TOUR AROUND JAKARTA

Founded on the site of the ancient pepper trading port of Sunda Kelapa more than four and a half centuries ago, the city of Jakarta is a vibrant commercial centre drawing together peoples from all over the vast Indonesian archipelago. It is the sprawling and rapidly growing capital of the world's fourth largesr nation - a crowded metropolis of more than 10 million inhabitants, which a dynamic economy and a fast-paced lifestyle.

In the 15th century, Sunda Kelapa was an important coastal outpost for the inland kingdom of Pajajaran, competing for a share of the regional spice trade with a host of other riverine ports lining the strategic Malacca and Sunda straits. In 1527, the port was conquered by the joint Islamic forces of Banten and Demak and re-named Jayakarta --"City of Victory."

It was to this town that Portuguese spice merchants came and began a trading association. At the end of the 16th century, the Portuguese were followed by the Dutch, who with faster ships and better organisation soon took the lead in the spice trade. The Dutch moved their regional base from nearby Banten to Jayakarta. Under the leadership of an aggressive and determined envoy of the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC), Jan Pieterszoon Coen, the Dutch enlarged their fortress, which had been dubbed "Batavia" in honor of early Germanic tribes which settled in Holand. It was by this name that the city was to be known throughout almost 350 years of Dutch rule.

Despite its small size and lack of natural resources compared to the other kingdoms of Bali, Klungkung has always maintained the mystique of being the island's original royal centre. The Kerta Gosa in Klungkung town has a place for the administration of traditional justice in pre-colonial times.

The beautiful eastern regency of Karangasem is dominated by the towering presence of Mt. Agung (3,142m), the island's most sacred and highest volcano, whose dramatic foothills and lava flows provide some of the most breathtaking landscapes found anywhere in Bali. High up on Mt. Agung's southern flanks perches the great "Mother Temple", Pura Besakih - the most sacred and powerful of the island's innumerable temples.

There is excellent diving in the coastal reefs off Tulamben, where the sunken wreck of a WW II ship provides a home for a host of colourful marine life. Six kilometres west of Singaraja, the popular beach resort of Lovina is along stretch of blank sand bordering five coastal villages. The pace of live at Lovina reflects the callmness and safety of the sea. This is as excellent spot for swimming and snorkelling, particularly near the reef.

On the westernmost tip of the island, extensive montane forests, coastal swamps and marine waters comprise the West Bali National Park.