Napabale Lake, the salty lake in Southeast Sulawesi

Napabale lake is salt water lake formed by the intrusion of sea water from Buton Strait trough into the cup-shaped crack rocks. The lake is located in the Village Wabintinggi and Lohia, about fifteen kilometers south of the city of Raha, the capital of Muna Regency, South Sulawesi. The lake is adjacent to the sea and connected by nature tunnels. This is make the water in Napabale lake taste salty. The amount of lake water level is very dependent on the ebb and flow of sea water. If tides, the surface of the lake go up and connecting tunnel will be closed by water. However, if tide is low, then part of the lake water reduced. Not every time we can pass through this tunnel. When the sea water run to low, this is the best time to explore the tunnel which has 30 meters length and 9 meters wide.

Napabale lake scenery

You can browse through the tunnel by boat wich is commonly called pincara. In some parts of the tunnel there are various types of stalactites. In addition, tourists can also watch a variety of painting beautiful corals that form due to natural processes.

Travel boat in the lake

Visiting the salty Lake of Napabale, tourists can enjoy two charm of nature as well as lake and beaches. The most fun activities to enjoying Lake Napabale is by sail or dive. Tourists who come to sail using a canoe or boat which can be rented by fishermen around the lake. Enough to pay Rp 50,000, you can enjoy the natural beauty of Lake Napabale from canoe. For you who like to dive, do not miss the opportunity to see the amazing underwater scenes of Lake Napabale.

Satisfied with the atmosphere of the lake, you can cross through the tunnel to the beach. If you can not paddle the canoe alone, you can enlist help from fishermen to take the canoe down to the middle of the lake, where there is a coral island covered with verdant trees was so look beautiful to explore. If you want to spend the night around this salt water lake, suggested to bring your own bedding, such as tents, sleeping bags, jackets, and completion of cooking. In Lake Napabale there are no lodging facilities, hotels, inns and homestay. But if you need a cozy inn with more complete facilities, you can get it at Raha city (Muna Capital).

The tunnel between sea and lake

As notes, in addition to salt water lake of Napabale, there are other attractions located only few kilometers from Napabale. This tourist attraction is a cave, an ancient site tourism named Layang - layang. In the cave that resembles a niche store paintings works of man in prehistoric times. Besides paintings, a few meters above the cave there is a map engraved in stone gray. The stone map illustrates for another path to multiple locations around Layang - layang cave.

How to get there

There are two alternative way to reach salt lake of Napabale which is located in the village Lohia, District Lohia, Muna regency, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. You can use ships/boat or pioneers airplane as your transportation.

1. If using a boat, the journey starts from the Port Nusantara located in the city of Kendari to the port Raha in Raha City (the capital of Muna), it takes about 4 hours. From the Port of Raha, the tourists can go on using katinting (motorized boat) to the Muna Gulf adjacent to Lake Napabale and takes about 15 minutes.

2. If using pioneers airplane, the journey starts from Wolter Monginsidi Airport which is located in Kendari, then fly to Sugimanuru airport located in Muna city, or 25 km from the city of Raha. After arriving at the airport Sugimanuru, proceed to the city of Raha trip using public transportation takes about 30 minutes. Further from the city of Raha proceed to the lakes attractions by taxi or rental car takes about 20 minutes.

Wayag Island : Best island from Raja Ampat

89CBKCMPQHDZ

Panoramas in Raja Ampat archipelagos is quite remarkable. Islands which included in the World's best coral reef triangle is able to hypnotize every visitors who come through each every region in the Raja Ampat Islands. From many of beauty that Raja Ampat's offers, there is an island that provides perfection landsacpe and underwater scenery. The beauty of panoramas can be seen on an island called Wayag Island. Many of cluster from karst rocks scattered around the Wayag island and brought into its own characteristics, and this scenery is not owned by any other islands in Indonesia. This bring results in wayag Island as a powerful icon for tourism in the islands of Raja Ampat.

Wayag Island Scenery

Upon entering the Wayag Island, a small group of islands scattered like a beautiful maze that stretches between the crystal clear sea water. Extraordinary sensation would be created when you set sail and browse on to the archipelago of Wayag island. Small islands is so compelling, they seemed to show mutual embryo and the beauty itself to every visitor who comes. get docking in one of the beaches, and enjoy the crystal clear waters and white sand between the sea, with various types of coral reef at the bottom.

