All 189 on board crashed Indonesian jet feared dead

Yahoo – AFP, Harry PEARL, October 29, 2018

Debris apparently from the crashed jet was pulled out of the water (AFP Photo/Handout)

All 189 passengers and crew aboard a crashed Indonesian Lion Air jet were likely killed in the accident, rescue officials said Monday, as they announced they had found human remains and would continue the grim search through the night.

The Boeing-737 MAX, which went into service just months ago, vanished from radar 13 minutes after taking off from Jakarta, plunging into the Java Sea moments after it had asked to return to the Indonesian capital.

Flight JT 610 sped up as it suddenly lost altitude in the minutes before it disappeared, according to flight data tracking websites, with authorities saying witnesses saw the jet plunge into the water.

"The victims that we found, their bodies were no longer intact and it's been hours so it is likely 189 people have died," search and rescue agency operational director Bambang Suryo Aji told reporters.

Some 40 divers are part of about 150 personnel at the scene, authorities said, with wreckage from the jet some 30 to 40 metres deep in the water.

Earlier, video footage apparently filmed at the scene of the crash showed a slick of fuel on the surface of the water and pictures showed what appeared to be an emergency slide and bits of wreckage bearing Lion Air's logo.

Distraught family of passengers gathered at Pangkal Pinang airport, where the

plane had been headed (AFP Photo/HADI SUTRISNO)

The carrier acknowledged that the jet had previously been grounded for unspecified repairs.

"It's really a mystery what could have happened," said Greg Waldron, Asia managing editor of industry publication Flightglobal.

The plane had been en route to Pangkal Pinang city, a jumping off point for beach-and-sun seeking tourists on nearby Belitung island, when it dropped out of contact around 6:30 am (2330 GMT).

Former professional cyclist Andrea Manfredi was a passenger on the flight, the Italian foreign ministry said.

"The memory of a serious guy and in love with his sport, will remain indelible in the minds of all those who, in these years, have had the good fortune to know him," Bardiani-CSF, Manfredi's former team, said in a statement.

'He called this morning'

Footage from Pangkal Pinang's main airport showed families of passengers crying and hugging each other, with some calling out to god.

A fuel slick was spotted at the site where the Lion Air plane is believed to have 

crashed into the sea (AFP Photo/Handout)

"This morning he called asking about our youngest son," said a sobbing Ermayati, referring to her 45-year-old husband Muhammed Syafii, who was on board.

There were 178 adult passengers, one child, two infants, two pilots and six cabin crew aboard the flight, according to Indonesia's National Transportation Safety Committee (NTSC).

About 20 finance ministry employees were on the plane including half a dozen colleagues of Sony Setiawan, who missed check in for a flight he took weekly due to bad traffic.

"I know my friends were on that flight," he told AFP.

Setiawan said he was only informed about his lucky escape after he arrived in Pangkal Pinang on another flight.

"My family was in shock and my mother cried, but I told them I was safe, so I just have to be grateful."

Lion Air said the plane had only gone into service in August.

The pilot and co-pilot had more than 11,000 hours of flying time between them and had recent medical checkups and drug testing, it added.

Lion Air chief Edward Sirait said the plane had an unspecified technical issue fixed in Bali before it was flown back to Jakarta.

A search and rescue operation swung into action just after the plane 

disappeared from radar (AFP Photo/Resmi MALAU)

"Engineers in Jakarta received notes and did another repair before it took off" on Monday, Sirait told AFP, calling it "normal procedure".

Poor safety record

US-based Boeing said it was "deeply saddened" by news of the crash.

Boeing reportedly suspended release of the 737 MAX just days out from its first commercial delivery last year due to an engine issue, according to airline safety and product review site airlineratings.com.

It said the engines were a product of a joint venture between US-based General Electric and France's Safran Aircraft Engines.

Earlier this year, Lion Air announced it was buying 50 Boeing 737 MAX 10 jets for $6.24 billion.

Indonesia's air travel industry is booming, with the number of domestic passengers growing significantly over the past decade, but it has acquired a reputation for poor regulation and its airlines had previously been banned from US and European airspace.

