Bengkulu: Others Interesting Places

Tikus Island Sea Garden

Tikus Island is a group of small islands is excellent for fishing, snorkeling and diving with easy access. Mountain air makes this a pleasant stop for a couple of days. There is popular hot springs near Curup at Suban. Tikus is the name of a cluster if islets surrounded by coral reefs that teem with various forms of marine life, soft and hard corals, and fish of all colors and sizes. The islets can be seen from Bengkulu town.

This Island is surrounded by rock composition with its various colorful fish. The island has a good potential to develop marine tourism, particularly around the area and is quite enjoyable to do fishing, snorkeling or diving. In the island, there is a lighthouse, which is occupied by a keeper. It is easy to reach the island because it is not far from Bengkulu City and visible from Bengkulu coast by speedboat in the old harbor of Bengkulu City.

Enggano Island

Enggano lies about 110 miles (177 km) south of Bengkulu city. It is about 22 miles (35 km) long east west and 10 miles (16 km) wide north south. Its average elevation is about 330 feet (100 m). Hills, rising to about 922 feet (281 m), cover most of the area. The island covers an area of 40,260 hectares, which is dominated by dense rainforest with its wild buffaloes. Mainly we can see the culture, or the life manners of traditional society and native's Enggano dances. A pioneer boat at Baai Island Harbour or hiring a small boat at Bintuhan seaport can reach the island. Visitors can see the culture, or the life manners of traditional society and native's Enggano dances. A pioneer bat at pulau Baai harbor or hiring a small boat at Bintuhan seaport can reach the island.

There are 5 clans Isukul spread over the entire island: The Kaharuba, Kaarubi, Kaitora, Kaahoao and the Kauno. A matrilineal society, descent is traced through the female line and daughters usually inherit farmlands. Half call them Christian, the other half call them Mosleem. But actually this society is one of the last truly animist strongholds in Indonesia. Engganese culture is sure now to disappear as a result of assimilation into an indiscriminate Indonesian culture.

Fort Marlborough

FORT MARLBOROUGH is an old fortress Built in 1713 till 1719 by British East India. As a British colonial heritage, Marlborough is located in the main street of Bengkulu. Inside the building, there is a subway connected to the outside. It was as the second strongest fort built by British in the east after Fort George in Madras, India. Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles in 1817 was appointed by British Administration as Lieutenant Governor of Bengcoolen (Bengkulu), during his administration, a botanist JOSEPH ARNOLD discovered the world largest flower at Manna district, southern parts of Bengkulu, the Flower is well known as RAFFLESIA ARNOLDI. The British ruled the region more than 100 years, then in 1825 under the London treaty, the administration was Handing over to the Dutch until Indonesia get the Independence Day in 1945.

Rafflesia Arnoldi

The world's largest flower is found in many areas in Bengkulu forests, on the slopes of Bukit Barisan Mountains. The flower has a diameter of about one meter in full bloom. It has no visible root or stem, and no leaves. The weigth up to 7 kg, it takes the buds up to 8 months to mature. The flower stays in bloom from 1-15 days and can be seen during the months of September-December. Rafflesia Arnoldi is a big Flower in the worlds, if one visit Rejang Lebong, the Flower was stand at the City Center of CURUP as a monument, that is why, the people call Bengkulu is A LAND OF RAFFLESIA, or in Indonesian means BUMI RAFFLESIA, because in a certain seasons, if we are lucky, we can see a beautiful flower of Rafflesia, in the forest, which appear in periodic of 5 years or more.

Tabot Ceremony

One of the special events in this province is the Tabot Festival. Tabot ceremony is an interesting festival ceremony, which recalls the death of Hasan and Husen, the grandchildren of the Prophet Mohammed, who were killed in a fight to defend Islam. The Tabot feast is held annually, in the Islamic month of Muharram. It is known as the festival of fifty colorful towers (tabots), which are made of bamboo and decorated with colored paper. This tabot ceremony is commemurated by Bengkulu people who are descents from India benggala, performed every yera from 1 till 10 Muharram 61 Hijriah in Bengkulu City. The ceremony is held between 09.00 pm to 01.00 am