Pangandaran is a small town and a subdistrict in southern Ciamis regency, West Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern coast of Java. The Penanjung Pangandaran nature reserve is nearby on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow neck of land. About eighty percent of the nature reserve is secondary rainforest. The flora of the nature reserve includes the Rafflesia.

Batu Karas in west java is a sheltered beach and point break that has quite reliable surf, a heaven for beginner surfer. November to April (wet season) provides favoured time of year for waves. Works best in offshore winds from the south southwest. Groundswells are more common than windswelss and the best swell direction is from the south.explore a national park teeming with jungle life, surf fun warm water waves, cruise in a canoe through emerald green river gorges; swim in crystal clear waterfalls; take in a shadow puppet show in a quaint village setting. And you can see a amazing canyon following the river.

Locate 40 km from Pangandaran beach and 135 km from Bandung, west java. You can hire a car or motocycle from Pangandaran Beach. Compare to Bali and Lombok, the wave at Batu Karas is more friendly, 2-3 metres high. If you want to learn surfing, this is the right location.

From batu karas you can go to “Karang Nini” direction to Cipatujah (another beach) from the top of “Karang Nini” you can see very clear south beach West Java, and you can see another small village near the beach, and the real life and view of south beach West Java.

Ujung Kulon National Park is located at the western-most tip of Java, Indonesia. It includes the volcanic island group of Krakatoa and other islands including Panaitan, Handeuleum and Peucang. The park encompasses an area of 1,206 km² (443 km² marine), most of which lies on a peninsula reaching into the Indian Ocean. The explosion of nearby Krakatau in 1883 produced a tidal wave that eliminated the villages and crops of the coastal areas on the western peninsula, and covered the entire area in a layer of ash about 30 cm thick. This caused the total evacuation of the peninsula by humans, thereby allowing it to become a repository for much of Java’s flora and fauna, and most of the remaining lowland forest on the island.

In the remote south west of Java, the national park of Ujung Kulon is the site of one of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched natural attractions. It is no coincidence that Ujung Kulon is classified as one of Indonesia’s World Heritage Sites and has been a natural reserve since 1937. Most well known for being the home of the last one horned white Javan rhinoceros of which a population of about 60 remains, Ujung Kulon receives about 6,500 visitors a year from all over the world.

With over 120,000 hectares, Ujung Kulon comprises the extreme southwestern tip of the island of Java, Indonesia, the two islands of Pulau Handeuleum and Pulau Peucang just offshore, and the island of Pulau Panaitan separated from the mainland by the Panaitan Straits.

The Ujung Kulon area offers various different landscapes, from the Gunung Payung massif in the southwest and the low rolling hills of the Telanca Plateau in the northeast, to the swamp area characteristic for the lower lying isthmus. Inventories of the Ujung Kulon wild life are the subject of numerous books. The fauna on the peninsula and the islands is almost too extensive to describe in short.

Numerous reef species, such as butterfly fish, batfish, triggerfish and moorish idol, dominate the shallower waters, while deep water species include sharks, tuna, barracuda and marlin. It is because of this last species, the black marlin, that the Sunda Strait has the reputation of being an excellent and challenging game fishing ground.

Its great moment for us to waiting sunset at pasir panjang beach with family

The monastery of Geghard (Armenian: ??????, meaning spear) is a unique architectural construction in the Kotayk province of Armenia, being partially carved out of the adjacent mountain, surrounded by cliffs. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
While the main chapel was built in 1215, the monastery complex was founded in the 4th century by Gregory the Illuminator at the site of a sacred spring inside a cave. The monastery had thus been originally named Ayrivank, meaning “the Monastery of the Cave”. The name commonly used for the monastery today, Geghard, or more fully Geghardavank (???????????), meaning “the Monastery of the Spear”.

Alaverdi, Armenia is located in the northeastern side of Lori which is a province in Armenia. The land is not very far from the country of Georgia. This is an industrial and mining hub. The area is located at the base of the gorge of the River Debed. Armenia is a beautiful tourist spot. It has a lot of tourist attractions that draw many tourists from all over the world. There are rolling hills, snow capped mountains, gushing streams and many such natural attractions.
Alaverdi, Armenia is the one and only rail link between Georgia and Armenia. This is also an important road connection between the two countries. The place has some wonderful tourist destinations. There are many cultural monuments which are of great importance. There are some monasteries such as Haghpat, Kobayr, Khorakert, Ardvi, Sanahin, Akhtala. Haghpat and Sanahin have been designated as World Heritage Sites. There is also a wonderful Basilica in the area of Odzun. The area has a bridge that was constructed in the twelfth century. You are sure to have a wonderful time touring these amazing places. These are sure to make you realize the rich past of the region.

