Story #89. Trekking Sentul: Curug Cibingbin

Waterfall at Cibingbin

It wasn’t a weekend when we leave Jakarta. Satu hari baik di akhir bulan Desember 2020. Jalanan lengang, berkendara santai sekitar satu jam lebih sedikit menuju Sentul. Bahkan kami sempat mampir drive thru kopi di salah satu rest area.

Setiba di daerah Sentul, peta online mengarahkan kami sejalan ke Curug Bidadari. Saya masih ingat jalan menuju Bidadari karena belum lama juga dari sana. Tujuan kami sebenarnya bukan curug Cibingbin melainkan curug lain yang viral di tiktok. Jalanan makin sempit, melewati area perkampungan warga.

Saat sudah mulai bingung, kami mencoba bertanya kepada beberapa pemuda di sebuah persimpangan jalan. Nampak mudah bagi mereka menebak lokasi viral yang ingin kami kunjungi. Tapi setelah mengobrol beberapa waktu, kami putuskan untuk tidak ke tujuan awal. Kami menerima tawaran untuk trekking ke Curug Cibingbing. Di awal perjalanan, kami tidak membahas berapa tips untuk dua pemuda yang membawa kami ini.

Mountain view

Orang Kota yang Kampungan

We were so excited jalan kaki di area pedesaan. Sebentar jalan tanah, sebentar jalan berbatu, menyebrang sungai, hingga melewati beberapa jembatan kecil dan curam.

Memulai perjalanan mendaki gunung lewati lembah.

Pakaian yang kami pakai casual banget. Plus sandal jepit 😅. Kalau kalian kesini ada baiknya pakai sandal gunung atau sepatu keds.

Ini jalan tanah menanjak

Nyebrang sungai aja saling pegangan.. dasar orang kota😅

Sampai di Air Terjun Pertama

Samar-samar kami dengar suara air. We keep thinking we’re closer but then we gotta walk little further.. and MORE further, lol! Sampai akhirnya kami sampai di air terjun yang ini:

The very first waterfall we stop by and take shot!

Setelah kurang lebih 40 menit trekking, kami sampai di curug Cibingbin yang dibawah. Kami gak foto disana, karena tempatnya kecil dan biasa aja, dan lagi ada beberapa tukang bangunan istirahat ngopi dan ngerokok di situ. Memang sedang ada proyek bangunan yang dikerjakan di dekatnya. Kami lanjut ke air terjun utama, letaknya lebih keatas lagi. Selain harus menyebrangi jembatan bambu yang curam, kami juga memanjat batu super besar! Iya, memanjat batu, pakai tali, seru sekali!!

Sekali-kali jadi anak hutan 😅

Yak! Pegangan donk!

Curug Cibingbin

Kami sampai juga di curug utama. Yeay! Spotnya kecil saja. Yang bisa naik kesini juga terbatas hanya dua kelompok saja. Satu kelompok selesai berfoto, lanjut kelompok selanjutnya.

Finally The Main Waterfall

Semakin ketengah (mendekat ke air terjun), kedalaman air semakin tinggi. Di foto itu saya posisi berdiri loh, bukan jongkok/duduk.

Pose! 🎬

Nunggu Jaka Tarub 😅

Teringat salah satu cerita rakyat. Jaman dulu Jaka Tarub ngintip bidadari mandi, lalu ambil selendangnya.

Selesai main air dan foto-foto, kami menempuh perjalanan balik dengan rute yang sama. Mampir sebentar makan mi instan di salah satu warung di curug yang di bawah tadi.

So far, that was one fun low cost trekking experience! Biaya yang dikeluarkan kurang lebih sbb:

– Tiket masuk curug 15K per orang

– Tips pemandu 100K per pemandu. Karena ada 2 pemandu jadi total 200K. Seperti saya sebutkan sebelumnya, di awal tidak ada pembahasan tentang tarif pemandu. Jadi ya kami kasih saja.

If you guys plan to visit this place, jangan lupa pakai pakaian yang nyaman. Jangan mengumpat/berkata kasar. Jangan buang sampah sembarangan yah 🙂

Sempatkan juga jajan di warung-warung di sana untuk bantu perekomomian warga.

Ciao!