After enjoying the beauty of underwater scenery near of Wayag island, now is the time to enjoy all of the Wayag archipelagos from the hill, precisely at the peak Wayag. You will be taken to enter a typical tropical vegetation lush and very natural because the Wayag island is uninhabited . The journey that you will travel would be very adrenaline, incline with a slope of 85 degrees is ready to welcome you just before you reach the top of Wayag. Travel time should taken about 30 minutes to reach the peak of Wayag . From this peak, you can see the natural wonders of the sprawling Wayag island .

From the peak of Wayag island

How to get there

To reach the Wayag island , you must first to go to Waisai, Waisai is the capital of Raja Ampat, it takes about 3 hours from waisai to Wayag island. or you can look into our post about how to go to Raja Ampat on this link. There are a few notes you should know about Wayag Island, including:
1. The only transportation to the Wayag island is speed boat.
2. To begin your journey to the Wayag island, it should started from special port for speed boat, located around the harbor of Waisai.
3. Travel time to and leave the Wayag island is about 6 hours, while there is 2 hours time to travel. Total time for day trips around 8 hours.
4. It is not allowed to stay on the Wayag island . because there are no boats to the island every day and the unavailability homestay on the Wayag island.
5. Speed boat rents rates are approximately Rp 7.000.000, - to Rp 14.000.000, -.

Exploring the archipelagos of Wayag island

Travel tips

1. Always observe to the port of speed boat on Waisai when you first arrived. Find information about the group that will travel to the Wayag island in a week ahead. Do not forget to note the name and telephone number of the owner of speed boat to get information of Wayag island tour departure.
2. Next, Put announcements in each receptionist, specialty is for sharing to the Wayag Island.
3. You better be in one group during your trip to Raja Ampat, at least four people.
4. You better to come in around October, because on this month, there is usually a tourist event, so that transportation to the Wayag island have additions to the amount of freight.
5. Dont forget bring food for lunch during your trip to Wayag island, because the speed boat owner does not provide lunch.
6. Bring drinking water more than 1 bottle, remember that you will climb to the top wayag.

Tips travel to BALI with low budget

Bali is a very large magnetic effect on tourism in Indonesia. Millions of tourists both domestic and foreign tourists as a race to enjoy the beauty of this island. Offering many choices in Bali making the island as paradise for tourists who want to relax and enjoy the experience of vacationing in Bali. Starting from a very beautiful landscape bali to the completeness of accommodation and lodging with varying prices (available cheap hotel to luxury hotel), to make every tourist feel comfortable and at ease to stay and live on this island. And to enjoy a holiday to Bali at affordable cost (low budget), you should know a few tricks while you are traveling to the island of Bali. Here are some tips and tricks that we have collected, to help you get the fun holiday with the low budget backpacker style on the island of Bali.

Girls are ready to backpacking in Bali

From many tips and tricks trip to Bali with low budget, the best important thing is to plan your holiday with carefully. include:

1. how much is your budget,
To go to Bali with a low budget, you should calculate your travel budget carefully. Solution to estimate how much the right budget, you can use packages to Bali tourist brochures, journals and the experience of someone when to go to Bali (usually in the form of a blog / website), or ask your friend who has visited Bali. Accuracy in the Budget plan will help you to get the maximum vacation in Bali.

2. best time to go,
Lies on the equator, the island has a dry season and rainy season which balanced, so getting enough rainfall throughout the year in addition to the sun is shining for a long time. July, August and early September are busy months for the coming of tourists. Many foreign tourists visited Bali during the Christmas holidays. Beyond that period, fewer tourist arrivals to Bali, so the best time to enjoy Bali is in a cool dry season, starting between April and October.

3. where the best places to stay,
A place to stay which was a favorite for every people with low budget traveler and backpacker's is in Kuta Beach. Kuta beach is apart from airports which close distance from Ngurah Rai International Airport, near the Kuta beach there are available hotels with pretty good services but have very cheap rates. These hotels are located on the Poppies Lane I and II. However, the hotel in Poppies Lane area of is not served booking service before you arrival at the day. At least you should be in area of Kuta when you looking for a place to stay. The best time to look for lodging in poppies lane is in during the daytime, ranging between 11-01 o'clock , because at these hours, visitors usually do a check-out from the hotel. So you have bigger chances to get available room if you arrive at area of Kuta at noon.

