Solo, Welcome to Pasadena Tournament of Roses in America

After five  times successfully held the Solo Batik Carnival,  Solo or Surakarta get an attractive offer to follow the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in America. Solo should not miss this offer. Because such  international level tournament , will promote the city of Solo to become known throughout the world. Moreover, following the Pasadena Tournament of Roses is in the United States, a country with the best information industry, will give so many positive impacts to the city. This bid comes from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Indonesia in order to promote Indonesia and of course also the city of Solo because this event will bring the team from Indonesia Solo Batik Carnival for the event that will be held early next year.

The Tournament of Roses Parade, better known as the Rose Parade, is "America's New Year Celebration" held in Pasadena, California, a festival of flower, marching bands, equestrians and the Rose Bowl college football game on New Year's Day.  This tournament firstly  started on January 1, 1890, the Rose Parade is watched  by thousands of spectators on the parade route. It  is broadcasted on multiple television networks in the United States and  seen by millions more on television worldwide.


For some reason Indonesia has not already  followed these prestigious events for sixteen years. The tournament is clearly an opportunity for Surakarta to promote tourism potential possessed. Given though the level of foreign tourist visits, especially American tourists to Indonesia is quite high but they are only  concentrated in a few places, Bali and Yogyakarta and Jakarta.


In the last year the ministry noted that the number of American tourists coming to Indonesia is 200 thousand. This year Indonesia is targeting an increase in the level of U.S. visitors as much as 250 thousand. One way to attract tourists from America is to include Surakarta on the Pasadena Tournament of Roses in America. Surakarta could become a new tourism destination for foreign tourists, especially tourists from America.

Cetho Temple, The Resemblance of Ancient Aztec and Mayan Cultures of Central America

Cetho temple was built in the 15th century it was a Hindu-style temple. This temple is a relic of the Majapahit kingdom, a Hindu kingdom whose territory is very wide in its heyday. The mysterious thing about this relic is that Cetho temple shape has similarities with Mayan heritage building in Central America. Both temple have terraces and pyramidal shape. Both were also built in the hills or areas that are higher than surrounding areas.

The first scientific report about this temple made by a researcher from the Netherland, Van de Vlies in 1842.  Excavation (digging) for the purpose of reconstruction was first performed in 1928 by the Archaeological Department of the Dutch East Indies. Under the circumstances when the rubble started to study, this temple has the age that does away with Sukuh. Cetho temple located on the west slope of Mount Lawu, located on Sukuh. Locations Ceto temple located in the hamlet, village Gumeng, District Jenawi, Karanganyar district, at an altitude of 1400m above sea level.

Until now, the temple complex is used by the locals as a place of Hindu worship and popular as the hermitage for the original religion of Java or Kejawen. When the state discovered the stone ruins of this temple is the fourteen-story plain, stretching from the west (the lowest) to the east, although at just 13 rooms, and the restoration was carried out on nine terrace only. Structure the terraces will make allegations of native culture revival ("punden terraces") at that time, were synthesized with the Hindu religion. This assumption is reinforced by the shape of the body in relief like shadow puppets, similar to the depiction in Sukuh.

When you travel to Cetho Temple, you will be fascinated by the incredible beautiful natural scenery. The beauty of the wide tea plantation  area with typical cool of mountain fresh air. Two waterfalls will present a panorama of your own for travelers  who love the beauty of nature.

Cheap Traveling to Traditional Market in Solo

Life in the city of Surakarta is inseparable from the four major traditional markets. The four markets in Solo which  now instead become a tourism  attractions and  frequently visited by tourist, both local and foreign tourists. The fourt market are  Gede Market, Triwindu Market, Gading Market and Klitikan Market.

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Pasar Gede (Big Market)  or Hardjanagara Market was built in 1929, and was inaugurated on January 12, 1930 in the reign Pakubowono X. Historically, this market called Market temple because there is a temple near the market. This market is the only market in Indonesia,  with two-story which spent 300 gulden. Pasar Gede is one of Netherland colonial style of architecture building, the  works of Herman Thomas Karsten, a renowned Dutch architect who made so many historical  buildings during the Dutch colonial  era. Not only in Solo, Herman Thomas Karsten also designed many buildings in other cities in central Java, including Pasar Johar Semarang. 

Gede Market is a traditional market that has historical value.  With the Dutch colonial era architecture, the market has its own uniqueness. The market is located in the heart of Solo. Many tourists visit  this market are from  Netherlands and Suriname. However the Dutch engagement with Indonesia's history  is very close.  Suriname, as one of the Dutch colony  have  Java native sent by the Dutch.The migration of Java people to Suriname on a large - scale from 1890 to 1939.Noted that t, 32,976 people moved to Suriname during the year. Although not all of them came from Java, but the majority of Indonesian people who migrate is Javanese. 

