INDONESIA PORTS AND CITIES
INDONESIA PORTS AND CITIES
| Bali | Java | Komodo Island | Lombok |
| Semarang | Ujung Pandang |
Bali
An Unforgettable Cruise to Beautiful Bali (Padang Bay), Indonesia
There are miles of sandy beaches and towering volcanoes that stretch across this famed tropical island - the most visited in Indonesia. Cruise to see Bali's stunning lush green rice terraces and explore the dense jungles, teeming with monkeys and hidden stone temples. Hear tales from the Ramayana, shop for woodcarvings, silver work and paintings in the artisan villages or see a traditional Barong dance. The elegant 18th century Kerta Gosa Courthouse boasts superb ceiling murals depicting Balinese legends and folktales. 10,000 temples dot the island of Bali, and the Kehen 13th century temple is considered the most beautiful temple of them all. The Bali Bird Park's tropical gardens are the setting for an extraordinary collection of exotic birds, including the endangered Balinese starling, South American macaws, Australian cockatoos, African cranes and Tanzanian flamingoes.
Java
Cruise to the Capital of the Beautiful Island of Java, Jakarta in Indonesia
Indonesia has an equatorial climate, with high temperatures (around 27 °C) all year round and abundant rainfall concentrated mainly in the monsoon season between November and May, and particularly during February. These climatic conditions encourage very varied vegetation, with forests and grasslands. Indonesia's capital is Jakarta and is situated in the northwest of the island of Java, which is home to around 100 volcanoes. The city proper counts over 8 million inhabitants, but the greater urban area has a population of more than 17 million. This metropolis has been an important commercial port since the end of the 16th century and a great cruise gateway to the beautiful island of Java.
Komodo Island
Get up Close and Personal to a Real Live Dragon on a Cruise to Komodo Island, Indonesia
Komodo is home to volcanoes, the highest being Satalibo (762 m). The climate of the island is generally dry, with a rainy season from November to April. Most of the small population lives in a single village, Kampung Komodo, on the east coast. The inhabitants belong to the same ethnic group as the peoples of Sumbawa and speak a local dialect called Bahasa Komodo. Fishing and agriculture are their main activities. However, the principle reason to cruise to Komodo Island is the beautiful National Park opened in 1980. The main attraction here is the giant monitor lizard, a large reptile with a somewhat alarming and prehistoric appearance. It can grow to a length of over 3 metres and weigh up to 150 kilograms. The name Komodo dragon is very fitting, for this lizard has a massive body, four very powerful legs and a long threatening tail that can be used as an unorthodox weapon. Its jaws, lined with razor-sharp teeth, are both fascinating and extremely dangerous. Although it is almost completely deaf, it has a highly developed sense of smell that helps it to hunt.
Lombok
Mountains Tower Above you on Your Cruise to Lush Lombok, Indonesia
Cruise to Lombok, a beautiful and lush island, located in southern Indonesia, in Nusatenggara Province. One of the Lesser Sunda Islands, it is located east of Bali across the Lombok Strait. Mountains of volcanic origin on the island rise to 3726 m (12,224 ft) atop Mount Rinjani. Mataram, on the western coast, is the chief settlement, and the nearby port of Ampenam is the site of Mataram State University (1963). Lembar is also a major port where you may dock. The indigenous plants and animals are more closely related to Australian forms than to Balinese and Southeast Asian forms. In the 14th century, Lombok was settled by Hindu-Javanese. The Islamic religion was brought to Lombok between 1506 and 1545. In the 17th century, the island was divided into a number of small princedoms. In return for Balinese support in their struggle against the Raja of Sumbawa in the early 18th century, the Sasaks allowed the Balinese to settle in the western part of their island. The Dutch colonialists used the conflict between the two groups to their advantage. In the late 19th century, the Sasaks sought assistance from the Dutch, who had occupied northern Bali in 1882. In 1894, the Dutch mounted an elaborate military expedition in Lombok against the Balinese. Soon after, Lombok formally became a part of the Dutch East Indies. Strained feelings still exist between the Sasaks and the Balinese. Today, Lombok's 1.7 million people are a mixture of Islamic Sasak (80%) and Hindu Balinese (10%).
Semarang
Cruise to the Gateway of the Mountainous Interior of Java, Semarang, Indonesia
Cruise to the north coast of the island of Java, to Semerang a commercial port and administrative capital of Central Java. More a business centre than a city for tourists, it does have historic sites, crumbling fortress walls, Chinese temples and mosques. It is also an excellent tour gateway to the mountainous interior of Central Java, Yogyakarta, the Gedung Songo temples and some 60 miles away from world-famous Borobudur Temple. Cruise ships dock at Semarang harbour at Tanjung Emas, 1.5 miles (2.5km) from the city centre.
Ujung Pandang
If you Don't Mind the Odd Buffalo Sacrifice or Cock Fight, a Cruise to Ujung Pandang, (Sulawesi), Indonesia Will be Fascinating"
Cruise to Sulawesi (or Celebes), an island of the Indonesian archipelago east of Borneo, from which it is separated from it by the Makassar Strait. To the north is the Celebes Sea, to the east the Molucca Sea and the Banda Sea, and to the south the Flores Sea. It is the third largest island of the archipelago, after Borneo and New Guinea. Its coast is very indented and the island is formed of a central nucleus from which four peninsulas extend. It is extremely mountainous with peaks of over 3000 metres and several lakes. The climate is typically equatorial with heavy rains. Today the island is divided into six provinces: Barat (West Sulawesi), Selatan (South Sulawesi), Sulawesi), Utara (North Tenggara (Southeast Sulawesi), Tengah (Central Sulawesi) and Gorontalo. South Sulawesi province, with its capital Makassar (Ujung Pandang), occupies the southwest part of Sulawesi Island. It covers an area of 82,768 km2, with the highest mountain, Rantemario, reaching 3,450 metres. The southern part is dominated by the Lompobantang volcano that, despite not having shown any signs of life over the past two centuries, is not completely extinct. The coast is flat with white sandy beaches and coral reefs, and even some sandy beaches very close to the capital. The province is inhabited by approximately 7 million people; almost 90 per cent of the inhabitants of South Sulawesi are Muslims, while the minority are mainly Christians and animists. Its geographic situation, in such an inaccessible region, has allowed it to preserve much of its ancient culture and tradition: funeral rites with buffalo sacrifices, animal fights (cocks and, of course, buffalo), and ancient dances and songs. The life of the Toraja is governed by the animist religion of spirits and demons, myths and ancestral rites. Their ceremonies have become great attractions for travellers who now come from all over the world.
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