In August 2015, a commercial passenger aircraft operated by Indonesian carrier Trigana crashed in Papua due to bad weather, killing all 54 people on board.

A year earlier poor maintenance and inadequate pilot response was blamed for an AirAsia plane crash which cost 162 lives.

Lion, a low-cost airline which has engaged in a huge expansion in recent years, has been involved in a number of incidents including a fatal 2004 crash and a collision between two Lion Air planes at Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta airport.

Travel firms to brief holidaymakers on their trip’s environmental footprint

DutchNews, April 12, 2016

A Fokker 70 takes off from Schiphol
airport. Photo jvanderwolf via
Depositphotos

Dutch travel firms are to start informing holidaymakers how much environmental damage their trip is doing by listing ‘holiday footprints’ in brochures and on websites, travel sector organisation ANVR says in Tuesday’s Volkskrant. 

‘We aim to eventually allow consumers to calculate their own holiday footprint via an app or website,’ ANVR spokesman Gerben Hardeman told the paper. ‘We are still a long way off that. But we are now working with a group of travel firms to determine how we can best inform consumers about what we know already.’ 

By helping consumers to realise the impact of their holiday on the environment, holidaymakers can ‘make a responsible choice’, he said. 

Currently, airline passengers can pay extra to offset the cost to the climate of their journey. The amounts vary from €10 to €100, depending on the way the potential damage is calculated by different airlines. 

The system used by the ANVR has been developed by researchers at several hbo colleges and 10 travel firms. It is based on confidential information from airline manufacturers, airlines themselves and the hotel website Booking.com.

Crashed Indonesian plane found 'destroyed', no survivors

Yahoo – AFP, Levi Cunding, 18 Aug 2015

Indonesian rescuers search through wreckage of the Trigana Air ATR 42-300

 twin-turboprop plane at the crash site in the mountainous area of Oksibil on

August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/STR)

A plane that crashed in eastern Indonesia was Tuesday found "completely destroyed" with the bodies of all 54 passengers and crew strewn amid the wreckage in a fire-blackened jungle clearing, officials said.

Rescuers finally reached the debris of the Trigana Air plane, which went down Sunday in Papua province during a short flight in bad weather, after abandoning search efforts a day earlier due to mountainous terrain, thick fog and rain.

Indonesian search and rescue personnel

at the command post at Sentani airport in

 Jayapura communicate with the ground

 rescue team at the plane crash site in 

Oksibil on August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/

Indrayadi Thamrin)

The black box flight data recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash, were retrieved. Money -- some of it burnt -- was also found among the wreckage of the plane, which had been transporting 6.5 billion rupiah ($470,000) in cash.

"The plane has crashed, it is completely destroyed," Bambang Soelistyo, head of the country's search and rescue agency, said of the ATR 42-300 plane after teams reached the site in the morning.

"Everything was in pieces and part of the plane is burnt."

It is just the latest air accident in Indonesia, which has a poor aviation safety record and has suffered major disasters in recent months, including the crash of an AirAsia plane in December with the loss of 162 lives.

Photos of the site showed a fire-blackened clearing in thick jungle strewn with debris. The twin-turboprop plane was carrying 54 people -- 49 passengers and five crew -- and officials said all the bodies had been found.

The team of about 100 rescuers, including soldiers and police, who reached the crash site found some bodies were not intact while others were badly burnt. All those on board were believed to be Indonesians.

Authorities were planning to airlift the bodies from the site by helicopter but efforts were suspended on Tuesday afternoon due to thick fog, Soelistyo told reporters in Jayapura, Papua's capital.

A fresh attempt would be made Wednesday.

'Unpredictable weather'

The money on the plane, which was being carried in four bags by postal officials, was government social assistance funds to be distributed to poor families in the remote community of Oksibil where the plane had been heading.

The wreckage from a Trigana Air ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop scattered among 

trees in the mountainous area of Oksibil district, in Indonesia's Papua province

(AFP Photo/Basarnas)

Soelistyo did not say how much cash had been found, but he told reporters: "I have instructed the team there to secure all the items, including the money, to be handed over to the authorities as evidence."

