Lake Toba
Lake Toba is located in the mountains of Bukit Barisan, North Sumatra. The area is 1,145 square kilometers, which makes it the largest lake in Southeast Asia. Lake Toba is also the largest lake in the world formed by volcanic eruptions and is included in the Guinness World Records list.
Lake Toba was formed due to volcanic eruptions that spewed 2,800 km cubic of eruption material, thus making the crater that gradually filled with water into a lake and the middle of Lake Toba there is an island called Samosir. This island has several villages with extraordinary natural attractions, such as mountains and waterfalls.
Samosir Island and Lake Toba are the heart and home of the Batak Tribe. Other tourist activities on Lake Toba that you can do include going around the village of Tuktuk Siadong-Adong, visiting historical sites (Tomb of Raja Sidabutar), seeing local people planting rice, and seeing people’s homes with Batak Gorga.
Borobudur Temple
Borobudur TempleBorobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, located in the area of Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. This temple is located at the height of Menoreh Hill and is surrounded by Mount Merapi, Mount Merbabu, Mount Sindoro, and Mount Sumbing.
Boro means “the monastery complex” and Budur means “above”. Sir Thomas Raffles was the first person to “introduce” Borobudur to the world, in 1814. Because of its grandeur, the temple which was built in the 8th century has been designated by UNESCO as one of the world’s cultural heritages.
Borobudur Temple was built during the reign of the Syailendra Dynasty. The stupa-shaped temple was founded by Mahayana Buddhists. It is estimated that the Borobudur temple was built between 760 and 830 AD. The building process is estimated to have taken between 75 to 100 years. The new Borobudur Temple was 100% completed during the reign of King Samaratungga in 825 AD.
Borobudur Temple restoration efforts were carried out twice. The first restoration was by the Dutch East Indies government, under the leadership of Th. van Erp between 1907-1911. The target of restoration at that time was the Arupadhatu, which is the top of the temple consisting of three round terraces and the central stupa. The second restoration was carried out in 1975-1983 by the Indonesian government in collaboration with the United Nations organization for education, science, and culture, UNESCO.
Prambanan Temple
Prambanan is the Most Beautiful and Graceful Hindu Temple in Indonesia. Located not far from the Buddhist Borobudur temple, the proximity of the two temples tells us that on Java, Buddhism and Hinduism lived peacefully next to one another. Prambanan is a magnificent spectacle and an icon of Indonesia’s cultural heritage. The temples at Prambanan were built in the 9th century and is known locally as Roro Jonggrang, coming from the legend of the ‘slender virgin’.
The biggest temple is dedicated to Shiva – the destroyer, and the two smaller ones which sit on its right and left are dedicated to Brahma, the creator, and Wisnhu, the sustainer. The tallest temple of Prambanan is a staggering 47 meters high. Its peak visible from far away and rises high above the ruins of the other temples.
After hundreds of years of neglect, the Prambanan temple was rediscovered by CA Lons, a Dutchman, in 1733. Since then, this temple has been revitalized and today is widely regarded as the most beautiful and graceful Hindu temple in Indonesia. The grandeur, complexity, and integrated architectural concept of Prambanan makes this a truly amazing structure. As a unique cultural and architectural marvel, Prambanan was declared a World Heritage site in 1991 by UNESCO
Bintan Island
As the largest island in the Riau Island, Bintan is the perfect heavenly getaway for leisure and adventure seekers. Best known for its high-end resorts, world-class golf courses, and magnificent coastal beauty. In recent years, Bintan has also become a world-class Sport-Tourism destination attracting thousands around the world to compete in its marathons, triathlons, extreme sports and golf challenges. The Bintan Resorts have been a home for the world-renowned yearly Triathlon in the past years.
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park
Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park is the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a 10 km sea of sand called Tengger, from which four new volcanic cones have emerged. Those volcanic cones are Mount Batok (2,470 m), Mount Kursi (2,581 m), Mount Watangan (2,661 m), and Mount Widodaren (2,650 m). However, Mount Bromo is still the only one that is active. Temperatures at the top of Mount Bromo range about 5-18 degrees Celsius. Heading south of the park is a rolling upland plateau divided by valleys and decorated with several scenic lakes reaching to the foot of Mount Semeru.
