Posts Tagged ‘beautiful’

Travel to Indonesia – A Country of Thousands of Beautiful and Exotic Islands

Indonesia, a Country of thousands of beautiful and exotic Islands, that spark off your imagination with thoughts of fine sandy beaches, huge temple complexes, great diving and the giant dragons of Komodo. The islands of Indonesia are spread over a vast expanse of ocean and technically speaking is divided by two Continents.

Some parts of the Country can be as different from each other as black is from white. The hustle and bustle of the modern capital Jakarta is like another planet when compared to the traditional Papuan tribes of the Baliem Valley. Jakarta – Not only is it the largest City in the Country, Jakarta is also the heartbeat. Indonesian’s from all over the archipelago come to the City to try and find their fortune or just to survive. The face of the City is constantly changing due to the construction of new skyscrapers, shopping malls and hotels.

Jakarta is mainly a business and political City and not really a tourist destination, but the older colonial parts of the City are very interesting and the museums have a lot of fascinating exhibits.

Jakarta, like you would expect, is the most expensive place in Indonesia, as well as the most polluted and most congested. It can be very hard to cope with all of the hustle, dirt, crime and cost, but if you can you will find an exciting City with plenty to offer.

Kota – This is the old Town of Batavia, which was the capital of the Dutch East Indies and the best example of the colonial era in Indonesia. Though much of the old town has been destroyed or demolished over the years, some of the old Colonial buildings are still in active use, and the area has a definite Dutch feel to it.

The centre of the old Town is the pebble stone square known as Taman Fatahillah and this is the key to being able to orientate yourself around the sights of the old Town. The canal of Kali Besar is one block to the west of the square and runs alongside the Ciliwung River.

This was a very prosperous area and on the west bank are some of the high class homes that date from the eighteenth Century.

The Chicken market bridge is the last remaining drawbridge from the Dutch era, it is at the north end of the Kali Besar. Buses always come by on their routes and the city train also has a stop here.

Jakarta History Museum – This museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, which is on the south side of Taman Fatahillah. It is a well built building, which was originally constructed in 1627 and added to in the early 1700s. It was from here that the Dutch administered their colony, and the cities law courts were also here as well as their main prison compound.

It contains plenty of heavy, carved furniture from the colonial, as well as other memorabilia from the Dutch period. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp Wayang Museum – This museum is also on the Taman Fatahillah, and has a great assortment of Wayang puppets. It also has examples of puppets from other Countries like Cambodia, China and India.

This building was formerly the museum of old Batavia and was built in 1912 on the site of the former Dutch church which was demolished in 1808 as the
Dutchman “Daendels” plan to rid the City of its unhealthy areas. In the downstairs courtyard, there are memorials to previous governors who were buried on site. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Fine Arts Museum – Built in the 1860s, the palace of Justice building is now the Fine arts museum. It has a nice collection of contemporary paintings from prominent artists. They also have some ceramics on show from Chinese items to Majapahit offerings. Open, 9am till 3pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 1,000Rp

Gereja Sion – This church was built in 1695, and is the oldest Church in Jakarta. It is on Jl Pangeran Jayakarta near the Kota train station. The exterior of the Church is actually pretty plain but inside copper chandeliers, the original organ and the baroque pulpit makes it very appealing. Though thousands of people have been buried here there are very few tombs left remaining.

Sunda Kelapa – Just a 10 minute walk from the Taman Fatahillah, the old City port of Sunda Kelapa is full of wonderful Macassar schooners and the brightly coloured sails of these boats make for great viewing. The ships are still a vital means of transporting goods to outlying Islands.

Guides hang around the docks and for a few thousand rupiah will show you around and tell you some insightful stories. You can also take a ride out to the offshore fish market for around 5,000Rp. Admission, 250Rp to the dock area.

Maritime Museum – This is an old VOC warehouse that was built in 1645 and is by the entrance to the Sunda Kelapa. It has examples of Indonesian crafts from around the ages and has photos of the voyages from Europe to Jakarta. The building itself is well worth the visit and the lookout posts are part of the old City wall.

Just before the entrance to the museum proper, is the old watchtower that was built in 1839, it has brilliant views over the harbour. Opening hours are hit and miss, so try to find the caretaker.

National Museum – This museum, constructed in 1862, is considered the paramount museum in Indonesia, and one of the finest in South East Asia. It has a huge ethnic and relief maps of Indonesia on which you can track your travels. The museum has a variety of different cultural displays that show a diverse collection of clothing, instruments, model houses and religious items. In addition the museum has a fine collection of Chinese ceramics that even date back to the Han dynasty of the third Century.

