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Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Ijen Crater, East Java : Volcano, Acid Lake and Blue Flames

 
Ijen Crater, or known to Indonesians as Kawah Ijen, is one of the top recommended volcano in Indonesia to be visited. This active crater of 134 sq km has a landscape of volcanic cones of both Mount Ijen and Mount Merapi (not to be confused with the famous Mount Merapi in Central Java).
This group of stratovolcanoes lies in East Java. Inside the crater you will see a magnificent turquoise sulphur lake that exudes flames, blue fire at night and smoky white in the day.
Here you will also find many sulphur collectors that hike up here to mine the minerals of Kawah Ijen but this had been highlighted badly recently in the media due to the fumes being harmful to human and its extremely harsh working conditions. 

Where is it

Ijen Crater lies nearby Banyuwangi and Bondowoso. Ijen plateau stood as the centrepoint of the large mountain range west of Banyuwangi and as part of Baluran National Park to the north.

Why go

Come to Ijen Crater for the largest acidic lake in the world and for the mesmerizing blue flames in the night. Besides it is one of the best volcanic mountain of Indonesia with this one brimming with the rare sulphurs. 

When is the best time to go

June – August where there is less rain but more tourist
But that being said, Indonesia being a fairly mild weather of just rain and shine, most of the time is a good to go to Ijen Crater, just check for local weather as you head there.
Also try to avoid weekends if you do not want the crowd.

What to see

World’s largest acidic lake, which is in the brilliant turquoise color that captures not only the sunlight but every traveler’s heart.
Catch the miners hard at work, carrying heavy laden basket of sulphur though you may be disturbed by it and feel sorry for them. Note in mind that the sulphur fumes are poisonous and these miners are subjected to it daily for long hard-laboured hours.
There are coffee plantations cover the Ijen caldera floor where many travelers head there to visit the waterfalls, hot springs or just enjoy the dramatic volcanic scenery.

What to do

Hiking up to Ijen Crater at night
There are few options for visiting Ijen crater, you can either start at 2am or 4am to arrive at the top of the crater by daylight. Many travelers recommend to do the night hiking up to Ijen Crater to catch the magical blue flames or also known as blue fire. To get this you have to arrive at the top before sunrise of 6am. The hike up takes 1.5-2 hours averagely and can be quite steep The good thing is at this time there are not many other tourists around as well. After being mesmerized by the blue flames enough, you can sit back at the summit and wait for sunrise which offers another spectacular view.
Walk around the Ijen crater rim
You can take a walk around the rim of Ijen crater or approach the lake which will take about 40 minutes walk.


source: http://allindonesiatravel.com

Ijen volcano

 
Ijen volcano in East Java contains the world's largest acidic volcanic crater lake, called Kawah Ijen, famous for its turquoise color. The active crater measuring 950x600 m is known for its rich sulphur deposits which are being quarried.
The volcano is one of several active stratovolcanoes constructed over the 20 km wide Ijen caldera, the largest caldera in Java.
Eruptions from Ijen are very hazardous because of the risk of the lake draining to form catastrophic lahars. 

The Ijen volcano complex at the eastern end of Java consists of a group of small stratovolcanoes constructed within the large 20-km-wide Ijen (Kendeng) caldera. The north caldera wall forms a prominent arcuate ridge, but elsewhere the caldera rim is buried by post-caldera volcanoes, including Gunung Merapi stratovolcano, which forms the 2799 m high point of the Ijen complex. Immediately west of Gunung Merapi is the renowned historically active Kawah Ijen volcano, which contains a nearly 1-km-wide, turquoise-colored, acid crater lake. Picturesque Kawah Ijen is the world's largest highly acidic lake and is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to its waterfalls, hot springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery.

source: http://www.volcanodiscovery.com

Monday, February 22, 2016

Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve

 
Source: http://www.indonesia.travel/

In the afternoon of 26th August 1883 Mt. Krakatau suddenly erupted with such cataclysmic force that its boom could be heard in Burma to far away Australia. The next day, massive volcanic materials blasted so high causing a gaping gash in its crater and the mountain imploded and sank. The boiling sea brought about huge tsunami waves of more than 10 meters high, devastating the towns of Banten and Anyer on Java and Lampung on Sumatra, wiping out their entire population.  The tsunami waves spread throughout the Indian Ocean, and was said to be felt even as far away as France. While Krakatau’s volcanic ash was reported to circle the earth’s atmosphere, creating spectacular sunsets around the globe for two years.      

Today, where once stood the mighty Krakatau volcano, a number of idyllic small tropical islands are left in the Sunda Straits between the island of Java and Sumatra. These are the Krakatau islands which consist of Rakata or Krakatau Besar (Large Krakatau), Panjang or Krakatau Kecil (Small Krakatau),Sertung and the Anak Krakatau (The child of Krakatau). While the islands of Rakata, Sertung and Panjang are remnants of the ancient Mount Krakatau, Anak Krakatau is an active volcano that surfaced only in 1927 and incredibly, still continues to grow as a result of volcanic activities below.

