MANGOSTEEN (GARCINIA MANGOSTANA):
BILOGICALLY VERY RICH ANTIOXIDANT FRUIT WITH POTENTIALLY THERAPEUTICS ACTIVITIES.

Mangosteen ( Garcinia mangostana linaeus) is a tropical fruit tree originated from SUNDA ISLAND and MOLUCCAS (wikipedia), an 18^th century publication titled “ A description of mangostan and the bread-fruit” by John Ellis : mangostan was the word for mangosteen in the Molucca Islands.

Manggis,Mangosteen, Indonesian exotic fruit

Garcinia mangostana is refer to honor a botanist and naturalist in the 18^th century: Laurent Garcine by Linnaeus and is named “the Queen of Fruit” because of its great sweet taste and delicious. Mangosteen growth in almost all of tropical rainforest in Southeast Asian Countries, in Indonesia its growth in entire island from Sumatra island in the west region to Papua or Irian island in the east region.

Mangosteen(manggis) Garcinia mangostana

ANCIENT REMEDIES. The peoples in the Southeast Asian region have been used mangosteen as a remedy in the treatment of abdominal pain, diarrhea, dysentery, healing an infected wound, suppuration, skin diseases, pulmonary etc.

XANTHONE , a THERAPEUTICS ANTIOXIDANT. Study and Reseaches by Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Laboratories in European, US, Japan, and Korea which has been published in www.pubmed.org demonstrated that the whole fruit and pericarp (peel, rind, hull or ripe) were contain very rich nutritional antioxidant. It is believed that the antioxidant come from the Xanthones that are found naturally in the mangosteen fruit.

Mangosteen: Xanthone, a potentially antioxidants

XANTHONEs are natural biochemical substances that have an incredibly high antioxidant content. Recent study show that there are over 40 different types of xanthone compounds identified in mangosteen, but beta mangostin and some of the other xanthones in mangosteen have powerful antioxidants, mangosteen also contains other biologically active substances such as catechins, polyphenols and polysaccharides, quinones, stilbenes, a number of vitamins and minerals in trace amounts which are believed to be responsible for the anti-tumoral, anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral activities, anticonvulsant and antiplatelet properties. powerful antioxidants with other potent physiological properties, the present of minerals in mangosteen is beneficial in supporting the health of organs, bones and the immune system.

delicious Queen Fruit from Indonesia

ANTIOXIDANTS are play a significant role in protecting healthy cellular DNA against free radicals that interfere cellular physiological functions. Free radicals such as pollutants, food additives, pesticides, cigarette smoke, viruses, and bacteria. Cancer is now known to be associated with free-radical damage to healthy cellular DNA. Antioxidants have a positive effect on preventing atheroclerosis or hardening of the arteries which can help combat heart disease, mangosteen also benefit for diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cancer and powerful antioxidants are also believed to help slow the AGEing process.

TRACKING THE LAND AND NATURE: ALAS RIVER

A view of Bukit Barisan, Aceh

ALAS RIVER is located 165 km southeast of Takengon, as one compound of Gunung Leuser National Park, this is a popular place for young peoples for white water rafting adventures.

GUNUNG LEUSER NATIONAL PARK.

Bukit Barisan Mountain Range, Aceh

TAMAN NASIONAL GUNUNG LEUSER (TNGL) or MOUNT LEUSER NATIONAL PARK was located in South East Aceh region, it can be be reached wether from Kutacane or Takengon. It was one of Indonesian conservation tropical rain forest, rich in flora and fauna and as one of research center for primates, birds, insects, elephant, Sumatran tiger and orang utan.

TAKENGON AND DANAU LAUT TAWAR

Takengon Aceh Indonesia

TAKENGON. A small town located about 350 km south of Banda Aceh, takes about 7 to 8 hours to reach the destination by land transportation from Banda Aceh via Sigli, Bireun, Gayo Luwes, Bener Meriah.

