09 July 2008

Persyaratan Pembuatan Paspor/Passport

Persyaratan Pembuatan Paspor/Passport:
(dokumen asli dan fotokopi dibawa)

1. KTP
2. KK (Kartu Keluarga)
3. Akte Lahir / Surat Nikah /Ijasah / Surat Tardidi (Baptis)
4. Kalau di KTP tertulis Karyawan, minta surat sponsor, kalau sudah di PHK minta surat pernyataan tdk bekerja.
5. Paspor lama di bawa untuk ditukar dengan yang baru.

Untuk keterangan lebih lanjut hubungi:
http://gandatraveldantour.com/paspor.aspx
(021) 5890-4869
(021) 9302-9360
(0813) 1019-1149 SMS booking
Jl. Hos Cokroaminoto No 56
Ciledug-Tangerang 15157

atau

(021) 732-2751
(021) 9137-6737
Jl. Sultan Agung Tirtayasa No 15
Ciledug - Tangerang

05 July 2008

Factory Outlet in Bandung

It was originally meant for export garment (textile) factories that open a store directly in their area so that they can sell with bargain prices. Since it was a big success, many factory outlets without the factory itself were opening in many places in the city, also with bargain price tags. To attract people, they decorated the store with many styles: the colonial style, an old Chinese dynasty, etc. Some stores even have a small food court.

Most of factory outlets are concentrated in Jl. Riau, Jl. Dago (Jl. Ir. H. Juanda) and around Jl.Sukajadi-Jl.Setiabudi area. Some of them are listed below:
Factory outlets in Jl. Riau: Heritage (inside an old historical building, nice to see also the building), China Emporium (with an old Chinese dynasty setting), Summit, Oasis, Metropolitan, Renarity, Emirates, Terminal Tas, Edward Forrer.
Factory outlets in Jl. Dago: Rich & Famous, Coconel, Glamour, Blossom, Uptown (with a small kiosk selling a strawberry juice), Dago Stock Centre, M&M, Justine.
Around Jl.Sukajadi-Jl.Setiabudi: Mooi (Jl. Cemara 83), FOS Clothing Gallery (Jl. Setiabudi 73), XO (Jl. Sukajadi 212), Rumah Mode (Jl. Setiabudi 41F), Otten One (Jl. Otten 1), BOS (Jl. Otten), Diaz (Jl. Sederhana mostly shoes), Cat 17 (Jl. Eijkman).
Other places: Batian (Jl. Otto Iskandardinata 535, you can find used and new items)

Distros (Distribution Outlets)

Distros are a new phenomenon in Bandung where a shop sells stylish products that were made by local designers. They are served as a distribution store, because these local designers do not have their own marketing label yet. The products that are sold are books, indie label records, magazines and also other fashion products and accessories. After their products receive large attention, then they make their own clothing company. Now, there are more than 200 local brand names in Bandung. One thing that makes distros stand out from factory outlet is that distros come from individual designers and young entrepeneurs, while factory outlet products come from a garment factory.

Note that now distros are getting famous in Indonesia. The local branded name with free and independent motivation has been shifted. Be careful when buying in distros as the prices are increasing to a level almost the same as at boutique shops.

Some of Bandung distros: UNKL347, Jl. Trunojoyo 4, Invictus,Jl.Pager gunung 13 and Jl.Trunojoyo 6 also you can check their website www.invcts.com Ouval Research, Jl. Buah Batu 64, No Label, Jl. Sumatra 24, etc.
from:http://wikitravel.org/en/Bandung#See

03 July 2008

Lake Toba 2

Lake Toba is on most itineraries of travellers going to Sumatra. The lake is set in the caldera of a giant volcano and it's the largest lake of South East Asia. Right in the middle there is an island Pulau Samosir, which is about the size of Singapore. The climate is pleasant and the setting is cool as well. This makes Lake Toba a favourite get away for people living in less-than-appealing city of Medan. Medan is less than 200 km away and many buses make the trip every day. The unique thing from Lake Toba is about a small lake within the lake itself. The lake so called Danau Sidohoni [Lake Sidohoni] and situated in Pulau Samosir [Samosir island]. And Pulau Samosir itself is connected to Sumatra mainland by a bridge named Jembatan Diponggol, situated at Pangururan.

