KULINER BELITUNG

Pergi ke Belitung tanpa memanjakan lidah di sana tentunya ada yang kurang. Anda bisa mencoba seafood segar dan bahkan pempek. Olahan dengan gaya Melayu membuat makan sehari tiga kali terasa kurang. Berikut beberapa makanan yang pantas dicoba selama berwisata di Belitung:

Mie Atep

 Ya, ya, ya, ini Mie Atep yang menjadi 'menu wajib' wisatawan ke Belitung. Datanglah pagi pagi saat rumah makan ini baru buka (pukul 8), atau anda tidak akan mendapat tempat duduk. Terletak di ruko JL. Sriwijaya, No. 27, Tanjung Pandan, meja yang tersedia terbatas saja, jadi bayangkan bila rombongan bis datang untuk makan di sana.
Mie nya sendiri disajikan dengan kuah kental dan gurih, dihiasi potongan udang dan kentang. Memang khas, makanya jangan terlewatkan. 
Oya, pilih minumnya jeruk hangat atau es jeruk, karena terbuat dari perasan air jeruk kunci, sejenis jeruk kecil bercita rasa masam yang banyak tumbuh di Bangka dan Belitung.

BELITUNG ISLAND HOPPING

Belitung Tak Cukup Hanya Sekali

Wisata pantai ? Mungkin kebanyakan dari kita langsung teringat pada Bali. Ya...pulau Dewata sudah sangat identik dengan pantainya yang indah. Tapi jangan salah..Indonesia punya banyak pulau lain dengan pantai yang tak kalah cantik dan masih lebih bersih alami dibandingkan Bali. Salah satunya pulau Belitung.

Mengapa Belitung?

Beberapa alasan mengapa Belitung bisa menjadi tujuan berlibur :

1. Mudah dijangkau dari Jakarta dan sekitarnya. Terbang ke Belitung dari Jakarta hanya perlu waktu 45 menit. Setiap hari ada penerbangan dari dan ke Belitung ( Tanjung Pandan). Harga tiket lebih kompetitif dibandingkan ke Bali/ Lombok. Untuk memaksimalkan waktu libur, saya sarankan mengambil penerbangan paling pagi dari Jakarta, contoh dengan pesawat Citilink pkl 05.55. Dengan begitu, kita bisa punya waktu seharian berwisata setibanya di Belitung.
2. Sewa kendaraan di Belitung masih lebih murah dibandingkan tujuan wisata favorit lain seperti Bali, Lombok, Yogya
3. Pantai dan pulau-pulau di Belitung mudah dijangkau dari pusat kota di mana biasanya wisatawan tinggal. 
4. Kuliner Belitung yang khas melayu sangat menarik untuk dicoba...Mmmm saya jadi terbayang ikan bumbu kuning dan perkedel kepiting yang sangaaat menggoda selera.

Pulau-pulau di sekitar pulau Belitung ini sangat memukau dan menakjubkan. Beberapa pulau berpasir putih dan halus, membuat ingin merebahkan tubuh di atasnya. Air lautnya yang bening dan tenang sangat mengundang untuk direnangi...rugi deh kalo engga! Pulau lainnya berbatu-batu besar, membuat kita takjub akan kebesaran Tuhan dan bertanya-tanya asal muasal formasi batu seperti itu. OK..langsung saja ke TKP :

Pulau Lengkuas

Dari dermaga Tanjung Kelayang, pulau ini dicapai sekitar 15-20 menit dengan perahu kecil bermotor. Ombak yang tenang selama periode Mei-Juli, membuat perjalanan menyenangkan dan tidak bikin mabuk. Apalagi, sepanjang perjalanan kita bisa melihat keindahan alam belitung, termasuk melewati pulau Burung .

 

Pulau Burung

Laut yang masih bersih, membuat pandangan ke dasar laut sangat jelas. Kira-kira 300 meter dari pesisir pantai pulau Lengkuas, inilah tempat ideal untuk snorkeling. Biota laut masih utuh , bebas sampah, ketiadaan ombak-hanya riak riak kecil - membuat snorkeling di sini sangat menyenangkan.

Snorkeling dekat Pulau Lengkuas...Asyiiiik

Asyiknya Naik Kereta Wisata

Menikmati Kereta Wisata Bali

Kompartemen Utama Kereta Bali

Apa itu kereta wisata? Kereta wisata adalah gerbong carter-an yang disewakan untuk grup sampai dengan 20an orang, dan ditempatkan pada rangkaian kereta api. Produk kereta wisata dikelola oleh PT Indorail, anak perusahaan PT Kereta Api Indonesia (Persero). Karena harganya cukup tinggi, gerbong mewah ini memang ditargetkan untuk menjaring pasar korporasi dan keluarga besar.

