Bali "The Best Spa Destination in The World"

Indonesian through Bali has been selected as “The Best Destination Spa in the World.” by InternationalBourse Berlin, Jerman and gets International Wellness Awards.

Most of Bali spa centres offer 100% natural material. The basic ingredient of Spa original massage oils are imported from France. Bali spas have well-trained therapist. You will enjoy a fragrance while you are staying at spa treatment room. Some of Bali spa centres also have service of hair treatment, herbal milk bath, volcanic mud body treatment, lavender body treatment, and many other high quality services. Sometimes Bali Spas also give a free transport for a visitor from Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta and Sanur beach area.

Beginning with foot bath and body wash, and traditional Balinese massage, lets the mud prevent wrinkles, enlighten your skin and clean the pores while giving nutrients and mineral back to your skin, end by relaxing into warm aromatic flower bath. For other choice, you may choose Aroma Therapy Massage, Balinese Traditional Massage, Swedish Massage or other kind of massage. Improve your blood circulation, reduces tension and stress, relieve muscles, rejuvenate tired muscles and relax your mind. The prices are relative cheap, around US$ 68-78 per package. So lets enjoyed your vacation on Bali Paradise.

The National Monument:
The National Monument, or "Monas" as it is popularly called, is one of the monuments built during the Sukarno era of fierce nationalism. It stands for the people's determination to achieve freedom and the crowning of their efforts in the Proclamation of Independence in August 1945. The 137-metre tall marble obelisk is topped with a flame coated with 35 kg of gold. The base houses a historical museum and a hall for meditations. The monument is open to the public and upon request the lift can carry visitors to the top, which offers a bird's eye view of the city and the sea. Istiqlal Mosque: It is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia and the second largest in the world. The mosque took 17 long years to build and the grandeur of its walls and dome is visible from quite far away. Orchid Gardens: Indonesia has some of the most exotic orchid gardens. Several commercial orchid gardens are open to public. Some of the best known of them are located at Slipi and Taman Mini. Condet: This village in southern Jakarta is a protected area where the old rural life style of Jakarta is preserved. Condet is also famous for its fruit orchards. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature): Situated just outside Jakarta, the park has miniatures of all the 27 provinces of the country reproduced in its Central Lake. This is a wonderful place to know about the entire archipelago in just one day. Regular cultural programmes and ceremonies are held in the park representing different regions. Pulau Seribu: This group of islands in the Jakarta Bay offers a haven away from the bustle of city life. There are golden beaches fringed with coconut palms. The surrounding waters are a paradise for scuba divers. The islands can be reached from Tanjung Priok or Pasar Ikan (Sunda Kelapa) by ferry or by chartered boat. Some of the islands in this group developed for tourism are Pulau Bidadari, Pulau Ayer, Pulau Laki and Pulau Putri. Museum Gadjah: The National Museum of Indonesia is situated at Jalan Medan Merdeka Barat. It contains around 85,000 items, the largest in the world of Indonesian artefacts. There is one of the largest and rare collections of Oriental ceramics in this museum.

Bukittinggi, Indonesia, meaning “High Mountain” in Malay, is a small town in the middle of the Minangkabau area, in West Sumatra. High up in the mountains, this little town in Indonesia, is a major tourist attraction, and people from all over the world come here to vacation. There are many wonderful and interesting things to see in the town of Bukittinggi, Indonesia, and AsiaRooms.com has made a comprehensive list of all of these.

Fort De Kock and the Museum, at Bukittinggi, Indonesia # From Fort De Kock a footbridge takes one over the main street of Bukittinggi to the Museum and the Zoo. The museum has a wonderful collection of Minangkabau art and culture put on display for tourists. The Zoo is also a place one can visit, though it is not really well-kept.

Sianok Canyon, in Bukittinggi, Indonesia # The Sianok Canyon or Ngarai Canyon covers an area of bout four kilometers southwest of the town of Bukittinggi, Indonesia. One can walk trough the canyon and climb up a small steep trial. It is quite a heavy climb, but leads to a flat green ricefield, that will lead to Kota Gadang, which is at about two hours walking distance from Bukittinggi, Indonesia.