The main concentration for tourists [for spots and accommodation] are on Tuk Tuk and Ambarita. Tuk Tuk is about the old cemetery of the King Sidabutar, stone chairs and Ambarita is place to stay whenever you find Tuk Tuk quite hectic.The enroute from Medan as the capital city of north Sumatra as follows: Medan, Pematangsiantar, Parapat and Lake Toba. Take a ferry to visit Pulau Samosir, takes about 30 minutes. [from world66.com by Ukirsari and Srdjan]

Lake Toba

Sumatra, the westernmost of the main islands of Indonesia, is 1,800 km long and 400 km wide and has an extraordinary wealth of natural resources. 196 mammal, 194 reptile, 62 amphibian, 272 fish and 456 bird species live on the island. Of these animals 9 mammal species, 30 fish species and 19 bird species are endemic. Major destinations are Medan, Bukit Lawang, Lake Toba, Bukittinggi and the steamy coastal city of Padang.

Most people do not travel to Aceh, the northern tip of the island. Its capital Banda Aceh is a rather interesting town, but make sure that the situation allows safe travelling. Aceh is one of the provinces fighting for independence. Other interesting spots are the islands Pulau Samosir and Pulau Nias, 125 km west off Sumatra. Nias is no longer off the beaten track as the surfers have learnt about the beautiful beaches and good surfing possibilities. However, Sumatra is still an island full of natural beauty. Until the end of the 19th century the only thing you could find on the island was forest. Nowadays only 30% of Sumatra's former jungle remains. This doesn't mean that Sumatra has changed into a deforested island. There are vast areas of untouched lowland rainforest and sub-mountainous and mountain forests. Alpine vegetation occurs at the higher altitudes.[from world66.com by Giorgio]

02 July 2008

Musik Batak

Lagu-Lagu Batak bagi anda yang suka. Modern campur Gondang.

Batak Samosir Island

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Menado, Celebes island (North Sulawesi)

In picturesque Wori bay, Manado North Sulawesi is a dynamic new beach resort, Cocotinos in the heard of Kima Bajo, a fishing village, overlooking Bunaken National Marine Park.
Just a 25 minuts ride from Sam Ratulangie International Airport, the resort is situated on a chocolate-coloured beach, in full view of majestic Manado Tua, a dormant volcano across th Sulawesi Sea.

You will be treated to many spectacular sunsets while you enjoy a drink at the bar, to the shooting sound of the waves lapping the shore. When night falls you can dine under the stars on delicious food, prepared with fresh local ingredients, some times to the sound of wonderful music from the staff

Cocotinos is all about having fun, and being a small beach resort, you will have the opportunity to meet others who share your passion about scuba diving, under water photography, water sport and other outdoor activities.

You can choose to stay in one of the Villa Rooms or you may wish to treat your self to our beautiful appointed Posi-Posi & Cano-Cano Suites. Single, Twin-sharing, Triple-sharing options are available to cater to groups of all sizes.

North Sulawesi is renowned for its spectacular wall and muck diving. While scuba diving is the main activity in the Island, a lot more awaits the traveler. You can also climb to the top of Mt Mahawu, raft down a river or have lunch by the side of Lake Tondano, a crater lake in the highlands, just to name a view. However if all you want to do is unwind, you can simply relax by the swimming pool with one of our exotic cocktails, or pamper yourself to a traditional Indonesian massage in the spa under a 50-years-old sea hisbiscus tree.

