NIHIWATU, SUMBA...among 10 Best Beaches in Asia

Breaking news for some Indonesian or friends origin coming from East Nusatenggara that NIHIWATU beach in Sumba island is one among 10 best beaches in Asia. How Yahoo Indonesia travel come to such conclusion doesn't matter. The beach is pure clean, natural beauty, far from building close by to the shore, not crowded by visitors.

                       Sumba beach was a popular destination for the surfers in the world to surf the waves that known as "God Left". Surfers may come  any time, except in January and February due to a higher waves at the season. The resort closed from January 10 - February 28. When surfers over in the afternoon, the 2,5 km beach belong to other visitors.

A lots thing to do to entertain you in this area such as fishing - mostly  Spanish mackerel, wahoo and trevally fish - , snorkeling, scuba diving and boat tour around Konda Maloba beach. The resort staff readily to accompany you to the villages nearby to talk to local people and buy special souvenirs local hand made.

Local citizen preferred to lived away from the beach, in the hill for safety  reasons and no other buildings close by to the shore. Resort Nihiwatu build Villas and tree rooms Bungalows facing Indian Ocean equipped with Sumba's textiles and modern furnitures and facilities,  in the middle of green trees environment in the  hill that tempted the guests to stay longer to spend the holiday.

Sumba island located 400 kilometers  away from Bali island to the east, under East Nusatenggara province administration, capital in Timor island in east of Sumba or in southern of Flores island. You may visit Sumba by direct flight from your country to Ngurah  Rai airport of Denpasar, Bali or stop over in  Soekarno Hatta airport Jakarta, Indonesia capital. Then procceded flight to Bali island. Usually, visitor would spend the holiday in Bali before forward to Sumba, fly a smaller plane. Ask your travel agent in your country, in Jakarta or Denpasar, Bali to arrange a trip to Sumba.

Due to its insularity, Sumba has a powerful and authentic culture, which has remained largely uninfluenced by the outside world. Sumba is known for its unique hand-woven “ikat” fabric. Also, its people are one of the last great living Megalithic cultures in the world to bury prominent individuals when they die (it was current practice during the Neolithic and Bronze Age).

Nihiwatu Beach is mostly unspoiled, undeveloped still with its natural beauty, located at the west end of the southern shores of the island facing the Indian Ocean. The beach has a half moon shape, with south and west exposures. At its two extremities, two reefs protect the beach from severe storms and are largely responsible for the white colored sand. The reefs are also a great source of food for the local villagers.

The eco lodge at Nihiwatu co-founded The Sumba Foundation, an American foundation, which provides water wells, improved health and education initiatives to Sumbanese villagers.

 

INDONESIA MUSEUM @ TMII GARDEN

MUSEUM INDONESIA ...di TMII

oleh Sylvana toemon

            Museum Indonesia terletak di Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII), tak jauh dari kantor pengelola TMII. Pintu utama museum ini menghadap ke selatan. Desain ekteriornya mengadaptasi arsitektur Bali yang mewakili Indonesia di mata dunia. Nuansa Bali sudah terlihat mulai gapura di sebelah depan.

            Museum ini buka setiap hari Selasa sampai Minggu, pukul 08.00 – 16.00 WIB. Waktu pengoperasiannya sama seperti semua wahana yang ada di TMII, libur setiap Senin. Jadi, kalau mau mengunjungi museum ini di hari senin, sia-sia saja. Untuk penggunaan tempat pada hari Senin masih memungkinkan dengan perjanjian tertentu dengan pengelola.

            Untuk masuk dan menikmati koleksi museum ini, harga tiket masuknya cukup murah, hanya Rp 5000 saja. Untuk yang membawa kamera, dikenakan biaya tambahan untuk tarif pemotretan sebesar goceng juga. Pada saat kunjungan ke sana, ada beberapa orang yang berdebat tentang tarif memotret ini. Beberapa orang yang membawa kamera pocket komplain ketika ada rombongan lain yang saling memotret dengan menggunakan HP tapi tidak diminta bayar.