PAPUA CARSTENSZ EXPEDITION : WAY BACK TO SUGAPA

 

From Carstensz Pyramid Peak - Back to Sugapa 

“It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.”

(Sir Edmund Hillary)

 

Basecamp - Nasidome (Jul 27, 2013)

Day 10, the day after we accomplished the Carstensz Pyramid’s summit. We woke up a bit late, and at 11 a.m departing from the Carstensz basecamp, starting our journey back. We went through the same track as before. Today’s journey was cheered up by icy rain – pepper-sized ice poured from the sky, bring cold wind to blow. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the rock wall, and went down carefully through the Carstensz zebra wall.  
 

Lake Larsen

At about 6.30 p.m we arrived at Nasidome. Cold weather caused bleeding on our nails, while  small scratches on finger skin started to widen because of long-time exposure to humid. Inner side of my nose also got poignant and bleeding. Some of us skipped dinner and opted to rest in the tent.

Libur Lebaran di Bandung? Ke Mercure Setiabudi Bandung, yuuk...!!

Pre-opening Promo dari Hotel Mercure Bandung

Minggu lalu saya mendapat undangan untuk meninjau Hotel Mercure Setiabudi Bandung, sebuah hotel dengan standar bintang 4 yang terletak di  Jl Dr Setiabudi No 269 - 275 Bandung, Jawa Barat, Indonesia. Hotel ini terletak di belakang resto Jing Paradise.

Rencananya hotel Mercure Setiabudi Bandung (Mercure Bandung) akan mulai beroperasi pada periode libur Lebaran 2014 ini, dengan mengadakan promo pre-opening. ( Untuk info lebih lanjut silakan langsung hubungi pihak Hotel Mercure Setiabudi Bandung (022) 82000000  )

Yuuk kita intip fasilitas yang sudah ada di Hotel Mercure Setiabudi Bandung ...

PAPUA CARSTENSZ PYRAMID EXPEDITION 4

A Journey To The Roof of Indonesia

 

In the mountains there are only two grades:

You can either do it, or you can't

Rusty Baille

SUMMIT ATTACK

 

After a long journey from day 1 where Paman and the team - consist of Paman, Mr and Mrs T , Mr S, one Austrian adventurer, one Norwegian , one Canadian (the two mentioned later are seven summiters) - started their Carstensz Pyramid expedition from Swanggama, went through  the jungle with swamps and wild rivers on day 2 - 7, challenged by savannah and steep cliff on day 7 - 9, finally the time came for  Carstensz Pyramid Summit Attack - the 4884 meter ASL fierce and mysterious peak.

July 26, 2014

2 a.m, in the dark and biting cold we woke up and wore all equipments prepared before. My heart beat anxiously...oh this is the time! We'll soon go to Carstensz Pyramid's peak ! Will I be able to do it? I remember one quote saying  In the mountains there are only two grades: You can either do it, or you can't - and I knew I had only one choice.

3 a.m, we left the basecamp, brought all valuables in our backpacks. Thank God the weather was friendly - no rain, no fog. After one hour walking up the hill through rocky path,lit by our headlamps, we arrived at summit climbing starting point. All equipments are left here : umbrellas, trekking pole, drinking water; and replaced by rock climbing gears. We wore special helmet, seat harness, brought sling cable and figure eights. Guide asked each of us to double check our equipments, because our life literally relied on them.

With prayer recited on our lips, we started to move up. First track was a 50-70 degree sloped rock wall.

As the first person started to climb, small rocks fell from above. One person followed by another. Each took step by step while also watching for rock falling form above.. "rock....rock..." was shouted to warn each other. A rock of 1-inch diameter can be painful when falling from 25 meter above.

The sky slowly turned brighter. I noticed at some points the safety rope started to be worn out. We keep climbing, reached for rope or wet rock wall to hold on and balancing our body. Our gloves already got wet. Then we got to an open ground covered by snow. Freeport, the giant gold mine, was clearly visible from here. 

PAPUA CARSTENSZ PYRAMID EXPEDITION 3

A Journey To The Roof of Indonesia

 

“Never measure the height of a mountain, until you have reached the top. Then you will see how low it was.”