Source (Wikipedia)

Thanks to Serdal & Gary, see you

The temple was built in the second half of the first century B.C. and dedicated to a heathen god, probably to Mithra, the god of the sun whose figure stood in the depth of the sanctuary (naos). After Christianity had been proclaimed the state religion in Armenia in 301, the temple was probably used as a summer residence of the kings. A chronicle describes it as ‘‘a house of coolness’.
The fortress of Garni is situated in the village of the same name in the Abovian District. That was a mighty fortress well known from chronicles (Cornelius Tacitus, Movses Khorenatsi, etc.). The structures of Garni combine elements of Hellenistic and national culture, which is an evidence of antique influences and the distinctive building traditions of the Armenian people. The artistic merit and uniqueness of its monuments place Garni among outstanding creations of architecture of world importance.
The structures of the fortress of Garni are in perfect harmony with the surrounding nature. The fortress is situated in a picturesque mountain locality and commands a broad panorama of orchards, fields and mountain slopes covered with motley carpets of varicoloured grasses, of the jagged and precipitous canyon of the Azat river.

Source (Wikipedia)

Special Thanks to Serdal & Babken

Tsaghkadzor means valley of flowers in Armenian. The city is located 50 kilometers North from Yerevan, on the southeastern slope of Teghenis Mountains, 1750 meters above sea level, surrounded with alpine meadows.
In the early medieval period the region belonged to the feudal clan of Varazhnuni, which governed the forest that was used as a hunting ground for the Armenian Arshakuni Kings from the 4th to the 5th centuries. In the 6th century, the territory passed into the possession of the House of Kamsarakan. Beginning from the 10th century, the clan of Kamsarakan merged with the House of Pahlavuni, who were also related to the Arshakunis. Gregory Pahlavuni, the leader of the clan and subsequently the prince of the Kecharis principality, built the Kecharis Monastery in honor of Gregory the Illumanitor in 1033. In 1051 he constructed the Church of Holy Nshan. The territory passed to the rule of Zakarid princes during the 13-14th centuries, at times falling to the rule of Proshyan and Khagbakyan families. During the larger part of the later centuries, the region was constantly the arena of the Ottoman-Persian wars. Finally in 1828, according to the Treaty of Turkmenchay, the region was connected with the Erivan Governorate and entered into the composition of the Russian Empire. During the Soviet era Tsaghkadzor was developed into a modern city intended to attract large numbers of tourists. Many historical buildings and dachas, built before the revolution by industrialists and merchants from Yerevan and Tbilisi, were either nationalized in favor of the state or they were sold in auctions.
Currently, Tsaghkadzor is a fast developing winter resort that attracts hundreds of ski and snowboard enthusiasts from around the world. Many people choose this undiscovered destination to combine their snow experience with an extraordinary experience of touring the country wintertime. Best months for skiing and snowboarding are normally February and March. Usually, snow cover is good from January to mid-April.
On August 11, 2008, about 90 American Peace Corps volunteers, trainees and staff members were relocated to Tsaghkadzor from the Republic of Georgia as a precaution during the military conflict with Russia.

Source (wikipedia)

Insects are arthropods (a type of invertebrate, animals that lack a backbone). All insects have a hard exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae. The legs (and wings, if applicable) are attached to the thorax. Insects breathe through holes called spiracles. Insects hatch from eggs.

Insect means “segmented” in Latin. There are about a million different types of insects and many more that have not been discovered yet. Insects (Class Insecta) are currently divided into 31 orders.

Insects, bugs, and spiders that inhabit the Earth can make some of the most fascinating and dramatic close-up for photography subjects, they have unlimited amount of color, texture, and, physical architecture to explore.