Pantouw, F. (2008, May 16). Cocotinos Hotel & Resort, Manado North Sulawesi. Retrieved July 2, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Cocotinos-Hotel-and-Resort,-Manado-North-Sulawesi&id=1180130

01 July 2008

Java-101, a Trip Through Central Java Coffee Growing Areas

The drive from Jakarta to Semarang on the north coast of Central Java takes around 10 hours. The trip takes you up out of Jakarta and then through the small towns of Indramayu, Brebes, Tegal, Cirebon and Pemalang before you arrive in Semarang. At this time of year the drive is slow- the rainy season has started and in many places outside the cities the road is still only a two way highway with no median barrier separating on coming traffic. Typical Indonesian moments are frequent…where can you go when a bus is hurtling head on towards you at 100km/h and not slowing down? What to do when your car is mobbed by villagers voting for a new mayor...or passing the crushes carcasses of trucks, vans, minibuses and container trucks, you just have to wonder how long your luck will hold!

The route from Jakarta through to Cirebon follows the fertile coastal plain. This area is known as the “Pantura”, from the Indonesian “Pantai Utara” or “northern beaches”. Lust rice fields line both sides of the road. The encroachment of commercial development is unfortunately eating into the greenery. Large malls, Ruko (shop) complexes and industrial parks are being built everywhere. In between these however is still some of the prettiest rice land in Asia. The farms are still worked traditionally and the effort that goes into the management of these pieces of agricultural land is impressive. Where the road follows the coast mangroves and other shoreline vegetation are interspersed between rough wooden shacks selling Crab, fish and shrimp. The Indramayu area is famous for its mango’s- so many varieties and so sweet they melt in your mouth.

After passing through the tea town of Tegal (Old Dutch buildings mixed in with new development) and skirting Cirebon- the road leaves the coast and climbs up through the foothills. Teak forests and rubber plantation replace the rice paddies. The going on this section is slow- especially if the rain is falling, but the scenery is well worth it. The road climbs through the towns of Subuh and Batang. Roadside stalls sell a variety of tropical fruits-including the exotic Jackfruit and spiky, smelly Durian. This is not coffee country but I did take the opportunity to stop at a warung and try a local Kopi. The coffee was mixed with nutmeg ad red sugar- sweet and bitter at the same time. It was wok roasted robusta- ground up using a traditional sandstone bowl and pestle.

Semarang itself is a port city- located on a narrow strip of land between the coast and a divide of large volcanoes. During Dutch times this was a major trading port- serving as a feed for the hundreds of plantations located in the narrow strip between the north and south coasts of Central Java. The Dutch built an impressive rail system that carried the coffee, sugar, rubber, cloves and tobacco from the hinterland to the warehouses located along the port cities canals. The city is still the provincial capital for Central Java and is a very pleasant place. The hills above the city give fantastic views across the city to the big blue Java Sea. From this cooler altitude the volcanic peaks behind are also majestic- towering and dominating- dark, heavily forested and quite threatening.

Semarang has perhaps the best preserved examples of both Dutch architecture and Dutch town planning in Indonesia. The downtown area is filled with examples of Dutch colonial buildings. There are numerous old warehouses, offices, hotels and churches that are still now in use. Old ornate lamps line the wide streets. In this part of the city the traffic flows in an orderly fashion. As one moves into to newer areas of any Indonesian city the lack of recent town planning becomes increasingly evident. One such place is Toko “Oen”, a self proclaimed ice cream palace and patisserie; it has been operating for 67 years. The took (shop) is located on Jl.Pemuda (number 52- phone 3541683) in an old Dutch building. The interior of the shop is truly exquisite- high ceilings, stained glass windows, big shuttered windows opening onto the street. Lots of teak- the window frames, ceiling panels and of course the furniture. The ice cream is good as well, although the instant Nescafe coffee was out of place in such a setting.

