ethnic tourism

There are always some exhibitions going on at The British Museum, some of them are permanent exhibitions and others no, however, still very interesting to see. Read More…

Buckingham Palace is not only the official London residence of The Queen, it is houses also the administrative headquarters of the monarchy. Read More…

The Tower of London is an ancient fortress (1076) standing on the banks of the River Thames. Over its history it has been used as a royal palace and fortress, a prison, an arsenal, and a jewel house, amongst other things. Read More…

KEEPING FIT AND HEALTHY WHEN YOU ARE AWAY FROM HOME

Travelling is disruptive. Whether you are city hopping doing good business, or holidaying in some far off exotic land, being away from home means a change of routine. However, just because your normal day to day habits with food and fitness are forcibly altered, it doesn’t follow that you have to abandon a healthy lifestyle.

A busy meetings schedule with jet lag is no excuse for surrendering your hard earned muscle tone. Likewise, you don’t want to be five kilos heavier at the end of your well deserved holiday because you did too little and ate too much. In fact, with a bit of planning and a willingness to be flexible, keeping fit while travelling is a lot easier than you think.

Realistically, a couple of weeks away from the gym will only put a dent in your fitness level anyway. But, it’s the lack of activity along with increased consumption of food and alcohol that does the real damage. Also, it’s hard to summon up the motivation to get back to the gym once you’ve got out of the
routine. Careful - your two week holiday or business trip might turn into a month off. That dent can become serious.

So, prepare ahead. Before making room reservations, find out if your hotel has a well-equipped exercise area and not just a poky room with a treadmill and a handful of mismatched weights. Fortunately. most good hotels. particularlv those in the major cities. have first class workout facilities with everything from aerobic classes to health club quality training machines.

Of course, if you’re a celebrity and very rich, the solution to staying fit ,while travelling is to take your own personal trainer with you. Or, a few of the world’s finest hotels are starting to offer a fitness-on-delivery service. which allows you to order a tai chi or yoga coach in the same way you might order
breakfast in your room.

However, many less funded holidav or business travellers are keen to preserve their fitness level too. So, thanks to pay-per-view-video, in some enlightened hotels, guests can access 20 minute yoga or pilates sessions with leading instructors through cable channels on their television.

Exercising away from home is extremely important for physical and mental health. Nothing helps people tune into new time zones and overcome jet lag quicker than some structured activity. Travel often equals stress, exacerbated by erratic schedules and junk food. Taking half an hour out for exercise can ease the body’s tension and clear the mind.

The periods of inactivity on long-haul flights combined with the dehydrated atmosphere in aircraft cabins can leave you feeling dreadful for days. Gentle exercise on arrival helps. Some light aerobic activity will boost the body’s oxygen intake and leave you feeling re-energised. as well as helping to normalize sleep patterns.

Besides. when you are on the road, exercise is more about upkeep than development. Maintaining your fitness level while travelling should be the aim even if you wont actually improve it. In a gym, two 20 minute cardiovascular sessions per week,will be enough to keep your fitness stable. But, be flexible. Foreign machines maybe more demanding. so go easy.

If vour hotel doesn’t offer much in the way of gym facilities. a pair of good walking or running shoes and a map is all you need for an efficient work-out. You also get the opportunity to take a good look at the city you’re visiting. Sightseeing or shopping foot are equally valuable. but check with the hotel concierge for suggestions about safe and scenic routes to follow.

What if you don’t have a gym and you’re staying some glace where it’s not safe to go out alone. There’s always your hotel room. You can do press-ups against a wall, triceps dips off the side of the bed and squats with the help of the back of a chair. Even regular basic stretching is a positive step towards
keeping fit away from home.

On holidav.the fact that vou are missing several sessions on a treadmill is probably the last thing on your mind. But, keeping fit doesn’t need to be time consuming or inconvenient. Be reasonably sensible. Bring back pleasant memories, not an abused digestive system and clothes too tight to wear.

Don’t lie around on a beach all day. Instead, try something active and different like water skiing or scuba diving. Taking part in beach sports such as volleyball or cricket can serve as a mini workout and in the evenings, combine a walk with watching that sunset.

