Introduction
In
the past most popular destination for visitors
to Indonesia has undoubtedly been Bali.
In recent years however, other areas are
also becoming popular and 24 top priority
areas have been selected by the Directorate
General of Tourism to provide visitors with
the quintessential soul of Indonesia. These
are: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta,
East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East
Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, North Sumatra, West
Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau, Bengkulu,
Lampung, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi,
Southeast Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, West
Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan,
Maluku, and Irian Jaya. Variety is the spice
life and nowhere is this truer than in Indonesia.
No two places ore a1ike in unspoiled beauty,
art, culture and people. The towering mountains
and primitive cultures of Irian Jaya contrast
sharply with the terraced hills, and highly
sophisticated societies of Bali and Java
and the animistic beliefs, which still have
a major influence on the way of life in
South Sulawesi. "Unity in Diversity", which
is the country's motto; accurately describe
these diverse cultures and extraordinary
people brought together to create one nation
with one national language, Bahasa Indonesia.
For the travelers, Indonesia offers a fine
blend of scenic beauty, fauna and flora,
culture, marine parks and a wide collection
of modern accommodation.
International
gateways providing easy access for travelers
in Indonesia are: Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali)
and Medan (North Sumatra). Other ports of
entry and exit have been targetted as International
gateways but are currently in the development
stages. These include: Manado (North Sulawesi),
Ambon (Maluku), Batu Besar (Batam), Pekan
Baru (Riau), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan),
Surabaya (East Java), Kupang (East Nusa
Tenggara), Pontianak (West Kalimantan) and
Biak (Irian Jaya).
Special
Interest Tours
The
largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia
lies at the crossroads between the Indian
and Pacific oceans and bridges the continental
landmasses of Asia and Australia. It is
one of the most volcanic and the most seismically
active regions in the world: of has more
than 400 volcanoes, 128 are considered active
and 75 had erupted in historic times with
more or less disastrous effects to the surrounding
populations. Even today eruptions of varying
magnitude occur regularly, rejuvenating
the soil to make it among the most fertile
on earth.
Flanked
by the tepid equatorial waters of two of
the world's great oceans, the land rises
from the darkest depths of some of the world's
deepest oceans through to the towering peaks
of the volcanoes and the realm of perennial
snow of the Jayawijaya mountain range in
Irian Jaya.
It
seems natural that the migratory waves of
peoples from the Asian mainland in search
of new dwellings began millennia ago. They
found these islands a most ideal place to
settle down. In the course of time, distinct
ethnic groups evolved in the regions where
they settled down. Each group nurturing
its own heritage of culture and traditions
within the large common ancestral frame.
In view of the great diversity of Indonesia's
physical and cultural make-up, a careful
selection of the subjects of interest is
recommended, as well as prior contact with
the proper private or government organizations
and agencies.
The
Directorate General of Culture, for example,
may provide the necessary guidance for special
interest visits pertaining to culture or
history. The Indonesia Institute of Sciences
(LIPI) is the overall organization in charge
of scientific research. In some cases, special
permits have to be obtained, such as from
the Directorate General of Forest Protection
and Nature Conservation (PHPA) for visits
to the nature reserves.
The
Department of Industry, the Department of
Trade, the Indonesian Foreign Investment
Board and the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce
and Industry (KADIN/CCI) are all concerned
with trade and industry. In case of doubt,
it is well advised to contact the nearest
Indonesian Tourist Information Offices or
Diplomatic Missions where special requirements
may have to be met.
