The volcanic cone of Ijen dominates the landscape at the eastern end of Java. Crater of Ijen is filled by a spectacular turquoise blue lake, its surface streaked in wind-blown patterns of yellow sulphur. Kawah Ijen is the world's largest highly acidic lake and is the site of a labor-intensive sulfur mining operation in which sulfur-laden baskets are hand-carried from the crater floor. Many other post-caldera cones and craters are located within the caldera or along its rim. The largest concentration of post-caldera cones forms an E-W-trending zone across the southern side of the caldera. Coffee plantations cover much of the Ijen caldera floor, and tourists are drawn to its waterfalls, hot springs, and dramatic volcanic scenery. To Ijen Crater : Is a nature wonder that can be reached from Bondowos. The Crater has 5,466 acres wide on the elevation of 2,386 m above sea level. During dry season from April through October the temperature drops to 2 - 18 Centigrade. Down to the crater sulphur mining can be found. Packed to this journey. A plantation tour to Perkebunan Nusantara XII in Jampit can be arrange. You will get a new experience enjoying an arabica coffe plantation tour. A Very fresh air on the elevation of 900 m above sea level will make your tour as unforgettable trip. Anyone travelling on a clear day across the narrow strait separating East Java and Bali will almost certainly be impressed by the two towering mountain peaks dominating the Javanese horizon. These are the summits of Mt Merapi and the crater rim of Ijen, just two points lying on the edge of a vast caldera, which at its widest point is some 20 km in diameter. The Ijen plateau lies in the centre of the Ijen Merapi-Maelang Reserve, which extends over much of the mountainous region directly west of Banyuwangi and borders on the Baluran National Park in the north east. As at Bromo, the caldera is best viewed from the air. Fortunately, almost all commercial flights operating between Denpasar and Surabaya, Yogyakarta or Jakarta usually fly, if not directly over, then close by the Ijen plateau, where the seemingly luminous blue/green crater lake forms an unmistakeable landmark. The lake lies at the far eastern end of the plateau and is without doubt among the most impressive of East Java's natural wonders. Despite the long and arduous journey along punishing roads (a four wheel drive vehicle is essential), the trip to Ijen is more than worth the effort and is sure to prove an unforgettable experience for anyone who makes it to the end of the trail. Kawah (crater) Ijen can be reached from either the east or the west. The latter is the more popular approach, since the climb from the road's end to the edge of the lake is only one and a half hours. The road from Banyuwangi, on the other hand, involves a six to seven hour trek from the village of Licin. The western route starts from Wonosari, a few kilometres outside Bondowoso, the town famous for its bull fights. A narrow road, full of potholes, runs east and up from Wonosari, rapidly deteriorating into bone shaking loose rock and gravel. Seemingly endless hairpin bends ascend into forests of casuarina (cemara) trees, giving way to pine forests and coffee plantations. The temperature drops. At night, near the crater rim, it can fall to about 5 degrees celsius. The road ends at Jampit, where very basic shelter is available. It is also possible to sleep in the old vulcanology station further up the hill, now used by sulphur collectors, but permission must be obtained in advance. We were awoken by the cold at about 4 a.m., after a few hours of half sleep. We had come ill prepared, not expecting such a dramatic drop in the temperature, and were suffering the consequences. The drive up on the previous day had taken some 5 hours from Bondowoso and we had arrived in Jampit at around 10 p.m.. From here, a sulphur collector had guided us up to our sleeping quarters in the old vulcanology station, which lay a further hour's climb up the mountain. The silence was magnificent. The only sound heard at these heights was the soughing of the wind in the cemara trees. Audible for several kilometres, the wind could be heard whistling around the rim of the caldera, sometimes taking a full minute to reach us. As dawn approached we set up cameras overlooking the plateau to the west. Immediately in front of us stood the monstrous crater of Mt Raung, which at 3,332m is the highest peak in the vicinity and among the tallest in Java. Raung is an active and dangerous volcano, which is known to erupt regularly*.Prior to 1838 the crater probably contained a lake, which would have caused extensive flood damage during eruptions. Nowadays, however, the crater floor is dry. From the air, the gaping summit of Raung presents an awesome spectacle, the sheer crater walls plunging half a kilometre into the heart of the mountain. After photographing the changing colours of the early morning sky, from deep purple/blue/gray to golden yellow, we focused on the mountain peaks. Raung, Pendil, Suket and, far to the west, the faint outline of Mt Argopura and the Iyang plateau, lay like so many islands floating on a sea of cloud. As the first rays of the sun lit up the peaks, we set off on the last stage of the journey, a 45 minute climb to the crater rim of ijen. If you lose your way, just look out for the sulphur trail", someone had advised us the day before. Now the meaning was clear. A continuous flow of two way traffic, carrying the sulphur down the mountainside from the lake and trudging up again to re-load, had left a yellow trail on the well worn path. Work obviously started early, since already at first light the men who had shared our accommodation had left for the lake shore to load up their baskets. The Ijen crater lies at approximately 2,300 metres above sea level. It forms a twin volcano with the now extinct Mt Merapi. The enormous crater lake, which is 200 metres deep and covers an area of more than half a million square metres, contains about 36 million cubic metres of steaming, acid water. A walk around the lake takes a full day. We arrived at the crater rim just as the sun appeared over the summit of Merapi. The sight was breathtaking. From the still, deep blue surface of the lake, heavily fissured white rock walls rose about 200 metres, enclosing the crater. To the north east we could see the distant peak of Mt Baluran. Below, at the lake's edge, was a scene from Dante's inferno. Small figures could be seen labouring amidst billowing clouds of smoke in the sulphur quarry. As we descended towards the mine, the rising sun began to warm the surface of the lake, which soon changed to a sinister milky turquoise colour. Ripples appeared in the water, disturbing the bright yellow, amoeba-like streaks of sulphur, which until that moment had rested motionless. Half an hour later, when we arrived at the lake shore, the water had begun steaming. The sulphur, we learned, is transported entirely on foot. In the past, horses were used but they were found to be less practical on the hazardous terrain. Today, the mine yields nine to twelve tons of sulphur per day. Individual loads of up to 70 kgs are carried by men, often barefooted, up to the rim of the crater and then 17 km down the mountainside to a factory near Banyuwangi. The porters are paid by weight. After arrival at the factory, the sulphur is treated before being used in the production of medicines and as an important element in the processing of sugar. Copyrights © 2005 All Rights Reserved Ijen Crater | Po Copyrights Http://www.eastjava.com

