APR – Wonderful Indonesia Travel

The Dambulla Cave Temple is traced to the 1st century BC, and is the most treasured cave temple in Asia. It has five caves under a vast rock that overhangs the temple. On the underbelly of the Rock is carved a drip line that keeps the interiors dry.Inside the caves, the ceilings are adorned with intricate patterns of religious images meticulously painted following the natural contours of the rock. Images of the Buddha and bodhisattvas and gods and goddesses are to be seen inside.The cave monastery remains the best-preserved historical structure in Sri Lanka that dates back to the 2nd and 3rd centuries BC. It remains to this day a living Shrine that draws thousands of devotees and curious visitors.

The temple has five caves imaginatively converted to shrines. The caves built at the base of a 150m high rock during the first century BC to 993 AD and between 1073 -1250 are the most inspiring cave temples of the many cave temples in Sri Lanka. You reach the cave temple by walking on the gentle slope of the towering Dambulla rock that gives you a magnificent view of the plains below with the Sigiriya rock fortress emerging out of the flat landscape. No doubt you will have Homeric thoughts because a Sri Lanka Holiday is the most enjoyable odyssey you can make in Asia.

Sigiriya is both a palace and a fortress of stunning splendor, and is a tribute to its ingenious builders. Lest we forget to the King who wanted a Sri Lanka Holiday deal in a palace built on the flat top of a rock with a terrace and a mirror wall. The entrance is at mid level, through the Famous Lion gate that gives Sigiriya its name makes it the perfect tailor made holiday Sri Lanka. The frescoes of Heavenly Maidens -some twenty, sensuously captivating beauties who have survived out of nearly 600 date to the time of the playboy King Kashyappa, narrate in paint the pleasures of a pristine past of a land that you have chosen when you decided on your Sri Lanka vacation.Sigiriya is an architectural marvel and a classic example of urban planning in the first millennium. A park laid out on a symmetrical plan to appease Royal indolence and water retaining structures with ingenious surface and subsurface hydraulic systems will surprise you, as most of them function to this day.

What will enthrall you most are the frescoes and the mirror wall graffiti. Together they narrate a story painted and etched of the genius of a people who lived and loved with passion. They surpass the guest comments you will read of the most fastidious of Boutique Hotels in Sri Lanka.

The Frescoes – are drawn in a style considered unique. They radiate an ethereal beauty that seduces your senses with a grace that is exquisite despite its antiquity.The Mirror Wall- It is said the Mirror Wall was so polished that the King could see himself when he passed through the ornate terrace in the sky. Its surface suggests that it is made of some form of porcelain. The mirror wall has verses dating from the 8th century wherein they wrote on love, irony, loss and grief.The Gardens of Sigiriya is one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the world.The Lion’s Mouth – is the entrance to the palace, with its giant paws still intact. A guide for you to imagine the enormous edifice that it once was and still is on the Sri Lanka Map.

Anuradhapura is one of the island’s most famous ancient cities, firmly in place in any tours in Sri Lanka.The ancient ruins predating the Christian era puts Anuradhapura in the pantheon of human history along with Athens, Alexandria and Patalipurhra. It depicts the trajectory of the Sinhalese civilization from the time it was founded in 4^th century BC.The Mahavamsa, the historical chronicle affirms that the city was founded in 380 BC. The capital city of Sinhala Kings of Sri Lanka suffered, survived, was razed to the ground and was rebuilt as most other cities whose prosperity and the envy of rulers in its proximity was a recipe for recurring disasters and innovative engineering in reconstruction.The past grandeur is narrated by a fascinating collection of ancient ruins some of which have been painstakingly restored. The remote past of a majestic capital and a monastic city of benevolent kings, despotic monarchs, retreating rulers and heroic conquerors reach out to you from Sri Lanka history.The Dagoba – Thuparamaya was built by King Devanam Piya Tissa in 3rd century BC to enshrine the clavicle of the Buddha, considered a sacred relic that was gifted to the King by the Mauryan Missionary Emperor Asoka. The city was conquered and sacked by Pandyan kings in the 9th century. The destruction in AD 993 by an invading Indian King brought an end to the city as the capital of Sri Lanka. Close to Anuradhapura is Mihintale, the oldest and the first wildlife sanctuary of all mankind. The story goes that King Devanam Piyatissa who was a deer hunt when he found Arahant Mahinda and by royal edict declared the entire area as a protected reserve a tradition that continues to this day. Other than Mihintale, there are more than 14 protected wild life parks you can visit on your Sri Lanka trip.