After a brief walk around the city area we ventured out to the new warehousing area located behind the bus station and near Port Semarang. The area was hot and dusty, with evidence that during the wet season roads in this part of town flood. Holes are deep as a motor scooter had been carved through the asphalt and into the alluvial mud below by countless container trucks passing through. We negotiated the mud and holes and slowly made our way to one of the region coffee broker’s warehouses. The warehouse complex was made up of 4 large buildings. When we arrived there were several 20’ containers awaiting loading and we came just in time to see the workers finishing stuffing another container. The warehouse was filled with 60kg sacks of Central Java Arabica and Robusta. I guess I would estimate there were 20,000 bags stacked neatly in the warehouses (although as the broker exported over 11,000 metric or 611 x 20’ containers last year, I may be under estimating!). Machinery sorting beans using the gravity sort method were working away furiously at one end of the place- sorting the grade 1 beans from the rest. Drying units, sortex machines and of course the workers themselves all contributing to grading the best beans for export. I was impressed with how well the place was run and the good natured attitude of the workers. I was also mightily impressed with the sacks and sacks of green beans and the wonderful aroma of the greens…a smell I truly love!

A short while later we were on the road out of Semarang- hustling with the container trucks and buses for right of way. After crawling up out of the city we made our way to our first stop- a government owned estate about an hour outside the city. The estate grows both robusta and Arabica. The Arabica is a smaller bean, softer and very flavorsome. With the production of this estate being only around 50 metric ton of Arabica, most of the coffee is brought up by one European specialty roaster. The plantation was quiet- in between seasons the workforce required drops markedly. In the colonial days the private owners compensated for the lack of revenue at this time of year by diversifying their crops. This estate has hectares of rubber trees as well as some tea and cinnamon plantings. Even though we arrived on Friday at about the time Sholat Jumat (Friday prayers) begins, we were meet with typical Javanese hospitality and shown around the plantation.

Next stop was the city of Wonosobo and the famous Dieng Plateau. The Plateua is 120km inland from Semarang at an altitude of over 2000 meters. This area is cold, wet and apart from an uncanny resemblance to the New Zealand town of Taihape, is famous for its agricultural output of potatoes, carrots, onions and tobacco. It also has a well known temple complex called Candi Pendawa lima and (by the way) is the gateway to some very interesting and unique Indonesian Arabica coffees. It is very rare that I complain of the cold in Indonesia- but on the drive to Wonosobo I was really feeling it. The rain was bucketing down and even with the cars AC off I was shivering. Opening the window made things worse as the cool air mixed with the rain almost formed ice as it blew through onto my face.

It was dark when we arrived in the town (it was 15.30!) and nothing seemed to be open. To make things worse the rain had become persistent, carrying with it a dampness that is unusual for tropical climates. We checked into the wonderful colonial era Krisno Hotel- a fabulous place of 115 rooms which had occupancy of 0% before our arrival. The hotel is located on the way out of town and was a Dutch resort in the days before World War 2 and independence. Today it has been fully restored and probably deserves to have more guests. It’s a pity that the weather does not play its part here and help out. Walking around the empty lobby I had the chance to admire the stained glass, the teak fittings and later had the pleasant experience of enjoying a beer in the empty bar. It may sound strange, by sitting in an empty bar in the middle of Java listening to Jazz and the soft clicking of the ceiling fans overhead IS actually an experience to be savored.

Far from the literally maddening crowds of Jakarta….a feeling of real relaxation at last!
Wonosobo regency and the area between the town and Dieng Plateau did indeed have both Arabica and robusta plantings. The majority of the trees we found were in small hold plantations in and around settlement areas. Altitude is an important factor in growing quality hard Arabica greens. Certainly the altitude in this area of Java seemed ideal for coffee- although sometimes the high rainfall may affect the quality of the cherries. Being out of season it was difficult to tell. The coffee grows at this altitude well. The trees cling to the side of the hills in some places- some shaded with bigger tropical trees. A lot of the small villages up here grow Arabica for the buyers based in Semarang. The coffee is dried and processed up in the Wonosobo highlands. A lot of the location processing is done using dry processing, although with the availability of water in this area not being a problem wet processing is becoming more widespread. Once processed the coffee is sent to Semarang for finishing- sorting, drying and polishing using modern machinery. I did have the opportunity to try some Arabica from one of these small village growers- I have the greens with me and will test roast and cup them.

