Indonesia Traveling Guide

Festival and Travel Mart 2011 was being held on last week at Raja Ampat Waisai Tercinta Beach (WTC), Raja Ampat, West Papua. This event was Opened with traditional dance and performance on last Thursday. Festival Committee Chairman & Travel Mart 2011 Ferdinand Dimara said that the maritime festival was intended to promote maritime tourism Raja Ampat. Besides bringing the existing tourism operators in Raja Ampat with a number of travel agents.

Raja Ampat, the beauty of the region which is rich with coral and marine life are very well known to the world. Therefore the Raja Ampat could become a major destination of foreign and domestic tourists. Especially diving and underwater tourism lovers. Raja Ampat consists of four large islands, namely Pulau Wageo, http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifMisol, Batanta, and Salawati, as well as over 1,000 small islands to save the diversity of flora and fauna is also a cultural tradition.

In the maritime festival, visitors enjoyed package tours, traditional art performance and also some culinary. Meanwhile, according to Head of Culture and Tourism Raja Ampat Yusdi N Lamatenggo, festival was intended to introduce and promote the fascinating of Raja Ampat underwater panorama, also to increase tourist visits from 7,000 people (2010) to 10,000 this year.

There was also a photo contest focusing on underwater and panoramic views of the community life of Raja Ampat. Also, some seminars on nature diving. For more information about Raja Ampat visit this LINK.

Mataram’s new Lombok International Airport, located about 40 kilometers south of West Nusatenggara’s provincial capital, started operating now.

A Garuda Indonesia Airways Boeing 737-800 JR was the first commercial aircraft that landed at the new facility at 10.08 local time on Saturday. The plane landed smoothly on the airport’s runway, witnessed by thousands of people lining the airport’s perimeters.

The plane was carrying 108 people consisting of a group of West Nusa Tenggara government officials including Governor TGH M Zainul Majdi, councilors, as well as ordinary West Nusatenggara residents. They had been previously transported to Jakarta in order to make the flight to Lombok International Airport on the day of its opening.

The arriving people were greeted with a traditional ceremony to mark the new airport’s official opening. In his speech on the occasion Governor Zainul Majdi said, with the opening of the Lombok international airport, the local people’s long wait had finally ended.

"This is the beginning of progress as well as proof that West Nusa Tenggara also can advance and if all parties work hard then nothing is impossible," he added.

Meanwhile, Central Lombok Dsitrict Chief Suhaili FT appreciated all those who had supported the development of the international airport. Suhaili expressed his commitment to ensure the security and stability of the airport’s operations.

"No more doubts about safety. We can assure you. It is a testament that all parties in theis region want progress. Hopefully it is beneficial for all of us," he said. (Kompas.com)

Lombok island located in West Nusa Tenggara is almost head-to-head with its neighbour island, Bali, in competition of attracting foreign and domestic tourists.

Lombok island is one of the most complete tourist destinations with its fantastic natural resources, from Mount Rinjani to exotic and rarely visited beaches including Kuta beach, Aan Cape, as well as the attractive small islets (known as gili). To get more information visit this blog review about Lombok Island.

There are six ways that can be applied by backpackers or non-backpackers to maximize fun of having a vacation in the island.

1. Be well-prepared with itineraries. Spontanities in preparing them sometimes can be more exciting but they are supposed to be the subject to skip if you only have time contraints to have a vacation. Find as much as possible the information of destinations from internet such as accomodations, transportations, distances and durations of visiting one place to the others. Doing them will hinder you from conflict of ideas or spending time on discussing destinations especially if you take the vacation in groups.

One of the sites, www.visitlomboksumbawa.net helps you find the information on festivals usually held in Lombok. As an example, Malena Sapi (cow race) is held this month in West Lombok and Senggigi Festival is held in Batu Layar village, Lobar regency, West Lombok.

2. It takes more money if you have to rent a car compared with taking a public transportation in Lombok such as Bemo (shuttle bus) or Cidomo (horse cart). An 8-hour car rent of Avanza provided with its driver can be charged for local rate at Rp300,000. The service will enable you to reach areas not served by public transportations as bemo or cidomo are rarely found in Mataram and mostly found out of the city.

The car rent also offers a free of charge tour guide service besides a driver. The drivers know very well the tourist attractions mostly visited by tourists or places rarely visited but abundant with spectacular natural resources as they are natives of the local areas. Don't forget to get the fixed rate of the service to prevent you from having arguments when paying the bill after using the service.