The plane had set off from Jayapura on what was supposed to be a 45-minute flight to Oksibil.

But it lost contact with air traffic control about 10 minutes before reaching its destination, soon after the crew requested permission to start descending in heavy cloud and rain to land.

Captain Beni Sumaryanto, Trigana Air's service director of operations, said "unpredictable weather and mountainous terrain" had likely caused the accident, adding that the plane was in good condition and the pilot experienced.

View galleryGrieving relatives of passengers on board the ill-fated …

Grieving relatives of passengers on board the ill-fated Trigana Air ATR 42-300 plane wait for inform …

Small aircraft are commonly used for transport in remote and mountainous Papua and bad weather has caused several accidents in recent years.

Last week a Cessna propeller plane crashed in Papua's Yahukimo district, killing one person and seriously injuring the five others on board. Officials suspect that crash was also caused by bad weather.

Indonesian rescuers hold wreckage fragments from the Trigana Air ATR 42-300

 twin-turboprop plane from the crash site in the mountainous area of Oksibil on

August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/STR)

Trigana Air, a small domestic Indonesian airline, has experienced a string of serious incidents and is banned from flying in European Union airspace.

Last year's AirAsia crash was one of two major air accidents that Indonesia has suffered in the past year alone.

In June an Indonesian military plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood in the city of Medan, exploding in a fireball and killing 142 people.

The aviation sector in Indonesia is expanding fast but airlines are struggling to find enough well-trained personnel to keep up with the rapid growth in the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Emirates Officially Opens Dubai-Bali Route

Jakarta Globe, Arientha Primanita, Jun 04, 2015

Inaugural flight of Emirates serving Dubai to Bali route arrived in Ngurah Rai
airport in Bali on Wednesday, June 3, 2015. Emirates adds Bali as its 146th
 global destination opening up opportunities to help boost the Island's tourism
sector. (Photo Courtesy of Emirates)

Jakarta. Dubai-based airline Emirates officially launched a daily flight from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to Indonesia’s most prominent tourism destination, Bali, with an inaugural flight on Wednesday, the airline said in a statement on Thursday.

The flight marked the commencement of Emirates’ non-stop daily flight to Bali, its second destination in Indonesia after Jakarta, the airline said.

The EK 398 flight arrived in Bali at 9:40 p.m local time carrying Emirates’ top officials, journalists and passengers from 40 different cities from around the world, including Moscow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and New York.

Emirates will use Boeing 777-300ER airplanes for the fleet serving the Dubai-Bali route.

Barry Brown, divisional senior vice president of commercial operations East at Emirates, said Bali is a main tourism destination and an important market for Emirates as there was high interest in the island.

“We are pleased to now be able to serve this demand and contribute to the island’s economic and tourism growth.

“We also look forward to connecting passengers from Bali to Dubali and onward to more than 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas through one convenient stop at our world-class hub,” Brown said in the statement.

I Gde Pitana, resources development head at the Ministry of Tourism, welcomed the new route saying it would boost tourism in Bali — which recorded 3.7 million foreign visitors last year.

“The island continues to attract tourists from around the world, and a direct route to and from Dubai with Emirates will help to increase access to other parts of the world, bringing new opportunities for travellers and businesses alike,” he said.

Bali is Emirate’s 146th global destination, adding to the airline’s routes in the Asia Pacific region which currently serves 18 destinations in 11 countries in Asia.

The airline also provides Emirates SkyCargo service which offers 294 tons of cargo per week from Dubai to Bali and vice versa.

The cargo that could be carried from Bali included marine products such as tuna, household goods, leather goods and handicrafts which mainly will be delivered to European countries. Moreover, the airline said there are also household goods, pharmaceuticals and automotive parts will also be imported not only to Bali but to other cities in Indonesia like Surabaya and Balikpapan.

Emirates first included Jakarta in their international route in 1992 through Singapore and Colombo. By March 2013, the airline began operating a daily three non-stop flights a week from Jakarta to Dubai.

