Merry Christmas Happy New Year - Indonesia Tourism Newsparadiso.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/December.pdf · Area. JAKARTA - Tri Wibowo Hp. 081236044326. SURABAYA ... Merry Christmas

Paradiso December, 2016

Merry Christmas

AndHappy

New Year 2017

DIREKTUR Igo Kleden [email protected]

EDITOR

Tri Wibowo

[email protected]

MARKETING MANAGER

Dewi Antini

[email protected]

PHOTOCONTRIBUTOR Sonny Tumbelaka

TRANSLATOR

Indira Sari Paputungan

SALES & MistoMARKETING

REPORTER Komang Wahyuni, Wiss Kedang, Dona Trihapsari FINANCE & Yuni ArianiACCOUNTING

GRAPHIC DESIGN Yudick Ariant

DISTRIBUTOR Donny Sakura

CONTRIBUTOR Christovao Vinhas Cok Dewi Modestus Suharman

www.paradiso.co.id

www.paradiso.co.id PT. Travindo Jaya

Jl. Batas Dukuh Sari Gg Curik no. 11 Denpasar - Bali - Indonesia 80222

Phone : 0361 - 8474102 Fax: +62 361 8474102Hp. 081339385058 w up : 081338306900

email : [email protected]

Bank Account : 097001023164531Bank BRI Cab. Sesetan - Denpasar

Thanks To :

DISTRIBUTIONDOMESTIC: BALI - Kuta, Ngurah Rai Airport, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Denpasar and Ubud Area. JAKARTA - Tri Wibowo Hp. 081236044326. SURABAYA - Jl.Jend.Basuki Rah-mat 129-137, Surabaya 60271. YoGYAKARTA - Jl.Rumah Makan Gudeg 60 Citro, Laksda Adisucipto Km 9, Yogyakarta 55281, LoMBoK - Jl. Adi Sucipto No. 43, Am-penan - Lombok 83234 KUPANG - Jl. Walikota Kupang 13, LABUAN BAJo - Martin Meotoda, Ph. 081338151744

OvERSEAS: MALAYSIA - maxiINFo, 32-3-1, Jalan Medan Putra 4 Medan Putra Busi-ness Centre. Off Jalan Damansara, 52200 Kuala Lumpur. AUSTRALIA - 262 Wardel rd, Dulwich Hill-Sydney – NSW – 2203. Australia. THAILAND - 94/23 Wichitsongkram Rd. Kathu, Phuket 83120, WASHINGToN DC - 19233 - Wheatfield Terrace - Gaitthersburg, MD 20879. CANADA - 152, rue Notre-Dame est, 8 etage, Montreal, Qc, Canada H2Y 3p6. NETHERLAND - Vrijburglaan 72051 LA overveen +31 235253619. ITALY - Viale Regina Margherita 270 - 00198, Rome, FRANCE - Europasia Commercial Agency, 15, rue Vallete 75005, Paris. GERMANY - Hattersheimerstr, 19, Frankfurt 60326. CZECH REPUBLIC - Na Zamecke 6/409 140 000 Prague Czech Republic, CUBA - Hotel Se-villa, Trocadero y Zuleta y Prado, 55, La Habana, Ph./Fax. +53 07 8669767. SLoVE-NIA - Kompas D.D, Prazakova 4, 1514, Ljubyana, Slovenia. CZECH REPUBLIC - Mr. Miroslav Radakovic, Na Zamecke 6/409 140 000 Prague Czech Republic, Ph. +420 261219316 - 19, Fax. +261 219320. CUBA - Viaggi del mappamondo - Cuba, c/o Hotel Sevilla, Trocadero y Zuleta y Prado, 55, La Habana, Ph./Fax. +53 07 8669767. SLo-VENIA - Miss. Polona Pirnat, c/o Kompas D.D, Prazakova 4, 1514, Ljubyana, Slovenia.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2017

2016 will be passed and 2017 is coming. We hope that tourism in 2017 will grow more rapidly again along with the growing awareness of the importance of tourism in the country. Let’s together to develop the tourism for the our common prosperity.

Welcome on 2017, may God bless all our intentions. (*)

Igo Kleden www.paradiso.co.id

Destination News

6 | Paradiso November, 2016

7 | Paradiso December, 2016

Advertorial

Alaya Resort Ubud takes great pleasure to announce that it has been voted ‘Eco-Hotel/Resort of the

Year’ in the prestigious AsiaSpa Awards 2016. In winning this award, the resort has been acknowledged for its pursuit of excellence and for striving to raise the bar in the region’s thriving wellness industry.

AsiaSpa is a luxury lifestyle and travel publication dedicated to the pursuit of complete well-being. As the essential guide to pampering and wellness, it highlights the latest destinations, sanctuaries, spa treat-ments, yoga retreats and beauty trends.

The 12th annual AsiaSpa Awards took place on 16th November 2016 at WOOBAR in W Hong Kong, and this glamorous occasion was attended by repre-sentatives from some of the region’s most outstanding brands. The 2016 Awards honoured nominees, industry icons and

invited guests, for an evening themed ‘Eternal Beauty’.

A panel of 21 judges selected the best in the business across 24 categories. Awards were presented to spas, hotels and resorts and the exquisite trophies were provided by Baccarat. The AsiaSpa Awards is an annual event that sets a benchmark for spas and resorts in the region, as well as around the world. It recognizes innovation and quality within the spa industry and duly rewards those who aim for perfection.

DaLa Spa at Alaya Resort Ubud was also shortlisted in two categories as ‘Spa of the Year for the Southeast Asia and Pacific region’ as well as ‘Eco-Spa of the Year’. Although DaLa Spa was not fortunate enough to be chosen as overall winner, the privilege of being nominated alongside well-established spa venues within the region was an achievement in its own right.

“After being nominated in few categories for nine years, we are finally celebrating a win in the Eco-Hotel/Resort of the Year category. I would like to thank our entire team for their ongoing commitment. This is certainly an awesome accomplishment,” comments Jimmy Gunawan, CEO of Alaya Hotels & Resorts.(*)

Alaya Resort Ubud Celebrates Win as ‘Eco-Hotel/Resort of the Year’ in AsiaSpa Awards 2016

26 | Paradiso December, 2016Photo by dutawisata.co.id

Potato Head Family, the Indonesia-based hospitality group behind the Potato Head brand, has

recently launched two new concepts in Seminyak, Bali. Kaum Bali and Katamama hotel, launched in September 2016 and April 2016, both continue the group’s dedication to presenting the best of Indonesian arts and culture in a contemporary context.

A Dining Concept Inspired by Indone-sia’s Indigenous Tribes

The hospitality group reiterates its commitment to place Indonesia’s rich culinary heritage at the centre of the global gastronomic map with the recent launch of Kaum in Potato Head Beach Club in Bali. With a location already established in Hong Kong, Kaum – which means “clan” or “tribe” in Indonesian – pays tribute to the more than 600 ethnic groups that make up

Potato Head Group Continues to Showcase the Best of Indonesian Culture with Kaum Restaurant and Katamama Hotel

News


Indonesia. This new dining concept celebrates and presents a taste of Indonesia’s culinary origins, inspired by the Archipelago’s indig-enous tribes, to a wider global audience.

Kaum’s culinary collective has explored and continue their travels to the vast islands of Indonesia and work with remote tribal com-munities and independent local producers to bring first-rate produce and overlooked local ingredients to diners. While Kaum Hong Kong focuses on Indonesia’s traditional cooking techniques, Kaum Bali highlights the Archipelago’s first-rate produce and often overlooked ingredients.

A Boutique Hotel Made By ArtisansKaum follows in the footsteps of Kata-

mama, Potato Head Family’s first hotel made by artisans. Located just metres away from Potato Head Beach Club in Bali, every facet of Katamama has been handpicked or handmade to reflect Indonesia’s artistic and cultural heritage.

Katamama is designed by acclaimed Indonesian architect and longtime collabora-tor Andra Matin and with interiors created in collaboration between Potato Head Family’s in-house design team and Singapore-based firm Takenouchi Webb. Bespoke, uniquely Indonesia features - including more than 1.5 million hand-pressed bricks, teak, handmade tiles from Java and terrazzo made on site - can be found throughout Katamama along with more than 100 original works by contempo-rary Indonesian artists. For more information and bookings, please visit kaum.com and katamama.com. (*)

28 | Paradiso December, 2016Photo by indonesia.travel

Three Specially Designed Adult Coloring Sheets Are Now Available at Westin Hotels and Resorts across Asia

Pacific Till End February 2017 Westin Hotels & Resorts today an-

nounced the launch of three bespoke adult coloring sheets created by celebrated il-lustrator Johanna Basford, who spearheaded the worldwide adult-coloring phenomenon with the debut of her bestselling book, Secret Garden, in 2013. Available exclu-sively at close to 50 Westin hotels and resorts across Asia Pacific, the drawings are inspired by Westin Hotels and reinforce the brand’s Feel Well pillar, helping guests to relax and unwind on the road.