Exercise when travelling is always time well spent. Enjoy the break from your normal routine by all means, but don’t end up regretting it. Keeping fit will help you with those business deals, increase your enjoyment of leissure time, and the biggest bonus of all, keep you healthy.

CIREBON: JAKARTA WEEKEND ESCAPE

Here’s a tip from an expert: to successfully live in Jakarta (Indonesia‘s teeming capital city with a population easily in excess of 10 million) without developing a crippling case of cabin fever, you have to make it a rule to get away, regularly. A good rule of thumb is to leave the “Big Durian” behind for at least one, or preferably two, weekends a month.

Anyer and Pelabuhan Ratu, both respectable weekend escapes, tend to get crowded. So here’s one you mightn’t have considered yet, Cirebon. What’s Cirebon got to offer, you ask? In a nutshell, it’s close, the seafood is fantastic, it’s uncrowded with a leisurely provincial pace, it’s picturesque with West Java’s highest peak, Mt Ciremai, and there’s a volcanic hot water spa to ease away those city aches and pains …doesn’t sound too bad does it?

The three hour train ride is absolutely painless. Departing from Gambir station in Central Jakarta, make sure you get an Eksekutif Class ticket with airconditioning and the extra comfy seats. There are four departure times per day. Once you leave behind the crusty urban sprawl of Jakarta, the train makes its way swiftly through gently waving seas of pea-green rice paddies. As you get closer to Cirebon the hulking mass of Mt Ciremai looms large in the background. occasionally silhouetting a farmer bent at his work in the fields, creating fleeting picture perfect moments.

Arriving at Cirebon station there is a sudden flurry of activity as people grab their belongings and shove each other with impunity as they exit the carriage. Outside the station there should be two men holding signs, one for the Grage (pronounced “Gragey”) Sangkan Hotel Spa, the other for the Santika Hotel. Choose one of these men and grab him, do not let go and do not be distracted by the hordes of “becak” (bicycle taxi) drivers foaming at the mouth and offering their services.

Grage Sangkan Spa Resort
Grage Sangkan combines a hot spring spa with a 68-room (three/four-star-equivalent hotel). Facilities include Cirebon’s only 25m Olympic standard swimming pool, tennis court, basic fitness centre, restaurant, massage and other pampering services like facials, manicures and pedicures.

ONCE YOU LEAVE BEHIND THE CRUSTY URBAN SPRAWL OF JAKARTA, THE TRAIN MAKES ITS WAY SWIFTLY TROUGH GENTLY WAVING SEAS OF RICE PADDIES

Grage has the kind of family atmosphere where you can let the kids go wild at the pool. while you melt your spine and other aching body parts in the high pressure jet-spa pool with Grage’s signature sodium-rich volcanic hot-spring water. The people at Grage claim that their’s is one of only two real” spas in Indonesia. The other being Bali’s Thalasso. By “real” they mean where the guests actually immerse themselves into nealth-giving waters. The healing effects can help for any number of ailments and conditions including rheumatism, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and glucose imbalance. It can also help to improve circulation, reduce weight, eliminate cellulite and rejuvenate skin cells. The temperature of the water is a pleasant 36-38 degrees celsius, whereas the colour of the water is not so pleasant, with a kind of deep green primordial swamp hue. But then you’re here for your health, so just close your eyes and jump in. The spa-pool has various jets aimed at different angles and heights. For example there’s one that shoots up from the floor at the soles of your feet. Then there’s one that 3oes your ankles, another for your knees and so on. You spend about five minutes at each jet-stage and then move onto the next one. It finishes up with a geyser that massages your neck and shoulders. The whole process takes around an hour and there are always pleasantly obsequious staff on hand to fetch you a towel or a cool mineral water. By the time you’re done, your body has taken on the colour and consistency of red jelly, but it is supremely relaxing. Time to tell the kids to go for another swim in the pool and take a much-deserved nap. When you wake up you’ll feel brand new.

