Gedung Sate, Bandung, West Java

Gedung Sate Bandung is the first building using reinforced concrete construction, is also building institutions of governance Dutch Colonial Center. Gedung Sate called, because the roof ornament shaped puncture sate. Now the building was the center pemerintahah Governor of West Java. Designed and built in the 1920s, by the architect J. Gerber.



Building on the north, there is a field Gasibu Monument and the People's Struggle. Gasibu Area and the People's Struggle Monument will be visible very crowded on Sundays, because in the two locations near this always be a place of exercise in the morning. Besides being used as sports facilities, both locations are also often used as places of music, art and cultural activities.

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From Semarang with Bandeng Presto

This is a delicious and ready to eat dish from Semarang, Capital City of Central Java, Bandeng (Milk Fish) Presto. Bandeng Presto is a smoked milk fish which cooked with pressure cooker. The cooking method is similar to steaming. This process make the fish become literally tender to the bones and those bones can be eaten.

This Bandeng, a large toothless silver fish that lives in warm parts of the Pacific and Indian oceans and related to the herring and the salmon, is commonly used in Indonesian cuisine. Presto is come from Italian language "quickly", but in this case, it refer to the pressure cooker brand "presto" – the first pressure cooker penetrated the market in Indonesia.

It is readily prepared by deep frying or bake it in the oven and serve hot/warm. There is no additional ingredients needed. A vacuum packed smoked milk fish can be kept for 6 months - 1 year in the cool place without reducing the freshness and nutrition.

Bandeng Presto How-To

Ingredients

• 1 kg (or 3) fresh milkfishes, remove gills and stomach part
• 1 tablespoon tapai yeast (read below), grounded
• 2 tablespoon salt
• 3 tablespoon tamarind water
• 10 bay leaves
• 10 cm galangal (see: opor ayam), sliced and pounded
• 2 1/2 litre water

Grounded spices

• 14 cloves red onion
• 7 cloves garlic
• 4 cm ginger
• 4 cm turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt

Grounded spices

• 150 g big red chili peppers, boiled
• 10 small green chili peppers, boiled
• 8 cloves red onion, boiled
• 4 cloves garlic, boiled
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon terasi (shrimp paste), fried

Other ingredients

• Banana leaves for wrapping as needed
• Egg's white or flavoured flour as needed

Method

1. Slice the stomach part of the fishes. Clean them up using water and let them dry.
2. Smear the fishes with tapai yeast, salt, and tamarind water. Leave them for about 1 hour.
3. Smear the fishes with grounded spices evenly.
4. Put bay leaves and slices of galangal on top of the fishes.
5. Wrap with banana leaves so that the fishes are easy to lift from the pressure cooker.
6. Pour 1 litre water into the pressure cooker. Put a sieve on top of the cooker
7. Arrange the wrapped fishes ontop of the sieve.
8. Cook until the cooker hissed, 30-50 minutes depending on the type of pressure cooker you use.
9. Let the cooker cool with open lid.
10. Pour water again and cook until the water is no more.
11. Take out the fishes and let them dry.

Method for chili sauce

1. Heat vegetable oil.
2. Sautee grounded spices until the sauce smells good.
3. Put into plate and let it cool.

Serving

1. Smear the fishes with egg's white or flavoured flour.
2. Fry until brown.
3. Serve with chili sauce.

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Lumpia : Don't leave Semarang Without It!

After several time living in Semarang, now I really love this Semarang’s food. The term lumpia derives from lunpia, lun-pián, in the Hokkien dialect of Chinese. The recipe of Lumpia was brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to Southeast Asia and became popular where they settled in Indonesia, esspecially in Semarang, the capital city of Central Java.

There are some generic name for this delicous food. Popiah in Chinese, Spring roll in Ducth, Lumpiang in Shanghai, Lumpia Hubad and Turon (Banana lumpia) in Philippine.

Lumpia Semarang is filled with bamboo shoots, dried shrimp (ebi), chicken and/or prawn. It is served with lumpia sauce that is made from dried shrimp (optional), coconut sugar, chillies, water, white pepper, tapioca starch and water and can be served in either fried or unfried condition (basah or wet).

This is a recipe to make Lumpia Semarang.

Ingredients:

• 3 carrots (thinly sliced like match sticks)
• 1 pack bamboo shoot (thinly sliced)
• 3 eggs (scrambled and chopped)
• 3 green onions (thinly sliced)
• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• 1 pack spring roll wrapper
• Chili sauce
• Enough oil for frying

Preparation:

• Stir fry onion until translucent then add garlic.
• Add chicken, soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper.
• Cook until chicken is cooked.
• Add the vegetables and cooked for about 5 min, then add scrambled eggs
• Cool the filling
• Put one tablespoon onto a wrapper, wrap, then deep fry

Serve with chili sauce (Tks to original-indonesian-recipe.blogspot.com for photograph and recipe)

So, don’t leave Semarang without it!

