On the same occasion, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono awarded the trophies and prizes to all the champions of the competition in the categories of painting, poetry, song creations and batik designs.

This annual contest was held ahead of the Indonesian Independence Day on 17 August, based on a follow-up to the idea expressed by the President in commemoration of National Children’s Day on July 23, 2006, in Taman Bunga Nusantara, Cipanas. The President urged the realisation of an art competition reserved for the elementary and secondary school levels with the goal of building and shaping the character of the nation.

In the competition, students who represented their respective regions were invited to enjoy the natural beauties of their environment and express this through painting, song, poetry, and batik.

The Minister of Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik said that the competition was an excellent medium for primary and junior high school students to express their artistic creativities through a balanced stimulation between logic, ethics, and aesthetics. “Building the nation’s character can be done through various types of art, such as ketoprak, dance, theatre, puppets and music,” he said.

The race, which competed for the President’s trophy, was attended by elementary and junior high school students from across the country. Each province was represented by three elementary school students and four junior high school students who went through an elimination round at the district level. This race is a joint programme with the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Ministry of National Education. The competition, taking place at the Tampak Siring Palace, Bali, was themed “Arts and Culture Builds the Nation’s Character”.

After receiving the honorary title, Jero Wacik opened the traditional and cultural party of ERAU Pelas 7 Benua, which was centred at Madya Stadium, Kutai Kartanegara Sports Complex, Tenggarong Seberang. The opening was marked with the ignition of seven Brong (flame tree) together with the Governor of East Kalimantan Awang Faroek Ishak, Kutai Kartanegara Regent Rita Widyasari, Haji Aji Muhammad Salehuddin II and several other officials of the empire.

Jero Wacik said that ERAU Pelas 7 Benua in 2010 is a momentum to preserve the culture of East Kalimantan, in particular of the Kutai Kartanegara, especially considering that the cultural and traditional party was originally held to provide entertainment and bring prosperity to the people.

ERAU Festival has been included in the national tourism event calendar, which is expected to increase tourist visits to East Kalimantan. The Festival was held from 11 – 18 July and was made festive by a number of cultural arts activities, providing major foreign tourists draw. The festival was also aimed to commemorate the anniversary of the Tenggarong City, the centre of Kutai Kartanegara kingdom since 1782.

On the early evening of 22 July, 2010, the opening of the first exhibition of Indonesian contemporary art abroad, titled “Contemporaneity: Contemporary Art in Indonesia”, was officiated by the Indonesian Minister of Trade, Mari Elka Pangestu, together with the committee and artists, by cutting the ceremonial red ribbon at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). The ceremony then commenced with a museum tour to observe and experience the unique development of contemporary art in Indonesia.

Almost all artists involved attended the opening ceremony, and pride and hopes run high amongst the artists as well as those who are attending that this exhibition is only the beginning of many more, larger exhibitions and a precursor to opportunities in the near future to make art collectors and art lovers around the world aware of Indonesia’s great artists.

This landmark exhibition, co-curated by Jim Supangkat and Biljana Ciric, were made possible thanks to many sponsors, including Garuda Indonesia and its business unit Garuda Indonesia Cargo. The exhibition examines the continued influence of history and traditional culture in Indonesia’s contemporary art movement, as portrayed in prevailing themes in contemporary culture, progression, religious matters, ideologies, humanity, political interest and social changes.

Reflecting a broad range of life experiences and aesthetic values, the group of intergenerational artists involved in the exhibition interpret diverse subject matter—figurative, abstract and conceptual—in a variety of media including painting, photography, video, sculpture, art project, mural and interactive installation. The resulting works, which are not only thought-provoking but also visually seductive and entertaining, illustrate the distinctive feel and inimitable expression of Indonesia’s contemporary artists.

Sadly, this exhibition was open for the public during one month only. Not quite enough time for all to come and enjoy such an exhibition of this quality and calibre, but this is in part due to the busy schedules of the MOCA during the Expo 2010. Shanghai’s coolest museum is an airy all-glass space in the middle of People’s Park. The nature of the museum is to feature temporary shows that are always fresh, exciting and accessible. In conjunction with this exhibition, a catalogue has been published which makes it possible for interested art lovers to track and discover the artists and their art.

The name “Kampung Sampireun” was derived from Lake Sampireun (translated as “a place to stop by”), located at the heart of the 5.5 hectares resort. Kampung Sampireun Resort & Spa (www.kampungsampireun.com) is laid out to make guests feel like they’re staying in a village rather than another detached, big city-big name branded corporate hotel. Guests come here to leave behind their stressful big-city life and to recover.

