Enjoy Indonesia

A. Brief Information

Solop Beach is a worth visiting tourism destination in Indragiri District, Riau Province. The number of visitors comes to the beach mostly on weekend and holidays like: Idul Fitri and Idul Adha. Now the beach becomes the main tourism destination of Dondang Tanak.

The beach is the main water lane for ferries sailing over the Strait of Malacca separating Batam Island and Indragiri District. Besides, the beach also connects Jambi Province with Kuala Tungkal via Kuala Enok.

B. Distintive Feature

Solop Beach offers you the unique scenery that is hard to find in other places. Feel free to play above the white sand, shells and marine plant. Likewise, you can enjoy the most picturesque mangrove plantation in Indonesia. Small islands around the beach, likewise, are other attractions for the visitors visiting the beach. Watching beautiful sunset will be unforgettable moment for those visiting the beach.

C. Location

Solop Beach can be found in Cawan Island, Mandah Sub-district, Indragiri Hilir District, Riau Province, Indonesia. The beach is situated in strategic location on the sea lane of Tembilahan and Batam Island.

D. Access

To reach the destination, you can take any public transportation that takes approximately 90 minutes from Tembilahan City, or 20 minutes from Mandah Sub-district.

E. Ticket Price

In the confirmation process.

F. Accomodation and other facilities

In the confirmation process.

Source : Wisata Melayu

Solop Beach, Indragiri Hilir District - Riau

A. Brief Information

If you ever imagined yourself lying on white sands on a beautiful beach surrounded by exotic view under bright sunlight then you must come to Senggigi Beach in Lombok Island, West Nusa Tenggara. The beach located on 12 kilometers to the west of Mataram is well known for its beauty. People often suite this beach with those famous beaches in Bali such as Kuta, Legian and Sanur. Some even say that Senggigi Beach is much more beautiful than those beaches because of its calm and peaceful nuance.


As the main tourism destination in West Nusa Tenggara, the cleanliness and the pureness of Senggigi Beach are well kept. Along 10 kilometers of this coastline, you can feel the waves racing to touch your bare feet. In addition to its exotic view, Senggigi also offers you an unforgettable moment of diving or snorkeling since it has an amazing undersea view. No doubt, many local or foreign tourists prefer this location to enjoy their vacation.

Recently the numbers of foreign tourists come to Senggigi Beach increase since the information about the beach is largely known. Anticipating more increase local government and some private corporation cooperate to develop the facilities of the beach to guarantee the comfort and satisfaction of the visitors.

B. Distinctive Features

Visiting Senggigi Beach will be an unforgettable moment in your life. Right from your very first step in the beach area, you will feel the touch of zephyr caresses your skin, which will always accompany you along your steps. Fresh calm and peaceful nuance will lessen your stress after working along the week. Exotic view will spoil your eyes; pure blue seawater and white sands with thousands of small sea creatures spread on it stretch along your eyes can see. When you walk along the coast, you can feel sea waves racing to touch your bare feet and let you feel the fresh water giving you a remarkable sensation. A beautiful landscape of Gunung Agung Mount located in Bali is seen from Senggigi Beach as if emerges from under the sea.
The calmness of Senggigi Beach offers different exotic experience than those given by the beaches in Bali. Thus, Senggigi Beach is a new alternative for you who need peaceful and calm nuance in your vacation.

You can do many activities along your vacation in Senggigi Beach such as swimming, diving, snorkeling, building sand palace, or letting the sun touch your skin and makes you looked exotic. However, you must be careful when you are swimming in the beach because there are many pointed coral stones, which may hurt your feet. After those activities, you cannot miss the beautiful sunset view that you can enjoy while you are walking along the beach or sitting on your hotel balcony accompanied with a cup of tea.

Walking along the coast of Senggigi Beach, you cannot miss to visit Pura Batu Bolong, which you can meet after 30 minutes walking. The pura is built on a giant coral stone on the beach. There are some myths related to the pura. Some people believe that the pura was once used as a place to sacrifice a virgin for a shark living in the sea. Some others believe that the pura is a place for brokenhearted women to commit suicide by jumping down to the sea.

Another interesting activity to do is walking along the beach in full moon night. You will see locall people use the warmness of the sand for health therapy. They will bury their body from feet to neck in the sand and listen to the sound of the wave. They believe that the therapy will help them to cure weariness, muscle pain, and even paralysis. If you are interested to try, you can join the local people and bury your body under the warm sand of Senggigi Beach.

