The August Jewish Heritage Europe Newsletter is Out!

Synagogue in Orla, Poland. Photo: W. Wejman/Shtetl Routes

The latest edition -- August -- of the Jewish Heritage Europe monthly Newsletter is out, and up online.

It features a selection of items that were posted on JHE's regular Newsfeed over the past month.

Top story is the series of "field notes" from the ambitious Shtetl Routes project, a Jewish heritage tourism project in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine that is under way with a more than $400,000 grant from the European Union.

Other stories range from the completed restoration of the synagogue in Tulcea, Romania to archaeology at Krakow's Old Synagogue.

Take a look!

It's easy to subscribe -- you'll get the Newsletter automatically in your email inbox.

Also subscribe to the regular Newsfeed for more frequent updates about what's happening in the Jewish heritage world.

New tourism app for Jewish Basel, Switzerland

By Ruth Ellen Gruber

This also appears on my En Route blog for the LA Jewish Journal

Going to Basel, Switzerland and interested in Jewish life and heritage?

Then you'll want to get a new app for smartphones and tablets that is officially being launched on August 26.

Called "Baleph," the app is designed for both IOS and Android platforms and is in English and German.

It leads the user on a "stroll through Basel's Jewish history" via a 13-stop, multimedia walking tour that highlights Jewish history in the city from the middle ages to the present. Featuring  text, sound, and images, an Interactive timeline, and a city map with GPS function, it contains 65 minutes of audio material covering a tour lasting 1 ½ to 2 hours.

Here are the links:

iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/baleph/id895724718?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ch.merianstiftung.baleph&hl=en

Website: www.baleph.ch

Unexplored Selong Belanak beach at Sempiak Villa, Lombok island - Indonesia

From the Lombok International Airport to Selong Belanak beach (S8.87085 E116.16253) is approximately 25km, and the journey take around 30 - 45 minutes depends on the road condition.

The ride was similar with the previous, and pass through paddies fields, winding roads, villages and tobacco farms. At certain area, the road was bumpy and steep...
Less than 20 minutes from the previous photo taking spot, our van reached Sempiak Villa entrance, as Pak Uji said, we have to go through this villa to the beach. Sempiak Villa is the only star rated resort at the South of Lombok, according to him.

The entrance is free, but we had to paid the parking fee to the resort, Rp.3000 if I'm not mistaken. Everyone was excitedly got down from the van and walked towards the beach...

The Airasia FAM Media team

Due to limited time, I didn't take any photo of the Villa...too bad because it was a beautiful resort...

The beach is just about 50 meter away from the Villa, and I was shocked by the unspoilt, amazing white sandy beach appeared in front of us!

Selong Belanak beach of Lombok island

The area is still relatively untouched by tourists, it's also consider a 'hidden gem' of Lombok. Selong belanak is a beautiful bay with white sandy beach enveloped by a lush green surrounded hills. The water is crystal clear and the whole area was clean and quiet.
Even the beach is gaining popularity day-by-day, but its still well maintain and I remember no rubbish around...

The merciless sun on that day was killing, some of us were hiding under the trees...but some were running around the beach...

Selong Belanak beach is also a perfect place for practice surfing in Lombok. Due to the geography location and the sloping beach, the wave is not too strong and perfect for new learner.

It was a relax and fun watched those surfers paddle out into the bay...

The boy in action!

We took about 30 minutes around the beach, some of us running around to captured their best photo of the beach and some were sitting under the cooling area admiring the beautiful beach.

We left the Selong Belanak beach and the journey continue to the next beautiful - Mawun beach.

The small dried forest along our journey...

I will be back to the beach and hopefully the Villa will be available for my next visit.

Related post for Lombok island trip :-
*  Airasia media FAM trip to Lombok Island - Indonesia on July 2014

Location map of Selong Belanak beach at the south of Lombok island - Indonesia.

Cambodia Day 4 (Phnom Penh) : Killing field (Choeung Ek) + Sunset tour on ATV

5D4N Cambodia Feb 2014 : Phnom Penh

continue from Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21)

Booked a tour for Killing Field + sunset on ATV and the free pick up from our hotel at 4pm.

Killing Fields of Cheung Ek is situated 15 kilometers south-west of Phnom Penh. Although it was only around 20-40 minutes drive depending on the traffic, we did not expect to journey was this unbearable. Not only it was very dusty due to many construction along the roadside, the road was extremely bumpy. All of us brought a mask from Singapore but we did not bring it out that evening.....we dipped tissue with water to cover our noses and double protected our faces with our tee shirts.

Ok lah.. I should thank god that it was not a wet weather..

Finally we reached Killing Field of Choeung Ek. We bought the entrance tickets + audio sets (US$5 each). Please buy audio set. You can listen as you walk around the area. 

A commemorative stupa filled with more than 5,000 skulls of the victims at the Killing Field of Choeung Ek.

This tree is weird...

There are audio numbers where you could fast forward or repeat the audio while you walk.

 In order to save ammunition, the executions were often carried out using poison, spades or sharpened leaves blades like this.

