Geography & Climate

The island of Lombok is located east of Bali. Tourism is not quite as developed yet as Bali and it is that reason which makes Lombok the perfect getaway. Escape to picturesque mountainside landscapes to white sand beaches of the Gili Islands. A place to relax and unwind from the daily life back home. Lombok also has the third largest volcano in all of Indonesia, Mount Rinjani, which extends 3726 meters high with a crater lake called Segara Anak.



The main season here are wet season which starts from November to May and dry season start from May-October. The best time to come is in the month of May when the weather is just perfect with bright daylight and green scenery.

People & Religion

The local inhabitants of Lombok are called Sasaks. They speak Indonesian as well as their local Sasak language. The other main ethnicity’s include Balinese, Chinese, Arabian, and Javanese.

Lombok has three main districts with three capital cities: Mataram in the west, Praya in central and Selong in east Lombok. The majority of commerce is in the capital city of Mataram in west Lombok. The majority of the population on Lombok are Muslims. Every Friday around 12.30 noon, Muslims go to the mosques just like Christians go to church on Sunday. Therefore, on that day most businesses and government offices are closed half day and then re-open again after praying (not including Senggigi).
If you are planning on traveling around the island and visiting small villages it is more respectable to wear slacks or knee length shorts, a shirt with sleeves or a sarong. If you happened to be here during Ramadan, which is the Muslim month of fasting from sunrise to sunset, please do not to eat, drink or smoke out in the open public during this month long fast. Even though the people don’t seem bothered in the common tourist areas like, Senggigi and the Gili islands, it is better to respect the people and not eat or smoke openly.



Wetu Telu

Wetu telu is an unique religion that that blends Islam - Animism and is only found in north Lombok.

It roots stem from the village of Bayan in the north.



The people who practice this still consider themselves Muslims but they have their own rituals in addition to the normal Muslim ones. One such ceremony is Nyiu, that takes place 1000 days after someone dies.

The relatives of the deceased offer material things like clothing, toothbrushes, food, dishes, mattresses, etc. so the deceased will be pleased in heaven.



Money & Local Currencies

When changing money there are many money changers in Lombok. The best rates are usually in Senggigi. Money changers prefer new, clean large bills and will accept smaller denominations at a lower rate. If you have traveler’s checks the rate will be less than bank notes.



Be sure to count your money before you leave money changers. You can also check local banks but the rate is slightly lower than outside. Re-count the money in front of the money changer reception is a must, as usually there's a quick tricky way how they can steal your money.



A suggestion when changing money. If you plan on making small purchases be sure to carry small denominations with you because many sellers do not have change. The Rupiah come in denominations of 100,000, 50,000, 10,000, 5,000, 1,000, and 500, 100 in coin.



Vehicle Rentals:

Dont miss Lombok's beautiful scenery. If you choose to rent a car or motorcycles and drive yourself, you must have an International Driving License.

Renting a car is a good alternative to get around Lombok, either self driving or with driver so you can relax and enjoy the view. (Tip driver pocket money for meals if you stop for lunch or dinner). If you are pleased with service, tip ( Rp. 20,000 minimum). If you collide with anything, or it collides with you, you are responsible for all cost.



Motorcycles are a convenient and inexpensive way to get around the Island, but Tourists are frequently injured in motorbike accident. If you rent a bike, drive slowly and very defensively. Helmets are required by law but those provided by rental agencies offer little protection.



Business Hours

Indonesian work in the morning to avoid the heat of the day. If you need to visit a government office, arrive between 08 AM and 11:30 AM. This also apply to banks and private businesses. Government offices close early on Fridays and Saturdays. Generally offices are open 07:30AM - 3 PM Monday - Thursday, 07:00AM - noon on Friday. Banks and Government Offices are closed on Saturday and Sunday.



Cell Phone

Cellular phone in Indonesia is GSM. If you have brought your cellular hand phone, you can purchase prepaid calling cards to make outgoing calls at lower cost than calling on your home SIM. Shops which sell these cards are prolific. Major service providers are: Telkomsel, Satelindo and XL Ritel. Look for signs and banners with those markings.



Health and Medical Info

Most hotels have on call doctors. For what it is known by Australian as "Bali Belly", Iomotil and Imodium eliminate Symptoms, but not infections. A fever along with the symptoms requires doctor prescribed antibiotics. Drink as much as liquid as possible. For discomfort, diarrhea, and cramping, drink strong, hot tea; avoid fruits and spicy food. Drink only bottled water or boiled water (air putih).