Dag Hammarskjold

In Part 1 Paman told us about how he got along with locals at Sugapa and Swanggama. 
Part 2 is about his expedition into the jungle with swamps and wild rivers. 
In this part, from the 7th day of the Carstensz Pyramid expedition the route did not get any easier, while the climbers got drained out day by day , both physically and mentally. 
Keep reading to see how Paman and the whole group came through this challenging situation, especially when he and the team got nearer to Carstensz summit attack

Day 7- 9 : EBAY - NASIDOME - LAKES VALLEY BASECAMP 

 

Ebay Camp - Nasidome Camp, July23

 

The sun shone so brightly that morning, it dried our wet clothes which we kept outside last night. I wore the trousers again, yeah....soon they will get into mud again. Then I took some time to take pictures of the Jayawijaya mountain range.

9.30 a.m we're ready to start, but porters prevented us and asked to do some 'talking'. We told them to talk to our guide, so we could start our track before them because  they would precede us anyway. We knew, the only 'talk' was about their fee. They must ask for an increase. We heard that porters from Sugapa are like that, a bit different with porters from Ilaga who are more professional.

So we started our journey up a muddy hill. Our boots were really powerful in such condition, but the skin near shin bones started to be irritated, and the pressure on our ankles made it painful on every step.

Our track today gave us distance view, compared to previous days when we went through jungles. Mountains and glacier on the Carstensz peak was vivid and clear. As we entered a wide savannah the view was amazingly breathtaking : the meadow, the river, the mountains, and the sky - altogether was perfectly painted by God's hand.

PAPUA CARSTENSZ PYRAMID EXPEDITION 2

A Journey To The Roof of Indonesia

 
"Men stumble over pebbles, never over mountains."

Marilyn French

In Part 1 Paman told us about how he got along with locals at Sugapa and Swanggama. Now the real expedition to Carstensz pyramid begins !

Day 3 - 6 : JAMBUSIGA - EBAY: Jungle with Wild rivers and swamps

 

Swanggama - Jambusiga Camp, July 19

 

Yes today our expedition to Carstensz Pyramid begins! At 7 a.m I've done my packaging. Porters packed tents, locals gathered and watched as these strangers prepare for the expedition. Curious children , gentlemen wearing koteka with riffle or arc and arrows in hands, hovering near us to get every chance to be photographed. Okay then...come everybody..say cheese..! Children chirped merrily, adults got really amazed seeing their  picture on the camera's LCD display, and the man with the riffle asked for a commission :(

Some porters hawked their commodities : 
cigarettes, candies, instant noodle, areca, and fried snacks. As these items were laid on top of a plastic sack, flies started to come and landed on fried snacks, followed by dogs and pigs. 
The seller drove out these animals with a waive of a hand.

PAPUA CARSTENSZ PYRAMID EXPEDITION 1

A Journey To The Roof of Indonesia

Climbing The Carstensz Pyramid , the 4.884 meter ASL peak - the highest in Australia continent, the one said to be the most mysterious of the seven summits, 
has been a dream for every mountainers.

And just like George Mallory quotes :
There's no dream that mustn't be dared
Our guest writer Paman accomplished it last 2013 mid year. 
Vanquishing fear, thinking that each step might be the end, 
this is an expedition of a lifetime.

Day 1 - 2 : TIMIKA - SUPAGA - SWANGGAMA : Getting Along With Locals

 

Timika - Sugapa , July 17

 

After spending one night in Timika, the next morning, July 17, 2013, we’re picked up at 07.30 local time (GMT +9) using 2 cars, headed to Moses Kilani airport. First thing to do there, is weighing our body and luggages, making sure that total weight of all cargo does not exceed our rented plane’s capacity.. 

Load Weighing

And here we were, meeting our new acquaintance, the team members: Dr.Frans- an Austrian adventurer, Trygve a Norwegian “Seven Summitter”, Christ a Canadian soldier and “Seven Summitter”. They seem familiar to adventure and have been to some of the seven summits, 180⁰ paradoxically to the four of us a s" local tourists". Mr T,  Mr S and me are colleagues working in the same company, while Mrs T is Mr T’s wife – obviously.  

Light rain, dark cloud,  and it was estimated that our flight will depart on 10.30.  So we went back to Timika to get some coffee at a small shop just in front of Hotel Komoro.

Fort Rotterdam - Makassar

The Best Preserved Dutch Fort in Asia 

(Barbara Crossette, New York Times Reporter)

History of Fort Rotterdam

According  to some literatures, this fort was build in  1545 by the King  of Gowa Kingdom , Imanrigau Daeng Bonto Karaeng Lakiung. Initially the name of this fort is Fort Ujung Pandang, while locals used to call it Fort Panyyua.  This fort used to be a landmark of Gowa Kingdom in its years of properity.