Administratively, the Krakatau Islands are located within the sub-district of Rajabasa, South Lampung, in Lampung Province on Sumatra.  But, in fact they form part of the Ujung Kulon – Krakatau Nattional Park, which is recognized by UNESCO as World Heritage site.

As the site of one of the most catastrophic natural disasters in the world, the Krakatau Islands are considered today as a massive natural laboratory. Encompassing a total area of 13.735,10 hectares, they comprise 11.200 hectares of marine reserves and 2.535,10 hectares of land reserves, the Krakatau Islands bear considerable importance to scientists in Geology, Biology and volcanology. For general visitors, nonetheless, the sheer view and incredible history of volcanic activities of the islands are surely something worth travelling for. Information on accessibility can be found on how to get there. Terms and procedures on entering the nature reserve are available at tips.

 
Setting foot on an active volcano is certainly a one of a kind sensation, and if fortunate enough, visitors can watch as the Anak Krakatau volcano presents its active side. “Born” in 1927, the young volcano still frequently ejects smoke, lava and other volcanic materials as it continues to grow higher. The marine environment around the island offers its own attraction as it holds no less than 50 species of fish that live among its unspoilt coral reefs. Read more on the dramatic history of Mount Krakatau under Related Attractions:  History of Krakatau.          

The island- group along with its marine environment was declared by the Dutch Colonial government as a nature Reserve since 1919, encompassing a total area of 2.405,10 hectares. The Krakatau Islands were later in 1984 incorporated into the Ujung Kulon National Park located on the western part of Java. In 1990, the Directorate General for Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of the Ministry of Forestry assigned the management of the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve to the Balai Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam or the Natural Resources Conservation Office of Lampung, on Sumatra, with the aim to protect and preserve its integrity as an important conservation site for science and education. In the same year the nature reserve was expanded by the Ministry of Forestry to cover the total area as known today.

In 1991, UNESCO acknowledged both Ujung Kulon National Park and the Krakatau Islands Nature Reserve as an integrated UNESCO Natural World Heritage site.  

Krakatau is also commonly known in the English-speaking world as Krakatoa. This may have been attributed to a sub-editor at “The Times” who may have typographically swapped the 'a' and 'o' of the Portuguese spelling as he interpreted a telegraphic report on the massive eruption of 1883. Furthermore, the 1969 Academy Award nominated movie, “Krakatoa, East of java” ,-which is geographically misleading, - also aided in popularizing the Krakatoa misspelling .The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program cites the Indonesian name, Krakatau, as the correct name but says that its spelling as Krakatoa is also often used.

For more information about visiting Krakatau Island Nature Reserve,please contact:

BALAI KSDA LAMPUNG

Jl. Z. A. Pagar Alam IB - Bandar Lampung

Telp/Fax. (0721) 703882

Krakatoa Volcano: Facts About 1883 Eruption

 
Mary Bagley, LiveScience Contributor

The eruption of Krakatoa in August 1883 was one of the most deadly volcanic eruptions of modern history. It is estimated that more than 36,000 people died. Many died as a result of thermal injury from the blasts and many more were victims of the tsunamis that followed the collapse of the volcano into the caldera below sea level.
The island of Krakatau (Krakatoa) is in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. It is part of the Indonesian Island Arc. Volcanic activity is due to subduction of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate as it moves northward towards mainland Asia. The island is about 3 miles wide and 5.5 miles long (9 by 5 kilometers).  Before the historic eruption, it had three linked volcanic peaks: Perboewatan, the northernmost and most active; Danan in the middle; and the largest, Rakata, forming the southern end of the island. Krakatau and the two nearby islands, Lang and Verlatan, are remnants of a previous large eruption that left an undersea caldera between them.
In May 1883, the captain of the Elizabeth, a German warship, reported seeing clouds of ash above Krakatau. He estimated them to be more than 6 miles (9.6 km) high. For the next two months, commercial vessels and chartered sightseeing boats frequented the strait and reported thundering noises and incandescent clouds. People on nearby islands held festivals celebrating the natural fireworks that lit the night sky. Celebration would come to a tragic halt on Aug. 27.