3. Extra cash needed. No charges for entering handicraft centers in Banyumulek Village, Sasak tribe traditional village, Sade village, and Lingsar castle. However, there will be boxes of donation placed at several places that need your volunteer contributions of around Rp5,000-10,000 to help develop local villages.

The amount of money will be needed for volunteer payment of local tour guides that are able to tell you in details of stories and histories on local tourist attractions. That's why it's necessary to prepare small changes of Rp5,000-10,000.

4. Drop by the rarely visited places when taking a trip around Lombok Island as there are many unique places to explore besides common places visited by tourists. Thefore it is necessary to leave as early as 7 in the morning to make sure you have enough time to explore the places. During the time, you can take a view of Sasak farmers planting seeds of paddy in the morning mist. The rising sun shining the greeny paddy fields completes the lovely view.

The moment can be taken by photographers who want to get the scenes of farmers planting paddys, male farmers cultivating fields, as well irregular buyers purchasing dry unhusked rice from farmers. You can take time mingling with locals by greeting and introducing yourself to them. Gradually they will find the comfort to share with you about their daily life and activities as Sasak farmers. If lucky, you will be invited by them to have breakfast on the edge of paddy fields by them.

Stop by the open traditional markets located at road sides. There are days, Mondays and Thursdays, in which all traders from the whole regions of Lombok gather at spots such as Sengkol market, Central Lombok.

5. Be ready with sunblocks. Lombok island is well-known for its exotic beaches lying from West Lombok to South Lombok. Senggigi Beach and three gili lie; Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air, lie in West Lombok. While fascinating beaches; Kuta, Tanjung Aan and Mawun beach, lie in South Lombok.

There several kinds of activities that you can do on the beaches such as sunbathing, snorkeling, diving, as well as surfing. Sunblock is compulsory to carry along as scorching sunshine on the beaches can get you sunburn. At least by applying sunblock, you do not have to be bothered thinking about being sunburn and can have more fun doing kinds of activities on the beaches.

6. Be ready to have parties on Gili and Senggigi! Night festivities in the island are minimal, not like the ones in Bali popular with its 24-hour festive life. The center of city looks quiet from sort of activities starting at 10 pm.

However, if you still insist on spending the night life in Lombok, you can head to Senggigi where dozens of cafes, karaoke pubs, as well as seafood restaurants are open till late at night.

Enjoy the beauty of night life if you happen to stay in Gili Trawangan. Tourist will be lured by festivities and music entertainment and they can dance to their hearts' contentment until morning comes.

Indonesia’s cultural diversity is a blessing, Culture and Tourism Resources Development Agency spokesman Pitana said here on Wednesday.

Speaking at a public discussion in the framework of National Creative Week at Banyualit Buleleng Hotel in Buleleng district town of Singaraja, Pitana said the cultural diversity in Indonesia was among others in the form of traditional dances, music, art performances, fabric motifs, and handicrafts across the country.

He said the national cultural diversity should continue to be preserved and maintained in the face of various global cultural challenges. According to him, the cultural diversity was the capital to develop a better life because it was a base for the nation’s cultural, tourism, and economic development in a creative way.

Pitana explained that conservation and development of culture and tourism should use the concept of democracy or community empowerment in accordance with the objective of tourism development. He pointed out that in the other parts of the world, creative industry had positive impact on national and regional economy.

In England for example, Pitana said creative industry ranked second as a pillar of the country’s economy from the music, arts, and films. While in Canada, creative industry in 2002 contributed 5.4 percent of gross domestic product and 6 percent against the United State gross domestic product.

Therefore cultural and social observer Made Metra said Indonesia should empower and develop its creative industry as the identity of the nation.

Interesting decision has been made today for Komodo National Park participation in the New Seven Wonders of Nature competition. "After this decision is made, the Komodo National Park is no longer part of the campaign of the New Seven Wonders of Nature held by the New 7 Wonders Foundation," said Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik.

He claimed to be misled by the New 7 Wonders Foundation. Withdrawals made after the New 7 Wonders Foundation has threatened to exclude Komodo National Park from the list of 28 finalists because Indonesia refused to host the declaration of the winner of the New Seven Wonders of Nature.

To host the New 7 Wonders Foundation, it requires Indonesia to pay 10 million U.S. dollars, or about USD 85.4 billion for the license only. Kembudpar also has to prepare another USD 35 million or equal to IDR 298.7 billion for the cost of organizing the event in Indonesia.

