Indonesia Festival 2011: largest Angklung Ensemble

The Embassy of Indonesia announced today an all-star lineup of events and performances for Indonesia Festival 2011. Air Supply and Grammy-nominated singer Raheem DeVaughn will headline the event on Saturday, July 9, 2011. From 1.00 to 9.30 p.m. on Washington's National Mall, the free event will offer attendees a taste of Indonesian food, music, dance and martial arts, and the opportunity to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS record by performing in the largest angklung ensemble ever assembled.
A chance to make history, the record-breaking attempt will take place between 5.30 and 7.00 p.m. on the north lawn of the Washington Monument. All participants will be trained to play the angklung, a traditional bamboo instrument, by internationally-acclaimed Maestro Daeng Udjo. Each player will be given one of the 5,000 instruments commissioned for the festival and presented with an official certificate if the record is set.

Indonesia Festival 2011 will also offer attendees a cultural sampling from the more than 300 ethnic groups that contribute to Indonesia's rich diversity.


Free for all, Indonesia Festival 2011 will take place on the north lawn of the Washington Monument from 1.00-9.30 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, 2011. Though registration is not required, the Embassy of Indonesia recommends that attendees register to participate in the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS record-breaking attempt. For more information or to register, visit www.indofestdc.com.

Chef Lefebvre Brings Southern French Flavors to Jakarta

At the age of 16, Fabien Lefebvre enrolled in cooking school. Today, he is considered one of the best chefs in France, and was named one of the country’s top craftsmen by the French Ministry of Labor in 2004.

This culinary artist will be showcasing his work at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel’s Lyon Restaurant from today until Saturday. At a media luncheon held in Jakarta earlier this week, Lefebvre treated guests to a preview of his artistically arranged dishes, consisting of colorful vegetables, fruit, fresh fish and beef.

Chef Fabien Lefebvre’s French Cuisine
July 7-9
Lyon Restaurant, Mandarin Oriental Hotel
Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta
Tel: 021 2993 8888
Two-course menu from Rp 580,000
Three-course menu from Rp 720,000
Six-course degustation menu from Rp 1.3 million

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Balinese Art Troupe Off To France

A 30-strong Balinese arts troupe left Bali for France on Wednesday for a two-week mission.

While in France, they would take part in a cultural parade and workshops in eight cities in the country from July 8 to 22, said Dewa Rai Budiasa, chief of the Yasa Putra Sedana Payangan foundation of which the Balinese artists are members.

"This is the second time for Bali to serve as an arts envoy since 1987. This is also the second time for Yasa Putra Sedana Payangan foundation to represent Bali abroad," he said.
From France, the Balinese arts troupe will continue their journey to Belgium.
Source: Antara

Wakatobi opens registration for undersea photo contest

The Tourism and Culture Service of Wakabobi district, South East Sulawesi, is now opening registration for participants of an undersea photo contest.

"We are now opening registration beginning today. A number of photographers from various regions in Indonesia have registered to take part in the undersea photo contest," head of Wakatobei tourism and culture service Tawakal said here on Sunday.

He said the theme of the photo contest was : "The Beauty of Under Water World Coral Reef Triangle. It will be held as part of the Sail Wakatobi Belitong activities whose opening would be entered in Wakatobe.

The participants of the contest will begin taking pictures under water after the Sail Wakatobi Belitong Sail is launched by the minister for maritime and fisheries on July 16, 2011.

He said that the contest was also open for world class photographers from various countries. Since the opening the international event, more than 70 participants have registered, he said.

The marine affairs and fishery ministry`s director general of marine and fishery sources supervision concurrently the Sail Wakatobi-Belitong organizing committee secretary, Syahrin Abdurrahman said earlier the Sail 2011 event has six main activities.

The activities are a yacht rally, a civic mission of Bhakti Surya Bhaskara Jaya, national and international seminars on marine and fishery sources management, archipelagic youth marine cross, marine and fishery product exhibitions, and the peak event which will be attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Sail Wakatobi-Belitong 2011 will be organized for six weeks, since the second week of July until the fourth week of August.

The Yacht Rally will start in Darwin, Australia, on July 23, and they will pass 21 districts/cities in Indonesia, and finally finish in Singapore.

