Bukit Lawang (Hill Gate)

SituBukit Lawang is a small tourist village at the of Bahorok River in North Sumatra province of Indonesia. ated approximately 86 km north-west of Medan, Bukit Lawang is known for the largest animal sanctuary of Sumatran orangutan (around 5,000 orangutans occupy the area), and also the main access point to the Gunung Leuser National Park from the east side.

Bukit Lawang rehabilitation center for orangutans was founded in 1973. The main purpose is to preserve the decreasing number of orangutan population due to hunting, trading and deforestation.

A flash flood hit Bukit Lawang on 2 November 2003. The disaster, which was the result of illegal logging, destroyed the local tourist resorts and had a devastating impact to the local tourism industry in the area. Around 400 houses, 3 mosques, 8 bridges, 280 kiosks and food stalls, 35 inns and guest houses were destroyed by the flood, including 239 people (5 of them were tourists) were killed and around 1,400 locals lost their homes.After eight months of rebuilt, Bukit Lawang was re-opened again in July 2004.

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Orang Rimba

Indonesia’s future is all about expansion. More power plants, toll roads, coal mines and palm oil plantations bring business, jobs and higher living standards, while contributing to the drive for modernization.

All of that is fine, unless you’re left out — or in the case of a small group of forest dwellers in central Sumatra, fighting a losing battle to prevent your culture from disappearing.

Such is the plight of the Orang Rimba, an indigenous, semi-nomadic tribe in Jambi. Their people number about 3,000, but with rapid conversion of land and rampant deforestation occurring, tribal leaders say they’re being squeezed out of their traditional home and losing their identity.

With the modern ways of the outside world thrust upon them, the Orang Rimba have created a two-faced identity to survive. The Jakarta Globe visited the tribe in its homeland and chronicled its members’ daily battle for food, clean water, proper health care and education for their children — all while trying to maintain ancient traditions.

Orang Rimba are easily recognized by their features and dress, with their long, ruffled hair and loincloths. The women mostly go topless. This ancient attire, nomadic life and lack of hygiene is mocked by outsiders as backward, earning slurs from non-indigenous villagers and transmigrants.

Though fed up with their treatment, the Orang Rimba still try to adjust to the modern world in some ways. Some wear T-shirts and pants, ride motorcycles and own cellphones.

However, more and more of tribe’s younger generation are being drawn toward modern life, even renouncing their animist beliefs and converting to Islam.

“We can’t avoid this, and it’s very likely we will lose this battle,” laments Tumenggung Tarib, a tribal leader.

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INDONESIA SAFE FOR EVERYONE

Events at the hotel JW Marriot and Ritz Carlton Jakarta make worried certainly to all people, not only citizens of Indonesia, but also millions of people in the world. What if that happens in your country?
our indonesia people angry, but always optimistic, that the incident was a valuable lesson for us to continue learning to improve security. terrorist actions in indonesia discredit nation as the country less safe to visit.17 July 2009 occurrence ago taught us, indonesia nation to remain proud and try to think positive that the incident could happen in all countries, but why indonesia? because we believe people of the world also love indonesia. every person who had come to indonesia certainly does not believe the bomb was made by the person indonesia. because they had come to indonesia can feel the warm greeting from indonesia population, the environment is also a love of peace.
all concerned, including our nation indonesia. but we all can not be weak, let your hands side by side with the nation to unite the world against terrorism. we are weak and affected close to each other among the nations themselves, the act of terrorism akan whim. What if we do not pay a visit to another country will not be terrorist attacks in the country each of us as well? not that happens, expect to terrorism because of what they do, the fraternity between the nations of the world to be broken, and they can at will to realize the objective.
certainly not all be present, but that becomes a certainty, let your hands side by side with all the people in the world and show that the goal of terrorism for the world is split friendship failed. We invite you to come to our country, INDONESIA ....
indonesia remain safe for everyone, because we know we can fight terrorism with the friendship and brotherhood ... read more...

