Belitung Island - Indonesia

          Doing a little research about next travel destination, browsing info about the weather, where's the good place to stay, eat, drink, buy souvenirs, going to the money changer, booking the ticket, packing, deciding which clothes to bring and... all those excitement before you're finally leaving to catch your flight...you just can’t wait to get there and explore the new place. This time I’d love to take you to Belitung Island located on the east cost of Sumatera, Indonesia in the Java Sea.  The very first time I went to this beautiful island was in 2009, after watching the movie "Laskar Pelangi" and fell in love with the gorgeous nature and beach. Very happy to be back there again, I didn't think twice to book the tickets as soon as I received my salary. Early morning flight from Jakarta to Tanjung Pandan ( Belitung ) by Batavia Air ( or Sriwijaya Air ), arrived in Belitung like 10 am-ish, then the car we rented took us to the hotel in Tanjong Pandan. Very hot and humid, We had a very delicious Belitung noodle soup which was only $2 then the driver took us to our first stop, the temple.

Kwan Im

 

Done with the temple, we rented a boat to drop us to some island like :
Tanjung Pendam island, Tanjung Kelayang island, Burung island, Batu Berlayar island, Lengkuas island, Burung Mandi island, Tanjung Tinggi island.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The view from the lighthouse

 

We even stop by for a while at SD Muhamadiyah Gantong, the old school building where people were filming “Laskar Pelangi” movie back in 2009. The movie was very famous couple of years ago, interesting story about a boy who’s chasing his dream, from nothing to something, from zero to hero.

SD Muhamadiyah Gantong, the old school where the big hope and dreams born

 

             It was all about enjoying and appreciating every single moment being in a gorgeous place, closer with nature and universe. Breathe the fresh air, and loving how quiet the island was. Went up to the lighthouse, watching the clear blue sky and beach, plus the sound of the wave was simply release me from all the stress living in a big city, while capturing some pictures and talking to the local kids, traveling always..always gives us different unique experience.

            Belitung island can be a very good option for beach weekend getaway for Jakartans who’s sick of the hustle bustle of the city, or for travelers who’s visiting Indonesia and interest to see what it’s like in the east of Sumatera. Don’t worry about accommodations, it’s very easy to find a low budget hotel until the really nice hotel, room prices start from $13 per night, with AC and TV.

afternoon walk at the downtown Tanjung Pandan

 

 

            Speaking about the food, you should try the Belitung noodle and of course they have lots of seafood restaurant, the food prices start from $1. For transportation, it will be much easier if you rent a car with a driver - $45 per day, excluding gas . They will drop you to the port, then you can rent a boat for island hoping.

            Overall I spent $200 for 3 days 2 nights in Belitung island, including return flight tickets by Batavia Air, accommodations, meals, transportations. If you’re too lazy to arrange your own trip to Belitung Island and prefer to go on with travel agent / tour group, you can check www.sunburstadventure.com  , they have weekend trip schedule to Belitung Island, in a very affordable price.

Spankys in Jakarta



Lemon grass martini after work at Spankys - Kemang, anyone ?

  

     This post I'm going to share with you all will be different from all my previous posts. Maybe if you ever come to Jakarta, or you live in Jakarta, this culinary and new restaurant post can be another recommendation to try. Finished working earlier then went to see art night for a while before going to Spankys, a new restaurant specialty in steaks, ribs, and martinis, located in Kemang raya - South Jakarta. As a fan of steak, barbeque and good martinis, I always craving to hunt for Jakarta's new, minimalist, nice place for dinner and drinks after work. Yes Jakarta has lots of nice bars and restaurant, but really few of good place offers amazing steak. So when i heard the news about new restaurant specialty in steak and martinis would open soon in Kemang, next to the Body and Soul shop, which is just 10 minutes from where I live, I decided to stop by, grabbing meals with my colleagues. Arrived in Spankys, the staffs welcomed me with big smiles. Fall in love for the first sight with their minimalist concept, all white, with the big mirror and vintage portrait and paintings. Very comfy and chill ambiance. First floor just perfect to have cocktails or drinks. I recommend you to try mocha martini and lemon grass martini. Go up to the second floor, you'll see more spaces to eat. Love the furniture, and big circle window. I guess i can sit there for hours just blogging and having brunch, as they serve pies,ribs, my favorite Mac 'n cheese,  and  many more choices for brunch, couldnt be more happier to eat a lot in the lazy weekend :)

       I tried their pork quesadilla and steak, the food price starts from $2 for light snacks and steak starts from $7. The chef recommended me to try imported baby back pork ribs and australian rib eye with gravy sauce and bbq sauce smokey whiskey,which was soooo delicious. I also recommend you to try the Balinese sambal matah, red rice, also chicken and papaya salad ( $5), perfect mix of asian spiced chicken with mint, roasted peanut and sweet papaya, very fresh and healthy. Do not miss the delicious coconut vanilla panna cotta with caramelized fruit. It was a great dinner with great companion, happy to catch up with clients, colleagues, and had interesting conversation with new friends Phillip and Laurent.and of course my beloved ladies Ann, Marcia and Rike.