The Bhakti Surya Baskara Jaya Operation will be carried out in six provinces, namely Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung (Sumatra Island), West Kalimantan, Gorontalo, Southeast Sulawesi, and South Sulawesi.

Source: Antara

PATA: Tourism behavior of the ‘RICHI’ inbound markets to Thailand

Find out about the unique characteristics and expectations of tourists from the strong new growth markets of Russia, India, China and Indonesia – the ‘RICHI’ countries.

During the “Mapping The Future” conference on May 19 that the PATA Thailand Chapter and partners organized with the TAT, attendees said that they needed more information on the behavioral aspects of some of the “newer” markets that have huge importance for the present and future of the tourism industry in Thailand.

The PATA Thailand Chapter has therefore organized a new seminar on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 on tourism behavior of the ‘RICHI’ markets—Russia, India, China and Indonesia. We are privileged to announce that Dr. Philip Pearce of the James Cook University in Australia will be our keynote speaker.

Anyer Festival held to promote Banten`s tourism

Banten province`s tourism office staged an Anyer Festival at Patra Sambolo beach in Anyer, Banten Province, to promote the region`s tourism potentials.

The event which ran July 1-3, 2011, involved hundreds of students and promoted the tourism potentials of the province, ial, those of Anyer district in particular.

"The Anyer Festival at Patra Sambolo beach was conducted to promote the tourism potentials of Banten province," Banten`s Culture and Tourism Office spokesman Rukman Teddy said in Anyer on Sunday.

Rukman said the this year`s event was also intended to introduce Anyer`s tourist attractions to students.

He said the first festival in 2010 was conducted in the run-up to Banten province`s anniversary, but the second one this year was held in conjunction with the long school vacation to attract as many students as possible.

According to him the event was intended to promote Bante`s tourism and to provide education to the students who visited the festival.

"The most important thing is that the festival is held at Patra Sambolo beach to make it known for tourists besides Anyer and Carita beaches," Rukman said, adding that thousands of people from Banten visited the festival.

Banten offers tourists an assortment of beaches, coastal resorts, and interesting towns, all of which are spread around its four districts and within its subsequent main municipalities of Cilegon, Serang, and Tangerang.

During the 5th century, Banten province was actually a part of the ancient Tarumanegara kingdom and traces of this period are still visible in the area of Lebak where a well-preserved stone inscription stands alongside the Cidanghiang River.

No wonder tourism in Banten has become a thriving element with so much to explore.

The white sandy beaches including Anyer, Karang Bolong, Labuan, and Carita with the distant views of the world famous Mount Krakatau are the most popular tourist attractions in Banten province.

Various water sport opportunities are provided around the beaches, ranging from windsurfing, water skiing and jet skiing, to scuba diving, snorkeling and fun rides on inflatable banana boats, as well as glass-bottom boat cruises.

Besides, the Ujung Kulon National Park is also known for its beaches and coral reefs, as well as its wildlife and jungle treks.

For some serious bird watching, the Pulau Dua Bird Sanctuary, on the island of Pulau Dua, is one of the best that Indonesia has to offer.

Families will likely prefer the water slides at the Tangerang Ocean Park.

Therefore, Banten provincial administration has finally turned the just concluded Anyer Festival into its annual agenda in an effort to increase the number of tourist visits.

"The Anyer Festival which has been held for the second time will be an annual agenda of the Banten provincial administration," Banten Vice Governor HM Masduki said here on Sunday.

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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts to expand in Indonesia

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced a new 380-room luxury hotel in the capital city of Jakarta, Indonesia, scheduled to open in 2014.
The property will be situated in Senayan Square at the South end of Jakarta's Central Business District. The site features Plaza Senayan, one of the most prestigious shopping centres in Jakarta with over one million visitors per month as well as prime residential and commercial facilities. The developer is Senayan Trikarya Sempana, a subsidiary of Kajima Overseas Asia.