"Since we have not signed anything yet, and after taking consideration about the investment cost, we have decided to retreat, "Jero said. To learn more about Komodo National Park and the beauty of its nature, please visit the bolded link in this paragraph.

One of the surfers' paradiso and also best surf spot in Indonesia is Lakey Beach, located in Huu District, Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara. Lakey Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Indonesia where the Lakey’s wave peak that so famous to foreign countries.

This beach is known for its excellence and consistency of the waves to become the world’s best surfing locations. Lakey Beach is also known for having the most complete types of waves than the other beaches in the world.

At Lakey Beach, surfers embrace many types of wave:

Nangas is a type of flat-shaped waves.
Lakey Peak is the first wave peaked and then leveled off
Pipe is a wave that looks like a pipe, a type of waves that can also be found in Hawaii.
Periscope is a type of wave that resembles a pair of binoculars so that when they bend over the waves, surfers as there are in the binoculars.

One amazing thing surgers love about Lakey Beach is the wave can move in both directions, left and right. Technically, the Lakey waves was considered safe for surfing sports, because in normal conditions the wave height between 1.5 to 3 meters and a depth of 4 meters of the beach, And with waves sound about 150 feet from tidal water.

Lakey Beach has become one of the leading tourist attraction with many facilities have been provided. Welcome to Lakey Beach Sumbawa!

West Nusa Tenggara or NTB province near Bali Island will soon see the completion of its Lombok International Airport that can also accommodate Air Bus 330 or Boeing 767 aircraft.

Lombok International Airport (BIL), located in Tanah Awu, Pujut sub-district, Central Lombok district, is about 40 kilometers south of the old Mataram Selaparang Airport.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is expected to inaugurate the Lombok International Airport on October 1 this year.

The BIL worth 945.8 billion rupiah has a passenger terminal measuring 21 thousand square meters or four times wider than that of Selaparang Mataram Airport which is only 4,796 square meters. One US dollar is about 9,000 rupiah.

The BIL’s passenger accommodating capacity is three million passengers a year with a parking area of 17,500 square meters, while Selaparang airport’s parking lot is only 7,334 square meters.

In addition, the BIL has a runway of 2,750 meters x 40 meters square, so it can accommodate ten Air Bus 330 or Boeing 767 air planes.

We have to plan our trip before traveling, this is to ensure that we are going to have not only a pleasant trip but the most efficient trip that we could have. Today, we have so many low cost carriers/airlines with special offers almost all the time. Special offers always come with specific terms and conditions, and apply only for specific destinations and for specific dates. Those offers benefit most to those who are flexible on dates, because they can get the best price.

To get the lowest fare, it is highly recommended to book as earliest as possible and that is when the airlines launch the promotion. The lowest fare seats are always limited, so be hurry. By booking earlier, the chance to get the lowest rate on your traveling date is still high. Most of the lowest fare seats are available during weekdays (but not for the weekend). Low cost carrier doesn’t provide free meal during the travel; you can only bring limited baggage for the check-in baggage. They also set certain weight limit for hand luggage and hold baggage that is the baggage you bring on board. To avoid any excess baggage always bring with you luggage scales.

In some countries, you will arrive in the secondary airports, they usually smaller and are further away. You always need to pay more attention to your own baggage, particularly for the check-in baggage, always lock them! Today, there are many choices of lock, one worth to mention here is the tsa locks. One thing that can be mislead when purchasing low cost carrier is the fare, most promotion fares are before taxes (fuel fee, airport taxes and government taxes), so always check the full price, and this can be easily done at the website. Always plan your travel, and have a pleasant flight!

Prepare to be amazed by the virginal beaches of Lombok, meet with a magnificent mountainous landscape; a blend of man-made and natural beauty awaits you.

Because of the lack of development on the island, the majority of the sights here are natural marvels, The Gili islands offer a taste of isolated tropical living, where horse-drawn carts provide an ecologically and friendly alternative to motorbikes and cars.

The main visual attraction of Lombok is Mount Rinjani, an active volcano that towers over the island's fertile plains.

Attractive villages creating complicated crafts with handicraft methods passed down by generations; pepper the island, while the main form of architecture can be found in the temples and mosques that serve the two religions on the island - Islam and Hinduism.
Places to visit around Lombok Island:

Gili Islands

One of the most gorgeous tourist destinations is the Gili islands. Gili means ‘Small Island’, this cluster of three islands has escaped the trappings of modern life, with their undeveloped, perfect sandy beaches and lush tropical vegetation.