The museum is sometimes known as the Elephant house due to the giant bronze elephant that was a gift from the King of Thailand, and that now stands outside. Open, 8.30am till 2.30pm, Tuesday to Sunday. Admission: 750Rp. Guides are around who can conduct tours in various different languages.

National Monument – This 130 metres high monument stands over Merdeka square and is Jakartas chief landmark. The construction was started in 1961 but was not finished until 1975, when it was officially opened by President Soeharto. At the base is the National History Museum which tells the story of the Indonesian struggle for independence. On national holidays and at the weekends the queues can be long. Open, 9am till 5pm, daily. Admission: 600Rp or 3,100Rp which includes a ride to the top.

Lapangan Banteng – Just east of Merdeka square is this nineteenth century colonial square. It has some of the best examples of Dutch colonial architecture in the whole of Jakarta. The Catholic Cathedral was built at the turn of the twentieth Century, and is opposite the principal place of worship for Jakartas Muslim community, the Istiqlal Mosque. To the east of the square is the Supreme Court that was built, along with the Ministry of finance, in 1809 by that man “Daendel” to replace those buildings torn down.

The Beautiful Golf Courses of Tenerife

Tenerife is becoming more and more popular with golfers looking for great courses, weather and scenery. Tenerife is an ideal golfing destination with a great all year round climate for golfers with temperatures averaging 23 degrees, ranging from 18 to 24 degrees, very little annual rain fall.

Tenerife is known as ´the Island of eternal spring `due to its geographical location and the winds and sea temperatures surrounding the island.

Tenerife golf is becoming more popular with recent top quality course being designed. Built and opened. This also includes the amazing Tecina Golf Course on Gomera Island just of Tenerife.

The Tenerife landscape is varied due to slight changes in climate caused by Mount Tiede and its slopes down to the Ocean. In winter you can enjoy the sunny weather of the beach while the two thousand high mount will have snow on top. Tenerife’s capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife enjoys good weather all year round but just a few kilometers away at Laguna it will be cold and possibly rain.

Real Club de Tenerife is the original and oldest course on the island opening in 1932, in fact it is the second oldest in Spain. The rolling course is 600 meters above sea level with steep cliffs and has mount Tiede as its back drop. This course is always popular due its location and friendly clubhouse.

Recent golf courses opened on Tenerife Golf are Buenavista golf course designed by Seve Ballesteros situated on the north west of the island and Tecina golf course designed by Donald Steel situated on Gomera Island a short ferry from Tenerife.

Buenavista golf course has been designed in a beautiful setting and designed to challenge with the back nine more challenging as many of the holes give the appearance of playing into the Atlantic Ocean.

Tecina Golf Course has many of the greens suspended in the air on the edge of the cliff face. Nearly all the holes are downhill with views of Mount Tiede on Tenerife, the Gomera landscape and of course the Atlantic Ocean.

Originally opened in 1987 is Golf de Sur which has 27 holes offering three different championship courses. As well as hosting golfing events the golf school is set up for the use of amateurs and professional who enjoy the facilities and the weather.

Tenerife is worth a visit for anyone who enjoys a holiday in beautiful place with friendly people and a high level of service, especially a golfing holiday where the above courses and other on the island can be enjoyed.

If you wish to play this course then let Sungolfer help you.

Always enjoy your golf.

Regards,

Sungolfer – The Perfect Round of Golf

Nature, beautiful scenery and adventures await you in Maine

Nature, beautiful scenery and adventures await you in Maine
(ARA) – If you’re interested in spectacular cliffs dropping into the Atlantic Ocean, cozy woods complete with a deer or moose, curvy roads winding through hills with a new scenic surprise around every turn or quaint communities nestled along a beautiful lake, you might want to consider planning your next vacation in Maine.

Read more on Lexington Clipper-Herald

Camping With Beautiful Views of Kachemak Bay and the Kenai Mountains in Homer, Alaska

If you have an RV and are looking for a campground with beautiful views of an ocean bay and snow capped mountains, try Homer Alaska – Heritage RV Park, Oceanview RV Park and Desert Inn and RV Park are three campgrounds that should fit the bill, all having beautiful views of Kachemak Bay with the Kenai Mountains in the background.

