Monday, December 28, 2009

4 Countries in 10 Days - SE Asia Backpacking Trip

So many photos taken last week.
So many wonderful memories attached in our hearts.
Now it's time to sit down and share the stories...


4 countries in 10 days - More photos to come! :)
Foto (c) Herajeng Gustiayu, 2009

Last week (10-19 December 2009) was a great holiday, our escape from daily routine, for me & my highschool mates.

The routes are: Jakarta - Singapore - Kuala Lumpur - Ho Chi Minh - Bangkok - Jakarta

Three of us had so many experiences during our backpacking trip through 4 countries for 10 days, and we only spend $300 for this trip! We proved the theory of "travelling can be cheap but still fun!" :)

In Singapore, we had wonderful time with my colleagues in Singapore & I’d love to meet them again some day, they are so nice! :D We visited a lot of tourist attractions, a big thank you for my super-duper kind boss!

In Malaysia, we visited Malacca (2 hours from KL) with my friend who stay in Kuantan as lecturer. He took 4 hours to get into KL from Kuantan only for guiding us to get to Malacca, wahhh it's so very nice of you Dib! Thanks a lot yah! :D After sightseeing in Malacca, we almost can not go back to KL, because we can not get the return tickets! All already sold out! Luckily, then we found 4 tickets to KL. It was an adventurous trip, I think, hehehe…

In Vietnam, because all tourist spots are in walking distance, we can just go walk-walk-walk, from our hostel (in Pham Ngu Lao, District 1) to Saigon River. The pedestrian way is so convenient so we really enjoy our walking around Ho Chi Minch. :D The first night when we just arrived in Ho Chi Minh also so memorable, it's turns out that night Vietnam win over Singapore in SEA Games 2009, so the main roads was full with Vietnam supporters with their euphoria. All we can see in minibus taxi was just Red & Yellow, which are the colours of Vietnam's flag.

In Thailand, we met a lot of inspiring backpackers who stay in our hostel. (It’s a backpacker hostel named “Suk11”, located in Sukhumvit, Bangkok).

We met Simon from Germany, who had been travelling around SE Asia in 2 months after he graduated from university (and he will start working in January 2010~ Goodluck Simon!). We met Per & Louise from Norway, a nice couple who when in their retired time, they decided to go travelling around the world (now they are in Koh Samet, enjoying the beach & the sun!). We met Fritz from California, who lose his job in Dubai 1 years ago and then he spend his time to go travelling and see the world, he also had visited the east side of Indonesia! We also met Hilde from Brussel, we shared taxi to go to the airport. She need to find bananas as souvenir for her friends in Brussel. But the clock is ticking, and we need to go to the airport fast! Thank God then we found the bananas in a hawker stall when we're in our way to the airport. Hahaha it's so memorable & funny. :)) They are so inspiring, and I like the way they enjoy their life.

We also visit old city Ayutthaya, 2 hours from Bangkok. And in Bangkok, we tried almost ALL public transports, Bangkok have excellent public transport systems so it’s almost impossible to be lost in this big city. :)

As my friend said, "Travelling is good for ur soul."
And now it seems like we addicted to it. :D

+ + + + +

More stories in Bahasa Indonesia* will coming soon.
Thanks for reading! :)

*My grammar skill is terrible, thus I'd prefer to write the details in Bahasa, haha~! :D


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Wakatobi Island, The Heaven of Divers




A destination where you can dive the world's most pristine reefs and experience remoteness from everyday life in total comfort. Situated on a beautiful tropical island in the remote and peaceful Wakatobi archipelago in the Banda Sea, Wakatobi Dive Resort offers what many consider to be the best reef diving in the world. Blessed with a house reef where you can begin your dive only 20m (60 feet) from the dive center, Wakatobi is often described as a live aboard with a built-in beach! In addition to the spectacular house reef, there are several dozens of easily accessible dive sites offering incredible marine life diversity, color and natural splendor.

THE FACT OF THE ISLAND

Each island has its own distinct characteristics and as a second largest marine conservation area in the archipelago, Wakatobi covers an area of 1.4 million hectares giving you the contrast of an exotic and unique experience with its local inhabitants, culture and traditions as one of Indonesian’s jewels.

When marine tourism becomes a permanent and promising business sector, all the factors; including sport culture that has the highest commercial value of any marine tourism activity create a successful marine conservation program to be seen both chance and challenge. At Wakatobi, the program has turned to be equal in all sectors. It seems that people’s empowering program have run well in the area. The society becomes a powerful guardian protecting their underwater heritages.