“I am very happy to collaborate with Westin and contribute to its holistic well-being experience, highlighting the unique and thoughtful touches that are part of the brand’s well-being pillars,” said Johanna Bas-ford. “Coloring is a therapeutic exercise that has been proven to promote mindfulness and relaxation, and I hope to make each guest’s stay in Westin hotels across Asia Pacific a little more inspirational and happy through this collaboration.”

As part of the second phase of the partnership since the kick-off in September 2016, the design narrative of the bespoke sheets centers on the theme of wellness

and the holistic nature of Westin’s signature programs. The first coloring sheet depicts a heart-shaped image, focusing on the importance of sleeping well. It features elegant sprigs of lavender along with cups of chamomile tea and bowls of berries and yogurt from the Westin Sleep Well menu – all to promote a good night’s sleep.

The second sheet reflects the Westin brand’s signature botanical style of lush ver-tical gardens with exotic flowers, leafy foliage and dancing butterflies. An array of fruits as well as glasses of fresh juice from Westin Fresh by the Juicery are embedded in the il-lustration, which speak to the Westin brand’s SuperFoodsRX™ ingredients and dishes for that extra boost needed on the road.

Inspired by the intrepid globetrotter, the third illustration offers a charming myriad of digital gadgets, maps and other travel essentials to convey the Westin approach of staying fit and invigorated on the road. Basford specifically included images of run-ning shoes from the Westin Gear Lending Program – where guests can borrow New Balance shoes and clothing for just USD$5 or a local equivalent so that they can pack light whilst at the same time maintain their fitness regime on their travels. Addition-ally, the sheet pays homage to travel as an adventure that transcends land and sea, with

airplanes and scuba diving fins comprising the core of the design.

“We’ve been getting positive responses since the September partnership announce-ment and are now even more excited to introduce these three bespoke designs by Johanna Basford, only available at Westin properties across Asia Pacific,” said Nelli Yong, Vice President, Brand Management, Marriott International Asia Pacific. “Westin in an industry innovator in terms of wellness, and we believe that thoughtful touches go a long way, allowing guests to feel better and be at their best. Coloring promotes mindfulness and is one way in which guests can relax, while offering an outlet for their creativity.”

Westin is dedicated to travelers’ well-being before, during and after their stay delivered through programs designed to help guests achieve well-being around six pillars: Eat Well, Sleep Well, Move Well, Play Well, Work Well and Feel Well. With close to 50 Westin hotels and resorts across Asia Pacific and more than 30 the pipeline, the Westin brand is gaining increasing mo-mentum and reinforcing its position as a leader in wellness and hospitality. For more information, log onto www.westin.com/wellness. For more on Johanna Basford, visit www.johannabasford.com. (*)

WESTIN HOTELS & RESORTS UNVEILS BESPOKE ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOHANNA BASFORD IN ASIA PACIFIC

News


Advertorial

First Boutique Hotel in GorontaloOpening Rate : IDR 550 ++

CENTRAL and ACCESSIBLE

The ideal strategic location in Jln Jendral Sudirman No. 65 City of Gorontalo the main artery North Sulawesi, close to many local restaurants, Blue Jazz, Shopping Center, a popular Food Court, which is in the central business district and major shopping centers “Mall Gorontalo”, make Millinov Boutique Hotel a prime spot for travelers business, organize conferences and

travelers looking for convenience and want to be the center of attention of guests.

UNMATCHED and BEST IN CLASS

Millinov Boutique Hotel is the hotel to the city – it is a modern, stylish 3-star and the conference with 28 rooms with three suites type room and some functional meeting rooms and various

facilities including Blue Jazz, Water Park, Garden variety Blue Jazz is well equipped.


DELICIOUS and DELIGHTFUL

The hotel’s main restaurant “BLUE JAZZ” is one of the most popular places for hotel guests, delegates and local meetings, residents west and offers a menu of local dishes and imports attractive. Service conferences and busi-ness meetings are Millinov Boutique expertise and calls with the creation menu, buffet arrangements and professional service that has won numer-

ous awards in North Sulawesi.

GRACIOUS and FRIENDLY

With unrivaled amenities and the highest standards of care in and around Gorontalo, Millinov Boutique Hotel provides an elegant and comfortable atmosphere – ideal for conferences, social functions and business trips. This delightful hotel is the city’s main address and main business center,

only Millinov Boutique 3 Star Hotel.

Room Facilities :Coffee & TeaMineral Water

TV 32 incAir Conditioner

Hot & Cold WaterDouble Bed

Free WifiAmenities

Hand Towel & Bed Towel

Advertorial


Newly-established Hotel Develop-ment & Management Company, SereS Hotels & Resorts, is unveiling

its flagship hotel under the SenS Hotels & Resorts brand, the SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre, Bali, Indonesia.

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference Ubud Town Centre will be the only hotel, situated in the city center of Ubud, which provides a ballroom that is divisible into two sections with capacity of up to 300 peoples, a pre-funtion foyer and board room with a capac-ity of up to 16 peoples. Flexible modular function spaces are beautifully designed with a blend of fresh and harmonious colors, providing an utmost

SenS Hotel & Spa Ubud will be a wel-come haven in the heart of Bali’s historical, cultural and artistic capital. Whether travel-ling for business, leisure or a little of both, guests will find the perfect combination of

SenS Hotel & Spa + Conference, Ubud Town Centre, Bali, Indonesia

Advertorial


pampered guest comfort, indulgence, con-venience, and easy access all within stroll-ing distance to the Sacred Monkey Forest, Ubud Royal Palace, museums, cultural attractions, welcoming venue with comfort and elegance for conference, meeting, seminars, social functions and events.

A refreshing experience is ready to be discovered at this stylish smoke-free bou-tique hotel, with 91 rooms and 6 premium rooms over-looking a landscaped court-yard and swimming-pool with a garden patio for alfresco dining. All rooms feature SenS’ ultra-comfortable signature bed, functional and thoughtful amenities, and innovative design touches and features to maximize work and play. Even relaxation and more! WiFi is complimentary through-out the entire hotel premises.

All-day dining is available at the Yonne Café & Bar, featuring diverse cuisines, selections of wine and beverages from around the world, with an emphasis on

Balinese, Southeast Asian and Chinese favourites. For relaxation and staying in shape, massage therapy and reflexology treatments at the SenS Spa & Fitness Centre are fully at the disposal of hotel guests. SereS Hotels & Resorts’ green policy incorporating measures in sustain-ability, energy conservation, re-cycling and waste management are evident throughout its design and operating processes.

The next boutique flagship SereS Springs Resort & Spa + Conference will be located in the village of Singakerta, just south of Ubud, about 7 minutes by car, with a full frontage along the River Wos, and provding impeccable and panoramic views of rice padi fields to the east. This destination resort with a natural spring water pond on property is ensconced in a soothing, tran-quil and serene setting in an easterly-facing orientation. Sunrise before dawn will be a sight to behold and most suitable for meditation and re-invigoration! The resort

will comprise 44 superior rooms, 16 suites, and 20 villas with individual dipping pool. Amenities will include two large swimming-pools; two restaurants & two bars; a grand ballroom with pre-function foyer for up to 350 guests, a junior ballroom for 150, and two function rooms; business centre; fit-ness centre; Kids’ Club; and video lounge. The SereS Spa Sanctuary with 6 treatment rooms, a yoga pavilion and the designer wedding chapel all will overlook the padi fields and River Wos. Construction begins in 2015. Upon completion by mid-2017, the SenS Hotel & Spa Ubud and SereS Springs Resort & Spa under their corporate mantra shall realize a hospitality promise to deliver to our guests, “One Destination, Two Resort Location Choices”.

Stay Smart, Stay Sensible, Stay SenS for each and every stay !

Advertorial


Habitat Café has been born, adding one more distinctive colour into Bali’s food scene. Serving Pan-Asian cuisine with a range of

dishes inspired bySoutheast Asian flavours , the new iconic dining destination is open for breakfast and lunch. The menu also caters those who prefer healthy food and drinks.

Nestled precisely on the opposite of Ubud’s spa-ciouscentral parking and only a few steps away from the famed Monkey Forest’s main gate, Habitat is easy to reach, whether you come with a car, motorbike or walking. The place is synergicallydesigned and built by Hatiku Indonesia and Bisama Wood Production to offer a relaxing modern tropical dining experience with terracotta, wood and bamboo elements. The concept illustrates Ubud’s local wisdom as one of world’s most popular cultural centres, with a touch of tropical modernism.

HABITAT FROM LOCALS WITH LOVE

Advertorial


The name Habitat was chosen to celebrate Ubud as a vibrant melting point of humans, the nature and the spirituality, which perfectly portrays in the area where the café is located.