Gili Trawangan is the most developed, Gili Meno the smallest and quietest, while Gili Air is the closest to the mainland with the largest population. Each island offers pretty much the same in the way of activities; world class surfing, diving and snorkeling and some tropical island lounging.

To access the islands, you can catch one of the regular shuttle boats.

Komodo Island

Komodo Island is located between Sumbawa and Flores, the Komodo Island is quite barren – a fact which makes the giant lizard, stand out all the more. These monitor lizards are indigenous to the region and grow up to three metres long, the world's largest living lizard.

Feeding on goats and deer, the people live in the fishing villages supplement their income by breeding goats for tourists to feed the lizards, an interesting experience to say the least. The nature reserve is easiest reached by ferry from Flores.

Kuta Beach

Besides Bali’s Kuta Beach, this is Lombok's Kuta Beach, a very own surfer's paradise with virginal white sand and turquoise waters, fringed by a hilly terrain.

The best-known place on the south coast, relatively lively and atmospheric; the area is one held in deep affection by its returning visitors and instantly wins over the hearts of the first-timers.

To get there, you need a 90-minute drive from Senggigi, Kuta is a great daytrip opportunity, one that should be enjoyed by all visitors.

Mount Rinjani Trekking and Eco Adventure

The second highest volcanic peak in Indonesia, it is part of the ‘Ring of fire’ and is considered a sacred place on Lombok. Please check the status of the volcano before visiting.

The chance to visit a volcano is always one that should not be missed. The highlands near the volcano are undeveloped and forested, while the lowlands are highly cultivated with fertile soil where rice, tobacco, cotton and soya beans are produced.

Protected by National Park status, visitors can attempt the three-day Rinjani Trek route from Senaru to the crater rim (Plawangan), down to the stunning crater lake then on to Sembalun Lawang. The track is considered as one of the best and most challenging treks in Southeast Asia.

Mantaram

Mataram is the capital city of Lombok, comprised of four towns, Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara (Cakra) and Sweta.

For art exhibitions, puppet shows or theatre be sure to head to the Mataram main square, which is about as busy as the whole island gets. Ampenan has the Negeri Nusa Tenggara Barat museum, which gives a good overview of the culture of Lombok.

Narmada Park

Known as the resting place of the King of Lombok, this park has a Hindu temple and a small pond replicating in miniature the Crater Lake at Gunung Riniani. The Balinese Pujawali festival takes place here every year.

Narmada Park is situated 10 km east of Mataram, and is modeled on the basis of Mount Rinjani's pinnacle.

Pura Lingsar

Built in 1714, Pura Lingsar is a spiritual center for both Balinese Hinduism and the Wektu Telu religion, with temple buildings dedicated to both faiths.

Pura Lingsar is a sea temple situated at the far north end of the beach at Ampenan, Mataram.

One of the attraction is to feed hard-boiled eggs (available for sale outside) to holy eels in an enclosed pond dedicated to Lord Vishnu. The best time to visit the temple is December.

Sukarara

Famous for its unique handicrafts, in particular its hand-woven textiles, it is incredibly beautiful and the small village portrays the quaint lifestyle of the islanders. This place can be reached with 15 minutes ride to south of Mataram.

Take a trip and witness the production of this art form and the extent of the work and overriding quality belonging to each item produced. The surrounding view is incredible, the scenes are mountains and looming volcanic backdrop.

Tanjung Lunar

Inhabited by mainly fishermen Buginese migrants from South Sulawesi, In this long, meandering black beach, you can experience Indonesia’s old-world charm and observe the simplicity of the fishermen’s life.

Popular with surfers, it is set on the Southeastern coast of this island. At low tide the locals take to the beach to collect shells while the fishermen go about their day-to-day business.

A visit to this port will be an enjoyable experience.

If you put them together, you will have at least, a list of more than 50 social networking websites today! You can search your old friends, get connected with your friends and families, build online networks, sell your products, and much more activities can be done through this social networking websites. You can meet new friends too, chat with them, post your pictures and share them; it will be a lot of fun. This is how people make new friends today!

To add more fun, people usually get creative by adding some picture effects before posting them into their social networking account. Today, you can find many websites that offer funny photo effects online. With this simple application, you can make funny pictures. You can make a photo with you (or your friends) standing side by side with superstars or even politicians. Your picture can also end up as a cover of a popular magazine. All this effects can be easily created with an online photo funny effect website.