The Collaborative Reef Conservation Program was developed by the founders of Wakatobi Dive Resort in consultation with local leaders and village elders. It was designed to motivate the people living within the region and to realize the genuine value of the reefs and inspire the villagers to be pro-active in protecting the marine ecosystem. The program achieves by providing the economic alternative sources that could help, protect the ecosystem and manage the reefs . It is a good example of how to do people’s empowerment by giving them the pattern with law enforcement. Cooperation between local fishermen and visiting divers is promoted by generating from tourism income that will return to the community

The best key to build deep trust and understanding amongst the community is to do the continuous and consistent efforts although the program took many years to reach the goals and the aim is there, where all members of the surrounding villages respect and honor the agreement. The Collaborative Reef Conservation Program was extended even further based on the success of a pilot project launched in 1998 that turned 6 km of reef into an effective no-fishing sanctuary. The program includes all 17 communities around the resort and the dive environment includes over 20 kilometers (12.5 miles) of some of the finest reefs of the world, including the protection of dozens of top dive sites for generations.

How to get there?

At this time, the access to Wakatobi can be reached either by air through Kendari using Susi Air
(10 times a week |Monday - Saturday|).

Time Schedule of Susi Air :
Morning Trip :
Trip : Kendari ---> Wakatobi 8:00 am

Wakatobi ---> Kendari 9:00 am


Afternoon Trip :
Trip : Kendari ---> Wakatobi 16:00 pm

Wakatobi ---> Kendari 17:00 pm


To get Kendari can be reach by
(Garuda Indonesia Air, Merpati Air,Sriwijaya Air, Batavia Air and Lion Air)
from Jakarta, Bali, Manado, and Surabaya as follow:

1. Jakarta – Makassar – Kendari - Wakatobi
2. Bali – Makassar – Kendari - Wakatobi
3. Manado – Makassar – Kendari - Wakatobi
4. Surabaya – Makassar – Kendari - Wakatobi

Time schedule of Garuda Indonesia Air :
Jakarta – Makassar (15:35 pm) – Kendari (16:00 pm) - Wakatobi (17:00 pm)



PEOPLE
Wakatobi has an amazing challeging dive sites and the island’s population of nearly 100,563 with their unique custom and culture encourages the people to promote their region to be the most popular marine tourism destination in the world.

Wakatobi consists of multi-ethnic society and Suku Bajo or Bajo Tribe who lives in the seashore, having a particular building architecture connected by the bridge and boats as their main transportation and basic livelihood as the fishermen.
The culinary art of the region serves you a delicious natural tasted food, traditionally made from generation by generation.

ACCOMODATION

The Island provides you in full comfort and distinct resort class although the site is in the most remote resort area. The villas and bungalows were built in a large space, tastefully decorated with the hospitality you would expect in the fine resort like Wakatobi Dive Resort, a Swiss-founded that has an international standard with some facilities in Tomia Island.

The Architecture is built in consideration with the preservation of the traditional building style, respect to the eco-tourism principles with the main building and bungalows crafted by local artisans and all using manual tools. Apart of their land-based resort, the world-renowned Pelagian Yacht now operates and takes the visitors in a local luxurious transportation. This Pelagian Yacht is fully integrated into Wakatobi’s award-winning marine conservation and community development program. It has an exclussive access to the diving sites within the extended Wakatobi region. Let’s try a trip to Wakatobi in a live-a-board adventure on the Pelagian at the same holiday!

Hoga Island with its white sandy beach and beautiful panorama offers you a place that can accommodate up to hundreds guests. There is also a moderate home stay for you to spend the time at Wanci in Wangi-Wangi Island, the capital city of the regency that keeps put in order providing all the facilities to the visitors needs.

There is no denying that Wakatobi is an excellent tourism destination with no less than 750 coral reef species from a total of 850 species in the world, comparing with the Caribbean owes only 50 species and other 300 species in the Red Sea.

AMENITIES

Local food always challenges you to experience unordinary flavour with a touch of magic while a journey in international cuisine will exclusively give you a different taste of seafood with imported ingredients. Guests will enjoy a food etalase from fresh sea fruits to a divine desert and a fresh coconut to a cup of hot local coffee. At Wakatobi Dive Resort the food even extremely served at the Jetty Bar where you can see the sunset of day and look forward to a new adventure tomorrow.

Why make you hurry from the paradise if you can benefit your time in beauty treatments to pamper you while taking a break from diving. Experience the Spa with a fully-trained staff and life can get any better than yesterday. Your day ends with a marvelous sunset watching while having a wonderful candle light dinner.


Source : www.wakatobi.info

 
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