Some 20 million years ago, the earth’s crust weakened and tore itself apart creating a jagged rift, thousands of kilometers long, across the African continent. The land on either side erupted creating great volcanic mountains, while the valley floor gradually sank into a low flat plain. This geologic phenomena, dubbed the Great Rift Valley by the Scottish explorer John Walter Gregory, divides Kenya neatly down the length of the country essentially separating east from west. Today’s Rift Valley is characterized by uninhabitable desert and fertile farmland, flat arid plains and steep escarpments. 

 In some places this natural divide is up to 100 km (60 miles) wide, while it reaches its narrowest point just north of Nairobi at 45 km wide. The valley floor is at its lowest near Lake Turkana where there is virtually no distinction between the Great Rift and the surrounding desert. As it heads south, however, the valley walls form sheer cliffs rising to 1,900 km (6,232 ft) at Lake Naivasha. After Naivasha, the valley descends again to 580 meters (1,902 feet) at the Tanzanian border. 

 Subterranean movement is common today as the Rift Valley is home to thirty active and semi-active volcanoes and countless hot springs along its length. This string of alkaline lakes and boiling springs northwest of Nairobi includes Lake Baringo, Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, Lake Elementaita, Lake Naivasha, and Lake Magadi in the south. These lakes are unique because their water is highly concentrated sodium carbonate. This situation is caused by the high alkalinity from the surrounding volcanic rocks coupled with poor drainage outlets due to the steep sides of the valley. The high evaporation of the surface lake water results in sodium carbonate which, in turn, creates an ideal breeding ground for algae. Several species of fish, tilapia in particular, thrive in this environment.

As a result, millions of birds flock to these soda lakes to feast on the abundant food supply of algae and fish. Each of the lakes in the Rift Valley string have a slightly different water composition ranging from freshwater to extremely alkaline, highly saline to brackish. 

Source

At 1880 metres above sea level, Lake Naivasha is the highest of the Rift Valley Lakes.  It is the second largest freshwater lake in Kenya and one of only two freshwater lakes in the rift valley, the other being L. Baringo.  Lake Naivasha is unusual in having no known outlet, normally a prerequisite for a freshwater lake! The lake edge supports dense vegetation which, in turn, supports a thriving bird population including the Grey-capped Warbler, Spectacled Weaver, Brimstone Canary and Red-billed Firefinch. All told the area has a bird list of over 350 species. While not usually one the of the main safari stops, Lake Naivasha is a good place for a one-night stop. The Kenyan roads mean that travelling from North to South (or vice versa) usually means travelling via Nairobi and is sometimes too much for a comfortable trip in one day. Lake Naivasha is on the main road to Nairobi and not too far from the city so makes a good alternative stop-over with some interesting birding.

Being a freshwater lake, Naivasha has a healthy fish population which attracts a variety of fish-eaters. Both Long-tailed and Great Cormorants can be seen, along with Fish Eagles and Pied Kingfishers. One of the memorable sights for us was a chance to watch Black Herons feeding on the lake. They are one of the bird species which form a canopy over their heads with their wings when feeding. This is presumably to reduce the surface glare or maybe to trick small fish and insects into believing that they are a shady sanctuary. We would like to include a link to a photograph of this behaviour at this point but ….. we have to confess that when we saw Black Herons behaving in this way we were so fascinated that we completely forgot to pick up our cameras!

Naivasha is also a good place to see the Grey-backed fiscal. This bird replaces the Long-tailed Fiscal in areas with higher rainfall. Also to be seen in the area is the Black-lored Babbler. The Naivasha race tends to show pale tipped feathers on their heads which this gives them a somewhat frosty effect. It is believed that this variation may be the result of hybridisation with Northern Pied Babblers at some point in the past.

The Naivasha region also supports a large population of Lovebirds. These are mainly hybrids of Fischer’s and the Yellow-Collared Lovebird. In the main these populations have been established as a result of the escape (and deliberate release) of cage birds (both Fischer’s and the Yellow-collared Lovebird are native Tanzanian species). Lovebirds are often seen for sale on the roadside. Often the birds are in very small, cramped cages and the vendors are young children. In fact you have to be licensed to catch and sell them but many tourists fall into the trap of buying and then releasing the birds, which are promptly retrapped and resold. This makes the illegal trade highly profitable and most Kenyan guides advise against being soft-hearted!

