“The Dark Side of Paradise is an effective attempt to put the politics back into Bali’s twentieth-century history. With a sure mastery of both Indonesian and Dutch sources, Robinson analyzes the class tensions between aristocrats and commoners during the late colonial period.”–Times Literary Supplement “Robinson’s work reaches beyond history, amply illustrating the possibilities of what might be termed a ‘comparative historical sociology’ approach.”–Indonesia “Robinson’s incisive, well-wri

List Price: $ 27.95

Price:

Incoming search terms for the article:

Makassar, (sometimes spelled Macassar, Mangkasara) formerly called Ujung Pandang is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city in Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was formally named Ujung Pandang and after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Makassar has become the primary port and airline hub of the eastern archipelago, the thousands of remote islands being developed and incorprated into the mainstream of Indonesian society and economy.

Makassar also played a key role in Indonesian history. The 16th-century Gowa Empire was based here until the Dutch weighed in. Three centuries later, in the 1950s, the Makassarese and Bugis revolted unsuccessfully against the central government. Loud, independent-minded, intense and proud, Makassar certainly leaves an impression.

Makassar also is gateway to East past of Indonesia and entry point to an adventurous tour to the Tana Toraja highlands, deep in the fertile plateaus of Sulawesi, or also known as Celebes. The unique Torajan culture, including their animistic burial rites call it Rambusolo, makes this region one of the most fascinating wonders in Indonesia.

Today Makassar is a bustling city with inhabitants from all over the archipelago, ethnic and most dominant language is Makassar and Bugis, at the last census people also spoke Javanese, Sundanese, Batak, Minangkabau and Banjarese. Tens of thousands were put in the last language group ‘remaining languages’, which concludes most of the innumerable languages in eastern Indonesia. People from this region come to Makassar to trade, to study, to buy provisions or just to escape the limitations of the village life.

One of the potential sector in Makassar is from tourism industry, existing tourist variety, good nature tourism with its natural conditions. The most interesting ways of spending an evening in Makassar, is going to see the Losari Beach in Indonesia call it Pantai Losari, which boasts a row of food stalls that seems to go on for ever. In the tourist shops on Jalan Sombaopu you will find woodcarvings from Papua and Eastern Kalimantan, masks from Tanimbar and Bali, bronze drums from Alor, ikat fabrics from Flores, wooden sticks from Central-Sulawesi, clove-shovels from Ambon, sirih-nut dishes and metalworks from the Buginese-Makassarese area, Chinese ceramics, and old Dutch, English and Spanish coins brought from everywhere in the archipelago. The city occupied 175,7 square kilometers area. Located in southern part of South Sulawesi and faces the horizon of Makassar Strait

Makassar tourism and tourist travel guidelines can be enumerated as below :

Fort Rotterdam.
Fort Rotterdam also know Benteng Makassar is a historical artifact of the greatness of the past kingdom of South Sulawesi. Gowa Kingdom was the strongest and the most glarious kingdom during the 17th century. During the time Makassar was know a trading city.
Viewed from the sea the kingdom of Makassar during that period was an area that was completely fortified. In year of 1967 when Gowa was under the power of Dutch, all forts was destroyed except Fort Rotterdam and two years later Fort of Somba Opu was totally destroyed by The Dutch government.
During the Dutch colonialism, the fort was rebuilt and renamed “Fort Rotterdam”. During the period the fort and its area started to be the center of governmental and commercial activity. During the Japanese colonialism the fort functioned as the ceter of agricultural and language studies.

Islamic Center.
Al Markas Al Islami (formerly Masjid Raya Makassar) is the most luxuarious Mosque in South Sulawesi and the largest in the eastern par of Indonesia. Besides functioning as the center of worship its also facilities the education, social and culture activities.
Al Markas Al Islami stand in 10 hectare area in Makassar Downtown. This worship center appears dominantly due to its size and lovely shape.

The Old Grave of King Tallo.
These old tombs are regarded as a complex, due to the size in wich 778 grave in different forms and of various material are laid. Its located in the northern part on Makassar City, exactly on the former Tallo fort. Formelly, Tallo Kingdom was an area ruled by Gowa Kingdom. That kingdom was later devided into two major divisions since the king had two Princes, both were ambitious men to be the next king. The two kingdom are : Tallo and Gowa. Therefore a proverb emerged : Dua Raja Satu Rakyat (one folk under the rule of two king). Besed on the data from the available literature and archeologists, it is said that the graves of Tallo and Gowa kings from the beginning to the end of the 17th century can be found in this graveyard.

