Team Isyana emerges victorious in AXN Ultimate Challenge Indonesia
The adventuresome competition between two celebrities, Afgansyah Reza, a.k.a Afgan, and Isyana Sarasvati came to an end last week. After getting through a number of challenges in Labuan Bajo, Mandalika, and Bali, finally Team Isyana achieved victory in AXN Ultimate Challenge Indonesia, which was broadcast on AXN Asia's TV and YouTube channels.
In the show produced by KC Global Media in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy of Indonesia, Isyana and her teammate, Rara Sekar, managed to collect more badges than their opponents, Afgan and Reza Chandika of Team Afgan. In addition to taking suspenseful challenges, they also exhibited their creativity in capturing the beauty of the natural sceneries in the three locations of Wonderful Indonesia and posted these on their own social media.
"Joining AXN Ultimate Challenge Indonesia was an unforgettable experience. I had a lot of fun and got a chance to try many things that I'd never done before, such as swimming in the natural pond of Rangko Cave and surfing at Tanjung Aan Beach. The activities were thrilling and exciting at the same time. The splendour of Indonesia's nature and culture is amazing and I immersed myself in it," said Isyana as she recounted her adventure.
"I was glad that I had Rara as my travel companion and we made a good team. We really enjoyed the beautiful sceneries Indonesia has to offer. Just check out @indtravel in Instagram to see more of travel inspirations."
Having to admit defeat, Afgan was not disheartened. The 32-year-old singer still found it fun to enjoy Indonesia's wonderful nature while exploring various traditional cultures and taking part in the activities held by local communities.
"I had an opportunity to get to know a number of places and activities as you can see on @indtravel Instagram and discover some traditional cultures and cuisines that were new to me," said Afgan.
"I visited Sasak Ende Village and learned the local history and culture. I also bought a piece of Sasaknese traditional jacket and wore it during my visit. That is one of the most memorable moments for me. During the journey, I met amazing people who showed strong determination in each aspect of their life. It was so inspiring."
The adventure was aired in six episodes and started from Labuan Bajo, a tourism destination in East Nusa Tenggara famous for its komodo dragons, beach, and charming diving site. Team Afgan won two badges from the games in that location, while Team Isyana only got one.
They also had time to sail on a pinisi, an Indonesian traditional sailboat. This type of boat had been crafted since hundreds of years ago by the ancestors of the Indonesian people in South Sulawesi and has been recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO since 7 December 2017.
The next battlefield was in Mandalika, West Nusa Tenggara, a coastal area which is listed as one of the UNESCO Global Geoparks. This site is known for its various water activities and racing circuit. Team Isyana managed to catch up with Team Afgan and tied with them for the badge acquisition at 4-4.
The last location was Bali, the island of the gods which became Indonesia's main tourist attraction. Again, Team Isyana successfully snatched four more badges and concluded AXN Ultimate Challenge Indonesia as the winning team with the final score 8-5.