Kota Gadang, lying about eight kilometers from Bukittinggi, Indonesia, is famous for it crafts, such as silwerware, and shawls. One can get to see the silversmiths at work with filigree or see the weaving of shawls.

Batu Sangkar, about 40 km from Bukittinggi, Indonesia, is the traditional Minangkabau village, with traditional Minangkabau buildings, structures, and architecture. The major attraction here is the palace known as Balai Janggo.

Ngalau Kamang and Ngalau Indah, two caves that lie north east of Bukittinggi, Indonesia with many stalagmites and stalactites.

Rafflesia Arnoldy Sanctuary, 16 km away from Bukittinggi, Indonesia, is a place where one can get to see the Rafflesia, which is the largest flower on earth, and is renowned for its foul smell.

Harau valley/Lembah arau, is about 45 km from Bukittinggi, Indonesia, to the north east and is a land of waterfalls, and many steep cliffs. The highest waterfall here is 110 meters high.

Lake Maninjau, about 40 km from Bukittinggi, Indonesia, is one most beautiful spots in west Sumatra. The path to the Lake is impressive in itself, with 44 hairpin bends that afford spectacular views over the lake.

Apart from these, there are a few more attractions in and around the town of Bukittinggi, Indonesia, such as –

Lobang Jepang, or the Japanese Caves - a network of underground bunkers & tunnels built by the Japanese during World War II

Jam Gadang - a large clock tower built by the Dutch in 1926.

Ethnic groups in Indonesia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There are over 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia.

The largest ethnic group in Indonesia is the Javanese who make up 41% of the total population. The Javanese are concentrated on the island of Java but millions have migrated to other islands throughout the archipelago.The Sundanese, Malay, and Madurese are the next largest groups in the country. Many ethnic groups, particularly in Kalimantan and Papua, have only hundreds of members. Most of the local languages belong to Austronesian linguistic family, although a significant number, particularly in Papua, speak Papuan languages. The Chinese Indonesian population makes up a little less then 1% of the total Indonesian population according to the 2000 census. Some estimates, however, put the number of ethnic Chinese at roughly 8 million, claiming a large undercount due to widespread reluctance to self-identify as Chinese}. Some of these Indonesians of Chinese descent speak various Chinese dialects, most notably Hokkien and Hakka.

The proportional populations of Indonesian ethnic groups according to the (2000 census) is as follows:

Asmat:

Balinese:

Batak:

Betawi:

Minahasa:

Toraja:

Smaller groups

The regions of Indonesia have some of their indigenous ethnic groups. Due to migration within Indonesia (as part of government transmigration programs or otherwise), there are significant populations of ethic groups who reside outside of their traditional regions.

• Java: Javanese, Sundanese, Bantenese, Betawi, Tengger, Osing, Badui
• Madura: Madurese
• Sumatra: Malays, Batak, Minangkabau, Acehnese, Lampung, Kubu
• Kalimantan: Dayak, Banjar
• Sulawesi: Makassarese, Buginese, Mandar, Minahasa, Gorontalo, Toraja, Bajau
• Lesser Sunda Islands: Balinese, Sasak
• The Moluccas: Nuaulu, Manusela
• Papua: Dani, Bauzi, Asmat

Colonial era groups

Additionally, there are other smaller groups reminiscent of Indonesian demographic dynamics from colonial era, such as Arab Indonesian, Indian Indonesian, and Eurasian Indonesian.

The latter group diminished as an ethnic group since major emigration from Indonesia after the World War II.

Rice is the basis of nearly all Indonesian dishes, and usually is served with fish, chicken, or vegetables. Depending on the region, food can run the gamut from mild to fiery hot. Two common dishes, nasi goreng and mie goreng (fried rice and fried noodles, similar to their Chinese or Japanese counterparts) can be found everywhere and are an easy introduction to the Indonesian diet. Every town has at least one market, providing the traveler with an incredible range of fruits, vegetables, and snacks (see "Shopping," below).

Warungs, or food stalls, offer the tastiest and cheapest food (US$.50 for a meal), but not necessarily the most sanitary. If you choose to eat from warungs, check to see if locals are eating there. Better yet, ask your students where they go. Because of the lack of refrigeration in most areas, dairy products are rare. Indonesians drink hot coffee and tea, but bottled soft drinks such as Fanta and Pepsi are readily available. Most dishes are eaten with the hands; be sure to use the right hand to eat. (Indonesians use the left hand later in the digestive process. Never offer your left hand to anyone, as it is considered very rude.) Bottled water is a must and is widely available.