Jatijajar Cave in Central Java

This cave is found by a farmer who owns the land above the cave is called "Jayamenawi". On a Jayamenawi are taking the grass, and then fell to the holes, the holes are a ventilation holes in the cave ceiling is. Holes have diameter and 4 meters high from the land that is under 24 meters.
There are several versions of the story he named this cave. One of them told initially that the doors are still closed by Cave ground. But after the land cover dismantled and discarded, ketemulah door now to the cave entrance. Cave of the door because there are 2 large teak tree which grows in parallel, the cave was given the name of Jatijajar Cave.In the Jatijajar cave there are 7 or river that has a myth is being withdrawn. Puser Bumi River and Jombor water have property can be used for any purpose of the trust respectively. Meanwhile, Mawar River to wonder if the water bath or washing face, have a property can be ageless. The Sendang Kantil if water for bathing or washing face, the intent / feeling can be easily reached.
At this time have built a new Sendang Mawar and Sendang Kantil, while Sendang Jombor and Sendang Puser Bumi is still natural and still have no explanation and slippery.
Inside the cave there are many Jatijajar Stalagmite Pilar and also the Pole or Lime, the meeting between the Stalagmite Stalactite. All of this form of precipitation drops rain water that has been stone-react with the limestone ditembusnya. According to research by experts, for the establishment of Stalactite that takes a very long time. In one year most terbentuknya Stalactite thick setebal only 1 (one) cm only. Therefore Goa Jatijajar Lime Cave is the old one.
Stones in the cave is a rock Jatijajar the old one. Because of the age old one that, in the face of Jatijajar cave built a statue of Animals Ancient Dino Saurus as a symbol of the Cave Tour Jatijajar Objects, from the mouth of the statue is out of the water and dangle Sendang sendang Rose, who throughout the years have not been dried. While the water out of the statue Dino Saurus is used by people around the rice fields as irrigation Jatijajar and the surrounding villages.
Dioramas in the tide and in the Jatijajar cave have 8 (eight) deorama, the statue is 32-patungnya fruit. Narrate the whole story of the Legend "Raden Kamandaka - Lutung Kasarung". The relation to the Cave is Jatijajar, old Jatijajar cave never used to be imprisoned by Raden Kamandaka Son Pajajaran Kingdom's Crown, who called the original or Cokro Many Many Cakra.
Please note that some of the days of old Kebumen Regency, is a region including Pajajaran power, the central government in Bogor (Batutulis) in West Java.
The time limit is Lukulo's Kebumen Regency Times Lukulo the East entrance to the Kingdom of Mojopahit, while the west entrance of Times Lukulo Pajajaran Kingdom. While the story is happening in the district Luhur Sands, the area or Baturaden Purwokerto on 14-th century. But overall Deoramanya installed in the Jatijajar cave.

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Sianok Canyon Bukit Tinggi - West Sumatra

Sianok canyon is a steep valley (canyon) which is located in the center of Bukittinggi city, West Sumatra. This valley lengthwise and curvaceous from canyon south of Koto Gadang to the Sianok Six tribe canyon, and ended up Palupuh. Sianok canyon has beautiful scenery and objects into one of the main tourist provinces.In this canyon about 100 m away along the 15 km with about 200 m wide and is part of the fault that separates the island of Sumatra lengthwise into two parts (fracture Semangko). This fault forms a steep wall, and even upright and form a green valley - results from the movement of earth down the skin (sinklinal) - which flowed Sianok River. In the Dutch colonial era, this canyon is also known as Sanget buffalo, because the number of wild buffalo that live freely in the bottom of the canyon.
River can be forded Sianok now using canoes and kayaks do guided by an organization of water sports "Qurays". Route that is adopted from the Lambah Village to Sitingkai Batang Palupuh village for about 3.5 hours. By the side of this canyon still found many rare plants and herbs such as rafflesia and medicine plant. Fauna found long tails such as monkeys, gibbon, hoop, deer, wild pigs, spotted tiger and tapir.

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