Orchid exhibit offers colorful experience

Orchid exhibit offers colorful experience

In commemoration of its 50th anniversary, the Indonesian Orchid Association is holding a 10-day exhibition at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, East Jakarta.

Through April 22, visitors can enjoy a stunning array of orchid varieties, including local varieties such as Dendrobium fatahillah and Coelogyne celebensis, at the amusement park's Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum.

Officially opened last Saturday, the exhibition is a meeting place for breeders, collectors and hobbyists.

"I hope that our 2007 Orchid Festival will bring together everyone involved in orchids," association chairwoman Mufidah Jusuf Kalla told Antara during last Saturday's exhibition opening.

Exhibition coordinator Rossi Anton Apriyantono said the festival would showcase Indonesia's latest orchid hybrids, allowing visitors to get in direct contact with producers.

According to Rossi, despite Indonesia's richness of orchid varieties, the country still lags behind neighboring Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand when it comes to gaining a share of the global orchid market.

"Singapore will host the World Orchid Conference for the second time in 2011, while Indonesia has never once been appointed to host the event," Rossi said.

Indonesia's share of the global orchid market stands at about US$1.5 million annually, just a fraction of the total yearly orchid trade of $250 million, Agricultural Minister Anton Apriyantono said.

Illega logging is seen as a major threat to the variety of orchids in Indonesia, as more and more species are lost.