Popular Dishes

The following are the most popular and tasty dishes found in Indonesia, all of them cheap. Be sure to try the local specialties, as they vary greatly.

• Bakso. Meatball soup
• Bolang-baling. Fried doughnuts
• Ikan bakar. Grilled fish
• Gago-gado. Cold steamed vegetables, tofu, and tempe with peanut sauce
• Lalapan. A selection of raw vegetables served with freshly made chili sauce (sambel) on the side. It is very popular in west Java.
• Martabak. Stuffed Indian pancake in one of two flavors: martabak manis, which are sweet, or martabak telor, which are egg pancakes filled with meat. The sweet version may contain condensed milk, cheese, chocolate, sesame seeds, or sticky black rice.
• Mie goreng. Fried noodles
• Nasi gudeg. Jackfruit cooked in coconut milk (a specialty of Yogyakarta)
• Nasi goreng. Fried rice (nasi means rice, goreng means fried)
• Nasi uduk. Rice cooked in coconut milk and fragrant pandan leaves topped with fried shallots. This is a traditional Betawi (native Jakartan) dish, but can be found throughout Indonesia.
• Opor ayam. Chicken cooked in coconut milk (ayam means chicken)
• Pisang goreng. Fried banana
• Tahu goreng. Fried tofu
• Sate. Beef, chicken, or goat meat skewered on bamboo sticks and roasted over a small grill. It is accompanied by peanut sauce or a sweet soy sauce with hot green peppers and shallots. Be sure to ask for all meat or you may end up with fat or chicken livers.
• Soto ayam. Chicken soup

Musi River

Musi River is both very broad as well as long, comparable to those found on the big island of Kalimantan, formerly Borneo. The river flows right through the city, cutting it in two halves called the Ulu bank and the Ilir bank and linked by a bridge of considerable size and length, called Ampera Bridge. If the visitors do not care to make an interesting or unique boat trip down the river, they could still take a walk halfway over the bridge to see the vast panorama surrounding them, rare at any other place in Indonesia. Down below they will see unbelievable traffic of boats, big and small, crisscrossing water lines without accidents as if steered by the most able navigators. From the same spot both halves of the city are clearly visible as well. And if the times were right, sunrises and sunsets as witnessed from the bridge would be an unforgettable sight of beauty. Worthwhile noticing are the floating restaurants and shops on both sides of the river, and other curious scenes of daily habits of the city's inhabitants.

There is an annual event, which is held around the Independence Day, each 17th of August, and is known as Bidar Race in which boats measuring 24.5 m long and only 0,75 m wide compete. Each boat carries as many as 50 oarsmen.

The dance known as Reog is a very spectacular dance with several dancers wearing bright colorful costumes accompanied by merry gamelan music.

It is always played in the open terrain, such as in a square, street etc. This dance which always draws a lot of spectators is a traditional art dance combined with magical show or a trance dance.

The reog dates back during the Hindu period in East Java. The story is related with the legend in Ponorogo Kingdom (+/- 70 km South East of Solo). Nowadays reog dance groups can be found also in other regions of Solo, Yogya, Other Towns in East Java, Kalimantan, Jakarta, even in Suriname. One of the famous group is Reog Prambanan in the border of Yogyakarta – Solo.

The Story

The powerful King Kelono Sewandono of Ponorogo Kingdom was famous with his fighting skills and magical power, accompanied by his Patih (Prime Minister) Bujanganom & his strong soldiers were attacked by King Singabarong, The King of Lions of Kediri Jungle, supported by his army, consisted of Lions and Peacocks.

At that time the Ponorogo's group were on the way to The Kingdom of Kediri guarding King Sewandono to marry Dewi Ragil Kuning, a princess of Kediri Kingdom.

There was a big fight between mighty warriors having magical power. The peacocks flew up and down flapping their wings to support The Lions – Singa Barong.

Bujanganom with his magic whip, supported by some Waroks in black traditional dress defeated The King Lion with all his followers.

