Published on September 10, 2014
Carrying the theme : “Experience the Wonders of North Maluku”, the Kie Raha International Festival 2014 will be staged in Jakarta from 9 – 12 October 2014to take place at Senayan City, promoting the wealth of attractions in the province of North Maluku (formerly known as the Moluccas). These are the original Spice Islands for which European nations braved the unknown and discovered the world in the process.
During the four days event, Jakarta residents willl be presented with a wide array of cultural performances, songs and dances, handicrafts of the region, fashion shows of traditional costumes and trendy wear using local materials, other export products and of course a festival of deliciious mouth-watering foods. There will also be talks and presentations on the various destinations and attractions on the islands and surrounding seas.
The Festival is organized jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy and the Province of North Maluku.
Comprising 9 districts, North Maluku consists of : the cities of Ternate, and Tidore, the districts of North Halmahera, Central Halmahera, East Halmahera, the district of Sula, West Halmahera and Morotai.
While Kie Raha means four mountains, symbolizing the four sultanates in North Maluku, namely the Sultanates of Ternate, Tidore, Jailolo and Bacan, that today together cover the entire province of North Maluku and have contributed significantly towards the development of the region.
North Maluku’s Deputy Governor, Muhammad Natsir Thaib, promoting the event and the region to the Jakarta national and international press said that North Maluku is indeed blessed with amazing natural beauty, diverse cultures, and delicious food. There are pristine sea gardens at Gura Ici and around the island of Widi in the south, the island of Oto in Central Halmahera and the Bay of Capalulu in the district of Sula that can boast to have the second strongest sea currents in the world, an underwater volcano, and an underwater museum in North Halmahera, and not to forget, remnants of World War II on the island of Morotai.
Maluku is also famous for its unique wildlife, most prominent being the “bu rung bidadari” or the angel bird, a beautiful bird which looks as if it wears a tie.
While for aficionados of hot food there is the famous chilli Sambal Roa, Sambal Kenari, Sambal Papaya and plenty more. It is for this reason the islands are called the Islands of a Thousand Sambals.
On his part, Deputy Minister for Tourism and Creative Economy, Sapta Nirwandar, hopes that with the staging of the first KIF 2014 in Jakarta, it is expected that more people in this capital city of Jakarta will be drawn to spend their holidays in North Maluku, and through the national and international mass media these will attract more international tourists to this most interesting province in the eastern part of Indonesia.
Data of the Ministry showed that tourists to North Maluku increased significantly in the past three years between 2011-2013. If in 2011 the region received only 5,945 tourists, in 2012 this number jumped to 15,500 tourists and again in 2013 soared to 37,186.
In the coming years, the annual Kie Raha International Festival will be held by the different districts on rotation basis.