There are many websites that provide this type of photo effects, en.picjoke.com is one of them. This web claims to have more than 100 effects and they make new effect everyday. With the help of this web, to make funny pictures online is super simple! Visit the website, pick the funny effect, up load your picture, and that’s it! You can use the result pictures and get them posted into your social networking account. Simple and at the same time create a friendly and funny atmosphere to your new friendship, and it’s all free.

Traveling is one most effective way to balance our body and soul. It has already been proven by many reliable studies that traveling is good to gain all our strength back, to improve relationship within family members, couples and even for company’s boss-employees relationship. Traveling will become a more effective tool to achieve all the stuff we’ve mentioned above if we plan it before the traveling, not only we will get a great holiday but a budget friendly traveling as well.

Nowadays, we can find so many travel companies, offline and online as well. Online travel companies have many great benefits for travelers. Travelers can just go online, visit the online travel company, we can check from flight schedules, the packages details and itineraries, the price, car rentals and so many other things related to the travel, we can even get travel security product such as Pascafe. If we have any other questions to ask, simply contact or send email to the company. All can be done online from the comfort of our favorite couch at home.

We can find so many online travel companies nowadays, and there are so many great destinations to visit and they’re all well managed by those travel companies. We just need to visit the website and check, and then pick one package that fit our style and budget most; we can also just buy the flight tickets and hotel, while others will be managed later by ourselves. Simply pay a visit to the website and let’s them assist us to plan our travel. Have a great trip!

Here are few things your hotel won't tell, but if you observe carefully, all this makes most sense!

1. "In tough times we have to discount—creatively."

For the hotel industry, 2009 was the worst year since the Great Depression, and last year was only slightly better. At its low, the average daily room rate was $97, down from $107 in 2008, and occupancy rates fell below 55 percent. "This recession has been so traumatic across the board for all types of hotels," says Robert Mandelbaum, research director at Colliers PKF Hospitality Research. In turn, hotels have slashed staff and cut corners. Michael Aschoff, a retired compliance officer from Tampa, Fla., stays in hotels 30 to 50 nights a year and has noticed they've stopped replacing soap and providing body wash and mouthwash. "They have really cut back on little amenities," he says.

2. "Book with us to get an upgrade."

What's more, book directly with the hotel and your "chances of getting an upgrade are vastly improved," says Rank. Hotels also like to save perks for their loyalty-program members. Chris Jones, the general manager of Hotel Indigo in San Diego, says he gives upgrades to about 35 percent of customers, with priority going to loyalty-card holders. "The hospitality industry is all about relationships," says Fredrik Korallus, executive vice president for global revenue generation at Carlson Hotels. "If you want something, it never hurts to ask."

3. "Your room won't really look like this."

There are plenty of places to find reviews of hotels, from newspapers and magazines to websites with traveler reviews. But when you want to see what the room or the pool looks like, you often have to trust the hotel—which may not be trustworthy.

Most hotels are not out to actively deceive customers. "We want to ensure that the images are accurate," says Jeff Wagoner, president of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. But, he adds, "we have no specific written guidelines."

4. "Kiss your credit card data goodbye."

Hotels have become a favorite target for credit card–data thieves. According to digital-security firm Trustwave, 38 percent of the credit card– hacking cases it worked on in 2009 were in the hospitality industry—far more than any other industry the company works with. Hackers (usually organized crime outfits) access a hotel's network by guessing the administrator password, then place malware on the network, which then transmits guest's card numbers back to them. They can also steal other info about you—home address, phone number, license plate number—to aid in identity theft.

5. "We need locals as much as travelers."

With fewer people traveling, hotels that have bars, restaurants, spas and golf courses have been forced to look closer to home for help making up lost revenue. They need locals as much as travelers!

6. "We obsess over online comments."

Traveler-review sites have become a powerful force in the hotel industry. Too many bad reviews and business may start to slide—a fact those in the industry know all too well. "We highly recommend that hotel managers keep up with what is being said about them online, and not only respond but rectify any issue the customer might have had," says Wyndham's Wagoner.