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Botanical Garden, Bogor, West Java

The Bogor Botanical Gardens are located 60 km south of the capital of Jakarta in Bogor, Indonesia. The botanical gardens are situated in the city center of Bogor and adjoin the Istana Bogor (Presidential Palace). The gardens cover more than 80 hectares and are said to be the inspiration of Sir Stamford Raffles who was governor of Java from 1811-1816.

The extensive grounds of the presidential palace were converted into the gardens by the German-born Dutch botanist, Professor Casper George Carl Reinwardt. The gardens officially opened in 1817 as 's Lands Plantentuin ('National Botanical Garden') and were used to research and develop plants and seeds from other parts of the Indonesian archipelago for cultivation during the 19th century. This is a tradition that continues today and contributes to the garden's reputation as a major center for botanical research.

The Bogor Botanic Garden, Indonesia's first and foremost botanical garden, is 87 hectares of beautifully kept trees, plants flowers, lawns and ponds within a busy expanding city of 300,000 people. It is also a world famous institution for research and conservation that has developed over many years and is continuing to do so. The garden is an important part of Bogor city providing not only employment but a large recreational area for local residents, visitors from Jakarta and many passing tourists.

These four gardens have internationally important collections of plants, and while Bogor has plants from all over the world, Cibodas is notable as having a collection of plants found in cool, high altitude environments, with Purwodadi having many plants dependent upon more seasonal climate of East Java, and the high altitude garden in Bali with a large collection of conifers and Indonesian montane species.

Today the garden contains more than 15,000 species of trees and plants located among streams and lotus ponds. There are 400 types of exceptional palms to be found along the extensive lawns and avenues, helping the gardens create a refuge for more than 50 different varieties of birds and for groups of bats roosting high in the trees. The bats can be easily detected by the noise they make while competing for space under the canopies. The orchid houses contain some 3000 varieties.

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Amusement Park in Bogor, West Java

Bogor is a city in West Java with a population of approximately 800,000 people in the CBD area and 2,000,000 in suburban area, bringing a total of 3 million population. It was the capital of Indonesia during the British occupation under Stamford Raffles and was used as the capital by the Dutch during the dry season, then known as Buitenzorg (meaning "beyond worry").

Bogor boasts a presidential palace, a deer park and a botanical garden in the town centre. It is home to the Institut Pertanian Bogor (or Bogor Institute of Agriculture) and CIFOR, the Center for International Forestry Research.

Bogor is on a main road from Jakarta to Bandung, over the Puncak pass. To the south of the city are large tea plantations. During colonial times the Bogor area developed as a centre for plantations. Apart from the tea (Mount Mas), there were coffee plantations at nearby Sukabumi and later vast rubber plantations that stretched from Bogor as far as Citereup and Bukit Sentul.

The suburban area of Bogor is part of the Bogor Regency, while the urban is the Bogor City. Currently Bogor bears the nickname "the Rain City" (Kota Hujan), suggesting that it is very wet and nearly always rains even during the dry season.

• 
  Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya Bogor), Bogor's pride and joy, the extensive Botanical Gardens were founded in 1811 as a private garden of the Governor-General's summer residence by Sir Stamford Raffles, who also went on to found Singapore. However, it was Casper Reinwardt who adopted the gardens for more scientific use, with Johannes Elias Teysmann continuing in his footsteps. Today, the gardens stretch out over 87 hectares, parts carefully manicured like the palace gardens they are, parts seeming like wild jungle at first glance (if not for the tags detailing where every tree and plant comes from), with lakes, two rivers and hilly trails. If you're lucky, you may be able to spot a blooming giant arum (Amorphophallus titanum), the world's tallest inflorescence (flower cluster) which can reach an astounding 2.5 meters — but, alas, smells like rotting meat. Open from 8 AM to 5 PM daily, although (despite the size!) they can get crowded on Sundays. Entry is Rp 5,500 for people, Rp 10,000 for cars, which can also drive around on main roads and are a bit of a nuisance.

• Presidential Palace (Istana Bogor), in the northwest corners of the Botanical Gardens. Originally the summer residence of the Governor-General of Java, now one of the Indonesian president's summer escapes and noted for the 250 tame deer grazing in its grounds. The palace grounds can be visited from within the Gardens, but tours in the palace require 5 days advance notification — however, the Bogor TIC may be able to squeeze you in at short notice if there's a tour going on.

• Orchid Garden (Rumah Anggrek), in the northeast corner of the Botanical Gardens. Large greenhouse housing orchids of all shapes and sizes, with two separate halls so there's always something blooming. Entry Rp 2000, separately charged.