The resort is intensely focused on providing an escape feel with its Amantie Princess Bale, a gazebo where you can lounge around and enjoy afternoon snacks; or village-style coffee waroeng (traditional coffee shop), where you can sip coffee while interacting with other villagers (hotel guests and employees); or even the unique boat ride that will take you to your bungalow when you come in to stay at the resort.

Boats are also available for guests who want to simply waddle around in the silent tranquillity of the lake and enjoy its fresh atmosphere. This lake also contains thousands of goldfishes, and feeding the fishes right from your bungalow’s veranda can also become a therapy all in its own that will relieve your stresses and fatigues.

Genuine Sundanese hospitality is felt throughout this resort. In the morning, every guest is treated to a typical Sampireun pancake breakfast, delivered directly by boat, just like in the village where hawkers would peddle around the pancake. At night, melodious tunes of flutes coming from the boat floating around the lake can be heard, serenading your night and sleep.

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa (www.tamansariroyalheritagespa.com) is one of the facilities in Kampung Sampireun that has been around since 2003. The spa has two villas, two standard rooms, five therapists, meditation room, sauna room, herbal bar and also a mini pool. Guests of Kampong Sampireun will automatically receive 30% discount for all treatments (except sauna and special promos). One of the special treatments that exist only in Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa is the Banana Leaf Body Wrap, which is a full body treatment that utilizes banana leaves to wrap the entire body after it has been heated in steam, followed by a massage with Javanese herbal massage oils and finally scrubbed with volcanic mud. This treatment is beneficial to restore lost minerals in your body and eliminate the negative ions through the medium of banana leaves, which is an excellent absorbent of toxins in the body. Banana leaves also help the warming process in the body as a detoxification process.

Another unique treatment is the Floating Foot Spa, which is conducted on a raft. This ultimate pampering will spoil your feet with massages using special foot scrub gel, consisting of a mixture of lemon, lemongrass and basil oil, then lotion containing vitamins A, C & E and finally essential oils that will soften, loosen rigid muscles and stimulate blood circulation in the legs. This is concluded with the hand and foot spray to fragrance and warms your feet and hands. “It was very nice to spend a holiday in Kampung Sampireun.

This resort offers a very different concept compare to other resorts. It is very unique and very nature-oriented,” said Zukhriatul Hafizah, Miss Environment Indonesia 2009.

Chef Dennis Mifsud brings a wealth of culinary experience and passion for travel onto his dish creations. His passion for food and travelling has taken him throughout South-East Asia, Europe and Australia, where he discovered completely new cuisines and cultures that influence his cooking style. Early in the ‘90s he decided to live in North East Victoria and established Veda Catering, operating from a historic old hotel outside of Wangaratta. It was after living here that he realized the importance and lack of regional Australian cuisine, and decided to establish himself in Margaret River Western Australia. His contributions to the industry as a whole have appeared throughout various publications and cooking programmes in Australia.

John Horgan, owner of Salitage winery, is one of the pioneer winemakers from the Margaret River region who was recently awarded Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to the country’s wine industry. Salitage was the first commercial winery in the Pemberton wine region and although only two decades old, now exports its collection to 20 countries around the world.

Starting in 1996 as a medium to promote the Nusa Dua area to both domestic and foreign markets, BTDC together with the hotels and businesses in the area held its first successful Nusa Dua Festival, which, following remarkable success and positive responses from the markets and clients, in 2007 changed its name to Nusa Dua Fiesta. This year, the Nusa Dua Fiesta 2010, to be held in Nusa Dua Peninsula from 15 to 19 October 2010, will once again feature exhibitions, performing arts, cultural attractions, sports, music, exhibition and fun games with the environmental theme “Green Tourism”, reminding us of the importance of environmental conservation for the sustainability of tourism in Bali.

The site of the Fiesta itself will feature breathtaking 15 metres water blown waves breaking against the steep cliffs, which will provide for a very dramatic background. The green theme will highlight activities such as sport, fun games, exhibition and cultural attractions from the provinces of Bali and other regions in Indonesia, as well as exhibitions of various handicrafts from different regions in Indonesia. The “Green Camp” programme will involve schoolchildren and aims to raise their awareness about their own environments as early as possible through beach clean up along the beaches of Nusa Dua, knowledge about eco-tourism, concern for plastic waste, planting coral reefs, and activities to realize a long-term “One Man One Tree” national goal and sports activities that will run in conjunction with the Bali International Sports Week.

The Bali International Sports Week will feature several kinds of sports such as wood ball, beach volleyball, billiards, cricket, golf tournament and the Bali International Marathon. For arts and cultural performances, Nusa Dua Fiesta 2010 this year will be enlivened by the colossal dancing of Kebo Iwa and Princesses Nyale of Lombok, and will also feature performances from foreign countries such as the International Dance Performance from India and Japan, and no less interesting is the Belly Dance Performance.