The King of Ponorogo and his soldiers merrily continued their way to Kediri on horse back. Singa Barong joint the procession The Peacocks kept close to Singa Barong opened their tail feathers which looked like beautiful fan. (Warok of Ponorogo is a man with strong magical power, always dresses in black costumes)

The Performance

The central figure of this dance is The Lion King Singa Barong represented by a dancer wearing a mask of a Lion carrying a large peacock feather fan on top of the mask (this mask is locally called : Topeng Dadak Merak). It weight around 50 kg. The dancer has to use his teeth to hold the mask from inside.

He must have a very strong set of teeth and neck to move around the mask Dadak Merak. On top of this, he has also to carry a lady representing Princess Ragil Kuning. Or sometimes, he has to demonstrate his skill and strength by carrying another mask dancer on top of him, and still he could dance with vigorous and fantastic movements.

King Kelono Sewandono wearing a mask and a crown is a stylish dancer, Bujanganom also wearing a mask is an acrobatic dancer.

The Waroks in black costumes,

Jatilan - good looking young soldiers riding flat bamboo horses (Kuda Kepang).

Caplokan - Wears a dragon mask to lure Singa Barong to dance more livelly.

It is important to note that a reog dance group must have at least one "Wong Tuwo" (Old Man) or "Wong Pinter" (Clever Man) dealing with magical matters.

In a certain celebration several reog groups could perform together, sometimes until 100 groups.

Nowadays there is a reog groups with all dancers are woman, the only one is from Wonogiri regency, district of Slogohimo (50 km South of Solo).

Wayang kulit is performed the whole night commencing at about 09.00 PM to 05.00 AM. It needs around eight hours to perform a plot of stories from Ramayana or Mahabrata epoch.

From Ramayana, for instance could be performed the story (lakon) of Anoman Duta for the whole night. Duta means envoy, ambassador. This plot tells the episode when Anoman was assigned by Rama to visit Alengka Kingdom to negotiate with Rahwana to release Sinta peacefully.

The performance could start with the birth of Anoman, his experiences while he was young showing how he learned his knowledge, got supernatural power, etc, until he met Rama and entrusted to act as his envoy to Alengka.

In Alengka he tried to accomplish his job in the best possible manner, but jailed due to rejection of Rahwana. He escaped from death penalty by burning the city. He could see Sinta in her custody, found out that she was safe and still loyal to her husband. Anoman finally could left Alengka and reported result of his mission to Rama. The performance of this story should end at 05.00 o'clock in the morning just before the sunrise.

Other plot (lakon) Rama Tambak (tambak means dam). It tells the story when Rama with the help of the monkey king Sugriwa and his soldiers were making a bridge across the sea to access to Alengka.

From Mahabharata there are several plots could be performed for example, Gatotkaca Winisuda (winisuda from the word wisuda means to graduate or graduation ceremony), tells the story when Gatotkaca was assigned as Senopati (Chief Warrior) of Pandawa in Bharatayuda. It could start with his days as youngster, showing his supernatural power and knowledge since his infant, his unreserved love to Pandawa, his marriage until his appointment as Senopati in Bharatayuda.

Other plot showing more religious aspect is for example, the story of Bima Suci (suci : holy), telling how Bima overcome a lot of obstacles when he searched the holy water of life. Until finally he met with Dewa Ruci, a very small god by build who told Bima the secret of life.

It is important to select the plot of story before performance, usually in accordance with the aim of a ceremony. For instance, someone is assigned to be a new rector of a university, to celebrate this occasion the university is performing wayang kulit. The plot of story considered as relevant is Lahire Wisanggeni (the birth of Wisanggeni). Wisanggeni is one of the Arjuna's sons, he has a very strong natural power and clever since his birth. Above all, he is honest, he would tell the truth to everybody and he is very obedient to Pandawa and Dewa.

Upon their instruction, he would carry it, even if he has to lose his life.

DALANG (The Puppet Master or The Story Teller)

After deciding the title of wayang story, a dalang (puppet master), a dalang to perform the show must be appointed. Dalang position is very important, as he is the leader of the performance. Sometimes dalang could be chosen first, afterwards a consultation with him could be held to choose an appropriate title.

