Many visitors who come to pray in this historic building but if you are more interested in the architecture, the Mosque of Sultan Riau offers a unique but so far not known from where the mosque architecture is derived.

The total size of the whole mosque approximately 54.4 x 32.2 meters. The main building size is 29.3 x 19.5 meters and is supported by four pillars. While the floors are made of clay bricks.

The walls of the Great Mosque of Sultan of Riau has a thickness of 50 centimeters and the mosque are the only remains of the kingdom of Riau-Linga which is still intact.

In the courtyard of the mosque roof, there are two houses for tourists and a meeting place. There are also two rooms in which local people usually ate the food when breaking the fast during Ramadan.

The mosque is seen as strong as the king’s palace in India. Dome vary and are grouped into three and four domes. The number of the dome and tower is 17 units. It reflects the amount rekaat prayer should be done by every Muslim every day.

Meanwhile, a sharp four-high towers 18.9 meters used by muadzin to call people to offer prayers.

At first, this mosque is a simple wooden building with brick floors and about 6 feet tall tower.

Kemudiaan in the leadership of Sultan Abdurrahman, the mosque be enlarged. This event gets help from people around the Linga which then comes to the Riau Islands Penyengat to donate materials, food and energy.

According to local stories, during the construction of mosques, especially the egg supply is very abundant food. The workers then experience boredom and just eat the yolk while the white is used as an adhesive.

Egg white mixed with sand and limestone to make the mosque proved to be a strong material and the Great Mosque of Sultan Riau still standing today.

Apart from visiting the mosque, with the money amounting to Rp20 thousand, you can walk around the island Penyengat using motor rickshaw (bemor). In this island, you will not find the same car or vehicle.

Point of entry into the Riau Islands Province, where the island is via Penyengat are Hang Nadim International Airport. You’ll also be able to come through the Port of Sri Bintan Pura in Tanjung Pinang.

It will take about 20 minutes from the Port of Tanjung Pinang Island Penyengat with a small motor boat known as a cost of Rp10 pompong thousand per person. You can also rent boats to tour Rp80 thousand

“At least four local community-managed company to serve the arum rafting tours on the northern Badung,” said Badung Tourism Office chief I Made Subawa, Sunday (18 / 7),.

He said both firms are still small, but professional services to serve the tourist attraction was challenging enough.

‘They divided the river in such a way with the agreed schedule so that one company does not collide with each other,’ says Made Subawa.

According to I Nyoman Kitha, a manager arum rafting in northern Badung, the institute operates the eight rubber boats with reliable support staff of professionals.

“Every month the average serving 100 people of foreign tourists. Most of Australia and Europe,” said Nyoman Kitha.

He admitted to intentionally go home to my hometown for pioneering the development of rural tourism since 1994.

Rafting addition, travel managers are also developing sports tourism, which took the tourists to walk to the center per Sawahan, plantation activities and a close look at peasant.

“Every week there is just a group of tourists who enjoy the countryside,” said Nyoman Kitha who also manages the eight-bedroom cottage, with no less facility with five-star hotel.

said it took the clerk’s range of activities to promote healthy bicycles and bicycle relaxed surrounding area.

“To the entire work unit area (SKPD) and wider community we intensify again appealed for cycling,” he said.

In the ordinary bicycle, participants pedaled through the streets with the protocol in the city of Bogor. After two hours of cycling, they return to the courthouse to do activities kedinasannya.

According to him, in fact cycling events each Friday has been held in 2009 in the city of Bogor. Sadly, he said, the movement does not continue, so that the conference ahead of the Islamic countries to climate change, the institute urged and reminded to all employees for the declared Friday as a day of cycling.

He acknowledged that the current climate conditions have changed, in which the air temperature was less cool in Bogor. “This is one of the worst impacts of environmental preservation,” he said.

Therefore, it invites people to cut the use of motor vehicles on certain occasions, especially on Friday.

He said the municipal government has undertaken various efforts to make preventive Bogor on climate change, such as through programs shift the public transportation (public transportation), to take to reduce emissions generated an increasing number of vehicles.

In addition, the original angkot use fuel oil (fuel), will switch to gas fuel.

For the initial stage, as many as 1000 units should use its public transportation fuels gas. “Because, angkot largest contributor to carbon monoxide, because the number angkit at Bogor is overwhelming, ‘he says.

“Other efforts have been made that the utilization of used cooking oil into biodiesel that will fuel buses for Traspakuan,” he said.

In the meantime, R Diah Sulistiowati of the Indonesian Biodiversity Foundation (KEHATI) describes the city of Bogor was chosen to host the first Conference of the Muslim action to face the challenges of climate change to be held in March 2010 1-2.

