Prambanan

Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Central Java in Indonesia, located approximately 18 km east of Yogyakarta.
The temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterised by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples.
It was built around 850 CE by either Rakai Pikatan, king of the second Mataram dynasty, or Balitung Maha Sambu, during the Sanjaya Dynasty. Not long after its construction, the temple was abandoned and began to deteriorate. Reconstruction of the compound began in 1918. The main building was completed in around 1953. Much of the original stonework has been stolen and reused at remote construction sites. A temple will only be rebuilt if at least 75% of the original stones are available, and therefore only the foundation walls of most of the smaller shrines are now visible and with no plans for their reconstruction.
The temple was damaged during the earthquake in Java in 2006. Early photos suggest that although the complex appears to be structurally intact, damage is significant. Large pieces of debris, including carvings, were scattered over the ground. The temple has been closed to the public until damage can be fully assessed. The head of Yogyakarta Archaeological Conservation Agency stated that: "it will take months to identify the precise damage".However, some weeks later in 2006 the site re-opened for visitors. The immediate surroundings of the Hindu temples remain off-limits for safety reasons.

Kakaban

Kakaban island lies around 20 minutes from Sangalaki and offers 2 very different diving experiences. In addition to some spectacular wall diving, where pelagics can be found, Kakaban also features a massive landlocked marine lake supporting 4 different species of non-stinging jellyfish and some marine life not found anywhere else in the world. These include the upside down Cassiopeia ornate, Mastigias Papua, Aurelia Aurita and Tripedalia Cystophora. These jellyfish are quite special; unlike their sea-living counterparts, they have been living in a lake, protected from their natural predators such as turtles and barracuda. Through time therefore, they have lost their ability to sting simply because they have had no need for them.

The island is a coral atoll that has been uplifted by geological forces, turning the lagoon into a landlocked lake. The 5 square-kilometer lake, surrounded by a 50-meter ridge, occupies most of the interior of this uninhabited island, which has been declared a government nature reserve. The shoreline is fringed with a tangle of mangroves. Their sturdy roots are carpeted with sponges, seaweeds and tunicates. Visibility is around 10-12 meters and at its deepest point the lake is 18 meters with tidal amplitude of about 0.2m, this is a result of a network of underground fissures that connect to the ocean. Marine creatures found here include brilliant blue flatworms on the mangrove roots together with tiny molluscs and colonial bivalves. The shy file snake, a non-poisonous fish eating snake, prefers a darker habitat under the roots, where it waits for the schooling cardinal fish and gobies. A green marine algae dominates the lakebed and provides a foothold for a voracious jellyfish eating sea cucumber. This truly is a biological paradise.
Dr. Thomas Tomascik from Canada has aptly called ths place a Biological Paradise. The mystery of how lake`s plant and animals are able to survive in this isolated system is a subject that marine scientists and geologist bickers about. Thousand of barracudas, blue fined tunas and big sharks are also found at Kakaban's Barracuda Point.

The Dive Sites
Around the outer rim of the island steep limestone cliffs drop to the waters edge which then plummets to around 200 meters deep in places. This underwater terrain makes for some great drift wall diving. Barracuda Point offers an exhilarating drift dive as it follows the top of a sheer wall around the point. The two walls do not exactly meet at a corner, they taper off into the depths. As the corner beckons, the concentration of pelagic sea life intensifies. Swirling school of chevron barracuda and big eye trevally fill the sea, with tuna and shark sightings also common.

Blue light cave is for experienced divers since the exit is quite deep. The cave starts at a hole accessible at low tide on the top of the wall at 2 meters and descends through a narrow chimney. At about 21 meters the chimney opens into a large cavern with the bottom at 30 meters. Swimming along the ceiling of the cave for about 120m is also possible and as you approach the exit of the cave, the blue light of the sea can be seen. The exit is a long vertical crack in the wall and about 2 meters wide which lies at 44 meters, there is also another exit at 64 meters. The dive is finished on the wall.

