Many Indonesians who hear you have ventured beyond Bali to explore islands such as Java, Sumatra, Sumba or Komodo will light up.
That’s because most of the millions of annual tourists from around the globe don’t go beyond the beach bars of Seminyak, the cafes of Canggu or the lush, art-filled forests of Ubud.
While there’s an abundance of culture to be found on the Island of the Gods, its paths are well-trodden, and Indonesia is made up of more than 18,000 islands, so there is plenty more to discover.
Opening up the islands
Explore Raja Ampat's aquatic splendour, Lombok's rugged terrain and Jakarta's urban hustle, where scooters zip past skyscrapers – just remember to skip taxis to avoid the capital’s infamous gridlock.
There’s something for everyone, no matter your travel style, from dense jungles to golden beaches and ancient tribes.
And more visitors are venturing beyond the country’s resort towns as Indonesia's government invests heavily to shift its focus away from Bali and reduce its dependence on revenues from the tourist island.
The goal is to point visitors towards a wider range of experiences that benefit smaller local economies and spread out the burden of mass tourism, all while highlighting the diverse culture that Indonesia offers.
Sandiaga Uno, the country’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, says several "super priority" destinations are planned for development, including Likupang with its active volcanoes, Mandalika's idyllic beaches and the vast Lake Toba.
Discovering Java
Central Java is only a one-hour flight from Bali and here Amanjiwo is a cornerstone of Indonesian luxury.
Although the property, the name of which translates to "peaceful soul", first opened its doors 30 years ago, the airport in Yogyakarta is new – and thanks to infrastructure upgrades, the one-hour car journey to the hotel is smooth along freshly tarmacked roads.
It is well known among locals and revered for its location opposite the Unesco-designated Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, offering a gateway to Indonesia's cultural and spiritual heart that is far from the familiar trails.
The hotel’s limestone colonnades sit under a giant bell-shaped rotunda mirroring the temple’s stupas, which can be glimpsed in the distance from the lobby terrace as the call to prayer echoes out each evening.
Amanjiwo also offers a range of activities that combine spiritual enrichment with exploration, from wellness journeys to helicopter tours and treks.
This includes a luxury train voyage through Java on selected dates throughout this year.
It begins in Jakarta Gambir station, taking guests on a seven-hour tour through Central Java, as the hotel's resident anthropologist shares the region's history and cultural highlights.
The package includes breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with drinks, alongside a three-night stay at the hotel with perks.
The hotel’s private tour of the ninth-century Borobudur Temple, where visitor numbers are capped, is also a must, as local guides explain its significance.
The temple’s design reflects the Gupta architecture of India, yet it remains uniquely Javanese, with more than 500 Buddha statues (many with their heads broken off due to theft) and more than 2,672 relief panels that offer an illustrative narrative of the religion’s teachings and tales.
The dragons of Komodo
To see a totally different side of Indonesia, hop on a flight to Komodo and head on a boat tour around the National Park, a place where legend meets reality between the islands of Rinca, Komodo and Pandar in Indonesia’s east.
The famed Komodo dragons, which grow up to three metres and walk with a prehistoric grace despite their grizzly faces and razor-sharp teeth, are a sight to behold among surroundings that display Indonesia’s diverse natural landscape.
Trek through the National Park to come face-to-face with thousands of these creatures.
Expert local guides, are armed with Y-shaped sticks to gently push them back on to a more suitable path if they stray towards tourists.
Although the venomous dragons can run at speeds of up to 19kph and there have been 24 attacks on humans at the park in the past 40 years – largely on those venturing without a guide and getting too close – most visits are safe.
Entry is $91 and so comparatively more expensive than many of Indonesia’s other tourist attractions, but this includes fees for snorkelling and trekking, and contributions to the local economy and wildlife conservation.
Komodo is also home to one of the world’s only seven beaches with pink sand, right next to the boundaries of the National Park.
The surrounding landscapes feature rugged, rich landscapes ranging from dry savannahs to thorny green forests and volcanic hills.
The island is also part of the Coral Triangle and a dream for divers due to its resplendent reefs.
Bali and beyond
Meandering through the forest trails alongside Komodo dragons and snorkelling among the colour and life just off the pink-sand beach, you couldn’t feel further from the packed streets of Bali.
Bali’s allure is undeniable – it brims with world-class venues, vibrant clubs and opulent hotels, not to mention the spiritual and cultural lifestyle it offers.
But limiting your Indonesia trip solely to here barely scratches the surface of the archipelago’s diversity.
The spiritual serenity of ancient temples in Java. The raw, prehistoric beauty of the Komodo dragons. The lush, untamed jungles of Sumatra. The urban chaos of Jakarta’s concrete jungle.
Indonesia is a country that offers visitors the world.
Pathaan
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
A new relationship with the old country
Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates
The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.
ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.
ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.
ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.
DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.
Signed
Geoffrey Arthur Sheikh Zayed
Results
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The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
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Know your camel milk:
Flavour: Similar to goat’s milk, although less pungent. Vaguely sweet with a subtle, salty aftertaste.
Texture: Smooth and creamy, with a slightly thinner consistency than cow’s milk.
Use it: In your morning coffee, to add flavour to homemade ice cream and milk-heavy desserts, smoothies, spiced camel-milk hot chocolate.
Goes well with: chocolate and caramel, saffron, cardamom and cloves. Also works well with honey and dates.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
From Europe to the Middle East, economic success brings wealth - and lifestyle diseases
A rise in obesity figures and the need for more public spending is a familiar trend in the developing world as western lifestyles are adopted.
One in five deaths around the world is now caused by bad diet, with obesity the fastest growing global risk. A high body mass index is also the top cause of metabolic diseases relating to death and disability in Kuwait, Qatar and Oman – and second on the list in Bahrain.
In Britain, heart disease, lung cancer and Alzheimer’s remain among the leading causes of death, and people there are spending more time suffering from health problems.
The UK is expected to spend $421.4 billion on healthcare by 2040, up from $239.3 billion in 2014.
And development assistance for health is talking about the financial aid given to governments to support social, environmental development of developing countries.
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Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species
Camelpox
Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.
Falconpox
Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.
Houbarapox
Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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SERIES INFO
Afghanistan v Zimbabwe, Abu Dhabi Sunshine Series
All matches at the Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Test series
1st Test: Zimbabwe beat Afghanistan by 10 wickets
2nd Test: Wednesday, 10 March – Sunday, 14 March
Play starts at 9.30am
T20 series
1st T20I: Wednesday, 17 March
2nd T20I: Friday, 19 March
3rd T20I: Saturday, 20 March
TV
Supporters in the UAE can watch the matches on the Rabbithole channel on YouTube
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Muslim Council of Elders condemns terrorism on religious sites
The Muslim Council of Elders has strongly condemned the criminal attacks on religious sites in Britain.
It firmly rejected “acts of terrorism, which constitute a flagrant violation of the sanctity of houses of worship”.
“Attacking places of worship is a form of terrorism and extremism that threatens peace and stability within societies,” it said.
The council also warned against the rise of hate speech, racism, extremism and Islamophobia. It urged the international community to join efforts to promote tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
