West Java Art and Cultural Parade 2012 in Sukabumi

On 31 March 2012, the usually quite town of Sukabumi became alive with sparkling colors and vibrant music as 1000 of artists from all over the province of West Java gathered to take parts in the West Java Art and Cultural Parade 2012.

Initiated by the Tourism and Cultural Office of West Java Province, the event featured the procession of West Java traditional arts and cultural forms from 8 cities and regencies including Purwakarta Regency, Bogor City, Sukabumi Regency, Bandung City, West Bandung Regency, Cianjur Regency, Sukabumi City, and Cimahi City. Showcasing the richness of West Java art and cultural treasures, the event successfully illustrated the three branch of West Java’s culture which are Melayu Betawi, Priangan, and Dermayon Kacirebonan.

Raja Ampat : Ultimate Underwater Expedition

The roaring engines fixed to a large wooden boat are finally quiet. Nothing can be heard but the rifting little waves, lapping against the vibrant paint on the sides of the vessel that gracefully slows down. Native birds hop on the tip of a small tree in one of the deserted islands in the distance.

Raja Ampat or ‘Four Kings’, is the name given to these islands and comes from a local myth. The four major islands found here are Waigeo, Misool (which is home to ancient rock paintings), Salawati, and Batanta.

Raja ampat Heaven On Earth

If you're a diver, you probably already know Raja Ampat is as close as you're ever going to get to heaven on earth. The beauty of Raja Ampat's marine environments is that they are so diverse, rich and accessible that you don't have to be a diver to be enthralled by the ever changing kaleidoscope of form and colour beneath the region's waters.

Raja Ampat Island

My Travel-For now, this is mostly a collection of photos and some maps from my first trip to the Raja Ampat Islands in Papua Barat/West Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya) in 2002, but I will I will keep adding text and facts to this site. I returned to the area in 2006 - you can see photos from that trip (which also included The Banda Islands, Ambon, Manado and more) at the Indonesia section of my Flickr Pages.

This small area in Indonesia has the richest coral reef life in the world. Kind of the coral reef epicenter of the planet. It's expected to soon become the first marine Unesco World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, the underwater housing for my camera had a little problem with leakage... so I didn't have the opportunity to do any underwater photography.