Batik Madura: Trapped in Complex Patterns

For most Madurese women, being a part of the batik-making process is a matter of centuries of tradition. Thanks to the geography of the island, batik Madura, as it is popularly dubbed, is famous for its vibrant colors and various motifs, most representing the area’s plentiful flora and fauna. Some people say that the batik’s lively colors represent the nature of the Madurese people, who are said to be exuberant and direct.

Tiyema, 60, said she has been making batik pieces for nearly five decades.

“I make batik every day,” she said. “But I always do it after I finish with the house chores, like cooking, at around nine in the morning. When do I stop? It depends on how long I can endure sitting on the floor to do the work.”

While making the fabric provides Madurese women with a steady income, these batik-makers have had to abandon their dreams of ever being able to “do anything else,” in exchange for the little money they earn per each piece of the material.

“I admit that apart from preserving the tradition, I’m doing this work also because I have no other choice,” said Khatijah, from Paseseh Village in Bangkalan district. Khatijah started learning batik-making from her mother at the tender age of 11. “I don’t earn a lot of money, but I have to be able to earn enough to somehow make ends meet.

Traditional batik is made by using wax and dye to create patterns on fabric. The creation of one piece of batik tulis (handmade batik) involves a long process that consists of at least seven stages. These stages are often undertaken by different people, depending on their expertise.

Full article by Ade Mardiyati

Asia hotel room rates up 4%

According to the latest Hotel Price Index™ (HPI™) released by hotels.com®, Asia witnessed a four percent increase in prices paid per room, per night last year, when compared to 2009. Despite the economic recession, U.S. travelers continue to frequent the Far East for leisure and business travel. With China’s room rates up 19 percent, the country continues to attract travelers with a majority of their cities seeing substantial increases year-over-year. Additional increases in Asia’s hotel rates appeared in Singapore (+33%), Malaysia (+17%), Indonesia (+13%) and South Korea (+10%).

“International travel for U.S. travelers has historically been to destinations such as Europe and Canada,” commented hotels.com Director of Global Merchandising Strategy, Miguel Oliveira. “In the past two years, we’ve noticed a steady increase of U.S. travelers to Asia, and a subsequent increase in Asia’s room rates. This year, on the HPI’s list of most visited international cities, Tokyo and Hong Kong took the eighth and ninth spots respectively. We expect to see more Asian cities making their way onto the HPI’s top international destinations for U.S. travelers, as their economy grows, new hotels develop and tourism continues to rise throughout the region.”

Asia, the World’s Next Great Travel Destination

French Polynesia’s Bora Bora attracted travelers looking to truly indulge in luxurious hotels at a significant cost in 2010. Rooms paid last year averaged almost $606 per night – the highest in the world – an 18% increase.
Bali, Indonesia, featured in the movie Eat, Pray, Love, saw prices rise 35%. Rooms averaged almost $188 per night during 2010. Five-star hotel rooms in this spiritual city can cost on average $341 a night, but travelers can grab 3- and 4-star hotel rooms for $150 or less.

Major business cities in China such as Tung Chung, Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Shanghai saw a more than 20% increase year-over-year in prices paid, per room per night. On the other hand, Beijing remained relatively flat with a low 1% increase year-over-year, while booming Singapore saw room prices increase 33%.

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Gadling guide to Indonesian food

Whether you're just visiting Bali or making a larger exploration of the Indonesian archipelago, expect to be surprised by Indonesia's spicy, exotic, and altogether unexpected blend of delicious eats. A taste of the tropics, and a taste of home at the same time. Ready to dig in? Keep reading below to begin your exploration of Indonesian (and Balinese) cuisine.

The World's Pantry
It was the world-famous islands of Maluku that first put Indonesian cuisine on the world map. Back in the 1500's, this string of remote islands was the only place in the world European traders could find the elusive spice Nutmeg. It didn't take long for the rumors of these fertile tropical islands to spread; soon the English and the Dutch were demanding their piece of the lucrative trade, adding coffee and tea plantations to the mix.

The Europeans were soon mingling with the Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern traders who already knew Indonesia well, introducing a bewildering array of new foods. Peanuts and chili peppers came from the Americas, leading to Indonesia's ubiquitous sauces: the mouth tingling Sambal and the spicy peanut sauce used to top grilled skewers called sate.

These new ingredients were mixed with more familiar Indonesian staples like rice, a grain you'll see growing in paddy fields everywhere, and coconuts, another tropical staple that finds its way into the country's flavorful curries. Add in the country's ever-present and wonderfully fresh seafood, some wildly exotic fruits like Durian and rambutan, and you begin to get a sense of the diverse ingredients available to the typical Indonesian chef.