Before 1975, this was a Chinese cemetery until the head of this Khmer Rouge regime - Pol Pot who described as the "Hilter of Cambodia" took over for the wrong purpose.

There are many holes on the ground. These are graves. Mass graves where the victims were buried in dead or alive. They were transported from S-21 prison.

The bones and teeth fragment that were exhumed can still be seen on the ground after the flood and raining.

Some of the cambodian kids. They asked me to take photo of them.

The ribbon bands are the blessings of the people.

Children and infants of adult victims were killed by having their heads bashed against the trunks of Chankiri trees (as above). This was to stop them growing up and taking revenge for their parents' deaths.

This place is less overwhelming than in Toul Sleng Genocide Museum (S-21) perhaps due to more sunlight. Underneath this peaceful place, it actually masked the horrors that unfolded here less than three decades ago.

We then proceeded to our last activity in Cambodia.

A before shot with cleaner shoes and sunglasses.

Then we embarked on a bumpy ride again and I was the last in the line again. Why I always the last one? Frankly speaking, I did not really enjoy the whole ride as I was looking out for people crossing the road and holes on the road instead of enjoying the view of the country roads, passing paddies, bridges and pagodas. I guess this is more stressful than horse riding.

 ...and I dropped my lens cover while riding.. =(

but this sunset made it up~

This finally concluded our stay in Cambodia. I would say this trip made me realise how fortunate we are now. My friend read from somewhere that if this killing spree did not happen, Cambodia might be more advanced than Singapore. 

Killing field and sunset tour on ATV

Web: http://nature-cambodia.com/?page_id=22 

Price: US$30 (inclusive of the Killing Field entrance fee + audio set)

Photo taking point 1 before Selong Belanak beach, Lombok Island

Since the Lombok International Airport is located almost the south of Lombok island, we started our journey to the attractions at the south island before check-in to the resort which is at the north west of the island.

Our first destination was Selong Belanak beach, that will be approximately 22KM travel from the airport. Along the way, with the winding roads, villages, and we passed by this tobacco farm (S8.81711 E116.21746). According to Pak Uji, Lombok island is the biggest tobacco supply to the whole Indonesia market.

Tobacco farm of Lombok island

Before we reach the beach, suddenly everyone in the car surprised with the stunning view ahead of us! The driver (Pak Zaki) was very kind, and he stopped at one of the photo taking point (S8.85585 E116.17915) (small hill) to let us satisfied with our cameras...

Everyone out from the vehicle without hesitation! It was a very nice spot where surrounded by the beautiful scenery. The place was close to the beach, which about less than 3km from Selong Belanak beach.

Selong Belanak from far view

The first scene which attracted me was the 'blue' colour of the sea, accompany with the total blue sky separated by the horizon. The total scenery painted a beautiful picture just in front of us! Amazing!

The scenery behind us...

Don't miss out the scenery behind the small hill where we stand, by looking at the mountains and blue sky, we felt the dryness of the island. Can you feel it too?

30 minutes later, everyone satisfied with their photos, our tour continued...
Initially I thought the place was quite deserted until we saw others visitors keep coming in...it should be a hot spot area!

Another group of visitor riding on the bike to the small hill...

We continued the journey for another 3.2km to the beach....

Related post for Lombok island trip :-
*  Airasia media FAM trip to Lombok Island - Indonesia on July 2014

Airasia media FAM trip to Lombok Island - Indonesia on July 2014

Lombok island is located at Nusa Tenggara Barat of Indonesia. It is a island with full of nature, unspoiled beach and friendly peoples. The island is different with its neighbor - Bali island, which is less commercial and more original...the island is suitable for nature lover and for those who like relax holiday. The Lombok Tourism is doing their best to attract more visitors to the island, they strongly promote the beautiful nature of the island like Mount Rinjani and the rest...
If you like to know more of Lombok island, please click here.

Weather and climate in Lombok
Lombok is dry and less rain compare with Bali, the dry season run from May through September and the wet season is from October to April. Most of the tourists visit Lombok during the dry season, but the wet season is less humid and the rainfall is not overly high. The average year-round temperatures is 26°C to 29°C. I would prefer the month from August to October, because of the hot, humid, sunny and beautiful weather that perfect for photography.

The Airasia FAM trip to Lombok Island was on July, 2014, this trip was hosted by Airasia and Lombok Tourism Board. I was invited for the 4 days 3 nights trip together with a group of travel bloggers from North Penang, Johor Bahru and Singapore.

It was also the maiden direct flight from Senai to Lombok island, a day to remember 12th July 2014. There are 3 routes a week which is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Airasia had launched 3 new flights from Senai International Airport to 1) Lombok island, 2) Jogjakarta and 3) Ho Chi Minh City.
'Free' sky shuttle bus provided from Singapore to Senai, it's actually a hassle free traveling to Senai airport for Singapore passengers. The pickup points are : Kranji MRT station / Queen Street bus station / Newton Circus. For more information, please visit the Airasia website here.