For those who fly frequently and have no extra budget, to find cheap airfares is one priority in their top list. Here are tips to finding the best deals available:

• Be flexible. Seaney said he shaved $600 off a spring-break trip by shifting his family's usual travel days of Saturday to Friday to Tuesday to Saturday. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the cheapest days to travel. The most expensive are Fridays and Sundays. Think too about red-eye flights vs. prime-time morning or late afternoon. "Definitely there are some flights that have lower fares, but they're not the ones most people want to take," Hobica said.

• Use alternative airports. That doesn't just mean flying out of Midway Airport in Chicago rather than O'Hare or even going an hour plus out of the city to Milwaukee, Wisc., rather than O'Hare but looking even further out. Consider this: Virgin Airlines is offering a round-trip sale from Chicago Midway to Los Angeles for $198 until June 15. But you want to go to San Diego and a round-trip flight from Chicago will set you back some $500. For a family of four, renting a car from L.A. and driving the roughly 120 miles to San Diego could save upwards of $1,000.

• Don't book too early. If you're thinking about a summer trip to Europe, wait until April to start planning in earnest, Seaney said. If you're intent on taking a trip this fall, wait until July, even August to book flights and then plan on going in September of October, one of the slowest travel periods of the year. If flights aren't booked some 80% to 90% ahead of the season, airlines will be forced to cut the fares. "Demand is a fickle thing," Seaney said. "Are there three people behind you willing to pay what you're not willing to pay? That's the question and no one knows the answer except the airlines in real time."

• Sign up for frequent-flyer and travel alerts at a number of airline and travel sites. You'll get e-mail notices when flights are put on sale.

• Use social media and group-buying discounts. Twitter, for example, is gaining status as a go-to for last-minute sale fares because some airlines think e-mail is too slow. Last month Virgin offered $77 travel certificates for a mere $7 on round-trip flights between Chicago and San Francisco or Chicago and Los Angeles. On March 2, it sold nearly 2,950 $100 certificates for $25 for round-trip travel between Dallas and San Francisco and Dallas and Los Angeles.

• Shop around. You will need to look at a number of travel sites to compare prices, including the airlines' own sites. Southwest's prices aren't on popular large-scale sites like Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz, American Airlines has pulled its flight from some of those sites while Delta has taken its flight out of some smaller sites.

• When you see a good price, jump on it. Some sales — say, for new routes — will extend for a couple months; other sales will last only a few hours. Determine what your sweet spot is for fares, plus fees, taxes and surcharges, and be prepared to purchase if it comes up.

• Be on the lookout for peak travel-day surcharges, a fee the airlines have added to holiday and summer travel, even Super Bowl travel. The fees range from $10 to $30, depending on the day, on ticket prices that already have been marked higher.

The provincial capital of Maluku, Ambon is built on a hillside overlooking the bay. It has a number of interesting historical and cultural sites, among them the remnants of forts built by the Dutch East Indies Company during the heyday of the spice trade.

There are many interesting places to visit when you are around. To name few of them are:

Banda Island is only 44 km² in size and located 132 km south of Ambon. It has a harbour and excellent beaches. It has a harbor, exquisite sea gardens and excellent beaches. The Banda group of islands are perched on the rim of Indonesia's deepest sea, the Banda Sea.

Near Manuk Island, the waters reaches a depth of more than 6,500 meters. The marine environment around these islands is undoubtedly wonderful.

Seram Island is the home of wild boars and many species of birds and butterflies that live in an area of abundance. Many vegetables grow here, including cabbages and celery, which are more known from Western countries.

Ambon has many wonderful beaches and coral sea gardens, as there is Batu Capeu Beach, 4 km from Ambon bay, Poka-Rumahtiga Beach, 21 km from Ambon, where canoeing, water-skiing and boating competitions are frequently held; Tanjung Marthafons Beach, 21 km from Ambon, with lots of water sport facilities and Amuhusa Beach on Ambon Bay, which has great views and coral reefs.

Other places of interest:
* Monument of Pattimura, Lapangan Merdeka
* Monument of Christina Martha Tiahahu, Karang Panjang
* Ambon Plaza
* Natsepa beach
* Santai beach
* Pintu Kota beach
* Galala-Poka Ferry crossing
* Batu Merah

To help you get the most out of a trip, here are ten tips compiled from the advice of women who have traveled alone and will do it again.

1. Exercise hotel safety

There are many ways you can make a solo stay at a hotel safer. At check-in, you might consider asking for a room near the elevator so you won't need to walk down long, potentially ill-lit hallways to reach your room. When filling out guest registration forms, consider using your first initial instead of your name, and skip the "Mrs/Miss/Mr" check box. Additionally, make sure the clerk writes down your room number instead of saying it out loud. This will prevent anyone in the vicinity from knowing where to find you later.