4. what will you do there,
Because Poppies lane close to Kuta beach, of course you can perform a variety of beach activities like surfing, sunbathing, or enjoying the Sunset at Kuta region. Also in Poppies lane, you can satisfy your shopping desires, there are many stores that sell a variety of knick knacks of Bali. To save your budget, do the best deals you can do for all of your transactions. Both for room rental, shopping, and rental vehicles.

5. what kind of appropriate transport.
To transport around Bali with a low budget, you can rent a motorcycle. The fee was around 50 thousand rupiahs per day. You can borrow a map from the hotel or the owner of a rented bike. Please, set you own goals. Want to Tanah Lot, Sukawati or Lake Batur, it's up to you.

Remember, there are so many option to make your low budget trips more efficent in Bali, do the best thing to do and enjoy your vacation for maximum. Happy on vacation

Batu karas : Surfing at "Little Bali" in west java

From a distance, it appears two surfers danced over the waves that flowed toward the coast. They look so fun and enjoying the water sports, they moving to the right and left, following the flow of the waves. While on the beach, it appears some tourists was leaning enjoying the sunlight with a cold drink in hand. That was the atmosphere on the beach which is often referred to as Little Bali in western Java. Batu Karas is a living, working village which has been chosen by 'Lonely Planet' travel guide as one of Asia's most beautiful beaches for 2012 generated by the dark sand along the beach, lush greenery on the rock, and fantastic waves of the sea.

Batu Karas is popular among surfers, nationally and internationally. In addition to a relatively flat beach, Batu Karas also has a small bay, so that surfers do not have to paddle too far to the starting point for wave. The main beach at Batu Karas region was named Legokpari Beach, located directly in front of the Hotel Java Cove. This beach is a favorite for beginner surfers, has waves that are not too high making it easier for every tourist who wants to try and learn to surf. While for the professional surfer, beach Bulak Bendak is the right choice. On this beach, you can get a wall of long and high waves. The Beach is surely suitable for a professional surfer.

How to get there

Batu Karas beach is located in the village of Batu Karas Cijulang District. Batu Karas could be achieved from Pangandaran to the west. From Pangandaran we can hire a motorcycle or ride a bus majoring to Cijulang. From Cijulang continued ride motorcycles to Batu Karas. The distance from Pangandaran to Batu Karas is about 40 kilometers, or about 1 hour away by car. The road to this location is very easy, and all along the way to tourist locations are also a variety of tourist destination options such as Batu Hiu and Green Canyon (Cukang Taneuh).

The point at Batu Karas ( one of the best place to learn to surf )
Righthand pointbreak that rolls through a sand bottom bay in front of the Java Cove hotel for up to 400 metres. The takeoff is up to you: fast and hollow beyond the point, or slow and easy at the shoulder section. After takeoff the wave mellows out with workable walls through to the far end of Batu Karas bay. This is because the point had sandbottom bay with tropical warm water means user-friendly conditions. Slow peeling waves means plenty of time to work on the basics and improve your style. And the last is Long waves with different sections. Move 'up the point' as your surfing improves - rolling walls in the middle of the bay, faster & hollower at the take-off.

The reefs at Batu Karas
Righthander with an easy takeoff that leads into fast walls unraveling over a lava reef. This high tide spot can turn on some real quality with clean walls to work on your top/bottom turn combo and down-the-line speed reeling to the beach for around 150 metres. Breaks from waist high to overhead.

Other options
There's other surf options accessible by car or boat if you're up for a bit of adventure. Plenty of beachbreaks nearby, and 40 mins drive from Batu karas is a lefthand barrelly reefbreak that works on small swells and is offshore with the tradewinds from June-Sept.

As one of paradise for surfers, Batu Karas mixtured by the beauty of Batu hiu beach and Pangandaran Beach. The beach is suitable as a place to swim and surf, as Batu Karas not only offers for the calm water but also a challenging wave. Beautiful black sand beach make this location as a perfect spot for vacation and surf , because the atmosphere is quiet compared to Pangandaran or even Bali.

The world's largest coral reefs area

If you are a fan of underwater tours, of course, you will admire the beauty of the various species of coral that grow on the seabed. Starting from Acropora digitifera species shaped like a round-table until types of Acropora cervicornis with a cylindrical shape with many branches. Coral reef can be interpreted as a collection of marine animals that form the reef, then similar symbiosis with other plants, such as algae or zooxanhellae. Due to the active biological activity below sea level, the physical structure of coral reefs formed of calcium carbonate sediments.