            “Sesuai peraturan, yang bayar tiket hanya yang bawa kamera.” Kata penjaga loket menjelaskan alasannya.

            Bila ditimbang-timbang dengan teknologi jaman sekarang, memang tidak adil bila tiket memotret hanya dikenakan pada orang-orang yang ‘benar-benar membawa kamera’. Teknologi yang menempel pada alat komunikasi bernama HP itu tidak kalah canggihnya dengan teknologi pada kamera pocket. Aku, yang juga membawa kemera pocket kecil, akhirnya juga membayar tiket memotret. Harga Rp 5.000 sebenarnya tidak seberapa dibanding dengan apa yang ada di dalam museum ini. Apalagi bangunan ini berpendingin udara yang cukup adem. Hitung-hitung kaya bayar parkir di mall lah....

            Di halaman museum sudah banyak benda-benda menarik yang mengundang para pengunjung untuk memotret. Kolam dengan patung naga penjaganya segera menyambut pengunjung yang datang. Bunga teratai yang berkembang indah turut menghiasi taman ini.Patung monyet yang bertumpuk-tumpuk juga mengundang anak-anak kecil untuk mempraktekkan pelajaran berhitungnya, menghitung jumlah monyet.

Lantai 1 : Bhinneka Tunggal Ika                                             

            Masuk di lantai 1 ini langsung disambut oleh patung Garuda yang menghadap ke kanan dengan tulisan Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.  Lambang ini juga sebagai petunjuk apa yang akan disajikan di lantai ini.

Lantai 1 ini berisi aneka pakaian adat Nusantara dalam bentuk diorama seukuran badan manusia. Lemari-lemari kaca berisi boneka dengan pakaian adat itu kebanyakan adalah pakaian pengantin dan figurnya ditampilkan berpasangan lelaki dan perempuan. Terlihat ada perwakilan pakaian adat dari masing-masing provinsi di Indonesia. Untuk semua suku yang ada sepertinya tidak bisa tertampung karena keterbatasan tempat.

Di lantai ini juga ada kain batik yang menggambarkan tokoh-tokoh wayang yang ada. Kain ini berada agak di ujung ruangan dan hampir tidak terlihat.

Terdapat juga lukisan Citra Indonesia, sebuah lukisan peta Indonesia dengan gambar-gambar kekayaan yang dimiliki masing-masing daerah. Lukisan yang didominasi warna biru laut ini menunjukkan sebagian besar wilayah Indonesia yang terdiri dari laut.

Tak jauh dari situ terdapat setting pertunjukan wayang lengkap dengan gamelan dan boneka-boneka penabuhnya. Boneka penabuh ini mengenakan pakaian adat Jawa lengkap dengan blangkonnya. Untuk setting pertunjukan ini, sepertinya untuk pertunjukan wayang kulit. Untuk informasi aneka wayang lainnya, bisa dilihat di Museum Wayang di daerah Kota.

Lantai 2: Kehidupan Sehari-hari

            Di lantai 2 kita disambut oleh miniatur kereta sapi lengkap dengan sapinya yang berwarna putih. Lantai ini mau menggambarkan kehidupan sehari-hari bangsa kita. Penggambarannya dalam bentuk diorama yang mengelilingi ruangan itu.

Kamar pengantin dan dapur dari beberapa daerah di Indonesia digambarkan di sini untuk mewakili interior rumah-rumah di Indonesia. Dipajang pula alat-alat yang digunakan sehari-hari seperti alat penangkap ikan, alat memasak dan alat musik.

            Selain kegiatan sehari-hari yang bersifat jasmani, ada juga penjelasan untuk kegiatan ritual rohani. Penjelasan hal ini lebih banyak dalam bentuk tulisan dan foto. Terdapat juga aneka bentuk tulisan dari berbagai daerah.

Lantai 3: Karya Seni

            Lantai 3 ini menampilkan karya seni dari berbagai daerah di Indonesia. Karya seni yang ditampilkan ada yang berupa alat-alat untuk dipakai ataupun hanya sebagai hiasan. Ada juga batik tradisional, tenun, perhiasan, senjata. Juga ada aneka keramik berbentuk guci.

