Tanjung Gaang is located in Bawean Island, actually the location is not far, only 8 KM from Sangkapura Port, however if you drive car to get Somor Somor Hamlet where the cape located, it will take quiet long. The road is very narrow and very steep in some part that it is recommended to ride motorbike instead than driving car.

Entering the forest we must trek, which takes about 30 minutes to reach the cape. The trek is easy and not steep, which is good if you bring family.

The cape has a small beach surrounded by reef. It is best visited in the afternoon about 15.00 when the tide comes. The most beautiful view can be seen by walking through the reef and seeing the greenish blue shallow sea nearby the reef down there. Must be careful to walk about the reef, especially for children must be watched carefully. The reef itself is beautiful to be seen. Some has unique holes directly to the sea. Above the reef there is some white sands that the water must reach the above reef sometimes when the tide is really high.

The reef indicates that this reef was one upon a time located in the bottom of shallow sea before the sea level lower like today. I can only imagine that the whole island must not be an island in the very past when the ice in the world melted and rise of the sea level. And Lake Kastoba was probably an active volcano in the middle of the sea.

On the low tide, some locals working fishing here.

For pictures about Tanjung Gaang, you can check the this. PICTURES.

This mountain is located in the middle of Bawean island, on the height of 250 m above sea level. Not as the highest in the island, yet the peak has wide view overlooking the mesmerizing Lake Kastoba beneath, and surely the islands and the ocean is visible as well from there.

It takes about 1.5 hours motorbike ride from Sangkapura Port or about 2 hours drive by car. The hike can be started from Balikterus village. And then continue by hiking about 1 hour to the peak. The hike actually is not far yet because it is very sloppy that it can take longer. Get prepared with comfortable shoes, descending is even tougher than the hike. Good hiking shoes is recommended. Bring snacks and water to keep hydrated. There will be no food sellers in the village, so carrying something for energy is a must.

Enroute the hike, we will meet rice field. From the peak , get ready to be be amazed by the view. Best visit to hike is on dry season, around April-August. On rainy season can be foggy and the view to the sea is not so clear. Please ask local guide to accompany for safety reason.

If you love hiking, visiting this site is a must. And you can even descend and drive for few KM before you can do another hiking to Lake Kastoba. (Leena)

Just recently, Panglipuran Village in Bali is awarded as one of the cleanest village in the world. The village process litter. The locals sell their products and goods at home, where visitors can enter their home, that the village alley is very clean. Not only the green ambiance in the village, it still has its bamboo forest where visitors can walk there to breath the fresh air. The bamboo is preserved as it is used as the main establishment when they built a house.

Lake Gunung Tujung is located in Kerinci National Park. Gunung Tujuh means seven mountains, and it is called so as the lake is literally surrounded by seven mountains, namely: Mt Gunung Tujuh (2.735 m), Mt Jar Panggang ( 2.469 m), Mt. Madura Besi ( 2.418 m), Mt Hulu Tebo ( 2.525 m), Mt Lumut  (2.350 m) , Mt Hulu Sangir (2.330M ) and Mt. Selasih (2.230 m)

On the other side of the lake, which can be reached by 2 hours rowing boat, there is lake beach which can be used for camping and in the morning they can enjoy sunrise at the lake. 

The lake is located in Pelompek, from the mainroad , visitors must go further to Pintu Rimba, where the trail starts. It takes about 3 hours to reach the lake. The path is steep, and mostly is natural stairs created by roots of the trees. Prepare with hiking shoes and raincoat when climbing, and do not forget food and water. In the weekdays can be very quiet but on weekend locals usually visit the lake for weekend getaway. 

The closer we get to the lake, there will be more gurgling of water, which derives from lake water falling to the valleys. Prepare with hat and long sleeves and trousers, we ware of some flies that might bite you. Apply bugs repellent just in case. 

The path is actually easy to find, only one path directly to the lake. However it is recommended to hike with friends or if you travel alone be accompanied by tour guide, especially on weekdays. 

This monastery is located on a hill side, quiet and has a stunning view. The architecture is a mixed of Chinese, Buddhist and Balinese. At the front gate, there is a big Buddha statue, and there are other Buddha statues in the area. It opens for public, visitors can visit to the meditation chamber located in the miniature of Borobudur Temple. As it was blessed by Dalai Lama, there is a stupa which stores the belongings of Dalai Lama, even on the othre side of the area, ther is a statue of Dalai Lama. The main establishment is the miniature of Borobudur Temple which, and it has two gold statue of monks . In front of the Borobudur miniature there is a yard for activities, like Yoga. Under the miniature, a chamber for meditation can be used publicly.

Rafflesia flower is known as the biggest flower in the world. Its scientific name is Rafflesia arnoldii, derives from the name of first people who discovered this flower, Thomas Stamford Raffles and Dr. Joseph Arnold. The size ranges from 60 cm till 120 cm when blooming. It grows in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Malaysia and The Philippines, usually in rain-forest environment. Rafflesia has never been successfully cultivated.&nbsp

Rafflesia is like parasite, it grows from Tetrastigma root, from the family of grape. It appears from the ground in small bud and then grows bigger over 1.5 years and then blooms for 7 days. The first time i see it, it was so strange and beautiful, unlike any flower i have seen in my life, it has no leaves, it is on the ground and it is gigantic, red, thick, with white dots all over the 5 petals and spikes inside. 

The flower has rotten meat smell, that it attracts female carrion flies. On Day 1 and Day 2 bloom, the smell is very subtle, and we need to sniff it close to smell it. However on Day 3 and more it smells stronger. The smell maybe was caused by the heat generated by the flower , similar thing happened to skunk cabbage (Harvard magazine.com).

Pollination of Rafflesia is  very difficult and rare. Maybe that is why that this flower is not easily found. Here are the factors the scarcity of Rafflesia pollination:   one flower can be male or female only, flowers do not bloom at the same time, flower blooms in few days only.

Rafflesia’s pollen is not powdery but viscous fluid, that attached and dries on carrion flies backs. Presumable it is viable for long time and it flies few miles to female flower and it rub its back in the stigma of the female flower. And when the flower finishes blooming will create seeds which takes 6-8 months. And then how the seeds infect the new host plant? It is still remains a mystery. 

A theory says that ants spread the seed, and then put it in the vine, or the ants attracted to sugar water from the bark of the vine caused by animals,  or ants carry seeds and stored nearby the vine roots and infected the host itself. This can be true as the vine has broken bark, which might be easily infected by Rafflesia seed. In West Sumatra, the local people call Tetrastigma as paca paca means broken due to scratched surface. 

And it is already known that the flower has an organ called haustorium  which functions to take nutrient and water from the host. Vine is known for having much water in it. And it takes much water to make the flower to bloom. If we touch the petals we can feel it contains much water. Flower does not grow on any Tetrastigma, but usually Tetrastigma located nearby water source in primeval or secondary forest.

Other mystery of the flower is regarding its relationship with the host plant. The flower is very dependent to then host that they do not do photosynthesis.  According to a research, there is a massive gene transfer between the two organism without sex.  This case is very unusual.  Horizontal gene transfer is mostly hereditary.  The host contributed 2-3 percent to the genes in cell nucleus, and 50 percent of the genes that govern energy production. This is probably why Rafflesia is invisible to the host as they share so much genes that the difference between them is not distinctive. The gene transfer seems like a mean to camouflage .

https://harvardmagazine.com/2017/03/colossal-blossom
http://etheses.uin-malang.ac.id/555/6/08620061%20Bab%202.pdf

Pictures by : Agus