Travel and Tourism

Barbados Surfing conditions are ideal for any level of surfer.  Barbados is almost guaranteed to have surf somewhere on any given day of the year. Coral reefs practically encircle Barbados’ coastline giving the island the Caribbean’s most consistent surf conditions with swells all year round.   You can find point breaks and reef breaks on the island, rights and lefts.  To cap it all off you can travel to anywhere on the island in 45 minutes or less.

Check our list of hotels that are popular for the surfers who visit the island
Whether you are a beginner or advanced surfer there is something here for you, also available are surf lessons and surf tours.  Even the most advanced surfer know that there is nothing like local knowledge of a break.  Zed is the man to talk considered by many to be one of the top and most knowledgeable surfers on the island he can organize a surf tour for you to suit your skill level.

The premier Surf Spot in the island is the Soup Bowl, which is like a magnet, if there is swell out there the Soup Bowl will catch it.  The east coast boasts the most powerful and biggest waves. Sitting on the eastern coast of the island this is where the Atlantic unloads it’s power.  With an offshore wind this is the spot every surfer dreams of riding.  Careful this is an advanced spot and should not be taken lightly.

The north and west coasts of Barbados have some great spots as well, like Mullins, Sandy Lane, Batts Rock and Tropicana to name a few, but these only go off with a north swell.

On the South there are breaks like South Point, Freights, Brandons and Surfers Point.  Check our listings of Surf Breaks for more information on these and other beaks on the island.
The warm waters of the Caribbean and laid back lifestyle of the people coupled with the stunning tropical scenery make this a surf destination well worth your time.  Beware many who make the trip return again and again and again……..

While Barbados has swell all year the best time for solid ground swell is from October to March when waves can range anywhere from  2 to 12 ft in the north and east of the island and 2 to 8 ft for other breaks.  This is also the time for the West to cash in on north swells. From April to September the surf is between 2 to 6ft, coupled with lighter winds,  especially in the summer this can make for near perfect glassy conditions - ideal for a great surfing vacation.

Matahari Island
Located on the Macan Besar Island in the northern part of Jakarta Bay, which is situated approximately at 6° South/106° East, the Matahari Island Resort can be reached either by sea or by air. The Sea crossing by cruiser can be done in 1,5 hours. Helipad are provided for Helicopters.
Topography : Central plateau at approx 2,5 meters above sea level, along the centre of the island. Good quality sand, width at 3 to 5 meters. Beachfront : Right around the whole island, with the southern and western part being ideal for beach activities. Marine life : Well developed, Clearwater with visibility at 10 to 15 meters depth offering exceptional view of colorful tropical fishes and coral

Alam Kotok Island
Alam Kotok offers a chance to holiday in the untouched island habitat of the exotic ” Thousand Island” just 90 minutes from Jakarta. This peaceful tropical atoll has been kept in its original pristine state, the flora and the fauna undisturbed by cozy cottages tucked amongst the foliage, looking out to sea. Here the only sounds are the wind in the trees, birdsong, and the gentle waves lapping the shore. Discover the gentle rhythm of island life, diving the colorful coral reefs, swimming and wandering at leisure.

Ayer Island
In ancient times, this island (Pulau Ayer) was the private recreational retreat of the former kings of the Thousand Island. The first President of the Republic of Indonesia also used it as his private vacationland many years ago. Today, this intimate and tranquil island with its secluded trees and beautiful beach has been dubbed ” Mutiara Kepulauan Seribu ” or ” Pearl of the Thousand Island “. Located only a short, 30 minutes boat trip from Marina, Ancol Jakarta, this enchanting island resort offering many kind of entertainment, recreational, water sport facilities beside unique accommodation with a total of 45 floating as well as on land cottages. Each cottage is fully air-conditioned and has its own bedroom, telephone, fridge, private bath, living room and terrace.

Everybody dreams of taking island holidays.  There are islands all over the world, each offering it’s own cultural experience and natural wonders.  Many spots for island holidays are still unspoiled and secluded, while others are lively and exciting.  Island holidays offer a real diversion from your everyday life.

In south Asia, you can take beach holiday in Indonesia.  There were thousands islands in Indonesia but some of them didn’t prepared yet for world tourism, thus they were still ‘virgin’.  The most famous island for world tourism is Kepulauan Seribu (Thousands Island).  Kepulauan Seribu means a’ Thousands Island’ consisting of almost 128 small island located in the Bay of Jakarta in the Java Sea.    Most of these islands are inhabited and can be reached in about 2 hours. The surrounding reefs are home to a wide variety of fishes, making Pulau Seribu Marine Resort an ideal spot for diving.

