Seven thrilling adventures around Jakarta, Indonesia

From the people to its culture, Cambodia and Indonesia share lots of similarities that make tourists from both countries feel at home in each others’ land.

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Phnom Penh and the DKI provincial government, on November 13-18, invited Cambodian journalists and vloggers to embark on a tour that explores the massive capital of Jakarta, Indonesia, and discover the rich culture that it has to offer.

Here are the capital’s seven adventure spots that are worth adding to your bucket list:

Pulau Ayer Resort

Only a 30-minute boat ride from Marina Bay Ancol ferry port, Pulau Ayer Resort and Cottages offers a relaxing weekend getaway on one of the capital’s renowned Thousand Islands.

Aside from its diverse collection of flora, the tropical paradise, also known as the “Pearl of the Thousand Island,” boasts the island’s significant history before it was officially opened for tourism in the 1950s.

In one of its sea view bungalows, a picture of Indonesia’s first president Sukarno, when he invited former Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito and former UN secretary-general U Thant to stay at Pulau Ayer during the times of liberation of West Papua, still hangs on the wall.

This explains why most of the island’s architecture is inspired by Papuan culture.

Besides food and accommodation, the island offers a variety of leisure activities and water sports such as sailing and boat cycling.

A big playground is also available for family tourists, as well as a children’s pool to allow the kids to swim at their hearts’ content.

A package for a standard two persons starts at 968,000 rupiah ($67 or 279 riel) to 1,815,000 rupiah, excluding the individual boat transportation at 170,000 rupiah.

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Sea World Ancol and Dunia Fantasi

Returning to Marina Bay Ancol, tourists can experience the joys of spending time with sea creatures at the Sea World Ancol and thrill at riding Dunia Fantasi’s roller coaster and interactive rides.

As an edutainment aquarium, Sea World Ancol showcases a variety of sea creatures from giant jellyfish, to whales and sharks. With just a ticket worth 135,000 rupiah to 180,000 rupiah, visitors can enjoy the sight of 138 species of fish, invertebrates, and reptiles in the contemporary aquarium.

The aquarium also offers a piranha feeding show, which is a sure-fire way to bring in the crowd.
To encourage sustainable tourism, the aquarium also asks visitors to leave their plastic bottles outside before entering.

After an hour or two of touring the aquarium, visitors can explore one of the oldest amusement parks in the capital, Dunia Fantasi (also known as Dufan).

The amusement park has both indoor and outdoor rides offering the thrilling Halilintar, Tornado, and Kora-Kora rides.

Tickets at Dufan are sold at 145,000-195,000 rupiah.

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#Vietnam’s Kingdom of Caves launches river tour

A boat cruises along the Son River to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province

 Quang Binh taps yet another tourism strength with a river tour through its natural landscapes and traditional villages.

The tour, starting February 20, is organized by Oxalis, the only company licensed to offer adventure tours to the world famous Son Doong Cave.

The one-day tour is boat ride that explores hidden gems along the Son River and enables visitors to visit  traditional craft villages that produce rice paper and the non la (conical hat), a Vietnamese cultural symbol.

Tourists will also have a chance to ride bicycles past small villages to the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a world heritage site and a major tourist attraction in the central province.

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  Each tour is limited to around 15 passengers, said Nguyen Chau A, general director of Oxalis.

Son Doong, part of the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam, has hogged the international spotlight since it opened to tourists in 2013, four years after members of the British Cave Research Association finished their exploration and declared it the world’s largest.

Local resident Ho Khanh first discovered the cave in 1991, and rediscovered it almost 20 years later, opening it up for exploration.

Last year, Quang Binh welcomed a record-breaking 3.9 million tourist arrivals, up 18 percent from the previous year.

The province has over the past years proposed several developments, including a cable car system to boost tourism in the area, but these have met with strong opposition from environmentalists and the public.

Watch a video on the beautiful Tu Lan Cave in Quang Binh, known now as the Kingdom of Caves.

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Source - VN Express

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#Indonesia among Chinese tourists’ favorite destinations for Chinese New Year

Around 7 million Chinese tourists will travel abroad during the Chinese New Year holiday, according to a report from online travel agency Ctrip. The report revealed that people from 100 Chinese cities have booked trips to nearly 500 destinations in more than 90 countries and regions.  

As reported by Antara, among the most popular destinations such as Thailand and Mauritius, Indonesia was chosen by tourists wishing to escape the winter cold and enjoy tropical weather.

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 Indonesia received 2.7 million Chinese tourists in 2018, while this year, the Tourism Ministry has set a target to attract 3.5 million. The country remains an attractive destination for Chinese tourists, who in 2017 made up the largest group of foreign tourists (1.97 million) to visit Indonesia. During their visit, most Chinese tourists enjoy going to beaches, visiting museums and seeing cultural events.