The drive down from the plateau through to the royal city of Yogyakarta is a drive past volcanic cones, rice fields and teak and cocoa plantations. Along the way coffee grows wild at the side of the road. Some of the robusta trees reach as high as 30 feet- untended they develop a sprawling, scraggly canopy. Through the change in altitude we actually did come across some trees with ripe cherries. Again these were mainly robusta trees. The Central Java Southern region also has some very good lower altitude Arabica plantations. With a different microclimate and soil conditions the beans cup very differently from those grown around Wonosobo.

Back at the roastery today- tired but satisfied. We are around 500 meters above sea level ourselves and up in the hills. At this time of year it rains religiously at around 15.00. As I type It is bucketing down outside…thankfully I have the San Marino up to heat and pressure and am onto my 4th double. Cheers everyone.

Alun Evans is a specialty coffee roaster based in West Java, Indonesia. He works primarily with small hold growers, farmers and villagers to help them to improve their way of life by growing excellent arabica coffee. Alun is a New Zealander, but has lived in Indonesia since 1998.

Evans, A. (2005, October 4). Java-101, a Trip Through Central Java Coffee Growing Areas. Retrieved July 1, 2008, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Java-101,-a-Trip-Through-Central-Java-Coffee-Growing-Areas&id=79283

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital and the largest city of Indonesia, situated on the northwest coast of the Java Island. The city attracts large numbers of travelers all throughout the year for its scenic beauty and lovely tourist sites. Once in Jakarta, visitors will get to see the famous Jakarta Old Town, National Monument, museums and the miniature park, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. Staying in Jakarta is not a problem. There are lots of good hotels in Jakarta for tourists to stay in comfort. The Jakarta hotels offer top-notch facilities and services to its guests.

Majority of hotels and resorts in Jakarta lie close to the Soekarno Hatta International Airport. You will also get an easy access to the train station and business and commercial centers from most of the Jakarta accommodation options. There are hotels for every kind of traveler, be it business or leisure. For those who intend to stay long, there are many serviced apartments in Jakarta. These apartments offer quality facilities and services to its guests.
One of the popular hotels in Jakarta is the Allson Residence Hotel Jakarta. The hotel is located at a very short distance from the central business district and Soekarno Hatta International Airport. You will get to experience warm hospitality and unsurpassed services once you come to stay at Allson Residence Hotel Jakarta.

To enjoy excellent services and amenities, visitors should come to Ambhara Hotel. Located near the airport, this hotel is one of the most famous luxury hotels in Jakarta. The hotel features first-class accommodation and quality services for a peaceful stay in the city. The banquet and dining facilities in Ambhara Hotel are simply great.
One of the top-class business hotels in Jakarta is Crowne Plaza. The hotel truly understands and fulfils the requirements of both business and leisure travelers. The hotel is located close to the famous Golden Triangle business district and lies next to entertainment and shopping complexes of Jakarta. Crowne Plaza is also known for its supreme dining and recreational facilities.
There are numerous Jakarta accommodation options that are specially made keeping in mind the budget-conscious travelers. Visitors will find several budget hotels located at various corners of the city. Alpine Hotel, Jakarta provides comfortable accommodation at a reasonable rate. The hotel includes clean rooms and comes with a wide array of hotel and security services and facilities.

Josephine Guest House is another known budget hotel to stay when in South Jakarta. From the Guest House, travelers can easily visit Blok M, a shopping district and to the range of local restaurants, bars and cafes of South Jakarta. The place provides a homely ambiance and friendly services to stay in comfort and tranquility. Casa 34 is a bed and breakfast hotel that offers a wide assortment of quality facilities and services to its guests. You will find peace and calmness ruling the place.

Albert, Alexs "Hotels In Jakarta - Setting Standards." Hotels In Jakarta - Setting Standards. 20 May. 2008. EzineArticles.com. 1 Jul 2008 <http://ezinearticles.com/?Hotels-In-Jakarta---Setting-Standards&id=1188573>.