Fairmont Jakarta will feature 380 spacious guestrooms and 108 Fairmont branded, long stay serviced suites. Additional features and amenities to the urban hotel include a number of lounges and several restaurants featuring a variety of culinary offerings. For corporate events and local galas, the hotel features 3,500 square metres of function space, including a 1,200 square metre ballroom. Over its 100-year history, Fairmont has been host to many legendary and historic meetings and the brand’s colleagues are experts at customising all aspects of meetings and events for planners.

Guests can relax in the 750 square metre Willow Stream Spa, the award-winning signature spa brand that draws on the destination’s nature, essence and energy to offer Fairmont’s unique brand of luxury and outstanding service. Fitness and pool facilities are available on site and located nearby is the 18-hole Senayan Golf Course.

“The addition of Jakarta will further strengthen our growing presence in Asia Pacific,” said Chris Cahill, President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts.

The Soul of Solo: A City Revitalized

Solo, officially known as Surakarta, shares the legacy of Java’s last surviving empire, the Mataram Sultanate, with its neighbor Yogyakarta. Each has their own palace, or kraton, and a line of royals who are revered by their subjects to this day.

Unlike in Yogyakarta, Solo’s sultan, or sunan, no longer holds formal political power. But the influence of the monarchy is still felt through the city’s widespread respect for the traditions of Java’s past.

That deeply-ingrained respect does not, however, stop the city from looking forward as well.

The mayor of Solo, Joko Widodo, has been widely praised for his progressive policies. He has rebranded the city with the slogan “The Spirit of Java,” and is said to have been implementing many positive changes on the ground to make it a better city for residents and tourists alike.

Having heard so much about Solo’s recent transformation, I decided it was time for me to make another trip there to see the changes for myself.

I started my day with a stroll down Jalan Slamet Riyadi, the city’s main business thoroughfare. There, I was surprised to see flocks of people traveling by bicycle or on foot, taking advantage of the city’s car-free day, implemented every Sunday from sunrise until 9 a.m.

The wide main road was shaded by large banyan trees. Street vendors were selling traditional goods like jamu, traditional herbal tonics, and serabi, a type of sweet coconut pancake.

As the car-free period came to an end and the usual traffic began to spill onto the main street, I noticed passengers lining up at the appointed shelters for the Batik Solo Trans — a modern transportation system, modeled on the TransJakarta busway, that was introduced to the city in December.

Further down the main strip, I saw a sign pointing down one of the side alleys that read: Kampung Batik Kauman. Curious to see where it led, I slipped into the quiet alley and was surprised to see the immaculate condition of the neighborhood. The road was paved and clean. The houses, in a mix of Javanese, Dutch and art deco styles, were neatly maintained. The diverse architecture reflected the history of the small neighborhood, which was established by the royal family to relocate residents after the city’s biggest mosque, Mesjid Gedhe Surakarta, was built in 1757.

Read the full article by Wahyuni Kamah

Unique cultural attractions to enliven Sail Wakatobi 2011

Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011 is less than two months away while unique cultural attractions have been prepared to enliven the international marine event.

While attending an international seminar as a speaker on global climate change, Wakatobi district head Hugua said over his cellular phone from Bangkok on Thursday the Wakatobi district government and local people had made various preparations to host Sail Wakatobi-Balitung as part of Sail Indonesia 2011.

"To welcome the Sail Wakatobi-Belitung event in which world-class divers will take part, the Wakatobi district government and local people have prepared cultural attractions of Kabuenga, Bangka Mbule-mbule, and Karia to entertain the participants of the international marine event," Hugua said.

He said the Bangka Mbule-mbule attraction would be performed by thousands of people from various coastal areas in Wakatobi to greet the participants of the international marine event.

Hugua added that Wakatobi people have also prepared various art performances and dances to greet the Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011 in Wakatobi.

"Without much to say, the arrival of Sail Wakatobi-Belitung participants in Wakatobi will be marked with big parties because we have set up a committee to greet them as well as possible to make their visit pleasant," Hugua said.

Commenting on Kabuenga art performance, Hugua said it was a tradition which was regularly held in Wakatobi every year and participated in by grown-up male and female who wanted to find their life mate.

"In this cultural performance, every man and woman who intend to live together juxtaposed in such a swing in the middle of an open field for all to see," Hugua said.

