Lawang Sewu

SEMARANG TOUR

LAWANG SEWU (1000 Doors)

Lawang Sewu ("Thousand Doors") is a landmark in Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia, built as the headquarters of the Dutch East Indies Railway Company. The colonial era building is famous as a haunted house, though the Semarang city government has attempted to rebrand it.

The name Lawang Sewu is from Javanese it means "Thousand Doors". The name comes from its design, with numerous doors and arcs. The building has about 600 large windows.

The complex consists of several buildings, two main ones named A and B and two smaller ones named C and D, on Pemuda Street. The l-shaped A building faces the Tugu Muda roundabout. There are two identical towers on A building, which were originally used to store water, each with a capacity of 7,000 litres (1,800 US gal). The building features large stained-glass windows and a grand staircase in the center. There was also once an underground tunnel connecting A building to several other sites in the city, including the governor's mansion and the harbour.

The B building is located behind A building. It is three stories in height, with the first two floors consisting of offices and the third holding a ballroom. The building, with high, large windows, also has a basement floor that is kept partially flooded to serve to cool the building through evaporation.

In front of A building stands a monument to five employees killed during the Indonesian War of Independence.

HISTORY
Lawang Sewu was designed by Cosman Citroen, from the firm of J.F. Klinkhamer and B.J. Quendag. It was designed in New Indies Style, an academically-accepted term for Dutch Rationalism in the Indies. Similar with Dutch Rationalism, the style is the result of the attempt to develop new solutions to integrate traditional precedents (classicism) with new technological possibilities. It can be described as a transitional style between Traditionalists and the Modernists, and was strongly influenced by the design of Berlage.

Construction began in 1904 with A building, which was completed in 1907. The rest of the complex was finished in 1919. It was initially used by the Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij, the first railway company in the Dutch East Indies.

After the Japanese invaded Indonesia in 1942, the Japanese army took over Lawang Sewu. The basement of B building was turned into a prison, with several executions taking place there. When Semarang was retaken by the Dutch in the battle of Semarang in October 1945, the Dutch forces used the tunnel leading into A building to sneak into the city. A battle ensued, with numerous Indonesian fighters dying. Five employees working there were also killed.

After the war, the Indonesian army took over the complex. It was later returned to the national railway company. In 1992 it was declared a Cultural Property of Indonesia.

URBAN LEGEND
Lawang Sewu is said to be haunted, with many tourists visiting to see the ghosts. Among the ghosts reported to inhabit the establishment are a Dutchwoman who committed suicide inside and "headless ghouls".

So please don't hesitate and please feel free to contact me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.

widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | +628122792724 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

JOMBLANG CAVE

(the amazing vertical cave)

Jomblang Cave is a vertical cave with a type of doline collapse. The cave was formed due to the geological process of subsidence of land along with vegetation on it to the bottom of the earth that occurred thousands of years ago. This collapse forms a sinkhole or well that is known in Javanese as luweng. That is what makes it unique because in the cave there is a mouth area of ​​about 50 meters cave, often referred to as Luweng Jomblang.

Currently Jomblang Cave is a place for conservation of ancient plants and developed into a special interest tourist place which is managed by residents or local residents. To go down this vertical cave, the manager has provided complete equipment according to the safety standards of caving in the vertical cave.

The sunlight that penetrates from 90 meters high from Luweng Grubug forms a pillar of light, illuminates the beautiful flowstone and the depth of the cave which is pitch black. The water dripping from a height also beautifies the landscape. Many people are amazed to come here when watching natural paintings known as "light of heaven".

Booking a private driver is an ideal choice to visit jomblang cave because the location is at the country side.

For tour reservation please contact at +6285722156455 or email at jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Dieng Plateu

Dieng Plateau is a marshy plateau that forms the floor of a caldera complex on the Dieng Volcanic Complex nearWonosobo, Central Java, Indonesia.[1]Referred to as "Dieng" by Indonesians, it sits at 2,000 metres (6,600 ft) above sea level, far from major population centres. The name "Dieng" comes from Di Hyangwhich means "Abode of the Gods".

Dieng is one of prehistory volcano and still active until now. The crater is sikidang (the deer) and you can look the boiling water at the crater, the water is contain sulfur and local people collect that for sell and use as cosmetic.

The other view point is telaga warna (multi colour lake) this lake have 2 different colour one is green and the other is tosca. The view around the lake also amazing, green forest and also landscape of the mountain.
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At Dieng area we also can find many temple. Arjuna temple, gatotkaca temple, bima temple. All are Hindus temple and those temple build before the famous temple like prambanan and borobudur. It's mean dieng area have older population than jogjakarta area. This area also the highest village in Indonesia.