GlobeAsia

New Taipei mayor praises Singapore as a tourist destination

Want China Times, CNA 2015-03-07

Eric Chu promotes tourism in New Taipei City during his visit to
Singapore, Mar. 3. (Photo/CNA)

Singapore is a great country despite its size, and Taiwan has much to learn from the city state in terms of tourism, said New Taipei mayor Eric Chu upon his arrival there Friday to promote tourism in his city.

Singapore is one of the best tourist attractions in the world, including its success in drawing high-end shoppers and international business travelers, said Chu, who also chairs the ruling Kuomintang.

Two-way travel has increased in recent years, with about 400,000 Singaporeans traveling to Taiwan last year, up from 194,000 in 2009.

The number of Taiwanese tourists to the city-state has risen to nearly 300,000 annually over the past two years from 137,000 in 2009, Chu added.

To draw travelers to New Taipei, a competition kicked off in Singapore on Friday to select a tourism promoter.

The winner will be rewarded a cash prize of 5,000 Singaporean dollars (US$3,670) and be treated to a two-week stay in New Taipei, during which the winner is required to post messages and photos on his or her trip on social media sites.

The mayor is also scheduled to attend the NATAS Travel fair, which began Friday and will run through Sunday.

Chu was accompanied by Chang Kuo-wei, chairman of Taiwanese airline EVA Air, which will increase flights to the city state to accommodate the growing two-way travel.

The airline said it will increase the number of flights to Singapore to 10 per week from the current seven, starting June 21, and to 11 starting July 1.

The carrier will transport passengers in its popular Hello Kitty planes on three of the flights, according to the airline.

Garuda to Expand Papua Routes in April

Jakarta Globe, Feb 01, 2015

Garuda Indonesia plans to add three more routes to the two that it
currently operates out of Biak district in Papua. (ID Photo)

Jakarta. Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia plans to extend its network of routes in Papua, the country’s easternmost province, as part of a push to open up the region to greater development.

The airline has agreed to a request from its office in Biak district to fly three new routes as of April from Biak to Nabire, Serui and Wamena, local Garuda manager Wayan Supatrayasa told Kompas.com.

“The facilities at [Biak’s] Frans Kaisepo Airport very much allow for planes operating from Biak to serve passengers from around the Cendrawasih Bay region,” he said.

“I’m optimistic that the new routes will help improve access to isolated areas and improve those areas’ development,” he added.

Garuda currently operates just two routes from Biak: one to Jayapura, the Papua provincial capital, and another to Jakarta via Makassar in South Sulawesi.

Susi Air operates routes from Biak to other points around the region, including Serui and Manokwari.

Related Article:

Jokowi: Papua Railway Development to Start in 2015

Indonesia's new president causes a buzz by flying economy class

Yahoo – AFP, 22 Nov 2014

Indonesian President Joko Widodo (C) and First Lady Iriana attend the high

 school graduation ceremony of their youngest son Kaesang Pangarep, at the

 Anglo-Chinese International School in Singapore, on November 21, 2014 (Photo

By Mohd Fyro/AFP)

Indonesia's new President Joko Widodo caused a stir this weekend by opting to fly economy class to watch his son's high school graduation in Singapore, drawing both praise and criticism online.

Skipping the usual heavy security protocol for heads of state, Widodo and his wife Iriana queued for check-in at Jakarta airport like ordinary passengers before taking their economy seats.

Widodo is known for his common touch, and his family have maintained a modest lifestyle since he became leader of Southeast Asia's biggest economy last month.

The presence of the president, known by his nickname Jokowi, caused a buzz at Jakarta's airport as passengers shouted and clamoured to shake his hand, with some taking selfies on their phones.

Some, though, thought it was a publicity stunt.

"Why should he go through the metal detector, join the queue, etc. Sir, stop polishing your image, just act natural," Rangga Aditya commented on news portal Detik.com.

Harry Azet tweeted: "Living a fake life is difficult: Jokowi went to Singapore flying economy but slept in an expensive hotel."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo takes a selfie with classmates of his youngest

 son Kaesang Pangarep, at the Anglo-Chinese International School in Singapore,

on November 21, 2014 (Photo By Mohd Fyro/AFP)

Widodo stayed in a five-star hotel on Orchard Road, Singapore's shopping mecca, an Indonesian embassy spokesman in Singapore told AFP.