The oldest tree in the world adorns this city of shrines. It was brought from India in the 3rd century BC. Its sanctity rests on it being grown from the Bo Tree (ficus religiousa) in Bodhgaya India. Under the shade of the parent tree, the Ascetic Siddharathe sought enlightenment.The relicts of the Buddha enshrined in Stupas or Dagobas have thus determined the topography of Anuradhapura.Your holiday in Sri Lanka needs to an enriching experience. Find the answer to the question “can man escape his destiny?” Yes. See the Samadhi Statue of the Buddha, matchless in the intense serenity that it radiates.Can a royal bath be made as ornate in its scale and beauty as that of a cathedral? Yes, See the twin ponds. To learn about Sri Lanka is to learn about the genius of man.

Wayag Island is one of the islands within the Raja Ampat district in the province of West Papua. The island is known for its beautiful atolls and amazing underwater life covering a total area of 155,000 hectares, about 383,013.3 acres. Here, you find pristine beaches with unique Karst islands that look like mushrooms sprouting out from the sea. Along these beaches, tourists can see fairy tale panorama, more captivating than Leonardo DiCaprio’s getaway in “The Beach”. The crystal clear waters around Wayag Island appear like unreal windows to various types of flora and fauna that live underwater.

Wayag Island never ceases to amaze. Divers, especially, have been overwhelmed not only by the rich underwater displays, but also by the panoramic beauty of the island as they climb up to its highest platform and observe coves and atolls around. It is a dream come true, truly a dream fulfilled. The island is 10 km north of the equator. Liveaboards are the best choice for travelers with a love for adventure and romance. Social contacts with other travelers will only be a call away. Dive briefings are enriching, so that just being there with other divers and the exotic looking staff, you will feel as if you are already drawn into the depths of Wayag’s surreal beauty.

Get Around

How to get around in Wayag Island actually depends on where you are staying. So, plan your trip carefully and decide where to stay. If you choose to stay in one of the resorts on one of the Raja Ampat Islands, you will need a boat to visit Wayag Island. But if you choose a liveaboard package, you just need to sit back and enjoy the breeze in your cabin and let the schooner pass the beautiful islands.

Liveaboard packages are a comfortable alternative, and you can find these boats in Sorong, or as far away as Bali which is their marketing hub and port for businesses offering dive packages. Some of the liveaboards are very luxurious, and some are unique and quite fantastic. The facilities are inclusive. Many agree that liveaboards are indeed the best alternative considering time and convenience. At around US$ 300 a day, this is actually good value for money. Liveaboards usually run 10 day cruises out of the port of Sorong, in West Papua.

It will not take a long time to travel around the unique beaches of Wayag Island. But it takes very good physical condition to enjoy the beautiful panorama from the top of an atoll, as you must climb the atoll’s steep walls for about 30 minutes.

A dinghy is probably the best means to go island hopping in a day. It is a beautiful interruption between your diving, sleeping and eating routine on your vacation in the Raja Ampat Islands. When hiring a speedboat as alternative, observe the surrounding islands and stop at the clear water to cool yourself after a long hour of the fast seafaring trip. Taking a speedboat is convenient as you can decide your own program.

By attending the massive Baliem Valley Festival, visitors will have a rare chance to learn and experience firsthand the different traditions of each tribe participating in the Festival without having to make the difficult trek to their compounds deep in the hinterland of West Papua. During the festival, have your camera ready. Very often you will come across unique moments that you never want to miss.

A number among the more than a thousand war participants, do want to keep abreast with the outside world, so they adorn themselves with local regalia, while sporting flashy sunglasses: a personal ad of a trendy look meeting age-old tradition. Ask them politely to pose for you. It’s an unusual anachronism not to be missed. All you need to do during the festival is just observe and enjoy the mock war. The longer it gets, the nearer the spears and arrows get to hit the opponents. The closer the miss, the louder the roar from the hundreds of spectators. They have participated in these battles every year so that participants do get better each year.

After the Festival, visitors can go sightseeing to the Dani Market in Wamena, and visit the traditional Wauma Village that can be reached by car from Wamena. In Aikima see a 250 year-old mummified village chief, or, after a 2-hour climb, see the salt springs, where Dani women have, for centuries, made salt in a simple manner.