Paotere Harbor.
Paotere is the place to anchor the sailing boat og the people of Sulawesi coming from all part of Indonesia. The sailing boat anchored there varied in style ans shape, such us Phinisi Boat, Lambo and some others. It is a fascinating and amazing scenery of the masts standing side by the side. It is event more beautiful and fascinating during the sunset with its colorful rays.

The Graveyard of Prince Diponegoro.
Prince Diponegoro was the son of Sultan Hamengkubuwono III of Yogyakarta, one of the king from the oldest kindom of Java, who let the struggle against the Dutch, which is widely known as Java War in the year 1825 – 1830.
The war exploded due to the rejection of the Dutch colonial policy, the raising of the tax and the acquisition. He was eventually caught through a trick, exiled to Manado and was later moved back to Makassar where he was first arrested. He died in Makassar in 1855. His tomb build in the family graveyard, is preserved and seriously cared. it was build in accordance with the Javanese tombs.

Samalona Island.
Across the harbor of Ujung Pandang is Samalona Island which has been developed into a pleasant recreational resort and It can be reached by boat in 45 minutes from Makassar. Samalona Island is a cluster of coral reefs area with 2,34 ha in width. This small island is a favourite destination for local. There are some activities you can do there like sunbathing above the sandy beach and diving into the deep waters of Samalona Island to observe the wonderful coral reefs and beautiful sub-marine.

Kodingareng Island.
Kodingareng Island was elected preservation centre because the island has the widest coral reefs in South Sulawesi which are still in a good condition. Kodingareng Keke Island located in Sub-District of Ujungtanah, Makassar. The distance is about 8.37 miles or 13.48 kilometers from the coastal city of Makassar.
Now, about a thousand heads of families now inhabit the island which is about 13 km from Makassar is. As an island tour, people who visited the island to see the beauty of white sand lined with trees on the beach. Tourist can stay in trim cottages. Do something fun, with the clear waters without city waste contamination very good for snorkeling , than rest comfortably and also can enjoy sunbathing during the day.

Trans Studio Word Indoor Theme Park.
Trans World Studio located in the Regions and the Global Tourism Business Tanjung Bunga, Makassar, the area of integrated tourism object in Makassar. Trans Studio was built of 12,7 hectares with investment of IDR 1 trillion more. Facilities built in the shopping center which includes the Trans Walk and Rodeo Drive, and Studio Trans, Trans Hotel, office of Bank Mega. Trans Studio building was built around 22,000 m² with 20 meters high which is the largest indoor amusement park in and the biggest indoor theme park in Asia at this time.
Read More about Trans Studio Word Indoor Theme Park Makassar >>

Somba Opu Shopping Center.
Somba Opu shopping street well know as shopping area for souvenir, handycraft, gifts, cloth, gold and many more. Located near at Losari Beach.

Mandala Monument.
Monument is a cenotaph destined to all nations heroes who struggling and died in the Liberation of West Papua from the Dutch in 1963. Located centrally in Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, the monument itself is surrounded by a broad, open-air entertainment area that forms a hub of political, cultural and social performances in the city.
The construction of Monument Mandala began in 1994, and it was opened on 19 December 1995 – the anniversary of Sukarno’s famous Trikora speech. The monument’s main purpose was to tell the story of the ‘liberation’ of West Irian – now Papua – in the context of the broader struggle for Indonesian independence.

Chinese Temples.
In Makassar the temple usually call it with “Klenteng” or “Wihara”. There are four old temples that located in down town of Makassar. The most important is Tian Hou Gong or Temple of the Heavenly Queen, on the corner of Jl. Serui and Jl. Sulawesi. This was probably built in the early 18th century and restaurated in 1738, 1803 qnd 1867. The statue of the ‘heavenly queen’, Tian Hou is on the back side of the main althar behind a wooden wall. She is the protector of the sailors and is often related with fertility. From the side-althars, the first on the left is dedicated to the ‘Golden Mothers of the Golden Immortals’, the second to Xuan Tian Shang Di, which is honoured in Indonesia for it’s medical powers; the third to the protectionate of Fertility. The althars in the patio are dedicated to several buddhist gods. The Long Xian Gong or ‘Temple of the Appearance of the Dragon’, along Jl. Sulawesi and Jl. Bali, was built in 1868. The main althar is dedicated to Xian Mu, ‘Mother of the Immortal’; the althar on the right side to Mi Lo Fo, the protectionate of jewelriesl that on the left side to Tu Di Gong, god of the soil and wealth. The Temple of the Community of Merchants of Guandong, close to Long Xian Gong, was damaged when the road was improved. It’s dedicated to Guan Di, protectionate of the Guangong communities. The Chinese came here to plead oaths, before being withness in a court. On the right side of Guan Di are a horse and it’s jockey, towards who mothers aim their prayers that their children will be obedient. Since 1987 the Chinese community has permission to hold lion dances on Jl. Sulawesi during Chinese new year. The fourth temple, along Jl. Lombok, is fairly new. It was built in 1953 to replace the temple along Jl. Sulawesi, which was destroyed during the Japanese occupation.