Story #84. A little heaven named Labuan Bajo

Life is full of surprise and celebration. ~nes, Dec 2018.

2018 is about to end, a year full of life stories, joy and sad, tears and laugh, fight and no regret. I jumped myself into an open trip to Labuan Bajo. It was a sailing trip 3D 2N but I put an extra 1 night staying at hotel before the trip. Here’s few things I wanna share about the trip.

1. How to get your ass to Labuan Bajo

Citilink has direct flight from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo. I thought everyone know this, but some of my travelling partners not know this so here i mention it. If you lucky, you can get IDR 1,8jt – 1,9 per pax by citilink (leave and return). Other flight might have to transit at Bali. Visit a travel fair is always a good idea, or you can keep an eye on traveloka 😍. If you have much time, you can fly to Bali and then sail to Labuan Bajo, I heard people do that. Buy first, think later! Haha!

I was so amaze when I first landed to the airport. It’s like a WOOOOOOWWWW!!! Never seen this kind of view before, poor me! First thing comes to my mind was that it reminds me to jurassic park and kingkong movie.

2. Where To Stay

Labuan Bajo is a small city with not so many people. I talked to my taxi driver, he said that the city is quite safe, people can leave their motorbike in front of their house and it’ll still be there in the morning! No “begal” case, no thieves (in a serious case number), no chaos. I think everybody know everybody, and they just live in peace.

Driver pick me up from the airport to my hotel: The Jayakarta. Pick up is free, just give a tip to the driver. Jayakarta is located in a quite area about 20min from the airport. If you wish for a backpacker hostel or other hotel in town, Le Pirate or other around it would be a good choice, but a bit noise since they had a life music at night. I found that Jayakarta has kind of private beach (?😂) so I explore it myself.

Many hotels (I think all hotels) provide a free shuttle for their guess to explore the city. At 6pm they’ll take you from hotel to town. And they’ll pick u up again at around 9pm. Free! 😍

3. What to do at first arrive

Join an open tour, they’ll start the trip in the morning, which then I decide to come a day before the trip.

When I walk around the city, I found some tour provide 1 day tour, then sailing tour for just 2D1N. I didn’t find this offering when I search for before I leave.

Exploring the city you may go to Kampung Ujung and then Paradise Bar to catch the sunset. I plan it but I missed this out due to my travelling partner was sick and I have no heart to leave.

But then, around 8pm, I took a ride to the city and found a store selling ice cream and gelato!! 😘

4. The Sailing Trip

I got couple of optional vendor for the trip but then I fall to Indonesia Juara, as I found the reviews are fine. Less complain, and yes, we were well taken care by IJ 😘.

You can choose to live on board or do a day trip could be fine as well. This time I join the sailing tour. IJ has 2 type of boat: VIP and regular one. We took the regular one. They have beds and bathroom.

Who can resist watermelon in a hot sunny day 😍

IJ also provide snacks like this fried banana with chocolate sauce and cheese! What a perfect summer day 😘

5. Islands

Florest consist many islands, we had 3 days to explore some islands like the Kelor Island, this is our first destination.

Nice, ha? I reach to the top with an effort. To reach it you have to pass this kind of way:

Sunset at Kalong Island

Bats flies from this island to flores island by the sunset. It’s just an amateur video. The real one was so amazing. Sky full of bats!

Komodo Dragon at Komodo Island

There are 2 island that the goverment use as a captivity for the komodo dragon: Komodo Island and Rinca Island. This time we were not visit Rinca.

Last count of komodo population was 1.600 komodo. At this trip, we just met 3 of them 😂.

Do you dare to touch the top predator?

Wow, Imma is so brave that she friends with komodo. She was touch it heads and say “good boy, good boy…” lol, behind the scene was like:

Hahaha!

Padar Island

This is the icon of Labuan Bajo

Woke up at 3 or 4pm the trekking to the top, catch up the sunrise!

Then when you look down, you’ll find this kind of wonderful view:

Pasir Timbul

It was mid day and we ain’t hide from the sun!

Kanawa Island

To have this sunset makes me think that Heaven is exist, no? 😘

Snorkling and Manta Ray

Check out this happy face about to snorkling. We should leave the boat and continue with a small boat to reach snorkling spots.