“The Nusa Dua Fiesta will be different this year than in years past. This time, the Nusa Dua Fiesta 2010 will feature the Culinary Exchange 2010 event, which will be followed by chefs within Indonesia. Visitors to the Nusa Dua Fiesta, especially foreign visitors, will be able to see directly the cooking demonstration on traditional Balinese menu, an event that will boost the awareness of the Balinese traditional cooking among international tourists,” said Drs. IGK Purnaya, the General Chairman of the Nusa Dua Fiesta 2010.

Indonesia, particularly in the eastern region, possesses an abundance of maritime wealth. It is little wonder that the region is one of the favourite destinations for marine tourism, but this is often not well promoted to the outside world. To help achieve this, the international maritime event “Sail Banda 2010”, a continuation of the successful “Sail Bunaken” programme in North Sulawesi, was inaugurated on 3 August in Ambon and attended by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The Sail Banda 2010 is expected to have a large impact on efforts to promote the maritime wealth of Indonesia, especially in the East region and to develop the smaller islands around.

Besides its rich marine potential, the Banda Islands in Moluccas is renowned throughout world history for its spices, like nutmeg and clove. The islands, consisting of eleven small islands, namely Neira, Gunung Api, Banda Besar, Rhun, Ai, Hatta, Karaka, Manukan, Nailaka, Syahrir and Batu Kapal, all have charming tropical sceneries.

One of a series of events in Sail Banda is the Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race which took place on 24 July until 3 August. The Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race is actually an annual tourism event for the city of Ambon, but this year it was especially tied into the Sail Banda event. As many as 16 yachts from six countries representing Australia, Sweden, France, England, Finland and the Philippines participated in the event.

The Ministry of Culture and Tourism provides its full support. In addition to the Darwin-Ambon Yacht Race, it also organized the National Seminar on Archaeology by bringing in experts and academics from various universities to reinforce the position of the Moluccas as a tourism destination with historical significance. This includes forts built by the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and English in the 15th century, the time when explorations in search of the spices in the Moluccas reached its height, as well as relics from World War II, which serve as powerful tourist attractions.

“Sail Banda 2010 will show the world of the charm and maritime wealth of the Moluccas and the surrounding security and peace for foreign tourists who want to visit the area,” said Jero Wacik, Minister of Culture and Tourism, during a seminar.

He also emphasized that the eastern region of Indonesia, including Banda and Ambon, has developed into a circuit for diving like in other areas, such as Bunaken in North Sulawesi, Wakatobi in South-East Sulawesi and Raja Ampat in West Papua.

www.sailbanda.malukuprov.go.id

People visit Jakarta for a number of reasons: business trips, corporate events, vacations, or simply stopping over on their way somewhere else. Whatever the reason, a visit to Jakarta is not complete without experiencing both sides of the coin that this megalopolis offers—on the one side, chaos and epic traffic jams that are easy to find and unfortunately will most likely get to you first; and on the other side, the luxurious, opulent side of Jakarta that will satisfy your every whims and desires. But since travelling in the city can pose a real challenge for time-pressed visitors, one perfect place that promptly addresses these needs is the Hotel Atlet Century Park.

Located strategically in the city’s commercial district, the hotel gives you convenient access to some of Jakarta’s classiest shopping destinations like Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, and FXtainment as well as other entertainment centres and sports facilities around the Senayan area within easy walking distance.

Hotel Atlet Century Park is a four-star business hotel that will provide a truly restful sanctuary for both business and leisure travellers with plush guestrooms and suites, great facilities and warm, hospitable staff. The hotel has 475 rooms and suites, which are spread across 17 floors with Deluxe, Executive Club, Grand Executive Club, Suite and Presidential Suite room types. Private lifts are provided for guests who stay in the Executive Club, Grand Executive Club, Suite and Presidential Suite, with electronic key cards which are connected in the lifts for comfort and security. Multi-purpose rooms that can accommodate various events, catering from 10 to 2,000 people are also available to host business functions or meetings.

Hotel Atlet Century Park has just renovated all rooms and function rooms. The new rooms create an atmosphere of luxury, modernity and spaciousness, which puts on par if not above other four star hotels. In addition, the hotel has a private lounge on every floor, butler service, private check in and check out service, as well as other supporting facilities. All rooms have air conditioning and a private toilet and bath, queen-size bed, cable television, Internet connection and telephone. Other amenities include a mini bar, trouser press, coffee or tea maker, and room safe.