Most coral reefs are living on the edge of the sea, approximately 50 meters below sea level, and still exposed to sunlight which is used as oxygen for life. However, there is also a living coral reef deep down the sea without getting light or no longer require sunlight. Coral reefs, providing habitat for various species of marine plants, marine animals, and other marine microorganisms are not yet known. Many of the benefits generated by a coral reef on the seabed and do you know where is the center of world's largest coral reef? If you ever dive in Bunaken sea, banda sea, and the Raja Ampat Islands, you are definitely not wrong to answer the questions above. Indonesia! yup, Indonesia is the center of the world's largest coral reef.

The region with cluster of beautiful coral and largest in the world's is called coral triangle region. This area includes Filipinos, Indonesia, Timor Leste, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. If the boundary line drawn surrounding coral reefs in the six countries, that's will resemble the shape of triangle. That is why the region is referred as the world's coral triangle.

Estimated from the total area of coral reefs in the world which reach 284 300 km2, 18% of them are in Indonesian territory. Total area of coral reefs in the triangle about 85 200 km2 . It also deals with Indonesia which as the largest maritime country in the world with 93 thousand km2 marine area. Today, the islands of Raja Ampat in West Papua is an archipelago with the highest number of coral species in the world.

Based on an ecological study led by The Nature Conservancy (TNC) by involving the experts of coral reefs and fish of the world in 2002, found about 537 species of coral and 1074 species of fish in the islands of Raja Ampat. The number of coral species in Raja Ampat is 75% of all the world's coral reefs have ever been found. Although the Caribbean islands in Central America and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park in Australia are well known, the region has only about 400 species of coral.

Several islands in Indonesia which is also has a fairly high coral species is the Komodo island (West Timor), Bunaken (North Sulawesi), Nusa Penida (Bali), Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi), Derawan Islands (East Kalimantan), and Cenderawasih Bay (Papua ). The archipelago are also being a major goal of nautical tourism, especially for diving. So it is not wrong if you go to Indonesia with the aim to dive in the beauty of the underwater panorama, because Indonesia is the center of largest coral reefs in the world's.

Where is the most famous beach in Bali ?

The island of Bali is known as the most famous Island in Indonesia for every world travellers. Do you know where is the most famous beach in Bali ? if you ask for every people that was visited Bali, they would answer Kuta beach. Yup, Kuta beach ! The large and busy beach in Bali for travellers. Kuta beach is a tourist place located in south of Denpasar, the capital of Bali, Indonesia, exactly in Badung regency. This area is a tourist destination abroad, and has become a mainstay tourist island of Bali since the early 70's. Kuta beach are often called as sunset beach, has a wide range of 8km long including Legian, Seminyak, and Tuban. This is the most populous places for travelers beside the other tourist destination in Bali.

Why Kuta beach is so famous ?

The first thing that kuta beach offered is Sunset. Kuta beach location is facing to the west, where the Sun goes down and spread the last shine on that day. The charming orange yellow lights upon the dark of the sea, would bring another atmosphere for everyone who watch it. Many local and foreign tourists come to Bali because feel some weirdness for the sunset. Bring attention on your clock while enjoying the sunset, you will get the time reach 7 o'clock approaching the night. Essentially it's already dark. But there were brighter on the atmosphere. This occurs naturally as the sun changes, for those of you who want to enjoy the sunset in Kuta beach, do not forget to note the time of this sunset show, because it decided where the real enjoyment of your holidays.

The second things that makes Kuta beach being famous is the waves. Kuta beach is very popular with a very friendly waves for surfers, both for the novice and professional surfer. Try to enjoy this exciting water sports. If you do not have or carry the equipment, you can rent a surf board rental in many places scattered along the coast. By paying rent amounting to Rp 50 thousand - 150 thousand per hour, in addition to the board rent you will also get a short course of surfing instructors from the rental place. Under their direction, it only took 30 minutes to weave you can split the waves on the surf board.

And the last thing from many things that Kuta beach offered is the completeness of accomodation. Kuta has a lot of cheap lodging, scattered in various villages in this region. The inns are not located on the main roads, but they are hiding on the lane road . However, the rooms conditions that they offer are fit in either category. Many foreigners choose to live in such accommodation, especially those who are backpackers or travelers on a low budget. In addition to the cheap lodging, you too can experience glamorous nightlife in Kuta . There are so much variety of restaurants, pubs and various other nightclubs.