I realize that this picture below makes us look like we’re group of people try to escape from i don’t know what 😜

And then here come when we can see Manta Ray:

There was 4 that we saw. I can not dive (I can’t even swim!) but I can tell you it was so beautiful. The Nemo movie was right, little fish are staying in the manta’s body. I see them like dancing, colorful, and manta’s body is the dancing floor 😂

Port

Many islands provide a deck/port, I guess it’s to avoid boat damage the choral. Deck, sunshise, blue sky! Perfect!

Pink Beach

It’s called pink beach as the sands seems pink. Beside at Labuan Bajo, I heard that pink beach also exist at Malang and Lombok.

There’s one island that we visit but I forget the name. It starts with M 😂

6. What to Prepare

– Personal medice and medicine like: antimo (for sea sick), tolak angin. Prepare vitamin as well, as trip to Labuan Bajo are about: trekking, snorkling, sailing. You’ve got to be at your best!

– Cash!! Stores are still only receive cash. Even at the airport. Can’t swipe debit card.

– Extra hair clip. I break one when I was shower at the boat. I suggest you bring more than one.

– No need to bring hair dryer if you do the sailing trip.

– Sunblock with spf >50. And aloe vera gel to protect ur skin from sunburn.

– Bikini(s), hat.

7. End of the Trip

Well, this is us 😂.

The trip was end at noon, and IJ drive us to the airport. At second floor of the airport you can find stores for souveneer, coffee, and massage. All in cash! Told you. But they’re cheap. There’s a reflexiology cost 130K per person for 60min.

Cup of coffee only cost 22K. Then, if you follow them on instagram you can get a free postcard! 😂.

8. What to bring back home

Special gift from flores are coffee and Sambal Luat. You can get coffee grind or bean package, just simply buy at the airport. Outside airport there’s a store sell it but same price, same item at airport!!

Sambal Luat was special chilli. So spicy you may die 😂

Other than that, you can buy shirts and souveneer!

I’m about to write more but I’ll put my crap at another post!

Cheers for the travellers! See you on my next episodes of life stories.

Story #81. How About Thailand

“Just GO.”

Back to 2016 : D

Call me useless to post it soooo late, i don’t mind, i don’t care, we still friend anyway :- *

2016 was complicated, yet so colorful ! I went to many places without knowing what i was exactly doing. Sounds stupid but I regret nothing. One of places that I go was Thailand. HURRAY !! We were 6 people. Couple of husband and wife, couple of lover, and then couple of mom and daughter (yeah it’s me, lol).

 

Mom’s First Flight Abroad

Having a night flight, still remember mom was very excited since this is her first flight abroad. I persuade (read: push) her for months till she finally have a passport. We took an economy flight. I prepare my self a backpack and a suitcase for mom. Just in case I should bring them both it would be easier instead of having two suitcase. Thank God she was all the best of her health during the vacation.

Hotel, Places to go, and what to wear

Bangkok have many hotels, 3 stars ++ are quite cheap, we choose Metro Hotel to stay. It close to Platinum Mall. Mom was very impressed the first time we check in the hotel, the front desk were so friendly and so pretty. Damn pretty, no kidding! but then we know they’re a lady boy once we heard they talk : p   After a good night rest, here is our morning look:

Our tour guide is speak Bahasa Indonesia. So we have no problem with language during our trip, as long as we’re together with the tour guide, lol. I think my only one problem was on breakfast time. It’s hard to tell to the omelet guy to make me a scrabble egg, but just the egg white I don’t eat the egg yolk. It’s hard because they don’t speak English, not even in Bahasa Indonesia.

 

Thai trip is more like monastery tour. We went to many place where people usually do praying. Here is one of it:

 

I have no idea that we’re about to come to such places. I prepare my shirts as I usually go for a summer trip: hot pants, tank top / sleeveless shirts. I have to rent a coat / shawl every time we enter a temple. Average rent cost is 20BHT. Cheap, but you know it’s not about the money. More than that: a lot of people use the same coat, only God knows when they wash the coat / shawl. eew!

