Mentawai Islands offer some 400 surfing spots

Mentawai Islands, a chain of dozens of islands and islets off the western coast of Sumatra, offers some 400 surfing spots with some of the best waves to be found anywhere in the world.

District Head of Mentawai Islands Yudas Sabaggalet said here on Saturday that Mentawai Islands have become one of the most sought after surf destinations for the world class waves, a natural feature that holds a huge potential for its tourism industry.

"Some 23 of the 400 surfing spots have world class waves," the district head added.

Sabaggalet also proudly said Mentawai has the second best kind of waves in the world after Hawaii.

Around 7,000 international tourists visited Mentawai Islands for surfing each year, he revealed.

The region earned around Rp583.2 billion (US$44 million) each year from its tourism sector alone.

The local administration will be setting up a special economic region to boost the economy and tourism sector in Mentawai by developing the Trans Mentawai road to provide access and connectivity to the people in the islands.

Around 80 percent area in Mentawai Island is forest, and infrastructure development has become a challenge for the local administration in its efforts to boost its tourism sector.

Meanwhile, Chair of Indonesian Tours and Travel Association of West Sumatra Ian Hanafiah suggested that local people of Mentawai should also be involved in the development of the local tourism sector.

Foreign investment is necessary, but synergy with the local human resource and society is a must, he advised.

"In 2016, West Sumatras tourism grew quite rapidly. What is required is synergy to keep it growing," Hanafiah stressed.

The islands, which lie approximately 150km off the Sumatran coast, across the Mentawai Strait, have waves which vary in size from 2 to 15 feet.

Its broad exposure towards the vast southern Indian Ocean provides these islands with great waves all year round.

A group of indigenous people, called the Mentawai people, are still living in the islands.

The tribal people of Mentawai Islands are also known for their traditional tattoo art.

Several tribes in Mentawai are still practicing the tattoo art, a uniqueness of Mentawai special arts.(Antara)

Earlier:

• Surf the waves of Mentawai

• Pesona Mentawai Festival 2016 in Surfers' Paradise

Read More

Visit NIAS in August: International Surf Competition

This August make the island of Nias in the Indian Ocean your choice destination. From 6 to 8 August 2016, all district governments together with the people of Nias have joined hands to present the highlight of their 2016 Calendar of Events, which is filled with a cultural festivalcalled Ya’ahowu and the staging of the International Surf Competition .   

Nias is already wellknown worldwide for its unbelievable rolling surf barrels, - the darling of surfers, - and the earliest discovered living Megalithic culture in the Indonesian archipelago, which still thrives on the island until this very day.

These and other exciting cultural performances will be shown during the festival at Gunung Sitoli, that include the amazing famous barefeet high jumps over piles of stone, a mock battle , and other  unique and colorful traditional ceremonies of Nias. And for a more modern touch there will also be fashion shows and a culinary bazaar for all to enjoy.    

At the same time the exciting International Surf Competition will be ongoing at Sorake Bay and Lagundri Beach.

The Festival will close with popular Indonesian singers and 1,000 lanterns released into the sky.

As part of the province of North Sumatra, the island is reachable by regular flights from the Kualanamu International Airport of Medan, capital city of the province to the Binaka Airport at Gunung Sitoli. While Sorake Bay is only some15 km from Gunung Sitoli. There are surf camps available there for surfers.   Medan receives flights from Singapore, Malaysia, Jakarta and other major cities in Indonesia.

(Indonesia.travel)

Read More

Developing marine tourism in Riau Islands

Listed as the third contributor of foreign tourism destination in Indonesia after Bali and Jakarta, the Riau Islands Province is making every effort to develop marine tourism in order to attract more tourists and improve the local peoples welfare.

The province has long and white coastline stretches as far as the eyes can see, beautiful charm of undersea scenery, and a variety of water sports that will please the tourists visiting the area.

Local Tourism Office Chief Guntur Sakti has stated in the provincial city of Tanjungpinang that the Riau Islands Province, better known as Kepri, has marine tourism potential that has to be managed optimally.

Many beautiful islands in Kepri with marine tourism potential, according to him, must be developed properly in order to attract more domestic and foreign tourists. 