Although collectors and hobbyists seem to be in the forefront of orchid conservation, they also contribute to the problem of the lack of mass cultivation of rare orchid species, Anton said.

"Some of them want their rare flowers to remain rare and expensive," he said.

Most of Indonesia's more valuable species, like the Paphiopedilum javanicum, Phalaenopsis javanica and Phalaenopsis gigantia, now often end up in the hands of collectors in Taiwan, Thailand and European countries.

To support Indonesian orchid exports, the Agricultural Ministry is planning to scrap quarantine fees on agricultural products.

Source: Thejakartapost.com

World`s biggest bryophyte park in Cibodas dedicated

World`s biggest bryophyte park in Cibodas dedicated

The Cibodas bryophyte park, part of the Cibodas Botanical Garden (KRC ) in Pacet subdistrict, Cianjur regency, West Java, and believed to be the only outdoor moss park in the world, was dedicated by Mrs Umar Anggara Jenie, wife of the Head of the Indonesian Council of Sciences (LIPI ).

Head of the KRC Vegetation Conservation Institute Holif Immamudin said on the sidelines of the dedication of the 1,500-m2 bryophyte park, which will be expanded to 2,500 m2, located between Mt Gede and Mt Pangrango, that everything in the KRC is the biggest in the world.

"With its biggest outdoor moss park in the world, Indonesia will be known as a country which is serious in plant conservation," he said.

Actually, Germany and Singapore also have a moss park, but indoor, and having only seven species, and the one in Japan has only 10 species.

He said that Indonesia is rich in biodiversity, as all the 3,000 different moss species in the world are also found in Indonesia, and 250 of them are found in the Cibodas Botanical Garden, he said.

But unfortunately, he said, the condition of one of Indonesia`s biodiversity lacked attention of the appropriate authorities, whereas moss has an important role to play in the life of human beings.

Some of the benefits of bryophytes he said moss maintains humidity of the air and land porosity, and is a water binder.

And moss of the Usnea species also has a medical potential, while a moss of the Spaghnum species is known to replace cotton, and could heal skin and eye diseases, and serve as a means for the growth of orchids. Moss of the marchantia species is known to heal hepatitis.

But all these moss species must first be clinically tested before using them as a medical drug.

The moss park is designed on the basis of a cultivated landscape.

Its strategic location makes it very easy for visitors to see it, because the moss park is only 600 meters away from the KRC entrance, and can also be reached through the Rhododendron Park and an asphalted road to Curug in Cibogo.

In the meantime, Bian Tan, program coordinator for Southeast Asia told the press that the moss species in Indonesia are the most complete in the world.

Besides, he added, as it is located in a tropical region surrounded by mountains, the air around it remains humid, unlike those in other countries like Germany, Singapore and Japan, which are located indoor.

The the bryophyte park was dedicated also on the occasion of the 154th anniversary of the KRC.

Spiritual Tourism for Bali

2007

Spiritual Tourism for Bali

Minister Wacik Sees Strong Future for Spiritual Tourism in Bali.

(10/20/2007) Republika On-Line reports that the Minister of Culture and Tourism, Jero Wacik has identified spiritual tourism as a key product for Bali's future.

According to the Minister, "a source for tourism in Bali for the future is spiritual tourism because of the potentials and possibilities offered in the cities and regions in Bali."

Speaking before a conference on "Major Trends – Opportunities and Investments in Tourism," Wacik said the main market sources for spiritual tourism are from Japan, Europe and the United States. "Tourist coming from these countries have become bored with crowded tourist attractions and are now seeking 'quieter' tourism, such as places for mediation and reflections upon their Creator," he explained.

The Minister said that all locations in Bali have potential for spiritual tourism together with other destinations in Indonesia, such as Tanah Toraja in Sulawesi and Central Java. Wacik emphasized that in addition to the physical location for this form of tourism, it is also essential to have staff trained in meditative practice and yoga.

