Open Writing

Bali is perhaps more famous than the name Indonesia. Michael Covarrubias called it the lost paradise. Lots of people dream of visiting the beautiful Kuta beach without even realizing that the island of Bali is in Indonesia.

Last month “polar bears” and “penguins” were also visiting Kuta Beach to focus people’s attention on the effect of global warming and climate change. Perhaps the UNFCCC meetings have also promoted the name Indonesia to the global world.

Now, Indonesia is welcoming the year 2008 as its Visit Indonesia Year. It is time that more people know that Indonesia is not just Bali. There are lots of interesting places from Sabang, on the island of Sumatra, to Merauke, on the island of Papua. Indonesia, the pearls of the equator, has an abundance of interesting cultural heritage as well as amazing natural biodiversities. It offers the modern urban lifestyle in the big cities, and the rich traditional lifestyles in remote areas.

Unfortunately the official launch of Visit Indonesia Year was at the same time as the visit of natural disasters. Floods and landslides visited forty-two cities in six provinces of Indonesia.

Before the floods and landslides, citizens from Lampung, Sumatera, were panicked due to the prediction of a big earthquake made by Jucelino Nobrega da Luz, a Brazilian soothsayer. An earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale is powerful enough to cause another tsunami. A period of three years is not long enough to get over the fearful feeling.

For those who believe in the Chinese horoscope, 2007 was the Year of the Pig. Indonesian independence in 1945 is associated with the rooster symbol, and the pig is not a suitable partner for the rooster. For some, that is their reason for all the problems throughout the year.

Personally, I prefer to see all the natural disasters as a warning for us to take more concern over our environment. And of course it would be nicer to face better days in the coming year.

The year 2008 is also the centennial celebration of Indonesian National Awakening Day. (1908 was the birth of Budi Oetomo, the first step toward the awareness of being a nation.) This will also be the year of preparation for the next democracy party, the presidential election in 2009. Perhaps that is the reason behind the tourism slogan for Visit Indonesia Year 2008 "Celebrating 100 years of the National Awakening”. I do hope that in this celebration we are also enhancing the national slogan “Unity in Diversity”.

Indonesia consists of more than 17,500 islands, with more than 500 local dialects and languages. The diversities are the challenges in managing it as a big country. But in these diversities lie the extraordinary attraction of Indonesia as the pearls of the equator.

Some pearls are beautifully polished; some others are still hidden behind their shells. Uniting all these pearls into a beautiful jewel is the great task of all Indonesians. In the celebration of the awakening of nationalism in the heart of Indonesians, we hope that we can reveal the beauty of these pearls. Within the spirit of the national awakening we are hoping to be able to provide enjoyable visits to Indonesia.

Big cities have traffic problems, but they are also offering a lot of urban attractions. The diversities of urban environment are offering a lot of choices. In Jakarta for example, we can have variety of choices. For accommodation, the choices are the backpackers’ hostels in jalan Jaksa to the five star hotels with international brand names.

The same goes for shopping, from the people’s market in Tanah Abang to the first class shopping malls. For leisure activities there are lots of golf courses designed to international standards, modern and traditional spas, historical sites, museums and cultural events.

Sumatera offers a beautiful mixture of the mountainous scenery with the serene scenery of the sea. The rainforests in Sumatera and Kalimantan are the hidden pearls that need special attention, not only to preserve the rich biodiversity in the forest, but also to empower the local people with ecotourism. It would need political support to boost the economic development without sacrificing the local people and their environments.

Indonesians call their motherland “tanah air”, the land and the water where they belong. Two thirds of the archipelago is sea water, so Indonesia has abundant treasures under the sea. The eastern parts of Indonesia are also famous for their wonderful underwater living biodiversity. Maritime tourism is also a fascinating offer for those who love diving and snorkeling.

Handicrafts are always the beautiful souvenirs from a vacation. The rich culture of traditional Indonesian textiles gives choices from batik to ikat woven clothes. Each region has its specific traditional design. A traditional top from bamboo will serve as an interesting token for children. Puppets and masks are beautiful mementos which will enrich the interior of a home.

The internet is now bridging the world, enabling visitors to plan their voyages more easily. There is variety of choices awaiting, from the quiet vacation in the village to the adrenaline challenges like rafting or gliding. In the varied diversities of Indonesia, you can find something uniquely for you!