According to him, that activity is a continuation of the declaration agenda ‘Muslim Seven Year Plan for Climate Change action’ (M7YAP) or ‘Seven Year Plan of Action for Climate Change Muslims’ which was declared in Istanbul, Turkey in early June 2009.

Conference which was held thanks to the cooperation several nongovernmental organizations such as Muhammadiyah, Nahdhatul Ulama (NU), the Indonesian Ulema Council, KEHATI and Conservation International Foundation (CI) of Indonesia, supported by Ministry of Forestry, Ministry of Environment, City Government, Ministry of Religious Affairs, and National Council on Climate Change (DNPI).

‘Conference also gained the support of’ Earth Dialogues Mate Centre ‘(EMDC) based in London, England,’ he said.

He said the conference followed 150 people from among environmental experts, scientists and scholars of the 30 Muslim populated country like the United Arab Emirates, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, India, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Iranians, Kuwaitis, Egyptians, British and Indonesian.

According to him, the meeting will also be formed Muslim Community Association for the Action on Climate Change (Association of Muslim Action for Climate Change-MACCA).

This association is expected to become an umbrella organization that will guide activities and implement the action plans for seven years in various countries and Muslim communities in the world.

“Climate change has been a challenge all of mankind, and therefore everyone’s responsibility to take action and take action in overcoming it, not even the Muslims,” she said.

With the growing endangerment these sites, we suggest you’d better put them in the top list of your holiday destination before its too late.

One. Alps Glaciers
Glacier mountains stretching from Alaska to Greenland and are threatened to New Zealand will soon melt. The researchers from the University of Innsbruck predicted if the liquid ice continues, glaciers will disappear by 2030.

2. African lion population in the Kruger National Park, South Africa
In 2006, the number of ‘the king of the Forest’ in the Dark Continent estimated fewer than 50 thousand, whereas 30 last year the number reached 200 thousand heads. There are several factors that caused the killings by farmers because they feel the lion had eaten their livestock and hunters made the lion as a sport hunting. Yet again, by lions at national parks is threatened by disease, coupled with little funds and corruption by the park administrator.

3. Fog forest Monteverde, Costa Rica
A result of deforestation and change in climate, beautiful forests located in Central America is increasingly losing his charm. In fact, cloud forests are home to 30 bird species and 420 kinds of orchids. Several types of frogs have also been lost, the most unfortunate is the type of Monteverde Harlequin. In fact, the fog which become an attraction for the place while providing moisture is decreased gradually from deforestation.

4. In the Orang Utan Tanjung Putting, Kalimantan
Opportunity to see wildlife is also diminishing their own country. A total 50 thousand people scattered orangutans in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and threatened Darussalan now nearly extinct. Not only illegal loggers, oil palm farmers have also been destroying tropical rain forests. Unfortunately, the government do not act decisively against them. Though the world’s third largest island, is not only an orangutan, in Borneo is also home to the Asian elephant and Sumatran rhinoceros.

5. Everglades National Park, Florida
The area is also dubbed as the ‘river of grass’ is diminishing in size annually due to irrigation, agricultural, and development regardless of water ecosystems in the area. In fact, other than riveting, the Everglades is home to various animals, especially birds. Now it threatened to disappear beautiful scenery. More than half the Everglades has been destroyed land. Let’s hope her name does not turn into Neverglades.

6. The Taj Mahal, India
Just thought you should prioritize the tour to visit this building because of the beauty of this world’s most popular tomb in danger lost due to environmental degradation. Soot, particulates, and acid rain from factories and refinery nearby causing the color of the front of the tomb are white to pale yellow. It ironic that the tomb of kings in those days was established to commemorate his wife dearest can not be maintained well presented.

7. Polar Bears in Antarctica
Big bear white and funny we used to see advertised Coca-Cola was being threatened because of global warming. Animals that live in Canada and Alaska sea ice is experiencing shortages of food supplies. Geological Agency estimates that if the effects of global warming continues to occur in the region, estimated the polar bear will be extinct by 2050.

8. Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia
Australia’s favorite tourist destinations at the same time only one set of living things which can be seen from outer space, the Great Barrier Reef, are slowly drying due to the level of acidity and higher water temperatures. Rising water temperatures could cause the largest collection of coral reefs in the world to dry up. Researchers worried about heating water temperature is going to create the reef dries at least within the next 20 years.

9. Salt in Louisiana swamps
Maybe you will ask, what is it salty marsh? And what is its usefulness? Salt marsh in coastal Louisiana and Mississippi serves as a buffer that protects New Orleans and other coastal regions of the disasters such as hurricanes. Aside from being protective, swamp it also looks beautiful and the exotic presence of a variety of unique bird species. But due to the logging of fir trees by the army, Louisiana estimated lost more than 25 square miles of wetlands every year.

