When I was in elementary school, exactly when I was 5th class of Gribig IV Elementary School in Kudus, I had a study tour visiting Borobudur Temple. That was my first time to see the amazing places with the amazing building too. It was make me amazed, the building was high and big at that moment. It was in 1991. In 2002 was my second time I have visit Borobudur Temple, in Indonesian it called Candi Borobudur.

Borobudur is a ninth-century Mahayana Buddhist monument in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument comprises six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.

[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupa.
The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path circumambulating the monument while ascending to the top through the three levels of Buddhist cosmology, namely Kāmadhātu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). During the journey the monument guides the pilgrims through a system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the wall and the balustrades.
Evidence suggests Borobudur was abandoned following the fourteenth century decline of Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.

[2] Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the then British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

[3] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia's single most visited tourist attraction.

Label: Borobudur, Travelling

Label: Travelling

Lawang Sewu is a building in Semarang, Central Java, which is the office of Nederlandsch Indishe Spoorweg Naatschappij or NIS. Built in 1903 and completed in the year 1907. Located at the roundabout Tugu Muda Semarang who first called Wilhelmina Plein. The local community called Lawang Sewu (Thousand Doors). This is because the building has a door that many (in fact the door is not up to a thousand, perhaps also because the building is high and wide, people are also considered as a door). Ancient buildings and magnificent floor two after independence this is used as office Jawatan Kereta Api Indonesia (DKARI) or it is PT Kereta Api Indonesia. In addition, once used as an Office Board Komando Regional Military Facility (Kodam IV / Diponegoro) and the Office of the (office of) the Department of Transportation in Central Java. During the struggle of this building has a distinctive history record that is when the events took place five days Activists in Semarang (14 October - 19 October 1945) in the old building became the location of a great battle between youth AMKA or Youth Force against Kempetai Rail and Kidobutai, Japan. Therefore Semarang City Government with the Mayor of SK 650/50/1992, enter Lawang Sewu as one of 102 ancient or historic buildings in the city of Semarang that should protect. Currently, the building of 100 years was empty and poor as reputable building haunted and eerie. Occasionally used as a place of exhibition, and among Semarang Tourism Expo Expo.Pernah have also want to change the discourse to become hotel.Pada year 2007, the building is also used to film with the same title with the building.

Label: Lawang Sewu, Travelling

Seeking some rest and recreation in the hidden corner of Batam

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.
Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.
And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.
Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.
As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.
Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.
The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.
Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.
Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.
Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.
The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.
One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.
The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.
The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.
Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.
Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.
Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions.

Label: Batam, Travelling

Pristine view: A view of Lake Tamblingan, one of three lakes in central Bali being sought after by developers and investors as the island’s next potential tourism hotspot. Lake Tamblingan is part of a three-lake system within a massive caldera in Buleleng regency. The two others are the Buyan and Beratan lakes.

The regency of Buleleng may be getting another fancy tourism spot as the regent plans to invest money to develop Lake Buyan into an “ecotourism heaven”.
Buleleng Regent Putu Bagiada and investors from PT Anantara said both parties were ready to invest money into developing Lake Buyan into a “Buyan Ecotourism Heaven,” the area’s new name if the plan gets approved.
“We want to restore this area to its original grandeur, with its original culture and its original look,” Bagiada said at the Bali governor’s office Friday.
“This is the concept behind our plan to turn Lake Buyan into ‘Buyan Ecotourism Heaven.’”Located in the Sukasada district, Lake Buyan is one of the triplet lakes situated within a massive caldera. A vast wild forest separates Lake Buyan from Lake Tamblingan on its west, while on its east lies Lake Beratan.
So far only the area around Lake Beratan has been developed into a tourist destination. Its close proximity with Eka Karya, the island’s largest botanical garden, has made Lake Beratan a favorite weekend getaway for the residents of Bali’s southern urban cities.
Lake Beratan also hosts Ulun Danu, one of the most important water temples on the island.The three lakes have been getting shallower over the years due to sedimentation and were declared a priority for environmental damage mitigation by the State Ministry for the Environment last year.
Much of the blame for the sedimentation has been aimed at the construction of villas in the areas. Environmental groups say the villas take away water absorption space, causing mud to be carried along into the lakes.
The local agricultural practices, which use chemical fertilizers, have also been blamed for ruining the quality of the lake water.
When asked about what would change if Anantara were to be given the mandate to develop Lake Buyan, Anantara commissioner Liliah Sukoco said the company’s main concern was to maintain the area’s natural beauty.
“I understand the concern over further environmental degradation when a private company manages an environmental spot, but you have to understand that in order to maintain this lake, the local economy has to be improved,” she said.
She said Anantara’s plans to develop the 60-hectare area in and around Lake Buyan, which could absorb up to 1,000 workers, and that one of the company’s plans was to dredge the land under the lake bed to allow it to absorb more water and soil.
“But these are just plans, we are still waiting for the governor’s recommendation before we decide how we want to proceed,” she said.
Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika did not make any statement on Friday’s presentation, saying only he would consider the proposal.
“We will look into the possible benefits of PT Anantara’s plans,” he said.

From: The Jakarta Post

Label: Buleleng, Travelling