Source

The flamingo, which is the main attraction for tourists at Lake Nakuru National Park, has moved from its main sanctuary in the Rift Valley to other areas, including the minute Lake Simbi Nyaima in Western Kenya. Lake Nakuru, which local Senior Game Warden Alfred Mayoli says has lost more than two thirds of its water, is the focal point of all tourism business in town. The flamingos’ attractive colours, grace, beauty and numbers are the talk of all tourists – local and international.

Mr. Mayoli’s contention that the flamingos are migrating to Lake Simbi Nyaima and elsewhere due to drought has, however, been challenged by some experts. They argue that the birds are moving because of the contamination of water by local factories which release untreated waste into the lake.

The worrying thing about the flamingos in Nakuru is the unexplained deaths of the birds that have moved to ponds around the town’s sewage treatment plant under rehabilitation. It is believed that the birds are dying after consuming toxic waste.

In October, last year, Mr. Mayoli says, a scientist was sent to the lake to probe the cause of the birds’ deaths. The outcome of the probe is yet to be released.

A team of Japanese construction experts working on the multi-million sewerage project has declined to comment on the deaths of the flamingos at the sewage ponds. However, a worker at the site said that every morning they fill a pick-up with dead flamingos.

On the current migration of flamingos, Mr. Mayoli says it is not the first time the birds have moved. He says: “This is not the first time the lake has substantially dried up as we were faced with a similar situation in 1987. We also have recorded incidents of the drying up of the lake in the past.”

“Since flamingos are water birds”, he says, “they are definitely bound to seek a new home when there is drastic change in their physical environment”.

The deaths at the ponds, another expert argues, cannot deplete the flamingo population because they hatch in large numbers and live for long.

A bird expert from the National Museums of Kenya, Mr. Oliver Nasirwa, argues that with a life expectancy of over 50 years and an annual breeding of over 250,000 a few deaths will not make a difference since everything is being done to contain the situation.

Mr. Nasirwa observes that flamingos breed every two years at Lake Natron in Tanzania, and out of the 500,000 hatchlings more than 300,000 survive. “Considering that the average lifespan of the flamingo is 50 years the few that are dying can only be considered at this stage as normal.”

As a measure to ensure the flamingo deaths are not “abnormal” the National (Kenya) Water Fowl Census team has appealed to people to report any deaths to the nearest wildlife offices. Mr. Nasirwa agrees with Mr. Mayoli that the migration of the flamingo to places like Simbi Nyaima is nothing new.

“Considering some of the birds that went to that lake [Simbi Nyaima) when drought at Lake Nakuru threatened their existence in 1988 are still alive, it’s no wonder they have led others there”, Mr. Nasirwa said.

The bird census that was done on the shores of Lake Nakuru on January 14, drew a team of bird lovers, water fowl experts and several volunteers who with their powerful equipment counted the birds starting from 6 am to 6 pm. Tourists joined in for the love of the birds.

Friends of Lake Nakuru (FLN), a local conservation group, has noted that the reduction of the birds’ numbers posed a threat to tourism in the country.

The group’s vice chairman, Mr. Joseph Muya, attributes the decline in numbers to a reduction in the level of algae in the lake that is drying up.

During an international symposium in Portugal last September, the conservation group presented a paper on “Threats to Water Fowl and their Habitat” with reference to lakes Nakuru and Elementaita.

The symposium had been organised by Portugal’s Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in collaboration with the International Bird Protection.

Meanwhile, scientists from Egerton University have announced that they will soon launch a Sh10 million (US$175,439) research project to establish the cause of the birds’ deaths.

A member of the team, Dr. L. A. Onek, a bio-chemist, says his team suspects that the birds are migrating to western Kenya due to the quality of Cyano-bacteria which might be deteriorating due to pollution. Cyano bacterium is the flamingos’ staple diet.

The scholar says the dominant species of Cyano-bacteria in Lake Nakuru is Spiruline Platensis.

Dr. Onek says that his team has collected samples from both Lake Nakuru and Lake Simbi Nyaima for a comparative study.

While Nakuru residents are busy speculating as to why the birds are running away from their considered natural habitat, 200 kilometres away, Simbi Nyaima people are thrilled with their new visitors.