Shopping Center/Mall.
Grosir Market Butung, Mall Ratu Indah (MARI), Mall Panakukkang (Mall Diamond), MTC Karebosi, Karebosi Link, Central Market, Mall GTC Tanjung Bunga, Trans Studio Mall.

Source from : Indonesia travel tour operator
http://www.tourhotelguide.com/south-sulawesi-tourism/makassar-tourism.html

Incoming search terms for the article:

This article describes some of the better dive sites in South East Asia. As a scuba diver, you will probably know that scuba diving in South East Asia has always been very popular because of its vast species of marine life and rich diversity of colorful corals.

As a matter of fact, there are many world class dive sites in this region and with its excellent underwater visibility, South East Asia is indeed a scuba diver’s haven. So, here are some of the top dive sites in South East Asia many of which I have dived in several times.

We shall start with Indonesia and of course, the island of Bali cannot be left out. Perhaps the most dived site in Bali is the Liberty wreck. The wreck was a US army logistic ship sunk by Japanese submarine torpedoes during the last world war.

Liberty wreck lies in the depth of about 10m (32ft) to 30m (100ft) over 120m (385ft) of the sea bed. Divers can see guns, toilets, ship anchor chain among other things of a typical shipwreck. The wreck is heavily encrusted with corals and brightly decorated with gorgonian sea fans and sea anemones.

Scuba divers will also encounter large schools of trevally and more than 400 species of marine fishes and even exotic colonies of elusive garden eels.

Similan island in Thailand is another interesting dive site. Similan is located off the coast of Khao Lak which was hit badly by a Tsunami 2006. Nine granite islands made up the Similan islands. These islands are covered by luxuriant tropical rainforests surrounded by pristine white beaches and turquoise blue water.

This area is a protected national park. Below the water lie a sprawling underwater garden of deep canyons, coral gardens, huge granite boulders, caves and walls. Liveaboard scuba diving is the norm here.

Sipadan Island in Malaysia was made famous by Jacques Cousteau’s documentary entitled Ghost Of The Sea Turtles. This is an oceanic island which is not connected to any continental shelf that rises about 2000 ft on an awesome limestone pinnacle and mushrooms out at the surface.

Many dive magazines have named Sipadan as one of the best dive sites in the world and reported to have the largest variety of soft corals in the world. At Sipadan, scuba divers will encounter exciting drift dives, fascinating coral formations, turtles, lobsters, barracudas and even various species of sharks.

Manado, northen Sulawesi, Indonesia is the gateway to world class dive spots in the Bunaken National Park. Muck diving, meaning diving for little critters on the seabed in Manado bay is the norm here. In this part of Indonesia, you will encounter exhilarating wall dives, drop offs, huge napoleon wrasse, reef sharks and also another shipwreck.

Layang Layang in Malaysia is a breathtaking atoll. It is part of a shoal group in the South China Sea known as the Spratly islands. Here, massive numbers of barracuda roams the water, large pelagic fishes and sharks make this place home. Do not be surprised if you are investigated by a school of hammerhead sharks.

This is a video consisting of self taken photos in and around Manado/Sulawesi. All photos were taken in the end of 2005. Please visit metrobatavia.com
Video Rating: 4 / 5

This article describes some of the better dive sites in South East Asia. As a scuba diver, you will probably know that scuba diving in South East Asia has always been very popular because of its vast species of marine life and rich diversity of colorful corals.

As a matter of fact, there are many world class dive sites in this region and with its excellent underwater visibility, South East Asia is indeed a scuba diver’s haven. So, here are some of the top dive sites in South East Asia many of which I have dived in several times.

We shall start with Indonesia and of course, the island of Bali cannot be left out. Perhaps the most dived site in Bali is the Liberty wreck. The wreck was a US army logistic ship sunk by Japanese submarine torpedoes during the last world war.