Commenting separately, Bali's Chief of Tourism, Drs. I Gede Nurjaya, said that the Balinese have a close connection with nature and an all pervading sense of spirituality. The leading government official in charge of Bali's tourism said that the Balinese see nature in a religious context and have a wide range of ritual practice honoring nature. Because of this, said Nurjaya, Bali is the proper choice of location for the development of spiritual tourism.

© Bali Discovery Tours. Articles may be quoted and reproduced if attributed to http://www.balidiscovery.com. All images and graphics are copyright protected.

Kanha National Park

Kanha National Park

This park is situated in the heart of Sal forests of the Central high lands of Mandla and Balaghat districts. It covers 940sq.km in area. It was set up in 1995. The nearest town Mandla is 65 km, Jabalpur which is160 km from the park is both rail head as well as air port; Nagpur is 270 km from the park.

The park has sparsely wooded grassy plateau, sprawling slopes with lush green, trees and bamboos. There are also plenty of smaller plants, creepers and mushrooms. The landscape, rich in vegetation presents a spellbinding view and is eminently suitable for providing shelter to a variety of mammals and birds.

This area was initially made a sanctuary in 1955 to protect the magnificent barasingha-swamp deer from extinction. The fauna of the park consists of barasingha, cheetal sambar, black duck, barking deer, gaur, hog deer, chausingha, bison, boar, tiger, leopard, hyena and wild dog. It is also the tiger reserve under project tiger. The number of tigers has doubled and barasingha have crossed the 450 mark. There are nearly two hundred bird species such as storks, teals, pintails, egrets, peafowl, partridges, doves, pigeons, cuckoos, eagles, kites, etc.

February to June are the best months for visiting the park.

Bandharvgarh National Park

Situated in Shahdol and Jabalpur districts, the park with an area of 437 km was set up in 1968. The nearest town from the park is Umaria, 35 km away. This town is also the nearest rail head. The nearest airport is at Jabalpur at a distance of 160km.

The park contains moist deciduous forests with Sal and other trees with large stretches of grass lands with bamboo groves. The fauna consists of tiger, panther, leopard, gaur, chausingha, nilgai, chinkara, sloth bear, bear, wild boar, and a variety of birds.

March to June are the ideal months for visiting the park.

Madhav National Park

Set up in the year1959, the park is spread over 337 sq km in the district of Shivpuri. The nearest town is Shivpuri 6kms away. The rail head is Jhansi 100 km from the park and the nearest airport is Gwalior at a distance of 116 km.

The park consist of dry forests of anogeisus lotifolia. The fauna found are tiger, panther, leopard, spotted deer, black buck, sambar, hyena, chausingha, langur, nilai, crocodile and python. The spoonbills, waterside birds and demoiselle cranes. The park has several rest houses and motel. April - June and October - February are suitable months for visiting the park.

Panna National Park

Spread over an area of 543sq.km in the districts of Panna and Chhatarpur, this park was established in 1981. The nearest town from the park is Panna 20 km away and the rail head is at Satna which is at a distance of 95 km. The nearest airport is Khajuraho 20 km away.

The forests of the park are tropical dry deciduous. The fauna found are leopard, panther, tiger, chinkara, sloth bear, wolf, wild pig, nilgai, gharial ,mugger, crocodile, and peafowl.

The best month for visiting the park are November to April.

Satpura National Park

The park is located in the district of Hoshangabad covering an area of 502sq.km. The nearest town is Pamchamarhi. The nearest railhead is Piparia at a distance of 55 km and the nearest airport is Bhopal at a distance of 210 km.

The fauna comprise leopard, tiger, barking deer, Sambar, nilgai and bison. Hornbill and peafowl are the common birds.

The best month for visiting the park are January to June.

Van Vihar National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Bhopal with an area of 4.45sq.km. The state capital is only 3km away from the park. Bhopal airport and railhead are at a distance of 12km and 7km respectively from the park.

The fauna of the park comprise leopard, tiger, ratal, bear, Sambhar, black buck etc.

