Wednesday, April 27, 2011

about travel in indonesia, tips travel to indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world comprising 17,504 large and small tropical islands fringed with white sandy beaches, many still uninhabited and a number even still unnamed. Straddling the equator, situated between the continents of Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, it is as wide as the United States from San Francisco to New York, equaling the distance between London and Moscow. Indonesia has a total population of more than 215 million people from more than 200 ethnic groups. The national language is Bahasa Indonesia.

Among the most well known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan (formerly Borneo), Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), the Maluku Islands (or better known as Moluccas, the original Spice Islands) and Papua. Then, there is Bali “the world’s best island resort” with its enchanting culture, beaches, dynamic dances and music. But Indonesia still has many unexplored islands with grand mountain views, green rainforests to trek through, rolling waves to surf and deep blue pristine seas to dive in where one can swim with dugongs, dolphins and large mantarays.

Because of her location, and geology, Indonesia is blessed with the most diverse landscape, from fertile ricelands on Java and Bali to the luxuriant rainforests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, to the savannah grasslands of the Nusatenggara islands to snow-capped peaks of West Papua.

Her wildlife ranges from the prehistoric giant Komodo lizard to the Orang Utan and the Java rhino, to the Sulawesi anoa dwarf buffalos, to birds with exquisite plumage like the cockatoo and the bird of paradise. This is also the habitat of the Rafflesia the world’s largest flower, wild orchids, an amazing variety of spices, and aromatic hardwood and a large variety of fruit trees. Underwater, scientists have found in North Sulawesi the prehistoric coelacanth fish, a “living fossil” fish, predating the dinosaurs living some 400 million years ago, while whales migrate yearly through these waters from the South Pole. Here are hundreds of species of colourful coral and tropical fish to admire.

Culturally, Indonesia fascinates with her rich diversity of ancient temples, music, ranging from the traditional to modern pop, dances, rituals and ways of life, changing from island to island, from region to region. Yet everywhere the visitor feels welcomed with that warm, gracious innate friendliness of the Indonesian people that is not easily forgotten.

Facilities-wise Indonesia’s hotels are second to none. In fact, many of our luxurious and unique hotels have constantly been listed as some of the best in the world, located on white sandy beaches, overlooking green river valleys, or situated in the heart of busy capital Jakarta. While Indonesia’s cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, or Makassar are a hive of activities for business and leisure and a paradise for shoppers, offering upscale boutiques selling top brand names, to local goods at road-side stalls. Here gourmets can treat themselves to the many regions’ delectable spicy cuisine or dine sumptuously at international restaurants. And for sheer relaxation, Indonesia Spas are second to none to reinvigorate both body and mind.

Convention centers are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, as many top international conferences and exhibitions are held in Jakarta, Bali to Manado, ranging from the Global Climate Change Conference in Bali to the World Ocean Conference in Manado , to trade and investment exhibitions and tourism trade shows in many provincial capital cities.

Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Padang, Bandung, Solo, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Makassar are connected by direct international flights, and many regular and low cost carriers fly passengers to Indonesia’s towns or remote locations.

for more information about travel in indonesia, you can visit their official travel website :

http://indonesia.travel

Friday, April 15, 2011

Traveling cheaply in Spain

Every traveler knows how easily the wallet becomes feather-light towards the end of the journey. But if you are careful, that is know how to spend wisely, you could well end up saving those precious dollars.

http://www.freebestwallpapers.info/bulkupload//13/2//Nature/Lamanche-Spain.jpg

Book cheap flights

You could fly to Spain and back for only $ 599. Take the time – and trouble – to visit relevant websites, especially Kayak.com and make comparisons. Most airlines offer cheaper deals for weekday flights. You would be well-advised to book very far in advance to get the best deals possible although some last-minute deals can be pretty good too. If you are travelling from the US, it might be cheaper to first travel to the UK. Booking your flight through reliable websites saves you some extra pennies as there is no agent (read middleman) involved. Some airlines known to provide the cheapest flights are: Thomas Airways, Ryanair, and Fly Thomas Cook.

Accommodation

You don’t want to spend all your money on accommodation while traveling, do you? The good news is that you don’t have to. You can rent holiday homes rather cheaply over the net. And if you are not fussy about living away from the city center you can actually strike a great deal. A holiday apartment in Catrojja near Valencia comes as cheaply as $ 326 for an entire week, to cite just one instance.

If you are traveling alone, however, try any of the youth hostels. They are dirt cheap, as low as $ 14 per day. Most of them are located in the city center. They are clean and offer the best facilities including guided tours, good wholesome food, etc. In other words, they offer good value for money. You can book online sans hassles.

Traveling around

Whenever possible try ‘car sharing’ as a means of travel. It is not only lighter on your pocket but also more eco-friendly. The more adventurous might want to hitchhike but it can turn out to be dangerous. Don’t lose your life (or worse) in order to save a few dollars.

Catch the bus as often as you can as bus travel turns out cheaper compared to the train. Buses in Spain also cover more routes than trains.

If you happen to be in one of the large cities like Madrid or Barcelona you can also try catching the underground metro trains, which are super fast and efficient. Operating the ticket machines is relatively easy and you can also change the display system into English.

Eating cheaply in Spain

You may not believe this but Spanish breakfasts are costlier compared to Spanish lunches. While ordering lunch, however, it is best not to go the a la carte way as this could turn out to be more expensive. Most restaurants offer a menu del dia or menu of the day that covers at least three courses.

Some people prefer to exist on ‘tapas’ alone. Tapas are small yet tasty portions that can be quite filling. Avoid the swanky restaurants; don’t be afraid of going into overcrowded tapas bars. Simply point to what you want. Some bars offer free tapas with a drink.

Live, travel, and eat cheaply in Spain. As you can see, it is not difficult!

Author Bio:

Angelina Christy is a travel author who has written many articles that keeps on guiding the travelers throughout the world. Angelina herself is an avid traveler who has traveled more than 22 countries. She also talks about travel options like Cheap Flights Manila and Cheap Tickets to Manila that explains how tourists can minimize the cost of their travel fares.