But his choice to fly economy also won widespread praise, with many urging other government officials to follow suit.

"Jokowi sets a good example by flying economy. Hopefully other officials can follow in his footsteps," tweeted Anita Tobing.

Widodo said he did not use the presidential private jet or the VIP terminal because he was travelling for personal reasons.

"I am going for family matters, a private agenda, not a state visit -- so why should I use the facility?" Widodo told reporters.

The president and his wife were in Singapore to see their youngest son, 19-year-old Kaesang Pangarep, graduate from the Anglo-Chinese International School on Friday evening. The couple have two other children.

Widodo had breakfast with Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong before flying back to Jakarta on Saturday morning.

Lion Air Passenger Plane Crashes in Bali

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, April 13, 2013

The Lion Air airplane that crashed into the ocean 50 meters from the
runway at Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar. (Twitter Photo)

  

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A Lion Air airplane carrying 101 passengers was forced to make an emergency landing on the ocean after it overshot the runway at Ngurah Rai Airport on Saturday afternoon.

Sherly Yunita, a public relations officer at Ngurah Rai Airport, told the Jakarta Globe that the passenger plane did not touch the runway and landed directly onto the sea.

“The cause is not known yet,” Sherly said. “It was an emergency landing.”

Dozens of passengers have been sent to hospitals in Denpasar with 10 passengers hospitalized at the Sanglah Hospital in Denpasar and two at the Kasih Ibu Hospital.

Victims with serious injuries have been taken to the Siloam Hospital in Kuta.

A passenger, identified as Dewi, complained that the pilot did not alert the passengers before the emergency landing.

“Suddenly I saw the airplane was so close with the sea and hit the water with a loud sound,” Dewi said. “All passengers were panicking, screaming. Passengers tried to get the life jackets and were rushed to the emergency exits.”

Dewi, who suffered an injury to her head, managed to swim to the beach after getting out of the plane.

The Lion Air Boeing 737-800 ER jet was traveling from Bandung to Denpasar when it was forced to make an emergency landing, Eko Diantoro, the general manager from airport operator Angkasa Pura II, told TVOne on Saturday.

Eko said there were 101 passengers — 96 adults, five children and one baby — and seven crew members on board the flight that left Husein Sastranegara International Airport, Bandung at 12:56 p.m. The flight was due to land at 3:40 p.m. local time. The flight crashed into the water at 3:35 p.m, 50 meters from the runway.

Eko said that weather conditions in Denpasar were good.

“We don’t know the cause of the accident,” Eko said. “We don’t have the detail of the passengers condition, but all are alive.”

In October 2011, a Lion Air flight overshot the runway at the Sepinggan airport in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan. There were no casualties as the passenger plane managed to stop on a soft surface in place to trap an aircraft from running on from the landing area, or even into the sea, in the case of an emergency.

Related Articles:

Downdraft theory in Lion Air crash

Lion Air Crash Pilots Pass Drug, Alcohol Tests: Official

Lion Air Official Says Crashed Boeing 737 Was Safe to Fly

All survive after jet lands in sea off Bali Indonesia

Lion Air's Record Airbus Order Costs $24 Billion

The Influx of Travelers Ignites Bali to Open Extra Flights

KOMPAS/IWAN SETIYAWAN, MONDAY, 21 SEPTEMBER 2009 | 2:33 PM

DENPASAR, KOMPAS.com - Bali’s Ngurah Rai international airport during the week prior to Idul Fitri (Sept 14-20) served a total of 50 extra flights carrying holiday travelers to domestic destinations. "Around 6,503 passengers made use of the extra flights to a number of airports in Indonesia," a security officer at Ngurah Rai airport, Ngurah Jaya, said on Monday.

He said the extra flights were intended to carry Idul Fitri holiday travelers and other holiday makers who failed to get seats on scheduled flights. Ngurah Jaya said the number of domestic tourists arriving in Bali from various cities in Indonesia in the past one week exceeded that of Idul Fitri holiday travelers leaving the resort island for their home villages.