The hotel’s accommodation is divided into seven different categories of rooms and suites. Prices vary from just Rp215,000 for a standard room (non-AC) to Rp2.600.000 for the Royal Suite (the same one President Megawati stayed in when she visited). One note: the rooms near the pool can get pretty noisy, but the recently completed Superior rooms towards the back of the property are quieter with pleasant views of the vegetable gardens and rice paddies beyond. There are also convention facilities and the restaurant does a surprisingly good hot-stone steak, at least for a restaurant with laminated place mats and a big screen karaoke machine.

Side Trips
If you want to see some of the sights that Kuningan and Cirebon have to offer, the good people at Grage will be only too happy to help out organizing a tour. For a taste of traditional “kampung” life you can take the Village walk tour and get a glimpse of how the locals live. For a more religious diversion, the “Patung Maria” or Statue of Mary is an especially touching shrine to the virgin Mary. It also has a series of carved stone tablets that show the final scenes of the life of Christ, spaced out along a shady winding mountain path. At the summit of the hill is a life size statue of Christ on the Cross at Golgotha.

At nearby Cibulan is a set of public baths …with a difference. In the pools of clear water, swimming alongside the people, are scores of enormous fish. They don’t seem to mind their human swimming companions though and like to be hand fed.

Ascending a little way into the foothills of Mt Ciremai is perhaps one of Indonesia’s most important historical museums, Linggarjati. It was here in 1946, that the leader’s of Indonesia’s Merdeka movement, met with a delegation from Holland to hash out the details of an agreement to recognise Indonesia’s independence. The 19″ Century colonial structure was previously a hotel, and you can still see the rooms where the Dutch and Indonesian delegations stayed, as well as the room of the British mediator, Lord Killearn. Much of the furniture is still original, although you’ll need a guide to show you which is which. In the meeting room at the back, with the guide’s help, I identified and sat in, the very same chair used by Indonesia’s first President Soekarno!

The area of Plangon outside Cirebon is home to an unusual attraction. At the summit of a smallish hill is what is claimed to be the tomb of Syarief Abdurrahman, one of the original Wali songo” or nine saints who brought Islam to Indonesia in the 15″ Century. That’s not all though. Living on the wooded slopes around the tomb is a troupe of monkeys which legend says always numbers exactly 400. They move around quite fast though so counting and verifying this legend may prove difficult. Unfortunately the whole area is in desperate need of a good clean up. Expect the usual supplicants and “guides” with their “fees”.

In Town
The Cirebon culture is an interesting mix of Javanese and Sundanese. People from Cirebon have a proud sense of identity and belonging in the “kota udang” or Prawn City. As the name suggests, Cirebon is famous for its seafood which is both plentiful and fresh. A good place to sample the seafood, and a comfortable place to stay, is the Hotel Santika Cirebon, which has regular seafood barbecues and buffets in the gardens. It’s almost like being in Bali, outside near the pool with the palm trees swaying, the candlelight flickering and the band playing. And at only Rp 42,500 its fantastic value for all the grilled crab, fish, squid and crayfish that you can eat. Highly recommended.

Cirebon’s most recognizable cultural symbol is the “mega mendung” motif. Hearkening back to Cirebon’s medieval trading link with China, the mega mendung resembles a pattern of tonal blue clouds, often against a red background. It takes great skill to apply this pattern to fabric using the traditional batik waxing technique, or “batik tulis”. You can shop for mega mendung batik at Jl Panembahan just out of town. A high quality batik tulis sarong will probably cost around Rp 200,000 but you can always bargain.

Cirebon has another claim to fame. It has three, (yes three!) kratons or Royal Palaces. The usual historical intrigues, alliances and betrayals led to the creation of these courts and today each of them can still be visited. Having visited all of the them I can say that the most interesting and bar far best organised kraton for tourists is the Kasepuhan Palace. The nominal entry fee includes a guided tour with a very knowledgeable guide, who was able to explain in the minutest detail the symbolic and historical significance of every aspect of the palace and its two adjoining museums. Built in 1529. the outer palace walls are inlaid with Chinese and Dutch porcelain, plates which also date back as far as the 16th Century. Syarief Hidayatullah, one of the original wall songo became the first king of the newly-Islamic sultanate of Cirebon in 1479 and reigned until 1568 when he died at the age of 120. This kraton with its imposing terra cotta split gate is his enduring legacy. At the entrance to the palace is a stone table presented to the Sultan by Stamford Raffles in 1812 during his period as the Governor of Java.