We went to the famous 3D Studio, and then the garden flowers, also go to the Pattaya Floating Market in the next day. We changed the hotel because at the second day we play around Pattaya. But the third night we back to Metro Hotel. One of these pictures below show that we went to a elephant performance. Even we wear the same shirts with a elephant picture in it. I’m not a kind that excited to see animal performance, I heard most of the animals get a bad treatment and not well feed. My fantashit somehow can’t stop imagine what if we are human perform in such arena, play with stupid stuff, maybe fire and water and then animal watch the performance. Will they think we entertain them well? Ahh… maybe I just don’t like watching animal show, as much as I don’t like to eat rabbit and dog.

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Pattaya and The Street Food

Anyway…. A good morning from Pattaya! Walking down the street in the morning was great :- *

At night, there’s a night market. I go with one guy while others falls asleep after the day tour. There’s a street magician perform his action. We meet this kind of street food along the way:

I failed in challenge eat scorpion and other bugs whatever eeww…. really i can’t T.T   I just eat kind of meat or sausage satay. I try crocodile satay when we’re at the Floating Market. Taste like chicken, but I don’t want to eat it anymore. For ever no more. I had enough by that day!  Beside those kind of street food, Thailand also have sweets dessert like Mango Sticky Rice, which is easy to find in Jakarta. For lunch and dinner, we always meet Tom Yam : )), yes, always. The best experience about food it that pork are easy to find. Yess!!

It’s never a vacation without to shops. I tell you where most of the money goes: PLATINUM MALL, LoL. Shirts, bags, shoes, bla bla bla.. so many, and very cheap that’s what makes me getting crazy. Another second place we spent the money was at the gift and snacks shops. We were once go to the jewelry place (i forget the name of the place) but seems like shirts and food still in the first rank.

So, How about Thailand? Well, I enjoyed the trip so much. Anyway this trip is worth for a mom-daughter experience. Mom got all attention form my friends because she’s the only mom in the group : )). When we packed and lift our belonging my friends was like “Mom, leave it with agnes, let her handle (and carry) those shop bags”. HAHA !!

 

Last but not least, I confess that I don’t always know what I do, i mean is it right to do or not. But sometimes in life things just happen, offering just came over and then we decide to do this and that. Travels do open my heart, broadens my mind, and fills my life with stories to tell.

 

Ciao!

See you in my next episodes of life.

Story #80. Road Trip: It’s Not About Arriving at Your Destination

“Because the greatest part of a road trip isn’t arriving at your destination. It’s all the stuff that happens along the way”. ~Emma Chase.

I’m a road trip traveler since I was in Junior High, as I remember. Now i am 32 turning 33, so it’s been 20years more and less. LoL. Doing a road trip with family members and friends. Luckily I always get a job that give me such traveling activities, so yeah, I experience road trips for work. Well, it all start with a habit from my grandpa. Dad said that he used to doing on a road trip since he was young, going around the Java Island. Maybe some part of Sumatra as well, as Dad was born and spend his childhood at Pangkal Pinang, Sumatra. Then when Dad has us, he take us the same way as Grandpa did to him. For me, it’s a good idea to remembered Grandpa: moment that Dad spent with Grandpa.

Last time I go on a road trip was first weekend of this July. Only three of us: Me, Mom, Dad. From Jakarta heading Jogjakarta. Dad and I took turns driving a car. Friends was like:

“Why driving?”,

“Isn’t it easier to fly? Anyway 12 hours driving might make parents exhausted”,

“Oh, come on, just some time a go you travel with the same route!?” (Yup, we travel the same route about 2 weeks ago, LoL).

People don’t understand, and I don’t expect them to. But I can resume some stuff why a road trip is worth to try:

It’s not about arriving at the destination.

Friends was like: “Udah sampe mana?” , “why are you still at Purwokerto? was it a heavy traffic?”. If you have enough time, It’s fine to stop by at the small cities instead of just passing it thru. We can always explore the food culinary, or famous places to hangout, or randomly visit historical places can be fun. At this part, friends who ask such questions are innocent, wasn’t their fault that I love to stop by and exploring. Anyway we ain’t a travel bus service, no need to rush because it’s about the pleasure of the traveler.

Under the sky, earth is always change.