Come check Spankys at
Jl. Kemang raya no.24a
Jakarta selatan 12730
Phone : 021 - 7182876

Email marketing : andrea@spankysribs.com

 

Bali ( Part One )



Tanah Lot area

Be sure to check my newest post about Bali from Nusa Ceningan & Blue Lagoon, Nusa Lembongan, The Hidden Paradise, Amed, Bali Cliff & Green Bowl Beach, Padang Bai, and one of my favorite coffee shops in Ubud Coffee Studio Seniman :)

        Good friends of mine and some of the readers asked me “So when are you going to post about Bali ?” You know when it comes to topic traveling to Bali, there’s a lot to explain here on the blog, promise will do my best to give you all the info. This time I will post about Kuta, Nusa Dua and Ubud. Anyway I go to Bali regularly, either for business trip or short holidays. I like Bali better couple of years ago before they paved the paradise to put up a parking lot and hotels. But still whenever I return there, my favorites are watching the cultural ceremony, Kecak dance performance at Uluwatu, local women dress up in Balinese traditional costumes, chatting with local people, walking along the beach, watching the sunset while having drinks with good friends.

Let’s start the journey from the airport. If you’re planning to stay in low budget hostels in Kuta area, take a taxi ( cost you Rp 50.000 – Rp 60.000 / $ 5- 6 ) from airport to Poppies lane - a street next to McDonalds in Kuta where you can find many hostels with the prices range from Rp 150.000 ( $15 per night including breakfast ), I’d like to recommend you to check Sari Jaya Cottage and Berlian Inn located at Gang Sorga - poppies lane just behind the McDonalds. Don’t worry, the rooms are clean and  staff are friendly and helpful. Kuta mostly full of tourists and surfers carry surfboard during summer time, even more interesting in the evening at Legian, this street and the night clubs are packed with tons of people wearing Bintang singlets with bottle of Bir Bintang in their hand, clubbing marathon from Sky Garden, Bounty night club and more of night clubs. To eat in the local restaurant will cost you from Rp 10.000 / $1, like my favorite one just near the Kuta market, there's a javanese restaurant sell chicken satay and fried chicken, tastes so good and cheap.

Poppies lane

Opit at Sari Jaya Cottage @ Gang Sorga, Poppies - Kuta

If you have more budgets for accommodations, staying in Hard Rock Hotel for couple of nights can be a good option too. Chillin at Centerstage of Hard Rock Hotel or go to Hard Rock café for dinner and drinks, Kuta offers you lots of great restaurants and bars you can try out during your stay there. Or, move to Seminyak area, my favorites are Potato Head Beach Club and Ku De Ta. Also would love to recommend you to go to Rock Bar – Ayana Resort Jimbaran ( www.ayanaresort.com ), having calamari and lemon tart martini, perfect for sunset drinks session with good friends ! And speaking about dinner and seafood, do not miss the great sensation of dinner at Jimbaran, delicious seafood with live music performance by the beach.

Special thanks for Ben Wilson from InstaTravelHub for a gorgeous shot from Rock Bar Ayana Resort.
You can check his blog and photos collections at www.instatravelhub.com and facebook.com/instatravelhub

Dinner at Jimbaran

Forget about Kuta if you’re looking for a quiet place to relaxing. Hotels in Nusa Dua, like Club Med and Novotel can be good options to stay. While you’re staying in Nusa Dua, do visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Dreamland beach, Blue Point, Padang-Padang beach, Uluwatu just before 5pm to see the Kecak Dance Performance ( ticket to see the dance performance should be around $5 – 7 ) . They're all located close to each other, would be much easier if you rent motorcycle or car for a half day tour. Stop by at Tanjung Benoa for water sports activities like parasailing, banana boat, jetski, and fly fish. The price to do parasailing starts from Rp 60.000 or $6.  

Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua

Club Med Bali, Nusa Dua

Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Parasailing at Tanjung Benoa

Swimming at Kelapa Restaurant @ Dreamland / New Kurta Beach

Josh and Drun walking along Dreamland

Taking Josh to Uluwatu

Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot

Make sure to visit Ubud too. You can take shuttle bus ( Rp 50.000 / $5 ) from Legian street in Kuta to Ubud, check www.peramatour.com to find out the bus schedules.  Check out Ubud exotic nature, the monkey forest, burn some cash on shopping at  Sukawati and Ubud market, also do some food tastings as they have sooo many wide selections of culinary in Ubud, like Bar Luna, Nomad, Cafe des Artisted, and Indus Restaurant. Food price starts from $3 per person. Ubud has some low budget hostels, you can find them easily just next to the Ubud market with the price range from Rp 80.000 / $ 8 per night including breakfast. Go rent bicycle and ride around Ubud in the morning, sign up for cooking and yoga classes, or just simply read books in coffee shop, Ubud is a perfect place to relax and being lazy. Feel free to check out my previous post about Ubud Writers Readers Festival 2011, it was a great festival to attend if you’re a fan of books and literature.