Local Specialties
Upon this palette of flavorful and exotic ingredients, all sorts of fantastic Indonesian specialties are possible. What's worth a try during your visit to Bali? Make sure to keep an eye out for uniquely Balinese specialty Babi Guling, a spit roast pig stuffed with spices and roasted in coconut water. Many travelers will swear Ibu Oka in Ubud is the place to try. We have to agree...the crispy pork skin, roasted for hours over hot coals, is sublime. Bebek, the local Indonesian duck, roasted in banana leaves stuffed with spices (Bebek Betutu) is another favorite.

Balinese cuisine also tends to be a microcosm of larger food trends in Indonesia. Nasi (rice) is practically the Indonesian national dish. You'll find Nasi Campur (mixed rice, meat and vegetables) and Nasi Goreng (fried rice with meat & vegetables) on menus everywhere. And there are the desserts - weird as it may sound you'll never go wrong with an Es Apokat avocado smoothie, doused with a liberal helping of chocolate sauce. And if you're looking for a totally unique dessert experience, track down some Es Campur. It's a sweet soup made of coconut, condensed milk, ice and a mix of chewy jellies. Bizarre, but quite wonderful.

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AirAsia to double Bandung flights

AirAsia Indonesia plans to double its flights to and from Bandung as more and more tourists are requesting direct flights to West Java’s provincial capital.

Airline director Dharmadi said Tuesday that starting April 15 the subsidiary of Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia would add one more flight a day to Denpasar, Medan and Singapore. The airline currently has once-a-day flights linking Bandung to those cities.

“Tourism in Bandung has developed rapidly since we began operating the Bandung-Kuala Lumpur direct flight in April 2004,” he said.

“The load factor is fantastic. Even during the low season from January to March the load factor can reach 85 percent.”

Dharmadi was speaking after the airline conducted a positioning flight carrying officials from the Transportation Ministry and state airport operator PT Angkasa Pura II from Jakarta on a new Airbus A320.

He said the new A320 narrow-body aircraft had better fuel efficiency, cutting fuel consumption by 15 percent. He also said the aircraft could fly 180 passengers, or 22 percent more passengers than the Boeing 737-300 currently being used, which has a maximum seating capacity of 149 seats.

AirAsia Indonesia is currently replacing all of its 737-300s with A320s.

The tourism potential in Bandung has triggered AirAsia Indonesia to park four aircraft at Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara Aiport, including one reserve aircraft, Dharmadi said.

In addition to increasing flights to and from Denpasar, Medan and Singapore, the budget carrier also plans to increase the capacity of its thrice-daily flights linking Bandung with the Malaysian capital.

The Aroma of Bali Hotel & Residence

The Aroma`s of Bali Hotel and Residence is situated in the heart Kuta, just 15-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport and 300 meters from Kuta Beach. The Aroma`s of Bali Hotel and Residence redefine the concept of accommodation with new type of rooms, a modern minimalist approach to the interior, complete facilities and ideal location.

Read more here

Sol Meliá to open Its 5th hotel In Indonesia

Sol Meliá, today announced an agreement to open a new five star hotel in Indonesia, Meliá Adhiwangsa Surabaya, increasing its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, a key focus for company growth strategy since it announced its globalisation and diversification strategy for emerging markets.

The hotel will open in 2013 and is located in Surabaya, the second largest city in Indonesia, located on the north coast of the island of Java, and an important industrial and business centre with a thriving port and strong economic growth along with a growing number of visitors which are boosting the local hotel industry.

The new Meliá Adhiwangsa Surabaya will form part of a major leisure development which includes a shopping mall and golf course, both already open to the public. The hotel will provide 300 rooms, all fully adapted to the standards of the Meliá brand, and will thus help consolidate the positioning of the Spanish brand in Indonesia. Amongst the facilities provided by the hotel are a Spa, swimming pool, children’s area, two restaurants, and extensive facilities for meetings and event, in addition to the golf course.

The fifth hotel for Sol Meliá in Indonesia is owned by the Bukit Darmo Property Group and will be operated by Sol Meliá under a management agreement. Indonesia is the country where Sol Meliá opened its first hotel outside Spain over 25 years ago: the Meliá Bali, thus kicking off a globalisation process which now sees Asia–Pacific back at the heart of growth objectives for the coming years.

In December 2009, Sol Meliá inaugurated its first hotel in China, the Gran Meliá Shanghai, and also boosted its corporate team in the region. Less than a month ago the company announced a strategic alliance with the leading hotel company in China, Jin Jiang, to support Sol Meliá development in China. The Spanish hotel chain is thus preparing for exponential growth in Asia, the region which is expecting the highest growth in tourism and travel in the future. Gabriel Escarrer, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sol Meliá, also highlighted the increasing interest in Indonesia: “in addition to being a major focus for development, travel destinations in Asia–Pacific such as Indonesia are also the preferred destinations of Chinese outbound travel, a market which is increasing exponentially every year”.

A Historic Hotel in Yogyakarta: The The Phoenix

Located in the heart of Yogyakarta, the historic Phoenix Hotel is a colonial landmark from 1918. The hotel offers a spa, restaurant and luxurious rooms with free Wi-Fi.

