Jakarta: Trip to Bandung's Tangkuban Perahu (Volcano)

Bandung, A province West of Java Indonesia. It is about a 6 hour long drive (also because of traffic). We kinda went there on a wrong date - a long holiday in Jakarta so families are all going home or in a vacation mode. It feels like the whole of Jakarta are going to Bandung! 

From Jakarta, we were supposed to ride a van in the terminal. But since its long weekend... we ended up renting with another traveler; still not very costly for the long ride. Its like we rented the van to ourselves. Hehe. 

So anyway, when we get to Bandung, we stayed in the hotel a bit and prepared. The hotel we got was pretty decent, it is very spacious, have buffet breakfast and also a pool to help you relax a bit too. 

So from our hotel, off we went to our first destination: Tangkuban Perahu. (Tangkuban Perahu literally means 'upside-down boat'); From up there, the view is breath taking. The atmosphere is cold. There aren't as many people actually and we had a good space for our wonderful photos. 

Kawah Ratu is the biggest crater of Mount Tangkuban

There are a lot of shops here too, and some food stalls, also a passageway is in place where you can go down a bit (its like a small village steps) to take a good shot - few tourists ever went down there. 

Bring sweaters. Its cold up there!! 

Jakarta: City Tour on a Budget

Our City tour of Jakarta takes us to the Old Town, Kota Kua. Here, you can spend some time viewing the Jakarta Museum, picnics, ride bikes, etc.

From the bus station, we walked through an aisle and we were greeted by these colorful bicycles (they can be rented).

The place is great outdoor location if you have kids that wants to run around and just enjoy a day under the sun. :D 

If you feel a bit tired from the outdoors, then get to the side of the Museum and see the Wayang Museum dedicated to the Javanese puppetry. 

Try Cafe Batavia too! This restaurant is the second oldest building in the square, after the City Hall (now the Jakarta Musuem). It is as historical as the whole Old Town! =)

The whole Cafe exudes with a European feel; the walls are lined with several photo frames, and framed movie posters (even the bathroom).

The price is of higher end compared to fast foods or anywhere else we dined in the city... but go and try as they are good! Besides you are there to experience the ambiance. 

Jakarta, Indonesia Getting Around the City

Stayed at Citi M Hotel. It was a budget hotel but it was better than what I have expected. It was also a few minutes walk to the Monas ( one of the must go places if you happen to be in Jakarta. When we were there (November) it was raining, and then the sun would shine... it would be so hot. Ah the weather is a bit unpredictable so better bring your umbrella. 

So Back to the hotel, the accommodation comes with a buffet breakfast, and it sure was good to. The selection is pretty much decent to help you fuel up for the rest of the day's trip. 

We ordered room service, and the Salted Fish Fried Rice is good! It has a very generous serving too.

So in the City, we just went to the town's plaza. Going around the city is easy with the bus lines. Taking a cab is also an option but our friend advice us to just take the blue bird taxis and nothing else. 

See the Bus all lined up; this is the bus lane, and well the loading station. you have to walk the long overpasses like the one in the picture. To go to whichever side you need to be at, depending on your destination. They have a dedicated bus lane, so it sure is a bit reliable to ride one as you won't be with the private cards that can sometimes be stuck in traffic. :P  Information also is available at the stations so you can see which bus is coming already. 

See: Kota Kua (City Tour) and Cafe Batavia

Bali Tour Series D: Besakih Temple and Ubud Monkey Forest

Besakih Temple: This is the biggest temple in Bali. Located at the slope of Mt. Agung. This place is very high and can get very cold towards the end of the afternoon. You can see fog and feel the coldness in your skin if you are not prepared. 

Common statues you will find inside the temple premises

The Temple is huge, it was after all the largest temple in Bali; to this day it is still being used for ceremonies, even if it is also a tourist spot. Outside, there are a small road that leads to the temple entrance. a free tour guide will accompany you inside the temple and will explain and give information about it; you and your companions will be asked to give donation as well after you register how many of you went inside the temple. =) 

The view from the top of the temple

Mini Temple (pagoda) inside Besakih Temple

Ubud Monkey Forrest: I was a little hesitant about this, because i am a bit scared of the primates because I have had a bit of a bad experience with them. Upon arrival in Ubud, Monkey Forrest Area, you can already see a lot of monkeys walking around the parking lot and was just minding their own business. 

