Tour guide for You

The Exotic tour Destination : Bunaken

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Bunaken is one of Indonesia's most famous dive/snorkeling areas, and it draws scuba divers & snorkelers from all over the world. In addition to Bunaken itself, a rather featureless banana-shaped island, the National Park includes the neighboring islands of Manado Tua, a distinctive cone-shaped extinct volcano, Siladen, Montehagen, Nain, and Nain Kecil.The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m in Manado Bay), clear (up to 35-40 m visibility), refreshing in temperature (27-29 C) and harbor some of the highest levels of biodiversity in the world. Pick any of group of interest - corals, fish, echinoderms or sponges - and the number of families, genera or species is bound to be astonishingly high.

About half an hour by a motorized outrigger canoe from Manado, Bunaken island is a veritable paradise for snorkelers and scuba enthusiasts. The coral reef off Bunaken island is particularly good for that and shouldn't be missed while you're in this region. The drop off wall at Liang Cove is not only rare in the world, as it's described by international divers as being spectacular with caves, gullies, and caverns harbouring an immense wealth of marine life. The water averages a balmy 28 degrees C and visibility is sensational (over) 30 m. The Bunaken sea garden is rich with colourful tropical marine life

About Bali : Bali at a Glance

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It is 5623 sqm fertile mountainous island, terraced rice-field dominates the landscape, with small streams bring water for irrigation. Bali boasts a tropical climate with just two seasons (wet and dry) a year and an average annual temperature of around 28 degree celcius. The majority of Bali's 3 millions people live, for the most part, in tight village communities with large extended families. Bali has many roads which criss-cross the island, connecting villages and cities in Bali which has many tourist beach resorts as well as village and mountain resorts.

Bali's culture, unique arts of music and dances, quality products in some forms of painting, weaving, carving, plaiting / basketry etc, colorful ceremonies almost daily in some different temples, gentle and friendly people practice their unique way of life, Interesting places for sightseeing from simple to special interest, adventure activities, endless shopping as well as scenic beauty make an Island becomes the most favorite places to visit. Those are good for holiday makers, sports and leisure, business meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions in recommended hotels, convention center from the most simple to theme of extravagance.

Balinese culture is based on its unique form of Hinduism called "Hindu Bali" which it retained after the Islamisation of Java and developed through the centuries. The Balinese have managed to preserve their culture despite of overwhelming foreign influence brought by increasing number of visitors to Bali. Villagers spend their free time in these arts, music and dancing which is taught from a very young age. The soul of Balinese is their religion and it finds its expression in the arts. Spare the time to visit the Island as the only way to feel the experience as above.

Culture, People and Religion
Life in Bali is very communal with the organization of villages, farming and even the creative arts being decided by the community. Some aspects of Balinese life are placed in the hands of two traditional committees, such as "subak", concerns the production of rice and organizes the complex irrigation system. This is for everyone who owns a rice padi field, must join their local subak, to ensure that every member gets his fair distribution of irrigation water.

The second community organization is the "Banjar" which arranges all village festivals, marriage ceremonies and cremations. Most villages have at least one banjar and all males have to join one when they marry.

The Balinese are Hindu and the religion is different from that of the Indian variety. The Balinese worship the Hindu trinity Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, who are seen as manifestations of the Supreme God. Balinese believe strongly in magic and the power of spirits, and much of their religion is based upon this.

Daily offerings is a significant role in Balinese life as they appease the spirits and thus bring prosperity and good health to the family. Festivals are another great occasion for appeasing the Gods. There are traditional dances and music of Balinese gamelan in the festivities.

Attending Ceremonie:
Reme these are serious occasions and should be treated as such. Religious guidlines :
1. Always wear a sarong and sash.
2. Do not walk in front of people praying.
3. Do not use flash camera or push your camera into the priest's face!
4. Never sit higher than priest or the offerings
5. At cremation, do not get in the way of the attendees - however important that photographic opprtunity is!
6. Women are not allowed to enter temples during menstruation.

Art & Artists
For centuries, Balinese artists and craftsmen worked in a natural capacity for absorbing different cultural elements and blending them with their own. The artists themselves never signed their work and usually lived close together in artist's villages. However with the arrival of European artists at the start of this century, this soon began to change. The local artists started developing their own individual styles of Painting on different villages.

For those who love Stone Carving, Bali's modern-day centre of stone carving is the village of Batubulan, situated halfway between the towns of Denpasar and Ubud. Stone carving were mainly used to decorate temples and palaces, however in this modern time, it used to decorate Balinese compound and its gates, villas and boutique resort to make the outlook more luxury.

Another art of Wood Carving has traditionally featured largely in temple and palace architecture, such as on pillars, door panels, window shutters with the aim of protecting the buildings from evil intruders.