Before the highway, there are many restaurant along the Pantura way from Cirebon to Jakarta. Now as people use the highway, only Boboko Restaurant that still exist. Years ago, beaches gate along the Pantai Selatan are not as much as nowadays. We experience that things are change. We watch it, we experience it, we sometimes talked to people about the change and how it effect the economy life. Change is something we can never refuse, no? so hit it! Like we hit the road.

People who go on road trips are spontaneous, optimistic, and wise.

Really? Hahaha.. you tell me!

Basically, the more you experience to travel is the more you experience yourself to be spontaneous and optimistic. Wise come along with those two. Road trip will challenge survival skill and instinct different way with other kind of traveling.  Wherever you go (and) or stay, world are full of a diverse array of people and landscapes. No need to be friendly to everyone but once or twice somehow such challenge drives your personality into a better you.

“At the end of the day, the destination is just a stopover. It is only the journey that can drive you to contemplate and find yourself.”

Ciao!

 

Story #79. Kapan Travelling Bareng Gue?

“…karena travelling adalah ritual penyegaran jiwa, apresiasi terhadap hidup, terlepas dari renungan apakah hidupmu telah sungguh berguna atau tidak!

Di sela-sela sibuk dan penat, kadang muncul angan untuk nge-trip. Seringkali angan bersambut  kesempatan hadir di depan mata, tak mungkin dilewatkan! Fakta sesederhana ini yang lalu memunculkan kesan “Nes ngetrip terus ya!” Padahal gak juga, sekedar sempat ya why not, di sosmed gue gak selalu posting foto baru, terkadang foto lawas kok.

Beach or Mountain?

Me, definitely beach. But I don’t mind for mountain. Yang penting have fun : ). Kalau pantai, isi ransel gue cukup hotpants dan tshirt2 tipis. Bisa masukin beberapa tshirt warna warni, gak makan banyak tempat karna sepele banget. Hotpants cukup 1 di tas, 1 lagi yang dipake. Sedangkan kalau ke daerah pegunungan, perlu siapin jaket, syal, topi hangat, bahkan sarung tangan dan kaos kaki. Gue kalau gak lagi naik ojek atau lagi dingin banget, hampir gak pernah jaketan. Pernah bawa-bawa jaket pas jalan ke Puncak, biar kayak orang-orang gitu kan jaketan, eh malah pas balik ke Jakarta jaketnya ketinggalan di villa, saking di sana juga gak gue pake ‘tu jaket, LoL. Kalau ke daerah dingin, gue suka tempelin koyo salonpas di udel, mungkin karena itu jadi gue gak terlalu berasa dingin. Koyo-nya yang hangat sedang aja, jangan koyo cabe, bisa kelar udel lo berasa ketampar-tampar : (

Backpack or Suitcase?

Apa aja boleh, yang penting gue bisa masukin hair dryer & catokan : ))

Bukan perkara centil, tapi gak setiap tempat nginap menyediakan hair dryer, jadi lebih baik bawa daripada habis keramas gak bisa keringin rambut lalu berakhir masuk angin! It’s about to cleanse the bitter taste of life from your soul, bawalah barang-barang yang memang berguna membahagiakan jiwa :- p

Camera(s)

Mostly cam yang gue pake adalah cam iphone SE. Tapi dalam beberapa kesempatan gue ada pakai juga beberapa cam lain (kalau lagi niat). Gue ada beberapa cam di rumah, punya bokap sih. Gue gak gitu ngerti gimana pake nya supaya maksimal sih. Mungkin ada volunteer yang mau ajarin gue explore cara pake nya?? Sinih! :-*

Nah, kalo bahas cam, terus bahas obyek fotonya. Yang mukanya cakep, body nya oke sih bebas ya mau gaya gimana aja. Tapi buat yang gak pede an dengan muka dan bentukan ala kadarnya macem gue, jangan berkecil hati, sodara2! Ada banyak trick angle yang bisa kita pake supaya foto-foto kita tetep kece! : ), Anyway kalo di rating ini daftar urutan obyek yang paling gue suka: 1. View (esp the sky); 2. Food; 3. Myself (ini mesti ambil dari agak jauh, biar viewer lebih fokus sama background pemandangan! Hehehe)

Gue gak selalu merasa nyaman untuk minta tolong orang lain buat fotoin gue, so instead of bothering people, I set myself an angle and timer di cam.

