KARIMUNJAWA (JAVA HIDDEN PARADISE)

It's time to go to Karimunjawa island when you hear the boat's whistle, either your lovely 6 hours Ferry ship riding from Kartini port of Jepara (137 km from Jogja) or 4 hours Medium fastboat riding when you take Tanjung Mas port in Semarang (95 km from Jogja) as your starting point. Do not think you'll get such a long and dull journey to get  there. It's such an lovely journey when you feel the wind in your face, while your eyes can't stop enjoying sight seeing around the beautiful blue sea. If you're lucky enough, there's a chance for you to see group of dolphins following your ship. While you're enjoying this excitement, in no time your ship is arrive at Karimunjawa island. Time for more fun!

Karimunjawa is an archipelago in the Java Sea, Indonesia, approximately 80 kilometres northwest of Jepara. The island name means "a stone's throw from Java" in Javanese. The main island is also known as karimun. Stands from 27 islands, this mini archipelago became marine national park and it's like a treasure for those who love marine life. Here can be found protected coral reefs (very colorful plateaus and plains in deep and shallow waters), secluded and tranquil white beaches, pelican and hornbill, sea grass and kinds of sea creatures, from crabs, anchovy, starfish, sharks, stingray, jellyfish, red snappers, etc.

Karimunjawa offers good diving experience. Various small islands around Karimunjawa are available for diving and snorkling. Pulau Tengah, Tanjung Gelam, and Menjangan Besar  offers you the most beautiful scenes you have ever seen in your life. The reefs have 35 types of hard corals, sponges, gorgonian, soft and red corals, mixtures of fringing, barrier, and patch with bottom depths ranging from 15 to 40 meters. During your diving time, you'll be accompanying by  amazing 240 or more variety of fish. Their variouscolour and size will give you a kind of feeling that you're living in giant aquarium. You could also ask for  wreck diving session at the island of Batu Kunci, Karang Kapal, Karang Ketel, and Batulawang. If you're not familiar with diving, you can still enjoy the beautiful sea of these islands by snorkling, which is the safest way to see beautiful scenes  down there.

If diving and snorkling are not enough for you, swimming with sharks will give you more adrenalin rush. A shark's captivity in Menjangan island serve you with numbers of various sharks. While your adrenalin pumped up to the highest level, it is really safe for you to swim around those sharks  especially when local guide with maximum experience swims beside you. There's nothing to worry about in this rare experience.

Fishing is another good story of Karimunjawa, a fishing boat will happily takes you to the fishing spot of Karimunjawa island and few small islands around. Snappers, mackerels, squids and other kinds of fish are available here, to catch some fishes in the afternoon will give you stocks of delicious dinner along with fresh coconuts water  from the coconut trees that easily found around the island. These can be done almost every afternoon in Karimunjawa.

It's almost evening when you're back from fisihing , all you have to do then is fire up the grill for those fishes, setup the dinner  on your favourite spot around the beach. Ready?  Enjoy your dinner then,  while watching the beautiful sunset welcomes you  in Karimunjawa island.

Text. Arya Ishtadeva
web : http://www.tourjogja.com/berita-216-karimunjawa-island-java-hidden-paradise.html

HEAVEN OF EARTH

Raja Ampat Island

The Raja Ampat Island in Irian is group spreads out over a huge area and consists of over 610 islands. The four largest islands are Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. The area's reefs are covered in a diverse selection of both hard and soft corals. Most of the areas reefs are pristine, with mile after mile of perfect hard corals, drift after drift of soft corals of many species and colors ranging from brilliant red, to shocking yellow pretty pink and exotic purple. Most reef dives are very colorful. The tourist would be able to experience the best dives sites within those islands, which include Cape Kri, Mellisa's Garden, Sardines Reef, The Passage, Nudibranch Rock, Wai Island Night Dive.

Raja Ampat is the western island of Papua Island. The name of Raja Ampat based on the legend. This area had begun with 6 eggs that found by King Waikew in Waigeo Island. But from the 6 eggs, just 5 eggs had crack. The last was become an egg stone till now on.

From the fifth eggs that had cracked, the 4 eggs was become men who become King of four big islands that is Waigeo, Batanta, Salawati and Misool. While the one egg became a woman, had wash away and stranded in Biak Island. That woman was born a child named Gura Besi that known as the historical man of Raja Ampat, because of his heroic story.

The regency that formed based on the constitution number 26 in 2002, is the development of Sorong regency on 12 April 2003. This area has 46.000 km2. But, 85% of this area is archipelago area. There are 610 islands in this area. But most of them have no social life. This regency has 10 districts and 85 villages with about 48.707 men.

Geographically, this area has strategic location. Its boundaries is:

• North side: Pacific Ocean
• West Side: North Maluku
• South side: Maluku Sea
• East Side: Sorong Regency

For the fauna sector, Raja Ampat has rarely fauna, such as; red birds of paradise (Paradise Rubra), Wilson birds of paradise (Cicinnurs Republica), Maleo Waigeo (Spilocuscus Papuensis), and rainbow fishes. Hence, for the flora, Raja Ampat has many kinds of Orchids, Waigeo palm, ironwoods or black woods, 'keruing', 'ulin' woods, etc.

Because of its various nature profit, Raja Ampat will declared by Maritime Ministry Freddy Numberi as ancient regency, based on its location that not only rich of fishes, but also its sea herb and the pearl.

KUTA BEACH

Kuta Beach is a beautiful beach in a southern Bali. Its location is in Badung Regency, 9 km from Denpasar, the capital of Bali exactly near Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport. Kuta is one of the first towns with substantial tourist development and also remains one of Indonesia's major tourist destinations. Its long sandy beach is known internationally, with its varied accommodation, many restaurants and bars, and many renowned surfers.

It is also well-known as the right place for people to see scenic sunset in the afternoon. People who come to Bali will be very unlucky if they do not see the panoramic sunset in this town. It is real that tourists feel happy to be there. They can sunbathe, swim, surf, play soccer beach, kite flying, play volleyball or just take a walk. Yes, they can do many activities in this beach for its complete beach activities. For persons who like playing soccer, do not forget to try the game with some locals. The locals usually set up the goal posts between Hard Rock Cafe and Discovery Shopping Mall at 16.00.

When the day becomes dark, the nightlife of Kuta often begins too late, at around 23.00. The scene is full of different atmospheres and entertainment in bars and pubs which some of them give live bands, fashion shows, DJ's and sexy dancers. Being hungry and hoping to have a dinner, many restaurants are ready to serve their best recipes with a lot of international cuisines. Some of the famous restaurants in Kuta are B' Couple Bar N' Grill, Blue Fin, ESC, Flapjacks, Gabah Restaurant & Bar, Kopi Pot, Kori Restaurant & Bar, Maccaroni Restaurant & Bar, Made's Warung, Papa's Cafe, Queen's Tandoor, Sailfin, Stadium Cafe, Sushi Tei, Take Restaurant and so on.

Needing a hotel around Kuta beach, do not worry because Kuta also offers its best varied hotels and resorts which most of the them give beachfront locations with their various styles and budget ranges. In these hotels and resorts you can choose your best. It is really the worth town to visit. Kuta with its beauty of the beach will make the tourists feel satisfied and hope to visit it back. Believe it or not, though for 50 years ago Kuta is the village of fishermen nowadays it is called as the International City because this town is the place where tourists all over the world meet each other.

- See more at: http://www.englishindo.com/2012/02/descriptive-text-about-kuta-beach.html#sthash.lb2qBsZu.dpuf