Top 5 Must Visit Places in Indonesia + WIN a 3D2N trip to Komodo Island

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Indonesia - The largely volcanic nature of the islands has created tall cloud-swept mountains swathed in the green of rice terraces or rainforest, dropping to blindingly bright beaches and vivid blue seas, the backdrop for Southeast Asia’s biggest wilderness areas and wildlife sanctuaries. All of this provides an endless resource for adventurous trekking, surfing, scuba diving, or just lounging by a pool in a five-star resort.

Indonesia being diverse and wide with 17,000 islands, you may be sure to find everything to your fancy but there are a few must visit places here that you should know about. I have explored some of the places in Indonesia and I would like to share my Top 5 Must visit and favourite places in Indonesia.

Komodo island by @sethcarnill

Pink beach by indonesia.travel

Snorkelling at Pink beach @shennyyang

1. Komodo Island

Komodo National Park, a volcanic island, is inhabited by around 5700 Komodo Dragons (giant lizards) which exist nowhere else in the world! It is a famous site for scientists to study the theory of evolution. Beside this important attraction, the islands also have white sandy beaches, various wildlife and rich in marine life and reef corals in clear blue sea.

One of my favourite place in Komodo island - Pink Beach, is one of seven pink beaches on the planet, and is just one of the many amazing features of Komodo Island that make it truly a Natural Wonder of Nature. This exceptional beach gets its striking color from microscopic animals called Foraminifera, which produce a red pigment on the coral reefs. For this reason, it is called Red Beach in the local tongue. When the tiny fragments of red coral combine with the white sands, this produces the soft pink color that is visible along the shoreline. Aside from Pink Beach itself, a few small segments along Komodo’s eastern bay also have a pinkish tint.

Sun rise in Borobudur Temple

2. Borobudur Temple Compounds, Central Java

Borobudur is not a stranger to the world traveling scene, being a unique Buddhist temple of Asia, it is also the largest Buddhist structure on earth. Borobudur was given UNESCO World Heritage Site status at 1991 after it had been fully restored. It had became a major international tourist attraction with its 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues and also detailed wall carvings.

Borobudur consists of six square platforms and the highest point is 35 m from ground. Borobudur consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with no less than 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues of various types. The main dome, located at the centre of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside perforated stupas. The distinctive shape and structure of Borobudur is the dome and its three circular symmetrical terraces. There are also six different postures of Buddha as you ascend the platforms. The wall reliefs is recounting the life stories of Buddha, from law of Karma to birth of Buddha and his journey towards searching for the ultimate truth.

3. Mount Bromo, East Java

Located some 4 hours drive from Surabaya, the capital of East Java, Mount Bromo is a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park that covers a massive area of 800 square kilometres. While it may be small when measured against other volcanoes in Indonesia, the magnificent Mt Bromo will not disappoint with its spectacular views and dramatic landscapes.

Do not miss out the majestic Mt Bromo at Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, with active and dormant volcanoes to choose from. You may ride a horse or catch a jeep all the way to the top and be in time to catch a sunrise.

4. Kawah Ijen / Ijen Crater

Indonesia's Kawah Ijen Volcano, on the island of Java, has two of the most unusual occurrences on Earth. The first is an active solfatara that emits hot, flammable sulfurous gases. These ignite as they enter Earth's oxygen-rich atmosphere and burn with an electric blue flame. Some of the gas condenses in the atmosphere to produce flows of molten sulfur that also burn with an electric blue flame. The flames are difficult to see during the day but illuminate the landscape at night.

The second occurrence is a one-kilometer-wide caldera lake filled with turquoise blue water. The color of the water is a result of its extreme acidity and a high concentration of dissolved metals. It is the world's largest highly acidic lake with a measured pH as low as 0.5. The cause of its acidity is an inflow of hydrothermal waters charged with gases from a hot magma chamber below.

5. Prambanan Temple Compounds, Yogyakarta

Prambanan is the masterpiece of Hindu culture of the tenth century. The slim building soaring up to 47 meters makes its beautiful architecture incomparable. It is the largest Hindu temple in ancient Java and this royal temple is probably built during the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty. Historian suggest that this temple marks the return of the Hindu Sanjaya Dynasty to power in Central Java after almost a century of Buddhist Sailendra Dynasty domination. It also signifies the the focus from Mahayana Buddhism to Shivaist Hinduism.

WIN A 3D2N TRIP TO KOMODO ISLAND,

LABUAN BAJO INDONESIA!

HUGE PRIZES!

Nine best video plus one most favorite video by public will win this contest. A total of 10 winners will go on a three day trip to the exotic Komodo Island, Indonesia, one of the new 7 Wonders of Nature.
Each winner will get one (1) return air tickets to Labuan Bajo, Komodo Island, Indonesia and a three (3) days,two (2) night’s hotel accomodation in Labuan Bajo, a pocket money of Rp 5 million. Meals and local transportation during the trip are also covered by MOT Indonesia. The airline for the air tickets and the departure city may be requested by the winners and shall be approved by MOT Indonesia in its sole and absolute discretion. The winner must take the trip taking place within 2015 and cannot nominate another person to take the trip in his/her place. If the winner cannot make the dates of the trip, the prize will be forfeited and offered to one of the runner up winners.
Prizes are not transferable or exchangeable for cash or other benefit-in-kind. MOT Indonesia reserves the right to replace any prize with another prize of a similar value.
The trip to Komodo Island will be held on December 3rd – 6th, 2015. All winners should share their holiday experiences during this trip on their social media channels.

HOW TO JOIN

1. Contestants should create a 30 seconds to 1 minute of creative video that covers: introduction about themselves and why he/she should win the trip to Indonesia.

2. Contestants should upload their video on Youtube, then submit the Youtube link on the website www.indonesia.travel/inatopbucketlist. Contestants should share its Youtube link video onto their social media accounts, such as Facebook (www.facebook.com), instagram, twitter, google+, and blog. Required ‘hashtags’ are as follows: #INAbucketListContest and #WonderfulIndonesia

3. The contestant’s total score is calculated from the total aggregate sum of the number of “like”, which makes up 40% of his/her total score, while remaining 60% of the score will be determined and judged by MOT Indonesia.

The remaining 60% will be judged by MOT Indonesia, and will be based from the following criteria:

Originality
Quality
Creativity on creating the video: Throwing together a few of your photos is a good start, but how can you get creative with your video clips and storyline? What out-of the-box ways can you convey a travel spirit to your audience?
Message: A clear, sincere message is crucial to a reason why you have to win Komodo/Indonesia trip video. whether as a literal story, a narrated, montage of photos, dance, flash-mob, or just a direct, honest “Support me” in different languages. How will you use text, imagery, and/or narrators to express your message?

Like and Follow the Official Social Media of Wonderful Indonesia:
> Facebook: Indonesia.Travel
> Instagram : @indtravel
> Twitter : @indtravel
> Google+ : Indonesia.Travel

4. Nine contestants who got “Like” that has the highest total aggregate sum of the total score from above mentioned criteria will be awarded the Prize.

5. One contestant with the most “Likes”, RT, Loves on his/her social media accounts will win the prize as the “Most Favorite Video”

6. Videos submitted must be the contesntant’s own original work and must not have been published previously or been obtained from a secondary source.

7. Videos that feature any corporate advertising material or messages may be disqualified from entry.

Don't wait...

JOIN NOW!!

For further information about the contest,

visit The Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia’s website.

Travel & Lifestyle Charlene22