Bandung is the capital
of West Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest
city.
Located 768 m (2,520 ft) above
sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than most
other Indonesian cities. The city lies on a river basin and surrounded
by volcanic mountains. This topology provides the city with a good natural
defense system, which was the primary reason of Dutch East Indies government's
plan to move the colony capital from Batavia to Bandung.
The Dutch colonials first
opened tea plantations around the mountains in the eighteenth century,
followed by a road construction connecting the plantation area to the capital
(180 km or 112 miles to the northwest). The city was founded in 1906 and
gradually developed itself into a resort city for the plantation owners.
Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and European boutiques were opened
of which the city was dubbed as Parijs van Java.
After Indonesian independence,
the city experienced a rapid development and urbanization that has transformed
Bandung from idyllic town into a densed 15,000 people/km² metropolitan
area, a living space for over 2 million people. Natural resources have
been exploited excessively, particularly in the conversions of protected
upland area into highland villa and real estates. Although the city has
encountered many problems, ranging from waste disposal, floods to chaotic
traffic system, Bandung however still has its charm to attract people flocking
into the city, either as weekend travellers or living in.. |
Indonesia
by Josiah William
Indonesia is derived from "indos
nesos", meaning islands near India. It is the world's largest archipelago
with exactly 17, islands spread between the Asian continent and Australia,
and between the Pacific and the Indian oceans.
Air transport is the easiest
and most comfortable means of travel in Indonesia. Domestic air service,
including the remote areas are provided by Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara,
Sempati Air, Bouraq and Mandala Airlines.
Garuda Indonesia, operates
both international and domestic routes and the only airline with an all-jet
fleet for domestic Indonesia operations. Garuda serves Honolulu, Los Angeles,
London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich, Rome, Vienna, Cairo,
Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Ho Chi Minh City, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei,
Manila, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur, Nagoya, Seoul, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand,
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Port Hedland and Auckland. The country's
second national carrier, Merpati Nusantara Airlines, flies to 110 local
destinations and to Australia (Darwin), Brunei Darussalam and East Malaysia
(Kuching).
The country's three main
gateways are Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, Polonia Airport and
Ngurah Rai Airport.
International airlines that
serve Indonesia are Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines System (MAS),
Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and JAL.
ENTRY REGULATIONS
Citizens of most countries can stay 60 days without a visa.
CLIMATE Indonesia's
climate is tropical, hot, and humid but moderate in highlands.
LANGUAGE The national
language is Bahasa Indonesia (a modified form of Malay), English, English,
Dutch, almost 600 local dialects, the most widely spoken of which is Javanese.
CURRENCY
The official currency is
Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).
DOMESTIC TRANSPORT Domestic
rail service is available throughout Java, parts of Sumatra, Jakarta, Bandung
and Surabaya. There are comfortable sleeper trains that serve Yogyakarta,
Solo, and Semarang.
Bus services are also available
and ply the Bali - Banda Aceh route; many are air-conditioned with reclining
seats as well as TV with video programs. Cars can also be hired, for longer
out of town trips, from taxi or car rental companies.
Inter-island ships are comfortable
and offer an alternative to flying. There are regular sailing schedules
and routes at the main port of Jakarta.
COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES
International Direct Dial Country Code = 62 Fixed Lines = 10,000,000 Mobile
Cellular = 30,000,000
Indonesia's telecommunications
service is generally good, provided by an inter-island microwave system,
HF radio police net, a domestic satellite communications system and satellite
earth stations.
Indonesia's GSM cellular
service providers are Telkomsel, PTT Saleti Palapa, Excelcom and PT Indosat.
Several prepaid calling card
and phone card companies are available to call both to and from Indonesia.
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About the Author: Josiah
William works in marketing for Cheap Phone Cards, Deal King, Snap Mobile
and eCellular |