10. Snow in the Kilimanjaro in Tanzania
Kilimanjaro is the only one of seven tallest peaks on each continent that could climb. Alas, the snow on Kilimanjaro is now on the wane, despite global warming belun identified as main causes. Therefore, many people are eager to climb this mountain before the snow disappears, but it actually causes pressure on the mountain was more severe compared to the Serengeti plains in the nearby

“We have many foreign students are studying in Yogyakarta at the weekend visited the Tourist Village Goddess of Elves, in addition to travel simultaneously also conduct various activities on offer tourist village manager in the slopes of Mount Merapi,” said Village Manager Marketing Tourism “Goddess of Elves”, Doto Yogantoro, Tuesday (27 / 7).

Average each weekend this region visited about 20 to 50 tourists, most of whom are foreign students or students and students from outside the area.

“Foreign students who are there for the first time to visit, but not the least also have several times visited and stayed in Pentingsari,” he said.

She exemplifies the foreign students who visit the 20 student from Austria, who was studying at the Centre for Asia Pacific Studies (PSAP), Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Yogayakarta on July 19, 2010.

“The tourist village Pentingsari they learn about plantations, coffee management, mushroom cultivation, organic vegetables, handicrafts and natural adventure,” he said.

Then visit of German and Dutch exchange student who joined in the “Summer School Camp, ‘Faculty of Medicine, University of Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) at 24 and July 25, 2010.

“The students are very excited to do activity in antaranyacamping, outbound, nature and culinary adventure,” he said.

Doto to say, other than foreign students, foreign students liked the activity area in the village tour as students SMAK Ipeka Pentingsari Sunter, North Jakarta which numbered 430 people will also move in the village to visit and tour Pentingsari 2 to 6 August 2010.

They will stay with the public or staying and staying in the houses of local residents. “Addition social they do will also conduct outbound and learn arts and culture such as gamelan, dance and crafts, ‘she said.

Chief Marketing Office of Culture and Tourism Tourism Sleman District Shavitri Nurmala Goddess said already getting lots of tourists outside the region and abroad who visit the villages of tourism in Sleman.

“This shows that the tourism village in great demand, both domestic and foreign tourists the country to serve as the object of the visit, ‘said

‘This will also give impetus to the local government in facilitating travel to the villages, among them the development of human resources with the management of village tourism materials, culinary, craft and marketing efforts.

We took the early ferry from KK and as we pulled out of port a magnificent sight appeared behind us: above the Sabah coastline and emerging from the morning mist was Mount Kinabalu in all its glory. It was an awe-inspiring sight as this majestic and domineering presence towered over Borneo like a great protector. The wispy white clouds seemed to wrap themselves around to form a protective cotton wool blanket – maybe somebody was keeping her safe until our return.

It’s just a shame this beautiful moment was ruined by one of the boat staff chucking a couple of plastic bags full of rubbish off the back of the boat once we’ve left the Marine National Park area…

We took the bus into the capital Bandar Seri Begawan (or BSB for the sake of airports and lazy blog-writers) which gave us a chance to catch our first glimpses of Brunei, and we weren’t disappointed: absolutely stunning buildings and architecture, both modern and traditional lined the roads whilst grand mansions and stately homes sat side by side with beaten-up, rusty shacks surrounded by scrap metal. The people seemed friendly and there was a very relaxed feel about the place – not at all what we’d expected after hearing stories of the strict and deeply-Muslim way of life that is supposedly forced upon the people by the Sultan.

Having arrived in BSB we checked into a cheap (well, cheap by Brunei standards!) room and the four of us immediately set out on our whirlwind, see-as-much-as-we-can-in-just-under-24-hours trip!

First port of call was Kampung Ayer, reputed to be the world’s largest water village with over 30,000 people living in stilted houses on the Brunei River estuary. We hired out a boat taxi with our trusty guide Sopi, who assured us his licence was clean… BOOM BOOM! The village is a fantastic place – very quaint and basic but also home to an unbelievably developed and advanced infrastructure: there are whole communities set up on these floating wooden buildings, from police and fire stations to schools, shops, restaurants, mosques and even a football stadium, with a complete network of paths and walkways linking them all together.

The sun getting ready to set…
The sun getting ready to set…
As we made our way around the village we were also treated to one of the most spectacular sunsets we’ve seen to date, as the sky above the Sultan’s palace melted into a stunning mixture of blue sky and soft white clouds, topped with a golden coffee-coloured blanket. At the same time the sky behind us was a brilliant pink above the village whilst the water rippled with the reflection of all of these colours.

Omar Ali Saifuddin lit up at night
Omar Ali Saifuddin lit up at night
Next stop was the Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque, considered to be one of the most spectacular mosques in Asia and again it didn’t disappoint. Unfortunately there was some renovation work being carried out so some scaffolding was up around the large golden dome but it was still a beautiful sight, lit up green and gold with the moat around it acting as a reflection pool.