He said that since seven days before Idul Fitri until Sunday, Sept 20, 2009, 51,653 passengers arrived on 422 flights at Ngurah Rai airport, while 41,767 others depart from the airport on 424 flights to various destinatins.

Ngurah Jaya said the launch of extra flights from Ngurah Rai airport was started with the increase of passengers going to their home villages for Idul Fitri holidays.

"The extra flights will also be held until the holiday makers are returning from their hometowns," Ngurah Jaya said. He said that in the 24 hours on Tuesday (5 days ahead of Idul Fitri), 57 planes carrying 5,960 passengers landed at Ngurah Rai.

Last Wednesday, a total of 56 planes carrying 5,559 passengers, and another extra flight with 50 passengers left the airport. He also said that the number of international flights, both arrivals and departures, did not change much.

In the meantime, Idul Fitri transportation coordinator for Bali Sugeng Sugianto said at least 24 wide-bodied aircraft were ready for extra flights from Ngurah Rai to various destinations in Indonesia and back. The planes with unscheduled flights belonged to a number of airline companies in Indonesia.

Tourism offers unmissable business opportunities for Indonesia

Debnath Guharoy , Consultant , | Tue, 03/11/2008 1:38 AM

As with people of all nationalities, many Indonesians spend their whole lives in their provinces, never traveling far from home.

About 13 percent of the population travel beyond what is required by their daily routines. That figure typically drops by 2 or 3 percent when you eliminate those who travel unexpectantly owing to unforeseen business or family matters.

In a year, only 3 percent of Indonesians travel by plane, the same 3 percent who live the so-called "good life" -- that of plastic cards, new cars and luxury holidays -- while just over 1 percent of all Indonesians have traveled overseas in the last 12 months, either for business or pleasure.

The Javanese, residents of the world's most densely populated island, stay within the confines of Indonesia more than any other islander across the archipelago.

That's understandable, considering distances, availability and cost of convenient transportation and the reality that most people do not have friends or relatives outside of their immediate area.

Sixty-five percent of travelers use buses, making it the most popular form of transportation, even during holdidays. A further 20 percent hop on their family motorbike for vacation.

Another 7 percent travel during holidays by cars owned within the family or by friends, while a mere 2 percent take the boat or ferry.

These statistics are compiled by the country's largest syndicated survey operator, Roy Morgan Single Source, which surveys more than 27,000 Indonesian respondents annually.

The numbers, updated every 90 days, are estimated to reflect almost 90 percent of the population over the age of 14, representing a total of 140 million people.

All holiday-makers, regardless of the distances they travel, make a contribution to the local economy. Not many industries can claim to receive contributions from such a diverse range of customers.

Even before a traveler steps onto a bus or plane, a ticket has already been sold, a room has been booked. Taxi drivers, porters, doormen, chefs, waitresses and housekeeping staff all have jobs to do to support this one traveler.

As does the craftsman, the shopkeeper, the boatman, the barmaid -- the list goes on. If you trace the number of employees called into action by a single tourist couple, the number could well run into the hundreds.

Tourism is good for employment, but it is also good in so many other incalculable ways. The exchange of views, the mingling, the sharing of culture, the goodness that natural beauty can bring, the development of communal pride and purpose. No industry promotes human values, the philosophy to live and let live and the celebration of life more than tourism.

With tourism growing rapidly in Asia, Indonesia is lagging way behind its neighbors. While Vietnam receives more and more tourists every year, Indonesia, hampered by its Bali-centric philosophy, languishes.

The world knows little about Indonesia beyond Bali, and those visiting Bali fail to make a connection to the rest of Indonesia.

It could be argued that the number of underachieving locales in Indonesia rivals the combined total of all other ASEAN countries.

By their own initiative, regional and local budget airlines appear to be doing more to develop travel and tourism than any other business or organization, including the cash-strapped ministry of tourism.

However, airline passengers who aren't visiting friends and relatives need hotels, food, attractions, activities, shopping and night-life. The infrastructure is lacking.

