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, 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

Back Packer's Inn - Singapore (Travelling on a budget)

If you are on a tight budget, but still want to travel - You shouldn't be scratching Singapore off your list! There are many ways on how you can travel to this expensive city, enjoy and have a decent place to stay! I will share our experience with one of the Backpacker's hostels in Singapore here. 

Our was a booking done a week before our travel date. My friend was supposed to take us in but there are some unforeseen circumstances so I had to book for me and my friend going to SG. I tried BOOKING.COM and as for our experience in this hotel, it sure was quite pleasant overall. 

Total Spent for 5 Nights in this hotel was only Php3,150 for each person. Yes, that is 5 nights! It was safe, we leave our things in the locker and come back (luckily) that none of our things left in the bed was touched by anyone else or was missing. IF you are travelling with at least 2 or 3 of your friends, you can get one section to your self... so its pretty much "private" to some extent ;) 

Pros: 
It is cheap! 
The location is easy to find
The location is close to almost all Singapore attractions (except the zoo) :P 
The location is minutes away from Chinatown center! Hawkers and shopping place
The location is minutes away from the train station/s 
The place is clean
They have free water. Buy a bottle of water from convenient stores and then bring it home, refill in the dorm. ;) 
They have Wifi
Lockers that can fit your "travel light luggage"
Ironing, Washing of Clothes available
Foods / Restaurants nearby is cheap > go to Chinatown Complex or Chinatown Food Street! there is no need to get inside the restaurants! They will only charge you with service fees, etc. 

Cons:
Its noisy at night since there are Bars at the ground floor of the building
Shared Bathroom (have to wait for others to finish, be early) 
Privacy can be a bit of a problem especially if you are not used to sharing a room... 

Do not forget to bring your own adaptor, btw. But if you forget, you can head to the nearest supermarket in the Chinatown and buy yourself an adaptor so you can charge your devices. :P 

The receptionist was also easy to talk to, she speaks English well, and she's a Filipina so we did not have troubles chatting and asking questions from her... she also was helpful. :D 

There are also many other hostel in the area. I was also told that just another block from our place was the Beary Best Hotel. Its also dormitory style. a bit costly than the one we stayed in. 

Suddenly, We're in Bohol!! =) (Part 1)

It came to us like a flash, really. an email received of an offer for a cheap flight, trying out some days if it could work out for us and so it did. Booked a flight and searched for a resort and so we're on board. First time flying on Airasia, and it was a pleasant flight after all. There was even a provision for self check in and your boarding pass will be printed by the self check in machine for you. Works well especially when you do not have any luggage to check in.

We booked a resort/hotel near the alona beach... actually a few minutes walk. The resort's name is Alona42. We asked the owner himself, who is by the way very nice and accommodating why its Alona42 and he said because the number 42 is "the answer to everything" 

Our Room, for two. Its spacious and quite comfortable, two separate single beds, with a lamp to each one of us. There was a tv set (with no cable though), an electric fan, even if we do have an air-conditioned room! 

Our bathroom, I took a picture, seeing that it was also this nice. Clean, and the toilet papers being refilled as soon as they go out. The water heater works well too, sometimes the hot water would ran out a bit especially if most of the guests are probably taking a bath at the same time.

The resort is not very huge, its got a few rooms to it, probably no more than 20 rooms, there was no swimming pool however but the "restaurant" area was situated near the lobby / receiving area. We always stay here to get some fresh air as well. The restaurant has got a few menus to them, but they do not really allow for orders other than the usual breakfast meals.

The usual cup of coffee

The Hotel staff were all very accommodating as well. They even went up earlier than usual to prepare for our food early in the morning so we could be ready for the boat ride.

Every day, the breakfast served to us is quite nice, we did not expect it to be a lot! it was indeed a breakfast made for tourists with big appetite. 

Last Day Breakfast - Omelette

Resort at Night

Resort Premises

Coffee, Juice, Bacon and double eggs, two slices of bread, a jam and a butter all in one plate. As if these weren't enough, they would serve us with another cup of fruit. Usually sliced mangoes! Enough to get you going for the day and not be hungry until your next tour meal! =) 

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.