Labuan Bajo
Tourist destinations in Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara, present extraordinary natural attractions, attractive natural landscapes, special coastlines, and unbeatable panoramas.
Labuan Bajo is a small port used as an entry point if you visit Komodo Island. It is located on the western tip of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara region. Of course, the view is no less beautiful than Komodo Island because, when sunset comes, the colour of the sky turns orange. The sun that begins to set will create silhouettes of small islands close to the harbour.
Art and Culture
Indonesia is also rich of cultures and traditional musical instruments, with its diverse coming in hundreds of different forms and styles, uniquely differs from one region to another, that has been heritage for centuries.
In terms of cultural heritage, Indonesia has plenty to offer since it dwells an abundance of long-preserved traditions originating from hundreds of local ethnicities. According to UNESCO, the term ‘cultural heritage’ includes traditions or living expressions inherited from ancestors and passed on to the descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.
As a big part of cultural preservation, UNESCO has listed Intangible Cultural Heritages from Indonesia, which will be explained in this article.
Sasando
Sasando is a typical musical instrument from Rote Island which at first glance looks like a guitar. This musical instrument is said to have been used by the people in Rote, East Nusa Tenggara Indonesia since the 7th century. Sasando has a main part in the form of a long tube made of bamboo. In the middle of this stringed instrument, it is circular from top to bottom. The strings on Sasando are stretched in the tube from top to bottom which has been given wedges.
Based on the tone structure, Sasando can be divided into two types. First, the Sasando gong with a pentatonic tone system has twelve strings. This type of sasando can usually only be used to play traditional songs of the people on Rote Island Indonesia.
Wayang Puppet Theatre
KulitInscribed in 2008 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Renowned for its elaborate puppets and complex musical styles, this ancient form of storytelling originated on the Indonesian island of Java. For ten centuries wayang flourished at the royal courts of Java and Bali as well as in rural areas. Wayang has spread to other islands (Lombok, Madura, Sumatra and Borneo) where various local performance styles and musical accompaniments have developed.
While these carefully handcrafted puppets vary in size, shape and style, two principal types prevail: the three-dimensional wooden puppet (wayang klitik or golèk) and the flat leather shadow puppet (wayang kulit) projected in front of a screen lit from behind. Both types are characterized by costumes, facial features and articulated body parts.
The master puppeteer (dalang) manipulates the swivelling arms by means of slender sticks attached to the puppets. Singers and musicians play complex melodies on bronze instruments and gamelan drums. In the past, puppeteers were regarded as cultivated literary experts who transmitted moral and aesthetic values through their art. The words and actions of comic characters representing the “ordinary person” have provided a vehicle for criticizing sensitive social and political issues, and it is believed that this special role may have contributed to wayang’s survival over the centuries.
Batik
In general, batik is a fabric painted in a night candle liquid using a tool called canting resulting in a high-value, exquisite traditional garment product. The word batik itself is presumably derived from the word ‘ambatik’ in Javanese, which translates into ‘a cloth with little dots’. Since UNESCO acknowledged batik as one of the Masterpieces of Intangible Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 2009, batik is more internationally known as the ideal representation of Indonesian traditional clothing.
There are approximately thousands of different batik designs in Indonesia. Some designs have been culturally associated with traditional festivals and specific religious ceremonies. In the past, locals believed that certain cloth had magical powers to ward off bad luck, while other pieces could also bring good luck.
UNESCO has listed the traditional dyeing technique of Indonesian Batik as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. Nowadays batik has become increasingly popular even among young generation with batik factories have started to manufacture more wearer-friendly and fashionable batik outfits.
Tenun
Tenun (handloom) is an artful Indonesian technique of making a fabric by weaving different colours of threads. Tenun belongs to one of the typical Indonesian cultural arts produced by hand skills using traditional looms. The word Tenun itself has a high meaning, historical value, and technique in terms of colors, motifs, and types of materials and threads used and each region has its own characteristics. In addition, Tenun is also one of Indonesia’s original cultural heritages that is still maintained and preserved to this day.