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Jakarta: Diversity Blends Beautifully

Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, offers endless surprises. As one of the dynamic city in the world, it has many facets waiting to unfold: the history, the people, the culture and the nature. Its metropolitan outlook goes in harmony with the traditional and diversity resulted from its multicultural lives. These make the city more vibrant. Visitors will never really know Jakarta until they experience it personally.

With more than 10 million people living in Jakarta, the city is indeed the heart of business and entertainment in Indonesia. It always welcomes its visitors with hospitable services. A wide range of accommodation, from modest to luxurious, is available for the visitors to choose.

Visitor should explore the city and discover the unique and exciting experience offered by its abundant attractions. No matter how short their visit is, setting up a special tour to Jakartas museums, parks, cultural preservations, and traditional markets will make their stay memorable.

For shoppers, Jakarta grants each and every one of their shopping wishes. Modern shopping centers spread all over the city. While for delightful culinary voyage, Jakarta will gratify their appetite with an assortment of local and international cuisine. Food hunters should savor the exotic local flavor or even their hometowns specialties. To top it all, Jakartas night life offers great music, dancing, cocktails and party scenes that will make their stay an unforgettable experience.

For golf lovers it would not be difficult to find places of their passion. Many world-class golf courses have been developed in incomparable settings in and around Jakarta. The green grass, the trees, the calm lake and comfortable atmosphere would accompany their golfing experience in Jakarta.

Visitors, with their families, would find Jakarta a worthy destination to pamper the members of the family with fun. There are various attractive, joyful attractions and places to go. The choices are wide. They could create fun moment with magnificent history tour, natural trails tour, ethnic tour, arts, culture tour and also fun tour.

For the visitor seeking to discover the history of Jakarta or even the history of Indonesia, they could take a journey into the past through the citys most acclaimed museums and old buildings such as: Park of Memorial Stones (Museum Taman Prasasti), National Museum (Museum Nasional), Jakarta History Museum (Museum Fatahillah), Jakarta Fine Arts Museum (Balai Seni Rupa), the Maritime Museum (Museum Bahari), Sunda Kelapa Harbor (Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa).

For the natural trail lovers, the Ragunan Zoo (Kebun Binatang Ragunan) is a must-see attraction. The zoo is a huge park hosting more than 3,000 animals. Its 135 hectare green and cool parkland is perfect for enjoying nature. There is also the Orchid Garden (Taman Anggrek) in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah complex. In this two hectares landscape, more than 150 types of blooming orchids are grown. Further to the south of Jakarta, nature lovers can roam the Fruit Garden (Taman Buah) in Mekarsari Cibubur, the Bogor Botanic Garden (Kebun Raya Bogor), the Cibodas Botanic Garden, the Puncak, the Pangrango National Park, the Halimun National Park, the Flowers Gardens (Taman Bunga) in Cipanas. While to the west of Jakarta, is the protected sanctuary enclave of the Badui Tribe " the only small Hindu tribe which strictly maintains their old way of living till date, the Krakatau Mountain, and the Ujung Kulon National Park.

For lovers of arts, culture and ethnicity, Jakarta has art venues, galleries, bookstores, flea market, ethnic communities and souvenirs. You should not miss the magnificent cultural performances at the Jakarta Cultural Center (Gedung Kesenian Jakarta), and also Ismail Marzuki Park (Taman Ismail Marzuki " the activities center of young Indonesian artists.

For fun lovers, the options are endless. The Ancol Dreamland Park (Taman Impian Jaya Ancol) is Jakartas largest recreational park. A day tour in this park might not be enough for a total pleasurable experience. In this park, the visitor could visit the Fantasy Land (Dunia Fantasi) " Indonesias version of Disneyland, animal show at the Oceanic Park, stroll around the big marine aquarium at the Sea World, have fun at the Water Park, enjoy art exhibition and talk with art communities at Art Galleries and others.

For children to learn with fun about the stars in the sky one can visit the Planetarium at Taman Ismail Marzuki complex.

Another must-see place in Jakarta is the Beautiful Indonesia Park (Taman Mini Indonesia Indah/TMII). TMII is an educational and recreational park. In this park, visitor can enjoy the traditional houses from all provinces of Indonesia; the Museum Indonesia which houses Indonesian contemporary arts, crafts and traditional customs; the orchid garden; the bird park; the biggest fresh water aquarium; many other museums including the Museum Purna Bhakti Pertiwi which houses all souvenirs received by the former Indonesian President Suharto from heads of states/governments from all over the world during his tenure as the president; the magnificent Keong Mas Imax Theater and many other attraction.

As a dynamic city, Jakarta keeps growing and developing, and with it comes newer attractions.