Equally important is the need for a tourist-friendly local government that has its citizens' welfare at the top of its agenda.

Here is an open invitation to form a coalition of the willing and to do some good and make some money: would an official from the ministry, a provincial government, a bank or the Investment Coordinating Board please stand up?

An e-mail to this writer from any of the above would result in an enthusiastic response by a group of capable, experienced investors who wish to execute a textbook construction of a new resort that would make proud all concerned.

If challenged to put my energy where my mouth is by readers of this column, I would join this coalition and dedicate as much time as I could to bring an eco-friendly, socially responsible resort to fruition in Indonesia.

It can be done, and with a greater dividend than any new city shopping mall could ever offer.

The writer can be contacted at Debnath.Guharoy@roymorgan.com

Experiencing the perfect sunset in Lombok

Prodita Sabarini, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung, Lombok

A perfectly round sun in glaring hues of red and orange was sinking behind the horizon between the islands of Gili Air and Gili Meno in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara.

Cruising on a boat that was moving into the sunset, I sat dreamily, watching the sky turn from grayish-blue to purplish-pink.

The sun was reflected in the rippling water, giving it a golden glimmer.

I've always dreamed of watching the perfect sunset by the beach -- like the one so eloquently depicted in Seno Gumira Ajidarma's collection of short stories Sepotong Senja Untuk Pacarku (A piece of dusk for my love).

Desperate after several attempts at catching the perfect sunset, I was about to give up, almost ready to concede that Seno sunsets were merely fiction.

However, my trip to the island of Lombok saved me from a broken dream.

When I took up an offer to join a sunset cruise organized by five-star Oberoi's Lombok Beach Club, I got my chance to experience that perfect sunset. The Beach Club is managed by marine adventure company H20 Sportz.

The lulling movement of the boat, cool breeze on my skin and Lombok's natural beauty made it breathtaking.

Medana beach and the volcanic soil of handsome Mt. Rinjani were visible to the east.

To the west, the silhouette of Mt. Agung on Lombok's sister island, Bali, was visible.

For vacationers willing to trade the excitement of a tourist crowd for nature and tranquility, Lombok is the place.

Possessing only a fraction of Bali's tourist infrastructure, much of Lombok remains virtually unexplored. But, National Geographic Traveler magazine recently gave Lombok higher marks than Bali for sustainable tourism.

The island is slightly smaller than neighboring Bali, with a population of 2.3 million, the majority of whom are Muslim.

The indigenous Sasak people adhere to a unique blend of Hindu and Muslim beliefs found only in Lombok.

The island has a wide variety of topographical features and microclimates. North Lombok is the domain of the active Mount Rinjani while the central region is devoted to agricultural. South Lombok, while very arid, offers breathtaking vistas of a fierce sea from atop towering rock outcrops.

The coral reefs off the three Gili Islands are still in good condition, making this a good place for snorkeling and diving.

I stayed at The Oberoi, located in Tanjung, around 35 minutes northwest of Selaparang Airport. From the Medana Beach, where the resort is located, Gili Air and Gili Meno are visible.

I arose early for sunrise watching and fishing, activities organized by the Beach Club.

The new day broke as magnificently as the previous day had ended. Around 6 a.m., from the jetty at Medana Beach, we could see the first morning light give a pinkish hue to the calm waters.

We were taken to Gili islands just off Lombok and enjoyed sunrise photography on the way. We were also lucky enough to catch up with a group of dolphins and land a yellowfin tuna.

At Gili Air -- one of the three Gili islands and the nearest to Lombok -- some went sailing and some snorkeled. There, in the underwater forest of coral, I spotted white sea turtles.

We anchored off a white-sand beach and, as the day got warmer, I retreated to a shady hammock with a good book.

Gili Air is popular for its coral reefs and tranquil ambience. It's quieter and more relaxed than Gili Trawangan, which is popular as a party island for backpackers.

We took a ride on a cidomo, a local horse carriage. Thirty minutes was all it took to circle the entire island. After the ride, we were treated to the local spicy Taliwang chicken for lunch.

