Sampit
Sampit. Sampit is the biggest timber port in Kalimantan. The Orchid Park of Pembuangan Hulu is home to a number of rare and beatiful orchid varieties. Hunters can engage in their favorite pastime in hunting park of West Kotawaringin.

Tlogo Plantation
Tlogo Plantation has cool air and beautiful view with various plantation such as coffee, rubber, nutmeg and cloves. It is located 6 kms or only 10 minutes drive from The Ambarawa Railway Museum. (www.tlogoagro.net)

Baturraden
Baturraden. Central Java’s most outstanding resort, approximately 14 kms north of Purwokerto, an administrative town in the southern of Java island. It is occupies a fine site on the slopes of Mount Slamet, 650 m above sea level, feel the coolness air, nice gardens, pines forest, hot springs, ponds and bungalow-style hotels.

Tawangmangu
Tawangmangu. Located 40 kms east of Solo, this recreational resort offers fresh weather, scenic views, swimming pools, bungalow style hotels and restaurants. It lies on the slopes of Mt. Lawu, at an elevation of 1,300 m above sea level. Other features include nearby temples, a national park and the 40 m high waterfall of Grojogan Sewu.

Kemuning Tea Plantation
Kemuning Tea Plantation. Between Sukuh and Ceto Temple, there is a 300 hectares rug of green tea plantation.

Gong Cave Gong Cave
Gong Cave Gong Cave, has incredible ornament which is about 256 m underground with 12 rooms 7 spring and one natural both, located about 7 km from Punung Market, on the way to Pacitan (70 km southern of Solo city). The people believed that on the certain day of Friday there is a sound o traditional drum instrument called “Gong” come from this cave until now.

CANDIREJO – BOROBUDUR : A World Heritage Site

Borobudur temple is located in the district of Magelang, Central Java. It isconsidered one of the world’s wonders and has the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist relief in the world. UNESCO has listed the temple as World Heritage Site.
The village of Candirejo is located some 3 km from Borobudur Temple. A traditional Javanese village, Candirejo is being promoted for village tourism, portraying traditional Javanese culture and daily life through traditional houses, art performances, ceremonies, farming and local food.

How to Get There:
The temple of Borobudur and Candirejo Village can be reached from
Yogyakarta by public buses that start from Umbulharjo Terminal or by taxis
and rental cars. The distance is approximately 42 km from Yogyakarta.

Kasunanan Palace
Kasunanan Palace. The royal residence of King Pakubuwono in the 17th century, the palace has an art gallery exhibiting royal heirlooms, antiques and other invaluable objects in a genuine royal Javanese atmosphere. Open from 9 am to 2 pm, Friday closed.

Pura Mangkunegaran (Mangkunegaran Palace)
Pura Mangkunegaran (Mangkunegaran Palace) Another palace built 1757, with typical Javanese architecture consisting of “Pendopo” (an open front hall to receive guests), “Pringgitan” (an porch to hold leather puppet shadow play) and private apartments. Two sets of 17th century Javanese gamelan instruments are exhibited and played every Wednesday in the Pendopo. The palace also exhibits complete collection of masks, wa¬yang orang costumes, leather and wooden puppets, religious articles and jewelry. Dancing practise in Mangkunegaran Palace : Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm.

Sukuh Temple
Sukuh Temple. Not far from Solo is the Sukuh Temple, the pyramid “Inca” looklike decorated with wayang stone carvings of Hindu origin, and erotic symbols. The temple is located only 34 km from Solo.

Ceto Temple
Ceto Temple, is located in western slope of Mt. Lawu, Gumeng Village Je¬nawi District in Karanganyar - Surakarta. It is located in hill 1400 m from the sea level. Ceto temple site of 13 stages, from the lower places to higher places ar similar to Hinduism temple. Relief status of Ceto Temple Symbolizes a human passion and a portrayal of human being’s soul purification. The hardest seduction in purifying in passions. www.wisata-karanganyar.go.id.

Kasunanan Palace
Kasunanan Palace. The royal residence of King Pakubuwono in the 17th century, the palace has an art gallery exhibiting royal heirlooms, antiques and other invaluable objects in a genuine royal Javanese atmosphere. Open from 9 am to 2 pm, Friday closed.