During Sultan Hassanuddin’s administration (1655-1669), the dutch attacked Gowa Kingdom in order to gain control of spice trade and as a milestone to conquer Banda and Maluku, the land of nutmeg. During this one-whole-year aggression,  Fort Ujung Pandang was heavily damaged, and the Sultan was forced to sign the Bongaya Treaty with which the Kingdom of  Gowa  gave its administration under the VOC (dutch east india company), therefore made Gowa  as a de-facto colonial territory of dutch. After rebuilt by dutch governor Cornelis Speelman, the fort was named Fort Rotterdam as a legacy to Speelman’s hometown. 

http://wisata.makassarkota.go.id

Original design of Fort Rotterdam was rectangular-as the majority of Portuguese buildings- with four bastions on each of its corner. The sea-turtle ground plan is in line with the philosophy of the Makassar people as sea explorers.

However, after Speelman’s renovation, Fort Rotterdam adopted dutch style, and the 5^th bastion was added on its western side.

Climbing Mount Kerinci - The Highest Peak at Sumatera

Dear Readers,

Here's a note on Mount Kerinci climbing by guest writer Paman. Enjoy his Kerinci moment as well as admire spectacular view of Mount Kerinci's peak. 

I'd like to thank Paman for contributing to liburdulu.blogspot.com, 
appreciate so much your detailed information about climbing Mount Kerinci, 
hope it will benefit our readers !!

About Mount Kerinci

Mount Kerinci is loacated at Jambi Province, Sumatera, and considered to be the highest mountain in Sumatera, with its peak’s height 3805 meter ASL (above sea level). Mount Kerinci is an active volcano,  last erupted in 2009. Mount Kerinci exists in the area of Kerinci Seblat National Park, which is the sanctuary of Sumateran tigers.

How To Get To Mount Kerinci

Hunting Nature Around Bandung 1

These places offers you a piece of nature and are within 1-2 hours drive from Bandung. Please note, that as one of the most populated cities in the world, you're likely to find those place packed with local visitors during weekends and holidays.

The Tangkuban Parahu Crater

Tangkuban Parahu is famously known for its unique shape like an upturned boat ('Tangkuban' in Sundanese means upturned, while 'Parahu' means boat). It's located 30 km northern Bandung. This volcano is now dormant (last eruption was 1959) and has 3 'kawah' (craters): Kawah Ratu, Kawah Upas and Kawah Domas . Before visiting Tangkuban Parahu, you might want to know the legend of Tangkuban Parahu.

Tangkuban Parahu view from Bandung. Photo: encycl.opentopia.com

Kawah Ratu is the biggest and located just near the parking lot, and you can view the deep large crater from above, most of the time covered by thin mist because of low temperature. Sulfuric fume leaves the crater's surface up the gulch and to upper atmoshphere, brings distinct sulfur smell.

Kawah Ratu . Photo :http://www.navigasi.net

Elephant Safari Park - Ubud, Bali

See, Touch, Feed, Ride an Elephant

  

For Indonesians and other Asians, elephants can be seen in almost any local zoo, so you don't have to go to Taro (it's 2-3 hours driving uphill from Kuta) to see them (although I admit, my family and I enjoyed visiting this Elephant Safari Park in Taro, Ubud) .
But for visitors from other part of the world where elephants can rarely found, this is a must-see attraction, and makes Bali a one-stop holiday destination that offers everything from beach, culture, and nature.

WAIT....what's so special about this elephant sanctuary?
See which high profile celebrities visited Elephant Safari Park :

Photo : Elephant Safari Park Brochure

  
Jean Claude van Damme,  Claudia Schiffer, Julia Roberts, Tony Blair, David Beckham, Jesica Biel and  the late crocodile hunter Steve Irwin, are only a few of them. 

Exotic Soups of Makassar

Makassar culinary is indeed more than just these soups, but these iconic soups are 'must try' at Makassar :

Coto Nusantara (Jalan Nusantara, Makassar) :

This is the front door of warung Coto Nusantara:

Inside is verrry crowded, especially in the morning until lunch time. 

The locals eat coto for breakfast or lunch.

The Coto Nusantara is 1-storey, you can see its whole area 

in this photo below:

Losari Beach - Makassar

Waterfront City Landmark

So famous is this Losari Beach, that every visitor is recommended (by the tour guide, by the internet) to come to Losari Beach. 