Unlike Bali, Lombok has only a few five-star hotels. The Oberoi was Lombok's first luxury resort; the island also has a Sheraton and a Holiday Inn. Budget lodging is available, including at popular Senggigi beach and in the Gilis.

Despite natural beauty and interesting culture, tourism in Lombok lags behind Bali. Lombok suffered from rioting in 2000 as well as the bomb attacks in Bali in 2002 and 2005.

An international airport is under construction, scheduled for completion in 2009. It is expected to bring more international airlines to the island, and more people to witness the beauty of Lombok.

Travel Notes

Getting there: Currently Lombok can be reached from Singapore with Silk Air and from Jakarta with Garuda Airlines.

Domestic carriers make the 20-minute hop from Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport to Lombok's Selaparang airport frequently.

There is also a Bali-Lombok sea alternative: public ferries departing every two hours from Padang Bai in Bali. Tour companies such as Perama tours also go to Lombok.

Accommodation: High-end resorts such as The Oberoi, The Sheraton and Holiday Inn are available. Budget places are available in Senggigi beach and the three Gilis.

Getting around: Lombok has an extensive network of roads, but public buses and bemos (minibuses) are generally restricted to main routes. You can also charter a bemo or cidomo (pony cart) or rent a small motorcycle or a car. Outrigger boats called perahu are used for short trips to snorkeling spots or surf breaks.

RI eyes $6.4b from tourism in 2008

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government said it hopes to bring in US$ 6.4 billion in foreign exchange from an estimated seven million foreign tourists expected next year.

The government has set these targets for its 2008 visit Indonesia campaign.

"We haven't reached our target yet for the year 2007, but the number of foreign visitors arriving in the first 10 months of this year was up, compared to last year's figures," Thamrin Bhiwana Bachri, director general for marketing at the Culture and Tourism Ministry told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"Arrivals were increasing at around 14.4 percent from January to October this year, compared to the same period in 2006."

Thamrin said ASEAN countries, especially Malaysia and Singapore, had been the focus for Indonesia's tourism sector over the last 10 to 15 years.

He said these two countries remained Indonesia's major markets.

"Their proximity, the high amount of flights available and the similar customs and food are the main factors that stimulate the interest of people from these countries to visit Indonesia," he said.

But the government needed to develop tourist attractions in regions by improving facilities and access, Thamrin said.

"We have many other interesting places and cultures other than Bali," he said.

"But those places don't have good infrastructure or facilities able to accommodate tourist needs, like convenient hotels and resorts, clean public toilets, well-managed airports or easy access to tourist attractions."

Bali remains a favorite tourist destination, with foreign arrivals up 40 percent this year.

The "Visit Indonesia Year 2008" campaign, which would be launched by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Jan. 1, is set to stage 100 international-scale events and cultural festivals.

It has been timed to coincide with the "World Culture Forum Asia & Pacific" in New Delhi in January 2008.

Legislator Ade Daud Nasution from Crescent Star Party (PBB) is the owner of several hotels in Bali and Riau Islands and said the government must continue developing the Riau archipelago.

He said this was vital in order to win the tourism competition against Singapore and Malaysia and to attract tourists from China, the Middle East and Japan.

"We have to develop an integrated tourist resort on Bintan, Galang and Batam islands, which are located in a strategic position on the Malacca Straits," he told the Post.

"The government could invite foreign investors to take part in the integrated tourist resort project if it can not do this alone," Ade said.

The government said recently Indonesia's economic growth in the coming years could depend on the tourism sector if the Bintan Bay Treasure integrated resort was realized.

The resort is projected to compete with Singapore and Malaysia.

Ade said Malaysia's Landmarks Bhd. had confirmed its readiness to take part in the project in Bintan and many local businessmen had also shown an interest.

Hasto Kristiyanto from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said the government would need to invest a serious sum if it wanted to make the Riau archipelago a viable tourist destination in Southeast Asia.

"Despite having a Muslim majority, Indonesia should not be a hypocrite," Hasto said.

"It should learn more from Malaysia and Singapore and see how they have developed their tourism industries," he said. (rff)