The World Surfing Paradise in Sumatera – Indonesia
Mentawai Island is on the west of Padang province. The beaches of this island are very famous around the world as a surfing paradise with the most beautiful panorama as an extra plus. Mentawai Island has shoreline 758 kilometers. The most interesting of Mentawai Island is the wave. It is very roughly amazing wave for surfing. The wave was found by Australian surfers who found it when they visited this island in 90th. Then they announced it into the world, even they build some resorts to serve the foreign tourist who interested in surfing. It becomes the starting point of Mentawai Island as The World Surfing Paradise.
Geographically, Mentawai Island directly facing Indian Ocean has consistent wave year-round. Usually on April-August is the best time for surfing because the wave can reach till six meters high. It’s the favourite ekstreme wave for the surfer. It is also the same time with summer holiday in Europe. So, that is why the most tourists are from Europe on that months.
Sumatera is the third biggest island in the Indonesia archipelago. The massive Bukit Barisan mountai range which runs almost the entire lenght of the island make up Sumatera’s diverse lanscape of dense tropical forest, rugged coastlines, wide sandy beaches, deep gorges and steamy swamps. Large of them are protected reserves, such as the Great Bukit Barisan Forest Reserve in North Sumatera.
Sumatera Provinces
NAD (Nanggroe Aceh Darusalam) is Sumatera’s and Indonesia’s nothernmost and westernmost province. Since the arrival of Islam in the 13th century, Aceh has become a predominantly moeslim region. The Saman Dance for examples, incorporates religious chants with the dynamic movements performed in unison. The fast-paced dance expresses the praise for the Almighty. The body movements require tremendous personal discipline and full concentration from all members of troupe.
In the capital of Banda Aceh, the most striking feature is the black-domed Grand Baiturrachman Mosque with its white marble interior. It is one of the few buildings that miraculously remained erect after a natural disaster struck part of the province at the end of 2004.
On December 26, 2004, Aceh was hit by the worst tsunami and earthquake the world has ever seen with Banda Aceh and areas along the northwestern coast of Sumatera being the worse hit. Since then, the people have picked up the pieces and slowly rebuild their lives, showing the resilience the Acehnese are famous for.
One of the region’s riches is its wild life, largely concentrated and protected in Mount Leuser National Park. The reserve is home to a variety of primates, such as gibbons and orangutans, the Sumatran rinocheros, tigers and elephants.
Whether sea or river, Aceh offers some of the most exciting water adventures. White water rafting down the rapids and bends of Krueng Tripa and the River Alas is an experience that will have you soaking wet and breathless.
Under the sea is an ideal environment for snorkeling and scuba diving (with 25m visibility), such as around Pulau Weh (Weh island) off the nothernmost tip of Sumatera, and Rubiah Sea Garden.
Valley of Beauty
jam Gadang sianok canyon Nentawai islandThe cool highlands of West Sumatera is one of the most picturesque regions in Sumatera. It offers spectacular view of volcanoes, fertile valleys and canyons, such as the Anai Valley, Sianok and Harau Canyons. The latter is a nature reserve famous for the rare giant, flowering plant, Rafflesia.
West Sumatera is land of the Minangkabau people, known for their beautiful hand-woven songkets and richly decorated horn-roofed longhouses or called Rumah Gadang.
Bukittinggi is a cool highland town with stunning view of two volcanoes, Mount Merapi and Mount Singgalang. 63Km away, is Lake Maninjau, a huge and beautiful crater lake with complete recreational facilities.
About 10-hours drive from Padang – the province capital – we’ll reach the largest park in Sumatera, Kerinci Seblat National Park, includes its active volcano, Mount Kerinci (3805 m) and several high-altitude lakes. The park contains areas of lowland ranforest home to rhinoceros, tigers, clouded leopards, elephants and wide variety of bird species. East of the mountain, is a botanists’ heaven, a high-altitude freshwater marsh known as Lake Bentu.
On Mentawai Island, people live in comparative isolation and still hold on to centuries old animistic beliefs. Mentawai Island is a chain of islands off the western coast of Sumatera, surrounded by beautiful cotal reefs that are ideal for diving. Around Pieh Island, a 40m vertical wall rises from a sandy slope and is frequented by a rich variety of fish and other marine animals.
Indonesia : Gem of the Equator
Gem Of Equator
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago, consisting of more than 17,000 islands. Spread across 5,120 km of ocean and positioned between Asia and Australia, this country is as wide as the European continent. Four-fifths of the area is sea, with the major islands of Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua.
Unity in Diversity
As the world’s 14th largest nation, Indonesia’s population totals over 200 million, comparising 250-300 ethnic groups that have their own language and dialects bute are united with Bahasa Indonesia, the national language spoken throughtout the archipelago.
The majority of Indonesians are Islam, with Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists and followers of Confucianism making up the rest. Since 2001 the Chinese culture has experienced a welcomed revival that served to enrich the country’s cultural diversity.
The Nature
Indonesia’s flora and fauna is diversely rich as its land and people. Asian mammals in the west, Australians marsupial species and birds in the east and the endemic species are in the middle of archipelago.
Orangutans, tigers, one horned rhinos, elephant, dugongs, anoas, komodo dragons are the pride of Indonesia. The seas around archipelago also hold the country’s treasures, a rich marine environment that holds a myriad of species, from fish, corals and marine mammals. National parks around the archipelago serve to preserve this rich natural heritage.