 

Source - TheJakartaPost 

 

 

#Myanmar, (Burma) registers more tourist arrivals

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Tourists coming to Myanmar during the first months of this year have increased by 22 percent over the same period of last year, according to the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism.

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 “We got more than 600,000 international visitors at the end of February, the number of which was greater than the same period in 2016,” U Myint Htwe, director from the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism told The Myanmar Times.

However, the overall tourist arrivals last year were only 2.9 million, a decline of 38pc in comparison to the 4.68 million visitors in 2015, according to a new system of collecting data by the ministry, which did not include day trippers with border passes.

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“The previous system counted visitors coming through international border checkpoints. But this year’s figures were systematically categorized into tourists, business travelers, day trippers,” according to U Ohn Maung, Union Minister for Hotels and Tourism, who made this comment at the recently held ASEAN Tourism Forum in Singapore.  

“However, the overall tourism outlooks are very good, despite the 38pc decline due to a different way of counting foreign visitors,” Ma Hnin Hlwar Kyaw Win, sales manager from Myanmar Tourism Services Company told The Myanmar Times. She said that few visitors to Myanmar are coming from Russia and Japan but tourists from other countries have increased.

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Source - mmtimes

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#Indonesia - Gunung Padang to have tourist train next year

More and more tourists are visiting Gunung Padang megalithic site in Cianjur regency, West Java.

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 A train service to Gunung Padang megalithic site in Cianjur regency, West Java, is set to be provided by the local administration following the increasing number of tourists visiting the destination.

"We will increase the number of tourists to Gunung Padang by providing [a tourist] train that stops by at Lampegan station. From there, visitors can hop on vehicles that will take them to the site," said Cianjur Deputy Regent Herman Suherman on Sunday as quoted by tempo.co, adding that the service would be an affordable one and was slated for launch next year. 

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Tourists are currently using the Siliwangi train service that travels from Cianjur to Sukabumi to visit Gunung Padang. To reach the destination from Lampegan station, they reportedly have to pay for an ojek (motorcycle taxi) that could cost up to Rp 100,000 (US$7.5), since public transportation is not yet available. 

Some supporting facilities are presently being developed by the government at the location, including a rest area in Lampegan and an alternative road to Gunung Padang. 

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Source - TheJakartaPost

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Myanmar - Mrauk-U still struggling to woo tourists

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Mrauk-U, a town surrounded by hills in northern Rakhine State, is known as the ‘Stone City’. It was given the name because its 14th-century pagodas are made of stone.

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Mrauk-U is home to 1552 ancient stone pagodas – historic structures that are still standing strong today, owing to the wisdom of the old Rakhine kings who ordered them to be built from stone that can withstand the weather on top of the hills.

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“These pagodas are over 800 years old, but younger than those in Bagan in the Mandalay Region that were built in the 11th century,” local hotelier U Hla Myint from the Mrauk-U Princess Hotel said.

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Although Mrauk-U’s pagodas are similar to Bagan’s pagodas in being located close to residential areas, giving the location huge tourism potential, Mrauk-U has not attained international stardom like Bagan.

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Mrauk-U’s tourist arrival numbers are still much lower. While Bagan recorded 280,000 tourists in 2016, Mrauk-U only managed to hit 4000 the whole of last year.

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Hoteliers said the reason for the poor numbers was the instability affecting Rakhine, even in areas far from Mrauk-U, since 2012.

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Since the crisis that brought political instability, the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism imposed an order prohibiting hotels from accepting guests without official permission.

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Foreign ministries abroad also notified their citizens of the danger in Rakhine and discouraged them from visiting the state.

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Tourism in Mrauk-U has not been able to recover since then, even though the town is more developed, better connected, and even has an airport in the pipeline.

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Rakhine Hoteliers Association member Daw Ohnmar Khin said travellers needed to be informed that Mrauk-U was safe.

