I watched Channel Newsasia last nite and found a relieving news that Indonesia’s economy (still) grows 4.4% Jan-March 2009. This is the worst growth in the last 5 years. Well, this is quite shocking because : - Once economists predicted that Indonesia’s economy would dip below zero in the first quarter. - Indonesia neighbors’ economies shrink, below [...]
Kompas reported on Bali as the best island in Asia Pacific according to a Hong Kong based magazine, DestinAsia. It’s such an honor, but is it that surprising? Bali has snatched that title four times already. Apparently foreign tourists still love Bali so much. I bet there are still hundreds, or even thousands, of islands in [...]
Indonesia’s Media Nusantara Citra (MNC), the biggest media network in Southeast Asia launched IndoStar II, the biggest S-band satellite over the sky (China will have the bigger one… not in the near future). This is a true leap-frogging toward the media industry in Indonesia, as well as in the region. Indonesia was the first to launch [...]
Tour de Singkarak 2009 Indonesia’s tourism is going wild, in a good way, of course. After spending about Rp 6 billion on Tour de Singkarak, the Culture and Tourism Ministry is betting hard left and right to boost Indonesia’s tourism industry. The Jakarta Post reported that the latest attempt was to stitch the Visit Indonesia Year [...]
Did you know that Indonesia is 15th largest car producer in the world in 2008? I bet you do, because I have posted one article about that. But hey, this is different. The new comer is Volkswagen, one of the most respected car brand on this planet, the creator of these legendary vehicles. Volkswagen AG plans to [...]
I read this good news on Kompas website. Keris, an Indonesian indigenous weapon, is acknowledged as a masterpiece of world cultural heritage by UNESCO. There are a lot of stories around Keris; one of the most famous stories probably is the story of Keris Mpu Gandring. There are just so many tangible and intangible cultures [...]
Do you know how many high profile people were sent to jail in Indonesia? Do you know how many high rank government officials and policymakers have to stay day and nite in prison ? I am sure you don’t know, and you never counted. But let me give you one simple answer, this might help [...]
March 2009 foreign tourist arrivals to Bali (161,169) increased month-on-month 4.7%, as compared to the same month in 2008. Arrivals covering the first three months of the year (Q1) totaled 465,182 – improving 3.61% over Q1 2008 (448,954). In the midst of a very uncertain business climate internationally, that Bali has managed to record its best-ever [...]
Lombok has always lagged behind Bali in regards to tourism. These days, Lombok is used as a stepping stone to the nearby Gili Islands. This doesn’t mean that there is nothing to do in the island. To the contrary, Lombok is an island of stunning palm-fringed, white sand beaches, and the interior of the island [...]
Who is better to lead the initiative to sustainable management of marine resources than a country with a massive portion of ocean itself? Indonesia is proudly hosting the World Ocean Conference 2009 in Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi province, well-known for one of the most beautiful diving spots in the world, Bunaken National Marine [...]