Hugua also said that the 50-kilometer long outer ring road in Wakatobi district town of Wangi-wangi was being asphalted for Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011.

"The paving of Wangi-wangi outer ring road is scheduled for completion by the end of July before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono visits Wakatobi early in August 2011 to open Sail Wakatobi-Belitung international marine event," Hugua said.

Asked about the amount of funds needed to pave the road, Hugua said more than Rp10 billion had been allocated from Wakatobi 2011 district budget for the project but it was not enough.

He said any shortage of funds would be met by the central government through Public Works Ministry from the state budget.

"We have proposed a budget of more than Rp40 billion to the Public Works Ministry and we hope our proposal will be responded as soon as possible," Hugua said.

According to Hugua, President Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono would be in Wakatobi to open Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011 and then to lay the cornerstone of an international fishery school.

Meanwhile, Wakatobi Transportation Department Head Syarifuddin said recently that three docks, namely Wangi-wangi, Kaledupa, and Pulau Tomia in the district, have been fixed for Sail Indonesia 2011 in August this year.

He said the three docks were expected to be completed by the end of July before the international marine event kicks off.

Accordint to Syarifuddin, the docks would be used by the participants of event and the divers from around the world.

Besides, they will also be used by naval ships to conduct a so-called Surya Baskara Jaya health operation.

Meanwhile, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad has ever said that Sail Wakatobi-Belitung 2011 was expected to promote investment and tourism in Wakatobi and Bangka-Belitung.

"The international maritime event will contribute positively to national economic development, and the economy in the two regions particularly," Fadel said recently.

Wakatobi is located in Southeast Sulawesi Province, on Sulawesi Island, while Belitong or Belitung is an island located in Bangka Belitung Province, on southern Sumatra Island.

Having underwater panoramic beauty and breath-taking diving sites, Wakatobi is a biodiversity hot spot especially known for various species of coral reefs.

At least 1.3 million hectares of Wakatobi are part of Wakatobi National Marine Park with Karang Mari Mabo, One Mombaa, Hioga Isle, and Patuno beach diving sites.

Mari Mabo in the local dialect means getting drunk. The diving site is called Mari Mabo because the area has stunning under water panoramic beauty that makes divers stay longer under the water and forget to resurface.

Wakatobi is also situated geographically at the world`s coral reef triangle center and has around 942 fish species and 750 coral reef species.

As stunning as Wakatobi, Belitung Island is also blessed with beaches having blue sea waters, coral reefs, fine white sand, and giant granite rock formations.

Belituong exotic beaches include Tanjung Kiras beach, Tanjung Pendam beach, Tanjung tinggi, Tanjung Kelayang, Tanjung Binga fisherman village, Panyaeran beach, Tanjung Kubu, Gembira bay and Tanjung Ru, which are ideal sites for diving, scuba, snorkeling, fishing and sailing.

The island also has other tourist attractions such as Golf Babute driving course, Lengkuas island, Gurok Beraye waterfall, Batu Baginde hill, Tirta Marundang natural pool and Dayang Seri Pinai Pool.

Themed "Clean the Ocean for Future Life," Sail Wakatobi-Belitung is expected to respond to the climate change which has triggered the temperature of the ocean surface to rise.

It is also expected to become the biggest international marine event ever held in Indonesia after the events of Sail Bunaken 2009 in North Sulawesi and Sail Banda 2010 in Maluku.

Source: Antara

Australian Tiger Airways subsidiary grounded

An air safety watchdog has grounded all Australian domestic flights of a Tiger Airways subsidiary on Saturday after the budget airline twice flew under the minimum allowed altitude.
The Civil Aviation Safety Authority announced that Tiger Airways Australia's entire domestic fleet of 10 airliners was grounded for five business days because continuing flights would pose a serious and imminent risk to air safety.
"We don't have confidence in the ability of Tiger to continue to manage the safety of their operations," safety authority spokesman Peter Gibson said. He said he understood that Tiger was the first national carrier in Australia to have its entire fleet grounded.
The airline, which entered the Australian aviation market three years ago, alerted passengers in a statement that services will remain suspended until July 9. Fares will be refunded.