At 12:53 p.m. on Sunday the 26th, the initial blast of the eruption sent a cloud of gas and debris an estimated 15 miles (24 km) into the air above Perboewatan. It is thought that debris from the earlier eruptive activity must have plugged the neck of the cone, allowing pressure to build in the magma chamber. On the morning of the 27th, four tremendous explosions, heard as far away as Perth, Australia, some 2,800 miles (4,500 km) distant, plunged both Perboewatan and Danan into the caldera below the sea.
The initial explosion ruptured the magma chamber and allowed sea water to contact the hot lava. The result is known as a phreatomagmatic event. The water flash-boiled, creating a cushion of superheated steam that carried the pyroclastic flows up to 25 miles (40 km) at speeds in excess of 62 mph (100 kph). The eruption has been assigned a rating of 6 on the Volcanic Explosion Index and is estimated to have had the explosive force of 200 megatons of TNT. (For purposes of comparison, the bomb that devastated Hiroshima had a force of 20 kilotons. The Mount St. Helens explosion of 1980 had a VEI of 5.)
Tephra and hot volcanic gases overcame many of the victims in western Java and Sumatra, but thousands more were killed by the devastating tsunami. The wall of water, nearly 120 feet tall, was created by the volcanoes’ collapse into the sea. It completely overwhelmed small nearby islands. Inhabitants of the coastal towns on Java and Sumatra fled toward higher ground, fighting their neighbors for toeholds on the cliffs.  The steamship Berouw was carried nearly a mile inland on Sumatra; all 28 crewmembers were killed. Another ship, the Loudon, had been anchored nearby. The ship's captain Lindemann succeeded in turning its bow to face the wave and the ship was able to ride over the crest. Looking back, the crew and passengers saw that nothing was left of the pretty town where they had been anchored.
The explosions hurled an estimated 11 cubic miles (45 cubic km) of debris into the atmosphere darkening skies up to 275 miles (442 km) from the volcano. In the immediate vicinity, the dawn did not return for three days. Barographs around the globe documented that the shock waves in the atmosphere circled the planet at least seven times. Within 13 days, a layer of sulfur dioxide and other gases began to filter the amount of sunlight able to reach Earth. The atmospheric effects made for spectacular sunsets all over Europe and the United States. Average global temperatures were up to 1.2 degrees cooler for the next five years.
Mount Tambora & the year without a summer
While justifiably rated as one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions of modern times, Krakatoa was not the largest eruption in the recent history of Indonesia. That “honor” belongs to the eruption of Mount Tambora on April 10, 1815.
Tambora is the only eruption in modern history to rate a VEI of 7. Global temperatures were an average of five degrees cooler because of this eruption; even in the United States, 1816 was known as the “year without a summer.” Crops failed worldwide, and in Europe and the United States an unexpected outcome was the invention of the bicycle as horses became too expensive to feed.


The Child of Krakatoa
In 1927, some fishermen were startled as a column of steam and debris began spewing from the collapsed caldera. Krakatoa had awakened after 44 years of calm. Within weeks, the rim of a new cone appeared above sea level. Within a year, it grew into a small island, which was named Anak Krakatoa, or Child of Krakatoa. Anak Krakatoa has continued to erupt periodically, although mildly.

Child of Krakatoa, deadlier than its mother

Describe the 1883 eruption of Krakatau.

 
The deadlier volcano than its mother
Krakatau erupted in 1883, in one of the largest eruptions in recent time. Krakatau is an island volcano along the Indonesian arc, between the much larger islands of Sumatra and Java (each of which has many volcanoes also along the arc).
There is a very fine book about the Krakatau eruption by Tom Simkin and Richard Fiske (Simkin, T., and Fiske, R.S., Krakatau 1883: The volcanic eruption and its effects: Smithsonian Institution Press: Washington, D.C., 464 p.), so if you really want to know about the eruption you should go to the nearest bookstore or library to find that.
Here are some highlights from their summary of effects:
  1. The explosions were heard on Rodriguez Island, 4653 km distant across the Indian Ocean, and over 1/13th of the earth’s surface.
  2. Ash fell on Singapore 840 km to the north, Cocos (Keeling) Island 1155 km to the SW, and ships as far as 6076 km west-northwest. Darkness covered the Sunda Straits from 11 a.m. on the 27th until dawn the next day.
  3. Giant waves reached heights of 40 m above sea level, devastating everything in their path and hurling ashore coral blocks weighing as much as 600 tons.
  4. At least 36,417 people were killed, most by the giant sea waves, and 165 coastal villages were destroyed.
  5. When the eruption ended only 1/3 of Krakatau, formerly 5×9 km, remained above sea level, and new islands of steaming pumice and ash lay to the north where the sea had been 36 m deep.
  6. Every recording barograph in the world documented the passage of the atmospheric pressure wave, some as many as 7 times as the wave bounced back and forth between the eruption site and its antipodes for 5 days after the explosion.
  7. Tide gauges also recorded the sea wave’s passage far from Krakatau. The wave “reached Aden in 12 hours, a distance of 3800 nautical miles, usually traversed by a good steamer in 12 days”.
  8. Blue and green suns were observed as fine ash and aerosol, erupted perhaps 50 km into the stratosphere, circled the equator in 13 days.
  9. Three months after the eruption these products had spread to higher latitudes causing such vivid red sunset afterglow that fire engines were called out in New York, Poughkeepsie, and New Haven to quench the apparent conflagration. Unusual sunsets continued for 3 years.
  10. Rafts of floating pumice-locally thick enough to support men, trees, and no doubt other biological passengers-crossed the Indian Ocean in 10 months. Others reached Melanesia, and were still afloat two years after the eruption.
  11. The volcanic dust veil that created such spectacular atmospheric effects also acted as a solar radiation filter, lowering global temperatures as much as 1.2 degree C in the year after the eruption. Temperatures did not return to normal until 1888. The book is full of many more amazing bits of information. Hopefully these small excerpts will be useful to you.
Krakatau is still active. The presently-active vent has formed a small island in the middle of the ocean-filled caldera that developed during the famous big eruption of 1883. The island is called Anak Krakatau, which means child-of-Krakatau. It is pretty much erupting all the time at a low level, but once or twice a year it has slightly larger eruptions that people notice and sometimes report in the news. Of course none of these are anywhere near the size of the famous 1883 eruption.
Krakatau is following a pattern that is pretty common for volcanoes. This pattern involves hundreds to thousands of years of small eruptions to build up the volcano followed by 1 or more huge eruptions that causes the volcano to collapse into a caldera, and then the cycle starts over again.
The chances of a huge 1883-style eruption are very small for the time being.   However, it is certainly dangerous to go onto Anak Krakatau, especially if it is one of its more agitated moods. It is probably not even very smart to spend too much time on the small islands that form the remnants of what was once the main Krakatau island. This is because even a small collapse of Anak Krakatau could generate a small tsunami that could sweep towards these islands. Since they are so close to Anak Krakatau there wouldn’t be very much time for a warning.