It is a resort that supported by the island beautiful landscape environment, for facilities of the luxuries traditional style cottages, crystal clear water, white sandy absolutely non pollution beach. It is an experience for you and your family or even to your business relations to ride the bicycles around enchanting environment, ride the jetsky in the crystal clear water, swim in the extra large swimming pool adjacent to the club house and the children playground, enjoy the exciting fishing spot with a traditional or a modern fishing boat, and feel the natural beauty of 9-hole golf course designed by international golf course architect. It is a perfect and a complete hide away from the daily hustle bustle of city life.  Some of Islands in Kepulauan Seribu are : Bidadari Island, Pelangi Island, Matahari Island, Alam Kotok Island, Anyer Island and Bira Besar Island.

Bidadari Island
For several years of conduction Pulau Bidadari Resort has become one of the marine tourism destinations in Kepulauan Seribu (Thousand Island) which the people are very interested to visit it and as a national tourism asset.
The closest location with Marina Ancol beach with the distance less than 15 km. it take 20 minutes by speed boat, arriving at safety, silent and lonely place which is ideal for forgetting the crowded of tha capital city Jakarta.
The natural environment which keeps the ecosystem. combination between natural forset and sea, offers a special marine natural atmosphere. Any kind of recreation activities have been provided for a whole day. Supported by accommodation facilities, special building cottage with Menado ethnic, floating cottage with fishing settlement, meeting room, restaurant, bar, souvenir shop, Cherokee, Discotheque, billiard and exciting sport facilities, volley beach, table tennis and much more which may be conducted during enjoying recreation.

Pulau Bidadari is very steady place for family vacation, recreation of the company employee and meeting or other activities which can be done in fun relation.  And one unique facility which is offered as the only one in Indonesia is outbound training or team building chalange matra bahari (sea bases) located in kepulauan Seribu.

Pelangi Island
Pelangi island is located among the thousand island lie off Jakarta’s Northern Coast about 70 kilometers from Marina, Ancol ‘yacht’ harbour and can be reached by speed boats around one and a half hour trip. Densely covered by lush palm and pine trees which is surrounded by watch sandy beach in the middle of silver clean blue water will make this green tropical Pelangi island an ideal gateway to enjoy the sea, sand and sun.

The road from Makassar or Ujung Pandand to Toraja runs along the coast for about 130 km’s and then hits the mountains. After the entrance to Tana Toraja you enter a majestic landscape with giant gray, granites and stones and blue mountains at a distance after passing the market village of Mebali. They form a sharp contrast with the lively green of the fertile, rain-fed terraces and the rusty read of the tropical laterite soil. This is Tana Toraja, one of the most splendid areas in Indonesia.

Tana Toraja has a specific and unique funeral ceremony which is called Rambu Solo. In Tana Toraja, dead body is not buried, but it is put in Tongkonan for several times, even can be more than ten years until the family have enough money to held the ceremony. After ceremony, the dead body is brought to the cave or to the wall of the mountain. The skulls show us that the dead body is not buried but just put on stone or ground, or put in the hole.The funeral festival season begins when the last rice has been harvested, usually in late June or July, and lasts through to September. Read more…

There is just something about the ocean breeze and salt spray that makes a holiday on an island something you won’t soon forget.  Because islands can be found in every ocean and near every continent, island holidays can vary widely.  You can lay on a beach or watch whales, study botany or shop native craft stalls.  It’s all up to you when you plan your island holidays.

North American islands include the Canadian east coast islands of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland.  Island holidays to these areas will be filled with unspoiled natural beauty, cool, comfortable temperatures, and whale watching expeditions.

South of these regions is the little island of Bermuda off the eastern U.S. coast.  Bermuda is surrounded with hundreds of square miles of reef formations, making snorkeling an interesting activity there.  For the less adventurous, you can ride around in a glass bottom boat and view the beautiful undersea world.

Heading on south, we find the Carribean islands.  These have long been popular spots for tourists.  Here the beaches are white and sandy and the weather is very warm.  Up in the interior of these islands, you can find a wide variety of birds and other wildlife.  Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, the Virgin Islands, and many other spots make lovely island holidays.  Each island has it’s own unique flavor and feel.

Europe has islands of all types nearby which make great spots for island holidays.  Visit the isles of Greece and you will see clear seas, quiet beaches, olive groves, and the simple life.  Corfu is the choice of those who like up-to-date restaurants and shopping, while Lefkas is popular with wind-surfers and sailors.  The Portuguese island of Madeira boasts beautiful weather and one of the lowest crime rates in the world.  The Canary Islands, off the coast of Spain, are a popular tourist spot for Europeans.