Dalang comes from the words juru udalan (juru : an expert, a skillful man - udalan abbreviated to dalan, then becomes dalang means to tell stories), so dalang is a story teller.

Dalang is an overall artist. He must have a broad knowledge of several disciplines of arts, such as :

This part of play occurred at midnight at the Goro-goro episode, which last about one hour. During that time the Ponokawan appears. At most occasion the dalang plays a role as mouthpiece of the sponsors. In a performance organized by Agency of Family Planning, he should arise the topics of Family Planning. In front of the arm forces or police forces, he should speak of leadership and discipline. Before an audience in university he should speak of knowledge, good conduct and the goals of life.

In the village, he should speak about the spirit of cooperation, development and any topics, which should give optimism to the villagers. The topics might be different, but here are similarities; he should tell it jokingly, interrupted by many songs, sung by the pesinden - women singers, accompanied by gamelan music. He should insert some advises on morality, hard working and every deed must be conducted properly not hurting other's feeling, not breaking the laws, especially the highest law such as the law of God.

Generally the Goro-goro time is full of laughters and musics, which make the audience happy and entertained.

Last but not least a dalang must be a healthy man or woman (nowadays, there are some women dalang), with a good physical endurance because dalang has to sit cross legged for eight hours on a mat to perform wayang.

The STAGE

It is needed to accommodate the performance, sometimes it is an elevated stage around 0,5 to 1 meter higher than audience's chairs.

On stage there is a white cotton screen illuminated by blencong (an oil lamp, hangs above the dalang), nowadays, a spotlight is used. From behind the scene, some audience watch the performance. They see the shadow of the puppets. Shadow in Javanese is wayang, from here the words of wayang kulit come. The mass of the audience sits in front of the screen to watch the wayang played by dalang.

On the right and left side of dalang, the wayang figures were arranged stuck to a banana tree poles. And at the left and right ends of the screen, banquets of bananas and leaves tree are decorated. Behind dalang the gamelan music instruments are arranged and played by the wiyogo (gamelan players).

The chorus of some pesinden (woman singers) as well as male singers are sitting there too. Next to the left side of dalang, there is a wooden box used by dalang to beat his instruments. The 'keprak', several pieces of small size iron plates hit by dalang by using right foot. From time to time, dalang during narration hit the wooden box with his hand by a 'cempolo' (wooden mallet).

The SHOW

The gunungan (from gunung : mountain) or kekayon, a mountain like leather puppet has an important part in wayang performance. Symbolizing the power of life of the creator, gunungan is used to begin the play, change one scene to other or imagine wind, obstacles, mountain, clouds or seas.

Before commencing wayang performance, a set of traditional offerings have been prepared with incense burning, a prayer to God Almighty is said in the hope the wayang performance should be conducted safely and the message should be accepted by the audience.

The pattern of wayang show begins with court audience, followed by a battle between a ksatria and giants (buto) lead by Buto Cakil. The ksatria wins the battle by killing Buto Cakil, it's symbolizing that every good efforts should end successfully after eliminating the obstacles.

Then, the appearance of the famous Ponokawan, which is very comical and full of laughter, songs and music. Nowadays, some guest stars such as local famous singers and jokers might take part in the interlude made the show livelier.

Followed by some meeting and decisive battles until morning. At the end a wooden puppet (in javanese Golek) is played by dalang. The word golek means to search, in that case the audience is requested to search, the meaning of the story which has been performed the whole night. Gunungan is stuck in the middle of the screen.

Lessons from Wayang Kulit Performance

Luckily they didn’t carry their loud music along the trail and I was able to enjoy a quiet nature walk alongside the river, and find some of those elusive giant butterflies, which are attracted to this valley. The trail ended at a series of dark caves and with the aide of a lantern I went on a bit of a hunt for bats and other treasures. The reprieve from the hot sun was a welcome relief.

I continued my journey on the long highway leading north out of Makassar. This road takes you on a timeless journey into Tana Toraja.

Toraja has fascinated people for centuries with their elaborate sacrificial funeral ceremonies and sacred burial cave sites guarded by effigies. The colorful hand painted houses called Tongkonans are beautifully decorated in tribal motifs and buffalo horns from past sacrifices. The origins of Torajan culture dates back in celestial time as the Torajan people believe they descended from the stars and arrived in starships. It is thought that the shapes of their houses resemble these very starships.