Ittenary

Ada kalanya gue memang punya ittenary sebelum ngetrip, jadi tau nantinya mau kemana aja. Ini penting supaya jangan mendadak galau. Tapi beberapa kali juga gue pergi spontan aja. Udah sampe di lokasi, baru deh tentuin enaknya mau jalan kemana. Ini gak susah kok, karena kadang pas udah nyampe di kota yang di tuju, mood baru bagus, cuaca cerah, nah muncul deh ide buat kemana. Lagian ya, kita gak hidup di jaman batu. Ada smartphone, jaringan 3G/4G, kuota internet gak mahal kok, lagian wi fi is almost everywhere, kita bisa googling ada tempat seru apa aja di sekitar kita.

You know what, i mean it with what i’m saying. Really, travelling memang apreasiasi terhadap hidup. Jadilah lebih hidup dengan lebih menghargai hidup. Bekerjalah lebih smart, supaya lebih disayang sama bos, dapet bonus yang baik, dikasih day off (even tough itu adalah hak karyawan) buat pergi liburan. Berbagilah lebih banyak, perduli lah lebih sering. Itulah bentuk nyata dari bersyukur. Last but not least, jangan lupa prepare budget dan ijin orang tua sebelom pergi ngetrip!

Nah, jadi kapan nih, ngetrip bareng gue? :- )

 

Ciao,

See you in my next episodes of life!

Story #76. My Karimun Jawa Trip

April 2018.

“Sometimes, a break from your routine is the very thing you need”.

My random blog. I write whatever here. Mostly junk! 😜

Meet me under the sky of Karimun Jawa Island. I wanna come to this island since like 8 years ago. Funny that I went to some other beautiful places and kinda forget about this one. Then when I make this travel, I count, really it’s been eight years since I told myself that I wanted to be here. But thank God the facilities are getting better now. Now I’ll share you 8 things you should know about the Island and the to do list.

1. How to get there from Jakarta

I start the trip on Friday night. Took a night train from Gambir station. Argo Bromo Anggrek 375K. Executive class. We need some well sleep. The train was arrived at 10pm. Depart to Semarang Poncol station early in the morning. Then we took a travel minibus (like colt diesel with a very small baggage). The driver picked us up at the station, take us to the port. It cost 50K per person. We are 12pax anyway. We come by for breakfast. 6 in the morning, eating Soto!! LoL 😅.

The ride took about 1,5hour to get to the port. We were informed that the speedboat will leave by 8am. Well, it’s a common thing if it’s delay like 1 or 2 hours. But it wasn’t, as a matter of fact, the boat arrive at about 9, then it takes about 1,5hour to reload the gas. If you plan for this trip, you should concern on this thing: make sure your boat ticket has a seat number! Some guy sell tickets without seat number. Lucky us we all get one. Our ticket price are include with the tour package.

It’s 2 hours 15 min that we sail. Consume sleeping pils before is the best advice.

2. Homestay

We choose homestay with aircon. No hot water. As we’re a small gang, they put us in rooms with small balcony that we have it for breakfast and dinner.

3. Meal

Breakfast and dinner are provide by the homestay, but as I was there they’re all spicy. Prepare kind of “abon” would be fine. Unlike at Pulau Seribu, here instant noodle seller is hard to find. You can find one at Pulau Kecil.

4. Beachwear

Bikinis allowed. I saw some ppl wearing bikini even tough i’m the only girl in the gang wear one. I was once come to one of island at Pulau Seribu and it was a fasting month, and it was a mistake to wear a sexy beachwear. The society was like kinda more religious at that moment they hate what we wear 🙈.

5. View Under the Sea

One word: Magic!

The underwater scenery is awesome. And it’s clean. No junk. This is my nephew have some fun underwater 😍

The guide takes us to beautiful spot for snorkling. There are 2-3 spot of snorkling. Depend on how many time we have to spent there. I think the one next to the Pulau Kecil is the most beautiful. Everyone got a nice under water shot, also some videos!

6. The Shark Spot

It is pace your adrenaline.

One rule: keep your hands up while you’re in the water with the baby sharks.