Peel the fruit before eating; avoid raw vegetables except at reputable restaurants. Ice in restaurants is safe. Protect yourself from the intense equatorial sun. Use sun block and hat. Sexually transmitted diseases are increasing in Indonesia. Local sex workers have multiple partners from all over the world. Act responsibly and use condoms, available over the counter at pharmacies.



Things To Take Back Home

Wanting to take back something from Lombok? Lombok has great woven textiles like songkets and ikats that can be used as a sarong, wall hanging, table cloth and more. The design woven is special to each weaver and it is passed down through the generations before. There is a traditional hand weaving village in Puyung, central Lombok. You can even try on a traditional Sasak costume.



Banyumulek (West Lombok), Penujak (Central Lombok) and Masbagik (East Lombok) are famous villages in Lombok for making pottery. Lombok pottery has gained popularity and is shipped throughout the world. There is a wide range of selections and it can custom made to your liking. We hope to develop the economy of the area by directly meet them with serious buyer from all over the world.



There are many traditional handicrafts you could take back as a souvenir i.e. wooden masks, baskets made out of ketak grass, wooden boxes designed with bits of shells, or other things made from bamboo or rattan.

(source :http://www.lombok-network.com)

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BALI

Bali is one of over 13,000 islands in the Indonesian archipelago and is located just over 2 kilometres from the eastern tip of the island of Java and west of the island of Lombok. The island home of approximately 4 million people is approximately 144 kilometres from east to west and 80 kilometres north to south.

The islands varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides provide a picturesque backdrop to the colourful and deeply spiritual culture of this 'Island of The Gods'.

the word paradise is used a lot in Bali, and not without reason. The combination of friendly, hospitable people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and (not least) spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali Indonesia's unparalleled number one tourist attraction. Eighty percent of international visitors to Indonesia visit Bali and Bali alone.

The popularity is not without its flip sides — once paradisaical Kuta has degenerated into a congested warren of concrete, touts and scammers live on overcharging tourists, and the island's visibility has even drawn the unwanted attention of terrorists in 2002 and 2005 — but Bali has managed to retain its magic. Bali is a wonderful destination with something for everyone, and though heavily travelled, it is still easy to find some peace and quiet if you like.

Balinese dance and music are also justly famous. As on Java, the gamelan orchestra and wayang kulit shadow puppet theater predominate. Dances include:

• barong or "lion dance" — a ritual dance depicting the fight between good and evil, with performers wearing fearsome lion-like masks
• kecak or "monkey dance" — Actually invented in the 1930s by early German resident Walter Spies for a movie but a spectacle nonetheless, with up to 250 dancers in concentric circles chanting "kecak kecak", while a performer in the center acts out a spiritual dance

Festivals

Odalan procession

There are an estimated 20,000 temples (pura) on the island, each of which holds festivals (odalan) at least twice a year and there are many other auspicious days throughout the year, meaning that there are always festivities going on.

There are some large festivals celebrated islandwide, but their dates are determined by two local calendars. The 210-day wuku or Pawukon calendar is completely out of sync with the Western calendar, meaning that it rotates wildly throughout the year.The lunar saka (caka)

calendar roughly follows the Western year.

• Funerals, called pitra yadnya, are another occasion of pomp and ceremony, when the deceased (often several at a time) are ritually cremated in extravagantly colorful rituals.

• Galungan (next held on 20th August 2008). A 10-day festival celebrating the death of the tyrant Mayadenawa. Gods and ancestors visit earth and are greeted with gift-laden bamboo poles called penjor lining the streets. The last day of the festival is known as Kuningan.

• Nyepi, or Hindu New Year, usually March/April (next held on March 26, 2009). This is the one festival worth avoiding: on Nyepi, also known as the Day of Absolute Silence, absolutely everything on the island is shut down and tourists are confined to their hotels (find somewhere with a pool). However if you are in Bali in the weeks preceding Nyepi you will see amazing colourful giants (Ogoh Ogoh) being created by every banjar throughout the island. On Nyepi Eve the Ogoh Ogoh are paraded through the streets, an amazing sight, not to be missed especially in Denpasar.