The town of Homer is a scenic, small seaside community that has about 4,000 residents and another 8,000 beyond the city limits. In addition to the downtown area of Homer, a unique attraction is Homer Spit. The “Spit” is a long, narrow finger of land jutting 4.5 miles into Kachemak Bay.

Heritage RV Park located along Homer Spit in Homer Alaska is a full-service waterfront RV park located right next to the famous salmon stocked “Fishing Hole” offering great salmon fishing during the summer. The “Spit” is a very popular tourist area. All of the camp sites at this RV park have beautiful views of the bay and/or the mountains and have 20/30/50 amp power and septic and water hookups. Telephone and satellite TV are also available. For beachcombers, hikers, bikers and fishing enthusiasts, Heritage RV Park has its own private 1/2 mile beach and is adjacent to the Homer Spit bike path and pedestrian walkway and is within walking distance of fishing charter offices, shops and restaurants.

If you’re looking for a less “touristy” area away from the “Spit”, try Oceanview RV Park located within walking distance of downtown Homer. The 85 RV sites in the park are terraced with spectacular views of the bay and mountains and offering similar amenities as Heritage RV Park including 20/30/50 amp power, cable television and Wi-Fi internet. This campground sponsors chartered fishing trips, specializing in Halibut fishing. Homer is considered by many to be the halibut fishing capital of the world.

For an even more quiet area, try Driftwood Inn and RV Park, also located in Homer close to the downtown area. This Park is smaller in comparison with only 22 RV sites. It’s located on Bishop’s Beach in a secluded area of downtown Homer. The front row of sites looks down onto Bishop Beach and across Cook Inlet to the mountains. Restaurants and the Alaska Islands and Ocean Visitor Center are within walking distance. All sites have 20/30/50 amp power and cable TV and Wi-Fi internet are available.

If you like birding, combine bird watching and camping. Bald Eagles are numerous on the Spit, and if you’re in Homer in early May, you’ll want to take part in the Annual Shorebird Festival which draws visitors and experts from around the world. Each year, hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds land on the mud flats of Kachemak Bay to rest and feed in preparation for their continued journey north. The Kachemak Bay Shorebird Festival is a 3-day event filled with birding workshops, observation stations, art fairs, keynote speakers and more. During the festival, you should be able to view up to 25 species of shorebirds, including Western Sandpipers, Surfbirds, Black Turnstones, Dunlins, Shortbilled Dowitchers, Whimbrels and many others.

In addition to Bald Eagles and shorebirds, you may also see moose grazing, a black bear crossing the road, puffins, seabirds, sea otters, porpoises, whales, porcupine, harbor seal and other wild life. Wild life is abundant in the area.

Camping with beautiful ocean and mountain views, abundant wild life, hiking, biking, boating and fishing, shops and restaurants, Homer, Alaska has it all.

Singapore – Visiting the Beautiful St John’s Island – Useful Information and Travel Tips

Singapore is a very well known Asian country for its beauty and unique elegance. There are so many wonderful places to visits here that one will never find boredom and dullness in their trip. One of the best places in Singapore is St. John’s Island.

Saint John’s Island is a beautiful island in Singapore that was once a prison camp and a leper colony, located 6.5 kilometers outside Singapore’s main island. Now, the place is an ideal place for camps and picnics. There are now lots of rented bungalows where visitors can stay while exploring the St. John’s Island. This island has captivated so many tourists that one could never resist going back to the place. The beauty of the place is truly spectacular together with the peaceful and quiet ambiance it has.

People have been so in loved with St. John’s Island that everyone who visits here surely have been back for more. A visit here will definitely satisfy anyone’s crave for a lovely and an enjoying beach island vacation. This island is truly an ideal place for family vacationers together with their children, and also for traveling groups looking for a lot of fun.

Here are some useful information and tips about St. John’s Island for people who want to visits the place:

• To get there, one must take a ferry ride from Marina South Pier. Marina South Pier can be reached by taking the MRT ride. Ferry rides are available daily so one can easily get to St. John’s Island in no time.

• During the Chinese calendar’s ninth month, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims come to the place for the celebration of the Kusu Pilgrimage season. The services at this time might change for the crowds are pretty hilarious.

• The place has a quiet and serene atmosphere giving everyone a great relief from the busy city life. People not very used to this kind of quietness may want to bring with them some music gadgets such as ipods and cellphones.

• There are also places where one can cook their own foods for their picnics. One can try grills and outdoor barbeques together with their friend and family.

• Visitors here might want to book for a longer stays because once they came to the place, they will surely want to stay longer than planned.