Housed in the Royal Carriage Museum at the kraton is another of Cirebon’s most recognisable cultural icons, the Singa Barong Royal Carriage. Dating from 1549 this is the oldest carriage in Java. Mounted on four enormous spoked wooden wheels, the carriage seats just one, i.e. the sultan, and it is without doubt the most incredible whimsical contraption that I’ve ever seen. The carriage body which employs a unique hanging suspension system is carved into the shape of a mythical beast which combines the head and trunk of an elephant, representing the Hindu influence, with the horns of a Chinese dragon and the wings of in Arabic bouraq or flying horse. The animal’s hind quarters are sprinkled with diamond powder, and the fantastical creature is rearing up with a double-headed trisura (a triple pointed spear head) clasped in its trunk, its mouth open in a silent roar, wings spread like a flying pegasus.

The second, equally engaging, museum at Kasepuhan, is the Antiquities Museum, which boasts an ancient Demak pre-Islamic gamelan set dating from 1495, 16th Century Chinese cabinets, inlaid Egyptian chests, a collection of gruesome Javanese krisses and spears and several suits of 16th Century Portuguese chain mail armour.

The whole tour of the Kraton and two museums takes around one hour, and the palace is open every day from 8:00am to 4:00pm
If you still have the time and energy some other places visit in Cirebon include the other two palaces. Kecirebonan and Kanuman, the surreal Sanyurangi Caves, the grave of Gunung Jati, the Grand Mosque, the Klentheng Chinese Temple and the art deco Cirebon Town Hall building. Enjoy your trip!

Contact Accomodations:
You can book directly by our tool below (Free Comparison Hotel Rates Tool) to get at Grage Sangkan and Santika Hotels.

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Construction for Hagia Sophia, the Church of Holy Wisdom, started in 532. Amazingly, it took only five years to complete. It replaced two previous versions of the church that had been destroyed. For more than a thousand years, Hagia Sophia was the largest and grandest church in the world. When Sultan Mehmet II converted it into a mosque, the loss devastated Orthodox Christians. Ironically, Hagia Sophia’s design impressed the Ottomans so much that it was copied in other mosques throughout the empire. In 1935, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, declared Hagia Sophia a museum and work started to restore its mosaics. Today, it is mix of both faiths. Read More…

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The Capitolio looked similar to the Capitol Building in Washington, DC. It was finished in 1929 and has been the home of Cuban’s congress until 1959. At the base of the building in the front, a wide stone staircase lead to the main entrance, with a bronze statue on each side at the top of the staircase. They are the statues of Labour and Virtue. The huge bronze doors at the main entrance were etched with Cuban’s history. The center of the building at the front is topped with a neoclassical dome, which is visible from miles away at the height of 62m.Read More…

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The beaches of Sydney are world class. Why not make a day of hanging out at one of the many beaches located here in Sydney? If you’re not into that scene (or just a bit scared of the harsh Australian sun) I would recommend going there for an early evening meal, a walk along the promenade & if you behaved, an ice-cream.Read More…

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Being an extremely exclusive cemetery, with large vaults intended to hold the bodies of generations of an entire family, the cost of maintaining a vault in Recoleta is not a trifling amount. In addition to the cost of owning this little piece of downtown real estate, there are the upkeep costs to think of for this two-city block sized cemetery.Read More…

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Go see the Grand Palace in the historic Rattanakosin area of Bangkok, next to the Chao Phraya river. It’s quite stunning! The architecture is a great mix of Thai and European styles, and if you can only see one sight in Bangkok, this should be it. The lovely Temple of the Emerald Buddha is in the same complex - don’t forget to allow enough time there too.Read More…

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