Mt Rinjani climbing tracks disrupted by landslides, uprooted trees

Trails on Mount Rinjani in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, have yet to be fully opened after being affected by landslides and uprooted trees, despite the mountain being officially reopened to hikers on April 1.

The 3,726-meter-high volcano had been closed to hikers since December last year due to extreme weather from January to March.

“The mountain has been reopened [to the public] since April 1, but conditions are not yet normal as landslides and uprooted trees have covered parts of the trails,” Mount Rinjani National Park office head Agus Budiono said Tuesday in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara.

Agus said that tourists hiking on the mountain slopes could presently only reach Segara Anak Lake, situated approximately 2,000 meters above sea level.

“The guard rails are also broken, but we are currently fixing them,” Agus said, adding that the office expected the trails to be usable in May.

Mount Rinjani is the second highest volcano in Indonesia after Mount Kerinci (3,800 meters above sea level) in Sumatra.

According to official data, 4,800 foreign tourists and 6,500 domestic tourists visited Mount Rinjani in 2011, ascending the mountain via three different trails: Senaru and Timbeno in West Lombok and Sembalun in East Lombok.

Two other volcanoes in the province remain on alert status: Mount Tambora in Dompu regency and Mount Sangiang Api in Bima regency.

Komodo-Flores Fam Trip in March 2012

Asia World team member have visited Komodo-Flores in March 2012, below here is the report. Special thanks to Flores Trails, Bintang Flores Hotel, Jayakarta Suites, Blue Dragon Boat, Komodo Trails Boat and Trans Nusa Airlines.

An early flight from Denpasar , by Trans Nusa Airlines, brings us to Komodo Labuan Bajo Airport, a small domestic airport terminal.

Check in at Bintang Flores Hotel, then visiting Mirror Cave, secluded area with tremendous landscape and caves full of crystals.

Visit Melo Village for a local ritual, enjoy some local Arak there and see The Dance of Warriors, with some villagers dancing.

Travel to Blue Dragon Boat late in the evening, dinner before going back to Bintang Flores Hotel. Blue Dragon is Mid class range boat that offers not only Restaurant for a cruise, but also accommodation of 8 rooms in total. It's highly recommended for groups, or just simply individual travelers who wish to join trip to Komodo Island.

Next morning, trip to Komodo Island by Komodo Trails Boat. This boat, having 3 bedrooms is a perfect choice for Mid-class travelers - a friends or a family traveling together, or as individual travelers.

The Komodo Island and National Park is the last place on the earth where Komodo Dragons can be witnessed. Thousands of Dragons populate the island along with Rinca. The Komodo dragon became something of a living legend. In the decades since the Komodo was discovered, various scientific expeditions from a range of countries have carried out field research on the dragons on Komodo Island. Komodo National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

Unfortunately, we didn't visit Rinca Island on that day as planned, as weather conditions were bad. As the matter of fact, recommended traveling period for Komodo and Flores is May-September, as to avoid high waves, heavy rains and strong wind. We went back to Jayakarta Suites for check in and rest.

On the last day, some hotels inspection, as we visited Bajo Komodo Eco Lodge, Puri Sari Beach and Laprima Hotel.

Then lunch in Paradise Restaurant, with the stunning view.

The last point before going back to Denpasar, visit airport lounge which is still under construction and should be ready to welcome guests soon. It's just across to airport building and got the best view to the airport.

Mt. Galunggung Status Raised to Alert

Local residents and tourists were asked to stay away from Mt. Galunggung in Garut regency and Tasikmalaya in West Java as the Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) raised the volcano’s status to alert on Monday.

The center’s volcano observation division head Muhamad Hendrasto said that the mountain’s volcanic activity had increased since Sunday afternoon, with crater temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

“The crater’s surface color turned to yellow in September and has now returned to dark chocolate but with temperatures still around 40 degrees Celsius,” Hendrasto told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
The volcano erupted in 1822, 1894, 1918 and twice within nine months between 1982 and 1983. The last eruptions disrupted several international flights, including a British Airways plane carrying 240 passengers, which was forced to land in Jakarta in June 1982 when one of its four jets shut down after ashes from Galunggung entered the engine.

Angkor Wat Temple and Borobodur Temple to become sister sites

The Jakarta Post reports that the Cambodia’s Angkor Wat temple in Siem Reap and Indonesia’s Borobudur temple in Central Java are to become sister sites, according to an official.

Head of Indonesian delegation I Gusti Putu Laksaguna said on Thursday that the proposal had been agreed by both Cambodian and Indonesian tourism ministers during a bilateral meeting at the ASEAN Tourism Forum at the Grand Kawanoa Convention Center in Manado, North Sulawesi“. The temples will become sister sites and the provinces will become sister provinces,” he said.

Laksaguna said that the Cambodian delegation had requested that Indonesia open a direct flight to Siem Reap, an idea that the Indonesian delegation supported.

“Indonesia already has a plan to open a direct flight from Yogyakarta to Siem Reap. [Private airlines] Sriwijaya Air and Batavia Air are considering the opportunity,” he told reporters in Manado.

The Ubud Readers & Writers Festival (URWF) 2011 updates

The Ubud Readers & Writers Festival (URWF) 2011 is beginning to take shape with this years’ theme  Nandurin Karang Awak (Cultivate The Land Within). Up to 100 writers will fill Ubud’s majestic pavilions, cafés and temples. The festival will bring together guests, writers and readers to exchange ideas.

This years’ festival will present the 1st Bali emerging Writers Festival (BEWF). Held from 27-29 May at Serambi Arts Antida, Denpasar, the BEWF will spotlight the island’s most promising emerging talents. Vast form of writing will be featured during the day and the nighttime will showcase spoken word and music performances.

The URWF 2011 will also feature renowned author such as Jill Dawson, DBC Pierre and Albert Wendt.

Stone believed to be from Majapahit kingdom found

Residents of Modangan village in the East Java town of Blitar were surprised on Wednesday April 20 2011, to learn that an inscribed stone they found is believed to be an artifact from the ancient Javanese Majapahit Kingdom.

The stone was found by Sapuan, 45, and Mupit, 50, who were excavating a site to build a septic tank near Mupit's house. Sapuan's hoe hit a solid object at a depth of 3 meters below ground level, after which the two discovered a stone shaped like a statue with an ancient Javanese inscription on it.

The stone is currently being kept at Mupit's house. Blitar administration spokesman Wiyakto said he had heard reports of the finding, and was planning to invite a team from the Prehistoric Heritage Preservation Agency in the East Java town of Trowulan to inspect the stone.

Bali Gets Bigger and Newer Convention Space

The new Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center(BNDCC), which till triple the island’s MICE capability from May, intends to compete head-on with counterparts in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia for International events.