For your own safety, when intending to trek alone into the interior, you are advised to first report your itinerary to the Police upon arrival at the airport. A number of travel agencies regularly organize tours to the Baliem valley.

Locals who still remember World War II would tell visitors that back in 1944-145 Morotai was a hive of military activities with tens of sorties roaring daily from aircrafts taking off and landing at airstrips along Daruba Bay,endless stamping of thousands of military boots marching across the island, and navy ships anchoring daily carrying supplies and reinforcement. For Morotai back then, was the strategic base of the Allied Forces from which they attacked posts in the Philippines and Borneo in their fight against Japanese forces during World War II.

On 15 September 1944, Allied Forces from the USA and Australia under leadership of Supreme Commander for the West Pacific, General Douglas MacArthur, landed on Morotai’s south west corner, where some time before, the Japanese had constructed an airstrip but abandoned it in favor of the island of Halmahera to its south. In Morotai the Japanese command left only some 500 soldiers to guard the island. With such overwhelming odds, the advancing Allied Forces were no match for the small number of Japanese troops. The Japanese Navy later tried to recapture the island but also to no avail.

When the Japanese abandoned Morotai, Gen. MacArthur saw this as the golden window of opportunity to take the island which he considered was at the most strategic location for a counter invasion to recapture the Philipppines from the Japanese. With over 50,000 troops the Allied Forces settled on Morotai. Losing no time, Mac Arthur immediately constructed a number of airstrips over the rough coral ground. At one point, Morotai was said to house no less than 60,000 soliders, and had a large hospital with 1,900 beds. There was also a busy naval base nearby.

Later, Australian Forces also sortied from Morotai to stage attacks on North Borneo. This hive of activities continued until the end of World War II at the surrender of the Japanese in 1945. Before leaving the island, Allied Forces are said to have burnt down all constructions on Morotai.

In 1974 a lone Japanese soldier called Taruo Nakamura emerged from the jungles of Morotai having hidden there for decades unaware that the War was long over.

Today, Morotai has become a vague memory in the annals of World War II military operations in the Pacific Theater, and its role in the fight for freedom of the Philippines almost forgotten.

The island itself with a total population of 53,000 people is now back to its routine as sleepy tropical paradise. Nevertheless, its decisive role in World War II is forever etched in history books.

Now the government plans to make Morotai into an economic hub and gateway into Indonesia from the Pacific Ocean. Morotai will be developed as a fishery, tourist, trade and services center.

The island of Morotai has now been designated as one of Indonesia’s Top Priority Tourist Destination for intense resort development.

Located north of the larger island of halmahera in the province of North Maluku, the island of Morotai has a number of great beaches and interesting diving spots. The largest town here is Daruba in the south. To Morotai’s north are the Philippines, to its east the Pacific Ocean. Not much remains to be seen from those hectic World War II days, except for a number of interesting wrecks to be explored underwater.

A lone statue of General Douglas MacArthur on the island of SumSum near Daruba serves to remind following generations that this famous general, best known for his words “I will return”, once made Morotai his military base.

Nearby at Kao Bay in Halmahera a half submerged Japanese wreck named the Tosimaru can still be seen from shore.
A shack filled with memorabilia of World War II collected by a private citizen and known as the Morotai Museum can be visited to remind visitors of those terrible war days, which will hopefully never occur again on this planet.

Besides serving as US and Australian military base in WW II, the island of Morotai later also served as base for Indonesian forces in the liberation of West New Guinea from Dutch colonization.

The traditional village of Wae Rebo in the district of Manggarai on the island of Flores, East Nusatenggara, has received the Top Award of Excellence from UNESCO in the 2012 UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards, announced in Bangkok on 27 August 2012.

This small and isolated village was recognized for its rebuilding of the traditional Mbaru Niang traditional house based on the spirit of community cooperation towards a sustainable tradition, while at the same time improving its village welfare.

Wae Rebo is a small, very out of the way village. Situated on around 1,100 meters above sea level and approximately 3 – 4 hour travel by foot from Denge Village. Wae Rebo is completely surrounded by panoramic mountains and the dense Todo forest. This tropical forest is rich in vegetation, where you will find orchids, different types of ferns and hear the chirping of many songbirds. There is also no mobile coverage in this village, and the electricity is only available from 6 to 10 pm. The air is relatively cold, especially in the dry season, so don’t forget to bring your jacket if you’re planning to visit the village.