On the culinary side, the hotel offers a wide variety of local delights and international cuisine through it four Food & Beverage outlets that includes the Senayan Café and Spice Warehouse, offering buffet and a la carte menus of international and local favourites; Jasmine Lounge & Bar, mixing cocktails and live music into a comfortable setting; Sweet Corner, serving fresh juices, delicious cakes and pastries and the finest Piazza D’Oro coffee; and the Gazebo Pool, where you can relax by the pool while nibbling on finger foods or fresh juices. The traditional menu offers tantalizing treats such as several varieties of traditional rice (panglima rice, bogana rice, liwet rice, etc), oxtail soup, grilled and fried oxtail to mention some. This sumptuous feast is prepared fresh by their expert culinary team, and the traditional dishes are highly favoured by the local and foreign guests alike.

Rest your mind and body in the perfect hotel, where flair, comfort, and intimacy are all present. atletcentury.com

More than 100 participants took part in the event that was attended by the District Head of of South-East Maluku, Andreas Rentanubun. In addition to typical dances and songs from each region, including war dances, Sosoy Temar-Rubil and Sosoy Swar Man-Vuun, attendees of the festivity also jazz up the event with a parade along the streets of Tual City. Residents’ vehicles were decorated with colourful decorations and some were even transformed into the shapes of boats or traditional houses.

As an opening procession of this Cultural Carnival, District Head Andreas also had the honor of receiving a model of miniature leatherback turtle from the leaders of the Nuvit Ethnic communities. This miniature symbol was then paraded from the Somlain village, first by a car, followed by a boat ride to the village of Faan, assisted by personnel from the WWF Indonesia organization and Yayasan SIRAN.

On Sunday 8 August, PT Ultrajaya held a CSR event down at Parkir Barat Senayan, Jakarta. The gathering was called “Teh Kotak 50,000 Sepeda Untuk Alam” (50,000 Bikes for Nature) and aimed to promote the use of bicycles in the public’s daily activities. More than 6,000 people turned up with their green lean machines on the bright Sunday morning and, as a part of its commitment to the environment, Teh Kotak and PT Ultrajaya also donated a thousand trees to the Jakarta City Government. “Teh Kotak 50,000 Sepeda Untuk Alam” is a national event and various other cities across Indonesia also hosted their own rides.

India’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, dubbed Sanur as “The Morning of the World”. This statement was born out of his admiration for the sunrise that he witnessed when visiting this beach in the ‘50s.

On 4 - 8 August, Sanur celebrated this natural and cultural richness that made it famous through the Sanur Village Festival (SVF), which entered its fifth year and advocated the theme “Saha Nuhur”, which means “the place to find the sacred light.” The festival was initiated by I.B. Sidhartha Putra as Chairman of the Sanur Development Foundation and opened by the Mayor of Denpasar, I.B. Rai Dharmawijaya Mantra. The five-days festival was attended by local residents, domestic and foreign tourists and, among others, former Minister of Culture and Tourism I Gede Ardika.

The open air stage at Segara Beach featured dances with Saha Nuhur themes, followed by the musical collaborations between the Balawan and Batuan Ethnic Fusion with singers from Bali, including Ayu Laksmi. Kiosk tents lining the perimeter offered a variety of local and international food from restaurants in Sanur.

Traditional Jukung boat competitions and parades were held the next day. Jukung, the traditional fishing boat originally used by local fishermen, has evolved over the years as Sanur developed itself as a major tourism area to become a vehicle to transport tourists. No less grand was the kite exhibition that dots the blue sky of Mertasari Beach with kites of different shapes, including octopus, clownfish and even a dragon with a tail extending to 160 metres. Participants of this exhibition came from within and abroad; among others, from the Netherlands, France, China, Singapore and Australia.

Efforts to preserve the environment have always been an important agenda throughout the SVF’s history. Collaborating with the operator Bali SeaWalker, attendees were invited to walk on the seabed using special underwater suits to plant corals together. The successful mangrove planting initiative from last year was continued in different areas this year to further enhance Sanur’s green surroundings. The release of “tukik” or turtle hatchlings into the sea was also part of the environmental agenda of SVF 2010.

In the Art Village, celebrated names such as Ida Bagus Putu Gede Sutama and Kartika Affandi as well as artists from various countries, including members of the Bali International Women’s Association (BIWA), enlivened the festival. Meanwhile, the Yoga Village held a mass yoga on the beach led by instructors of national and international calibre. A festive Baleganjur parade concluded the SVF. Make sure you do not miss this festival next year. www.gotosanur.com

Teenage tennis sensation Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova joins the rank of players battling for the winning title at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions from 4 -7 November, 2010, at the Bali International Convention Centre, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali. Only the top eight-ranked players to have won a singles title on the International Series and who are not playing at the WTA Championships in Doha will be eligible to compete.