When selecting a romantic summer vacation destination, you will need to consider what romance means to you.  For many individuals, there are certain activities, settings, or events that may ruin the mood. To find the perfect romantic getaway destination, you are encouraged to examine what you need and want to get out of your trip. 

If you are looking for a romantic vacation that offers a beautiful tropical climate, you are encouraged to examine Barbados.  Barbados is an island located in the Atlantic Ocean. It is an eastern Caribbean island.  Barbados is well-known for its amazing coastal vacations.  These coastal vacations are ideal for romantic summer vacations.  In addition to its beautiful coast, Barbados has a collection of unique shops, restaurants, and entertainment venues. 

Tahiti is often referred to as “the most beautiful island in the world.”  Located in the Pacific Ocean, just below the Equator, Tahiti offers romantic summer vacation getaways like no other.  The environment in Tahiti is almost always warm, inviting, and romantic.  With a large number of romantic resorts, restaurants, and themed activities just for couples, you are sure to enjoy a romantic getaway in Tahiti. 

The Pocono Mountains, located in Pennsylvania, is another popular summer vacation destination for couples looking to escape their daily activities.  Pocono resorts are most often known for their wintertime activities; however, the resorts are open all year long.  While the temperature may not be tropical, Pocono resorts are ideal for those looking for privacy. 

Similar to the, above mentioned, Pocono resorts, Paris, France is not considered a tropical destination.  Despite Paris’s weather variations, it is often considered one of the most romantic cities in the world.  Once you arrive in Paris, you will see that romance is in the air.  In addition to hotels with a romantic theme, you will find a number of amazing tourist attractions.  The Eiffel Tower is a place where many couples reconnect and reaffirm their love for each other. 

Tahiti, the Pocono’s, Paris, and Barbados are just a few of the many popular summer vacation destinations that are designed for lovers.  In addition to visiting a specific destination, you can schedule a romantic cruise.  A large number of popular cruise lines offer cruise ships that are designed specifically for couples.  Aboard a cruise ship you are likely to find a number of exciting, relaxing, and romantic activities.

Bali has a diverse tourism, they are natural tours, historical tours and cultural tours. Nature tourism, for example, include 47 tourism, such as the panorama in Kintamani, Kuta Beach, Legian, Sanur, Tanah Lot, Nusa Panida, Nusa Dua, Karang Asem, Lake Batur, Lake Bedugul, Sangieh Nature Reserve, West Bali National Park, and Garden Sea island of Menjangan. Meanwhile, cultural tour includes 83 tourism, such as a tour of art in Ubud, a site sacred Tanah Lot, Barong Ceremony in Jimbaran and the various of art galleries which now appear in several places on the island of Bali. Besides, there are many art workers in Bali like painters and sculptors.  Their painting and sculpture were very famous in the world.

Kintamani: Tourism Regions in Batur Area, located in Batur Village, Kintamani District, Regency of Bangli. The air temperature at noon is cool and cold enough at night.  Domestic and foreign countries tourist most visit to Batur at Chrismas Holiday, New Year, Idul Fitri and Hari Raya Galungan.

Kuta Beach: a place of tourism, located in the south of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, Indonesia. Kuta is located in Badung Regency. Kuta Beach also often referred to as sunset beach as the opponent of Sanur beach. This beach also has the waves that quite good for surfing especially for beginners.

Tanah Lot : Tanah Lot is a rock formation off the Indonesian island of Bali. It is home of a pilgrimage temple, the Pura Tanah Lot and a popular motif for tourists photography.  Tanah Lot means “Land in the Middle of the sea” in Balinese language. Located in Tabanan, about 20 km from Denpasar, the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide.  The Tanah Lot temple was built and has been a part of Balinese mythology for centuries. The temple is one of seven sea temples around the Balinese coast. Each of the sea temples were established within eyesight of the next to form a chain along the south-western coast.

Upacara Barong (Barong Ceremony) : The ceremony, Mepajar, is the dance in the form of sacred dance that aims to maintain the purity, prosperity and harmony of people around the area. Before the Barong and Rangda Sidakarya Mepajar, shown first dance Telek and Jauk. Telek dance is dance that symbolizes beauty or softness someone. Jauk dance is dance depicts a giant who wander are.

Arts in Ubud: The most attraction in Ubud is the soul of art from the local community which is very strong. And it consistently producing in high quality and become a part of breath of life at local communities.  Seem, the art has been a talents, skills and natural ethics in natural community here.  Ranging from painting, sculpture, traditional dance and gamelan music.

Many more beautiful places in Bali… It’s true..Bali is Paradise...