Raja Ampat

Located off the northwest tip of Bird's Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo. It is a part of the newly named West Papua province of Indonesia which was formerly Irian Jaya.

Put simply, Raja Ampat diving is the bees knees in the world of scuba. If you don't enjoy your dives here, you may as well sell your dive gear! According to the Conservation International Rapid Assessment Bulletin and their more recent 2006 scientific surveys, the marine life diversity for scuba diving in Irian Jaya is considerably greater than all other areas sampled in the coral triangle of Indonesia, Philippines and Papua New Guinea - the cream of the cream in world diving.

Over 1,200 fish species - a world record 284 on one single dive at Kofiau Island, the benchmark figure for an excellent dive site of 200 fish species surpassed on 51% of Raja Ampat dives (another world record), 600 coral species (a remarkable 97% of all scleratinia recorded from Indonesia are likely to occur in these islands), 699 mollusc species - again another world high.

The term "Frontier Diving" seems to have been invented for Raja Ampat in Irian Jaya. To visit these waters is to feel at the edge of the earth. To gaze over crystalline seas at the beehive-shaped, largely uninhabited islands is to be as far away from it all as you can imagine. At most places on the sea in Asia, the night sky is lit up like Piccadilly Circus by fishing boats. At night time in Misool you can peer out at the horizon and maybe see one or two distant specks of light.

Not many Indonesia liveaboards cover the Raja Ampat scuba diving sites around Irian Jaya making the exploration of this fabulous area even more special. Some of the highlights include the innumerable war wrecks, both ships and planes (with new wrecks being discovered constantly), encounters with dolphins, Misool Island and the simplicity of drifting effortlessly over some of the most pristine and fascinating coral scenes imaginable.

To dive in Irian Jaya is mostly drift dives due to the moderate currents prevalent in the area, which provide nutrients for the myriad fish and coral. The variety of marine life can be staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs. In Mansuar, it's highly likely you'll encounter large groups of manta rays and turtles. From the boat and often close to shore you may get the chance to don your snorkelling gear for some unforgettable interaction with resident pods of dolphins or even some passing whales.

Due to these currents and the number of wrecks, Irian Jaya is not really considered a destination for absolute beginners, rather for divers with a few dives under their weightbelts looking to get away from the crowds. Visibility is normally very good but can vary and is normally at its best earlier in the day so your pre-breakfast dives are not to be slept through!

Diving Seasons
Raja Ampat diving is superb just about all year round. The term High Season is of little meaning here since there is such an expanse of sea visited by only a few liveaboards that "diver soup" is not really a danger. May to September is light rainy season, and Mid-July to mid-September sees some small surface swells, but not usually serious enough to interfere with your enjoyment.

Reef Basics

• Great for: Reef life and health, large animals, small animals, underwater photography, advanced divers
• Not so great for: Non-diving activities
• Depth: 5 - >40m
• Visibility: 10 - 30m
• Currents: Can be strong
• Surface Conditions: Calm
• Water Temperature: 27 - 30°C
• Experience Level: Intermediate - advanced
• Number of dive sites: Unknown but >200
• Distance: ~1,200 km north east of West Timor (60 hours)
• Access: Raja Ampat liveaboard cruises from West Timor or Irian Jaya
• Recommended length of stay: 10 - 16 days

Source
divetheworldindonesia.com

Mentawai

The Mentawai's is surfing perfection for all standards.
The Mentawai Islands offer some of the best surf to be found on the planet., most consistent surf destinations in the entire world. The Indian Ocean is a groundswell producing machine, combining with the many perfect island/reef formations and consistent, local weather patterns to produce an ultra-active, high quality wave paradise. Heres just some of the perfect waves that youll discover in the Mentawais.

This archipelago of Islands attracts swells all year round with the swell being bigger towards the middle of the year. The waves are generally 4 - 6ft and can reach the 10 - 15 ft range occasionally. The variety of waves here means that all standards of surfers will enjoy the Mentawai Islands.