If you're at a hotel that requires you to leave your keys at the front desk, make sure that a desk clerk is there to put your key in a safe place; never just leave it on the counter.

2. Arrive during the day

Arrive in new cities during the day. Areas around bus and train stations can be scary and/or deserted, and small towns tend to shut down early. We have noted that plenty of beautiful towns can appear eerie at night, and locals who are genuinely trying to help you can appear unnecessarily threatening. Arriving during the day means you'll be able to find a place to stay and get your bearings before dark.

3. Keep your documents safe

If you choose to wear a money belt, use it for storage and not as a purse. Constantly reaching under your shirt for money draws attention to it, and tends to defeat the purpose. Instead, keep your passport, extra stores of money, and other important documents tucked away, and use a bag or purse for carrying daily spending money. Keep copies of your passport and credit cards in a separate and secure location.

4. Dress appropriately

To avoid attracting unwanted attention, dress as conservatively as the women you see around you. This doesn't necessarily mean donning the traditional dress, as that can sometimes backfire. A good rule of thumb is to dress modestly. Think knee-length or longer skirts. Bare arms, shoulders, and legs are considered risqué in some countries, so do the research before you go and once you're there. Note which body parts the local women cover and do the same.

5. Know when to buddy up

Traveling alone doesn't always mean being alone. There are plenty of situations in which seeking out company can make for a safer and more enjoyable experience. And even when you can't find someone to buddy up with, there are often ways to associate yourself with others so you'll be less likely to be bothered. In some countries, there are women-only sections in trains and women's waiting rooms at train stations. Sticking close to families on public transportation and in unfamiliar public markets and bazaars is another technique some women use.

One of the best parts of the holiday season is connecting with friends and family. But traveling during the holidays can be a real hassle.

Whether you're taking an afternoon drive or flying across the country, there are plenty of ways to make the trip less stressful. Many of these tips will also save you money and are easier on the planet.

Pack light so you don’t have to pay for or deal with the hassle of checked luggage. You won’t have to arrive at the airport as early, wait around after your flight gets in, or worry about lost bags.

Take public transportation to the airport. It’s less expensive than taking a car service or paying for parking. Airport parking lots can fill up quickly during peak holiday travel times, and it can be a real nightmare to deal with full lots.

Bring your own healthy snacks. You’ll avoid waiting on long lines or paying top dollar for sub-par food at the airport.

Carry your own water bottle. If the airport has water fountains, it will save you the cost of having to buy overpriced bottled water, which can quickly add up, especially if you’re traveling with a family of four. If you can't find those fountains, you can still ask the flight attendant to fill up your bottle so you don’t have to keep asking for water.

Carpool with friends or family members who are going to the same destination. It’s more fun than traveling alone and having company will help alleviate stress when you hit the inevitable holiday traffic. Planning your trip ahead of time and taking the shortest route possible will also help save you time, money, and the hassle of getting lost.

Stay home and use free or inexpensive technology, such as Skype, to connect to far-flung relatives.

You can still enjoy some fun sight-seeing without completely destroying your savings account. Follow these very simple tips to slim down on your travel expenses, and your next dream get-away won't be a financial nightmare.

1. Always carry a reusable thermos and bring your own drink as much as possible. The two dollars cup of coffee or one dollar bottle of iced tea add up fast over a week. Whether you are using the water boiler in your hotel room to steep your own tea bag or using some fountain water in a clean bottle, bringing your own hot tea, coffee, water or juice will save you a lot of money.

2. Bring your own snacks. Tourist vendors love to spike the snack prices at popular locations. Stock up on the munchies you know you will be craving on the long flight or drive before you leave the house. That way, your cravings won't fool you into paying five dollars for a small bag of pretzels or three dollars for a bottle of water.

3. Find things off the beaten path. Rather than heading straight for the busiest area where all the tourists congregate, try asking locals for recommendations for entertainment, dining and other fun activities. Chances are you will find a more interesting and much cheaper alternative.

4. Take advantage of the cheaper lunch menu when eating out. Many restaurants offer the same menu at lunch-time but with a cheaper daytime price. By eating out for lunch and eating in for dinner, you can save a lot of money on food expenses and still enjoy yourself.