7. The Night Market at Alun Alun

Night after snorkling and play around the beach, it is a good idea to come to the Alun alun where you can find street seafood (but there’s chicken as well, in case your travelling partner is allergic). You can also find kind of souveneer.

Too bad that I didn’t join the gank to this place. I was so unwell that night, it was sucks I just lay in the bad and run to the toilet to throw up over and over. Thank God I felt so much better in the next day.

8. What are you waiting for? Stop reading and set the date! Go have some fun!! 😘

Ciao!

See ya next episode my life story.

Story #59. Cheers To The Freakin’ Weekend

Hey there,

How are you guys doing? If you’re about to spend a weekend with your gank, then you may consider what I’ll show you.

Wanna guess where? It’s in Maribaya, Bandung. As we’re stayin Jakarta, we took a travel on friday night after office hour. It took about 2-3hours to reach Bandung thru highway. From Jakarta, the travel fare is 120K per person. The travel bus dropped us in their final stop in Cihampelas. We stay the night at the airbnb hotel close to Ciwalk. My best suggestion, do book the hotel days before, or if you book on the spot please compare the price that shows in traveloka or etc and direct call to the hotel.

We start our journey early in the morning. We took a rent car that picked us up in the hotel and take us to The Lodge Maribaya. Cost for the rent car was 700K for a full day book, include the driver and gas. We stop by at small resto for a breakfast on our way to Maribaya. The trip took about couple hours. Thank God we had breakfast  because the road is rocky, might cause you sick if you had empty stomach.

The Lodge Maribaya is an outdoor attraction. Suits for family (not suggest for babies) and friends. You should pay 20K per pax at the entrance gate and you deserve for a free fresh water when you exit (we didn’t took the water anyway, forgot we had one). Inside, you’ll find beautiful mountain view and some attraction you can play and took a great photo spot such sky tree, zip bike (this one is so much fun, swear, you should try!), and sky wing. Should pay (again) 15K – 20K for each. It’s not an all in ticket, so you won’t feel bad or feel lost if you ain’t play anything just because you don’t have enough guts to play! LoL!

We spent like a half day there. We stop due to the rain that comes right after we play the zip bike. We trapped with the rain but we’re happy with the siomay and mendoan at the food court there. They do not allow us to bring F&B from outside, but the food taste there are not bad at all. We leave there after the rain.

Our late lunch was in sundanese restaurant. We ate a lot and having a good deal. 7pax (big portion) and spent less than 300K. WOW!

After it we leave to the downtown. We visit a Upside Down World at Lebak Gede, Coblong. Pay the ticket 100K per each. A bit expensive, yes, but you won’t be sorry cause you’ll have your best experinces having a loooooottt of cute photos! There are staff that will happily helped us taking good pictures!

End of The Upside Down World, we drive to Lembang and having a coffee time in Lawangwangi Art Lounge Bandung. The F&B price is a bit expensive but the view and the place is worth it all :-). Too bad it was foggy so we have limited photo shoot. But it was a lot of fun as we always have some fun in every single situation! We end up our journey that night by staying at the hotel at Lembang, then go to drink fresh milk, and having a mid night dinner! LoL. As we leave in the morning, we were having lunch at Lapo and spoil ourselves eating pork which is so delicious, like you can taste heaven at the tips of your tongue (Haha… I’m sorry, I’m just a pork lover).

That’s how we spent our short weekend!

I’m sorry for not sharing too many pictures here. If you feel interest, then you should explore it yourself! Go grab your backpack for this weekend.

 

See you in my next episodes of life stories.

Ciao!

 

 

 

 

 

Story #55. Do these 8 things for your best travelling plan

Hello there,

Have you ever feel that prepare a travelling plan sometimes take like forever but still you missed something? Here I got 8 things usually on my check list, I’ll share them for you 🙂

1. Flight Ticket and Hotel

Book a flight ticket and hotel to get the best deal is true. I have several travel app and I keep compare the price for the same hotel and flight. My best deals are always come from an app name Trav*L*ka. Prices are cheaper, set in the nett price, and the app is very easy to use.