Indonesia has marine tourism sites with great potentials, especially those in archipelago areas, but they have not been managed optimally.

Development in archipelago areas needs to be accelerated to improve the local peoples welfare, exploit the marine potentials and to maintain the life of people on remote islands as well as in border areas which serve as the countrys peripheral fortifications.

The development of maritime tourist attraction in Kepri is expected to increase tourism competitivenessi with foreign countries, especially those neighboring the region.

According to him, Kepri Governor Nurdin Basirun supports efforts to change the strategy of tourism from land towards the sea, as 96 percent of the provinces territory is waters.

Riau Islands offers white sandy beaches, big rocks, deep sea fishing and adventure sports, and undersea panorama of fish and coral reefs, but the potential has yet to be optimally tapped into.

Among the islands in Kepri, Batam receives the third largest number of foreign tourists, following Bali and Jakarta. However, most of them spend their time either shopping or playing golf, not enjoying marine tourist resorts.

Head of the Batam tourism service, Yusfa Hendri, noted that the authorities planned to develop the islands of Galang, New Galang and other surrounding islands to attract tourists.

These islands have beautiful coral reefs that prove to be a paradise for divers and people who like fishing and snorkeling as a hobby.

In addition, the Indonesian government also plans to develop the Natuna Islands District in Kepri and its surrounding areas into a new tourists destination.

"In line with the directives of the President, Natuna will be transformed into a new tourism destination," Indonesian tourism minister Arief Yahya remarked recently.

He stated that following President Joko Widodos visit to the region in June, the tourism minister would immediately follow up on the plan.

He promised that he would ensure that his officials immediately close ranks and work together to develop the countrys outermost region.

"I have asked the head of tourism service of the Riau Islands province, Guntur Sakti, to report the results of the Presidents visit to the deputy for development of tourism destinations to achieve synergy," he said.

Arief noted that Natuna Islands and their surrounding areas have the potential for tourism development, as these have maritime possibilities.

Therefore, he revealed that he planned to develop Natuna as a maritime tourism destination.

President Joko Widodo, during his visit to the region had ordered acceleration of development in Natuna as one of the front-line islands.

To achieve that, infrastructure development is needed. Better connectivity and economic development of sectors such as fishery industry, gas industry and tourism will help the area.

The government has acknowledged tourism as a vital sector and set it as one of the main priorities for the countrys economic and national development.

"We have been promoting Indonesias status as a world-class maritime country. This is important in supporting strategic sectors of the economy and politics, including our promising marine tourism products," Arief said.

Another strategy was one stop shopping that encourages the growth of investment in all sectors, including tourism. 

This policy was intentionally prepared to anticipate the competition among South East Asian countries for ASEAN Economic Community that started in 2016.

Additionally, the Indonesian government has allocated a budget of almost US$200 million in order to support tourism promotional programs. This budget is intended to support the diversification and promotion effectiveness in larger markets.

The Ministry of Tourism, together with various tourism stakeholders, has prepared a variety of projects.

The ministry continues the marketing and promotion strategies with a focus on strengthening the positioning and branding of "Wonderful Indonesia" in its major market countries.

It aims to position Indonesia as "a wish list country" for world travelers.

To achieve this, the Ministry of Tourism massively holds worldwide marketing communication campaigns through the channels of international media, for example print, electronic, online and outdoor media such as buses, taxis, MRT, bus station, train, shopping centers with images of tourist destinations in Indonesia. (Antara)

Read More

Lampung holds huge appeal for international tourists

Holding a huge appeal for international tourists, the Indonesian province of Lampung is intensively promoting its tourism sector to help achieve sustainable development and to reduce poverty. 

The province is endowed with several natural and marine tourist attractions with many white sandy beaches, pristine waterfalls, lush nature preserves, and much more for both local and international tourists to enjoy.

Among many districts in the province, East Lampung is a rich, beautiful and interesting area with friendly people and a lot of tourist attractions.

Attempting to attract even more tourists, the district government, through the local Culture and Tourism Office, is making every effort to develop numerous natural, marine and cultural tourist attractions. 