Anak Krakatau photograph courtesy of and copyrighted by Robert Decker.

Visiting Krakatoa volcano in Sumatra, Indonesia

 
The son Of  Krakatau
Krakatau, a small island group in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java is one of the world's most famous volcanoes. It is a mostly submerged caldera with 3 outer islands belonging to the rim and a new cone, Anak Krakatau, that has been forming a new island since 1927 and remains highly active.
Krakatau exploded spectacularly in a devastating Plinian eruption 1883 that killed more than 30,000 people (mostly by the huge tsunamis triggered by the eruption). The eruption was one of the first global news events after telegraph lines had connected the different continents.

Background:

The renowned volcano Krakatau (or Krakatoa) lies in the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. Collapse of the ancestral Krakatau edifice, perhaps in 416 AD, formed a 7-km-wide caldera. Remnants of this ancestral volcano are preserved in Verlaten and Lang Islands; subsequently Rakata, Danan and Perbuwatan volcanoes were formed, coalescing to create the pre-1883 Krakatau Island. Caldera collapse during the catastrophic 1883 eruption destroyed Danan and Perbuwatan volcanoes, and left only a remnant of Rakata volcano. This eruption, the 2nd largest in Indonesia during historical time, caused more than 36,000 fatalities, most as a result of devastating tsunamis that swept the adjacent coastlines of Sumatra and Java. Pyroclastic surges traveled 40 km across the Sunda Strait and reached the Sumatra coast. After a quiescence of less than a half century, the post-collapse cone of Anak Krakatau (Child of Krakatau) was constructed within the 1883 caldera at a point between the former cones of Danan and Perbuwatan. Anak Krakatau has been the site of frequent eruptions since 1927.
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Source: GVP, Smithsonian Institution

Friday, January 15, 2016

Krakatau volcano, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Krakatau recently (2015)

Krakatau volcano is  a small island group in the Sunda Strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java. It is one of the world's most famous volcanoes on earth. It is a mostly submerged caldera with 3 outer islands belonging to the rim and a new cone. Anak Krakatau, that has been forming a new island since 1927 and remains highly active and unique. Some scientists said that Anak Krakatau is more dangerous than Krakatau.

Krakatau volcano is popular around the world as its eruption on 1883 that killed more than 30.000 people. Since the eruption, it came out another new island in 1927 called Anak Krakatau (The child of Krakatau) which has more dangerous potential comparing its "mother". But last few years Anak Krakatau volcano is popular for trekking as long as accompanied by the rangers there. 
How to get there:
Bandar Lampung - Kalianda (South Lampung) - Canti Harbor - Sebesi island - Krakatau

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Sikulikap fall, North Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Sikulikap fall by @rubenmk

This waterfall is located in North Sumatra, Indonesia. People call it Sikulikap. Sikulikap waterfall is around 30 meters high and take 20 minutes from Berastagi. To get there catch any bus from Berastagi going to Medan and ask to be dropped off at Sikulikap. It should cost about Rp 5000 for this trip. On the main road there are a series of basic food stalls with great views out over the gorge where the waterfall located but you are unable to see the falls from there. At the bottom of the hill near the road bridge, on the right there is a path that leads through the rain forest to the falls. Should take about 15 - 20 minutes to walk to the falls. There is a good chance you will see monkeys within the rain forest. Take attention when you step there as many rock that may hurt you when you slip.

Si Piso Piso fall, North Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Si Piso Piso fall by @alfansai
Some of the tallest waterfalls in South East Asia can be found in Sumatra. Some are found along the Asahan River.One of them is Sipiso-piso waterfall with 120m high is 45 Kilometers from Berastagi at the northern end of Lake Toba. The water fall is formed by a small underground river of the Karo Plateau and flows out into the Lake Toba caldera. To get to Sipiso-Piso falls catch a local mini-bus from Berastagi to Kabanjahe Rp 5000. At the bus terminal in Kabanjahe you just need to catch any buses going to Siantar and ask to get off at Sipiso-Piso. From the main road to the falls is about  2.5km. There are pedicab drivers waiting at the turnoff and will cost Rp 8000 to go to the falls. The entrance ticket is about Rp 3000.
 
