Overview
Overview
Indonesia is located off the coast of mainland Southeast Asia in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The most populous country in Southeast Asia and the fourth most populated in the world, Indonesia is situated on an archipelago that lies across the Equator and spans a distance equivalent to one-eighth of Earth’s circumference. Its islands can be grouped into the Greater Sunda Islands of Sumatra (Sumatera), Java (Jawa), the southern extent of Borneo (Kalimantan), and Celebes (Sulawesi); the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara) of Bali and a chain of islands that runs eastward through Timor; the Moluccas (Maluku) between Celebes and the island of New Guinea; and the western extent of New Guinea (generally known as Papua). The capital, Jakarta, is located near the northwestern coast of Java.
The vast archipelago Indonesia has numerous destination-choices of natural, cultural and environmental attractions to lengthen visitor’s stays. The archipelago is home to elephants, tigers, leopards, and orang-utans Sea turtles are found in the waters around 66 Bali and the world’s largest flowers – Rafflesia Arnoldi – grow in Sumatra. The islands of Papua (west), Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra have national parks, while other parks are allocated to protect special areas such as Komodo, home to the Komodo dragon . These various potential attractions have enjoyed more tourists than any other country in Southeast Asia . Bali is the most popular because of its a vast variety of culture and natural richness. The “island of the Gods” encourages “cultural tourism” with local recreations in the Bali lifestyle (Koldowski, 2003) and it is surrounded by a beautiful natural environment including beaches, forests, rivers, mountains, caves, and lakes. As a masterpiece of nature, Bali is formed by an east-to-west range of volcanoes, including Mount Batur and Mount Agung. Tourism to Bali was initiated by the Dutch in 1920 when during the Dutch colonial era the cultural attractions of Bali were first realised.
The second ranked international destination after Bali is Jakarta2 , with foreign visitors including are not only tourists but also business related visitors. Approximately a quarter of international travellers visit Jakarta, however, many of those tourists are mainly on business (Wall, 1998:53). In fact, a number of industrial estates are located in Jakarta and as well in its surrounding areas (Karawang, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi) in West Java (see Table 4.2). Jakarta is the capital city and the seat of government and is where other coutries have their principle diplomatic representation.
North Sumatera is another important destination in Indonesia with a number of tourist attractions and business activities. This region is interesting not only for tourism but also for trade and industrial activities. The regional province of Sumatera is the home to some of the most popular attractions in the island (of Sumatera) including the city of Medan with its historical sites of Istana Maimoon and Mesjid Raya, the zoo of the Taman Margasatwa, and the Museum of North Sumatera. Also several popular attractions are Bukit Lawang, Brastagi, Parapat, Nias Island, Sibolga, Lake Toba and Samosir Island.
Another important destination is Central Java, where the biggest Buddhist temple of Borobudur and the Hindu temple of Prambanan are situated. A number of regional sub destinations in Central Java include Semarang (the city capital of the province), Surakarta, Magelang, Cilacap and Kebumen. A number of other popular tourist attractions in central Java include Dieng plateau (in Wonosobo District); Surakarta palace in Surakarta; Beteng Pendem, Nusakambangan Island and Teluk Penyu Beach (in Cilacap); Jatijajar and Petruk caves, Ayah and Karangbolong beaches (in the Kebumen District), and Baturaden in the Purwokerto District. . This destination was the centre of Java’s first great civilisation and of much of Java’s early culture when the rise of Islam caused powerful sultanates to be established around the palaces of Yogyakarta and Surakarta.