            Ruangan lantai teratas ini dikelilingi oleh lemari-lemari peraga dan beberapa rak pajangan di tengah-tengah. Rak pajangan di tengah ukurannya lebih kecil, lebih pendek dari manusia dewasa dengan penempatan miring-miring. Dalam rak-rak ini dipajang aneka perhiasan dan mata uang yang pernah berlaku di Indonesia.

            Yang menjadi sentral dari ruangan ini adalah patung naga dari kayu berwarna gelap yang menjulang sampai ke puncak bangunan. Patung naga ini mempunyai 4 sisi bermuka naga yang sama. Sosoknya yang hitam gelap namun menawan itu ternyata juga sanggup membuat anak-anak kecil menangis.

            Secara umum, museum ini sudah cukup menampilkan seluruh Indonesia seperti nama yang disandangnya, Museum Indonesia. Keadaan koleknya cukup terawat dan bersih. Penjelasan tentang pajangan juga cukup jelas terbaca. Dan yang pasti, museum ini bisa mnejadi tempat ngadem yang nyaman di tengah penjelajahan ke taman yang kalau ditempuh dengan kaki ternyata tidaklah mini itu. 

Sumber : Sylvana toemon

Posted

IDULFITRY CELEBRATION IN THE VILLAGES

Once a year of going back to the villages few days before Idulfiry, - Moslem celebration after one month fasting Ramadhan -  were a tradition and ritual  in Indonesia. The central of Indonesia population resided in Java island, then people  flood  from Sumatra, Borneo, Bali and other smaller islands as well toward a populated island, Java.

In the capital, Jakarta that traffic jam is common in working days, few days before and few days after Idulfitry  celebration, change just like a country side with rare cars passing by. We can drive till maximum speed in down town in 10 lines roads.

All kinds of vehicles used in this ritual, mostly usage were train, Bus, air plane and ships  in full passengers even over capacity endanger the passengers. In the last 5 years, some corporate facilitated their work forces to going back together by renting Buses for free. This trend more accustom lately for big corporations.

Since all vehicles were overloaded, a lot of  couples preferred drive a motor bike take along 1 -2 kids drive hundreds kilometer to Central or East Java. 

Along the way, almost all car manufacturers build a temporarily workshop 24 hours to recheck, fix cars, motor car who pass by. This service help a lots and encourage people to drive a long long way safe and sound going back to villages, mostly  in Java island.

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Gathering after 30 days fasting then celebrate with parents and families, begging forgiveness, bow down to the laps of parents were a tradition. What professions they work in daily life, couldn't see it in this celebration. Every body using a new dress, a cap, jeans and all kinds of accessories used in the big cities, used just specially for this special occasion. 

                                                Indonesia President and mother 

Saving in a year then spend with loved ones  in this special occasion, then affected  village's economy, booming just in the season, money  flooding from the cities in to the villages along with people flooding going back to the villages.

                                            Begging for forgiveness

SPECTACULAR FLOBAMORA MUSIC AND DANCE

Through culture activities ANBI, children, descendants of East Nusatenggara province eager to elevate cultures, music, dances, songs and the spectacular tourist destinations to be promote through performance run by this ANBI group.

Sunday evening, August 14, 2011 is a 3^rd event held in Tholly karaoke building, Pancoran, South Jakarta, after a big one held in Atmajaya University with a big gathering, supported by Rp. 80 million budget with a successful history. Hopefully their dream come true to held another bigger, international event in the near future, take place at Motaain, border of Indonesia and Timor Leste country in Timor island, the district under Belu administration

The Band and the singers perform well with rock, mostly  with western songs and some local songs  also play a special East Nusa Tenggarat traditional instrument, Sasando. When  local song sing, the member of ANBI, man, women automatically come down in front of the stage to dance, pair by pair. The rock, step, hand movement  forward, back and forth, back and forth,  in similar movement.