Sipiso-piso waterfall is also an excellent location for paragliding. This must be a stop place while you are traveling Medan. WWhen you get a photo of this place, it looks like a postcard

Batee island, Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Batee island by @teuku_chaidil

Batee is taken from local language means stone. This island belongs to someone personally and there is no people living there. This island is also surrounded by some island like Nasi and Bunta island. You need around 30-50 minutes to reach this island from Ule Lheue harbor. You can rent the boar from the local fishermen there.

Top 3 popular islands in Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Pulau Pusong (Gosong) by @alfajaroza_20

1. This island is surrounded by white sand all along the beach. This island becomes one of the destination in Aceh province. It is located at Sangkalan village, Susoh, south west Aceh. We can do snorkeling here as it offers very beautiful underwater view. It has variety of fish and corals. Now, this island is being proposed as national conservation site in Aceh.

Reusam island by @aerial_indonesia

2. This island is now more and more popular as many people visit and local government also give support. This island is located in the sea, Darul Hikmah village, Aceh Jaya regency. To get to this island we should rent a boat from local fishermen.

Batee island by @teuku_chaidil

3. Batee is taken from local language means stone. This island belongs to someone personally and there is no people living there. This island is also surrounded by some island like Nasi and Bunta island. You need around 30-50 minutes to reach this island from Ule Lheue harbor. You can rent the boar from the local fishermen there.

Diving and Snorkeling at Olele sea water park, Gorontalo, Sulawei, Indonesia

 
Olele sea water park
For you who like diving, Gorontalo has special spot where you can see the bauty of Gorontalo undewater. It is located at south of Gorontalo. It is in Bone Bolango regency about 25 kilometers from Gorontalo city. This spot is like a huge aquarium. There are so many kinds of fish you can meet there. There is also a cave with 50 meters depth where become a place for some species to live. If you don't have any snorkeling equipment, you can rent it there. Or if you can not swim you see the underwater by renting a special boat (glass bottom boat) which has glass under the boat so that we can see the underwater. When you travel through the southern coast of Gorontalo, be ready that you will see stunning scenery, the calm blue sea by being in Tomini bay area rich with fish, with views of white sand beaches and fishing boats are lined up beautifully.

If you stop at the beach Olele, and do a dive, then you will see underwater views of the park which is said to have its own peculiarities as compared with other marine parks in areas that have been known, such as Bunaken Marine Park or Marine Park in Central Sulawesi Islands Togean. Even in the Marine Park Olele Annunciation that is more natural in comparison with the marine park on top. 

In Tomini Bay and Olele Beach, you can find dolphin (torsiops trancatus), Giant Reef (Petrosia Sp.), School of Gobi Fish (Bryaninops erythrops), Salvador Dali reef (Petrosia lignose), Acanthogorgia Sp., Anemon Koralimorf (Discosoma Sp.), plectorhinchus chaetodonoides, Blenni (Escenius Caeruliventris), Cardinal Fish, damsel, platax pinnatus, scorpaenopsis, oxycephala, goropa fish, butterfly fish, pusillus, cockatoo fish, Randal fish, parapterois hetururus, Bothus Sp ” half face fish, frog fish, Nudibrancia, Seahorse and pigmy seahorse.

There are more than 8 dive sites spread along the West and East coast of  Olele beach such as shadow land, sentinel, honeycomb, traffic circle, traffic jam, jinn caves, helicopter bay and silver tip ground. Olele is also known as Gorontalo water park.

Great 4 reasons to visit Gorontalo, Sulawesi, Indonesia

 
Limboto lake (by @serlinvjtaib)
1. This lake is one of the biggest lake in Gorontalo. Gorontalo is a new province in Indonesia but they have discovered many beautiful spots. You can see some eagles hunting the fish in the lake and see beautiful sunset during the evening. Many photographers captured this moment in Limboto lake. There is a harbor where you can see the surrounding of the lake.

Floating village (by @sassozhy_fs)

2. Floating village named Torosiaje is located at Tomini bay which becomes good spot for you to visit. Some of the work as fishermen and some of the work as a local seller. They also rent some small sottages for the visitors who want to enjoy the situation in this floating lake.

Olele diving spot (by @begitulho)
3. For you who like diving, Gorontalo has special spot where you can see the bauty of Gorontalo underater. It is located at south of Gorontalo. It is in Bone Bolango regency about 25 kilometers from Gorontalo city. This spot is like a huge aquarium. There are so many kinds of fish you can meet there. There is also a cave with 50 meters depth where become a place for some species to live. If you don't have any snorkeling equipment, you can rent it there. Or if you can not swim you see the underwater by renting a special boat (glass bottom boat) which has glass under the boat so that we can see the underwater.