July to September are the best months for visiting the park.

Fossil National Park

Established in the year1983. The fossil National park is located in the district of Mandala in an area of 0.27sq.km. The nearest town from the park is Shahpura at a distance of 13km. The nearest railhead and airport are at Jabalpur, 87km from the park. The park contains botanical fossils.

The best period for visiting the fossil National park is November to May.

Pench National Park

This park was established in 1979 in the district of Seoni in an area of 293sq.km. Seoni, the nearest town from the park is 50km from here, Nagpur serves as the airport and the railhead for visiting the park which is at a distance of 90km from it.

The park contains dry mixed deciduous forest. The fauna of the park comprises tiger, leopard, sloth bear, sambar, gaur, chital, barking deer four horned antelope wild dog and wild boar.

March to June is the best period for visiting the park.

Ranthambore National park

Ranthambore National park

Set up in 1955, Ranthambore National park is situated in the district of Sawai-Madhopur, at the function of Aravalis and Vindhyas covering an area of 392sq.km. The nearest town and the railhead from the park is Sawaimadhopur. The nearest airport is Jaipur at a distance of 132km.

The land consists both of steep slopes and gently rolling plateau on the hill top. The forests are dry deciduous dominated by dhok trees interspersed with grasslands. There are scattered pools to provide water to the wild animals. The well forested park harbours diverse fauna which include tiger, leopard, wild boar, caracal, sloth bear, ratel, hyena, civet, jungle cat, sambar, chinkara, nilgai, four-horned antelope, python, cobra, crocodile, partridge, green pigeon, red spur fowl, peafowl, parakeet, teal etc.

The best period for visiting the park is October to April.

Sariska National park

The park was set up in 1982 in the district of Alwar covering an area of 274sq.km. The nearest town and the rail head is Alwar at a distance of 36 km from the park, Jaipur is the nearest airport at a distance of 110 km.

The tract of the park is mainly hilly with two plateaus. The forests are dominated by dhok.

The fauna of the park comprise tiger, leopard, panther, wild boar, hyena, jungle cat, civet, four horned antelope, sambar, cheetah, ratel, caracal, chinkara, nilagi, partridges, green pigeon and pea fowl.

The park can be visited round the year except in July, August, and September. It has rest houses.

Keoldeo National park

The park set up in1981 in Bharatpur district, 2 km away from Bharatpur town, covers an area of 29 km. The nearest rail head is Bharatpur at a distance of 8 km. The nearest airport is Agra 55km from the park.

The park has tropical dry deciduous forest type. Some 282 species of trees, shrubs, climbers, grasses and herbs are found here. Out of these ninety one species of plants are acquatic.

The park often referred to as paradise for birds is famous of the variety of indigenous and migratory birds, both aquatic and non aquatic. The fauna of the park are Siberian crane cormorant, stork, spoonbill, quail, coot, heron, teal, tern, sambar, cheetah, black buck, wild boar, civet etc. The Siberian crane which breed in Siberia usually visit this park during November- December after covering a distance of 4,000km and go back in March. This species is critically endangered. The number of those cranes visiting the park has dwindled sharply from 100 in 1976 to just 5 in 1993.

The best months for visiting the park are from September to April. The park has rest houses. All areas for watching wild life are within walking distance.

Name of the National Park	Nearest Town, Railhead and Airport	Best Period for visiting	Accommodation	Contact address
Keoldeo Ghana	Nearest Town - Bharatpur - 2km Railhead - Bharatpur - 8km. Airport -Agra -55km.	Throughout the year	Bharatpur Forest Lodge (ITDC) 2.5km inside the sanctuary, Shanti Kutir Rest House, Saras, outside the park, Tented Camp near park entrance.	Dy Chief Wildlife Warden, Keoldeo National Park, Bharatpur.
Ranthambore	Nearest Town - Sawai Madhopur - 14km. Railhead - Sawai Madhopur - 14km. Airport - Jaipur - 132km.	October to April	Jogi Mahal (within the park), Outside: Sawai Madhopur Lodge(Taj), Tiger Moon Resort, Ankur Resorts, Ranthambore Road.	Field Director, Ranthambore National Park, Sawai Madhopur
Sariska	Nearest Town - Alwar - 36km. Railhead - Alwar - 36km. Airport - Jaipur - 110km.	November to June	Kushalgarh Palace, 6 Km before Sariska Palace	Field Director, Sariska Tiger Project.