While the market is adjacent to Triwindu Mangkunegaran tourists visited because the merchandise being sold is an antique. Tourists are also fond of sightseeing or shopping on the antiquities market Triwindu. There a wide range of antiques for sale. The state of the market that comfortable making tourists feel at home and taking the time to stop by, 

Two other markets are often so the purpose of international travelers and the local markets Notoharjo Klitikan. This is because, the inhabitants of the market made up of diverse walks of life who lead the market, built in Clover offers goods too colorful. 
 

While the Gading (Ivory) Market, located just south of Kraton Surakarta has advantages in terms of construction and sales service. In the market, the process of trading takes traditional, but merchants as if selling in the mall or supermarket. The combination of traditional and modern elements in the Ivory Market. You can find so many thing like Batik, or other souvenir in a low price. Pasar Solo is a cheap travel.

AirAsia Bhd will fly back to the route of Kuala Lumpur-Solo

There's a good news for traveller from Malaysia and Surakarta (Solo), Indonesia. Low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd will fly back to the route of  Kuala Lumpur-Solo on December 21, 2012. Flight routes have been suspended in September 2012. Air Asia will fly from the International Airport Adi Soemarmo Solo to Kuala Lumpur International Airport three times a week. Air Asia has served more than 9 million passengers from Malaysia to Indonesia so far this year. The Malaysia company currently holds a 41.5 percent market share of the international passengers in Indonesia’s flight industry.

AirAsia will fly back to the route of KL - Solo

AirAsia Berhad CEO  considered that Indonesia is a very important market and offers a chance for AirAsia to develop. The closure of the Kuala Lumpur–Solo [Surakarta] route in was part of the process to improve [AirAsia’s] business model in Indonesia. Therefore the services and facilities will be improved.

Besides Singapore, Australia, and China, Malaysia is a major market for foreign tourists. This  direct flights from Kuala Lumpur – Solo and vice versa, will allow travelers to come visit Malaysia or Solo. And of course, Indonesian tourists can go on holiday to Malaysia easily. Malaysian tourists keen to come to Solo for several reasons, one of which is the cultural similarities between the two countries. Solo as one of the cultural city in Indonesia has special attractions to visit,  Kraton Surakarta.

The better cooperation is required between the two countries to further enhance the promotion tour for the second region. Given the number of foreign tourists who visit the two countries  recently. With the cooperation of good promotion, travelers who had been in the two areas will have more possibilities to continue their travel to Surakarta, Indonesia or Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Cutural Festival, Solo Batik Carnival (SBC)

Surakarta or Solo is famous for  batik clothes, one of the products of high cultural  value of Indonesia. In Solo there are some special rules about the use of batik, include: social status of the one who wear  some special pattern  and special events where batik should be used in conjunction with the hope or blessing  through batik designs. Solo batik designs are also often associated with Hindu Javanese culture, a symbol Sawat or supreme power of the crown, the symbol of the mountain Meru or earth, symbol of the water dragon, symbol of the wind or the birds of the upper world and the symbol of Fire Tongue of fire. Batik in Solo is not about fahion. Various efforts have been made to introduce and preserve batik products.  One of them  is like the annual event held by The Government of Surakarta , Solo Batik Carnival (SBC).

This Event,  Solo Batik Carnival (SBC) is an annual event conducted by The Government of Surarakarta City. The participants  is actually  only from the local region.  But  on Batik Carnival in Solo in 2010 there were 20 participating countries Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (AMCHUD) that come to enliven the Solo Batik Carnival. Countries taking part include Iran, Laos, Fiji, Cambodia, Brunei, Oman, Iran, Maldipes, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Buton, Afghanistan, India, Qatar, Palestine, Armenia, and Jordan.

The delegates followed the carnival carriage  horses. Along the way they always smiled and waved to the thousands of people who thronged  Slamet Riyadi Street.

Solo Batik Carnival (SBC), which has become an icon of the Solo can be seen starting from the intersection of Jalan Slamet Riyadi Purwosari  and will end up in the Ngarsopuro. Carnival dispatched at 15:00 pm.

The festival is of course very helpful to attract foreign tourists to visit Indonesia. Just for you know that in 2011, there are around 200 000 tourists from the America. visited Indonesia. This year, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry expects the number of tourists from the U.S. visiting Indonesia to reach 225.000 tourist.And Solo as festival organizers will be known internationally, as a city that has a lot of cultural tourism attraction to visit.