Nantu forest (by kakigatalgtlo.blogspot.com)
4. It is like a national park where you can se many species of animal and birds. During the evening you can see some animals are drnking water and eating mud near the river. To get to this place you should have a permition.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Top 5 Island trips in Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Pisang island in West Lampung, Lampung

1. This island is so beautiful with white sand around the island. We can see sun set at the evening. This island has some families living there and working as fishermen. There is a harbor where you can enjoy the moment in this island. Pisang is taken from local word means banana as it has many banana trees long time ago.
How to get there: Bandar Lampung - Krui (West Lampung) - Koala bay -  Pisang island.


Kelapa Island, Pesawaran, Lampung, Indonesia

2. Kelapa island is located at Pesawaran regency, Lampung, Indonesia. It is also located at Kiluan bay which is popular nationally. So when you visit Kiluan bay, you must visit this island as well. Kelapa is taken from Indonesia language which means coconut as it has many coconut trees there.
How to get there: Bandar Lampung - Ketapang - Punduh Pidada - Bawang village - Kiluan bay - Kelapa island.


Pahawang island
3. Recently, this island is the most popular island in Lampung as it is close from the city central and its beauty for sure. You can do snorkeling and see beautiful underwater scenery there. 
How to get there: Bandar Lampung - Ketapang - Pahawang island

Balak island
4. If you a person who likes a place which is quiet and cozy so visit this island. In this island, you can do snorkeling, fishing and more. There are so many coconut trees along the shore and you can take the young coconut if you can climb it. Note it that the young coconut is for free as long as you take it by yourself. In front of the cottage, there is an old harbor where we can sit and enjoy the sunset at the evening. Because of the distance, this island is rarely visited by people but this thing that makes this place special!
Unique and awesome are words for this island. This island is about 200 hectares and has two different types of shore. At west you can see corals dominates the shore and in another side you will find white sand beach as long as you see. The white sand seems like a long mat that invites you to lay down on it. 
Build your tent!
To reach this island is so easy but it takes a bit your time. From Bandar Lampung, you need two hours to go to Ketapang harbor, then you go to Balak island by renting a boat. You will around 2 hours on the boat sp prepare some drink and snacks with you. During this time, you can see the views of  Lampung bay and pass some popular spots. They are Mahitam island, Kelagian island, Pahawang islang and Tanjung Putus island.
Having reached the island, its better to sleep in a tent to "feel" the nature there. Balak is a word from Lampung language means big. Yes, it is because the island is quite big. If you like trekking, you can try to climb a hill which is located in the center of the island. You may see some monkeys there. When you want to enjoy the sunset, just sit on the harbor and the sunset will greet you for sure. So, enjoy the nature there guys! see this island
 
 
Tegal island
 
5. This island is very close from Bandar lampung. It takes only 30 minutes by motorbike and 45 minutes by car. You just need to go to Sari Ringgung beach then rent a boat to go to Tegal island. You can rent the boat for whole day and visit many spots for snorkeling there. In some spots, we can see some different types of coral and clown fish. If you are lucky, you also can meet dragon fish, turtle and small shark. In the west part of the island, we also can see a sand island which sometime come up and disappear at certain time. Around this sand island, we also can do snorkeling because the corals are beautiful in this spot.

This island is located at Gebang village, Pesawaran regency, Lampung, Indonesia with population about 20 families living in this island.  They work as a fisherman and the children take study at a temporary school in this island. In west part, we can see white sand along the shore and at east part is dominated by coral.This island is not as popular as Pahawang island but they beauty of the under water is similar. Many local community come to visit this island as this island is easy to be reached.
For you are beginner is snorkeling,  you can swim in 1 or 2 meters dept area as this island has many different level for snorkeling. You also can do fishing when you do not like swimming because many people do fishing in this island. check also this

If you like trekking, you can try to climb a hill in the center of this island. Sometimes it is headt the screaming of monkeys there.

Top 3 hidden falls in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Ngungun Saok fall (by @nobletonga)

1. This fall is popular because of the social media. Its pictures are spreading through facebook, path, twitter, instagram and blog. It is located around 11 kilometers from Padang city and you need one hour to get there by cat or motorbike. This fall is just popular few months ago so that the route to get there is not easy. You should bring your own drink when you visit this fall. Enjoy!

Nyarai fall (by @ghalao_traveler)
2. This hidden fall is located at Gamaran forest, Korong Salibutan, Lubuk Alung, Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia. You need two hours to reach this fall from Padang city. You can go there by motorbike or cat and stop at parking area that already provided by local people. Then you will walk and see beautiful rice field, forest and garden along the path. It is recommended for you who like nature and village atmosphere.

Lubuk Hitam Bungus fall (by @grifvynzi)

3. This fall has three stages and located at Bungus Teluk kabung, Padang city, West Sumatra, Indonesia. When you visit this fall, you need more power because you will do trekking for about one hour. So prepare your own meals and drink.