Ubud Market

Eat.Pray.Love !

For the next post, I will talk about Nusa Lembongan and Lovina Beach to see dolphins in Bali. Also, another recommendation of places to visit while you’re in Indonesia – Belitung Island ! It’s almost the end of the year, I definitely had the best 10 months in 2012, everything happened this year was actually more than I’ve expected and of course looking forward for a greater and better days and year. Just wonder if you guys have made some plans for end of year trip ? Travelagys will take you to 11 days trip in December, where … ? Stay tuned for more travel info, in the mean time feel free to follow my little adventure on instagram, @travelagys and you're all more than welcome to post and share your travel photos with us at www.facebook.com/instatravelhub.

Happy travels

Green Canyon - Batu Karas Pangandaran beach , West Java

Hekris Akwilla and Andrettya Minagyta hunting some fresh seafood in West Java

Loving my Sunday morning routine ! Having big brekkie in my bed, newspaper, music, fresh air, checking emails…Life’s good, baby ! Would love to thank you all for the positive response and dropping by at my new travel blog, it’s been a very interesting 48 days editing photos, blogging, replying emails from the readers, sharing my travel experiences with other travel lovers, definitely can’t wait for my next trip in November.

Green Canyon - West Java

Was looking at some old photos from a trip with high school buddies couple of years ago, I hope this post could be a recommendation of places to visit if you’re going to West Java, Indonesia. Andret, Bram, Will, Riza and me went to Green Canyon at Desa Kertayasa, Cijulang - Ciamis and Batu Karas Pangandaran beach in West Java back in 2009. Driving for 9 hours from Jakarta to Pangandaran,  it was a fun drive. We laughed, jammin’, had lunch somewhere in West Java, continued driving til we realized Will left this box of medicines for face treatment he couldn’t live without, so we had to drive back to the restaurant to pick his stuff, but anyway we made it to Pangandaran beach, booked a room for Rp 150.000 ( $15 ) with a medium size bed for 5 people – had to squeeze all night.

You can also take the public transportation / bus from Kampung Rambutan bus station – Jakarta to Pangandaran for Rp 60.000 or $6 one way. They normally leave the bus station at night, 9pm ish, and arrive in Pangandaran early morning.  From there, you can either rent a car to take you to the Green Canyon, Batu Karas and Pangandaran beach ( those three places located not so far from each other, to rent a motorcycle could be a good option too ) or take a tour package with local guide.

Me and my friends had seafood for dinner at the fish market near our hotel. Will and Andret were so excited to choose the fish and get the guy to grill them, while Bram and Riza bought the magic mushroom for Rp 200.000 ( $ 20 ) from a local guy, they simply couldn’t wait to have them as a desert after big seafood.

seafood

:)

The seafood was really good and cheap, we spent Rp 200.000 ( $20 ) for 5 kind of meals, well it was in 2009, I’m not sure it’ll cost us the same price if we return there. Back to the hotel, the boys had this magic mushroom, even tho there was nothing happen after waiting for an hour, bad quality of shroom practically. Then we went to the beach just in front of our hotel, just jammin’ and enjoying the breeze and shooting stars, was a great night with lovely people, priceless !

The next morning we went to Green Canyon. We paid Rp 75.000 ( $8 ) for the ticket / person, and another Rp 100.000 ( $10 ) for the guide. I forgot our guide’s name but he was a friendly and fun man, he even gave us more time to explore the green canyon ( as much as we want ) while normally the other guide would just give you an hour to explore the place then you have to come back to the port, or you should pay more to stay longer.

Green Canyon was really a beautiful place. The small port was packed with tourists that morning, that it took us around 15 minutes by boat to the Green Canyon. Fresh air, clean green river, the jungle with massive palms and teak trees.

Before Green Canyon

Done exploring Green Canyon, we moved to Batu Karas and Pangandaran beach – another surfer’s paradise. The boys went surfin, while Andret and me taking photos and soak up the sun.

Pangandaran Beach

Batu Karas beach

Green Canyon could be a great weekend getaway for Jakartans who wants to escape from the hustle bustle of the city, it won’t be that expensive if you share the travel costs with your friends, as me and my friends spent Rp 250.000 / $25 per person for 3 days . Speaking about accommodation, Pangandaran area has so many hotels with various price from the low budget ones til the mid-range ( $5 - $ 50 per night ), many restaurants from western food, seafood, to the local dishes ( $ 1 - $ 15 ).  While the tour package from Jakarta to Green Canyon would cost you from Rp 500.000 - Rp 900.000 ( $ 50 - 90 ) or even more

Wish everyone a happy Sunday, about to off soon for Sunday brunch with my favorite people :)