Nyepi is a very special day to the Balinese as this is the day that they have to fool all evil spirits that no-one is actually on Bali - hence the need for silence. If this can be achieved, then it is believed that the evil spirits will go looking elsewhere for their prey and leave Bali island alone for another year. Balinese people are very religious and life is full of ritual - Nyepi is one of the most important days in their calendar. Police and security are on hand to make sure that everyone abides by this rule.

Nyepi also serves to remind the Balinese of the need for tolerance and understanding in their everyday life. In fact, Hinduism on Bali is unique because it is woven into and around the original Balinese animistic religion. The two now have become one for the Balinese - a true sign of tolerance and acceptance!

All national public holidays covered in Indonesia also apply, although Ramadan is naturally a

much smaller event here than in the country's Muslim regions.

Get in

By plane

Most visitors will arrive at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai international airport: Tel.: (62)(361) 751011. You can fly to Bali from major cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar etc) or from major cities in Asia and Australia.

Many travelers try to search for 'Bali' using travel websites and so for. It should be noted that Ngurah Rai's airport code is DPS. The airport is actually located between Kuta & Jimbaran and roughly 30 mins away from Denpasar.

I

n the low-cost carrier set:

• Jetstar Asia operate from Singapore
• AirAsia operate direct flights to Denpasar from Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu
• Malaysia Airlines operate daily direct flights from Kuala Lumpur
• Mandala Airlines operates from Hong Kong and Taipei

Note that if you are flying internationally into Ngurah Rai, most nationalities are now required to purchase an Entry Visa (US$25 or EUR20 or Rp 250,000 in cash for 30 days); see the main Indonesia article for details. Few other currencies are accepted so it's a good idea to play safe

and have the required dollars on hand. Flying internationally out of Bali you are subject to the airport tax (150,000 Rupiah effective from 1st November 2007) which you would need to pay for in Rupiah so save some bills for the trip out. The domestic departure tax is Rp. 30,000.

ATM machines are available at Airport Departure Lobby which accept Cirrus and Plus cards for withdrawals.

Some hotels organize free transfers from the airport but there are plenty of other taxis also available. Approximate price for getting from Ngurah Rai to Legian is Rp. 40,000. If coming from the airport ignore touts offering rides. After years of abuse the airport and legitimate taxi

companies dictated that fixed prices be offered. There is a dedicated booth at the airport for arranging rides to town (and any other location on the island). This is on the right just through the arrival doors for international.

Since the second bombing, security at the airport has increased considerably and be prepared for rigorous scrutiny of luggage, including carry-on items.

By bus

There are direct bus services to Bali from all major cities on Java as well as Lombok, which use the ferries to cross over. These are cheap and easy, but slow.

By boat

Ferries cross from Gilimanuk in western Bali to Ketapang on the island of Java every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day, and the crossing takes just 30 minutes (plus waiting around, loading, unloading, etc).

A number of speedboats and catamarans operate from Benoa Harbor near Kuta (~2 hours) and Padangbai (80 min) to the Gili Islands of Lombok. These are expensive (~US$60 one way) but convenient, see the Gili Islands article for details.

There are also public slow boats from Padangbai to Lembar (Lombok) every few hours, with the trip taking around 3.5 hours.

See

Sunset at Desa Kerobokan Singaraja

Bali's best-known attractions are its countless Hindu temples. Even the smallest villages usually have at least three, but the nine directional temples (kayangan jagat) are the largest and most important. Uluwatu, at the southern tip of Bali, is easily accessed and hence the most popular, with Tanah Lot a close second. However, for the Balinese themselves, the "mother temple" of Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung is the most important of all.

Monuments

• Garuda Wisnu Kencana. Nusa Dua, Kabupaten Badung, 40 km south of Denpasar. Created by I Nyoman Nuarta. This is statue of the god Wisnu (Vishnu) riding the mythical Garuda bird.

• Bali Bomb, Jl. Legian, Kuta. This monument commemorates the 202 victims of the first Bali Bomb attack in October 2002, including 161 tourists from 21 countries. The site of the former Sari Club, obliterated in one of the blasts, lies adjacent to the monument. It has not been redeveloped.

Do

Hot springs — There are several hot springs to be discovered in Bali. One of them, along the northern coast of the island, near Lovina, is Air Panjar where stone mouth carvings allow hot water to pass between pools which are set among a lush garden.

