Tanah Lot

Besides beaches, Hindu temples come to mind when talking about Bali. There are many temples in Bali since by customary law, a village must have at least 3 temples (temple in Indonesian = Pura).

One of the more popular temples is Pura Tanah Lot. This temple is perched on a rock. When high tide, the temple looks as if it is "floating" in the middle of the sea.

When I came here, it was still low tide, thus we could walk until the bottom of the rock. Before reaching the rock though, there's a cave where you can see a snake which is believed to be holy. Once reaching the bottom of the rock, there is another cave with streaming water also said to be holy. You can receive blessings here for a small donation.

Besides its unique location, this temple is also flocked by tourists because it offers a stunning view during sunset.

During High tide (Pic source: http://m.wikitravel.org/en/Bali)

During Low tide

Tanjung Benoa

When I was still living abroad because of my father's assignment in various countries, Bali was more famous than Indonesia. And I think this is still the case. Most people have heard of Bali as a beautiful holiday destination. While Indonesia is known as the chaotic country ;)

Anywayss....In my opinion, Bali is a perfect holiday destination. You have beaches and mountains, creative cultural art and city party scenes...anyone can find something to his/her liking. Whether you are young, old, traveling alone, with family... Bali has something to offer you :)

Although it is a small island, there are many points of interest. On my last trip, I went to one of the newer tourist places: Tanjung Benoa.

Tanjung Benoa lies near to Nusa Dua (a famous beach & resort area). The main reason people go to Tanjung Benoa is for the various water sport activities that they can do. The more popular ones are: jet skiing, banana boat rides, parasailing and snorkeling. There are a few operators to choose from, so it would be best to look around and choose the one you are comfortable with.

For those who are not keen on getting wet, usually the operators offer you the chance to go on a boat trip to a nearby area called "Turtle Island", which is named because there is a Turtle farm there. Since I wanted to avoid the hassle of having to change clothes, when I went to Tanjung Benoa, I only went on the boat trip to Turtle Island. Here, not only do you see turtles of all sizes, you can also take a picture with it, as well as other creatures such as an iguana and a snake.

However, there is one activity that I'm quite curious about but didn't have the chance to do: Seawalker. Here you are geared up so that you walk on the bottom of the sea! Well..maybe next time..

Europe on Screen 2011

A nice alternative to spend your leisure time: Europe on Screen 2011

This event will take place in Yogya, Bandung, Jakarta, Bali, Aceh, Surabaya and Semarang.
Tickets are free (yippee!) but you still need to get a hand on one, which you can do 45 minutes before the movie starts.

I'm already eyeing on a Czech film Vrchní, prchni! Hope I get the chance to see it!

"Rahmat" International Museum & Wildlife Gallery

Address: Jl. S.Parman No.309, Medan
http://www.rahmatgallery.com/

I found this place very interesting and I would definitely recommend you to go here when visiting Medan. This museum showcases preserved wildlife animals such as elephants, bears, orangutans, deers etc. The skin, teeth and nails of all the animals showcased are real. It is owned by Rahmat Shah, a successful business man and professional hunter. Some of the animals are hunted by Rahmat himself.

At first, I was a bit apprehensive seeing all the animals in the museum (there are many!). However then one of the staffs explained that only a small portion of the museum's collection is from his hunting trips. And when hunted, it is based on conservation regulations: only hunt animals with large populations, or ones that are old. She continued explaining that most of the animals at the museum died in zoos, or were donated or purchased legally.

The museum consists of 2 floors and is divided into sections depending on the species. Nearing the end of the trail, it did get a bit weird with trophies of his sons & daughter on display which had nothing to do with wildlife conservation (?!?!). But overall, hats off to his dedication in keeping this museum up and running!

Entrance fee is Rp. 25,000 for adults.

Medan

Medan is the capital city of the North Sumatra province. There are a few landmarks that are the must sees of the city.

1. Istana Maimun (Maimun Palace)
Address: Jl. Brigjen Katamso, Medan

This palace was built by the Deli Sultanate which used to rule over Medan. It's yellow facade makes it easy to spot from afar but unfortunately, the last time I went there in 2008, the palace looked quite neglected upon closer look.

Maimun Palace ca. 1890-1905

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COLLECTIE_TROPENMUSEUM_Het_paleis_van_de_Sultan_van_Deli_te_Medan._TMnr_60001583.jpg

Maimun Palace 2008

2. Mesjid Raya (Grand Mosque)
The mosque's name is actually Al-Mashun mosque, but it is better known as Mesjid Raya. It lies not far away from Maimun Palace. This mosque is still actively used until today however, again I saw signs of "insufficient funds" :(


I skipped these landmarks during my trip to Medan this year. Instead, I went on "safari" :) Will blog about it in the next couple of days....