Run by three young Indonesian en-trepeuneurs led by Ben Karmadi, Habitat values community efforts and considers every supporting aspect as an equally important element in nurturing the estab-lishment. Habitat works together with local farmers and suppliers on a daily basis. Not only to develop high quality fresh dishes and drinks, but also to aim a bigger goal; to promote sustainable business model to support localcommunities.

The fruits and vegetables come from the farmers in Bedugul a highland area on the north of Bali, while our coffee is taken care by Ubud based Seniman Coffee &Studio which continously does their researches on Arabica coffee beans from all over Indonesia.

Cening Coffee, Bali Highland Organic, Happy Kombucha are some of Bali based suppliers the company partnering with. Taking the commitment further, Habitat also tries to bring more small local busi-nesses on board, such as an Indonesian traditional herb drinks “Jamu” workshop down in Denpasar.

Advertorial


East Manggarai

“Golo Lijun offers bright future. It offers beautiful panorama of savannah, river

and hills. It is located in the north of East Manggarai and close to Ngada Regency.

Golo Lijun is situated between two shaded bays, Nanga Lok in the west

and Labuan Kelambu in the east. In addi-tion to its stunning beach panorama,

Golo Lijun also offers environmentally-friendly cottage with sufficient facilities.Being in Golo Lijun takes us closer to

nature and befriend with it.”

Roland Therelle and Olivier Fargeix never imagine before that someday they are going to live in the village of

Golo Lijun. It is far from their dream that someday they will spend half of their life in a quiet and isolated village, leaving the hustle and bustle of city and modern life in their homeland France behind.

Life might change its direction unexpect-

edly and it happened when they visited Indonesian and traveled to Flores as back-packers on a motorbike in 2008. They fell in love at first sight when riding motorbike along north coastal area of Flores to Mau-mere up to Labuan Bajo. Golo Lijun was the place that they were heading to. They decided to stay, mingle with local people, build a cottage, teach farming to local people and become part of the develop-ment of life there.

Two adventurers from France have been living in Buntal, Golo Lijun village, Elar district of East Manggarai Regency for a long time. They live modestly with the local people. They learn how to live modestly in accordance to nature’s condition and local people. In the beginning, they did not receive positive response from the local people. However, as time goes by, the suspicion disappears. They welcome the presence of two foreign citizens enthusias-

tically. It is because they bring positive val-ues by teaching people about agriculture in accordance to weather and climate there, building harmonious life with the nature, giving example on how to maintain and protect environment and ecosystem and supporting the local development. They cultivate the farmland and provide accom-modation for tourists visiting the village.

Why 4 Pohon is environ-mentally-friendly?

Pondok 4 Pohon has a number of crite-ria, which make this place into ecotourism destination or environmentally-friendly. First, the place is very remote, located in unspoiled natural surroundings, and are well preserved. In any directions that you are headed to, you will find green fields, and the place is located on the bank of the

Les For Arbres, Ecotourism Cottage in Golo Lijun


East Manggarai

river. Secondly, Pondok 4 Phon is built of wood, with a dominance of local materials and only some are from the outside. Solar power is used for power and lighting as well as pumping water from the river and then piped to the cottage. In addition, 4 Pohon also uses UV carbon filters to clean the wa-ter. 4 Pohon also has a high vantage tower for a panoramic view of nature from above.

The name of the cottage is taken from French, Les for Arbres. The name is in-spired from four big turmeric trees located in the gate of the cottage. The branches of the trees are used as resting place. The yard and garden around the cottage look clean and well arranged. Grass is cut neatly and regularly watered so that it always looks green and fresh. There is organic fruit and vegetables garden behind the cottage, which makes it more obvious that the cot-tage is really environmentally friendly.

Clean water is not a problem here and

electrical facilities which use solar power system light up the place at night. Cultural symbols are put in every corner of the room. It is not merely to attract tourists’ attention, but also to show respect to local civilization. There is learning aspect here, namely how precious the cultural heritage owned by the local community.

The cost of staying in the cottage is IDR 250,000 – 300,000 per night during high season. There are not many guests staying in the cottage at the moment. It is because the access road to 4 Pohon still needs lots of improvement. Hot Mix road can be found 3 kilometers to the north of 4 Pohon. This is admitted by the owner of the cottage Rolland Thorelle. “This busi-ness actually does not earn much profit. Guests have difficulty to reach the cottage considering the terrible access road and the unavailability of telephone network,” said Rolland.

Excellent Potentials and A Bright Future

Along the coast from Pota to Buntal, we are presented with stunning beach panorama, Watu Pajung Beach, Bukit Cinta (the hill of love) in Nanga Lok Bay, and Buntal. Those beaches have sparkling white sand, unique corals and shaded sea. Along the way from Buntal to Golo Lijun, we will be spoiled with not only marine tourism, but also natural tourism.

Long time ago, Buntal was only a stretch of abandoned savannah and bushes, which was planned to become rice field because the land is fertile and there is sufficient water supply from the river. In its develop-ment, Buntal was made into destination for local transmigration. Since then, Buntal started to make improvement. Government supports the process by providing support-ing facilities such as housing, educational facilities, clean water, irrigation and road.

Since East Manggarai gained its autonomy, Buntal, Golo Lijun and their sur-rounding areas become one of the targets for agricultural development. Government expands agricultural field, open new field, build big irrigation and sufficient irrigation ditches. Soon, everything will start operat-ing and Buntal will become one of the rice contributors in East Manggarai. Therefore, this region promises a bright future.

East Manggarai


The distance between Borong in the southern coast and Pota in the northern coast

of East Manggarai is quite far. Our body might be aching after a long trip from Borong passing through Lengko Ajang. However, tiredness and sleepiness will suddenly disappear once we arrive in Lake Rana Kulan. The lake is surrounded by verdant forest with fresh and cool air. This is our first impression when we visited Lake Rana Kulan which is located on the roadside to Pota, Sambi Rampas district.

Lake Rana Kulan which is

situated on the roadside becomes favorite pit stop for people passing the road from Lengko Ajang to Pota and vise versa. The lake has been long known for its beauty, crystal clear water and tranquil-ity as it is located far from people settlement.

Lake Rana Kulan is located in the village of Rana Kulan of Elar district. It covers an area of around 5km2 with a depth around 30 meters. In the west of Lake Rana Kulan, there are coffee plantation, cacao and other plantation which belong to the local villagers. Visitors

can clearly see ducks and egrets swimming and looking for food in the lake. The lake is located about 85 kilometers from Borong and 30 kilometers from Pota.

Jhon Aurey, a local villager that we met at the location said that the beauty of Lake Rana Kulan has been known worldwide. The lake has been visited by many domestic and international tourists. Accord-ing to Jhon , the biota that can be found in this lake include fresh-water fish, shrimp and eel. Most people visit the lake for fishing and enjoying the beautiful panorama.

LAKE RANA KULANFavorite Place for Relaxing and Unwinding

East Manggarai


The people of Manggarai have amazing traditional weaving technique. Using this technique, they can create

traditional sarong called Songke as well as a scarf. This work of art has been inherited from one generation to another. Songke is worn by both Manggarai men and women in their daily life either for formal or informal occasions.

Songke is rich in values and symbols. Black is used as the base color to symbol-ize the greatness of Manggarai people and submission that all in the end will go back to God Almighty. Flowery motif has some meanings. Wela Kaweng (flower of Kaweng tree) motif symbolizes interdependency or mutual relation between human and his surrounding nature. Spider motif (Rang-gong) symbolizes honesty, tenacity and hard work which are the characteristics of Manggarai people. Manggarai people are known as diligent and downright worker. Spider is also the symbol of the spirit of unity and harmony of Manggarai people.

The motif of boundary lines (su’i) means the end of everything or everything has

its limit. Animal motif (Ntala) is related to hopes and dreams which are often whispered in prayer (tudak) by Manggarai people “porong langka shaeng ntala” (al-ways grow high up to the star). The prayer is intended to wish for people to stay healthy and grow into someone who has high position and strong influence in the society just like the starts in the sky.

Rhombus motif symbolizes prosperity and prudence of the life of Manggarai peo-ple. The motif of Runus flower (welarunus) is the symbol of humility and sincerity. It illustrates that Manggarai people are like a little flower which provides beauty in life.

The motif of Jok has the shape of a cone on the upper end and lower end of the Songke. It resembles the traditional house of Manggarai, which symbolizes the unity and harmony of Manggarai people with God, nature and other human beings.

Nowadays, Songke is not only worn as sarong or scarf. It has been developed into modern art work, which is dynamic and attractive to suit the need of mode. A num-ber of high-value products such as dress,

suit, bag, tie and wallet are also made from Songke. Songke can easily be found in any souvenir shops and house of mode.

The Art of Weaving Hopes and Joy of Manggarai People

WEAVING SONGKE


East Manggarai

Caci is a game of dexterity among Manggarai men. In this game, the players alternately whip and fend

off the opponent’s lashes. Caci game is combined with the art of dance and music. The dance looks so heroic and beautiful because it is a combination of the beauty of the gestures, and the uniqueness of the clothing worn, and agility in whipping or fending off the lashing of the opponents.