Spa — Bali is paradise for spa lovers and all sorts of treatments are widely available, but the Balinese lulur body scrub with herbs and spices — traditionally performed before a wedding ceremony — is particularly popular. Balinese massage is usually done with oil and involves long, Swedish-style strokes. In steep contrast to exorbitant Western massage fees, Balinese massage is an incredible value, and visitors should definitely avail themselves this luxury. In local salons, a one-hour full body massage will cost between Rp. 40 - 60,000, and the two-hour mandi lulur, which incorporates a body scrub and hydrating yoghurt body mask in addition to the massage, will cost about Rp. 100,000. The curiously named creambath is a relaxing scalp and shoulder massage, usually lasting 45 minutes, in which a thick conditioning cream is worked through the hair and into the scalp. A creambath typically costs about Rp. 40,000. Note that these same services in an upscale hotel will cost many times more.

Weddings — Balinese wedding getting popular in recent years. The exotic tradition, ceremonies, music and costumes has a special attraction among western people. Many couples who are already legally married to each other choose Bali as the perfect place to renew their vows. Full wedding services are widely available in Bali such as: ceremony arrangements, photography, videography, flowers, musicians, dancers, caterers etc. There are about ten wedding chapels available in Bali today (largely in luxury hotels) and the number is growing. You can find many professional wedding organizer to handle your wedding in Bali through the internet. Destination weddings, featuring all types of religious and presentation arrangements, are becoming increasingly popular with private villas being one of the island's many offerings for venues.

Voluntary work An excellent way to get to know and understand more of the country is to do some voluntary work. There are some organizations that arrange work for international volunteers in Bali and other places in the region.

Sports

• Scuba Diving — There are many interesting scuba diving sites around Bali such as the wreck of USAT Liberty Glo at Tulamben. Pulau Menjangan is particularly popular.

• Surfing — Warm waters, crowds, cheap living and reliable sets keeps Bali near the top of world surfing destinations. The southern coast, namely Kuta and the around Nusa Dua are the primary draws. Beginners will find the gentler, sandy areas of Kuta to be ideal for learning. You'll find surf instructors lounging around the beach; a one hour lesson including board rental from a beach teacher will cost you around $10 USD or less. The teaching done by these local beach teachers is very questionable. From a real surf shop, the price may be $45 USD/hr.

(Source wikipedia)
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Banjarmasin (City of a Thousands Rivers)

One of the province in Kalimantan is South Kalimantan, that the capital city is Banjarmasin, one of big city in Kalimantan Banjarmasin is addresses as city of water or city of a thousands rivers, many canals and waterways there, like in Venice. The rivers is like a hearth of the city, most of native people in Banjarmasin are use rivers for their daily activities, such as for transportation and for trading using a boat that called "Klotok" And also people built houses on the riverside or even on the rivers or it called "Lanting".

How to get There?

We can go to Banjarmasin by Airplane or by Passenger Boat. If you want to get here by plane from Jakarta (Soekarno Hatta Airport), Jogjakarta (Adi Sucipto Airport), or Surabaya (Juanda Airport), just take a destination to Syamsuddin Noor Banjarmasin Airport and when you arrive then you take a Taxi go to Banjarmasin City, it take 45 Minute from Airport.
Another way to get to Banjarmasin is by Boat. You can go from Jakarta (Tanjung Priok Port), Semarang (Tanjung Mas Port) or Surabaya Port (Tanjung Perak Port), and go directly to "Trisakti Port" in Banjarmasin.

Attraction

There are many of interested places to visit in Banjarmasin, one of the most famous tourist destination is "Floating Markets" or "Pasar Terapung". It is the traditional market which present the local wisdom of economic fields of societies. It also represents banjarnese cultures which are inherent with the life of people along the river flows. Floating market is located on Kuin river at the north of Banjarmasin. It starts in the morning around 5 am to 7 am central Indonesian time. In this market,the seller and the buyer stay on their boat to make transaction. The goods sold such as banjarese food, vegetables, fruits and handicraft.

Another interested place is "Pulau Kembang". This small island is inhabited by the primate species (monkey). This species have been existed naturally in that island. This island located on the eastside of Banjarmasin. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the island by boat from Banjarmasin City. However, the monkeys are quite aggressive and will try to steal it from you so be extra careful.

One of landmark of Banjarmasin is Sabilal Muhtadin. It is a famous Mosque for Muslim in Banjarmasin or surrounding area to take a Pray or another religious activity. It is located at Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, and faced to Martapura River.

