Merauke, comes from a story where when the Dutch first entered the Merauke region, precisely around the river Maro. They asked the Marind tribe (native of Merauke) about the name of this region. The Marind people do not understand Dutch or Indonesian, they finally can only say that this river is the Maro river, which in Marind language reads “Maro Ka Ehe”. Since then, the area has been named “Maro Ka Ehe” and is known today as Merauke.
Merauke City is a regency city located far in the eastern tip of Indonesia. The specialty is not only that, this city is also the last point of Indonesian territory which borders directly with the State of Papua New Guinea. This makes the existence of this city truly meaningful and special for the history of the struggle for the founding of Indonesia to become part of a struggle song entitled “From Sabang to Merauke”.
As an area that is full of historical value of the struggle of Indonesia, of course in this city there are many historic places that commemorate the founding of Indonesia. One of them is the twin pillars in the Sota district. There are only two monuments in Indonesia, one in Merauke and the other in Sabang. This monument is a reminder of the eastern and westernmost boundaries of the State of Indonesia. In addition there is also the Sota park, in this place there is a memorial to the easternmost border of Indonesia and its coordinate information. This park is not only a marker of Indonesian territory, but also a tourist spot for the surrounding community.
Not only historical tourism, Merauke also has interesting tourist places to go to, such as Lampu Satu Beach which is so wide stretching. On this beach, we can see one of the lighthouse directions for sailors who are sailing. This place is also a fishing village that contains the Bugis and Makasar communities. Generally they are migrants who try their fortune abroad in Merauke.
Nature tourism is also an attractive choice to visit. One of the famous is the Wasur National Park. In this National Park, we can see the original Natural Conditions of Merauke which is a combination of swampy areas and savanna fields. Then, the typical animals of Merauke such as deer and small kangaroos can be found in this National Park. Not to mention, Musamus termite nests that rise up to 5 meters high and are found along the journey to Sota. The natural conditions of Merauke are indeed slightly different from the natural conditions of Papua in general. Merauke has natural conditions that are not much different from northern Australia.
If we want to buy Merauke’s unique handicraft items, there is one interesting special handicraft that is worth buying. These crafts are items made from crocodile skin. Crocodile skin is one of the leading home industries for the people of Merauke, this is due to the huge crocodile population in Merauke. This is legal, because there is a special policy for Merauke on crocodile hunting which remains under the supervision of the local government. Typically, this leather craft can be in the form of wallets, belts, shoes, bags, even golf bags that are quite unique and quite expensive.
Even on the culinary side, Merauke is known for having quite unique and unique food. For example, deer meat will be found in Merauke and will be processed in various types of food. Stews, beef jerky, and satay made from deer meat are common in all cities in Merauke. This is very reasonable, because deer are animals that have a very large population in Merauke and are legally legally hunted.
The city of Merauke has a very interesting charm. As the last city in eastern Indonesia, Merauke deserves to be a tourist destination in the province of Papua. The area which is quite safe, calm and its inhabitants who live peacefully side by side adds to the advantage of Merauke as a tourist city. Now, Merauke continues to beautify itself as the easternmost tourist city in Indonesia. [@ phosphone / IndonesiaKaya]
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