A nation in Europe that makes amazed. There is a harmony which formed the beautiful miracle inside, between classic romanticist, natural preservation, and modernization flow. Harmony which is owned by a nation that started of revolution industry, UK.

The description of UK in general one can be found around Trafalgar Square.  The area which was became the center of London.  In this area, we can see the city with a permanence building that has been establish since hundreds years ago. Trafalgar square is located in the way Whitehall and the Mall. Trafalgar square was built for the battle Trafalgar (1805). In the war, the British-led Horatio Nelson won the battle against the French, led by Napoleon.  The Corinthia monument, National Gallery Museum and the Church of St Martin in-the-fields were become the most charmed of Trafalgar square.

From Trafalgar square, we will be surprised by the beautiful City of London in the southwest, toward the mall road. Buckingham Palace grandeur gate and Whitehall Palace became a magnet for the tourist’s eyes from close. Turnover guard troops in the field Whitehall Palace also became a tourist attraction.
Walking at The Mall road that ends at the Buckingham palace is a solitary odyssey. Precisely when walking around at St James Park which has a beautiful lake and inhabited by many kind of birds.  All tired feeling suddenly loss when witnessing multicolored flowers, trees with leaves that turn yellow in autumn and tourist intimacy with squirrel and various birds that inhabit the park.

Modernization in the UK does not grind typical city, this is the miracle. A modern nation which is harmony with nature. Wonderful …

In Tangkoko, Bitung, North Sulawesi Indonesia, we can find that biodiversity is extraordinary. This region has often visited by the scientist both from in and outside the country for the purpose of research, science, and education. Tangkoko is popular among the scientists of the world. Where this is Alfred Russel Wallace, a young naturalist from British had visited in 1850  awe-struck at Maleo (Macrocephalon Maleo) and babyrussa (Babyrousa babyrussa).

From the research in Indonesia during 1850-1860 about the distribution of animals, Wallace then recognize that the distribution of animals in two biogeografi region in India and Australian are very different.  He then divides the two groups of animals and draw a line east and west boundaries that until now known as the Wallace Line, starting from the strait between Kalimantan and Sulawesi continue to the south between Bali and Lombok.

Tangkoko reserve is one of the houses animals that are very important in Sulawesi. In the area of 8718 hectares was existence of 26 types of mammals, 180 birds and 15 reptiles and amphibian. Maleo and babyrussa are now difficult to find in Tangkoko, also with Anoa (Bubalus depresicornis). They were the endemic Sulawesi animals that have been suspected extinct due to hunting and wild habitat destruction. The other animals that can still be found in this area among Yaki, Tangkasi and Rangkong or Julang Sulawesi.

If the existence of this animals was extinct of course not only Indonesia but also the lost asset for the whole world …

Protected since 1991 for its fantastic reefs and mangroves and outstanding biodiversity. The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep, clear, refreshing in temperature (27 to 29 °C). Bunaken National Marine Park is home to some of the world’s best year-round snorkeling and scuba diving. Check out the Bunaken Island Group – Bunaken, manado Tua, Siladen, Montehage and Nain – each ringed in part by a pristine white-sand beach.

In shallow water just a few meters offshore lies a band of eye-catching reefs, while further out, in the 60 to 120 foot zone another band of coral reefs teams with all sizes of fish, brilliant in hues and decoration, swimming around you in dizzying numbers, almost bouncing off your wetsuit.

In the thousands of little nooks along the wall you will spy delicate pencil-thin blue-ribbon eels, clear and reddish-striped coral shrimp, lurking lobsters and scuttling crabs. In deeper waters will really get your heart started, as if it wasn’t hammering with adrenal jazz already.

Bunaken Marine Park has become an important example of how Sulawesi, and the rest of Indonesia, can work to protect its natural resources.

All visitors to the Bunaken National Park (divers and non-divers) are required to pay an entrance fee, in accordance with North Sulawesi Provincial Government Provincial Law Number 9/2002. The entrance fee for locals is Rp2,500 a day and for foreign visitors is Rp 50,000 per daily ticket (approximately US$6), or Rp 150,000 (approximately US$17) for a waterproof plastic entrance tag (can be attached to your diving gear) valid for the full calendar year.
Bunaken is about 45-60 minutes by boat from Manado. Most resorts will arrange transfers from the airport for their guests. Alternatively, a public boat leaves daily except Sunday at 2PM, or you can charter a boat anytime.

Manado is well connected with most Indonesian cities. Daily flights arrive from Jakarta and Surabaya in Java, Ujung Pandang in South Sulawesi, Denpasar in Bali, Balikpapan in Kalimantan as well as Sorong in Irian Jaya. Connecting flights from other cities fly usually via Jakarta or Ujung Pandang.