TAKENGON is the Capital City of Central Aceh District which situated on the altitude of 1200 meters above see level, a hilly town with an elevation range between 900 to 2600 meters and occupied a 4,318. 39 square meters,

Takengon Danau Laut Tawar Aceh, Indonesia

Takengon is a place with a fresh and cool holiday resort with an average temperature about 20 degrees Celcius. Takengon was also called as TANAH GAYO or the land of Gayonese peoples, an ethnic in Aceh which comprise from a mixing of few Indonesian ethnic groups who lives and socialized on this beautiful land for many generations.

DANAU LAUT TAWAR is an enchanting nature of beauty in Takengon, Laut means sea and Tawar means fresh water, so its means an ocean lake of fresh water.

Danau Laut Tawar Aceh

You could see a view of Danau Laut Tawar from a Hill side called PANTAN TERONG, from above it was seen as a water basin which drain its water flow to PEUSANGAN river. One could enjoy skiing, boating, fishing and hiking at Danau Laut Tawar. Another interesting tour spots are: warm water pool at Simpang Balek, Loyang Koro and Loyang Pukes caves were also a fascinating objects by the side of Danau Laut Tawar.

ULEE LHEUE-BANDA ACEH, TSUNAMI GROUND ZERO

Ulee Lheue (Tsunami Ground Zero) Banda Aceh

ULEE LHEUE is a shore line facing to Malacca straits, when tsunami hits Banda Aceh in December 26, 2004 the beach line and the village nearby was severely damage and vanished by a 10 meters high tidal wave. Now the local government build a new Seaport at Ulee Lheue and if you have a plan to visit Sabang and Weh island you could take a Ro-Ro Ferry or speed boat from Ulee Lheue. On the other hand Ulee Lheue beach was still keep its enchanting beauty, almost every day the attendants come to this place to enjoy the blue horizon of sky and sea, to see a beautiful sunset in the afternoon and enjoy the weekend until late of the night.

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KERKHOF, AN ANCIENT DUTCH GRAVEYARDS

KERKHOFF or WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY or known by local peoples as PEUCUT KERKHOFF, a place where more than 2,000 Dutch soldiers who died in an Aceh War were been buried in this graveyards, located just at a reverse side of Gunongan

Kerkhof, Dutch Graveyards Banda Aceh

in Jl. Teuku Umar but the entrance gate was in front of south eastern corner of Blang Padang. At the walls of the Kerkhoff entrance gate you could see the names list of the persons whose been buried which also written where and when they died.

BANDA ACEH TOURIST SPOTS

MUSEUM NEGERI BANDA ACEH: BANDA ACEH STATE MUSEUM was built by the Dutch Governor VAN SWART in 1914 in a typical aceh’s house architecture. In the museum we could see all collected of ancient antiques, a building of Rumoh Aceh or Aceh House, a big bell CAKRA DONYA as a present of Chinese Emperor which deliver by a Chinese Moslem, Admiral Cheng Ho in 1414, we could read an inscription on the bell : “Sing Fang Niat Toeng Juut Kat” it might be understand only by a Chinese.

Meuligoe Aceh, Pendopo Gubernur Banda Aceh

GOVERNOR’S HOUSE or MEULIGOE ACEH or PENDOPO GUBERNUR is a former Sultan Palace just walking distance from State Museum , now a house for governor and was built by the Dutch in 1880 with unique mixture of Dutch and Melayu traditional architecture.

GUNONGAN TAMAN SARI. Gunong means mountain was built in 1608 to 1638 by Sultan Iskandar Muda as a present for his wife

Gunongan Banda Aceh

Putro Phang (a princess from Pahang Malaysia) as a place for pleasure and leisure in a landscape called Taman Sari, a compound built in a shape of a mountain in which one could climb to the top to enjoy a beautiful sunset, located on Jalan Teuku Umar. not far from Pendopo Gubernur

Seulawah (Indonesia Airline RI.001) Blang Padang Banda Aceh

SEULAWAH, INDONESIAN AIRLINE MONUMENT. Not far from Kerkhoff you could find a field called BLANG PADANG where there is an aircraft Mc Douglas DC-3 erected as a monument at one corner of the square, it was former first Garuda Indonesia Airline RI. 001 under the name SEULAWAH, the monument was being built to the memory the pride of Acehnese donation to the Central Government of the Republic of Indonesia in 1949.