Liberty wreck lies in the depth of about 10m (32ft) to 30m (100ft) over 120m (385ft) of the sea bed. Divers can see guns, toilets, ship anchor chain among other things of a typical shipwreck. The wreck is heavily encrusted with corals and brightly decorated with gorgonian sea fans and sea anemones.

Scuba divers will also encounter large schools of trevally and more than 400 species of marine fishes and even exotic colonies of elusive garden eels.

Similan island in Thailand is another interesting dive site. Similan is located off the coast of Khao Lak which was hit badly by a Tsunami 2006. Nine granite islands made up the Similan islands. These islands are covered by luxuriant tropical rainforests surrounded by pristine white beaches and turquoise blue water.

This area is a protected national park. Below the water lie a sprawling underwater garden of deep canyons, coral gardens, huge granite boulders, caves and walls. Liveaboard scuba diving is the norm here.

Sipadan Island in Malaysia was made famous by Jacques Cousteau’s documentary entitled Ghost Of The Sea Turtles. This is an oceanic island which is not connected to any continental shelf that rises about 2000 ft on an awesome limestone pinnacle and mushrooms out at the surface.

Many dive magazines have named Sipadan as one of the best dive sites in the world and reported to have the largest variety of soft corals in the world. At Sipadan, scuba divers will encounter exciting drift dives, fascinating coral formations, turtles, lobsters, barracudas and even various species of sharks.

Manado, northen Sulawesi, Indonesia is the gateway to world class dive spots in the Bunaken National Park. Muck diving, meaning diving for little critters on the seabed in Manado bay is the norm here. In this part of Indonesia, you will encounter exhilarating wall dives, drop offs, huge napoleon wrasse, reef sharks and also another shipwreck.

Layang Layang in Malaysia is a breathtaking atoll. It is part of a shoal group in the South China Sea known as the Spratly islands. Here, massive numbers of barracuda roams the water, large pelagic fishes and sharks make this place home. Do not be surprised if you are investigated by a school of hammerhead sharks.

Incoming search terms for the article:

Incoming search terms for the article:

Surrounded by three great water bodies, namely, Indian Ocean, Arabian sea and Bay of Bengal South India has stunning grandeur and beauty with lush green tropical vegetation in the coastal areas. The tropical climate is less harsh than in the North India. The place is rich in flora and fauna, biodiversity, habitats and ecosystems. South Indian states are Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. These states are very fertile and rich in natural resources. Due to sheer natural beauty of its beaches, hill stations and landscapes South India has become a great destination for tourists. With the hordes of tourists’ inflow, South India Tourism has seen a spectacular growth over last two decades.

Dravidian is the name attributed to a linguistically distinct group of people in South India. Believed to be the first original settlers of ancient India, the group has maintained traditional customs and rites, while with the influence of modernity, some have developed the lifestyles of a modern society.

On South India Tours one can easily detect the uniqueness of culture, language and lifestyles of people. The Dravidian family of languages, namely, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil and Telugu are distinctly different from the North Indian languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali and Gujarati. Thanks to their affinity with the old culture, not only South Indians have a distinct language system, their history, literature, architecture, music, spiritual inclination, dress, cuisine and a world view all are way different than those of North Indians.

The history of the South India is believed to have begun with the Sangam age (200 BC-300 AD). The Sangam Age had a number of empires namely Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas, Cheras, Chalukyans and Vijayanagar. The Cholas who ruled between 300 BC and 1250 AD were the earliest and most famous and perhaps influential among the South Indian dynasties. They were on the eastern Coramandal coast presently in Tamil Nadu. They climaxed between the ninth and thirteenth centuries when they ruled the entire South India, including east and some part of the western coast. They also conquered Ceylon (presently Srilanka), Srivijaya, Malaya and the Maldives islands. With a powerful navy and marine trade and commerce they extended their business to the Far East. Not surprisingly, their art and architecture have left a deep impact in Sumatra and Java islands of Indonesia and in some parts of Malaysia. With any package tour to South India one can visit many Chola style temples scattered throughout the Southern India whose stone inscriptions have helped to reconstruct and decipher the mysteries Indian history.

The Cheras was another ancient powerful dynasty mainly in Tamil Nadu which ruled the South India for most of its early history. They ruled the Malabar coast in Kerala State. The Pandyas were in the south central part. Although these dynasties being obstreperous and hostile to each other remained in a constant conflict with each other, the language, arts and literature prospered in the period. The Vijyanagar Empure (1336-1565 AD) started with resistance to the Muslim invasion of the Hoysala region by Malik Kafur. And only within half a century, the Vijayanagar Kingdom became one of the most powerful empire that ruled for nearly 200 years. Prosperous with strong army and maritime base, they also flourished art and literature. Their Hampi ruins are scattered over an area of 14 square miles regarded as world’s biggest open-air museum. For witnessing the history frozen in stone, do visit Hampi on your South India Tours. They are not only an ancient treasure trove, but also offer much to learn to the scholars of modern art and architecture.

