Mudik, a homecoming tradition where a person goes to their hometown during Eid holiday, has become a hallmark of the Indonesian Ramadan where people flock to their hometowns to celebrate Eid with their families. This year, the Ministry of Transportation predicts that around 85.5 million people will return home using various modes of transportation. The number increased exceedingly since it has been two years since the homecoming ban was imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Besides being a gathering, it is also a special moment for a family vacation to various tourism destinations. The government also utilizes this moment to increase the number of tourist visits to the National Tourism Strategic Area (Indonesian: Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional/KSPN). For Rangers who want to plan a vacation in the KSPN area during the Eid holiday, here are recommendations for must-visit sustainable tourist destinations!
Lombok
Lombok is one of the KSPNs which recently gained popularity for both Indonesians and foreign tourists. Lombok, especially Mandalika, became popular since the 2022 MotoGP was held at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit. Just like the Mandalika circuit, Lombok also has many sustainable tourist destinations such as the Nurul Bilad Mosque and Bilebante Green Tourism Village.
The Nurul Bilad Mosque is proclaimed to be the most magnificent mosque and a tourist icon in Mandalika. This mosque can accommodate about 1500 worshipers. This mosque has a unique architecture that adopts the traditional house of the Sasak Tribe. Since its location is very close to Kuta Mandalika Beach and Sade Tourism Village, fortunately, you can visit several tourism destinations at once.
One more must-visit destination in Lombok is the Bilebante Green Tourism Village, which is located in Central Lombok Province and is only about 9.8 km from Mandalika. This village won an award as the best tourist village in the 2017 Tourism Village Award. This tourism destination offers the beauty of the rice field landscape for those of you who like to ride. The expanse of green rice fields and quiet roads present a mild and beautiful atmosphere, typical of the countryside that makes your holiday experience even more enjoyable. Not only around rice fields, but you can also explore plantations, residential areas, and Lingkar Kelud Temple. Amazingly, local residents are very concerned about preserving the environment and are trying to implement a sustainable waste management system with EcoRanger.
Borobudur
Borobudur is one of the UNESCO world heritage sites targeted by tourists during the Eid al-Fitr holiday. This Buddhist temple, which is located in Magelang Regency, Central Java, is being prepared by the government to accommodate the surge of visitors. One of the strategies is to extend the opening hours which are from 07.00 – 16.00 WIB.
Borobudur Temple presents you with a magnificent view of the temple decorated with Buddhist stupas and reliefs. There are various other attractions available such as the Temple Museum, interactive cinema at the Samudra Kapal Museum, and an archery arena. If you want to visit this Sailendra Dynasty majesty temple, you only need to spend IDR 50,000. Around the Borobudur Temple, there are various accommodation options like homestays and hotels. Interestingly, there are many other famous tourism destinations around that you also can visit such as Punthuk Setumbu, Gereja Ayam, Elo River rafting, and Svarga Bumi rice fields (Rice field photo spot).
Lake Toba
Rangers who go to Sumatra must visit Lake Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. Lake Toba was formed from the eruption of Mount Toba and has an exotic charm. Lake Toba offers natural and Batak cultural tourism for tourists. Here you can enjoy views of the mountains and lakes which are so vast like the ocean. One of the best spots to enjoy the view is on the top of Samosir Island. For those of you who like water sports, you can go around the lake by kayak or speed boat.
Comforting the mountainous atmosphere, don’t forget to visit Tomok Museum and Hutabolon Museum, and let’s find out about the culture and local wisdom of the Batak Tribe. There, you can see the traditional house, the king’s tomb, and the Sigale-gale dance. In visiting the museums, you have to use ulos, a typical Batak woven that has been provided. Moreover, you can also join the Sigale-gale dance with other tourists. This dance is an introductory dance of spirits that uses sigale-gale wooden puppets as the medium. People believe that this doll can dance alone without music.
Likupang
Rangers who are beach people are definitely looking forward to the recommendations for marine tourism in this session. Likupang is the perfect destination for you to enjoy the blue ocean and the typical beach breeze and drink fresh coconut ice while lying on the white sandy beach. Located in North Minahasa, North Sulawesi, this destination is still not popular with tourists. This is a perfect opportunity for you to feel the beauty of the beach as if it were your own. You can visit Paal Beach, Pulisan Beach, Lihaga Island and Gangga Island. This destination is perfect for you to spend time snorkeling, diving, and kayaking. There, you can also enjoy a variety of delicious traditional cuisines such as goroho bananas, chili roa, tinutuan porridge, lalampa, and panada.
Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo is a popular Indonesian tourism destination. It is famous for its natural beauty and exotic Komodo as an attraction for local and foreign tourists. This is called the gate of heaven because of its beauty. When visiting Labuan Bajo, there are many viral tourism destinations that you must visit such as Padar Island, Bukit Cinta, Pink Beach, and Goa Rangko. You can also visit Cunca Wulang Waterfall for an anti-mainstream destination. As a marine tourism destination, Labuan Bajo offers water sports activities such as diving, snorkeling, and playing in the beach area. Uniquely, here you can experience staying on a phinisi ship that will surround the ocean.
Visiting Labuan Bajo, you have to visit Komodo Island to see the Komodo which is a protected ancient animal that is threatened by extinction. You can see their life and activities in their natural habitat while learning how to protect them from extinction. To visit Komodo Island, you can use a ferry that departs from Labuan Bajo. You can choose short trips, medium trips, and long trips tour packages. Komodo Island also offers a beautiful expanse of savanna that you cannot find in other parts of Indonesia.
From those recommendations, which destinations will you visit during this year’s Eid holiday? Come to enjoy the beauty of tourism destinations! Be responsible for maintaining and preserving its beauty. Welcoming Eid, of course, you have to apply a zero-waste holiday to perfect your #WorshipWithoutWaste day of victory.