Bali Tour Series A: Food Trip - What we ate around Bali (on a budget)

We survived Bali for 5 days, on a cheap budget for Dinner and Snacks (our lunch came with the tour). We managed to go to a restaurant that serve Pork Lechon and the likes. Also some street food that is equally as good as those you would order in restaurants. Bali is packed with tourists and so eating like a local is the best option(cheapest too) to try the food as what locals enjoy. =)

Babi Guling -  this is the local version of the Philippine's Lechon Baboy. I have to tell you though that this is so spicy! The first meal I ate in Bali Indonesia, burned my tongue!

About Php 125 (per plate)

Sate Babi - this is a ground pork on stick (similar to the kebab bbq) A Bit sweet in taste.

Php 50 per 3 pieces? 

Just a Burger - We found this burger stand by the convenient store where we buy drinks (near the hotel) It is not as good as the likes of the minute burger, or even angel's burger. After all its a chicken pattie. he he a bit bland for my taste.

Soto Ayam -Chicken Noodles (Soup) This one costs only about Php 40/bowl. It is really good and it tastes good; and filling too. Also the Ayam Sate is also in the banana leaves in this photo. It's got a sweet peanut taste to it. =)

 

In another instance, we were also able to chance upon someone who sells dumpling noodles (also about 40-50 pesos per bowl. This soup is a bit spicy. Its got dumplings and some squidballs (?)

The noodle seller even stayed for a while near the hotel's lobby and waited for us to finish our soups. =) He lend us the bowls and will serve as you requested. In my case, I asked my soup to be less spicy, or put more scallions, and so on.

When you are by the beach, there are also some vendors that sell some authentic Bali Street food. =) More barbecued chicken on stick, careful to tell them you don't want the chili poured all over the barbecue! Also there are some grilled corn with sweet and spicy sauce. It is a must try! The corn is really really great! =)

Planning a TRIP to Bali, Indonesia

Not much expectations, but full of excitement. Bali, one of the known tourist destination in Asia! :D I have a lot of plans and how to spend them Bali Beaches. But we chose to avail a tour package, after reading through several blogs and travel sites as well that it is quite hard to commute around Bali since there is little to no public transportation available. 

Travelling to Bali from Manila is about 4 hours. Bali Airport is at Denpassar.

 

First, we booked a place to stay. It was booked through AGODA. the place is a good deal since we only have to spend about 1,000Php per day per room (for two). It is, however a bit within the (City) Denpassar area, and it would take 30 minutes to an hour or two to each of the other destinations. 

The hotel is clean, with very nice staff; but most of them do not speak english. The room comes with a free breakfast for two - and they do not open the restaurant for any other orders. The restaurant is open for guests who bring food from outside and you can eat them in their restaurant, but they do not take orders, not cook anything except for breakfast. 

CATUR ADI PUTRA
http://www.booking.com/hotel/id/catur-adi-putra-by-shailendra.html

The pool is small. it is also very cold. The pool water gave us a shock when we tried to dip in it, in a hot summer night. it was really cold. But it is very clean, nonetheless. 

Next, is the tour. there are a lot of tour packages, and travel agencies in the internet. We sent out a few inquiries to these sites, along with our planned itinerary. I have initially researched a few places that is a must visit. Some came back (via email) with an offer and a few did not. I managed to haggle a price that i think is suitable for us (group of 6), but other tours have fixed price. 

We booked about $125 worth of tour packages for 5 days, including our private ride of 8 hours, tour entrances and a lunch. Our Tour Agency's name was STAR BALI TOURS and they are very easy to communicate with. Our package was semi customized because it is a private tour, we also are able to do our sightseeing on our own time.  

I was not even asked for a down payment upon booking. We paid on the day (First day of our tour) and Wayan (our tour guide/ driver) was always on time each and every day. 

Their direct URL is http://www.starbalitour.com
Phone : (+62361-7943706)
Mbl  : (+6281.338.591.311)  / (+6282.145.316.381)
E-Mail : starbalitour@gmail.com , starbalitour@yahoo.com
WhatsApp : 082145316381
Skype : starbalitour
Messenger : starbalitour@yahoo.com or infostarparadise@yahoo.co.id

Each of our Day Itinerary will be posted separately in this blog for a more detailed (and more pictures) account of the whole tour.