Tenun fabrics are made in various places in the Indonesian archipelago such as on the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali and Sulawesi, where each region has its own uniqueness and characteristics in terms of motifs and colors.
These differences are caused by geographical location, beliefs, customs and the surrounding natural conditions including flora and fauna, each region has certain differences and uniqueness as well as contacts or relationships between regions, from the many types of Tenun, ikat and songket are the most famous, even tenun ikat is well known and popular in many countries.
Since 2010, various Tenun traditions practiced throughout Indonesia officially recognized and regarded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of Republic Indonesia as integral part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia.
Angklung
Text Box: AngklungInscribed in 2010 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Angklung is an Indonesian musical instrument consisting of two to four bamboo tubes suspended in a bamboo frame, bound with rattan cords. The tubes are carefully whittled and cut by a master craftsperson to produce certain notes when the bamboo frame is shaken or tapped.
Each Angklung produces a single note or chord, so several players must collaborate in order to play melodies. Traditional Angklungs use the pentatonic scale, but in 1938 musician Daeng Soetigna introduced Angklungs using the diatonic scale; these are known as angklung padaeng.
The Angklung is closely related to traditional customs, arts and cultural identity in Indonesia, played during ceremonies such as rice planting, harvest and circumcision. The special black bamboo for the Angklung is harvested during the two weeks a year when the cicadas sing, and is cut at least three segments above the ground, to ensure the root continues to propagate.
Angklung education is transmitted orally from generation to generation, and increasingly in educational institutions. Because of the collaborative nature of Angklung music, playing promotes cooperation and mutual respect among the players, along with discipline, responsibility, concentration, development of imagination and memory, as well as artistic and musical feelings.
Pencak Silat
Pencak SilatInscribed in 2019 on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In addition to their sporting element, Traditions of Pencak Silat also encompass mental-spiritual, self-defence and artistic aspects. The moves and styles of Pencak Silat are strongly influenced by various elements of art, involving a unity of body and movement fitting the accompanying music.
The term ‘pencak’ is better known in Java, while the term ‘silat’ is better known in West Sumatra, describing a group of martial arts with many similarities. In addition to local terms, each region has its own moves, styles, accompaniments, music, and supporting equipment, which includes costumes, musical instruments, and traditional weapons.
Pencak Silat practitioners are taught to maintain their relationship with God, human beings, and nature, and are trained in various techniques to deal with attacks or other dangerous situations based on principles to protect themselves as well as others, avoid harming the offender and build comradeship. The practice strengthens comradeship, maintains social order, and provides entertainment for ritual ceremonies. Related knowledge and skills are commonly taught in non-formal schools and include oral traditions and expressions such as greetings, philosophical phrases, rhymed poems, advice, as well as songs and techniques to play the instruments.
Gamelan
Inscribed in 2021on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Gamelan refers to the traditional Indonesian percussion orchestra and to the set of musical Text Box: Gamelaninstruments used. Consisting primarily of ornate, percussive instruments made of hand-forged metal, the ensemble typically includes xylophones, gongs, gong-chimes, drums, cymbals, string instruments and bamboo flutes.
Gamelan music follows precise rules and techniques regarding tuning, layout, rhythmic and metric patterns and performance. For instance, the melody is played simultaneously by a group of instruments and multiple instruments may play interlocking parts to form a single rhythm. The music is played by men, women and children of all ages, and is typically performed in religious rituals, ceremonies, traditional theatre, festivals and concerts. It is also used for music therapy and is viewed as a means of expression and as a way of establishing a connection between humans and the universe.
Gamelan is an integral part of Indonesian identity dating back centuries; archaeological evidence of the practice has been found in the relief sculptures of the eighth-century Borobudur temple. Practitioners include vocalists and instrumentalists, as well as instrument-makers and tuners. An important source of national pride, Gamelan continues to be passed down from generation to generation through informal and formal education, including in school and after-school activities.