 

What interesting to know is that since the event run in fasting month of Ramadhan, the event starting, open by fast break with  orphanage Muslim children for around 90 minutes before enter music and song. ANBI share their passion to the needy, even though most of the ANBI members are not Moslem. How beautiful the brotherhood in the mind of both communities.

                                Traditional dance

Unexpected, before the Band playing, a MC called my nick name, Savu name, Ma Woke Pino, wonder how come she know it. I realized then that a Lady, member of ANBI , who presented the name for me, is come along  among the crowd.

I came downstairs  from the 2^nd floor, step up to the stage after place my Savu scarf, similar to Ulos Batak in my shoulder, just like a Savu man. Reading my own poem “Cinta (love) Flobamora”. I pay a special attention to the environment, see the audience, including  orphan children, keep silent to hear what I am saying.

This time poem musicalization playing keyboard by Martino Therik , a man who accepted my request to read the poem in this event. This Poem Love Flobamora read for the 1^st time in front of East Nusa Tenggara audiences. FLOBAMORA is abbreviation of bigger islands, Flores, Timor, Sumba and Alor, beyond smaller one like Savu, Rote Ndao, Semau, Komodo and many more.

                                Matino Andreas Therik

                                Ivan Nestorman and Boy Clemens

The  organizers mostly the youngsters  eager to perform their culture, song, music not solely for the sake of their ego to be well known in East Nusa Tenggara province or Indonesia, but also to promote the culture to show to the world that East Nusatenggara  had various kind of cultures, special dance, songs and instrument along with tourist destination, the most spectacular in the world.

As I told before a MC call my nick name, presented  by a Lady who attend the event, that I knew only in the net, my Face Book friend  more than 1 year, but never met before.  I knew her face instantly when she passed by me, but she doesn't notice until Mr.Therik introduced  her to me. 

                                    Nia Erni Miha Balo and Ma Woke 

How succesful the 2^nd event in a big gathering at Atmajaya  University, close to Semanggi interchange few months before,  that the event covered by 5 newspapers and one National TV, transmit life. The

ANBI group just begin as a new music group, supported also by descendants, originally  from NTT in high rank officials and Government among other Gories Mere.

I feel at home when meet this communities even more when they present 2 traditional songs and dances group that I accustomed to watch when I was working at Timor island. I am not surprise when meet 2 (two) men among the crowd, that descendants of late high official of local Government, Mr.Therik and Mr.Abdullah Bali, ex Bank BRI branch manager.

The ANBI group is a dynamic music communities and eager to run very fast, but needed backing up and supported by descendants of Flobamora  communities and local Government as well,  in music and later on  developing, expand to other kind of cultural activities.

                                  Singers, dancers, photographer

  

               Babby N, Ervina M, Hani C, Apry M, Minno D, Nia EMB

LIKURAI......CENTRAL TIMOR AND TIMOR LESTE DANCE.

 

Rhythmic, dynamic drum beat, rolling dancing, colorful sarong cover the body, every one kept the small "Tihar" (drum) under their armpit while set up the circle mixing man, women, children, young and old create a compact movement of head, hand and arm,  body rocking right and left along with the rhythm and singing a traditional song repeated again and again in front of crowded in a special event and kept the balance as well.

Most of the time the  dancers using colorful sarong hand made in the district tied it over the upper of the chest, but sometime using uniform fashion for special event. Mostly participant are women, dancing taken place outside the building in the field, in the station or over the grass 

This special dance originally coming from central Timor island, Belu district, then well known as Likurai district, bordered East Timor new country, Timor Leste. Every household kept minimum  one drum in the house, ready every time needed to perform. This kind of dance is a war's dance belong to central Timor area, including Suai district and Bobonaro district next door in Timor Leste country where they inherited the similar culture from the same ancestor

In every event, all dancer participants with a golden color crown, rocking softly move the body following the rhythm, drum beats, bare feet movement in magic influenced, tempting the men to joint the dance to forget - for the time being - all life's burden and problems of every house hold. The environment tend to warm up  by the drum voice, covered the whole the spot and the crowded, while the dancers tend to move eagerly when the claps thundering to support them.