Morotai island : East Indonesia hidden paradise as a major on Indonesia sail event 2012

One years ago. Sail Wakatobi-Belitung had managed successfully. as in the quote that we see from http://menkokesra.go.id. Sailor from Florida, United States, Barbara, said the committee provides a stopover point in the series of 26 Sail-Belitong Wakatobi 2011. Each point has its own uniqueness. "It's great to see diversity in Indonesia. Every stop, I can have a new experience," said Barbara, Wednesday (10/12/2011). The results of Barbara's visit, show that Indonesia is much more beautiful than every information he ever got. It's so much beauty and variety. "If I had more time, we will stay longer at each transit point," he said.

And now The Indonesia sail event will be held at Morotai Island on September 2012 , Just like what the Official site of Indonesia goverment said on www.indonesia.go.id ; " The government decided to hold the Sail Morotai 2012 with the aim of supporting the development acceleration of Indonesia’s marine resources and celebrating the 67th Anniversary of Indonesia's Independence Day as well.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono through Presidential Decree Kepres No. 4/2012 that was signed on January 24, assigned the Coordinating Minister for the People’s Welfare, Agung Laksono, as Chairman of steering committee and Minister of Maritime and Fisheries Affairs, Cicip Sutardjo, as Chairman of the Sail Morotai 2012 organizing committee."

What kind profile of Morotai island that will be as a host in 2012 Indonesia sail event ?

Morotai Island was one of the outer islands of Indonesia, located adjacent to the Pacific Ocean and Philipine, has an area of 695 square miles / 1,800 km ². The island is located in North Maluku province and considered as the "Hidden paradise of East Indonesia". The island holds several natural beauty which is so stunning, on the sea and on the land. In addition, the island is also save a million memory of wars that occurred in World War 2. Because the location is quite strategic, Morotai Island became one of the base camp during the war between the Pacific allies with Japan.

And you still can find a variety of war relics including caves, grounding planes and war artifacts such as aircraft, armored vehicles and also the relics of the trinkets and even bottles of Coca-Cola from the 1940s. A total of 63 battalions landed at Cape Dehegila, Morotai Island Regency since 15 September 1944 under the leadership of the command of Commander of Division VII of the United States, Douglas MacArthur. The goal, pounding power of the Japanese soldiers who came to power in Asia, including Indonesia.

Because of this, several dive sites around the island of Morotai are stored some wreckage of World War II. The most famous Underwater wreck site is on the wreck of the Bristol Beuford, lying on depth of about 40m in the `Field Pante`, in the southern Morotai, near the village of Wama. Morotai is relatively new dive spots in Indonesia, the infrastructure is still fairly minimal, but also the number of visitors is very rare.

For those of you who like underwater adventure that challenges the `sense` with thick expedition, this location offers a journey that no one will forget. The combination of underwater walls with the romance of the history of World War II which is spread over more than 25 point dive.

Do not forget to visit the dodola island, located not far from the island of Morotai. Dodola island has a beautiful beach tourism that is very interesting, which is an island archipelago consisting of large dodola islands and small dodola. This island has a white sand beach and very beautiful, which is actually two islands are in one cluster or the land has its own appeal, when sea water was receding, we can truly enjoy the beauty of the islands attractions here and there are looks together with a connecting white sand, fine white sand, swim in the clear sea water, and take pictures decorated with blue sky, it gives more satisfaction for us to enjoy the beauty of nature here.

When sea water is tide of from the region then this looks like two islands are separated, this is the unique characteristic of the island of Morotai dodola. On this island you can see the Cave of with silent witness of a Japanese fugitive named Nakamura. In this cave Nakamura escaped and lived for 30 years ie from 1945 until 1975.

How to get there?

To reach the island of Morotai can be through three channels option
1. Using vessels from Ternate to Morotai for 12 hours, the schedule is twice a week with a rate Rp 50000.00.
2. From Ternate to Sofifi using a speed boat for 30 minutes with a rate Rp 25000.00 and then proceed by road (car) to Tobelo for four hours with the rental fee Rp 75.000,00. Pathway can be bypassed every day.
3. Using a pioneering flight from the airport Babullah Ternate to Galela and Morotai for 30 minutes with a ticket price of Rp 250.000,00 but the schedule only once a week.

Be prepare for the Indonesia Sail event of Morotai island on next September 2012 , and feel the beauty of Indonesian archipelago.