Bali textile has the rich variety of Cloth and Materials that are to be seen in thousand of shops throughout the island. Batik clothes and sarongs available everywhere and mainly imported from Java. Bali has also its own Balinese traditional clothes. The beautiful "songket" gold and silver threads are woven into the cloth to create complex motifs of birds, flowers, butterflies etc. "Endek" cloth is also another method used in Bali, it is good for sarong and top dress.

Dance and Drama
Dance and drama have historically played an important role in Balinese society. Through this medium, people learned about the tales of the Ramayana, Mahabarata and other epic stories form Balinese history. Some brief descriptions of well-known dance-dramas that can be seen at regular performances, throughout Bali.

Bali Dance

Barong Dance (Barong and Rangda)
It is a story about the struggle between good and evil. Good is personified by the Barong Keket, a strange, fun loving creature in the shape of a shaggy semi-lion. Evil is represented by Rangda, a witch.
Baris Dance
This is a warrior’s dance. It is usually performed by men, either solo or in a group of six or more.
Kecak Dance
The Kecak dance originated from the Sanghyang dance choirs, who chant a distinctive "kechak-khecak" accompaniment. Story in this dance is derived from Ramayana epic.
Legong Dance
It is a very classical and graceful dance, and is always performed by prepubescent girls, often as young as eight or nine years old.
Sanghyang Trance Dance
Sanghyang Dedari is performed by 2 girls and these girls are supposedly untrained and can keep their eyes are firmly shut. Sanghyang Jaran, a boy dances around and through a fire, riding a coconut palm hobbyhorse. This is frequently called the Fire Dance. In both dances, a priest is always on hand to help bring the dancers out of their trance-state at the end of the performance.

Bali Drama

Arja and Drama Gong
A performance of Arja, Balinese folk opera, can hold an entire village engrossed from late evening until nearly sun-rise. Love stories drawn from the classics of the ancient king-doms of Java are reenacted with all of the tragicomic and ro-mantics ingridients guaranteed to appeal. The royal characters move in a slow stylised dance and sing and talk in a high fal-setto using high Balinese which is translated into the common language and which is much more easily understood by the audience. Drama Gong is a development of Arja that is pre-formed by actors and a musical group without dance and has recently become very popular in the community.
Ramayana
The epic story of Rama and Sita, often performed as a mixture of traditional dance and modern motifs of comedy. The monkeys enjoy artistic liberty and the unforgettable character Hanuman, the white monkey general regularly enthralls audiences.
Shadow Theater
A white screen, a flame, music, and traditional puppets....conjuring a magical and hypnotic performance.
Wayang Kulit (Shadow Puppet)
Wayang Kulit is one of the great story-telling traditions of the Javanese and Balinese. The Wayang show normally consists of a small 4-pieces orchestra, which provides the musical accompaniment, around 60' puppets' carved out of flat of pieces of water buffalo hide and Dalang, or Puppet master. Good characters normally speak in ancient 'Kawi' and evil or coarse characters speak Balinese.
Arjuna Wiwaha Ballet
Arjuna is one of the principal characters in the Hindu epic of the Mahabrata. The Arjuna Wiwaha Ballet describes the nobility and heroism of Arjuna. It is a tribute to his strength of character and devotion to the God Indra. The Ballet opens with the meditation of Arjuna, who is seeking the blessing of God Indra to test his perseverance and spiritual strength. The God puts him through many trials and send beautiful nymphs to break his concentration, but they fail. He then sends the giant Momosimuka to disturb his prayers, but the giant is defeated by Arjuna. Finally, God Shiwa, disguised as a hunter tries to lure Arjuna from his meditation. He too in unsuccessful and Arjuna is accepted by God Indra who give him the arrow of immortality and asks him to guard heaven from the evil giant monster. In the mean while Dewi Supraba, the most dazzling of all the nymphs has discovered that the monster's strength lies in its tongue. While the giant is busy mocking Arjuna, he shoots it in the tongue with his arrow and saves heaven from destruction. Before he departs, he takes the lovely Dewi Supraba as his wife.

Bledug Kuwu : a mud Vulcano

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Central Java, Indonesia

bledug Kuwu

Bledug Kuwu is one of tourist attractions in Wirosari area in Grobogan Region, Purwodadi, Central Java. Bledug Kuwu is a local name for something that burst in pool. This is rather strange pool that far from volcano. The vapor burst came from carbon dioxide release. The temperature is mild. Visitors might experience a stunning natural occurrence of small, frequent bursts from mud crate with a sound resembling a mount eruption. This natural phenomenon is resulted from geothermal motion inside the earth bed. Witness said that a big burst could even create small quakes that quiver the area.

