The Best of Southeast Asia by UNESCO - 3

Indonesia

A home of over 220 million people, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world, composing over 17,500 islands stretched between Australia and Asian continental mainlands. Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Papua are main islands of the country with 33 provinces, Indonesia's capital city is Jakarta.

Borbodur

Located in central Java, this magnificent temple was completed in the early eight century and hiding in the forest for over 100 years and later after buried under volcanic rubble and enveloped by the tropical rain forest for some 1,000 years. A British colonial agent Sir Stamford Raffles rediscovered the temple in 1814. After all, it was restored under UNESCO guidance in the 1970s. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO. It is said to be world's largest Buddhist temple and remained as spiritual significant of Indonesia and listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1991.

Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (6 July 1781 – 5 July 1826)

How to get there

Borobudu is an hour driving distance from Yogyakarta, at the edge of a tiny Borobudur Village, where the inhabitants are mainly farmers and souvenir vendors. There are a number of flights operating to Yogyakarta including the national flag carrier Garuda Airlines.





Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park was established in 1980 in order to conserve the unique creatures of Komodo dragon (Varanus Komodonesis) and its habitat. It is located between the Sumbawa and Flores islands which is right in the center of Indonesian Archipelago. Actually, the Komodo National Park is comprising three main islands - Komodo, Rinca and Parda but includes as well as small islands nearby with a total land surface of 2,321 square kilometers.

How to get there
The gateway cities are (mainly) from Denpasar (Bali) and Labuan Bajo in the west of Flores or Bima in eastern Sumbawa by air. Or a long ride of ferry from the nearest city Labuan Bajo to reach Komodo National Park.




Prambanan Temple Compounds
Prambanan temple is located in central Java, constructed in the tenth century during the reigns of two kings namely Rakai Pikatan and Rakai Balitung. The plinths of the temple show the triump of Hindu architectural structure. It is known to be as world largest Hindu enshrine in Southeast Asia and become UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

How to get there
It is just about 18 Kilometers east of Yogyakarta.





Ujung Kulon National Park

In the south western of the island of Java and equatorial waters of the Sunda Straits merge, is Ujung Kulon National Park. It is rich in wildlife and eco-diversity and known as home for endangered Java Rhinoceros. The park is 120, 551 hectares are compositions of 78, 214 hectares of land and 44, 337 hectares of surrounding reefs and sea. Ujung Kulon National Park became UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 1991. In addition to its natural beauty and geological interest – particularly for the study of inland volcanoes – it contains the largest remaining area of lowland rainforests in the Java plain. Several species of endangered plants and animals can be found there, the Javan rhinoceros being the most seriously under threat.

How to get there

From Jarkartar to Labuan or Tamanjaya to take permission and proceed to Handeuleum or Peucang.


Sangiran Early Man Site

In 1934, an anthropologist Professor Dr. Gustave Heinrich Ralph von Koeigswald started examine the site, Sangiran located in central Java. After a few years of excavations, fossils of some of the first known human ancestors, Pithecanthropus erectus ("Java Man", now reclassified as part of the species Homo erectus), were found there. The total area is 48 square kilometers and 15 kilometers north of Surakarta in the Solo River valley. In 1996 it was listed as World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

How to get there
It is a village located 17 Km north of Solo, on the road to Purwodadi.



Lorentz National Park
The park is located within Irian Jaya (central Papua) Province and stretched over 150 kilometers from the central cordillera mountains in the north of Arafura Sea in the south. It lies on the half of the island of New Guinea. The park is largest protected area in Southeast Asia Region a total area of 2.5 million hectares. It become UNESCO's World Heritage Site in 1999.

How to get there
It is accessible by air from Jayapura to Wamena and Timika.




Tropical Rainforest Heritage of Sumatra

The total area of this serial site is 2, 595, 124 hectares comprising Gynung Leuser National Park , Kerinci Sablat National Park and Bukit Barisan Selatan national Park. The park is a home for one of the key mammals of the Tropical Rainforest Heritage Parks is the Sumatran tiger Panthera tigris sumatrae in addition, some other 174 mammels and 380 birds. It become World Heritage Site in 2004 as Natural Sites list.



Ref:-
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Wikipedia
- Indonesia Tourism
- Komodo National Park Officials
- Virtual Tourist
- Yahoo Travel
- Ujung Kulon Travel
- Central Java Tourism
- Indopecific Tourism
- the Encyclopedia of Earth
- Indoneisa Expedition

Photos:-
- Filckr
- Google
- Travelblog