Regular temperature around this place is between 8°c to 16°c in the morning sometimes getting warm at mid day (when sunny).

To visit this place you need 4 to 5 hours driving from jogjakarta. For one day trip start around 6 am. If you want do sunrise here you can visit sikunir hill in this area. And you can start from jogja around 3 pm, move to base camp/hotel to rest, preparation and coordination with local guide.

The favorit spot is Colour Lake(telaga warna), Sikidang Crater, and Arjuna Temple.

So please don't hesitate and please feel free to contact me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | +628122792724 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Merapi Lava tour

Mount Merapi, Gunung Merapi (literally Fire Mountain in Indonesian and Javanese), is an active strato volcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is the most active volcano in Indonesia and has erupted regularly since 1548. It is located approximately 28 kilometres (17 mi) north of Yogyakarta city which has a population of 2.4 million, and thousands of people live on the flanks of the volcano, with villages as high as 1,700 metres (5,600 ft) above sea level.

Merapi volcano location is about 28km from jogjakarta center. Last big eruption at 2010, and the period mostly every 4 years. But last eruption is change the shape of crater (crater broken) so the prediction is more than 15 years to close and than eruption again.

By the way the attraction here is lava tour, you will bring by jeep to the museum (the collection is anything we can find after 2010 eruption), and than Batu Alian (alian : mean moving) this BIG rock is moved from the crater to the now position (±10km) and the rock have a "sad man face", last you will go to bunker area, this bunker built before 2006(at 2005) the function is to keep save the officer in charge there. but at the 2006 eruption 2 people is trapped inside the bunker and then this bunker is never used again. Now we put camera (cctv) to monitor the crater activity (it's more save than put officer there).

At the bunker area you will see jogjakarta city from the top, also green forest at the other side, if you lucky you also can see the haze (smoke) at the crater.

So don't forget to put merapi on your schedule.

So please don't hesitate and please feel free to contact me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Parangtritis Beach

Parangtritis is a popular tourist beach and village area on the southern coast of Java in the Bantul Regency within the province of the Yogyakarta Special Region. There is a good road to the area which is about 30 km south of the city of Yogyakarta, located just on the border between Bantul and Gunung Kidul regencies.

Quite large crowds of mainly local tourists visit Parangtritis over weekends and at holidays.  There are local tourist facilities at Parangtritis including parking arrangements, modest hotels which provide visitors with places to change and shower, and small restaurants. Often small ponies or horse-drawn carts can be hired for rides along the beach. Tourists also visit some of the various caves and springs in the cliffs and hills near Parangtritis, such as the Gua Tapan cave and the Beji spring, which are quite close to the beach.

Parangtritis is sometimes said to be a place to meet the legendary Nyai Loro Kidul (also known as Ratu Kidul) or 'Queen of the South'. Local folklore warns visitors not to wear green clothes or the queen is likely to try to entice the wearer into the ocean to drown. The beach is not really a good swimming beach. Drownings are unfortunately not uncommon at Parangtritis, partly because many Indonesians have never had the opportunity to learn proper swimming technique at beach and partly because channels, strong rips and sizable waves often occur off the beach.

Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or 

Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724

Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.

widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Ceto Temple Surakarta

Ceto (Indonesian: Candi Ceto) is a fifteenth-century Javanese-Hindu temple that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu (elev. 1495 m above sea level) on the border betweenCentral and East Java provinces.

Cetho is one of several temples built on the northwest slopes of Mount Lawu in the fifteenth century. By this time, Javanese religion and art had diverged from Indian precepts that had been so influential on temples styles during the 8-10th century. This area was the last significant area of temple building in Java before the island's courts were converted to Islam in the 16th century. The temples' distinctiveness and the lack of records of Javanese ceremonies and beliefs of the era make it difficult for historians to interpret the significance of these antiquities.

It is close to Sukuh temple.

Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Sukuh Temple Surakarta

Sukuh (Indonesian: Candi SukuhIndonesian pronunciation: [ˈtʃandi ˈsukʊh]) is a 15th-century Javanese-Hindu temple (candi) that is located on the western slope of Mount Lawu(elevation 910 metres (2,990 ft)) on the border between Central and East Javaprovinces.