Caci’s players are equipped with vocal skill for singing for they have to sing spon-taneously after fending off the lashes of other players and then deliver Paci. Paci is an expression containing a pseudonym or alias of the oppononent that contains the phrase about him, his whereabouts, char-acteristics and a figure that he dreams of. The purpose of Paci is to motivate or grow the spirit of the players and to persuade the opponent.

The costumes worn by the players of Caci are very attractive and symbol-ize uniqueness and cultural character possessed by the Manggarai people like: “Panggal” (a head scarf) with the shape of buffalo horn and one of the symbols which is placed on the roof of Manggarai tradi-tional house , symbolizing “Rang” (author-ity, charisma and strength) of Manggarai people. “Ndeki” (shape of ponytail) made of rattan twisted with horsetail is placed on the waist, symbolizing masculinity and strength, charm and allure of Manggarai men.

Meanwhile the sarong of Songke tied at knee length. It symbolizes modesty and subservience of Manggarai people. White trousers symbolize innocence, generosity and sincerity. Tubi Rapa which is worn as beads tied together under the chin and it symbolizes the greatness and majesty of Manggarai men. Nggorong (clattering) is

hung at the back waist and symbolizes the charm and allure. Leros shawl is wrapped around the waist and let it hang loose on the front side of the sarong to symbolize honor.

The equipment for Caci consists of Larik (whip) which is made from buffalo skin with plaited rattan on the tip, Nggiling (shield) which is made from buffalo skin to fend off the opponent’s attack and Agang (arch) which is made from rattan or bamboo and used to fend of opponent’s attack.

Symbol and Meaning of Caci

Caci consists of two syllables, namely Ca (one) and Ci (test or trial). Thus, Caci means a test or a trial. The test here is meant to test the characteristics and sportsmanship among the Manggarai men. No matter how painful the wound caused by the whip in Caci game, there should not be any resentment among the players. Blood and sweat poured during the game are believed to provide fertility and bring abundant harvest. Long time ago, when there was a dispute between villages and reconciliation could not be reached, and then Caci was done to resolve the dispute.

Through this game, the dispute was resolved.

Caci is done by two groups from two dif-ferent villages. It can also be done by Anak Rona (family of the bride) and Anak Wina (family of the groom). The guest group is called Meka Ladang and the host is called Mori Beo. During the game, other par-ticipants, both guests and host are doing Danding (standing in a circle and singing Manggarai song). The singing is accom-panied by Sae dance performed by a man and a woman in the center of the circle. A group of women sit in group and play gong and drum to enliven the game.

The target of the whipping in Caci game is upper body from stomach to the head. Hitting the part under the stomach is considered to be a violation. When the whip hits the face, it is called Beke. The player who gets Beke is lost and should be out of the arena and return to his house or village. Caci is performed during Penti (celebration after harvest), Pesso Beo (vil-lage celebration), welcoming new married couple, welcoming important guests and other celebrations such as birthday and Independence Day.

Are you interested in watching Caci game? Let’s go to East Manggarai! . ***

THE GAME OF

CACI“Sportsmanship and Heroism of

Manggarai Men”


East Manggarai

“Cepi Watu Beach has white sand and layers of stones. The stones, at

certain time, cannot be seen because they are covered by white sand. The

uniqueness of the beach has attracted many visitors to reveal the mystery. “

Situated in the southern tip of Borong city, the capital of East Manggarai Regency Cepi Watu Beach offers

stunning natural panorama. It is not known yet when and how the name was given, but it probably means a beach with many stones. Is it true? The fact is that in the western part of Cepi Watu Beach as long as around one kilometer, there are layer of

big stones. However, in the eastern part as long as 3 kilometers, there is a stretch of white sand along the beach. At certain time, the stones cannot be seen for it is covered by white sand. There is a cycle of white sand and stones, which is affected by the changing of season. This is the uniqueness that attracts many people to visit Cepi Watu Beach.

The natural beauty of Cepi Watu Beach has always successfully attracted people to visit and no wonder that every visit always leaves deep impression. Not only the na-ture’s charms, but also the activities of the fishermen can become interesting thing to see and enjoy. The sun sets behind Mules Island adding more beauty to the beach. Not far from Cepi Watu Beach, water flows from two rivers, Wae Reca and Wae Bobo.

There are several activities that we can do on Cepi Watu Beach. In addition to swimming, we can also walk along the beach up to the estuary of the two rivers. If you are too lazy to walk, then sitting under the trees that grow along the beach can be chosen as an alternative. Cepi Watu Beach provides different nuance for different visitors.

Cepi Watu Beach has gained popularity among the local people for quite a long time. However, it has just got serious

attention since East Manggarai gains its autonomy. Efforts to develop the area are carried out continuously. Now, there are parking area, a stage for art and cultural performance, operational office, public toilet, children playground and restau-rant. There are also cafes, karaoke and recreational places, which are open in the evening.

It is not difficult to reach Cepi Watu Beach. It is only 10 minutes away by motorbike or car. Food and drink sellers can easily be found around the beach. It would be perfect to enjoy the beauty of the beach while drinking fresh young coconut juice cold drink or fruit juice. Seeking for delicious lunch? Fresh fish can be bought at Borong market. Don’t think twice. Just pack your luggage and explore the beauty and uniqueness of Cepi Watu Beach.

ENJOYING THE EXOTICISM

OF CEPI WATU BEACH


East Manggarai

“Beauty and serenity offered by Laing Lewe Beach provides freedom to every visitor to enjoy

full-of-expression holiday without being interrupted by the activities of other visitors.”

East Manggarai Regency is a new prima donna in tourism industry in Indonesia. Its unspoiled natural beauty is the biggest attraction for the visitors. Blue sky, white sandy beach and crystal clear water that every tourist dreamt of can all be found here. Laing Lewe Beach is truly a dream beach with its quiet surrounding; sparkling white sand and crystal clear water.

Although it has stunning natural pan-

orama, Laing Lewe Beach is far from the hustle and bustle of mass tourism like other popular beaches. Therefore, spending holiday on the beach seems to be having a private beach. You are free to express yourself and explore the beach.

Its location, which is far from residential area, has become an advantage. It makes Laing Lewe Beach free from trash problem and the crowd of people’s daily activities. The main road is quite far from the beach, around 3 kilometers away and bounded by forest area. Thus, visitors should go through a quite steep path to reach the beach. The easiest way to reach the beach is through sea route by motorboat. Dampek is a fishing village as well as the closest village to Laing Lewe Beach, which is located in the west of the beach.

Going by a motorboat can be very interesting because in addition to the interaction with the fishermen who know a lot about the underwater beauty and vari-ous ecosystems there, visitors also get a chance to directly see the natural pan-orama along the trip such as Cape Kurbaja which has wide range of decorative fish and coral reef. There is also an old village located in Ninge Bay, which has already sunk due to tsunami disaster. During Sail Indonesia, Ninge Bay is often visited by

participants of the event for diving and snorkeling.

It takes around 30 minutes to reach Laing Lewe Beach from Dampek village. Along the way there, we can see solid cliff which protects the beach from strong current especially during west monsoon season.

Laing Lewe Beach is located in the northern part of East Manggarai Regency, in Lamba Leda district. It is about 85 kilometer from Boron, the capital of East Manggarai Regency. It takes 3 hours to reach Dampek village and another 30 minutes to reach the beach by motorboat from Dampek village. It costs around Rp 300,000 for a return trip from Dampek.

If holiday without disturbance from other tourists is your preference, then Laing Lewe Beach is a perfect choice for you.

AING EWEL

BEACH

For those who have traveled to Flores through the road from Labuan Bajo to Ende or vice versa, you must have

passed the verdant forest area of Poco Ranaka and Mandosawu. They are part of the conservation forest of Ruteng Natural Tourism Park, which covers forest area in two regencies namely Manggarai and East Manggarai as wide as 32,248ha. Hidden behind the trees and mist that always sur-rounds the forest especially in the evening, a vast and exotic lake that will amaze every-one who sees it.

It is Lake Rana Mese which means big lake in local language. In Manggarai lan-guage, Rana means lake and Mese means big or vast. The lake covers an area of 5ha. It is surrounded by forest area and steep walls as deep as 5 to 100 meters from the sea surface so that it looks like huge crater of volcano. Probably, thousands or millions of years ago, there was volcano eruption which created the lake crater. It is considering that Mount Ranaka and Nampar Nos which are located in this forest area had erupted in 1987 and still active until now. Although the walls around the lake are quite steep, they can still be used as tracking route so that visitors can walk around and enjoy the beauty of the lake.