There were 12 of us in the group...a lovely couple from Penang, 2 lovely ladies of Airasia from Kuala Lumpur, 4 popular bloggers from Singapore, 1 cute girl represent Airasia from Singapore and 3 bloggers from Johor Bahru included myself. We all met at Senai International Airport around 6.50am, and our journey to Lombok started...

AK486 from Airasia was ready for Lombok

Our flight was filled with joyfulness! Some of the passengers were excited because they be able a ride on this AK486 direct flight from Senai to Lombok, they were going back home town!

While waiting for the passengers on board - AK486

I noticed there was a male flight attendant had attracted most of the women on board, his name is Eddy who was the handsome guy on the AK486. :)

The flight attendant - Mr Eddy

There was an entertainment during the flight to Lombok. Some singing and souvenirs giveaway...everyone was so happy.

We had our breakfast on board by this simple 'nasi lemak'. Surprisingly, the sambal was yummy and we all like it. You can enjoy the tasty meals for 20% off by pre-book online (in the official website).

The nasi lemak on board - Airasia AK486

The flight took 2 hours and 40 minutes. Once we touched down Lombok International Airport, we had a warm welcome from the Lombok Tourism...

Lombok International Airport

The Lombok International Airport was just started operation on 1st October 2011, the main purpose of the airport is to promote the beautiful island to the World. It located at the south west of Mataram (Capital of Lombok Island), and the airport deploys in 551.8 hectares with cost Rp.945.8 billion. The Lombok International Airport area has the second largest area after Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

The airport clearance was smooth and all of us were greeted by Pak Uji - The Lombok Tourism's Public Relations Director at the airport. He was also our super tour guide for the 4 days 3 nights trip in Lombok island.

Short briefing from Pak Uji before our trip in Lombok

Airasia Media FAM Trip 2014 in Lombok Island

Because of the airport location, we were not check into the resort immediately, but to cover the south part of the island before heading to our resort at Senggiri Beach.

Our itinerary in Lombok - 4 days 3 nights :-
Day 1
*  The first stop before the beach of Selong Belanak for photo taking.
*  Selong Belanak beach (through Sempiak Villas)
*  Mawun beach
*  Lunch at Ashtari Restaurant and Lounge
*  Kuta beach of Lombok
*  The Sade Village for Sasak villagers - the native of Lombok
*  Dinner at Warong Menega, Senggigi beach
*  Check-in to Kila Senggigi Beach Resort.
*  Free and easy.

Day 2
*  Grilled fish stall spotted before the Tawun jetty to Gili Nanggu.
*  Snorkeling and islands hopping - Gili Nanggu.
*  Lunch at Nirvana Beach Restaurant, Gili Sudak (another island next to Gili Nanggu)
*  Starfish spotted on the return trip from Gili Sudak.
*  Enjoyed Arabian Cuisine for dinner and Al-Hamra Restaurant, Mataram.
*  Enjoy and relax at Happy Cafe, Senggigi beach.

Day 3
*  Visited Pasar Gunungsari (local dry and wet market)
*  Lunch at Senaru Village
*  Sendang Gile Waterfall - Mount Rinjani national park’s best known attraction
*  Tuna sate stall at Tanjung
*  Autore pearl farm
*  Cape Malimbu for sunset photo taking
*  Farewell dinner with Pak Taufan and the Lombok Tourism at Kila Senggigi Resort

Day 4
*  Breakfast at Kila Senggigi Resort
*  Bye-bye to Lombok and depart for Lombok International Airport.

The places that we missed :-
*  Sukarare village - renowned for its traditional hand weaving of brightly patterned songket, ikat and sarong cloth.
*  Taman Narmada built in 1727 by King Anak Agung Gede Ngurah Karang Asem as the kingly garden as well as the place to worship. Its spring water is believed to grant the eternal youth for the believers.
*  Lingsar temple (built in 1714) – famous as the only Hindhu temple in the world, which also happily accept their Moslem brothers to worship together. This temple symbolizes the harmony and unity of both religions.
*  Banyumulek Village which famous for its pottery
*  Pusuk Pass
*  Autore pearl farm

"I was really impressed by this magical island from the unspoiled nature, it won't be bore for me to travel as many times as I can. Because of the places we missed due to limited time on our trip, that will be a good reason for me to go back to Lombok again."
It was a blissful holiday for us!

Beside the island, I would like to say thousand thanks to Pak Uji, who was the perfect host and very knowledgeable during the trip. He can answer all our questions immediately without checking his tourism bible. Pak Uji is a friendly, humble and talented guy. Our trip was well arranged by him and the responsible driver - Pak Zaki (he speak Indonesian and limited English)
This 2 guys made our Pleasant Vacation in Lombok!

Contact information :-
*  Pak Uji
    Cell phone - +62 817-5704-926
    Email - ujigaffar@yahoo.com

*  Pak Zaki
    Cell phone - +62-878-6356-4900

The handsome Pak Uji - The Lombok Tourism's Public Relations Director cum our tour guide in Lombok

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*  The detail blog post of every places we visited will be coming soon, stay tune!