The many tourist attractions in East Lampung include the Way Kambas National Park, Pugung Raharjo Archaeological Park, Kerang Mas beach, Lake Kemuning, Lake Beringin, agro tourism and cultural tourism.

East Lampung Culture and Tourism Office Chief Mastur remarked that among these tourist attractions, Kerang Mas beach in Labuhan Maringgai is now being developed.

Once this beach development is completed, Lake Kemuning and Lake Beringin will also be developed in stages in an effort to attract 250 thousand tourists to East Lampung in 2016. 

Lampung province has 64 waterfalls, numerous small, beautiful islands, and seven leading tourist areas where supporting infrastructure facilities are being improved.

The seven leading tourist areas are the Waikambas National Park; South Bukit Barisan National Park; Kiluan Bay; Tanjung Setia and Krui Marine Tourism; Siger Tower; Mount Anak Krakatau and Sebesi Island; and Bandarlampung Tourism Area.

The Elephant Rehabilitation Center in Way Kambas National Park, where wild, rampaging elephants are domesticated and taught useful skills, also offers a special attraction for visitors.

The several bird-watching locations boast of the presence of the rare white-winged wood duck. The Way Kambas National Park is home to critically endangered species, such as Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran rhinoceroses.

With swamp forest, lowland rainforest, mangrove forest and dry beach forest, along with expanses of grasslands, this national park is an ideal habitat for thousands of different species and offers several opportunities for visitors to experience some of Indonesias most diverse wildlife.

Hence, Way Kambas is being developed into a national and international tourist destination.

The Way Kambas National Park is an icon of the East Lampung District and is well known, both in the country and abroad. 

The Great Hall of the Way Kambas National Park is also drafting a strategy to use trained domesticated elephants in the Elephant Conservation Center as a tourist attraction.

However, the parks management is waiting for the governments guidelines on the use of the Elephant Conservation Center as a tourist destination.

The management is still awaiting an approval from the Ministry of Environment and Forestry on using elephants to entertain visitors.

The Way Kambas National Park Great Hall is currently formulating a plan to develop an ecotourism village as a secondary destination for visitors.

According to Lampung Deputy Governor Bachtiar Basri, the development of the tourism sector in the province is directed at expanding ecosystem-based marine tourism and preserving nature.

The deputy governor emphasized that roads and transportation facilities, electricity, and security arrangements must be improved, so tourists visiting these spots can enjoy their stay and feel at home.

Lampung is well-known across the world for its Krakatau island volcano, one of the most intriguing sites globally; and for its agricultural commodities, such as pepper and coffee.

Given its central location, the Krakatau islands are accessible both from Jakarta through the province of Banten, and from Bandarlampung, the capital of Lampung.

The Krakatau islands comprise three small and scenic islands: Rakata, Panjang and Serdang.

Shaped in different ways by the impact and eruption of the Krakatau volcano eons ago, the beaches of Merak Belantung, Pasir Putih, and a tourist resort near the Lalaan waterfall, besides Mount Rajabasa, should also be on every visitors travel itinerary.

In addition, numerous tourist spots in Lampung Barat district are being readied to cater to as many local and foreign tourists as possible this year.

The Lampung Barat district government has always welcomed tourists, but this year, it has made additional efforts to attract even more domestic and foreign travelers.

In a bid to make vacationers feel at home, several tourist spots in Lampung Barat have hired additional workers to render optimum services, to offer a sense of comfort, and to ensure the security of visitors.

The tourist attractions in Lampung Barat also include the Tanjung Setia Beach in the Pesisir Selatan Sub-district. It offers natural panoramic views and challenging waves that are ideal for surfing.

The cool and crystal clear waters of Tanjung Setia also draw foreign holidaymakers.

Besides Tanjung Setia, Lampung Barat also has other tourist spots worth exploring, such as the Labuhan Jakung Beach, Pulau Pisang, Lake Ranau, the Way Besai rafting resort, and the Sekura Cakak Buah cultural festival.

In addition, the district offers white water rafting for both domestic and foreign tourists.

Lampung Barat has a river that offers opportunities for rafting, and therefore, it is ideal for both domestic and foreign tourists, who love water sports.

The swirling currents in the river hold special attraction for tourists, who want to test their courage by going surfing.(Antara)

Read More