Lake Rana Mese is one of the life-sup-ports for thousands of people living around the lake. It is also the source of water for drinking and irrigation for thousands of hectares of rice field found in the surround-ing areas. Furthermore, it is also the habitat

for various ecosystems such as fish, eel, shrimp and crab.

Lake Rana Mese has lush tropical forest that surrounds the lake, which makes the surrounding air cool and fresh. Not only diversity of tropical flora, the lake also offers diversity of underwater biota like freshwater fish Karper (Cyprinus Carpio), Mujair (Oreo-chromis Mossambicus), eel and shrimp. Forest area around the lake becomes habitat for several species of big mammal such as monkey (Macaca Fascicularis), porcupine (Hystrix Javanica), boar (Suscrofa Vitatus ) and civet (Paradixurus Hermaproditus ) and a number of migrant birds like belibis (Anas Querquedula) and Pecuk (Phalacrocorax Malanoleucos) as well as endemic mammals like giant mouse (Papagomys Armandril-larei), Poco Ranaka Rat (Rattus Haenaldi), Flores Bat (Chypnoterus Nusa Tenggara) and Flores owl (Otus Alfredi).

TERRITORY WAR AMONG FAIRIES

People live around Lake Rana Mese have another name for it, Molas Poco, which means the forest girl. It refers to the beauty of the lake. It is also euphemism for beautiful fairies that are believed to reside in the lake. In accordance to legend, long time ago the fairies in Lake Rana Mese were friend with humans. They asked for help from humans to fight against other fairies that lived in Lake Rana Hembok, which is located in the east

of Lake Rana Mese. They fought to expand the territory. Lake Rana Hembok used to be wider than Lake Rana Mese.

The weapons used by fairies from Rana Hembok in the war were shrimp and eel which served as knife and spear. Therefore, it was very easy for humans to defeat the fairies since those animals were just deli-cious side dishes for humans. After being defeated, Lake Rana Hembok turned into small lake and Lake Rana Mese became wide lake just like now. The truth of this leg-end is still a mystery, but Lake Rana Mese is indeed beautiful just like beautiful fairies hid-ing behind green trees and thin mist, which is always hanging on the surface of water.

Lake Rana Mese and forest in its sur-rounding area is exciting tourist spot. It is one of main tourist destinations in East Manggarai, which offers stunning natural panorama that should not be missed. Sitting at the lake bank and fishing freshwater fish are activities commonly done by tourists visiting the lake.

Since it is situated in forest area, the air in Lake Rana Mese is quite cold, which can reach 15°C especially in the evening and at night. Many visitors are amazed by the diversity of flora and fauna found in forest area around the lake. To enjoy this beauti-ful scenery, all you need to do is walking around the lake. You will be presented with the beauty of rare forest orchid and migrant birds. If you are not into walking, sailing around the lake on small boat will be inter-esting activity to choose.

So, if you are interested to visit Flores, East Manggarai Regency in particular, don’t forget to drop by Lake Rana Mese and enjoy the beautiful natural panorama there.

LAKE RANA MESE“The Charm of Beautiful Fairy behind a Dense Forest”


East Manggarai


Manggarai

Wae Rebo is one of Indonesia’s precious destinations in the formn of an old Manggaraian

village. It situated in pleasant, isolated mountain scenery in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara. The village offers visitors a unique opportunity to see the authentic Manggarai housing and to experience the everyday life of the local community. In Wae Rebo village, the visitors can see “Mbaru niang”, a traditional, circular cone-shaped houses with very unique architecture. Nowadays, it is still a place to hold meetings, rituals and Sunday-morning prayers together.

Wae Rebo can only be reached by way of a three-hour hike, or depends to your situation, from the lowlands. The hike is definitely worth the effort, where we reach the village we can find the dense rain forest along the narrow path to Wae Rebo, which is one of a stunning biological

diversity. This village is host some interest-ing vegetations, including orchids, palms, and different ferns, and also the impres-sive population of singing birds. The village has been supported to become the major culture tourism attraction in West Flores.

For increasing the beauty of the village, Indonesian government together with pri-vate organization and local community has renovated four of their “Mbaru Niang” or the ‘drum houses’. This house is a commu-nal building, it gathering eight families who are descended from a common ancestor under its huge roof. Its structure symbol-izes the unity of the clan, with the sacred drums considered the clan’s medium to communicate with the ancestors. The massive roof id made out of palm fiber, and it is supported by a central wooden pole. Furthermore, the ceremonial house, which has different in size from the other

buildings, is the place where the sacred heirloom drums and gongs are stored, and where different ceremonies and rituals are held.

After the authentic ‘Mbaru Niang’ or the traditional Manggaraian house, the thing to see in Wae Rebo is witnessing the daily life of the inhabitants. Most of the people work in their gardens from early morning until dawn, and get busy with harvesting coffee and processing the beans. Even though weaving is not a major activity in Wae Rebo, you may encounter some women weaving traditional songket cloth. The visitors are welcome to spend the night in the ‘Mbaru niang’, to socialize and dine with the Wae Rebo community. You will sleep on a ‘tikar’, a woven mat made out of pandanus leaf, and get a taste of how life used to be when the extended families still lived their lives under one roof.

Wae ReboThe Traditional Manggaraian Village, Flores


Manggarai

How to get thereThere are several options to reach Wae Rebo:

Car or motorbike from Ruteng:Start the 2.5 – 3 hour drive by heading

south towards Golo Lusang. After having passed Pong Nggeok village, you will cross Wae Mese bridge. Go ahead to Narang vil-lage, followed by Nanga Ramut village, and you will end up in Dintor. From this small fishing village you can see the beautiful Mules Island. The road to the north brings

you to Kombo – Wae Rebo’s twin village – and finally to Denge village, which is the starting point for the hike to Wae Rebo.

Truck (oto kayu) from Ruteng:From the Mena Bus Terminal, the truck

route will take you across the villages of Cancar, Pela, Todo, and Dintor before you finally reach Denge Village.

The oto kayu usually departs from the terminal in the afternoon. The trip takes about 3 – 3 1/2 hours. If you want to go back from Denge to Ruteng, you will have to wake up early as the bis kayu departs from Denge at 5.30am.

Boat:The boat trip is a good option if you start

the trip from Labuan Bajo. Head south to the coastal village of Nangalili. Once there, you have to rent a boat (about Rp 400,000) to take you to Dintor. As there is no regular boat schedule, it is highly rec-ommended to charter the boat in advance (contact Pak Irwan, +62 812366 89171). The boat trip takes about two hours and leads you across to Mules Island. After hav-ing arrived in Dintor, continue your trip to Denge by ojek (about Rp 10,000) for about 20 minutes.

HikingIn Denge, start the hike by taking the

path between a local homestay and village SDK (elementary school). The hike will lead you across three rest spots. The first one is at Wae Lomba River, which is less than an hour from Denge. After another hour of trekking, you will find the second one, Pocoroko. This is an important place for villagers (and visitors) who want to make phone calls and send text messages from their mobile phones, as there is no mobile signal in Wae Rebo. From Pocoroko you will reach the third post, Nampe Bakok, which takes about 40 minutes. From here, enjoy the beautiful hill scenery before you reach Wae Rebo. ***


East Manggarai

What comes to your mind when we are talking about a lake? It could be crystal clear and calm water

with forest area and trees that surround it. You might also consider enjoying

time by fishing on the lake. You might imagine a place with cool air and rows of pine trees surrounding the lake.

It is a picture of a lake, isn’t it? Let’s forget about the common description of a lake that I wrote above. I am going to write about a unique lake, which might be out of your expectation. I am taking you out from

the common concept of a lake. The surface of the lake is fully covered by lotus so that the water area is almost invisible.

The lake is known as Lake of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). The plant has its roots firmly in the mud and sends out long stems to which their leaves are attached. The leaves are sometimes, and flowers always, rose above the water surface. Lotus Lake is known as Lake Rana Tonjong among local people. It is located in Pota district of Sambi Rampas regency. The lake is situated on lowland which is surrounded by hills

and rice fields. It covers an area of 3.52 ha. Lotus grows throughout the year and blos-soms from April until May. People believe that Rana Tonjong is one of the biggest Lotus Lakes in the world.

Historical Background

There is not any certain information regard-ing the origin or how lotus can grow in Rana Tonjong. Based on information from local people, the current area where lotus grows used to be a paddy field. At one time there

LAKE OF LOTUS IN RANA TONJONG


East Manggarai

was a flood that inundated the rice fields. After the flood receded in another area, the paddy fields were continuously flooded. On that area, lotus grows and covers the entire lowland until now.

Lotus atau Nelumbo nucifera is a species of herbaceous which has been known for its beauty and benefit since long time ago. In ancient Egyptian era, Lotus or Seroja could be seen growing together with lotus from species Nymphae caerulea in the edge of Nile River. During the leadership of Pharaoh, Egyptians praised Lotus highly so that its flower, fruit and leaves were used as motif of temple archi-tecture. Lotus was taken from Egypt to Persia, India and China by Assyrian merchants until it finally arrived in Indonesia. (Anonim, 2015c).

Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera) is a perennial water plant, which can live for a couple of years (usually more than two years) or also called annual plant (Campbell et al., 2003). In India, it is called Padma and people in Malaysia call it Seroja or Lotus (Tan, 2001). In Indonesia, this plant is known as Teratai. Although they look similar, Teratai and Lotus are two different plants.

This plant was first distributed from Asian continent and then spread to all tropical and sub-tropical regions. (Solihah dan Magandi, 2014).

The Benefits of Lotus

Lotus is considered as sacred plant in China, Tibet and India. Therefore, it is also popular as sacred lotus. Sacred lotus becomes the symbol of country in India. It is closely related to Hindus mythology, philosophy, art, architecture, poetry and culture since long time ago. The plant was worshipped as symbol of divinity for more than 5,000 years (Anonymous, 2015). Sacred Lotus symbolizes the sun because it blossoms in the afternoon and closes at night. The buds of flower are related to the Goddess of Mother as the symbol of fertility, beauty and prosperity (Neal, 1965; Staples and Herbst, 2005).

The beauty of Lotus makes it used as decoration in the gardens. It is considered to have high economical value. Not only having rich cultural value and serving as decorative plants, the flower is also used as food material and medication. The seeds inside the hump can be eaten directly (raw) or cooked first.

According to Hembing (1998) and Kusumaningrum et al. (2013), tradition-ally Lotus has been used as medicine for various diseases because it contains useful substances for the body such as protein,

fat, carbohydrate, carotene, essence, phosphor, iron, calcium, and many more. It also contains active compounds such as polyphenol, vitamin C and also serves as anti-bacterial. Investigation has revealed that Lotus can absorb heavy metal so that it can be used for water purification in the most natural way.

Tourist Attractions

The beauty and uniqueness of Lake Rana Tonjong has attracted many tourists to visit. Although not many of them know the religious value of the flower and its benefits for health and commercial need, many people are amazed by the beauty and uniqueness of it.

Lake Rana Tonjong is located in Pota district of Sambi Rampas regency, in the north part of East Manggarai Regency. The road access to Pota is quite good now as it has become national road. The best way to reach Pota from Labuan Bajo or from Borong is via Ruteng to Reo in the north coast. It is about 75 kilometers from Ruteng and can be reached in around 3 hours.


East Manggarai

People of Manggarai have noble tradition and cultural wisdom on the importance of maintaining

harmonious life with the nature. In many stories and legend from Manggarai, it was told that plant is the source of food and life was born from human womb and earth is the Mother Nature. Similar form of relationship is also formed with the forest as the source of wood for building houses.

The culture of Manggarai considers forest as “Anak Rona” (party who provides girls) for Manggarai people. Therefore, if we want to take wood from forest, especially if it will be used for the main pillar of the gen-dang house called Siri Bongkok, we have to perform a ritual in order to get blessing from Anak Rona (i.e. forest). Another ritual is held when bringing the wood to the village. It is called rook molas poco (parade the forest girl). This ritual is like taking the bride to the groom’s house where wood as the main pillar in gendang house is considered as the forest girl (molas poco) who should be respected.

High appreciation towards the impor-tance of maintaining harmony between life and the nature is inherited and imple-mented by people of Mano in Mandosawu sub-district, Poco Ranaka district of East Manggarai regency. The existence of Pong Dode forest in the middle of the village

is the proof of harmonious relationship between the villagers and the nature. Since long time ago, local people continuously protect the forest so that it stays verdant and beautiful. They do that because they are fully aware that forest is one of the sources of life, which continuously flows water and fresh air for their life.

The forest of Pong Dode is situated among people’s settlement and directly bordered with four villages namely tradi-tional village of Mano, Nancang, Benteng Dima and Wejang Raci. Although the population has grown and the settlement becomes more crowded considering that Mano is the capital of Poco Ranaka district, but the forest area is well preserved. The population of Mano is around 3,500 people and spread in nine villages or five hamlets in Mandosawu sub-district. Mando has long become clove producer in East Manggarai regency.

The source from three springs

In local Manggarai language Pong means spring or a forest which has spring. The forest of Pong Dode also has springs. One of the special things that encourage Mano people to continue preserving Pong Dode

forest is the existence of three springs, which flow from the forest area throughout the year. These springs are the source of life for the people of Mano. The water from Pong Dode forest is used for drinking, cooking and irrigating their fields. “Although there is long drought, the level of water dis-charge never goes down. Therefore, people rely so much on the springs for drinking and rice field irrigation,” said head of Man-dosawu sub-district Severinus Kordi.

Pong Dode forest covers an area of around 2 hectares. Around the forest, there are villages and clove plantation be-long to the local villagers. The entire forest area is surrounded by road. To secure the forest area, Cultural and Tourism Bureau of East Manggarai Regency has fenced the surrounding area in order to protect it from illegal logging and animal tethering. Inside the forest, there are many kinds of trees and people recognize them with local names such as Ndingar (cinnamon), Uwa, Ara, Lokon, Natu, Cue, Boto, Mera, Wuhar and Mango. There are also a number of wild orchids grow on trees. Pong Dode for-est is habitat for tens of monkeys and birds like parrot, kalong and Peregam.

With all the uniqueness and rich natural resources, Pong Dode forest is like a per-fect and beautiful city park. The challenge is to preserve the area due to the growing number of forest clearance for settlement and farming. Strong local cultural wisdom and understanding are required to continu-ously live harmoniously with the nature and preserve it for the future.

PONG DODE FORESTA Local Wisdom, A Heritage in Environmental Preservation


East Manggarai

Flores Island is the paradise of adventurous tourism as most of tourist attractions can be found here,

mountain climbing, forest trekking, river kayaking, horse riding, natural bungee jumping, enjoying the beauty of beaches and exploring underwater garden.

East Manggarai, one of the regencies in the west of Flores also offers various tourist attractions that can be explored and enjoyed by tourists. One of tourist destina-tions that should not be missed in East Manggarai is Cunca Rede Waterfall.

The sound of rippling water can be heard from distance. It breaks the quietness of the morning as we walked from the village of Nenas in Sano Lokom to Cunce Rede. Cunca Rede is quite close from the village of Nenas or Ntaur. We walked along the path in the area of Ruteng Natural Tourism Park. The areas of Cunca Rede and the forest of Mount Mandosawu, Poco Ranaka and Lake Rana Mese are included in the Ruteng Natural Tourism Park managed by Balai Besar Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam – BBKSDA (Center for Conservation of Natural Resources) of East Nusa Tenggara Province. The farther we walked into the forest, the louder the sound of rippling wa-ter is. After walking for around 15 minutes, we finally arrived in Cunca Rede waterfall.

“Wow, the waterfall is gorgeous,” said my

friend Anas from Swisscontact Wisata. “So far, this is a waterfall with the highest level of water discharge that I’ve ever seen in Flores. The level of water discharge in other waterfalls is low and the water is not as high as in here,” he said.

The waterfall is just beautiful. The water flows from a height of 40 meters, hits the stones underneath hard and creates rip-pling water. The waterfall flows from a river inside the forest area of Poco Ranaka. The level of water is high throughout the year. Its position which is situated on the foot of Mount Ranaka makes it looks like a beauti-ful picture on the foot of the mountain.

The surrounding nature of Cunca Rede is fresh and pristine. Around the waterfall, we can find green plants that look like a blanket spread on the surface of water. The water is crystal clear with a bathing pool which is always ready to refresh and get rid our fatigue.

When we went down to the waterfall, we were amazed by the swift waterfall that falls into the rocks and pond underneath, releasing the foam into the air, and forming a rainbow when exposed to the morning sun. It was totally beautiful natural scenery. The water was cold and, as it continues to seep into the pores of the body.

People live around Cunca Rede waterfall build friendly and harmonious relation-

ship with the nature. They really preserve the environment, especially the forest area near their village. They are fully aware that forest area in Poco Ranaka supports their life and water supply. They use the water from the river for drinking, irrigating rice fields, and electric power. One thing to know is that the potential for regional development and the waterfall area in the future is very promising for the tourism sector. It will be very useful as long as it is maintained and used properly and responsibly.

How to get there?

The trip to Cunca Rede has its own chal-lenges given that there is no signpost along the way to this place. For tourists coming from Labuan Bajo or Borong through the road of trans Flores, they can visit Cunca Rede passing through the junction in Paka of Sita village, Rana Mese district. The trip from Paka junction to Cunca Rede as far as 10 km, road condition is pretty good and paved up to Pustu Ntaur in the village of Sano Lokom. The road from Pustu Ntaur to Nenas village is still rocky and not paved as far as 1.5 km although pickups and motor-cycles can still go through it. Cunca Rede is only 600 meters away from Nenas village and can be reach on foot in 15 minutes.