Pura Mangkunegaran (Mangkunegaran Palace)
Pura Mangkunegaran (Mangkunegaran Palace) Another palace built 1757, with typical Javanese architecture consisting of “Pendopo” (an open front hall to receive guests), “Pringgitan” (an porch to hold leather puppet shadow play) and private apartments. Two sets of 17th century Javanese gamelan instruments are exhibited and played every Wednesday in the Pendopo. The palace also exhibits complete collection of masks, wa¬yang orang costumes, leather and wooden puppets, religious articles and jewelry. Dancing practise in Mangkunegaran Palace : Wednesday from 10 am to 12 pm.

Sukuh Temple
Sukuh Temple. Not far from Solo is the Sukuh Temple, the pyramid “Inca” looklike decorated with wayang stone carvings of Hindu origin, and erotic symbols. The temple is located only 34 km from Solo.

Ceto Temple
Ceto Temple, is located in western slope of Mt. Lawu, Gumeng Village Je¬nawi District in Karanganyar - Surakarta. It is located in hill 1400 m from the sea level. Ceto temple site of 13 stages, from the lower places to higher places ar similar to Hinduism temple. Relief status of Ceto Temple Symbolizes a human passion and a portrayal of human being’s soul purification. The hardest seduction in purifying in passions. www.wisata-karanganyar.go.id.

Jatijajar Cave
Jatijajar Cave, a magnificient cave near Pantai Ayah (Ayah Beach) 170 km from Solo. It is also has along beautiful tunnel with many stalagnit and stalagtit. A diorama of the legend of “Lutung Kasarung” (a Prince that changed to a Monkey) and some lakes and river in the cave wait to be explored.

Sangiran, The Land of Mystery
Sangiran, The Land of Mystery. In 1891, Eugene Dubois, a French anthropologist discovered fossils of Phitecantropus Erectus, or ‘Java Man’. 1930 and 1931 marked the discovery of fossils of a man from the Pleistocene Period. In mid 1980, scientists were startled by the discovery of a complete 4 m tall elephant. It is located only 18 km from Solo.

Solo
Solo. A pleasant city with a lively character, Solo is also called “The City That Never Sleeps“. One can always find something to eat or buy, as vendors of all kinds and small foodstalls remain open 24 hours. Home of two royal houses with centuries of power and influence over the city, Solo today remains distinctly Central Javanese with and elegance all its own. It is one of the major centres of batik, and souvenir hunters may find old Javanese antiques. Becak (trycycle ricksaw) and Andong (trad-horse carriage) are the most flexible type of traditional transportations within the city and are available everywhere.

Dieng Plateau
Dieng Plateau. About 4 hours from Semarang is the Dieng Plateau, the site of some of the oldest Hindu temples on Java. These 50 foot high monu-ments stand on a crater floor amidst sulphurous fumes. The road to the Dieng Plateau passes through tobacco plantations and beautiful mountain scenery.

Ambarawa Railway Museum
Ambarawa Railway Museum Fifty kms south of Semarang, Amba¬rawa has locomotives of various types and ages, and it is still possible to ride on a cog railway between Ambarawa and Bedono, a village nearby. Prior arrangements should be made for groups. Also of interest are a collection of antique telephones and other instruments used for railway communication. Visit Rawa Pening (Clearly Swamp), the cool water lake near Ambarawa.

One of the Seven Wonders of the World
The largest Buddhist temple in the world is Indonesia, Borobudur. It even inspired the building of Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Bandungan and Gedong Songo Temple
Bandungan and Gedong Songo Temple. This is a holiday resort on the slopes of Mt. Ungaran, about 900 meters above sea level. Gedong Songo (nine buildings), a group of small 8th century Hindu Javanese temples, can be reached either by car or on horseback from Ungaran. Built at about the same time as the temples of the Dieng complex, Gedong Songo is one of the most beautifully temple complexes in Central Java. The views alone are worth the trip.