We have a baby with us during the tour, she was just a year old, actually and she was so fearless in walking around the premises and just chasing the monkey and trying to touch them. They (monkeys) are very used to the tourists and would go near you if you have a banana with you (It is also sold inside the premises). 

A Family we chanced upon taking a rest in one of the statues inside the forest area

 Spending no less than an hour here, it was quite an experience too, seeing the monkeys and their families, they are just really cute and are fun to watch especially when they try to wrestle with tourists who hides banana in their pockets.  Also, the monkeys are clean! I haven't encountered one that smells bad! Not one tourist who has had one jumped into them (even on top of their head) complained about foul smell whatsoever. 

Bali Tour Series C: Nature Trip (Waterfalls, Rice Terraces and Volcano)

I haven't been to our very own Banaue Rice Terraces but it sure is quite a sight in photos; I was excited to see the version of it in Bali - the Tegalalang Rice Terraces. It wasn't as wide, or huge as what we have in our country(Philippines) but it sure was a nice place. The van we rented parked in a designated area and we walked about 3 minutes to see the view. We were not able to go near it, but the place is a bit cold even in the sunny weather. We were told you can go see the place up close but it would be down another road and would take another hour or two. 

Mount Batur was part of our itinerary. seeing this on the list where we will have out lunch, well I sure did not expect to have such magnificent view while having lunch. The restaurant where we ate even have a rooftop where clients are encouraged to go up to and so you can take a photo or even a selfie. 

This is another photo we took, as much as it is beautiful in the photo, it is even more grand with your own eyes. =) This is one of the top places we visited in Bali that has surpassed my expectations. I was so happy that we have included this in out itinerary.  

Away from the city, and another hour or two of rough road drive, we head out for the GITGIT Water Falls. We inserted this in our itinerary (it was not very common in the packages that the Bali tours would give you as most of them are sight seeing that relates to the culture and these are mostly temples.

To be able to see the waterfalls, you have to walk at least 1 kilometers, perhaps up and down a cemented stairs, some with view of the forest to your right and some paths with some local houses. It was such a trek (not difficult but long for us who does not climb mountains. (^-^)

It is rather difficult to go there and take a dip. most people probably just go take some pics, feel the cool breeze and just head back. When we went there, no one actually was with us, except for our tour guide and basically no other tourists have gone to the place.  

Bali Tour Series B: Beach Hopping

Bali is known primarily for their white sand beaches, but a trip to Bali has introduced us more to their culture more than anything else. They have more to offer than temples, and beaches actually. This post though will focus on the obvious Bali spot every one dreams of visiting in Bali. ;)

Nusa Dua Beach: This beach is where most of the high end resorts are located. The beach is free, you can take a dip, swim a bit and have a quick change by the beach (or by a paid bathroom near the surf board rentals).

Just a few meters walk, at the other side of the Nusa Dua Beach, is "The Bay, Bali" The beach also has a long shore ideal for beach walking. We first went here, and intended to swim a bit, but the sand although was white... it was a bit rough since the quality of the sand is not that fine. Taking a close look (using the microscope function of my camera) it shows corals that aren't that much fine yet. =)

Beach "Sand" Up Close

The water, as you can see, is very clear and clean. =)

Jimbaran Bay - The restaurant where we ate our lunch was at Jimbaran Bay. It is also a white sand beach. The whole stretch of the beach is calm, and suitable for swimming. The whole Jimbaran Bay was lined up with a lot of several other resorts and restaurants by the bay. =) Too bad we did not stay for a long time here. The sand was fine, but not as great as that of the Nusa Dua Beach. =)

Seminyak Beach - This is yet another beach, more of a public one. There was a huge parking space for patrons here. We intended to take a swim but was a bit disappointed since the beach was not as white as what we thought most Bali beaches are. =P Another challenge was the lack of a public changing room too. So once you take a swim, there was no way you can wash up properly. You will have to change into your normal clothes in public. We are not able to see how the locals do it, though since there was practically no one around, except for our group and a couple of vendors.

The Seminyak beach is free of charge, and well it sure looks like a great place to relax, we just ought to transfer and get on with the rest of the tour (finishing earlier than usual) since we felt we couldn't swim and not wash up leaving our skin to dry with sea water. This beach sure does have a huge shore. =)

Sanur Beach - This is the last beach on our list for this tour. Having come to this beach as part of the trip and where we had our wonderful lunch by the bay. The beach is calm, but a bit more rocky in one area. The shore is a bit shorter, and narrow hence not much beach goers come. There are parked boats in some area around  the shore, but still the view is breathtaking.