CUNCA REDE WATERFALLBEAUTIFUL PICTURE ON THE FOOT OF MOUNT RANAKA


East Manggarai

The morning sun was shining on a small and barren plain near the river, and making the surface

of the plain looks golden yellow. This condition is in contrast to the surrounding areas, which is green with trees and rice fields. The yellow color which is visible on the surface of the plain turned out to be sulfur remnants bursts from the point of hot water flowing across the surface of the plains. The deposition of sulfur is so prevalent everywhere and covers the entire plain, so that it looks like golden yellow crater. That’s the picture of the condition in the early morning in Rana

Masak, a natural hot spring in the north of Borong.

Rana Masak hot spring is located in a plain on the foot of Golo Ndele Hill. There are four points of fountain geysers. Each point has the size of a big cooking pot. The water bursts from the hot spring is like boiling water. It is probably the reason it is called Rana Masak, which means the lake of boiling water. One point to another is separated as far as 20 to 50 meters. The water temperature can reach 40°C and boil egg within 15 minutes. The hot spring covers an area of around one hectare.

Some visitors were bathing under the shower and pool built in the hot spring. They came from Borong and surround-ing villages to enjoy the hot water. They came with different purposes, some were for health therapy like those with skin problem and others were just having fun and relaxing. “Bath-ing here refresh our body and relax the muscles,” said Ardi Jehaman from Borong who often visits Rana Masak. Cultural and Tourism Bureau of East Manggarai Regency has built bathing pool and toilet facility in Rana Masak for accommodating the need of visitors and attracting more tourists.

The Legend of Rana Masak

There is a legend of Rana Masak, which is popular among people in the village of Purak and Balus, two villages located near Rana Masak hot spring. Purportedly, long time ago the place was a village. One day, most of the villagers went to the garden. Those left in the village were a paralyzed man and a blind man. They lived in different house but close to each other. In the afternoon, the blind was going to cook, but he did not have fire to light the furnace. He asked for a help from his

RANA MASAK HOT SPRING


East Manggarai

paralyzed neighbor to get him fire. His neighbor said that he had fire, but he could not bring it there. At home, he had a dog, he took a burn-ing wood from furnace, tied it to the dog’s tail and asked the dog to go. The dog with a burning wood on his tail did not go to the blind’s house; instead it ran in panic around the village. This incident made villagers who just went back from the garden laughed out loud.

At night, one of the elders of the village dreamed. In his dream, he was

approached by an old man with white hair and long beard. The old man asked him about the afternoon incident, about the blind and the paralyzed man who tied burning wood to dog’s tail. The old man was angry and asked the elder to choose one of the two options given: “ngoeng hang kar, ko ngoeng hang m’belek” (do you want to eat hard rice or rice porridge?). Since he was already old, the elder chose rice por-ridge (hang m’belek).

A moment later he was awake and heard the roar of wind and heavy rain. Landslide buried and ruined the village. The villagers were running around in panic, some were safe and others were buried under the landslides. Those who survived fled towards the east, but when he turned back to his village, he became a rock, and then there is Watu Ata (Stone Man) in the village of Golo Tolang.

Moments later, on the former village, came a blast of hot water, which is named after Rana Masak hot spring.

Access road to Rana Masak

Rana Masak hot spring is located in the village of Golo Ndele, around 10 kilometers to the north of Borong. This area can be reached from Borong via the village of Warat and then heads east to Purak village in Ngampang Mas. Paved access road can only be found up to Purak village. Vehicles can be parked in the village yard of Purak. After that, we need to walk for about 500 meters down the coffee plantation and passed Wae Moi river and after 10 minutes walking, we will arrive in Rana Masak hot spring.

Sumba Island

Sumba Island



Sumba Island


Sumba Island

Sumba Island


One of the beautiful beaches in East Nusa Tenggara is Ratenggaro Beach. This

beach is a combination of natural tourism and culture because near the beach there is a traditional vil-lage site named Kampung Rateng-garo with unique and historic old stone tomb right on the beach. Ratenggaro Beach has big wave with long roll, and it is suitable to those who love surfing. Unfortunately, there is no facility for this activity. This is become a big duty for local government. The enchantment of the beach is not only from its beach, but visitors who come to Retanggaro can see ruin of tomb from mega-lithic era, or about 4,500 years ago.

Ratenggaro beach is still natural and so clean beach. The coastline is signed by white sand and facing to crystal water. The sound of wave’s water can be heard from the next village. Every evening, there are local residents visiting the beach. When you come to this beach, or around Sumba Island, you are sug-

gested to wear closed shoes. This is needed to avoid you from tetanus. One of uniqueness of the beach is that Ratenggaro is located right to estuary of river with blue water.

Ratenggaro Beach exists at Ratenggaro village, Kodi Bangedo sub-district, Southwest Sumba regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. From Tam-bolaka City, it takes 48 km. The infrastructure toward the beach is smooth and it takes around 1.5 hour from Waikabubak City. If you want to take public transportation, there is bus and mini bus to Bondo Kodi. Then, you can continue your trip by motorcycle. If you want alternative way, you can take travel agent to come to Ratenggaro Beach. Along the road toward the beach, you will see hardwood trees for about 2 km long.

Arrived at Ratenggaro Beach, the first impression is about ethnic atmosphere. It is because you will pass many traditional villages. When you come there, you are not only

enjoy its beach, but you can enjoy the culture. Firstly, you can spend your time to amaze the beauty of panorama. Blue water and powerful wave become a perfect combination for those who love nature and surf-ing. But, you must be a professional swimmer because there is deep trough here. After you finish swim-ming or playing water activities, you can start explore traditional house of Ratenggaro. They still keep the original architecture. Sometime, you will hear from villagers that there is faith about their village. You are not allowed to cross the estuary of river to the next village, Wainyapu, singing, and whistle. You better obey to these unwritten law because the resident itself very straight to keep this rule. When you walk around the beach, you will see one of grave with 3 meters height. In Ratenggaro, you can see the tower of houses from two villages, are Wainyapu and Ratenggaro. It is not surprise if people name these villages as ‘Thousand Tower of Villages’. ***

Sumba Barat Daya

Ratenggaro Beach

Sumba Island


Sumba, formerly known as the Sandalwood Island, is known foe its horses and Sumba clothe.

Sandalwood was the only known cure for many diseases until penicillin was invented. The Sumbanese traded with the Chinese until the 16th century, after which the Arabs became the most important trading partner until the early 20th century. The island is famous for its arts and handicrafts, particularly the textile “ikat” weaving. Sumba make a little effort we can see an authentic, ancient culture.

The island has a small population and a dry tropical climate. In total Sumba have more hours of sunshine than any other place in Indonesia. The land resembles Southern Africa or Australia, with scattered small villages and herds of cattle and buffa-lo Sumba is off the beaten track. Transport system and roads are infrequently used. Most hotels in main towns are simple, only catering for the adventurous. Beaches are long and clean. Water is clear and abundant in fish, and there is great surf.

The island is roughly oval in shape. The greatest concentration of those who wor-ship sprits (ancestral and those of the land) is found in West Sumba where two-thirds of the population holds on their traditional belief. It is here where incredible rituals take place, the “pasola” where hundreds of horsemen fling spears at each other. The government allows the ritual to take place, but the spears must be blunt. Although some exist in East Sumba, it is in West Sumba that one can find a greater number of huge megalithic tombs and traditional thatched and peaked huts raise on stilts.

Many traditional activities, all with a part paying homage to the spirits, take place in the month of July through October. These include the building of “adapt” houses and burials when sometimes hundreds of pigs, water buffaloes, horses, and dogs are sacrificed. Other ceremonies include the “pajura” or traditional boxing, the festivals for lunar New Year in October and Novem-ber, and August 17, Independence Day, horse races and ritual dances. ***

Sumba Island


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Sebuah danau yang terletak di desa Kebirangga Tengah, Kecamatan Maukaro dengan Luas areal kira –

kira 5.000 m², sangat alamiah dan belum tersentuh. Dari Kota Ende ke Kecamatan Maukaro dapat ditempuh melalui dua jalur yaitu dari arah timur/ Detusoko kira-kira 110 km, sedangkan dari arah barat/ Nangapanda kira-kira 60 km. Jarak dari

Kecamatan Maukaro ke lokasi Danau Tiwu Lewu kira-kira 3,5 km. Menuju lokasi Danau Tiwu lewu, kita harus menempuh perjalanan dengan berjalan kaki dari Kantor Desa Kebirangga Tengah selama 30 menit atau sekitar 1,5 km. Menurut cerita penduduk sekitarnya, di dalam danau tersebut terdapat buaya, tetapi tidak diketahui berapa jumlahnya selain itu di

sekitar danau terdapat rawa-rawa/lumpur hidup, sehingga kita tidak dapat melihatnya dari jarak dekat. Di sebelah utara danau, juga terbentang area persawahan Obo yang memikat bagi anda yang menyukai suasana dan hijaunya persawahan. Di atas bukit terdapat Gua Maria Tiwu Lewu dari lokasi ini kita dapat menikmati keindahan Danau Tiwu Lewu dari ketinggian.