A Memory of an old time in Semarang, Central Java

photo by www.sijiwae.net

Semarang is situated on Java's northern coast and is called the capital of Centarl Java, as it lies just about halfway between the extreme east and west coasts of the island. The environs around Semarang are perfect for day trips and side and side excursions.

The old records of this city date back to the 15th to the 18th century AD in where captivating ancient and colonial monuments still standing to present date. In the older part of the city, near the harbour, you can still find an interesting collection of buildings dating back to the Dutch Colonial era and the Dutch East Indies Company, such as GEREJA BLENDUK, is the eldest Christian Church in Central Java built by the Dutch community in 1753. It shows the Church architecture of the 18th century with its huge dome and a baroque organ inside the building. Nearby the Church, there are some buildings from the Dutch colonial time. STASIUN TAWANG, the main railways station with its "Old Time" architecture located also in this area. While LAWANG SEWU or usually called as Thousand Doors, situated in the downtown of Semarang is also a remarkable building from the "Old Dutch Time".

photo:www.sijiwae.net

Beside an interesting collection of Dutch Colonial buildings, there's an also Chinese buildings remain in Semarang. In the west part of Semarang, a temple SAMPOKONG or locally known as Gedong Batu (Stone Building) was dedicated to Chinese Moslem Admiral Cheng Ho, his fleet arrived in the first time at 1406 AD. The other Chinese Buddhist temple is Tay Kak Sie at Lombok Street built in the year 1772.

Getting There

• By Plane
  To and from Semarang is easily accessible by Air, the airport name is Ahmad Yani located in West Semarang around five km from the downtown.
  There are several airlines, such as Garuda and Merpati, connect with other cities of Indonesia such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Banjarmasin, etc.
• By Train
  The main railway station is Tawang, in the old part of the town.
  The main train connection is between Semarang, Cirebon and Surabaya. There is also service to Solo.
• By Bus
  The main Bus Terminal is in Terboyo, in the eastern part of the city. Several Bus companies serve the inter-city connections with many cities in Java, Bali and Sumatra. Direct information can be collected directly in the terminal.
• By Boat
  The Semarang harbor is in Tanjung Mas. There are regular shipping lines for passengers sail to and from Semarang to other island, as Kalimantan. The main line is Pelni. Inquire also for occasional cargo boats, taking passengers in the harbor.

Where to Stay

This city has enough accommodation for its visitors, from budget hotels to the star-rated hotels. Some top hotels located in downtown and in any luxurious area. The facilities meet international demands with combination of traditional specialties.

Moving Around

You can move around the city by becak (a three wheels vehicle) only in the north part of the city, mini-buses, buses and taxi.

Other Things to See or Do

While in Semarang, you can visit other interesting places, such as:

• Simpang Lima, it is a square with many shops and cinemas around. In the evening a lot of people are here taking a walk or window-shopping. Early in the morning, people are jogging along the street.
• Gombel, its a favorite place on the hill with its fresh air and picturesque landscape. In the evening, people like to be here to relax while enjoying the panoramic vista to the city and the harbor.
• Puri Maerakaca, it is a well arranged park on the beach exhibiting traditional houses of every Central Java regencies. In these houses, specific crafts of each regency are displayed.

Dining Guide

There are a lot of restaurants in Semarang offering delicious food of Indonesian, Chinese, and European cuisine. One should find easily in Jl. Pemuda around Pasar Johar the best speciality market in Simpang Lima mall.

The area of Gang Lombok and Jl. Gadjah Mada are famous with its Chinese restaurants, in Jl. A. Yani there are tasteful Javanese restaurants.

Semarang is famous for its Lumpia (Chinese Spring Rolls ), Pia, Wingko Babat and Bandeng Presto (Tendered Fish).

Souvenir Tips

Souvenir and art objects are available in Semarang, mostly in the downtown areas and popular market places or shopping centres. Batik cloths and garments, handwoven fabrics, traditional and local jewellery, leather puppets, basketry and many.

Travel Tips

• The weather is most pleasant between May to September and it is recommended that travelers choose this time of year to visit
• Dress light and comfortable to wear
• Don't forget to bring an umbrella or raincoat, in case of rain