Namdapha National Park

Namdapha National Park

Place: Miau, Changlang district, Arunachal Pradesh
Nearest town: Margherita ( Assam) 63 km
Best time to visit: October to April
Main attraction: Snow leopard nearly 163 Km from Dibrugarh (Assam)

Namdapha National Park is located in the Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh on the India Burmese border a few km from the entry point, Miau. It was designated as a National Park in 1983 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. The same year, it was also declared as tiger reserve under Project Tiger. With a total area of 1985 sq kms, this is the largest national park in the north-east and one of the larger protected areas in the country. In fact, this was among the earliest national parks established in the seven states of north-east India.

The park watered by the Noa- Dehing and the Namdapha rivers, is largely inaccessible, with diverse habitats of flora and fauna. The vegetation ranges from the wet evergreen tropical and sub-tropical forests to temperate and alpine forests. A variety of wild tree species and crop plants including banana, mango, citrus and medicinal and ornamental plants including wild orchids are found here. The inaccessibility has helped the forests to retain its pristine ness.

The fauna of the park comprises elephant, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, golden cat, wild dog, endangered Hoolock gibbon, Namdapha Flying Squirrel, wild buffalo, guar, hog deer, sloth bear, bison, Himalayan Tahr, Bharal, python, King cobra, , the wild goats; takin peculiar to the Patkoi range, Serow and Goral etc. The park is rich in bird life. The important birds are Indian Horn bill, the state bird of Arunachal, white winged wood duck, cheer pheasants etc.

The park is unique in its altitude, which varies around 200 metres (nearly sea level) in the valleys to more than 4,500 metres of snow covered mountain peaks. Perhaps no other national park in the world can boast of such phenomenal altitudinal variation. The park is also ideal for trekking and hiking. From Miau the entry point, a forest road stretching over 28-km gives access to the protected area up to a place called Deban where accommodation is available. Beyond this there is no road and one has to go on foot. It is a challenging trek through dense forests and steep hill ranges with rivers flowing in between and the varying climatic conditions from tropical to cold and temperate conditions..

Where to stay
Accommodation is available at the Government Tourist Lodge, Miao; Rest House at Namchik and at the Forest Inspection Bungalow surrounded by evergreen forests overlooking river Noa-dihing. For reservation at the forest inspection Bungalow, Deban contact
Deputy Commissioner, Tawang, Phone: 037824 - 22221 (O) 22222 (R)

How to get there

Air: The nearest airport is Dibrugarh, Assam (140 km).
Rail: The nearest rail-head is Ledo (56 km) and the nearest station is Margherita in Assam. Local train connects Margherita to Tinisukia which is connected with major cities of India.
Road: Good motorable roads connect Miao (entry point of the park) to Dibrugarh (140 kms), Tezu (182 kms), Sibsagar (199 kms), Guwahati (561 kms) etc. Miao can be reached by Jeep/Gypsy from Margherita (Assam)

Contacts

• Field Director,
  Project Tiger,
  P.O. Miao, Dist. Tirap,
  Arunachal Pradesh.

• Dy.Conservator of Forests,
  Namdapha National Park,
  PO, MIAO, District Tirap.

• Assistant Director (Tourism),
  O/o the D.I.P.R.,
  Govt. of Arunachal Pradesh,
  Naharlagun, Tel: (03781) 44115.

• Govt. of India Tourist Office,
  Sector- C, Naharlagun- 791 110.
  Phone: (03781) 44328.