सिगंदु Beach

Thousand watch kite-flying festival in Sigandu beach resort
Batang, Central Java (ANTARA News) - Thousands of visitors from various areas of Pekalongan and environs in Central Java on Sunday watched a kite-flying competition on the Sigandu beach tourist resort in Batang regency.
The thousands of visitors flocking the Sigandu beach resort cause heavy traffic congestions to and from the area, especially that the road leading to the beach is only an average of three meters wide, while all kinds of cars, personal, private, as well as buses, not to mention the thousands of motorcycles go through these relatively small roads.
Batang tourist office chief Bambang Ibnu Riyanto said he really did not expect that enthusiasm of the public to watch the third kite-flying competition, would be so great.
The competition is divided into the kite "fighting" category, with 128 participants, and the most beautiful and impressive kite category, with 66 participants.
The participants came from neighboring Pekalongan, Pemalang, Tegal and Batang, he added.
He said the kite-flying competition is also one way to promote the Sigandu beach resort, which is expected to contribute to the earnings of Batang regency from the tourism sector.
In the meantime, the event`s chief organizer Purwanto said that the winners of the kite fighting competition will take part in the grand final held in Parangtritis beach resort, Yogyakarta, on August 17 through 19, 2007.
The Sigandu winners will be rewarded a prize money, he added, without elaborating. (*)