puncak

Puncak - West Java

Between Bandung and Bogor in the mountains lays Puncak, a cool area, which is very popular. People from Jakarta spend their weekend and on public holidays from the heat and busy streets of the capitol of Indonesia to Puncak. Bandung to Puncak takes about 3 hours drive. Puncak Pass area has long been the foremost weekend retreat for Indonesians capital city residents. The cool, fresh air, and the magnificent view offer a calm, fresh and peaceful feeling. In the afternoon, sunsets from the top of the pass can be quite spectacular.
Puncak Pass is one of interesting destination in the West Java Province. It is located in the south of Jakarta and can be reached by an hour journey. Puncak is an ideal place for weekend, as well as a good location to find a fresh mountain air. Besides, many attractions can be found nearby, such as the Bogor and Cobodas Botanical Gardens; the Gede Pangrango National Park; the Plantations and the Safari Park.
Puncak Indah consists of three districts: Ciawi, Megamendung, Cisarua. The area is familiar with its fresh air and beautiful panorama. From Ciawi to Cipanas, there are many bungalows, hotels, motels, restaurants, and other tourism facilities. Tourisms object in Puncak is Lido Park, which is located in Cigombong village/Wates Jaya (km. 21) Rd. Ciawi-Sukabumi, Cijeruk. Facilities that are provided in Lido Park ara restaurant, cottages, swimming pools, camping grounds, and other facilities for lake recreations. Gunung Mas XII Plantation, which is located in Rd. Puncak, Cisarua district. It offers panorama with hilly panorama, which could only be found in Puncak. Activities that could be done are tea walk and seeing the making of the tea from the picking of tea until the tea is ready to serve.

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West Java

Jakarta is a city of noise, a cacophony of noise. From the moment you arrive in the city, whether it is by airplane, train or bus, the new arrival steps into a warm, humid bath of sound. The noise is mostly man made, motorbikes, trucks, cars, horns, sirens, bells. It is a place not for those who like peace and quiet.

Rural Indonesia is quite the opposite- a mixture of man made and nature's sounds gently rolled into a smooth, round packet.

West Java is normally not known for its coffee cultivation. Back in the early Dutch Colonial days, most of the original coffee was planted in a wedge shaped curve that stretched from Batavia up into the hill country around Bogor and Sukabumi. The coffee was grown here mixed with Pepper and Clove trees. The more valuable spices, Nutmeg, cinnamon and nuts such as cashew were traded from the islands further to the east through the Port of Batavia (Jakarta), then back to Europe on company ships.

Coffee initially grew very well on the flat land around Batavia. Today the areas where the coffee was planted are densely populated inner city suburbs- there is no sign of the small private plantations that once thrived there. Likewise the rolling hill country that rises from the city towards Bogor has little sign of the past agricultural endeavours. As recently as world war 2, Dutch plantations stretched along the banks of the Cileungsi River, and up into the hills behind modern day Bukit Sentul and Cibinong. The Cileungsi River was a pleasant waterway used to transport Coffee, fruit, Cloves, Pepper and rubber grown in orderly plots down into Jakarta for local consumption and export.

Today the toll road runs through to Bogor, 45 minutes south of the Capital City. Along the way the most obviously greenery is the golf courses of Emeralda, Riverside and Bogor Raya. The remnants of the plantations surprisingly can still be found. Driving through Cibinong towards Jonggol the hills are still farmed; rubber trees and cloves planted decades ago healthy and bearing latex and fruit. However it is much more difficult to identify where the original coffee plantations were.

As in many growing countries, the truth is the coffee is still there, if you know where to look for it. Over the years I have either stumbled upon remnants of the original coffee plantations, or been invited to view coffee that has been unearthed growing wild- tall and straggly, amongst new growth of secondary rainforest.

Sukabumi is a city southwest of Bogor. The geographic area that covers Sukabumi down to the Indian ocean port town of Pelabhuan Ratu (Queens Harbour) was at one time settled heavily by Dutch settlers. The clubs at Pelabhuan Ratu are mentioned in great detail by writers as late as the 1920's and 1930's as being busy havens for planters and their families when coming to town on market days. Again it is difficult to believe today, but a detour up onto the slopes of Gunung Salak or the hills surrounding the harbour confirms the continuing existence of the prime plantation crops, including coffee.

In the late 1890's and early 1900's, rust played havoc with the Arabica coffee plantings throughout the Dutch East Indies. Much of the coffee was wiped out and replanted in first Liberica, then Robusta. Robusta remains the main type of coffee grown today, despite efforts to try and focus growers on the more difficult to cultivate, but higher returning Arabica.