Beyond Jakarta

For those tourists seeking a holiday at a tranquil destination, there are lots of places beyond Jakarta.

North of Jakarta
Kepulauan Seribu (Thousands Islands). What many people may not know is that within the greater Jakarta area there is a much smaller archipelagic chain of paradise island called Kepulauan Seribu or Seribu (Thousands) Islands.

While the Seribu Island epithet sounds romantic, in realty there are actually closer to three hundred islands in the chain. In terms of natural beauty and exclusivity these are some of the finest islands in the region, offering all the classic elements of balmy tropical holiday, white sandy beaches, and all the marine and aquatic diversions to keep you as active, or inactive, as you like. Its only natural that due to their close proximity to Jakarta, these islands have become a prime weekend playground for the city dwellers. Access to these islands is easy.

West of Jakarta
After an hours drive, or 80 km away, one can see the enchanting panorama of Banten. An ancient trading port, Banten is noted for its historic buildings. Great Banten Mosque, for instance, was built by Sultan Maulana Yusuf in 1559. The Palace of Sorosowana is located adjacent to the mosque.

Going further westward you will reach Anyer and Caritas beaches which has cottages, apartments, condominiums and five-star hotels. Anyer and Carita offer sandy beaches and colorful coral reefs. At Karangbolong Beach, still within the area of Anyer, there is a magnificent coral reef with a big hole in its center. It was formed when the Karakatau Mountain exploded in 1883. There are several shady areas along the Karangbolong beach where one can relax and enjoy the view. Karakatau Mountain and its offspring mountain locally named Gunung Anak Karakatau are among the recommended places to visit. Typical activities on the island are trekking and snorkeling, diving and fishing in its clear waters.

From Carita, visitors can continue southward to the national park of Ujung Kulon, which was declared by UNESCO as a Natural World Heritage Site in 1993. Covering 120,551 hectares, the park is home of the one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros Sondaicus), an extremely rare animal of which only 60 survive in their natural habitat. Package tours are available from Jakarta, Carita and Labuan. Offering eco-tourism experience, Ujung Kulon is synonymous with white sand and beautiful scenery.

South of Jakarta
By taking a short trip from the blare and traffic of Jakarta, tourist can find a retreat offering fresh climate, green scenery and accommodations. At 1,450 meters high, Puncak (the Peak) is a choice place to visit from Jakarta. With invigorating temperature of 20-22 degrees Celsius, the area offers attractions such as leisurely walks along tracks that snake on mountain slopes covered with tea plantations.

Another interesting place is Telaga Warna (Colored Lake) in Gunung Mas tea estate. Its water surface changes color due to refraction of light. Going further east, one reaches the village of Cisarua, with small waterfalls, scenic picnic spots, eateries and trails.

Nearby is the Taman Safari Indonesia which is home for more than 2,300 animals of 230 species from almost the entire world. In the park, herbivorous animals such as deer, giraffe and zebra as well as carnivores such as tiger, lion etc. roam freely and visitors must stay in their vehicles during a tour of the area.

East of Jakarta
Bandung is easily reached from Jakarta by train, road or air. Trains are preferable means of land transportation for visitors who dont want to miss out witnessing breathtaking sceneries along the trip. Known in colonials time as the Paris van Java, Bandung is studded with shops offering variety of accessories. In a city encircled by mountainous area, you can do many leisure activities. For those with interest in historical street " such as Braga, Taman Sari, Banceuy, Lembong and Asia Africa " the city offers 100 historical edifices, each with Dutch architecture.

Other must-see attractions include Dago Tea House, Geological Museum and Art Deco, which offers a sweeping view of the city, the surrounding valley and mountains. Another attraction well worth a visit is Tangkuban Perahu, Indonesias, if not the worlds, only drive-up volcano. Lembang is another place to visit if you would like to see, enjoy feel fresh air and scent of fresh various vegetables from its farming.

Away from Jakarta
In terms of tourism, Indonesia is the most varied destination anywhere. Out of Jakarta and its surroundings, visitor may continue their visit to many other attractive and favorite tourism destinations such Yogyakarta and Solo or Surakarta " Yogyakartas neighboring city " which is well-established as the center for Javanese arts and culture. Surabaya, capital of East Java, is the departure point to visit the magnificent Mount Bromo volcano, a spectacular site at dawn. Lampung, located on the southernmost tip of Sumatra, where the area abounds with national parklands, sandy coastline and offshore islands.

North Sumatra, showcases the refreshing Lake Toba, one of the largest and deepest inland bodies of water in Asia. West Sumatra is endowed with dramatic seascapes, canyons, lakes and abundant forest and is home to the proud Minangkabau people. Bali, recognized as one of the worlds most alluring.

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