Cruising Indonesia in style

Princess Cruises has included a 10-day trip in Indonesia as part of 15 Southeast Asia itineraries offered during the four-month November 2014 to February 2015 season.

Departing on Jan. 13, 2015, the trip will include stops in Jakarta, Bali, Komodo island and Lombok in West Nusa Tenggara aboard a ship called the Sapphire Princess. Tickets start at SG$1,629 (US$1,283).

The ship can accommodate up to 2,670 passengers and offers features such as a poolside theater and top-deck retreat.

The company has opened a new office in Singapore, its home base for catering to the Southeast Asia cruise market.

"Southeast Asia has so much potential to become as popular as Caribbean cruises because not only does it have the sun, sea and sand, but it also offers cultural and shopping experiences as well. The destinations from one port to another are also not far away," Princess Cruises director for Southeast Asia Farriek Tawfik said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Although not all ports in Indonesia are ready to accommodate the 116,000-ton ship, Tawfik said that plenty of plans are currently being implemented and the government has agreed to give all kinds of assistance.

"We will also improvise. In Komodo, for example, the ship will be anchored not far from the island, and we will use smaller boats to transfer passengers there," said Tawfik.

He added that they have plans to expand the itineraries to Sumatra and Sulawesi as well.

According to the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry, up to 112,882 visitors came to Indonesia on 214 cruise calls in 2012. This year, the ministry is expecting to increase those numbers to 147,134 people and 308 calls.

Princess Cruises is part of Carnival Corporation & plc and presently owns 17 ships and carries 1.3 million passengers each year. Its popular destinations include Alaska and Europe.

Sempu Island Nature Reserve and the beautiful Segara Anakan Secret Lagoon

Let all the comforts of the modern world behind, cross the strait between concrete structures and extraordinary forests, venture into a world of natural beauty, and look at some of the most enigmatic landscapes on the face of the earth: these are what the remote Sempu island offer.

Located on the south coast of Malang Regency in East Java and administratively located in the Tambak Rejo Village, Sumbermanjing Wetan Sub-District, this small island just off the coast of Sendang Biru Beach, about 80 km from Malang city or about 180 km from the capital of East Java, Surabaya. The 877 acre wooded island is a nature reserve under the management of natural resources Conservation Bureau of East Java (BBKSDA) and the Ministry of Forestry of Indonesia, and was actually designated as a nature reserve since 1928 in the Dutch colonial period.

One of the most fascinating features of the island is the Segara Anakan lagoon is about 2.5Km further south to the island. Hidden deep past the thick tropical forests, about 4 acres lagoon is truly a secluded paradise where white sand meets calm blue waters separated from the raging tides of the open ocean by a picturesque rocky wall around the area. The incoming tides penetrate only several caves above and below the surface, causing the water in the lagoon remains calm, and makes a perfect place to swim. The remoteness also exudes a sense of intimacy, where the beach is a private getaway, not unlike the setting for the 2000 Leonardo Di Caprio's movie "The Beach".

Thai Airways adds more flights to Denpasar

Thai Airways is adding more flights from Bangkok to Denpasar and improve the quality of its services as the route is celebrating 34 years of operation.

Thai Airways' most popular route from Bangkok to Denpasar is increased to seven flights per week to the increasing demand, which is usually derived from expats and Balinese meet.

The airway was only five flights a week to Bali during the first operation.

"They tourism benefits between the people of Indonesia, especially in Bali [local and expatriates], and Thailand, in line with ASEAN cooperation between the two countries", "Bali general manager Thai Airways', Phi-roon Sakulthong, said in a release last weekend made ​​available to the Jakarta Post Travel.

Aside from adding the number of flights, the carrier has also upgraded its flight service quality.

The retrofit Boeing 777-200 aircraft have 30 business class seats and 279 economy class, all of which come with in-flight entertainment facilities.

Thai Airways have their first flight to the island in 1979, with an Airbus 300 aircraft.

Spider web rice fields in East Nusa Tenggara

The historical and cultural stories behind rice fields Flores are as intriguing as the spider form of his fields.

With the breathtaking three crater lakes of different colors peeking through the forest fog in Kelimutu of Liang Bua cave, where the remains of the "hobbit" Gay floresiensis was discovered 10 years ago, Flores in East Nusa Tenggara has much to offer. Travelers

For a more contemporary insight into local history, one can look at the traditional houses of the area and the rice fields that resembles the shape of giant cobwebs.

The rice fields in Cancar, which is close to Ruteng, the capital of East Manggarai, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The people of Manggarai Raya, which includes Flores, have a tradition of mapping rice fields and gardens called lingko. The word also refers to communal ownership of land to meet. Meet the needs of people

It is estimated that lingko began when the people of Flores switched to agriculture from hunting and various groups began to settle in the same area.

Consequently, a village formed, known as beo.

The residents of the surrounding forest beo put in arable land and the size of lingko depends on how many countries the locals can convert and the number of residents in the village.

The word lingko is said to be derived from the name of the plants that grow in the area of the river that flows through the country.

Each tribe in Manggarai has an elder who is referred to as tu'a teno and he manages the allocation of indigenous land. The main house (mbaru gendang), which is a circular building that looks a drum, is the place where the award is made.

The shape of indigenous land take is philosophically related to mbaru niang - traditional houses which can still be found in Wae Rebo and Ruteng Pu'u.

These homes have main pillars (siri bongkok) in the middle, surrounded by eight external support posts (siri leles). The main pillar is where offerings are placed for ancestors, and this is why it is considered very scared. In some areas of Flores, these sacrifices called mori kraeng.

Seeking solitude at the Blue Lagoon, Bali

My efforts to create a favorable conversation about the Blue Lagoon beach in Padang Bai, Bali, yield is usually met with doubtful questions.

"It is right next to the port, it will not get noisy with all the activities and ferries? Will not be populated by passing visitors?"

It is fair enough that these doubts were raised. Blue Lagoon is located just 100 meters from the port of Padang Bai - one of the busiest in Bali apart from Gilimanuk port on the western part of the island and the port of Benoa in the south.

Located in the eastern part of the island, Padang Bai is the main hub of Bali connect the island to other areas in the east, such as Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores and Sumba.

Ships, such as ferries and boats inevitably noisy, and this is exacerbated by the pollution in the form of waste from fish trade because Padang Bai is also a lively fishing village.

All these man-made factors theoretically make areas near Padang Bai undesirable. But this is hardly the case, thanks to the natural barriers enclosing the harbor.

On both sides of the stand tall cliffs that most of the clutter and noise made by the port blocking.

The Blue Lagoon beach, located on the eastern part of the port, with the same characteristics. Surrounding rocks serve as natural barriers to the 100-meter-long coastline.

The difference between Blue Lagoon and Bias Tugal is a bit like choosing between shoes and sandals. Bias Tugal offers cheaper options, difficult access, rustic huts selling cheap food and an acceptable toilet shack.

Blue Lagoon, on the other hand, enjoy well-built infrastructure such as concrete terraces, stairs to the beach, a decent parking, sun beds, restaurants, beach showers and modern flush toilets.

Despite this, Blue Lagoon is hardly an expensive place to get a tan or go snorkeling.

Beers cost the same as many cheap beach-side bars in Kuta and Seminyak, sunbeds are available for rent all day long for only Rp 25,000 (U.S. $ 2.50), renting snorkeling equipment costs Rp 50,000, and go for off-shore snorkeling with a ship cost around U.S. $ 30 - snorkeling equipment rental included.