5. Learn to love the local grocery store. With a little extra effort, you can enjoy your own homemade sandwiches, wine and cheese, and other edibles without the high expenses that come from sitting in a restaurant and tipping your server.

6. Don't be a clueless traveler. By taking the extra time to research the neighborhoods and events you want to experience, you will not be making potentially expensive mistakes--like being ripped off in public transportation, missing out on seasonal deals, or paying too much for services.

7. Travel to cities and countries where you have a friend or family member you can stay with. Save lots of money by crashing with a family member or friend instead of staying at a hotel. Who in your contacts are living somewhere you've been dying to visit?

Candidasa is a secluded northeastern beach town located away from the tourist hot spots of Sanur, Kuta and Nusa Dua in the tranquil and traditional eastern ‘real Bali’. Candidasa is physically and culturally extremely beautiful, it is widely accepted that Bali’s most beautiful scenes are in the northeast where black sand beaches meet vast rich flowing rice terraces, and huge mountains decorated by luscious tropical forests and of course the impressive presence of the Volcano.

Candi Dasa was named after old temple on the nearby hillside. In the village you will find a Gandhi meditation center on the edge of lotus pond just beside the beach. Offshore islets and coral reefs make it an ideal diving and snorkeling spot. Accommodation in Candidasa is not as plentiful as in other areas of Bali but there are a selection of high quality hotels, villas, traditional Balinese bungalow villas and modern contemporary villas.

How to get there? If you come from Kuta and want to avoid crossing Denpasar, take the direct shuttle bus which departs from Kuta, while from Ubud take a similar shuttle at 8.15 am or 4 pm. These buses also run the return journey. The best way to explore the area's back roads is by car, motorbike or bicycle, all of which can be rented at several outlets in Candidasa.

what to do? Activities include beautiful hiking for all abilities down to leisurely strolls, cycling, swimming, diving and snorkeling. Some of the best diving in the world is very close by such as the Liberty wreck in Tulomben and various sites in Amed and Candidasa itself. Boat trips can be taken from this are directly to Nusa Lembogan and Lombok for small guided or unguided trips and diving, surf specific trips.

In the Candidasa there are also many points of interest including the islands mother temple of Pura Besakih and local indigenous villages. Adventure trips can be taken into the mountains, up the volcano and for whitewater rafting is also popular. According to reliable source this place is going to be the location for Julia Roberts' latest movie "Eat, Pray, Love". For those who search tranquility and distance from the rat race Candidasa is tropical perfection. Candidasa is a place where tranquility is disturbed only by falling coconut leaf!

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Located approximately 120km from Sukabumi city or nearly 300 kilometers if you started off from Jakarta, Ujung Genteng became an interesting tourism object.

Because of its remote area, hard to reach as some part of the road was really in bad condition, while other part is narrow and only fit for one car, Ujung Genteng remains as one of the most untouched and stunning beaches on the planet.

At some part of beach, the location is suited for playing or simply bathing in the sea.

Because the depth of its beach is only as basal thigh when tide sea and when was withdrawing only around as of foot calf. Snorkeling is extraordinary, with clear waters and attractive coral.

The beauty of Ujung Genteng beach is not limited to its cleanness and unscathed ground; we can also enjoy the stunning view of sunset and sunrise.

Toward east from Ujung Genteng there is a fish auction location, which is crowded in the morning at 5am to 9am. Most fisherman haul various type of fish which caught up last night.

You can buy some fishes in this location with fresher taste and off course its cheaper than the other market around.

Or if you visited the local fish market near the beach, you can asked the restaurant across the road from the market to grill your catch in the juiciest seasonings you’ve ever tasted.

For accommodation, Ujung Genteng has plenty of lodging with tariff starts from 75.000 to 350.000 rupiah per night.

Nearby Ujung Genteng are a sea turtle preserve Pangumbahan where you can watch the sea turtles lay eggs on the beach at night, Cipanarikan Estuary, an extent of sand that is wide enough with form of real smooth sand; here we can found many animals like crab, teal, iguana and estuary fishes.

You can also visit several delightful waterfalls such as Cigangsa Waterfall and Cikaso Waterfall.

Ombak Tujuh is another must visited place if you like to surf, this place is located around 15 Km from Pangumbahan.

You can hire a motorbike to reach Ombak Tujuh or 3 to 4 hours walking if you reached this place by foot.

To get here will be quite an adventure but once you arrive you will find the most untouched, relax and peaceful beach to spend your whole holiday.