Founder of the village and, therefore, their main ancestor who built the village some 100 years ago, was a man called Empu Maro. Today, the inhabitants are his 18th generation descendants.

Wae Rebo’s main characteristics are their unique houses, which they call Mbaru Niang that are tall and conical in shape and are completely covered in lontar thatch from its rooftop down to the ground. It appears that at one time such kind of houses were quite common to the region. But today, it is only this village that continues to maintain the typical Manggarai traditional house, without which these unique houses would have been completely fazed out.

The house has five levels, each level designated for a specific purpose. The first level , called lutur or tent, are the living quarters of the extended family. The second level, called lobo, or attic, is set aside to store food and goods, the third level called lentar is to store seeds for the next harvest, the fourth level called lempa rae is reserved for food stocks in case of draught, and the fifth and top level, called hekang kode, which is held most sacred, is to place offerings for the ancestors.

One special ceremonial house is the community building where members of the entire clan gather for ceremonies and rituals. They are predominantly Catholic but still adhere to old beliefs. In this house are stored the sacred heirloom of drums and gongs.

With a small population of around 1,200 inhabitants only, the village comprises 7 houses. The staple diet of villagers is cassava and maize, but around the village they plant coffee, vanilla, and cinnamon which they sell in the market, located some 15 km. away from the village. Lately, however, Wae Rebo has grown in popularity as a tourist destination for international ecotourism enthusiasts, and this has added to the economic welfare of the village. The people of Wae Rebo warmly welcome visitors who wish to see their village and experience their simple traditional life.

Flores is one the most fascinating and beautiful island, located in the southern part of Indonesia in East Nusa Tenggara province.

Geographically, Flores is part of Indonesia’s Lesser Sunda Islands. From west to east the main Lesser Sunda Islands are Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sumba, Timor, Alor archipelago, Barat Daya Islands and Tanimbar Islands.

Long hidden in the shadows of its more famous neighbor Bali, the island of Flores is finally emerging as a unique destination of its own.

So, after visiting the lair of the Komodo dragons, take time to marvel at some of the wonders of Flores. Here, you can swim in pristine lakes and waterfalls, dive at one of the 50 spectacular dive sites, go kayaking among craggy coasts and mangrove shores, explore mysterious caves and be warmly welcomed by the island’s people in their rituals, dances and daily life.

Flores spell adventure, diving, eco-tours, and mountain climbing interspersed with visits to prehistoric heritage sites, traditional villages and cultural events. Find some of the world’s most exotic underwater life, dive in the pristine seas of Komodo, or swim along with huge manta rays, dolphins, and dugongs on the island of Flores!

One of several histories of the name “Flores” was said to come from Tanjung Bunga, a sub-district in East Flores. In the 1500s a Portuguese navigator António de Abreu reach this place and saw blooming flowers all over the island.

Then came S.M Cabot who described this place as Cabo das Flores, translated as the cape of flowers.

In 1636 Hendrik Brouwer, the Dutch Indies Governor General validated Flores as the official name for the Island.

Flores also was known as Nusa Nipa, or the Snake Island. The name was said to depict due to the shape of the island, the fact that Flores is a habitat for snakes and the ancient belief that the snake was the ancestor of the island.

You can come by to the Blikon Blewut Museum in Maumere, and learn a glimpse of Florinese history.

There are 8 major ethnic groups in Flores, namely the Manggarai, Riung, Ngada, Nage-Keo, Ende, Lio, Sikka and Larantuka.

There are also 8 regencies in Flores: West Manggarai, Manggarai, East Manggarai, Ngada, Nagekeo, Ende, Sikka and East Flores.

Labuan Bajo is the capital of West Manggarai, the gateway to many splendors of Flores.

You can watch Caci dance in Manggarai, a live war dance performed in numerous traditional ceremonies. The dance is also popular as a warm greeting to welcome important guests.

In East Manggarai, you can visit Rana Tonjong, a vast lake covered with giant lotus flowers that bloom from April to June. If you love beaches, don’t forget to sunbathe at Laing Lewe! In Ngada, you can come by and explore Taman Laut 17 Pulau. Translates as The17 Islands Ocean Park, it was also named in accordance to Indonesia’s anniversary date on the 17th. Here, you can discover exotic wildlife on land and beneath the ocean’s waters.