TIWU LEWU


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Terletak di Jalan Mohamad Hatta, kira-kira 100 meter dari taman kota dan bersebelahan dengan museum bahari

dan berbentuk rumah adat. Di sini dapat dilihat peralatan dan proses pembuatan tenun seperti alat yang digunakan untuk pembuatan motif (tege), alat - alat yang digunakan untuk tenun yang masih bersifat tradisional seperti Woe, Ogo, Ngewi, kaka, Sisir, Kabhe, Keke, Ngewi. Ada pula pajangan beberapa jenis sarung yang sudah tua usianya yang dibuat dengan teknik yang masih tradisional. Museum Bahari juga sering digunakan oleh kalangan Pelajar dan Mahasiswa di sekitar Kota Ende sebagai sarana pendukung kegiatan pembelajaran/penelitian.

MUSEUM TENUN IKAT


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Ketiga kerajinan ini berada dalam satu kawasan yaitu terletak di Woloare kelurahan Roworena, kira-kira jaraknya

2 km dari kota Ende. Untuk mencapai lokasi ini kita dapat menggunakan kendaraan roda dua maupun roda empat. Di lokasi ini kita dapat menyaksikan proses pembuatan tenun ikat dengan berbagai motif, corak, warna dan ukuran . Disekitar lokasi ini juga kita dapat menyaksikan proses pembuatan gedek yang biasa digunakan sebagai dinding rumah, plafon dll dengan bahan baku bambu dan dalam berbagai motif. Dari tempat pengrajin gedek kira kira 100 meter terdapat kerajinan tempah besi/ pandai besi dan produk yang dihasilkan berupa parang, pisau, sabit, tofa untuk dipasarkan kepada masyarakat lokal.

KERAJINAN TENUN IKAT,GEDEG & PANDAI BESI


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Kira-kira 29 km arah barat Kota Ende, terdapat hamparan batu berwarna dengan dominan warna biru, hijau serta

coklat di sepanjang pesisir pantai Penggajawa. Batu berwarna dengan ukuran bervariasi ini juga bernilai ekonomis yang cukup tinggi dan menjadi salah satu komoditi ekspor dari Kabupaten Ende. Dikumpulkan dan dijual oleh penduduk lokal sehingga sebagian besar penduduk disini bermata pencaharian sebagai pengumpul batu. Disamping itu keadaan laut yang jernih dan membiru di pantai ini mampu menggugah keinginan untuk melakukan berbagai aktivitas berenang, mancing sambil menikmati bentangan alam pesisir selatan yang indah dan menantang. Lokasi Batu Penggajawa sangat mudah dijangkau dengan menggunakan fasilitas transportasi umum maupun sepeda motor.

BATU PENGGAJAWA


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Di Pulau Ende terdapat salah satu peninggalan bersejarah bekas Benteng Portugis. Walaupun untuk

saat ini yang nampak hanyalah puing-puing reruntuhan yang diselimuti akar pohon beringin, namun puing yang masih tersisa menjadi sesuatu yang membuktikan adanya interaksi antar bangsa yang terjadi pada masa lalu. Dari sini bisa ditelusuri adanya keterkaitan dengan bekas-bekas peninggalan Portugis pada kelompok masyarakat pesisir di daerah lain di wilayah Kabupaten Ende. Pulau Ende adalah satu-satunya wilayah kecamatan di Kabupaten Ende yang dipisahkan oleh laut. Untuk mencapai Pulau Ende kita dapat menggunakan sarana transportasi laut berupa perahu motor dengan waktu tempuh kurang lebih 1 jam perjalanan tergantung cuaca/keadaan alam.

PUING BENTENG PORTUGIS DI PULAU ENDE


Rote Island

Rote IslandRote Island is the

southernmost island of Indonesia. It is located in

the west coast of Kupang. This exotic island can be reached only in four hours. From Kupang by inter-island ferry to dive and tour this untouched beautifully rugged land. Spectacular walls and caverns mirror the hills, valleys, and escarpments underwater. The marine life is so varied and profuse that is hard to believe from Fire-fish to Mantas. The architecture of Rote is unique, as is their exquisite ikat weaving. See the people is their traditional lifestyle, which has remained unchanged for centuries.

Rote has many historical relies including fine antique Chinese porcelains, as well as ancient arts and traditions. Many prominent Indonesia nationalist leaders were born here. A popular music instru-ment Sasando, which is made of palm leaves. According to legend, this island got its name acciden-tally when a lost Portuguese sailor arrived and asked a farmer where he was. The surprised farmer, who could not speaking Portuguese, introduced himself, “Rote”. Rote just off the southern tip of Timor Island consists of rolling hills, ter-raced plantations, and acacia palm, savanna and some forests. The

rotinese depend, like the Savunese, on lontar palm for basic survival, but also as the supplement their income with fishing and jewelry making.

Before Indonesia’s Indepen-dence, Rote, boasted the highest density of kingdom in the East Indies. Even today the island, the Rotenese and their kingdoms are divided, following ancient tradi-tion, into two domains, one known as Sunrise and one as Sunset. A “male” Lord, a “female” Lord and several advisers, representing the clans within that domain, rules the domain. Each clan that possesses ceremonial rights performs it’s own rituals during the annual HUS celebration, a traditional New Year festival. At the HUS, Rotenese men

wearing their unique hats make offerings to the clan ancestors and the women dance accompanied by sasando, The Rotenese guitar.

Rote is particularly well know for its surfing, each year surfers flock to Namberala to ride the near perfect tubes formed by the shallow reefs and off-shore winds. Accom-modation in Namberala includes a traditional beachfront bungalow resort and several home stays. The beach itself is one of the best ex-amples of a palm fringed pure white sandy beach to be found anywhere. Diving in the area is also excep-tional due to the large numbers of Manta and Dugong seen there. A boat trip to nearby Dana or Ndao Islands is also recommended.***


Rote Island

Ndana IslandNdana Island is including five

outer islands in East Nusa Tenggara Province or one of

the 92 outer islands of Indonesia. Four other outer islands in East Nusa Tenggara is Batek Island in Kupang Regency, Menggudu and Salura Island in East Sumba and Dana Sabu Island, in Sabu Raijua. The island area of 14.19 square kilometers, or about 1,400 hectares is located in the regency of Rote Ndao, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

Ndana Island has dazzling exotic panorama. Besides the beauty of this island, Ndana Island also has myth about the island telling that women who have period are not allowed to visit the red lake located in the middle of the island. The prohibition has descended from generation to gen-eration. Even today, there are some people who still believe in this myth. They really don’t visit the lake when they have period. It seems that the lo-cal people really obey the prohibition.

Regardless the strange story about th island, the island provides many things to offer to visitors.

Ndana Island is located in Rote Ndao regency, Southwest Kupang. Precisely, the island lies right in the entrance of Boa Beach. You can go by motorboat or speedboat to the island. Along the way, you can see beautiful white sand with powerful waves. This is an incredible view. For those who believe in mystery, the island is surely a perfect place to visit. Apart from the strange story as previously mentioned, the island has another strange story. In Rote Ndao Regency, you can find two stones. The stones are said to have been a man and a woman. Their names are Hun and Suelay Stones. They are said to have been walking on their own before they stay in Rote Ndao.

There are various interesting activi-ties that we can do in Ndana Island, including explore traditional village trip that is lies around the island. You can learn many things about the villages,

including the local people, their way of life, their traditional culture and their typical food and souvenirs. The activity will give you challenging adventure. Besides that, you can visit many beau-tiful tourist destinations throughout the island. There are beaches you can visit. Visiting the beaches is a must because you can see the spectacular panorama of the beach. You will see beautiful nature around the beach along with crystal clear waters and steep hills sur-rounding the beach. There are also sa-vannah stretching along the coastline. Walking around the beach will make you relaxed and refresh your mind.

For facility and accommodation in this Ndana Island, there are still few hotels in this island. You can only find small lodges. However, this shouldn’t stop you from visiting this island. Instead, you can challenge yourself to survive in this island. You can decide to stay in one of the local people’s house, otherwise you can set a tent around Ndana Island. ***


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MOUNT BROMO

Located some 4 hours drive from Surabaya, the capital of East Java, Mount Bromo is a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park that covers a massive area of 800 square kilometers. While it may be small

when measured against other volcanoes in Indonesia, the magnificent Mt. Bromo will not disappoint with its spectacular views and dramatic landscapes.

Visit www.bbtf.or.id for further information.

Documents

Merry Christmas Happy New Year - Indonesia Tourism Newsparadiso.co.id/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/December.pdf · Area. JAKARTA - Tri Wibowo Hp. 081236044326. SURABAYA ... Merry Christmas