That night I stopped in the township of Parepare and slept the night overlooking the Straights of Makassar from a hotel perched on the top of a hill with fantastic views.

The next morning I continued north into the mountains. About 5 hours later I arrived in Rantepao – the heartland of Toraja country. The road winds higher and higher into the mountains and at the summit you reach a place called Butu Kabobong, which means Erotic Mountain. There before you lay two erotic geological landmarks, which introduce you to the gateway of Torajaland. To the local people they are known as ‘Most Holy Penis’ and ‘Most Sacred Vagina’.

This is the point where the Torajan people claim their first ancestors descended from Pleiades in starships. Another belief is that the Tongkonan houses resemble a boat-shaped design to allow for the soul of a dead person to be launched back to the stars.

The tongkonans are built without nails and are simply slotted together with precise accuracy and are built with lifetime strength. Their houses and rice barns stand on stilts allowing for free flow circulation from below and also double as a shelter for the family owned water buffalo. The slatted floors allow for animal droppings to be collected and reused for crop fertilizer.

The next day my local Indonesian (English speaking) guide called into an internet café to check his email. He appeared 5 minutes later with a big smile on his face “We are lucky, Miss, even though the funeral season is usually June and July, there is a funeral in progress only 30 kms from here. It is day 3 of the funeral and will be the most interesting day – The day of the animal sacrificing”.

Torajan funerals are held only when the families have saved enough money to host the elaborate event. It is necessary to build a complete village to house literally hundreds of guests over a 5-day period. The temporary village is then dismantled afterwards. The other major cost involves buying animals for sacrifice.

One healthy buffalo can cost up to 40 million rupiah (US$3,300) and a pig can cost up to 3million rupiah (US$250). It is not uncommon to have over 50 pigs and several buffaloes sacrificed. For this reason, the dead body may end up staying in the house for up to five years or more to await the accumulation of finances.

One of the traditional villages I visited actually had a five-year-old mummified body laying in the lounge. The dead person was an elderly female, whose husband had died previously and the family were still unable to pay for a second funeral even five years later.

Some of the mummified bodies are stored in ornately decorated sarcophaguses. If you are from royal descent, then a royal widow must stay in the same room as the dead spouse until the burial time. It is not uncommon for a widow to stay up to five years or more. The widow must stay with the disintegrating corpse and sympathically “rot” herself, living on a special diet for the entire period, excluding rice products. She must become symbolically dead. She is not permitted to leave her husband’s side. Lesser widows and slaves tend to her needs. To make sure the soul is not neglected, a bowl of food is replenished daily and palm wine poured plus an offering of betel nut or chewing tobacco is made at regular intervals. The Torajans believe it is only through this rich ritual that they will always be a ‘free soul’ and become richer in their next life.

It was around 35 degrees and hot at 10.00am when I arrived at the funeral. Sada, my guide, escorted me along the 1 km rocky trail to reach the temporary bamboo village, which had been erected, for the sole purpose of this burial. I was made to feel very welcome and was told I could take as many pictures as I liked. If foreigners come to a traditional Torajan funeral it is seen as a sign of good luck and in the hierarchical order of status, a foreigner is seen as a dignitary, and thus you are treated as an honored guest. I had many offers of coffee (home grown Torajan coffee, which is famous to the area), cakes and other sweets. The people were very friendly and I was made to feel very welcome and invited to sit in the "family room".

The Torajan society is a highly structured one, with 4 classes of people, from nobility down to peasant class. Depending on your ranking in the village, you must offer a certain amount of pigs or buffalo, which is then slaughtered, and the meat distributed evenly amongst the guests, depending on their ranking in the village society.

An official from the Government, who writes in triplicate, records every animal given for slaughter and a tax is imposed accordingly. I sat in amazement, taking all this in, from the cool shade of the family platform, talking with the locals about their life, their work in the city, their travels etc. Family members come from all corners of Indonesia when a funeral is in procession, and many of the local guests spoke fluent English. In fact, a nobleman’s son or daughter will have an assistant assigned to him from birth to accompany him in his life. This includes attending school in Makassar or further a field to Jakarta or even overseas in some cases.

