen retail location at 705 Greenwich Street. The shop is also the locale for Karan’s famous annual catwalk show held during New York’s Fashion Week.

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The numerous facets of Balinese culture are truly amazing and one of these is the Balinese temple; it could be a family temple at home or, a community temple in a village or town. Whatever the case may be, the many temples on the island of Bali are worth visiting even if it’s just for the experience. You might get lucky and there will be a temple celebration going on.

Starting with the plain outside gate, a person can pass into the middle courtyard via a candi bentar, the impressive Balinese split-gate. From there to the inner courtyard one has to pass through a kori agung, which is a stone-capped gate. Often there will be a flat block of cement (aling aling) directly inside the kori agung, blocking the way, forcing those entering to walk around either side. This is to keep evil spirits out of the jeroan, as spirits can only walk in straight lines.

Common features found inside a temple are bales, the open sided pavilions with raised seating section and thatched roof. These have a variety of uses including a place for the gamelan orchestra to sit, village meeting and a resting place for worshipers. Another common feature is gedong, or square shaped brick shrines capped with a thatched roof. These have specific names and are in honour of a particular ancestor, such as the village founder, or a specific deity, such as Sanghyang Widi Wasa; the supreme deity.

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Being an island surrounded by crystal-clear blue ocean, albeit polluted in some places, it is only natural that in Bali there are some spectacular sea views. These views might be from cliffs or along stretches of coastal road and even from jungle areas fronting onto the beach.

A majority of foreign tourists consider Kuta Beach with its picture postcard sunsets to be a fabulous sea view. This is might be [at times] but when you travel around the island you will find some truly beautiful hidden gems; whether it’s at sunset, sunrise or during the day.

Over the decades I have seen most of the coastline at different times of the day and will always be amazed at the beauty of the marriage of ocean and land. Take the time to stop along the coastline on your travels around Bali and soak in the beauty this island has to offer.

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Have you finally decided to spend your vacation in Indonesia ? Well rest assured it’s a very beautiful country with a lot of interesting sites for you to come and enjoy. But when talking about Indonesia, you should know a few tips that can make your holiday more enjoyable.

Things you should take a bit more seriously:

1. Avoid the night flight (arrive in Indonesia at night); better to arrive in Indonesia at daytime. Why? Simply because most Indonesian people don’t speak English, including most of the taxi drivers, of course because they are Indonesian. In Indonesia, English hasn’t become the second language yet. So unless you are have someone to pick you up, it’s advisable to arrange your arrival before 7.00 pm (local time) so you have many alternative transportations. Browse the internet to search local taxi company, the one that have website will serve you better.

2. Always prepare Indonesia’s Rupiahs; You need them, because you are in Indonesia and no one here use Dollar. The problem is how are you going to get them? Search the internet for bank in Indonesia, most of them have exchange rate calculator or even affiliated with international bank so you can use your account here.

3. Have Indonesian Cell Phone number; You better have an Indonesian’s cell phone numbers, it’s cheaper. Or you can ask your provider for International Roaming facilities in Indonesia.

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Kuda Lumping is the art of dance that is played with a horse property in the form of imitation, made from woven bamboo or braids. None of the historical record can explain the origin of this dance, only verbal history passed down from one generation to the next. Kuda Lumping dance is a form of appreciation and support of the commoners against cavalry of Prince Diponegoro in the face of Dutch colonizers.

There is also a version that mentioned that the Kuda Lumping dance depicting the struggle of Raden Patah, assisted by Sunan Kalijaga, against the Dutch colonialists. Another version says that, this dance tells the story of the Mataram army war game led the lane I, King of Mataram, to face the Dutch troops.

Regardless of their origin and historical value, Kuda Lumping dance illustrates the spirit of heroism and military aspects of a cavalry or cavalry. This is evident from the movements of a dynamic and aggressive, through the flick of woven bamboo, mimicking the movement like a horse in the middle of a war. Often in dance prformance also featured attractions that demonstrate the power of magical supernatural smells, such as the attraction to chew glass, slashed his arms with machetes, set fire to himself, walking on broken glass, and others. Perhaps, the attraction supernatural force that’s reflects the antiquity of the Kingdom of developing in Java environments and a non-military aspects that are used to fight the Dutch troops.

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History of Batik-making in Indonesia is closely related to the development and dissemination of the Majapahit empire of Islam in Java. In some records, Batik development is mostly done in times of Mataram Kingdom, then on the work of Solo and Yogyakarta. As for starting the spread of this batik art belongs to the people of Indonesia and Javanese in particular after the end of the century or the beginning of XVIII-XIX century.

Batik produced until the early twentieth century and Batik Tulis known after World War I depleted or around the year 1920. Many areas in the central Javanese batik are areas Batik students and then become a tool of economic income by figures Muslims trader against the Dutch economy.

Batik art is the art of drawing on the fabric for clothing that becomes one king’s family Indonesian culture. Batik was originally done only within the Kingdom and the results are limited to clothing and the king’s family and his followers. Because many of the followers of the king who lived outside the palace, the art of batik was brought by them out of the palace and was done in place of each. Then the art of batik was imitated by the people nearest and subsequently expanded into the work of women in the household to fill his spare time. Batik clothing that not only the royal family, but became a popular folk clothes either women or men. The white fabric used when it is the result of homespun.

Medium coloring materials used consist of plants native to Indonesia, among others, made their own from Noni Tree, Tinggi, Soga, Nila, and materials made from Soda Ash, as well as salts made from the Land of Mud.

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