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 She said there should be more familiarisation trips organised with the collaboration of hotels and tour companies.
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“For Mrauk-U’s tourism growth, we need political stability. But we also need to get the right information out to let people know that Mrauk-U is a safe place to visit.
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“Not everyone knows about us so we need better promotion. We need to help travel agents bring visitors here,” she said.
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Mrauk-U has several prominent heritage sites such as the palace, Shit-thaung (80,000 Buddha images) Pagoda, Htukkanthein Pagoda, Koe-thaung (90,000 Buddha images) Pagoda and Laungbanpyauk Pagoda.
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In the Chin ethnic villages in Mrauk-U, visitors can meet women who have kept the tradition of having tattoos on their faces. For beautiful sceneries, tourists can visit the Laymro River that has water so clear the stones on the river bed can be seen.
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In 1996, local authorities first applied to UNESCO to get Mrauk-U’s archaeological zone recognised as a world heritage site, but were unsuccessful.
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The Department of Archaeology, National Museum and Library of Mrauk-U is now trying again, with a team of experts conducting surveying work such as 3D mapping of the ancient architectural and cultural site, to draft a new application.
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There had been some conservation challenges when work was carried out to restore some of the ancient pagodas in Mrauk-U.
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One example was the the loss of the Shit-thaung Pagoda’s heritage value when conservation was not properly done.
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There were also concerns by nearby locals that they would be forced to move if the sites became UNESCO world heritage sites, Mrauk-U guide association chair U Kyaw Hla Maung said.
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“The people are worried about possible relocation. The authorities should talk to them and hear their views and suggestions before proceeding.
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“Do it like what State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi suggested for Bagan. Then they can also educate the people and help them understand why the UNESCO listing is a good thing,” he said.
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U Hla Myint said tourism would bring prosperity to the locals, who could sell crafts and find jobs in tourism-related businesses.
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Source - The Myanmar Times
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Indonesia - Sumba preparing to host sandalwood horse parade, 'tenun ikat' festival

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Sumba in East Nusa Tenggara is set to host an international festival that will highlight sandalwood horses and tenun ikat (traditional woven fabrics).

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Slated to kick off in May, kompas.com has reported that President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo will attend the event, which will feature a parade of thousands of horses and a tenun ikat exhibition.

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 The parade will begin in Waingapu in East Sumba regency, then continue to Waibakul in Central Sumba regency, Waikabubak in West Sumba regency and end in Tambolaka in Southwest Sumba regency. Meanwhile, the exhibition will be held across all regencies and will involve both local administrations and residents.

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East Nusa Tenggara Creative Economy and Tourism Agency head Marius Ardu Kelamu said the event aimed to promote the island’s landscape and cultural beauty.

“The festival will help create the island’s brand and promote to the world that sandalwood horses originate from Sumba,” he said.

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Tour de Lombok Mandalika to welcome international cyclists

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The 2017 Tour de Lombok Mandalika is set to run from April 13-16.

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Located in West Nusa Tenggara, the race will begin and end in Central Lombok.

Divided into four stages, the route will pass through Lombok's premier cultural and tourist attractions.

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The province’s head of tourism, Lalu M. Faozal, said the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) had granted a license for the Tour de Lombok Mandalika.

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During a press conference on Thursday at Dharmawangsa Hotel in South Jakarta, Lalu said the event would involve three national teams and 17 international teams.

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Throughout the event, the cyclists will stay in Mataram, Central Lombok.

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The organizers have teamed up with the local police to ensure the safety of the event.

Meanwhile, West Nusa Tenggara Deputy Governor Moh. Amin offered his appreciation for the event.

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“Every event helps to support the hospitality industry in West Nusa Tenggara. [The 2017 Tour de Lombok Mandalika] will help to promote tourist destinations in the province ,” he said. 

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Source - TheJakartaPost

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Lombok to welcome thousands of cruise passengers in 2017

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The tourism industry in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is looking forward to welcoming for 24 cruise ships expected to make fast on the island this year and bring in thousands of tourists through the Lembar seaport.
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The shipping companies behind the 24 vessels had confirmed the planned stops in Lombok, NTB Tourism Agency head Lalu Muhammad Faozal said, adding that the number marked an in...

Japan Travel Fair

Japan Travel Fair to promote destinations outside Tokyo, Osaka

Wakayama is one of the destinations slated to be promoted in the upcoming Japan Travel Fair in Jakarta. 

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 The Japan Travel Fair is set to return for the seventh time to the Kota Kasablanka Mall in South Jakarta on March 3 to 5.
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Six destinations are set to be highlighted at the event, namely the Kyushu (Fukuoka, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Nagasaki, Oita and Saga), Okinawa, Setouchi (Ehime, Hiroshima, Kagawa and Okayama), Tohoku (Akita, Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata), Wakayama and Hokkaido areas.
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“Tokyo and Osaka have already become the most popular destinations among Indonesian travelers. This year, we want them to visit other places in Japan,” Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) for Jakarta executive director Hideki Tomioka said in a press conference in South Jakarta on Thursday. He added that the selected destinations were equipped with adequate infrastructure and the local administrations and travel agents were keen to tap into the Indonesian market and were set to participate in the fair to promote their attractions.
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The Tohoku region, for instance, an area still recovering from the 2011 earthquake that had damaged nuclear plant reactors in Fukushima, is said to attend the event to promote places it deemed safe for tourists. Meanwhile, Okinawa is described as a "popular resort destination among local and overseas travelers" that is still foreign to Indonesian tourists, with attractions like picturesque beaches and diving spots.
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isitors of the event can also expect to enjoy discounts from participating airlines, travel agents and partnering banks, with the lowest price for return tickets reportedly Rp 3.9 million (US$292).