From banjarmasin to direction marabahan, there's a long bridge connected two areas that divided by barito river. looks like san fransisco bridge at the night!

In Banjarmasin, you can taste banjarnese cuisine such as Soto Banjar, Sate, Nasi Kuning, Lontong Sayur. In Ramadhan month (fasting month for Muslim), in many places around Banjarmasin will have Pasar Wadai / Cake Market fair that sell traditional food. this market usually open from 5 pm till 8 pm.

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Satay

Satay or sate is a dish consisting of chunks or slices of dice-sized meat (chicken, goat, mutton, beef, pork, fish, etc.) on bamboo skewers (although the more authentic version uses skewers from the midrib of the coconut leaf). These are grilled or barbecued over a wood or charcoal fire, then served with various spicy seasonings (depends on satay recipe variants).

Satay may have originated in Java, Indonesia, but it is also popular in many other Southeast Asian countries, such as: Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand, as well as in The Netherlands which was influenced through its former colonies.

Satay is a very popular delicacy in Indonesia, with a rich variety among Indonesia’s diverse ethnic groups’ culinary art. In Indonesia, satay can be obtained from a traveling satay vendor, from a street-side tent-restaurant, in an upper-class restaurant, or during traditional celebration feasts


Satay variants and outlets of note

Known as sate in Indonesian (and pronounced similar to the English), Indonesia is the home of satay, and satay is a widely renowned dish in almost all regions of Indonesia. As a result, many variations have been developed throughout the Indonesian Archipelago.

Sate Madura

Originating on the island of Madura, near Java, is certainly the most famous variant among Indonesians. Most often made from mutton or chicken, the distinctive characteristic of the recipe is the black sauce made from indonesian sweet soy sauce/kecap manis mixed with palm sugar (called gula jawa or "javanese sugar" in Indonesia), garlic,deep fried shallots, peanut paste, fermented "terasi" (a kind of shrimp paste),candlenut/kemiri, and salt. Sate Madura uses thinner chunks of meat than other varians of Satay. It is mainly eaten with rice or rice cake wrapped in banana/coconut leaves (lontong/ketupat). Raw thinly sliced shallot and plain sambal also often served as condiments

Sate Padang
A dish from Padang city and the surrounding area in West Sumatra, is made from cow or goat offal boiled in spicy broth, which is then grilled. Its main characteristic is yellow sauce made from rice flour mixed with spicy offal broth, turmeric, ginger, garlic, coriander, galangal root, cumin, curry powder and salt. It is further separated into two sub-variants, the Pariaman and the Padang Panjang, which differ according to taste and the composition of their yellow sauces.

Sate Ponorogo
A variant of satay originating in Ponorogo, a town in East Java. It is made from whole sliced marinated chicken meat, and served with a sauce made of peanuts and chilli sauce. Garnished with shredded shallots, sambal (chili paste) and lime juice. The uniqueness of this varient is each skewer contains a whole chicken meat, not several slices. The meat also previously being marinated in spices and sweet soy sauce for quite some times (process called "bacem") to allow spice to soak into the meat. The grill is made from terracotta earthenware that have hole in one side to allow blowing the wind onto the burning coal. After use around 3 months, the earthenware grill would break apart, thus must be replaced to ensure the hygiene of the grill. The dish served with rice or lontong (rice cake).

Sate Makassar
From a region in Southern Sulawesi, is made from beef and cow offal marinated in sour carambola sauce. It has a unique sour and spicy taste. Unlike most satays, it is served without sauce.

Sate Banjar
A variant of satay popular in South Kalimantan, especially in the town of Banjarmasin

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Nasi Padang (Rendang)

Padang: The birthplace of rendang

Padang in West Sumatra is known more as the origin of the country’s most popular cuisine than as a provincial capital, thanks to the ubiquitous Padang restaurants.

Go to any town or city across the archipelago, and the chances are you will find a place to eat called Rumah Makan Padang or Padang Restaurant, either on the roadside, or in luxurious malls or even in more upmarket establishments. How did it happen?

To explain the success of the food of the people of West Sumatra, one has to know that the Padang men have an adventurous spirit and like to broaden their horizons. It is said they believe that their mother’s cooking is the very best and cannot not be found anywhere else.

Add to this their good sales skills and it is not surprising that when three people of West Sumatran origin meet, a restaurant will be set up.