In addition to the exotic and amazing view, Senggigi is also well known for its culinary richness. You can taste many kinds of local food, which you can meet in the restaurants along the beach. The price is varied from IDR30.000 to IDR300.000 per person (December 2008). The menus that are highly recommended are Ayam Taliwang or Taliwang Chicken and Plecing Kangkung, which you can find in every restaurant. It will be an unforgettable moment to taste the food in the peaceful atmosphere of the beautiful beach accompanied with the sound of the sea waves. You also can try to taste your delicious food accompanied with musical performance from local artist playing traditional instruments. Visitors are allowed to sing and dance with the artist and feel free.

If you want to give your beloved family gift from Senggigi you can bring them pearls and locall woven clothes. You will find the pearls as necklace bracelet and other handmade accessories. However, you can buy loose pearls and arrange them by yourself.

You can visit some places near Senggigi beach such as Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. You can also visit Kerandangan Beach and Batu Layar Beach. Batu Layar is a sacred place for the followers of Islam Wetu Telu in Lombok Island (Sasak Tribe).

C. Location

Senggigi Beach is located on the northwest of Mataram, West Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.

D. Access

Senggigi Beach is quite accessible since there are airport and seaport in West Nusa Tenggara. If you are from Bali you can go to Lombok from Karang Asem Seaport and take the boat to Senggigi. It takes 30 minutes. If you want to shorten your time, you can take the plane from Ngurah Rai Airport to Selaparang Airport in Mataram. It takes 15 minutes.

Another seaport in addition to Karang Asem is Padang Bay Seaport. From Padang Bay, take the boat to Lembar Seaport in Lombok. Along your boat trip, you will see dolphins swimming around the boat. The boat trip from Padang Bay to Lembar takes 4 hours. From Lembar take the bus to Mataram. You can reach Senggigi Beach, which is 11 kilometers away from Mataram by taxi or other public transportation.

If you want to use plane instead of boat you can go to Senggigi from some places in Indonesia such as Jakarta Bali Surabaya and Yogyakarta. From those places, take the plane to Selaparang Airport in Mataram. From Selaparang you can reach Senggigi Beach by public transportation.

E. Ticket Price

The ticket price of Senggigi Beach is still under confirmation.

F. Accommodation and other Facilities

There are many hotels in the beach area, which you can choose along your vacation. There are also restaurants café bars open market souvenirs stands mosque restrooms parking area etc.

Source : Wisata Melayu

Senggigi Beach, West Lombok District - West Nusa Tenggara

A. Brief Information

Tanjung Bira Beach is a famous white sandy beach in South Sulawesi Province. It is clean and neatly organized and its beauty and pleasantness are well known even by foreign countries. Foreign tourists from other countries visit the beach for enjoying their holidays.

B. Distinctive Features

Tanjung Bira Beach is a totally bewitching beach whose white sand is like wheat flour spread along the seashore. You can do activities such as diving, swimming, sunbathing, and snorkeling. You can also watch the sunset or sunrise in the same position. In addition, the enchantment of Liukang Beach and Kambing Island located in the transmarine of the beach will amaze you during the visit to the destination.

C. Location

Tanjung Bira Beach is located on the southernmost of South Sulawesi Province. It lies in Bonto Bahari Sub-district, Bulu Kumba District. It is about 40 km away from Bulu Kumba city or 200 km from Makassar city.

D. Access

It is better for you to take types of public transportations (e.g. Panther, Kijang, or Innova) about Rp. 35.000 in cost, considering that it will be hard to find buses to reach the destination from Bulu Kumba. You may also use Pete-pete (Minibus) for your alternatives to reach the destination that will be about three to three a half hours with Rp. 8.000 to Rp. Rp. 10.000 for its costs.

If you start the trip from Hasanuddin Airport, use taxi to Malengkari Bus Station in Makassar city then continue to Bulu Kumba or Tanjung Bira Beach for about Rp. 40.000 in cost. In the location, public transportations will disappear at evening. If you are eager to get back to Makassar in the same day, you can charter cars with Rp. 500.000 for its cost.

E. Ticket price

Rp. 5.000,00

F. Accommodation and other facilities

It has been equipped with various facilities such as restaurants, hotels, villas and bungalows offering various prices from Rp. 100.000 to Rp. 600.000 / night. Water sports equipments for diving and snorkeling can be easily found with Rp. 30.000 for its costs. If you are eager to look around the destination, you may take motorcycle rental services for about Rp. 65.000. For you loving diving, you can take ferryboat services in the harbor that will carry you to Selayar Island with Rp. 65.000 in cost.

Source : Wisata Melayu

Tanjung Bira Beach, Bulukumba District - South Sulawesi

A. Brief Information

Sanur Beach, one of the beautiful beaches in Bali Island, offers a panoramic view since a long time ago. Historically, on an inscription written at the tenure of King Kasari Warmadewa (917 A.D.) in Singhadwala Palace, it is stated that the beauty of Sanur Beach has been discovered at the time. Now you can still find the inscription in the southern direction of Sanur Beach in Blanjong Village.

