Discovering Semarang, The Dieng Plateau

Surrounded by mystic mountains, Semarang is an appealing place to unwind the mind and soul through excursions along the clay trails. Semarang has a mesmerizing old world charm towered with Dutch colonial architecture fused with contrasting modern mid-rises. Far away from the hustle and bustle of tourist destinations, Semarang presents itself as a place where you can enjoy the serenity along with the composite mix of Javanese, Chinese, Indian and Arabian cultures. The simplicity of Semarang is bound to strike an invisible chord with the traveler who has the passion to discover the natural ambiance of life as it is.


Semarang is the capital city of Central Java in Indonesia and is located on Java's northern coast. A trip to the Candi Hill gives a breathtaking view of the mystic plateau's port, the scenic lowlands and the green paddy fields. One of the major attractions in the city is the beautiful Sam Po Kong temple built in honor of the Chinese commander, Cheng Ho of the Ming Dynasty who visited Semarang in the early 15th century. The Dieng Plateau situated north of the small town named Wonosobo has many beautiful ancient Hindu temples which are worth a day's tour. Alternatively, within two hours distance, you can go to Borobudur temple in Muntilan and then to Prambanan temple in Klaten. Apart from the monument Tugu Muda, Semarang has quite a few museums showcasing Javanese culture. There a several amusement parks in the city which makes your trip all the more happening.


The best part in Semarang is its amazing landscape which owes a lot to its coastal area in the northern part with Tanjung Mas as its international harbor. The southern part has hills which stretch from Candi to Bukit Sari with the picturesque Mount Ungaran at the background. The hills of Bukit Sari are endowed with a dreamy appeal which looks charismatic during dusk and it's just the perfect place to be with your loved one. For nature lovers, make sure not to miss the scenic drive to Salatiga and the adjacent cities like Solo and Yogyakarta. Semarang is also popular for its street food which comes unbelievably cheap and you can actually pamper yourself with the authentic Semarang cuisine and other local delicacies. Semarang also boasts of a picturesque golf club, Semarang Golf Club, where you can indulge yourself all day long.
 Putting up is quite easy as there are several mid-range and luxurious hotels in Semarang which offer a combination of friendly and professional service. Nearly all the hotels are in set in admirable locations and offer an easy access and getaway to the Ahmad Yani International Airport. Taxis and rental cars are the preferable ways to explore the areas in and around Semarang.

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Kawah Putih (White Crater) at The Flowers City, Bandung

Kawah Putih ('White Crater') is an extinct volcanic crater located south-west of Bandung. The drive from Bandung city will take about 2 hours. There will be pickup vans at the base of Kawah Putih to take you up to the actual crater itself. Driving up with your own private vehicle is possible, but very expensive. These pickups only cost 15,000RP and use open-sided 'safari-style' pickup vans, which makes the ride up very interesting.
 
The view of Kawah Putih itself is stunning and at times, surreal. Occasionally, the clouds will intermix with the sulphuric gases from the crater, forming this entirely white backdrop. A stunning location for photographs and a must-visit! A word of advice though,it gets really cold at the summit of Kawah Putih, so do bring along your jacket and gloves.

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Diving in the Wakatobi, Southeast Sulawesi

The Wakatobi is a remote archipelago situated in the center of the Coral Triangle in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is home to Indonesia's second largest Marine National Park, covering 12,500 square kilometers of protected and pristine coral reefs, white sandy beaches and remote traditional villages. As such the Wakatobi is a great destination for scuba diving enthusiasts from all over the World. It is becoming increasingly popular with recreational divers, underwater photographers, marine biologists, and backpackers.
Until recently the Wakatobi has been a difficult to reach due to its remoteness, but that is now changing with the introduction of an airport on Wanci Island. There are now daily Express Air flights (except Mondays) to this airport. Wakatobi visitors can take early morning flights from Jakarta or Surabaya and transit in Makassar. From Makassar you can take a small 32 seater plane to Wanci, via Bau-Bau. Divers should be aware that the baggage allowance on these flights is only 10 kilograms, so pack lightly and consider hiring your dive equipment from your dive operator in the Wakatobi. You can pay for excess baggage, but it is often delayed if the flight is already at full capacity.

Upon arrival in Wanci you will need to embark on the next leg of your journey by boat. Most divers do not spend long on Wanci Island as the top Wakatobi diving spots can be found around Hoga Island and Tomia Island. From the airport jump in a taxi and head for 'Pelabuhan Mola'. From here you can take one of the daily public speed boats to Hoga or Tomia. It is advised to get there as quickly as possible. Flights usually get into Wanci at about 10.30am, so head down to 'Pelabuhan Mola' as soon as you get off the plane to ensure you do not miss your boat. If you do though, you can easily charter a small Bajo boat to Hoga.
Hoga boats depart anytime between 9am and 12 noon so it is often possible to catch one of these. Tomia boats generally leave between 9 and 10am, so if you are planning on visiting Tomia it is often necessary to overnight in Wanci first. If you are traveling with a group of 4 or more divers you can pre-arrange a chartered pick up with your dive operator in Tomia. It is difficult to charter boats from Wanci to Tomia without making an arrangement in advance, as it is quite a long journey and needs a large boat.

For the intrepid travelers with plenty of time there are other ways to get to the Wakatobi. For example you can take a PELNI boat from Makassar to Bau-Bau, or you can fly from Makassar to Bau-Bau with Lion Air or Express Air. From Bau-Bau there is a boat which leaves for Wanci at 9pm every night. It arrives in Wanci at about 6am, so you will be in plenty of time to catch one of the public boats to Hoga or Tomia.
In summary there are many ways to reach the Wakatobi, and the gateway is through Wanci. By far the easiest way is to fly, but the overnight boat from Bau-Bau is also a good alternative, especially if you're thinking of spending a couple of days diving in Bau-Bau beforehand. Once you arrive in Wanci you can travel by public speed boat to reach the top diving destinations of Hoga Island and Tomia Island.

If you found this information useful visit the Wasage Divers website where you will find lots more information and pictures. Feel free to contact us with any questions.

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