Central point of  Losari Beach is located at Jalan Penghibur, near Makassar city center. The government has made a 100.000-sq-meter open-air plaza in front of the beach, makes is a great waterfront square for public.
Although tourists are rarely seen here, but locals would come every afternoon around 5.30 p.m making Losari Beach really crowded and alive.

Locals love to spend their afternoon leisure time here, whether for admiring the floating  Amirul Mukminin Mosque  on the other side....

Pa'piong - Delicacy of Chicken Inside a Bamboo

More Than Finger Licking Good

Coming to Toraja, besides enjoying the funeral ceremony and visiting its unique burial sites, you must try Pa'piong - a perfect choice for your lunch.

Pa'piong is a specialty food of Tana Toraja. Chicken with spices are put inside a bamboo and then cooked in burning charcoal :

Then the bamboo is torn:

Smells good, tastes good, the chicken is tender and delicious :

Tana Toraja - Land of The Heavenly Kings (2)

Famous Burial Sites Not To Miss At Toraja

Toraja unique tradition in funeral procession and selecting burial sites has attracted people from outside its area, and from all over the world, to come and explore this land. Other than that, Toraja with its cool weather also has fabulous landscape with green padi field, and Toraja coffee is considered one of the best in the world. Also, it's specialty food Pa'piong and Pamarasan is one of the must-do's while you're at Toraja.
 
Some of the most famous burial sites are listed below. Each site belongs to a certain family clan. You can visit them all in 1 day, and the best way is to rent a car from a local rental (IDR 350,000 - IDR 500,000 depending on type or car and your bargaining skill) - I just didn't remember seeing any taxi at Rantepao. Motorcycle rent (with driver) is less preferable because it rains a lot for the whole year at Toraja. Entrance fare ranges IDR 5000 - IDR 15,000 per site.

Kete Kesu

Kete Kesu is a traditional village located near the city center. There, people still lives in traditional houses and traditional way. This village is famous for its hanging grave. 

Coffins are placed on a wooden palette hung up high on a cliff.

After years, the palette will decay and break down, so will the coffins.

Tana Toraja - Land of The Heavenly Kings 1

Celebration in Every Occasion

Tana Toraja today spreads out from South Toraja Regency (Kabupaten Toraja Selatan) with its capital city Makale, to North Toraja Regency (Kabupaten Toraja Utara) whose capital is Rantepao. 

Located high up on hills, the Torajan tribes has perserved their ancestor's tradition and culture as can be seen from their houses (Tongkonan, traditional Torajan house heading to the North), their rice barn, their way of living, 

Tongkonan

and their way of celebrating special occassion - especially burial procession (Rambu Solo') that can cost hundreds of million Rupiah, even billions! Their unique way to bury the dead comes from their belief  for thousands of years, that the Torajan's ancestor came from heaven, therefore dead bodies must not be buried , and must be placed high above the ground (in a cave, on a cliff).

Most of burial sites commonly visited by tourists are located in North Toraja Regency, just around Rantepao city : Kete Kesu, Lemo, Londa.

AND, don't forget to try Toraja specialty culinary : the Pa'piong (chicken cooked in bamboo) and Pamarasan (pork with black herb)

Leang-Leang Prehistoric Cave

A Visit To Leang Petta Kere And Leang Pettae 

 South Sulawesi

Simple Note about Leang-Leang :

There're lots of confusing and misleading information about these caves on the internet, so when I had a chance to visit both of them, I promised myself to share the right things :) about what's inside it, how to get there, who can visit, and entrance fare. Enjoy reading!

What's Inside Leang-leang Prehistoric Site :

After  entrance gate and parking lot, you'll see a 'stone garden' :

 

Wonderful view of natural rock formation with giant karst on the background

Unique shape of big rocks on the river

The karst landscape of Maros is a Unesco World Heritage Site and is the 2nd largest in the world (after Guilin in China). The one we see along the way to Leang-leang and in Leang-leang site is only a small part of it.

Oyo River Tubing

Dare to Body-raft This River?

This is the 2nd part post about Gunung Kidul River  Tubing.

After admiring the stalagtites of Pindul Cave, continue enjoying the nature of Bejilharjo Village by walking along a rice field headed to Oyo River..

Following the Padi Field Heading To Oyo RIver

Stream at the start point of Oyo River is a bit hard, so hold your handle tight, relax, and let your tube float freely..

Start Point

After that short adrenalin moment, enjoy the unique karst stone along Oyo River