During the colonial government of Dutch occupied Indonesia, Sanur Beach was functioned as the Dutch‘s harbor where they sent the Dutch fleet admiral to attack Badung Kingdom, which was regarded as mutinous kingdom. A war on November 18th 1906 A.D. which was commonly called Puputan Badung was a war to defend motherland Indonesia from the Dutch without fear, though the death was a choice. The war was historically led by Badung King who was helped by local people at the time.

Based on tourism view, Sanur Beach started to be known by international world by a Belgium painter named A.J. Le Mayeur, who later on resided and built painting workshop there, in 1932 A.D. He got married with a famous legong dancer namely Ni Nyoman Pollok, who was also known as his painting model. By his paintings, Le Mayeur started to introduce Sanur Beach to international world and also built a museum nearby the beach named the Museum of Le Mayeur.

B. Distinctive Features

While Kuta Beach offers you with magnificent view of sunset, Sanur Beach gives you a panoramic view of sunrise along the tortuous sandy beach of Sanur. At morning, while delighting in wonderful scenery of sunrise along the coast, seems Nusa Penida Island in the southeastern direction of the beach.

Moreover, the scenery of Sanur Beach at evening is just the same as at morning. Since the water is going to ebb, you can brightly see Serangan Island and a group of coral reef in the south. When the wave is not too high, you will be offered with a splendid view of colorful coral reef on the transmarine.

C. Location

Sanur Beach is situated in Sanur Village, Denpasar Sub-district, Denpasar City, Bali, Indonesia.

D. Access

For you who want to access the location, you can take any accessible public transports from Denpasar City to Sanur for about six km away. Indian taxi can also be your alternatives for you to reach Sanur Beach.

E. Ticket Price

In the confirmation process

F. Accommodation and other Facilities

Sanur Beach and surrounding areas are on the first priority of tourism development programs of Bali local government. That is why, you can easily find star hotels and restaurants as well. Souvenirs peddlers offering traditional work arts of Bali Island can be alternatives for you who want to eternalize your beautiful moments during the visit to Sanur Beach.

Source: Wisata Melayu

Sanur Beach, Denpasar City - Bali - Indonesia

By Vyara Wurjanta

Pacitan, a small town on the southern end of East Java province, has earned the nickname “1001 caves”. But you don`t have to just go caving here - this area has so much more to offer.

The Pacitan landscape mostly consists of karst hills that are part of the Sewu mountains, a limestone mountain range stretching from Bantul regency in Yogyakarta province to Malang regency in East Java.

Hidden within this karst landscape are countless caves, a couple of which have built a reputation as Pacitan`s main tourist attraction.
These are the famous Gong Cave and Tabuhan Cave in Punung subdistrict, some 30 kilometers west of Pacitan.

And then there is Jaran Cave in Pringkuku subdistrict, the longest known cave in Indonesia, famous for its massive cave pearls.

The need for special skills to enter the shaft entrance hasn`t stopped the many cavers and adventurers who come here to explore its 20-plus kilometers of gorgeous alleys and chambers.

But if you come to Pacitan, you don`t have to hide from the sun. For this is a place that also offers wonderful beaches.
Indeed, a drive along the coastline makes for a lovely day, as some friends and I discovered.

To start with, let`s take a close look at Teleng Ria, a beach just 3 kilometers from the main town. Its soft and creamy sand that curves along the calm Pacitan bay has attracted numerous tourists not only from nearby cities such as Yogyakarta and Surakarta, but also from abroad. And when the higher swell rises in the bay, some young surfers will take the chance to dance along its waves.

This natural beauty has even attracted El John, a company focused on tourism to invest here - the company will soon build a luxury resort like the one they have in Parai on Bintan Island.

They have already established Sea View, a restaurant and caffe next to Happy Bay Beach, with the only bungalows in the beach complex. Rumor has it that they`ve already paid for another lease of the bungalows.

Ironically, what this investment has meant is that the public can no longer enjoy the beauty of Teleng Ria Beach for free. In mid-2008, El John introduced an entrance fee for visitors. The result was that the beach, so popular before, became deserted.
“Girls and boys, also kids and families, used to spend their afternoons watching the sunset, or simply strolling along the beach here,” said Mbah Teguh, a 45-year-old native of the district who opened a food stall on Teleng Ria Beach in 1993.

This in turn created hardships for small traders, who are struggling to make a living here.

“For years, I could support my family from selling food here. But now, getting a customer once a week is a miracle,” Mbah Teguh said with a heavy sigh.
“It seems like they don`t notice sidewalk sellers like us as existing here,” she added, referring to the new kings of Teleng Ria Beach.

