North Mollucas Exploration (7 days / 6 nights)

One of the less traveled province in Indonesia is The North Mollucas. Actually this is a relatively new province since it's enlargement from the former Mollucas province. This beautiful archipelago is rich for its culture, especially the fact that there are still sultanates respectfully resided here, as well as the nature. North Mollucas is home to wonderful coral reefs. Perfect for diving lovers. The following is considered the most comprehensive itinerary to cover both the beautiful culture as well as nature in this oceangoing islands.

Day 01 Arrive in Ternate
Upon arrival in Ternate, check in to the hotel and get the feel of surrounding atmosphere. Later on you can explore the market by the harbor then have dinner at local restaurant.

Day 02 Ternate - Sofifi
In the morning transfer to the harbor and board the speedboat to get you to Sofifi, in the southern of Halmahera Island (north of Ternate).

Day 03 Sofifi - ???
To be continued...

Bali Sterling Experience (3 days / 2 nights)

You might have already heard that Bali is home to endangered species of Bali Sterling. It is a wonderful white sterling with very unique blue 'ribbon' around its eyes. This tour will take you to Nusa Penida, where a local Balinese veterinarian has managed to breed the birds and set up a rehabilitation center in the island. You will have the experience to enjoy more about the beauty of the birds, as well as unique culture of the people in Nusa Penida that is slightly differs from the Balinese in the mainland.

Day 01 Arrive in Bali - Nusa Penida

Arrive in Bali then transfer to the harbor, to board the boat that gets you to Nusa Penida Island. On the way to the harbor you will have a chance to stop by at local store in case you still need something to bring to the island. In Nusa Penida, you will be accommodated in a very basic house, but it has wonderful surrounding and splendid view. Start your activity by getting to know the Bali Sterling more. You might also be involved in a volunteer activity and experience more about this birds.

Day 02 Nusa Penida

In the morning start to explore the island. There are hidden waterfall on the other side of this island, and also you can visit the cave, and learn about the local temple in Nusa Penida. The temple is said to be also slightly different from those in the mainland of Bali. Furthermore, you can see the unique traditional life of the fishermen on the shore. Back to the base camp for overnight.

Day 03 Nusa Penida - Bali

After breakfast, you will still have some time to trek around the hill nearby, before the time to get back on the boat that takes you back to the mainland of Bali.

Rural Bandung and Rafting Experience (2 days / 1 night)

Bandung is the capital city of West Java, only 3 hours drive south from Jakarta. The local people in West Java is known as Sundanese people. If you drive more to the south of Bandung, there are still villages life that you can experience. This tour will take you to stay at one of the villages in the southern of Bandung, and also have an exciting experience white water rafting down the river there.

Day 01 Arrive Jakarta - Pangalengan

Upon your arrival in Jakarta, directly drive to Bandung and get to one of the villages in Pangalengan. Once you get to the village, you will be dressed up as old traditional Sundanese people and start a 'new life'. We will start a soft trekking around the village to see the forest, rice fields, and other villager's life. In the afternoon you will probably be cultivating in a rice field and bathing a buffalo (and yourself). Try also to take a bath in a river. In the evening have some traditional dinner and enjoy some of the simple local performances in a villager's house.

Day 02 Pangalengan White Water Rafting - Jakarta

In the morning, continue our trip to Situ Cileunca (a reservoir lake), and be prepared for our whitewater experience. We will go down the river of Palayangan. This river cuts through wonderful natural surrounding with splendid contour of the land. The grade of the river is varied from grade III to IV. At the end of the trip, lunch will be served by the lake, then you will be taken for a lake tour using traditional boat on Cileunca lake. In the afternoon, drive back all the way to Jakarta, or you might want to spend some time in the city of Bandung.

Painting Village of Ubud

by Adrian Agoes

The first thing comes to mind when one says the word Ubud, is paintings. Ubud is assuredly respected by the world as the village of painters. The painting style in Ubud is also very specific. It is actually comparable with the painting from China in terms of perspective style. Ubud painting conventionally placed object that is in further perspective on the upper side of the painting, and those in closer perspective are placed on the lower side of the frame. Interestingly, those further and closer objects are painted in the same scale size. The style just as comparable to those of Chinese paintings.

Around Ubud there are lots of painting gallery. Also you can find some respectable museums which are famous around the world, such as Museum of Antonio Blanco, Neka Art Museum, Museum Puri Lukisan (literally means the temple of paintings), and also gallery of famous Ubud painter, Lempad Gallery. Ahead of the field, you can also go further out to the villages surrounding Ubud, such as Peliatan, and you can visit the houses of Balinese local painters.

It is also acclaimed that Ubud has received an award as the best town in Asia, according to the readers’ survey of the reputable American magazine, Conde Nast Traveller. Yes, town. Not village. It seems that everyone is also agree that Ubud village has now become quite crowded and galleries and art shops are rising everywhere. Yet, no one is to mind about Ubud’s crowded situation. In fact, more and more people are still attracted to come. It is perhaps because Ubud is also still maintaining its natural surrounding such as rice fields, hills, rivers, and its forrests.

Well, it’s a good thing that those natural resources are still there. If not, then where will the Ubud painters get their inspiration? Or maybe then those inspirational sources are in fact diminished, as Ubud paintings style are now also becoming more contemporary. Perhaps it’s because more different culture come to Ubud, then the painters get their inspiration from others? You find out.