Tiger, the third-largest domestic airline in Australia, operated between all state capitals and several regional cities. Tiger flights between the Australian west coast city of Perth and Singapore are unaffected.
The grounding is another blow to the bottom line of Singapore-based Tiger Airways Pty. Ltd., and to passenger confidence after weeks of intermittent flight cancellations due to clouds of volcanic ash over southern Australia since Chile's Cordon Caulle volcano began erupting June 4.
Tiger is 49 percent owned by national carrier Singapore Airlines Ltd. and 11 percent owned by state-owned investment company Temasek Holdings.

'Hidden Paradise' Opens up to Intrepid Tourists

For decades, the only foreign visitors to venture into Papua were gold--diggers, anthropologists, missionaries and soldiers fighting imperial wars.

But the vast, western half of New Guinea island is slowly opening its doors to tourists as a "hidden paradise", a land of ancient tribal cultures, glittering reefs, soaring glaciers and teeming wildlife.

Recreational travelers are still few, at most a few thousand a year; people like Sarah Gabel, a 29-year-old American who says she is "captivated by people who live in harmony with nature".

That's what she found in the Baliem valley, the long-isolated home of the Dani tribe high in the Papuan central highlands, outside the town of Wamena.

"I made a one--week trek. I crossed rivers in the wild, slept in huts and met semi--naked men hunting wild boars with arrows," she said.

This kind of "ethnic tourism" has become the main market for New Guinea, the largest island in Asia, where a thousand indigenous tribes are divided between the independent state of Papua New Guinea to the east and the Indonesian--controlled provinces of Papua and West Papua to the west.

"The clients come mostly from Europe and the US. They don't look for five-star hotels but want to discover unknown territories and authenticity," explained Iwanta Perangin Angin, whose agency, Papua Adventure, offers stays in Baliem.

Packed with exotic wildlife, Papua also attracts nature buffs and ornithologists in search of birds of paradise and cockatoos. Environment group WWF this week announced the discovery of more than 1,000 new species on New Guinea, including a frog with fangs and a round--headed dolphin.

The Raja Ampat marine park has also earned a reputation as a diving mecca, with more and more live aboard boats offering extended voyages around the area's dozens of pristine reefs.

"Papua is a hidden paradise. It's a unique destination with a lot to offer, from wild beaches to high mountains and deep jungle, with a strong culture and beautiful art," Trisakti University Institute of Tourism Professor Azril Azahari said.

"It's a niche market because it's very expensive and visitors need to be in good shape to support the climate, the hilly landscape and the very basic transport."

And then there's the political situation. Indonesian troops are accused of widespread human rights abuses against indigenous tribes which have been waging a low--level separatist war since the 1960s, often armed with little more than slings and arrows.

Foreign journalists and aid workers are barred from visiting the resource--rich provinces of Papua to report on the rebellion.

"The political situation has been quiet for some time but Papua is still seen abroad as an unsafe destination. The government has to do something to change this reputation," Azahari said.

"It is essential to develop grassroots, community--based tourism which benefits local people and increases their incomes. The future doesn't lie with luxury resorts."

Others warn against the worst outcomes of "ethnic tourism", such as promoting tribal people as "primitive" when they are not.

This is already happening in the form of reconstructions of tribal wars. When tourists arrive, the Dani men take off their shorts and T--shirts, paint their bodies and attach traditional penis gourds known as "kotekas".

"Papuans are very proud of their traditions but they are weakened by the modern world," said Yotam Yorgen Fonataba, organiser of an annual cultural festival at Sentani Lake, near the Papuan provincial capital of Jayapura.

"I'm still optimistic our culture is strong and we want to protect it. For this, we need to show the world our creativity."

Launched four years ago, the festival brings together thousands of people from 24 communities scattered around the huge lake.

To the rhythm of traditional drums known as "tibas", warriors sing haunting tribal songs while dancers, clad in richly colored costumes, sway on boats that glide across the still lake.

A student choir sings a song which goes: "I am Papuan, I have dark skin, I have curly hair. Papua, a piece of heaven fallen on the Earth".

Source: The Jakarta Globe
Earlier:

• Lake Sentani Festival to showcase Papua Culture 
• 1000 Tifa echo beats to enliven Lake Sentani