From here we headed to the Jame’Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque (trying saying that after a few too many rums!) which is one of the grandest and most expensive mosques in the world, The 24-carat gold domes
The 24-carat gold domes
paid for entirely out of the Sultan’s very deep pocket. The domes and minarets are all made from 24-carat gold whilst inside is decorated with Austrian Swarovski crystal chandeliers, Italian marble and English stained glass windows. The Royal entrance even boasts a SOLID GOLD escalator!? It was a mightily impressive sight.

We fuelled ourselves up with some yummy 1 dollar food at the night market before continuing the ‘blitz’ with one last stop that night at Istana Nural Iman, the palace over which we’d earlier seen the sun setting, which just so happens to be the largest residential palace in the world with 1,788 rooms (I’ve just realised this blog is starting to go a bit statistics-crazy, sorry!). The grounds around the palace were immense and we had a wander around whilst the Sultan sat inside with his feet up enjoying a chicken pie and chips and a re-run of Eastenders… at least that’s what we’d like to believe. Again, the sky wanted to take centre stage and followed up the golden sunset with a lightning storm above the dome of the palace, illuminating the entire sky and the palace below. Hopefully it didn’t affect the Sultan’s TV signal…

Frisbee-sized prawn and potato cakes, mmm!
Frisbee-sized prawn and potato cakes, mmm!
The next morning we awoke early and set out of the final leg of our ‘Brunei Blitz’ with a trip to the Tamu Kianggeh morning market, where we gorged ourselves on some pretty damn tasty food and wrote the last of our ‘we were here but not for long’ postcards. We also paid a trip to the bank to see if this mythical square bank note that Charlie swears she saw in a money changer actually existed (it doesn’t, and never has!) before heading off back over the border to Malaysian Borneo. On our way back we were given a special mention as the captain extended a ‘very warm welcome to the English passengers we have on board today’. How can we go back to the anonymity of life back home when we’re getting the celebrity treatment on a daily basis out here?!

Catch a second ferry from Labuan to Brunei, and then a bus to the capital – does appear a very rich place – nice houses, and none of the squalor you can see in Asia. The capital is very small – and I find the only place in town that wont charge me a fortune to stay, Pusar Belia – and its empty, so dorm all to myself.

Wander round – highly impressive mosque, but as its Friday, I cant go in, and then visit the stilted villages along the river front – look a little shanty town style, though I’m assured the people here have money, and they certainly have electricity and water – they simply choose to live here.

Unfortunately, its 6pm now, so the city closes! – Apart from KFC, the odd restaurant, and the occassional shopping arcade, everything shuts up, and the place turns into a ghost town – there is absolutley nothing else to do – its about time I had an early night anyway

The last town before Sarawak, Kuala Belait is the main town in Belait district and the place to get buses to Miri. ‘KB’ (not to be confused with Kuala Baram on the Sarawak side of the border, or Kota Belud in Sabah, or indeed a ‘knock-back’ anywhere else) has colonial shophouses in the town center, the Silver Jubilee Park (Jln Maulana) and a reasonable beach, though most travelers just Hustle through on their way to or from Sarawak. The HSBC bank has an ATM, diagonally opposite the bus station on Jln McKerron.

You can hire a boat by the market for trips south up the river to Kuala Balai, a small river village that was once the largest settlement in the district. It’s now almost deserted because The Residents have left to find work in the oil industry on the coast, but Locals do maintain a traditional-style longhouse for tourists to visit. The 45-minute trip (one way) passes by lush jungle at the river’s edge. Price is by negotiation, but expect to pay about B $ 150 each way. Tours cost from BSB from B $ 120 per person, including jungle trekking, a visit to a tribal skull house and a chance to try out traditional activities such as sago processing and roof thatching.

If you’re expecting some kind of lavish mini-Dubai, think again – Brunei may fancy itself as an oil state, but there’s no nouveau-riche ostentation here, and the country’s capital is as polite and unassuming as its people, wearing its wealth almost prosaically in places. The most interesting buildings in the quiet centre, eg the main mosque and the bigger shopping malls, certainly reflect the expenditure put into them, but without much sense of flashiness, and on the whole there’s little to distinguish BSB, as it’s usually known, from any medium-sized city in Malaysia. You’ll have to head to the suburbs to start to see the stupendous riches at play here.

For most visitors, BSB forms the entirety of their experience of Brunei, and while there’s plenty to keep you occupied for a couple of days, the city itself is unlikely to inspire any great devotion. However, if you take the time to relax and talk to the locals, you may find you start to understand what makes this modest metropolis tick.