The South India culture had a fascinating aspect in its concept of matriarchal society. One can see even today the celebration of the femininity and motherhood at its best. In literature and philosophy of South India women are considered very powerful. A married woman is considered as well powerful as auspicious. She is regarded as the source of shakti or mother-feminine power which protects and empowers her husband and children.

South India boasts of its own music called Carnatic music. Until 12th century AD, the history of Indian music was the same for entire India. When by influence of Muslims and cultural confluence, the Indian music divided into two systems – the North Indian “Hindustani music” and the South Indian “Carnatic music” Continued to develop without external influences, the Carnatic Music is nearly totally unified with different schools based on the same ragas, same solo instruments, mainly the veena, flute, violin, the mridangam and the ghatam.

The South India has also its own cuisine. The staple food is rice and fish, while coconut forms an important ingredient in virtually all the dishes. The curries tend to be hotter and spicy. Rice is combined in diferent ways and proportions with lentils to make dosas, idlis, vadas and uttapams. Sambhar, rasam, dry and curried vegetable and pachadi are the main preparations. Coffee is popular in Tamil Nadu. The typical traditional meal in is served on a “vazhaillai,” a freshly cut banana leaf. If your are planning a tour to South India, savor the local delicacies which are famous through out the world due to their uniqueness and spices.

Culturally, North India and South India have complimented to each other. While in the South India, the ancient cultural mores are preserved and upheld with utmost endearing care while being at the forefront of knowledge and technology, the North India has contributed immensely by enriching the Indian society by assimilating, accepting and absorbing the outside influences.

This article describes some of the better dive sites in South East Asia. As a scuba diver, you will probably know that scuba diving in South East Asia has always been very popular because of its vast species of marine life and rich diversity of colorful corals.

As a matter of fact, there are many world class dive sites in this region and with its excellent underwater visibility, South East Asia is indeed a scuba diver’s haven. So, here are some of the top dive sites in South East Asia many of which I have dived in several times.

We shall start with Indonesia and of course, the island of Bali cannot be left out. Perhaps the most dived site in Bali is the Liberty wreck. The wreck was a US army logistic ship sunk by Japanese submarine torpedoes during the last world war.

Liberty wreck lies in the depth of about 10m (32ft) to 30m (100ft) over 120m (385ft) of the sea bed. Divers can see guns, toilets, ship anchor chain among other things of a typical shipwreck. The wreck is heavily encrusted with corals and brightly decorated with gorgonian sea fans and sea anemones.

Scuba divers will also encounter large schools of trevally and more than 400 species of marine fishes and even exotic colonies of elusive garden eels.

Similan island in Thailand is another interesting dive site. Similan is located off the coast of Khao Lak which was hit badly by a Tsunami 2006. Nine granite islands made up the Similan islands. These islands are covered by luxuriant tropical rainforests surrounded by pristine white beaches and turquoise blue water.

This area is a protected national park. Below the water lie a sprawling underwater garden of deep canyons, coral gardens, huge granite boulders, caves and walls. Liveaboard scuba diving is the norm here.

Sipadan Island in Malaysia was made famous by Jacques Cousteau’s documentary entitled Ghost Of The Sea Turtles. This is an oceanic island which is not connected to any continental shelf that rises about 2000 ft on an awesome limestone pinnacle and mushrooms out at the surface.

Many dive magazines have named Sipadan as one of the best dive sites in the world and reported to have the largest variety of soft corals in the world. At Sipadan, scuba divers will encounter exciting drift dives, fascinating coral formations, turtles, lobsters, barracudas and even various species of sharks.

Manado, northen Sulawesi, Indonesia is the gateway to world class dive spots in the Bunaken National Park. Muck diving, meaning diving for little critters on the seabed in Manado bay is the norm here. In this part of Indonesia, you will encounter exhilarating wall dives, drop offs, huge napoleon wrasse, reef sharks and also another shipwreck.

Layang Layang in Malaysia is a breathtaking atoll. It is part of a shoal group in the South China Sea known as the Spratly islands. Here, massive numbers of barracuda roams the water, large pelagic fishes and sharks make this place home. Do not be surprised if you are investigated by a school of hammerhead sharks.