Mama’s culinary skills and her ceaseless prayers (doa bundo) for her children to seek a better life and return home rich are always in their mind. And what does a loving mother give to her son when he has to go to a far away place with no home-cooked food? It has to be a traditional dish that can be kept for a long time and one that becomes better and better when reheated!

Well, that is certainly rendang or meat cooked in a thick coconut milk sauce, spicy hot just like their mothers make. Though in a cookery book about Indonesia’s regional foods published in 1967 by the then agriculture ministry titled Mustikarasa, rendang is a method of preparation in which the ingredients are cooked without any oil.

So when the young man gets homesick he would eat some rendang and offer it to his new friends, popularizing the dish among non-West Sumatran people.

Taking the name for from their place of origin, they call it Padang food as most West Sumatrans are also very proud of their capital. Of course there are now many West Sumatra people who say why not Bukittinggi food or Lubuk Linggau food? But one cannot deny that Padang is more saleable that any other name and it has gone global. In Singapore or Australia, Padang food is known and rendang will be on the menu.

The rendang outside Indonesia is sometimes not the classic West Sumatran rendang, it sometimes is only partly cooked rendang. Traditional rendang has no sauce and because of the preparation the meat is dark brown in color. When it still has thick coconut milk sauce it is called kalio. And that is what in many countries or even in Indonesia outside West Sumatra, is served as rendang.

Perhaps the procedure of making authentic rendang takes too long and requires a lot of patience because one has to stir it often until the sauce is totally absorbed by the meat which will then give it the rather dark color. The preparation is actually not too complicated, but what one has to pay attention to is the time of cooking and rendang is best made from sirloin. Rendang has gained popularity in many countries and when asking visitors to Sumatra what dish they like most the answer will be most likely rendang whether it is from Padang, Bukit Tinggi or anywhere else in West Sumatra where people are very adept in creating spicy, delicious food.

–Suryatini N. Ganie

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NIAS Island

With it's famous megalithic stone altars and furniture, spectacular traditional architecture, and complex religious rites, this fasctinating island offers a journey in to the past. Nias island lies approximately 125 km south west of Sibolga city. The land has rolling mountainous terrain, gorges, ravines, and rivers ans is subject to earth quakes. The northern half of the island is sparsely populated and featured large swampy areas.
The local people of Nias called the island as Tano Niha, or land of the people. Ethnically the Niah who called them selves as Ono Niha are mixed of proto-Malay who have had contacts with the Asian Mongolid world. Their exact origin is misty. Many features, practises and cultures are of their own. Untill now those practises and cultures still well maintained. This is the place that you may discover the live of the stone age era. Stone jumping is one of the popular activities which still well preserved.
During the past, this activity is showing the maturity of a man, and used to be meaning to win a war. The stone jumper used to jumped over the enemies trench to get in to the trench and opened the enemies gate for his companion. However now it used to attract visitors.
For the nature sport lover, Nias provides very very excellent spot for surfing. This is one of the world class surf site in our country. We highly recommend you to the the activity during the dry season (April to October) when the waves and the weather still freindly.


Nias is one of the major tourist destinations in North Sumatera, especially famous for its surfing and unique culture. Nias is definitely different than most other places and has very much to offer, not only for surfers. Nias was 'discovered' late and is in some aspects not yet discovered. Forget all strange reports based on travelers' myth and other inflated stories. Nias is definitely one of the more interesting destinations in Indonesia.

Surfing and Beaches
A deep trench in the ocean along the coast of Sumatera, Jawa, Bali and onwards is the secret behind all the excellent surfing locations in Indonesia. The pressures of the whole Indian Ocean force the sea up out of the trench and to create huge waves along the coast. Many of those waves are now famous, especially the one in Lagundi. Many other places have very good surfing, but are rather unknown due to its isolation and the secrecy of most surfers. Surfing is so much better if one doesn't have to share the waves with the big crowd. Nias has been specially endowed with good surfing. Besides Lagundi there is nice surfing in Afulu, Pulau Asu and Pulau Bawa. In the archipelago Pulau-pulau Batu there are yet more excellent surfing spots.
Nias also offers a big variety of beaches for the beach lover. Anything from quiet coral island beaches to huge wide beaches open to the sea. the beaches of Lahewa and Tanah Bala in PP Batu are definitely unique.
Teluk Lagundi is the bay in the Southwest corner of Nias, famous amongs surfers for its excellent surfing. Some years ago it was the main attraction in North Sumatera and in high season all the bungalows along the shores were full.
Tourism in Nias started because of surfing. Australian surfers discovered the famous Lagundi/Sorake wave in 1960s. Lagundi became World famous for its long and perfect wave. International competition have been held regulerly since 1993. For those who never have tried surfing there are surf instructors available.