Although there`s an upside to this too: The deserted beach now looks much cleaner and with less trash than it did when it had frequent visitors.
We then left Teleng Ria and explored other beaches stretching along the Pacitan coast.

From Teleng Ria, we took the road to the west, following the sign that reads “Srau Beach”. Tranquil village scenery lines the narrow and twisting asphalt road until, some 30 minutes later, after carefully zigzagging through the hills, a glimpse of the sparkling blue ocean emerges.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the beginning of the Srau coast. Its beach is separated by hilly karst capes, closely hugging the dark blue waters. In a slight contrast to Teleng Ria, Srau has white sand, these grains of sand reminiscent of those on Tanjung Aan in Lombok, which earned its famous name of “Pepper Beach” thanks to its grains of sand the size of peppercorns. Srau also emits an aura of a pristine and quiet beach.

From there, we took the road to the cul-de-sac and parked near the former stall. The local government has built minimum facilities in this beautiful place.
Beside the stall is a booth built from concrete where tourists can sit while soaking up the beach atmosphere.

There`s also a permanent miniature stage here, occasionally used for dangdut concerts. During these public events, the semi-permanent kiosks come into use.
On the day we visited, my friends didn`t have to wait long before they could get out their surfboards.

“We used to surf here, if the waves in Teleng Ria weren`t good enough,” Agus, a young Pacitan surfer, said.
Plus, he added, Srau`s waves were more powerful than those at Teleng Ria because it has a reef below.

While they played on the waves, I explored the path up the hilly cape. Behind the hills, I found a small and very beautiful hidden beach. Yet there was no easy way to get to the beach, which sits under a slope 2 meters high.
Under the hot sun, a number of fishermen sat quietly by the hillside, waiting for fish to bite.

“I`m fishing for the cucut fish,” one of the fishermen said. Cucut is another name for barracuda. For the local fishermen, this fish, with its long sharp teeth, is the most common catch in the area.

And it gave us visitors an idea: Why not have barracuda for lunch?
So we grilled three freshly caught barracudas that we bought from a fisherman for just Rp 25,000. Sitting on Srau`s soft sand, we had our special lunch. Rice, srundeng (grated coconut pulp mixed with spices) and the hot sambal from the nearest warung completed our meal.

In the afternoon, we headed back east, passing the town of Pacitan. A hot spring called Tirto Husodo in the Arjosari subdistrict was our next destination.
The hot pools here are for bathing; the absence of that sulfuric aroma indicates that the source of the hot spring is geothermal.

“I used to come here in the afternoon to cure my rheumatism, or just relax my aching muscles, after working all day in the paddy field,” one of the visitors said. He submerged himself in the hot water after “warming himself up” by dipping his legs for about 15 minutes to get used to the water`s temperature - 45 degrees Celsius.
There are two main hot pools here, but most people tend to choose the lower pool, as the water in the upper pool is much hotter.

I watched as one bare-chested man proudly walked to the upper pool after bravely swimming in the lower pool. Using a dipper, he poured water from the upper pool all over himself.

It wasn`t long before he decided to come back to the lower pool. Another visitor jokingly pushed his friend into the hot pool; he then quickly swam to the edge of the pool to escape the water`s heat.

Well, it is seriously hot. During a half-hour visit, I could not sit in the water for more than 3 minutes. For the rest, I was satisfied to feel the heat through my feet.

“When the rain comes pouring down in the afternoon, you can barely find a place in here,” Agus explained, pointing at the near empty pools.
But as the afternoon faded, lack of rain notwithstanding, visitors did flew in.
And we headed back to town.

There`s not a lot to see in Pacitan when night falls, especially as it approaches midnight. But if you are having difficulty sleeping and need a snack of some sort to soothe your empty belly, you can head over to alun-alun, the town`s central attraction. Saturday night is the liveliest, but on other nights too, there is still this beat of the town.

To the sound of Javanese songs vaguely coming from somewhere, an old woman served her clients cups of strong black coffee, or glasses of hot tea and ginger milk on one of warung lesehan - a semi-permanent food stall with mats for guests to sit on - in the alun-alun.

As for snacks, patrons can chew on grilled tofu and jadah (a snack made from rice and sticky flour). These snacks were meant to be eaten with ketchup and sugar.
Here in these stalls, people easily strike up conversations with others, from light chats about their daily lives to serious discussions about politics. And so it goes until the sellers close their stalls at around 2 or 3 in the morning.

Well, what did you expect from a small town at the end of what is soon to be part of South Highway of Java? Pacitan did offer more than expected!

Source : The Jakarta Post

Along The Pacitan Coast