The animal sacrificing had already begun when I arrived. It took place in a specially designed area where pigs and other animals where hauled in to the “circle of death” and killed with great speed and efficiency. Blood flowed through the middle of the common area and huge chunks of meat were weighed and divided out throughout the day according to ranking and status. A few bamboo pipes went past me, full with animal blood, but I didn’t dare ask what they were for, or where they were going. I checked my tea was actually tea.

I felt very privileged to attend this funeral and in the afternoon returned to the luxury of the Heritage Hotel (previously Novotel). A magnificent 160-room 4 star property, including villas designed in the shape of Tongkonan houses. The hotel had all the finishing touches including a wonderful meet and greet service, on arrival with cold towels and a relaxing head and shoulders massage.

Due to a current downtown in tourism, as in many Indonesian destinations, I was able to visit the villages and interesting sights in virtual solitude. Hotel occupancy at the Heritage was only 10%. Next on the agenda was a visit to a few death cliffs. This is another fascinating aspect of the culture. The Torajans bury their dead in chiseled out coffin slots in cliffs, or on rocks or hillsides. Some have effigies placed in the open doorways to guard the spirit of the dead body. Some are just left open, exposing the bones for all to see.

On day 5 I decided to take a 2-hour drive to a distant village. I arranged, through my guide, to stay in a traditional Tongkonan longhouse in a small village perched high in the mountains.

It was late afternoon when I reached the high road that would lead me to this village. The light was beautiful and I decided to get out of the car and walk the last 4 kms. This gave me the opportunity to meet and talk with the local mountain folk who were out walking along the roadside. Sada, explained the procession of people out walking were on their way back to their villages after a funeral. It was also a school day, so there were many children as well, out walking on the road. It is not unusual for children to walk 8 -12 kms to and from school each day! The children were fantastic, smiling and laughing and having fun posing for the camera.

The mountain people of Toraja have very distinct features. They look different to any other tribal indigenous people I have seen in Sulawesi. They resemble Siamese or Cambodians more so than Malay Indonesians. I noticed that even though these rural people live in basic houses, with very poor conditions they are always happy, smiling and relaxed, seemingly without a care in the world. In terms of materialistic acquisition, which many of us in the West aspire to, the Torajans seem happy to live in a very simple way, not wanting for much. Their most important asset is a large healthy buffalo. When I arrived at the Tongkonan house for the night, I had a choice of which attic I wanted to sleep in. I was told the room rate would be a grand total of USD$4.00 including a pancake breakfast!!

The owners of the home stay cooked a beautiful dinner, and I dined that night overlooking the beautiful mountains of Toraja with a view of the full moon. It was more than enough to make up for the slight discomfort of sleeping on simple mattress on the floor and taking a traditional stand-up cold mandi (bath).

The next morning I awoke to find I was above the clouds. I descended down into the misty valley where the next adventure awaited me - white water rafting.

I had to walk about 1 hour through a series of rice fields and some forested areas to the “put-in” on the riverbank. The mountains views were simply stunning in all directions, and in the distance on the far side of the river was a series of large waterfalls.

The rafting trip down the river was an adrenaline boost and a wildlife extravaganza. I saw several male iguanas sunning themselves on rocks, cruised into a bat cave and spotted around 30 bats, observed several species of bird life, including eagles and passed several towering waterfalls that cascaded down from the steep mountainous terrain. After a pretty exhausting day I slept well in the luxury of the Heritage Hotel.

It was a 7-day trip in total and for anyone who wants to experience a fascinating culture, set in a beautiful mountain environment then Tana Toraja and its riches lay waiting for you.

Imagine yourself in the mountains with 7 volcanoes surrounding you. You are sitting on a private balcony overlooking a lake. There is a quiet stillness around you. You are at peace with everything and in the distance the sound of Sundanese Gamelan music lulls you into a relaxed state of mind. This enchanting experience awaits you every day at Kampung Sampireun. It is a total hideaway in nature and offers you resort living with a real difference.

The journey to get to Kampung Sampireun, if you are coming from Jakarta, starts with a train journey – “one of the most spectacular train journeys in all of Asia”, according to Lonely Planet.