Wall climbing at Aek maratua fall, Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Aek Maratua fall (by @alizarjourney)

For you who like wall climbing, you can try at this waterfall as it has wall created by the flow of the water. While climbing you can enjoy the fall as well.There are some waterfalls around this area which are close each other. But among others, this fall is most popular as it has unique stone wall. This fall has Tangga Seribu fall. Tangga meand stare/ stage and seribu means thousand. This fall is located at Tangun village, Bangun Purba, Rokan Hulu regency, Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia.

Surfing in Bono river, Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Surfers in Bono river (tripus.com

This river is one of the river that we can do surfing as it has enormous wave on November to December. This river located at Muara Sungai Kampar, Pelalawan, Riau, Indoensia. It is unique because the enormous waves that look like wave in the ocean so that many tourist do surfing here. When we see it at glance we can not notice that it is a river. The name of Bono is taken from local language which has meaning Big Wave.

Top 5 Touristic places in Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia

 
Aek Maratua fall  (by @alizarjourney)
1. For you who like wall climbing, you can try at this waterfall as it has wall created by the flow of the water. While climbing you can enjoy the fall as well.There are some waterfalls around this area which are close each other. But among others, this fall is most popular as it has unique stone wall. This fall has Tangga Seribu fall. Tangga meand stare/ stage and seribu means thousand. This fall is located at Tangun village, Bangun Purba, Rokan Hulu regency, Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia. 

Bono river (tripus.com)
 2. This river is one of the river that we can do surfing as it has enormous wave on November to December. This river located at Muara Singai Kampar, Pelalawan, Riau, Indoensia. It is unique because the enormous waves that look like wave in the ocean so that many tourist do surfing here. When we see it at glance we can not notice that it is a river. The name of Bono is taken from local language which has meaning Big Wave.

Guruh Gemurai fall (by @alifmulyadi)
3. It is located at Kasang villave, Kuantan Mudik, kuantan Sengigi regency, Riau, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is about 20 meters high which popular because its pictures are spreading through social media. Guruh Gemurai is taken from local language which means "noisy" made by the water. You can swim or climb to the rock carefully.

Beting Aceh beach (by @indraa_syahputra)
4. This beach is located in border area between Sumatra, Indonesia and Malaysia. It is located in Rupat Utara, Bengkalis,, Riau porvince, Sumatra, Indonesia. BetingAceh is an island with beautiful white sand that can enjoy your eyes. The people living there are also so friendly. In this island, you will meet a lighthouse and you can climb it and for sure you will see beautiful long white sand shore.


Kahayang lake (by @dimastri)
5.  Kahayang lake is located at Limbungan village, Rumbai Pesisir, Pekanbaru, Riau province, Sumatra, Indonesia. This lake is actually made by the government but became popular because many people come to enjoy the view. This lake is an icon of  Pekanbaru city.

Monday, January 11, 2016

Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park, Lampung, Indonesia

 
Camping ground
This is one of national park located in Sumatra. It is settled at West Lampung, Lampung province. We can make tent in the camping ground which is close from the main road. Around the camping ground we leave our stuffs there and do trekking to some waterfalls like Sebuku Balak fall and Sebuku Lunik fall, its possible to discover the species of the animal and plants there.

Herewith the route to get there:
Bandar Lampung - Krui (West Lampung) - Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park

Trekking at Anak Krakatau volcano, Lampung, Indonesia

 
Krakatu volcano
Krakatau volcano is popular around the world as its eruption on 1883 that killed more than 30.000 people. Since the eruption, it came out another new island in 1927 called Anak Krakatau (The child of Krakatau) which has more dangerous potential comparing its "mother". But last few years Anak Krakatau volcano is popular for trekking as long as accompanied by the rangers there. 

How to get there:
Bandar Lampung - Kalianda (South Lampung) - Canti Harbor - Sebesi island - Krakatau

Anak Krakatau seen from boat

The forgotten lake "Lake Ranau", Lampung,Indonesia

 
The resort in Ranau lake

This lake becomes the main place for the local fishermen to find fish where it is located in southern of South Sumatra province and northern of Lampung province. This lakes is beautiful with its scenery like the fog in the morning.

Megalithic site Batu Brak, West Lampung, Indonesia

 
The megalith stone
Purawiwitan village is one of the village in West lampung. It is popular because this village has an area of megalith site. People call it as Baru Berak megalith site. This site was found on 1951 by the government Biro. We can see some kinds of rocks which are used for some traditions on that era. All of them made from stone. The name "Batu Berak" is taken from the name of the village where this site located.

Visiting popular spot "Mengkudu island", Lampung, Indonesia

 
Mengkudu island framed from the hill

This island becomes so popular because its pictures are spreading through social media like facebook, path, instagram, twitter and blog. It is popular because it is not far from another popular beach, Batu Lapis beach check this
So when you visit Mengkudu island, you should also visit Batu Lapis beach and vice versa. It is like packet of trip as you should visit them both. This island is like another island in Lampung which hase some spots for snorkeling, white sand beach and coral beach. Some parts are also dominated by mangroves. And one more thing, there is long white sand beach that connect Sumatra island and Mengkudu island which come up around 2 PM. So we do not need to rent a boat to go to the island as we can just walk through this long white beach.