The travel fair is part of Japan's effort to attract 40 million foreign visitors from all around the world by the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Last year, up to 271,000 Indonesians reportedly visited the country, representing a 32.1 percent growth from 2015.
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Exploring Angkor Wat gets pricier despite increased numbers of tourists

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Future visitors to Cambodia may be unhappy to hear that if they want to visit the iconic Angkor Wat, they’re going to have to pay nearly double the previous admission fee.
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At the beginning of February the cost of a one-day pass to the temple went up from US$20 to $37.
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Officials justify the increase by saying that this was the first price hike in nearly 25 years for many of the sites and was long overdue.
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Angkor Wat is not the only Cambodian tourist destination to increase its prices.
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(Read also: Cambodia says visitors to Angkor temples must dress properly)
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According to the English newspaper, The Phnom Penh Post, three-day passes to the Angkor Archaeological Park in Siem Reap went from $40 to $62 and week-long passes are now $72, up from $60.
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The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh was the first tourist spot to announce price increases, with fees going from $6.25 to $10. Tickets to the National Museum and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum also rose from $3 to $5.
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“The move comes amid reports of increased tourist visits last year, but lower total revenues,” according to AFP. (sul/kes)
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Indonesia records 1.03 million tourist arrivals in January

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The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) recorded 1.03 million foreign tourist arrivals in January, a 26.58 percent increase from the figure in January, 2016, which stood at 814,300.
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However, the 2017 January figure was 7.42 percent lower than the figure in December, 2016, said BPS chairman Suhariyanto during a press conference on Wednesday.
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He said the increase in December was pushed by the year-end holidays -- Christmas and New Year.
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The BPS recorded that the visits through 19 main gates reached 930,930 people, while visits through other gates reached 99,800 people.
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(Read also: Minister expects MXGP 2017 to boost tourism)
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China contributed the most tourists at 200,190 arrivals from 114,770 in January, 2016, followed by Singaporean tourists, which increased to 100,860 from 96,790, Australian tourists to 100,860 from 94,370 and Malaysian tourists to 97,370 from 83,370.
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The BPS also recorded a high increase of tourists from India to 38,670 arrivals from 25,590. “There is a special tourist promotion to India,” said Suhariyadi as reported by tempo.co. (bbn)
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Indonesia still largest contributor of tourists to Singapore

Every year, Singapore will present various kind of leisure activities, which include sports, entertainment, culinary events and art activities.
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About 2.89 million Indonesians visited Singapore throughout 2016, the biggest contribution of tourists to the city state, about 17.7 percent of the country’s 16.4 million total foreign tourist arrivals, according to a statement released by Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
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The number of tourists from Indonesia grew by 6 percent, which was categorized as a sharp jump from the 10 percent decline in 2015, the statement says.
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STB area director to Indonesia Raymond Lim said on Tuesday in a media gathering in Jakarta that his office would continue trying to attract more Indonesians to visit Singapore.
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“We really hope that we can maintain what we had last year,” he said, adding that about 30 percent of Indonesians who visited Singapore went there for business.
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However, to boost the numbers of tourists from the eastern part of Indonesia, the board will hold roadshows in Palembang in South Sumatra and in Medan in North Sumatra in March and April, he said, adding that it would continue the roadshows in Bali in August and in Sulawesi in September.
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Lim said the board aimed for 16.4 to 16.7 million foreign tourists to visit Singapore in 2017 and expected revenues of between US$25 and $25.8 billion. (yon/bbn)

Source TheJakartaPost
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Vegetarian Festival, #Phuket.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival

is a colourful event held

over a nine-day period in October,

celebrating the Chinese community’s belief

that abstinence from meat

Various stimulants during the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar

will help them obtain good health and peace of mind.

Though the origins of the festival are unclear,

it is commonly thought that the festival was bought to Phuket

by a wandering Chinese opera group who fell ill with malaria while performing on the island.

They decided to adhere to a strict vegetarian diet and pray to the Nine Emperor Gods

to ensure purification of the mind and body.

To everyone’s amazement the opera group made a complete recovery.

 

The people celebrated by holding a festival that was meant to honour the gods

as well as express the people’s happiness at surviving what was,

in the 19th century, a fatal illness.

 

Subsequently the festival has grown and developed into a spectacular yearly

event that is attended by thousands with participants flying

in from China and other Asian destinations.

One of the most exciting aspects of the festival are the various,

(and sometimes gruesome) ceremonies which are held to invoke the gods.

Fire walking, body piercing and other acts of self mortification undertaken

by participants acting as mediums of the gods, have become more spectacula.

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