Mr. Arief told me they get “many clients from the embassies and oil companies”. Their foreign guests tend to come from the Netherlands and Germany, “Most of them come here on business, stay on afterwards and somehow get to hear about our hotel. They usually stay a couple of days”.

The other appeal of this Garut area is the opportunity to trek or bike in the mountains, take a 4wd adventure into the back country or for the real adventurous, take advantage of the local river rafting trip which , according to Mr Arief , “is the cleanest water in all of Java”.

Kampung Sampireun

After our hot springs stop, we continued on another 11 kms to our final destination – Kampung Sampireun. It is here that nature meets and blends with this unique idyllic natural retreat.

If you can plan to arrive at night, you will be in for a magical experience. First, you enter through a kampung and on arrival at reception, you are graciously greeted by the staff in traditional sundanese dress and given a special welcome drink called “bandrek”, made from a traditional recipe. The lobby opens out onto a small wooden jetty. When you step onto the jetty you are treated to a spectacle of color and lights which surround the lake edge and adjoining forest. Dotted around the lake are cottages which sit on stilts in the water. All 13 cottages are softly lit up to create a charming atmosphere. On the other side of the lake a small fairy lit path leads to the restaurant. Your bags are quietly whisked away and you are then taken by canoe to your cottage.

From now on everything is by water. Room service is by canoe. A restaurant booking involves a canoe arriving at your waterfront cottage to take you across the lake to dine.

For honeymooners, a dinner by candlelight can be organized on a floating bamboo raft, which sits out in the middle of the lake. Even if you are not on honeymoon, and you fancy a unique dining experience, Pak Rudi, the manager will organize this for you. You can even order your dinner in advance, so when you are rowed out into the middle of the lake, your food awaits you. You are then served discreetly and left alone floating on your candlelit raft for what can only be described as an unforgettable dining experience.

Around sunset, a traditional sundanese orchestra, called a ‘Calung’, floats around the lake serenading those who are relaxing on their balcony. Dressed in traditional style, wearing the ‘barangbang semplak’, it is quite a sight to behold, and no matter where you are at sunset, the music carries softly across the water and can be heard from any area of the resort. The orchestra appears later in the restaurant and entertains you for the entire evening. It is a delightful, subtle kind of music that is very soothing and really adds to the ambience of the resort.

For a treat in total luxury, you can try one of the treatments on offer at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa. This is set in the tropical landscaped gardens of the resort and features a never ending pool for those who like to unwind at the poolside.

The resort was designed by Mr Djembar Nugrah, a local Garut architect. He was inspired by a photograph of the 1940 Hotel Radium, which no longer exists. Together with Mr Arief, they have created a beautiful resort, which they have blended with tradition, culture and kampung life.

All the materials used at the resort are sourced locally. The cottages are made out of bamboo with coconut roofs. The interior décor is also natural and beautifully furnished, with a nice touch of fresh flower petals spread across the 4 poster canopy bed.

Mr. Arief has owned this private lake for some time and developed it into a resort in 1999. The lake is surrounded by a naturally wooded forest. It also happens to be located in the middle of a kampung, hence the name.

Kampung life and life at the resort blend into one allowing for a totally cultural experience when you visit. The kampung rice fields are right behind the back fence, water buffalo can be seen ploughing the fields, and standing as a backdrop to this is a magnificent volcano. Kampung trekking is offered to guests who wish to gain some insight into local village life and other activities, including a kids fun program.

What is special about the resort is the unique blend of local traditional Sundanese culture and the beautiful idyllic setting. Discover a new experience and take a trip to this relaxing, tranquil place and allow yourself to unwind in a beautiful Javanese setting.

Fact File

Jakarta to Cipanas (by car) – 5 hours
Jakarta to Bandung (by express train) – 2 ½ hrs then another 2 ½ hrs to Cipanas
Hotel Tirtagangga – Jl Raya Cipanas No 130, Garut, West Java
Phone: (0262) 232549, 233700
www.hoteltirtagangga.gitamaya.com

Kampung Sampireun – Jl Raya Samarang – Kamojang, Ciparay Garut, West Java
Phone: (0262) 542393
www.kampungsampireun.com