Herewith the route:
Bandar Lampung - Kalianda (South Lampung) - Canti village - Kahai beach - Mengkudu island

"Transit' at Sebesi island, Lampung, IndonesiaThe harbor

 
The harbor of Sebesi island
Sebesi island is popular since couple years ago when some people want to go to Krakatau volcano, they should stop and sleep in this island. They must sleep and take a rest there and early morning around 3 AM they should wake up to go to Krakatu volcano. It is easy to find cottage there and also sleep at local's house. It is also allowed to make tent along the beach. When you stay in Sebesi island, keep on your mind that you must visit Sebesi's neighbor, its Umang island check this

This island is also suitable place to observe the activity of Krakatoa volcano as it is the closest island. It has 1.600 hectares area with 3000 people living there in family and another 1000  are "come and leave" people. This island is known by travelers as a transit spot when they want to visit Krakatoa volcano. The local already make some places to stay for visitor. Of course they rent it with different prices based on the size of the room. We also can order our meals from the host and they will cook for us.
 
Sebesi Island is  located in the Sunda Strait which is located in South Lampung regency. This island is close to Sebuku island and at the east of the island there is Legundi serdang. At the middle of the island, we can see a mount which is called Sebesi mount. Its quiet high because the top of the mount is usually covered by the clouds. If you are interested in climbing, you can try to climb this mount when you are in Sebesi island. It is predicted that Sebesi mount was very high but because of the umpact Krakatoa eruption, it becomes lower like now.

How to get there:

1. Bandar Lampung - Kalianda (South Lampung) - Canti harbor - Sebesi island
2. Jakarta - Bakauheni - Kalianda (South Lampung) - Canti harbor - Sebesi island
3. Jakarta - Merak - Sebesi (by boat)

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Sunday, January 10, 2016

Meet the elephants in Way Kambas National Park, Lampung, Indonesia

 
An elephant with his animal tamer
Way Kambas is a national park and also as an elephant training center located in Lampung province, Indonesia. It takes around 3 hours from Bandar Lampung by car. This national park is covering around 1.300 squares kilometers in the north east part of Lampung.  It is not only elephant we can see there but also pigs, rhinoceros, deers and some species of monkeys.
As the elephant training center, Way Kambas provides some cottages for the workers as animal tamer. They live and stay there every time and their job is try to "educate"the elephants in addition to help people or farmers because sometimes local farmer get conflict with the wild elephants. So the trained elephant is the solution to direct wild elephant to leave the farmer area.

One of the elephants there. Its chained

See the shore line from the Tower in Maitam island, Lampung, Indonesia

 
Taken from the tower
When you go to Ketapang beach check this for camping, one of the spot that you can visit is this island called Maitam. You just need to walk for two kilometers to see this island and you can step this island by walking through the white sand beach that usually come up around 2 PM. If you re lazy to walk, you can rent a boat to go there, it is easier for sure. There is no population in this island but there are few men temporary living there to keep the coconuts when the harvest season comes.
In another part of the island, there is a tower that is so popular now. Many visitors climb this and take photo selfie or capture the view around the tower. We can see the line of the shore from here and see the beautiful Lampung bay.

Herewith the route to get there:
1. Bandar Lampung - Ketapang beach - Maitam islang (walking)
2. Bandar lampung - ketapang beach - Maitam island (boat)

A boat, taken from the tower

Giant coral rocks in Gigi Hiu/ Pegadung/ Gigi Hiu beachBatu Layar beach, Lampung, Indonesia

 
Gigi Hiu beach
Some people call it Gigi Hiu beach as it looks like some teeth of shark . Gigi Hiu is taken from Bahasa Indonesia words that mean tooth for Gigi and shark for Hiu. It is also claimed as Batu Layar beach as it looks like sailing boat. Batu Layar also taken from bahasa Indonesia that has meaning stone for Batu and Sailing for Layar. But local people call it Pegadung beach taken from the closest village where this beach located.
Again, Lampung province has a unique beach like Batu Lapis beach Check here. It is dominated by huge coral rocks which are located separately among others. But we can not do snorkeling here as some enormous waves. The wave actually "creates" this rock into this condition now like a sailing boat or shark"s teeth.

How to get there?
You just can go there by motorbike because the road is in very bad condition. It takes around three hours to reach this beach. 
Bandar Lampung - Ketapang - Bawang village - Kiluan village - Pegadung beach.

Pegadung taken from the highest rock

Meet the sunset at Umang island, Lampung, Indonesia

 
Sun set from Umang island
When you travel to Krakatau vulcano, usually you should stay in an island called Sebesi island. This island is a transit for people who wanna go to Krakatau vulcano. You should stay for one night and early morning you should go by boat around 3 AM.
Do you know that Sebesi island has a "neighbor" called Umang island which is beautiful. We can see coral and sunset in this island. It is only 1 km from Sebesi island and connected by white sand beach. Umang is taken from local language and it has a meaning "Shell" because this island in a certain month some shells some up with a huge population. That is why people call it as Umang island.

Some visitors in Umang island

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