Pavlyuchenkova opens up her slot at the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions when she claimed her second International Series title of the year by beating fellow Russian Elena Vesnina in the final of the 2010 Istanbul Cup. Vesnina, playing on her 24th birthday, probably started the match as favourite against the number three seed. Both had to fight through three sets, but Pavlyuchenkova’s win over Jarmila Groth the day before was the more draining. And that is perhaps why she was almost beaten by Vesnina in straight sets.

“I don’t really know what to think right now,” said Pavlyuchenkova after her three-hour and 10-minute victory. “Elena played really well and aggressively and didn’t let me play my game. I knew if I won the second set I had a good chance of winning the match. It was so hot. I was still tired from my match yesterday, my legs were dead, but I really wanted to win the title and kept on fighting for every point.”

The 19-year old had claimed her first career title at Monterrey in March when she defeated Daniela Hantuchova, and she had to come from behind again to win her second crown. Her match against Vesnina, however, was much, much tougher as she squeezed out a 5-7 7-5 6-4 victory. But now Pavlyuchenkova can start thinking about booking her flight to the Commonwealth Bank Tournament of Champions.

Java Paragon Hotel and Residences, strategically located along Mayjen Sungkono Street right in the heart of Surabaya city, is a four-star business hotel and residences, show-casing luxurious contemporary design and all of the facilities that the discerning business travellers of today demand. It is located only 15 minutes away from the central business district, 20 minutes away from Juanda International Airport and is also close to major international school, golf courses, theme parks and within walking distance to retail shops, supermarkets, food centres and night entertainment outlets.

Java Paragon consists of two towers that make up the hotel and serviced residences. The hotel can accommodate up to 230 rooms and the Residences provide 62 serviced units, consisting of two or three bedrooms. The Residences had just completed the renovation and refurbishment of all 2 or 3 Bedroom residences, and 2-Bedroom residences now feature office rooms. The serviced residences of Java Paragon are ideal corporate and interim housing for the expatriate and family on project assignment or relocation. The rooms are spacious and the comfort of private serviced accommodation in Surabaya is next to none with all the benefits of services and facilities of appointed apartments. Be pampered with personalized services and fully-equipped home, defined living and dining areas and a fully-equipped kitchen. Integrated with full services, Java Paragon Hotel and Residences also provides complete facilities for Meeting, Incentive, Convention and Exhibition (MICE) complemented by seven meeting rooms, all featuring high speed broadband internet access. www.javaparagon.com

The soft opening also marked the beginning of the hotel’s operations. President and CEO of Intiland, Lennard Ho Kian Guan, said that Whiz Hotel Yogyakarta was the first hotel in Whiz Hotels chain developed by Intiland. The launch also shows the commitment of Intiland to continuously develop its Whiz Hotels chain in big cities in Indonesia.

“The hotel business has been showing a very good prospect for development in Indonesia. We aim to make hotel business as one of our business machines and one of the contributors to the company’s revenue in the future,” said Lennard. Whiz Hotels are developed, according to Lennard, after a two-year intensive study beginning in 2008. The study revealed that the hotel chain business is indeed booming, with a very big potential as the social and economic conditions of Indonesia continues to improve.

Whiz Hotel Yogyakarta is strategically located at the heart of Yogyakarta, on Dagen Street, Malioboro area. The hotel has six floors with 103 well-furnished rooms. Rooms are offered with two types—single and standard. Referring to the data released by Yogyakarta Tourism Bureau, the number of tourists visiting Yogyakarta in 2010 is predicted to reach 1.75 million people. This is an increase from 1.2 million visitors last year.

Whiz Hotels identifies their primary targets as local executives who frequently travel for business. These are the types of individuals who understand the value of money, know what they want and need during a stay in a hotel. They are costumers who are aware of quality and importance of facilities. To meet these demands, Whiz Hotel Yogyakarta equips its rooms with facilities that can satisfy the needs of these modern, mobile customers; including full air conditioners, high quality beds and mattresses, high speed Internet access, LCD televisions, and clean and well-tended showers.

To celebrate the launching of Whiz Hotel Yogyakarta, the hotel is offering special rates starting from IDR 245,000 per night. Whiz Hotel Yogyakarta is managed by Intiwhiz International as the operator of professional hotel chain under the flag of Intiwhiz. Other soon-to-be-developed Whiz Hotels chains include the Whiz Hotel Semarang, Jakarta, Balikpapan and Bali. www.intiland.com