How to get there

To reach this place, there is weekly ship from Jakarta (the capital city of Indonesia) to Gunung Sitoli; There are Ferries from Sibolga to Gunung Sitoli, Teluk Dalam, or Lahewa every day; Before the crisis hit Indonesia, there is daily flight from Medan to Gunung Sitoli, however it is less frequent nowadays. Gunung Sitoli is the capital city of Nias and it is the center of administration and business affairs of regency. There are several travel agencies hotels, public busses and rental cars to support tourism here. There are also some government and private banks available.

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Berastagi

Berastagi

Berastagi, a tourist town, is another lovely town located in Karo highlands. The town is known for its plantations and various kinds of flowers, vegetables and fruit, most famous which is Marquisa passion fruit. It's 66 km southwest of Medan and is 4.594 feet above sea level. There is a pleasant colonial-style hotel with a golf course. Other new hotels can also be found. From Gundaling Hill a clear view of Mt. Sibayak and Mt. Sinabung volcanoes can be seen.

From this city, the visitors will enjoy charming scenery to the active mountainside, which are Sibayak Mountain and Sinabung Mountain. To climb Sibayak Mountain require at least 3 hours trip and we could enjoy pretty scenery in these mountains or 3 to 4 hours trip in the forest to see the nature wealth inside, for both the flora and the fauna around this forest.

The atmosphere of green nature from the reflection of the trees from the slope of Rangkap Sibayak Mountain (well known as Sibayak mountain) made the Berastagi city had flooded by tourists. The hill line along with the agricultural field, are always



ready to refresh its visitor's eyes. Berastagi which rich with agro-industries became the appropriate choice for recreation spot other than Toba Lake and Samosir Island, which has become a trademark of North Sumatra.

Berastagi has the strategic location to become the stopping place, not just because several tourist attractions are easy to be accessed from here, but also the hotels are well provided. Hotels can be easily found with varying price, by offering the design typical to the locals. However the visitor still have the choice to choose the hotels and villas that historically were the legacy of colonial period.

Sibayak and Sinabung Mountain.
Berastagi to Sibayak Mountain distance are only 7 Km, this is why the hikers choose this City, as the closest alternative to reach the mountain peak (2.094 meters from sea level). With the currently available infrastructure, the vehicles could reach close to the mountain peak that was known with its beauty nature. On the Peak of Sibayak Mountain, we could see a sulfuric crater lake with wide around 200 x 200 meters, with temperature 119.6 Celsius and the temperature of surrounding air is 21 Celsius. The other scenery of Sibayak mountain peak is Sinabung mountain peak (2.451 meters from sea level), located in the west.

Lau Debuk-Debuk
Not just that, near Berastagi, on the side of Sibayak mountain peak we could find Lau Debuk-Debuk Hot Water Springs. Located in Daulu and Semangat Gunung village, this hot water springs flowed with the temperature of 35 Celsius emerged through the lava cracks in the volcano slope that afterwards was accommodated in the bathing place ponds. The climbers usually use this hot water reservoir to release their fatigue from the trip. Now, there are also an electrical generator (power plant) on the hot spring upstream that had the temperature above 150 ° Celsius. The visitors could see a power plant, which produces electricity from geothermal vapors.

Gundaling Hill
Berastagi also had Gundaling Hill which located only 3 Km from Berastagi. This hill offered a beautiful garden that was suitable as a spot to relax or to do some sports. From the hill peak, we could enjoy Mount Sibayak and Mount Sinabung panorama.

Tongging
Tongging was located 112 km from Medan City. This area is located near to Sipiso-piso Waterfall with 360-foot height. From this place, we could enjoy picturesque scenery of Toba Lake. In the intersection of Merek we could turn to Sipiso-piso in Mount Tandukbenua slope (1.947 m. from sea level). The surrounding panorama indeed is very much enchanting. From the balcony of the two leveled guesthouse that was located in the south of this plateau, the visitor could see the calm and beautiful nature of Toba Lake.

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