There is no off season in the Mentawai's

1. There is great surf all year round in the Mentawai Islands. Biggest waves are from May-September but excellent waves in all other months. Crowds are down also pre May & post September.
2. The average wave size in the Mentawai's is 6 feet but can range between 2 to 15 feet.
3. There are more perfect left & right handers in the Mentawai's than any other region on earth.
4. With the Mentawai's having so many islands situated so close together, it usually delivers off-shore conditions no matter which direction the wind is blowing.
5. Perfect barrels. Warm water. Limited crowds. The Mentawai's has it all. Surfers from all walks of life will find the magic of the Mentawai's positively enchanting.
6. Besides the main popular breaks, the Mentawai's has an abundant supply of perfect waves for all levels of surfing, ranging from cruisy long-boarding through to high performance barrel charging.
7. On a world scale The Mentawai Islands has a 91% chance of scoring epic waves. Compared with Hawaii (76%) & Australia around 80%.
8. Lance Knight is the first western surfer to be known to surf the Mentawai Islands, naming Lances Right & Lances Left at Katiet. This was also known as HT's or Hollow Trees until the tree eventually fell down.

When to go:

The Mentawais receive large swells between the months of May and October with waves ranging up to (and over) fifteen feet. When the swells are large there is often the opportunity to surf smaller breaks. There are swells year round and always good waves to be found for all skill levels, from pro to amateur. There is also good fishing, diving, and trekking.

The best spots:

There are four large Mentawai islands and many smaller islands scattered throughout. The most northerly is Siberut which contains an amazing area of world class in a five mile radius. Also to the North there are the Tellos Islands and the island of Nias.

Immediately to the south is Sipora which is home to world famous waves such as Telescopes and HT's. A little way to the south are North and South Pagai. Home to Maccaroni's, Thunder's, and many more world class spots you've never even heard of.

source
mentawairesorts.com
surfing-mentawais.com

Borobudur

Borobudur was constructed during the eighth century as a guide to the Noble Path of the Buddha. Born from silence and unfolding into the serenity of the other shore, it expresses the glory of Indonesia’s awareness and creativity, the smile of her plastic forms over the centuries as well as her travels along the edge of thoughts that cross the endless corridors of memory. "The Borobudur is a very impressive Buddhist monument. The green environment and the surrounding volcanoes make it a beautiful site."

Though the western world rediscovered this magnificent structure almost two hundred years ago this sacred place nonetheless remains seated in its enigmatic depth, engulfed in vaporous illusions, waiting for someone to find the base simplicity of its Truth.

The 1970s restoration included a master plan which was state-of-the-art for its time, but has now proven to be very ill-thought out indeed, as it transformed Borobudur into a tourist attraction, cut off from the larger, planned cultural landscape, which is in the form of an enormous mandala incorporating temples, villages, rivers and volcanoes. Because of this, the responsible local authorities see the value of Borobudur only in terms of attracting shoppers. There are plans floated repeatedly to ring the monument with a shopping mall
Conservation work is good and archaeological monitoring is thorough. Tourism management on site is good, with congestion reasonably well managed. Reasonable attempts are made to communicate the significance of the site, although many visitors still simply want to climb to the top. A major weakness is that the old World Heritage listing is tightly drawn around the base of the monument, and fails to recognize the importance of the wider cultural landscape of the valley and nearby Mount Merapi.
Borobudur is aesthetically appealing, but only at sunrise/sunset. The site is overrun by school groups and tourists during daylight hours. It was distressing to see the damage resulting from the earthquake of May 27, 2006, and the pending eruption of Mount Merapi is also a threat, so the stewardship role becomes critical to the future sustainability of Borobudur and environs."
The largest problem is the huge number of persistent hawkers who try at every opportunity to sell their trash and trinkets to the tourists. This has a large, adverse impact on the social integrity of the visitor's experience and takes away significantly from the spiritual experience of visiting this great shrine