Nagakeo is famous for Pulau Pasir Putih Rii Taa, a pristine pearly white-pinkish sandy island located just around an hour boat ride from the Marapokot harbor in Mbay city.

The renowned three colored Lake Kelimutu is located in Ende. An amazing natural wonders that you definitely must experience yourself. While in Ende, you can also visit the unique Pengganjawa beach. With black sand and plenty of stones in turquoise hues scattered on its shore, a sight that you don’t see often!

Maumere is the capital of Sikka. Besides the museum and beaches, you can head to Tanjung Kajuwulu and Nilo hill, to enjoy the soothing view unfolding beneath you.

Last but certainly not least is Larantuka, the capital of East Flores. The city is famous for its Easter celebration named Semana Santa. A festive march carried off the day of Good

Every November, the Manggarai ethnic group in East Nusa Tenggara Province will conduct the sacred rituals of Penti which takes place at the Wae Rebo Traditional Village on Flores Island. As this is a unique occasion, make sure to witness the event.

Penti is a ritual of thanksgiving to celebrate the past year’s harvest and prayers for a prosperous, new agricultural year. The event is filled with a series of ancient rituals that usually last for one full day and night. The celebration is of such huge communal importance that all village members -even those living outside the village-will join the rituals.

Penti is an annual ritual closely related to the agricultural cycle. The tradition has been passed down through generations from the ancestors of the village, that identifies different months according to variations of location of surrounding natural environments. Penti also marks the turn of the year for the Wae Rebo villagers which occurs in November following the modern calendar. Although nowadays many villages on the island celebrate Penti based on a five-year cycle due to the intensive preparations and high costs involved, in the village of Wae Rebo, however, Penti is still conducted on a yearly basis.

Penti begins with the Barong Wae and Barong Oka rituals in which the people carrying offerings proceed to the courtyard of the Rumah Gendang or the Main House in the village, accompanied by the sounds of gongs and gendang traditional percussions. They gather at the natural spring and invite the spirit of the spring’s keeper to attend the Penti celebration.

The processions will then move to the watu pantas to symbolize the purification of sins, which is followed by a visit to the stone altar or compang, which concludes the Barong Wae, Barong Oka, and Roi Boa rituals.

Penti will also be highlighted with the fascinating display of Caci, which is the traditional martial art specific to the Manggarai region, in which two men will be involved in a one-on- one combat using whips and simple shields.

During the series of the Penti Ritual, a group of men and women will chant traditional songs with no musical accompaniment which is called Sanda. The Sanda commences in the middle of the night and continues nonstop until morning. The Sanda must be chanted uninterruptedly during the entire rituals to honor the spirits of the ancestors.

White sandy beaches. Tropical coral reefs. Warm inviting waters. All this awaits you on the Gili Trawangan and the Gili islands in Lombok. And with no cars, no motorbikes, and no distractions other than beautiful tropical island scenery, the Gili islands off the northwest coast of Lombok are truly an ideal destination for a tropical getaway.

Offering spectacular reefs and ominous dive sites like Shark reef, the Gili Trawangan, and the Gili islands in Lombok are the perfect escape for anyone wanting to get away to beautiful, natural, and relaxing surroundings. This is why these islands have become a popular destination for Western tourists looking for a remote island experience.

For divers and snorkelers, there are few places better than the Gili’s where you can get up close to all kinds of marine life including a green turtle (Chelonia mydas) in all its glory. Swim-up and watch this graceful creature glide through the ocean. You should be able to spot these turtles at depths of 10-20 meters below sea level.

The Gilis consist of three islands: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. In the local Sasak language, “Gili” means “island”. In the Indonesian language, plural is denoted by repeating a noun. So “Gili Gili” literally means “islands”.

Renowned for friendly locals and superb natural beauty, each of the island’s is well prepared for tourists. Gili Trawangan is the largest and most popular of the three islands. It has a vibrant nightlife to keep you entertained once the sun goes down. With a wide collection of restaurants and bars, you’ll never be short of entertainment here.

If you’re after a quiet getaway, try Gili Meno or Gili Air. Gili Air is closest to the mainland and is the most populated of the Gili’s. Gili Meno is the smallest island and, with only a few hundred permanent residents, it has the most remote feel to it. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants built in keeping with the islands’ homely village atmosphere.

How to Get Around Gili Trawangan and the Gilis

hello@wonderfulindonesia.travel