Bledug Kuwu looks like just another muddy pond. But every one or two minutes, the placid water erupts in an explosion of mud, followed by a plume of white steam. There is not like Mud brust in Sidoarjo East Java. Bledug Kuwu does not a disaster.The pond is located just off the alternative road connecting Purwodadi and Cepu in Central Java, on a site measuring some 4.5 hectares. Bledug Kuwu has become a tourist attraction in the area. The visitors can watch the geyser from a distance of between 10 meters and 20 meters. The eruptions of water and mud shift positions from time to time. But there are two spots where the geyser regularly erupts. The locals call the one in the east Mbah (Grandpa) Jokotua and the one in the west Mbah (Grandma) Rodenok. They have given the spots where the geyser .

Legend of Bledug Kuwu

In a long time ago ,around 7-century BC, the region in areas including Grobogan Medang Kamolan kingdom ruled by Sanjaya Dynasty / dynasty. One of the king of this dynasty is Dewata Cengkar, a reputedly very fond of eating human flesh. Because the king’s favorite is a strange, make people feel fear. They do not want to become the king of the fine blood thirsty that. Different ways to do against the king, but they are useless. Nothing can beat the king with his power.

Some time later, there were Ajisaka, a nomad, who are concerned with the suffering experienced by the people. Ajisaka was then trying to stop the practice of the king. With witnessed by thousands of pairs of eyes, Ajisaka also challenging magic power compete with the king. Many people doubt the ability Ajisaka, considering the small body. But any community still hopes to put Ajisaka. The king who accept the challenge Ajisaka only with laughter. King also offers, if ever Ajisaka able to defeate, the Ajisaka are entitled to a prize of half the kingdom. Conversely, if less Ajisaka, the king will take Ajisaka body.

in a short story, King Dewata Cengkar where the rub. This is in line with the rate increasing headgear Ajisaka, until finally Dewata Cengkar thrown in the South Sea. Dewata Cengkar but does not die, rather, her body into a crocodile (crocodile) and white. After Dewata Cengkar die , then people Ajisaka as crown prince in Medang Kamolan.

At the time Ajisaka ruled Medang Kamolan, there was confess that a dragon called Jaka disseminated. That dragon was mix the mud so called Bledug Kuwu .

Jaka several times tried to appear weak to the surface, because the suspect has been in place until the destinations. The first time he appeared in the Village Ngembak (now the City Purwodadi District), and in Jono (Tawangharjo District), and in Grabagan, Crewek, and in the last Kuwu (third entry Kradenan District). Kuwu in this is, perhaps disseminated Jaka was tired release. And this is where the emergence of the now believed to be the original legend appearance Bledhug Kuwu.

Tips to tour in Pattaya

2009-11-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Do you know about Pattaya ? Yes, a beautiful place in Thailand.

Most people, especially single men, are guaranteed a great stay in Pattaya. With its wonderful nightlife and laid-back atmosphere, it’s hard not to enjoy yourself, but there are a few safety tips to bear in mind whilst visiting.

Pattaya Beach

Late at night, from 1am onwards, try not to travel alone in secluded areas. On second Road, between Soi 7 and 11, exercise caution, as there have been muggings along this stretch. The pier from Walking Street and the beach are known not to be particularly safe areas after dark. Also, be alert for pickpockets in the heavily congested tourist areas.

Ladyboys are infamous in every major Thai city for robbing farangs. If these exotic creatures are your kettle of fish, and you decide to take one back to your hotel, keep your wits about you. Some male tourists have woken up in the morning with a sore head from being drugged and found their wallet and belongings have gone.

Many ladyboys make a career out of this, or at least enough to finance their gender-changing operations. Many of them hang around the beachfront in the early hours of the morning and can be quite forward and aggressive if you’re on your own.

No matter how tight-fisted you may be, always try to take a girl from a bar, rather than a freelancer on the beach or in the street. Many are illegal aliens, and should they rip you off they’ll be harder to track down.

The traffic can be quite hazardous if you don’t keep your wits about you. If you’ve had a few too many Sangsoms try to remember to look both ways. 2nd Road and Soi Diana are particularly busy.

Don’t be talked into going to a gem shop – really old scam this one – you’ll just pay a fortune for coloured glass. “Mai ow krap,” is a phrase that comes in very useful in Pattaya. “No thank you,” is often not enough to deter the sellers of pirate DVDs and fake Rolexes, but if you say it in Thai they think you’ve been in the country awhile and are not so gullible.

Don’t start a fight with a Thai. They may look smaller than you, and easy prey, but it won’t take long before you’re tackling four or five of them. Never disrespect Buddha or the Royal family, and the majority of Thais will treat you warmly.

If you’re offered drugs, no matter how light the penalties may be in your own country, refuse outright. Just one joint of marijuana can result in a six-year prison sentence. Thai prisons are notoriously harsh.

Probably stating the obvious this one: always wear protection. HIV has become very prevalent in Thailand over the last decade.

Now enjoy and have a sabbai dee time.