A HERITAGE LANDMARK OF ACEH PEOPLES

THERE ARE SO MANY INTERESTING PLACES:

Krueng (river) Aceh, Banda Aceh

BANDA ACEH, THE HEART OF PROVINCE. The capital city of NAD is Banda Aceh which was established on April 22, 1205 by Sultan Alaidin Johansyah, located 17 km from Sulthan Iskandar Muda Airport, it takes about 20 minutes to get there by taxi.

Taman Ratu Syafiatuddin Banda Aceh

On the way to Banda Aceh downtown, we could see the office of Aceh Governor andTAMAN RATU SYAFIATUDDIN which furnished with many kinds of traditional Houses representing the architecture of typical house of different aceh regions, was located just next to governor office.

Masjid Baiturrachman Banda Aceh

BAITURRACHMAN is a great mosque located at the heart of Banda Aceh,. The building construction was begin in 12^th Century and destroyed in 1873 by the Dutch but then rebuilt again by the Dutch and completed in 1883. The mosque with a very fascinating architecture “ five dome in black color and four minarets in white color ‘ now standing on a green landscape elegantly as a landmark of the Province.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF ACEH

Baiturrachman Banda Aceh

HISTORY IN BRIEF. Since centuries ago, Aceh region was seated on a strategic position as the gate for trading and cultural exchange which interlink the East and the West and is known as a transit place for merchants coming from China, Europe, Indian and Arab. This strategic position allow Aceh region as an entrance gate for any culture and religion into the Southeast Asian archipelago.

Museum Negeri Banda Aceh

Aceh begin its history when Marco Polo, the Venetian adventurer was visited Peureulak (Perlak) in 1292, called it Lamri. The Portuguese, who arrived at the beginning of the 16th century, called it Achem, and the Dutch, who carne about a century later, initially referred to it as Achin.

The Dutch Indies Company well known with VOC initiated their trader on Agribusiness in Indonesia since 1602, the trading which cover almost a whole region of Indonesia including Aceh region.

Meuligoe NAD, Pendopo Gubernur Banda Aceh

Aceh became a regional power under Sultan Iskandar Muda (1607-1636) and defeated Johor, Pahang, and Kedah in Malaysia. They also defeated a Portuguese sailor.

Kerkhoff, Dutch soldiers graveyards Banda Aceh

ACEH WAR which happened since 1873 was also popular among Aceh Historian in which Acehness claims that the Dutch never fully colonized them, Aceh War was a longest day and deeply rooted to the Acehness which lasting over 100 years.

Base on the History, exploring the whole of NAD, we could find so many ancient building in every region with the design by the Dutch Architecture and a few building with the design influenced by a mixture of the Dutch and (Sultan) Melayu architecture.

ACEH TOUR FROM MEDAN BY LAND
Another access to Aceh was by land transportation from Medan, the capital of North Sumatra Province, an inter-province bus trip would takes 11 hours to Banda Aceh with the distance about 610 km, but if you like a ‘grasshopper’ trip you could take an air conditioned minivan operated by a travel agent in Medan and arrange a one day stop over to a few choice of destinations : Binjai, Tamiang city, Kuala Simpang, Langsa, Lhok Seumawe, Bireun and Sigli before arrived at Banda Aceh.

Lhokseumaue city, Aceh

Intercity buses between MEDAN-BANDA ACEH vise versa were also available and cheaper than minivan travel but it would take more longer time because the bus were pick up passengers between the city.

Binjai city center, North Sumatra

If you interested a stop over to Bukit Lawang’s BAHOROK forest conservation for ORANG UTAN rehabilitation center and ELEPHANT training, you could take a bus transfer from Binjai and If you plan to visit Takengon with a great view of DANAU (LAKE) LAUT TAWAR, you could take a bus transfer from Bireun.

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