2. Tour Destination

Sometimes, “the plan is no plan!”. It is wise to plan where and what kind of places you’ll visit during the trip. But sometimes other you can just go with the flow. Be spontan, do have  no plan. Try it! You can choose whether shopping, visit historical and/or religious place, join with the local people such visit a local school in the country side and having a fun time with the kids there. Learn their language, play around with them. Wherever you choose to go and whatever happen there, be happy!

3. Outfit

Make sure that shirts that we bring are suits to the places. My first travelling to Thailand I didn’t realize that I will visit vihara. All my shirts are sleveless/tank top, and of course hot pants as my most comfy ever. Everytime I visit vihara I have to pay 20BHT to rent a pashmina or a coat to cover my legs and arms.

4. Personal Medicine, Sewing Kit (at least peniti).

Yes, you do need to bring your personal medicine. For ease, I -try to- always bring a medicine for my gastric acid, the super magic stamp Salonpas, telon oil, and amox for just in case I had a sore throat attack! 

Bring also a bandage, it might help to save your foot finger if you walked a lot. The last, simply sewing kit like the one they provide at the hotels, or at least pin/peniti.

5. Copy of Personal Document

Nobody expect for bad things to happen. But it’s not bad to have a copy of your passpor. Do print it and bring along with you in a seperate pocket (don’t put it inside the passpor, for sure it’ll useless), and also have it in a soft copy in your email.

6. Electric Plugs

Because in a public area, sometimes you need like 3-4 plugs while you have to share the plug with other people. So bring our own plug is necessary thing to bring. I always bring it, and my bad, I often left it in the place I stay. Forget to put it back on my bag when I leave. 

7. Offline Map

Maybe it is not really necessary but  not every area in this world are covered by a good signal and isn’t it good to keep your internet quota? The main reason why I keep my nokia phone is because it’s offline nokia maps. Yippieee! 
8. Extra Bags

No matter where you go, try not to come back home with an empty handed. At least you bring a little gift from your journey, or, should prepare an extra bag(s) so you may load more gifts for people around you when you’re home.
My next episodes of life is coming!

Ciao!

Story #51. Awkward to be a solo traveller? Nope with this 8 reasons!

Hi there,

For you who consider to travels by yourself and feel like awkward or get hesitate, here I got eight thing to convince you that there’s no awkward of becoming a solo traveller:

1. Meeting new people, making new friends

This world is full with hundred types of people. I can mention 2 types that you’ll see on your trip: The one that friendly and the one that too friendly! LOL! Which one suits you, it must depend on your mood and the situation. But any of them, you’re about making new friends.

2. A silent moment 

Visit a crowd place but you’re just by yourself? No worries, just enjoy it! Pay attention on people and anything around you, that’s excited :-* You maybe quite, but you observe and remember everything. Just be carefull with your belonging while you’re observing.

3. Me Time 

Yes it is, a me time! After you (can read as I) rush your daily life, you deserve a me time. Sometimes in life, you just need to be disconnected and enjoy your own company. Imagine that you’re in  a beautiful place, just on your own and you can clear up your mind. You can have time to figure out who you are, who you want to be, and where you want to go. Trust me, you should try! It works for me anyway.

4. Break your limit

Be brave, be nothing to loose, do not worry too much. Know your limit and then ignore them, never stop trying to break them. You can only have one life! Go hard! 

5. Life is full of surpise

You’ll never know what and who is coming to you. Life is full of surprise and serendipity Being open to unexpected turns in the road is an important part of success. If you try to plan every step, you may miss those wonderful twist and turns. Just find your next adventure-do it well, enjoy it-and then, not now, think about what comes next (Condoleezza Rice).

As I’m looking for a definition of serendepity, i found a good one: “Serendepity is finding something good without looking for it”. Sweet, eh?!

6. Let it flow, let it go

On planning the trip, it is good to think about your detail ittenary. But sometimes you just need not to think. Have you ever feel like you just wanna go somewhere and dissapear? That’s exactly whats comes in my mind, then I know that I should leave for a while. After it I return with a soul full of spirit. Let it flow, let it go. A short trip can boost your mood!

7. You can still count on somebody else

I have one quotes for this point: hard times will always reveal tru friends!

8. Stop looking for a reason, go grab your passpor and leave for a while! 
Ciao!