At Simbi Nyaima flamingo “invasion” is treated with the reverence accorded a miracle. The lake itself is believed by the residents to have come into being miraculously.

Long time ago, according to local folklore, there came to Kanyadhiang Village a hungry and tired old woman called Ateku. She found the villagers celebrating – eating, drinking and dancing.

One caring woman welcomed her with food, drink, and a bed to rest her frail body.

After the magnanimous action, Ateku ordered water to spring from the ground.

Since areas adjacent to the lake are so dry, it is believed the water came into being as a token of appreciation by Ateku to the woman.

With some die-hard flamingo lovers now travelling all the way to Simbi Nyaima, 200 km away, residents of the area believe a second miracle is taking place, and treasure the event with the hope that tourism will germinate and take root in the area.

source

At 85km North West of Kenya’s capital Nairobi Lake Naivasha is just over an hours drive by public or Private Transport, including Charter Flights. The lake is located some distance from the town and taxis are readily available. For overnight travelers, there are well-furnished lodges and hotels such as Cray Fish, Simba, Sopa, and Fish Eagle among others. The Yellow barked Acacia that abound with bird life make Naivasha a world class birding destination thus a haven for Bird Lovers and Researchers. A great way to spend a morning or afternoon is taking a boat trip around the lake encountering local fishermen, Columbus Monkeys calling from the tree tops, Wallowing Buffaloes from the swamps, Wandering Giraffes among the acacia, and a population of Hippos sleeping the day out in the shallows.

Splendid scenery around the lake is the privately owned Crater Lake Game Sanctuary situated on the former estate of Lady Diana Delamere, which is home to Ox- Wagon Safaris. “Elsamere” a Wildlife Education and Conservation Centre was once home to Joy Adamson, author of Born free. Walking, hiking, biking and rock climbing is ideal in Hell’s Gate National Park named for its pair of massive Red Tinged Cliffs framing a Geothermically active interior of steam vents and bubbling springs. The lovely lake with its cool climate is a noble retreat for any Resident or Tourist looking for peace and a relaxing environment. The haunting call of a Fish Eagle high over the lake brings a perfect daybreak making the sunsets very stunning.

Surrounded the lake there’s a lot flower plantation, the flowers provide an important source of income to Kenya, but the industry comes with a price. Flowers are not held to the same standards for chemical residues as food products. Strong chemical pesticides can be used on the flowers to produce the perfect, pest-free bloom, and this could pose a health risk to workers and local wildlife, including hippos, environmental groups told the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in 2002. The chemicals may also threatened the water quality of Lake Naivasha, one of Kenya’s few freshwater lakes. The Kenya Flower Council instituted a code of conduct establishing guidelines for pesticide that phases out the use of one of the most toxic pesticides.

The Rhinoceros, often colloquially abbreviated rhino, is the common name used to group five extant species of odd-toed ungulates in the family Rhinocerotidae. Two of these species are native to Africa and three to southern Asia. Three of the five species—the (Javan, Sumatran and Black Rhinoceros)—are critically endangered. The Indian is endangered, with fewer than 2700 individuals remaining in the wild. The White is registered as Vulnerable, with roughly 14,500 remaining in the wild, he rhinoceros family is characterised by large size (one of the few remaining megafauna alive today) with all of the species capable of reaching one ton or more in weight; herbivorous diet; and a thick protective skin, 1.5–5 cm thick, formed from layers of collagen positioned in a lattice structure; relatively small brains for mammals this size (400–600g); and a large horn. They generally eat leafy material, although their ability to ferment food in their hindgut allows them to subsist on more fibrous plant matter, if necessary. Unlike other perissodactyls, the African species of rhinoceros lack teeth at the front of their mouths, relying instead on their powerful premolar and molar teeth to grind up plant food.
(Source Wikipedia).

It’s Amazing
6 year’s ago, we are going to Ujung Kulon National Park with Archeopteryx Team, Bang jay, Bang Irvan, Mbak Dini, Puger, Manasye, Pak Nani, and Pak Nana from RMPU (Rhino Monitoring Protecting Unit), we walking every days inside the jungle.Sleeping at the tower in “Cidaun”, crossing Cikeusik River, and I never forget somebody always say, “time to make jus jus guys”, he…he…he…. Just for looking this animal.
I miss u guys…..long time not see u guys.