Around West Java Robusta is common, Arabica less so. Arabica stands are often remnants of the original plantings- by DNA testing can be pretty accurately traced back to either Malabar or Ceylon Arabica root stock. These were the types of coffee that the Dutch brought into Batavia and planted early on. Modern Arabica plantings also exist, becoming more common around Bandung and even as far North as the Bandung rise of Puncak Pass.

At this time of year the coffee growing areas are an extremely pleasant place to spend a night or two. It is the monsoon season, and in mountainous West Java that means heavy, turbulent afternoon thunderstorms. The original stands of coffee are often mixed in with newer plants of robusta and the staples of Papaya, Banana and Pandan. Vanilla is also often grown at the higher altitudes. Around 3 in the afternoon, the wind drops and the air thickens like the atmosphere in a Botanical garden Glasshouse. The chatter of birds, crickets and even the bleating of goats lessens, in expectation of what's to come. When the rain arrives it is preceded by distant thunderclaps, and the sizzle of lightening stretching across the hazy blue sky, occasionally reaching down to a ridge or reaching tree-top. The first drops are heavy and bloated, literally splattering on the soil and Banana leaves. The coffee trees, growing beneath the taller canopy, are initially well sheltered fro the rain, but soon everything- including chickens, children and coffee are wet through.

The wind slowly picks up, pushing the rain from a heavy vertical fall, to a cutting horizontal path. Clay tracks turn to mud and any villager unfortunate enough to have been caught out in the Sawah/Padi or on a motorbike, is soaked to the skin. The coffee trees stir in the wind, seemingly enjoying the moisture, the deluge.

The end of the storms often coincides with dusk, the period of the day when activity ebbs toward evening, and night music. The remnants of the rainfall drip melodically from the tall trees, through the coffee trees below onto the ground. Chickens root for grubs that have been drawn to the surface. Children emerge from beneath red terracotta tile roofs to play in the puddles.

The music is taken up to a new level, like an orchestra tuning their instruments, when the local mosques begin calling the villagers to Sholat Magrib. Every village has at least 1 mosque, so as the evening falls the voices of the many imam blend and rise together, in balance. Magically the sky begins to turn a fiery orange, flecked with gold and red amongst the remaining wisps of thunder cloud. Only Tropical evenings embody the colours, sounds and smells such as these. The slight fragrance of sweet jasmine from coffee blooms, tinged with the smoky sweetness of charcoal grilled chicken sate. The murmur of an evening breeze that touches the higher slopes of the valleys above the villages and the rising chatter of the evening masters of gentle, natural noise- the Cicadas, crickets, cicak and geckos.

It is hard to believe that many of these villages are a mere hour or so from the more braise and metallic noise that is Jakarta or Bandung. An evening amongst the coffee growers of West Java is a trip back in time to a much simpler and perhaps wholesome era.

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Useful Tips For Your Successful Bandung Shopping

Useful Tips For Your Successful Bandung Shopping

What is the best thing about shopping in Bandung? Why there are so many people, especially those coming from Malaysia and Singapore coming to Bandung only to go shopping? Well, not many people are aware that Bandung has become Indonesia's number one tourist destination for shopping. Why is that? This is because you can find so many shopping and factory outlets in Bandung where you can find very good quality products at very affordable price.

However how do you choose which factory outlets are really the best ones in Bandung? The only way to find out is simply join a local Bandung tour package which will take you directly to Bandung's hottest and best shopping arcade. The best time to go shopping to Bandung would be on weekdays, instead of weekends. It is because numerous people from Jakarta visit Bandung regularly on weekends and they are sometimes blamed for the traffic jams in Bandung during weekends, especially long weekends and holidays.

However to ensure that you really get what you want in Bandung, it would be best if you join and book a local tour in Bandung who will show you only the best places in Bandung where you can really get the best products at very affordable price. Do not hesitate to let them know what kind of places you or your family is interested in. And they would be more than pleased to show you the tour itinerary even before your coming to Bandung.

Choose only the best and the professional tour company in Bandung who can provide English speaking tour guide. Let them know how many days you would like to spend your holiday in Bandung and whether you have your children along with you. And they will arrange everything for you, including the tour package which already includes the accommodation, transportation and tour programs as well.