Sukuh temple has a distinctive thematic reliefs from other candi where life before birth and sexual education are its main theme. Its main monument is a simple pyramid structure with reliefs and statues in front of it, including three tortoises with flattened shells and a male figure grasping his penis. A giant 1.82 m (6 ft) high of lingga (phallus) with four testes, representing penile incisions, was one of the statues that has been relocated to the National Museum of Indonesia.

The central pyramid of the complex sits at the rear of the highest of three terraces. Originally, worshippers would have accessed the complex through a gateway at the western or lowest terrace. To the left of the gate is a carving of a monster eating a man, birds in a tree, and a dog, which is thought to be a chronogram representing 1437 CE, the likely date of the temple's consecration. There is an obvious depiction of sexual intercourse in a relief on the floor at the entrance where it shows a paired lingam which is represented physiologically by the (phallus) and yoni, which is represented bodily by the (vagina). Genitalia are portrayed on several statues from the site, which is unique among Javanese classical monuments.

The main structure of Sukuh temple is like no other ancient edifice; it is a truncated pyramid reminiscent of a Maya monument and surrounded bymonoliths and meticulously carved life-sized figures. The Sukuh temple does not follow the Hindu architecture Wastu Vidya because it was built after the Hindu religion had weakened. Temples usually have a rectangular or square shape, but Sukuh temple is a trapezium with three terraces, with one terrace higher than the others. A stone stairway rises through the front side of the pyramid to its summit. It is not known what the monument's unique shape was intended to symbolize. One suggestion is that it represents a mountain. There is no evidence that the main building supported a wooden structure. The only object recovered from its summit was a 1.82-metre linggastatue bearing an inscription and it is now in the National Museum of Indonesia). The statue may once have stood on the platform over the stairway. The lingga statue has a dedicated inscription carved from top to bottom representing a vein followed by a chronogram date equivalent to 1440. The inscription translates "Consecrationof the Holy Ganges sudhi in ... the sign of masculinity is the essence of the world." Reliefs of a kris blade, an eight-pointed sun and a crescent moondecorate the statue.

Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Traditional Handmade Batik

Batik (Javanese pronunciation: [ˈbateʔ];Indonesian: [ˈbatɪk]) is a technique ofwax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth, or cloth made using this technique. Batik is made either by drawing dots and lines of the resist with a spouted tool called a canting (Javanese pronunciation: [ʈ͡ʂantiŋ], also spelled tjanting), or by printing the resist with a copper stamp called a cap (Javanese pronunciation: [ʈ͡ʂap], also spelled tjap). The applied wax resists dyes and therefore allows the artisan to colour selectively by soaking the cloth in one colour, removing the wax with boiling water, and repeating if multiple colours are desired.



Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Luwak coffe (civet coffee)

The wild luwak ate the freshest and the ripest of the coffee cherries, and pass together the beans with the fruit into the stomach of the animal. In the stomach of wild luwaks, the beans were processed coincide with the enzymes of the animal, which add the aroma and flavor of the beans after digestion and being feces. The plantation location is in dieng area.

Note: Only few Coffee Shop/Bar sell ORIGINAL luwak coffe. Some place mix with NORMAL coffe.


Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com

Silver Processing KotaGede

Kotagede silversmiths grew since the establishment of Kotagede as the capital of Mataram. During that time, the traditional silver, gold and copper industries began to develop, dominated by the use of repoussé (embossing) techniques. The products of this region were to fulfill the need of household and ceremonial equipment for the royal family. During the colonial period of the 1930s, silverworks and silver handicrafts prospered in Kotagede. The Dutch colonial government established the Stichting Beverding van het Yogyakarta Kent Ambacht to protect the silverwork of Kotagede. Filigree technique enters Kotagede around 1950 under the influence of craftsmen fromKendari, Sulawesi. According to local silversmiths, Sastro Dimulyo with his company "SSO" was the pioneer for introducing filigree technique in Kotagede.

Kotagede's silverware is characterized with its floral motifs, e.g. leaf or lotus flower, based from the Hindu tradition; and their manual labor, kept historically authentic. Types of silverware produced by Kotagede are filigrees, silver-casting, sculptures (miniatures), and handmade products (necklaces, rings).

Jalan Kemasan, the main street leading into town from the north, is lined with silver workshops selling hand-beaten bowls, boxes, fine filigree and modern jewellery .

Don't hesitate to call me.

Call/WhatsApp +62 857 2215 6455 or Call/Text +62 81 2279 2724
Always possible to discuss for your tour itinerary.
widya hirmawan as wawan | +6285722156456 | jogjadriverteam@gmail.com