The rooms at the Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta feature a combination of Asian and European decor. Each room is fitted with a minibar and safety deposit box. Hot shower facilities are in the private bathroom.

Phoenix Yogyakarta offers a well-equipped fitness centre. Guests can also enjoy a relaxing swim at the pool. For convenience, the hotel provides car rental services and free parking.

The Paprika Restaurant serves Indonesian, Western and Chinese cuisine in an open-courtyard setting. Cocktails and fine wines are served in the 1918s Lobby Bar.

The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta is a 5-minute drive from the Tugu Railway Station and a 20-minute drive from the Adi Sucipto Airport. The Borobudur and Prambanan temples are a 1-hour drive from the hotel.

Hotel Rooms: 144. Hotel Chain: MGallery.
Book here
Address: Jalan Jend. Sudirman No.9, 55233 Yogyakarta (Show map)

Dusun Jogja Village Inn

Situated among lush, tropical gardens in the Prawirotaman area, Dusun Jogja Village Inn is an environmentally friendly hotel only 10 minutes’ drive from the Kraton Palace and Yogyakarta city centre.

Each air-conditioned room at Dusun Jogja Village overlooks the tranquil gardens. Some rooms offer an open-air bath and shower, while others enjoy a spacious, furnished balcony.

The Dusun features an open-air, fine dining restaurant that is nestled amongst the gardens. The hotel bar provides light snacks and refreshing, cooling drinks.

For relaxation, Jogja Village provides an outdoor salt-water pool and day-spa with massage services. There is also a library and open-air, pool-side gym.

Hotel Rooms: 24
Book here
Address: JL Menukan 5, 55153 Yogyakarta (Show map)

A Taste of Old-Time Yogyakarta

Kotagede, just east of Yogyakarta, is filled with historical sites from the Mataram empire’s golden age. Standing conspicuously on the side of one of the entrances to the old town, near the Gajah Wong River, stands Sekar Kedhaton, a restaurant and boutique hotel.

Sekar Kedhaton means “the sacred flower” in Javanese. Big billboards around Kotagede bearing its name, along with its grammatically problematic tagline, “A Luxuries Touch of the Javanese Majestic,” help direct first-time visitors to the establishment’s location.

The restaurant’s entrance, guarded by two large statues, resembling palace soldiers standing under an arc of floral patterns, is distinctly reminiscent of Yogyakarta’s royal buildings. But the barren feeling of the building’s vast, paved front yard could easily disinterest passing tourists in search of a bite. I suppose it’s a dilemma faced by restaurants such as Sekar Kedhaton, which normally cater to large parties and thus need a big parking lot.

Though the exterior gave me a bit of a negative first impression, that quickly changed upon entering the dining area. I was immediately struck by the restaurant’s elegant ambience, a mood created through a combination of ornate antique furniture, decorations and soft lighting.


Soon after I had finished my look around, the food arrived. The chicken soup, sadly, reminded me that Sekar Kedhaton usually caters to large groups of tourists. There was nothing special about it. The chef, however, more than made up for what was missing in that appetizer with my other dishes, which included sauteed beef, miroso grilled chicken, grilled snapper with matah dressing and vegetable capcay.

I thought that I should try a little of everything, but the succulent beef was so well-prepared that I finished almost a third of the considerable portion. The matah (raw) dressing for the snapper made great use of the unique flavor and aroma of lime leaf slices, giving it just the right amount of zest. These two dishes lived up to the restaurant’s claim of “Javanese majestic” cuisine.

There is another Sekar Kedhaton restaurant near Borobudur Temple in Magelang, Central Java. Maybe I should try that to see if it is closer to the image I have in my mind.

Sekar Kedhaton
Jl. Tegalgendu No. 28
Kotagede, Yogyakarta
Tel: +62 274 386868

Full article by Dalih Sembiring
Hotels in Yogyakarta

Borobudur temple provides shuttle service for tourists

The company managing Borobudur temple, PT Taman Wisata Candi Borobudur, has organized vehicles to shuttle tourists between Pabelan and Borobudur to help tourists circumvent the unsafe Pabelan Bridge.
Pabelan Bridge in Magelang, Central Java, became unstable after being hit by the cold lava flow, disrupting travel from Yogyakarta to Borobudur temple.
“The pickup vehicles are to demonstrate our appreciation and commitment to providing better services to visitors,” chief director of the company, Purnomo Siswoprasetjo, said.
Purnomo said the company had organized a 14-seat and a 40-seat bus and five cars with six to seven seats.
“The shuttle service will start operating today (April 1) from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.,” he said as reported by kompas.com.
He added that only tourists traveling with tour agencies could use the shuttle service for now.
“We will apply a similar system for local tourists, but this is still at the brain-storming stage,” he said.

Hotels in Yogyakarta