So, welcome to Bandung

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Bandung

Bandung (paris van java)

The Indonesian city of Bandung is the capital of West Java and on e of the biggest cities of the country. Bandung, located in the southern part of West Java, this city is a good blend of Sundanese, Javanese, Sumatranese, and others of Indonesian civilian, including Chinese too. A bustling town, Bandung is well connected to the other city via country road. From Jakarta, you can go to Bandung by bus, car or by train. If you get there by bus, it will take a 3 - 4 hours, by car, you just need 2 - hours, if you choose by train, let me know, first time you have to go to Gambir station at central Jakarta, because I suggest you to be better if you ride the train from Gambir. There are 2 kind of train that you can find, first, the Parahyangan train, this train have two classes, business and executive classes, if you use this train, you will come to Bandung in 3 hours or more. Second, the Argo Gede, it's only has 1 class, executive class, if you use this, you just need 2 hours and 50 minutes to Bandung, but the ticker price is more expensive than Parahyangan, now if up to your choice, the traveling your own need a low budget traveling cost or need efficiency time.

This city is gaining popularity as a growing tourist destination in Indonesia. To facilitate and accommodate the emerging crowd of people, the city has introduced many resorts and hotels, so that the visitors can enjoy a comfortable vacation.

Bandung is locate at the high land, so that the weather is always cold. We call Bandung is the flower city, because the face of city is green, you can find the trees along your trip. Near Bandung, you can visit Tangkuban Prahu mountain and Lembang town, in Lembang you can try tea walk around tea garden at there. Other places you can also visit, tea walk at tea garden in pengarengan hill, Kawah Putih, or strawberry garden.

In the night, you can visit dago's street, at here you can find some youngest people having enjoy all the time. The roasted corn is the popular snack in this place, you can try it with the various taste what you like, other roasted snacks are banana roasted or bread roasted. Other place that you can visit in the night is the Paris Van Java, there are several kind of cafe, clubs and discos. Though the city is not overloaded with the discos and clubs, but handful of night clubs, bars and pubs are there, where your night would be vibrant and exhilarating.

in the morning, Are you like shopping? Try at alun-alun with a number of shopping stores and malls, cihampelas walk (more famous name is Ci-walk), is the place of jeans. The other famous shopping store is called Factory Outlet, there are several kind of factory outlet, such as clothes, bags, shoes and others.

Try our city Bandung to your next summer traveling time and enjoy

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Monas

Monas

Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, was once renowned as a victorious city thus the name Jayakarta in Sanskrit was given to it. In time it became known as Jakarta and by now it has become a well known city and the focal point of Indonesia's culture and economy. Even while Jakarta moves steadily towards its future the city's historical glory has not been forgotten.

Jakarta nestles a number of landmarks with historical importance that would take a visitor back in time to a bygone era. These attractions include the soaring National Monument, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia Istiqlal Mosque and the ancient drawbridge Jembatan Pasar Ayam.

There is no way you would miss the National Monument when you are in Jakarta for it reaches a staggering height of 422 feet. From a distance it may appear like a slim torch dazzling in milky white in the morning and glowing in sapphire blue in the night. This massive structure sits in Central Jakarta in the middle of Merdeka Square. The National Monument is the pride of Indonesia for it symbolises a nation's independence.

Under the guidance of the first President of Indonesia Sukarno, the National Monument's construction began in 1961. After 14 years, on 12th July 1975 it was inaugurated. The monument portrays a unique shape from the base to the top. A square platform holds the base which is shaped into a goblet, the body is a slender obelisk and its top is capped with a flame wrapped in gold foils weighing 35 kilograms.

The National Monument commemorates Indonesia's independence obtained from the Dutch on 17th August 1945. Monas is how the locals fondly refer to it, derived from the name Monumen Nasional. It is an embellishment to the Jakarta skyline that could be seen from great distances, as much as an enlivening and encouraging sight reminding the locals of their freedom struggles.

But there is much more to the National Monument than its unique shape. A statue of a national hero, Prince Diponegoro rises from the north of the structure. A sizable pond is added to enhance the charm of the backdrops. The flame of the monument is built entirely in bronze and embedded in golden foil while the obelisk is adorned with Italian marble. An observation platform is perched at 115 metres, while the structure reaches over 120 metres in height.

The structure also houses a historical museum decorated with marble to flaunt the glorious history of Indonesia. Named as the Freedom Hall, here you can observe the milestones of this thriving nation, with over 40 dioramas that stretches as far as the prehistoric times. Another highlight here is the Hall of Contemplation which houses important artefacts like Indonesia's Coat of Arms and the authentic Proclamation of Independence.

If you are planning a trip to Indonesia and hope to tour the city of Jakarta include the National Monument to your sightseeing list.

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