My Travel Map!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Singapore Gerek Seh -Dec2009-

Its our ritual-end-of-the-year vacation/celebration, and since most of us want to save money, (me personally wanna save money for my wedding on the 14th Feb 2010), we chose Singapore (n the other group went to Indo-China..huhuh)...Our travelling group is smaller this time; me, rahim, kaf, lina and abg irwan. Not a trip to be remembered though (on the "jalan-jalan" part), but we sure gotta remember Siloso Beach Party!!!!n yes, we sure did...

It was a short trip; enough to experience New Year Celebration and part of Spore. We never get to experience the whole Singapore though, yeah, maybe next time, with a bigger group..and lots of money for shopping!

One must know that to enter Spore by car, the car must be registered upon entrance (entry = SING6, exit = RM6) and get an AutoPass for SING10 (since most highway in Spore is under ERP - which means Every Road Pay, nah...its actually means Electronic Road Pricing). Its similar to having SmartTAG in Msia. Car registration requires passport and roadtax. Oh ya, one more thing, I think there is some payment for entrance, but Msian is allowed to drive 10 days for free. Check this website. (www.singaporeguides.info/html/general-info/point-of-entry.shtml)

We went to Bugis Junction on our first day in Spore, for street shopping, n somewhere around town on the second day. We went to shop at Paragon, and all the malls located along Orchard Road. There's a lot of shopping malls around Orchard area, that you could just park your car and walk. Dont underestimate the parking rate though. It is expensive!The only thing that I remember most from this trip; yeah, its one hell of a shopping trip. I've spent close to RM1000 myself.or maybe more, !.haha..There's a lot of RAOUL, GUESS, DOCKERS,ARMANI EXCHANGE, etc shopping bags at the back of our car..(n kantoi ngan imigresen, so kene byr tax plak...)Hahaha.

Our main intention going to Spore is to celebrate new year. Siloso Beach Party. Thats what they called it. Cool DJs, cool place, cool selection of songs, cool party n yeah, coolness! (for the fact that they have their signature-foam-ppooll!). Its kinda havoc n out-of-control sometimes (yah, I've got to see some bangla harrassed a lady in front of my eyes!, n dats disgusting!benci2!!!). I felt a bit secure coz my fiance is around. Ok, enough about the party. But guess what, they have it every year, so check it out (http://www.silosobeachparty.com/). Its the coolest party in town!



Food.....Many great eating places can be found in Spore, and we did find one. Hajjah Maimunah Restaurant, on Arab street and I am still craving for her tasty "Rojak Tahu". Yummy! I dont recall how much we spent for this, but its considered expensive if you were to compare it with Msian food. Of cois!
Lepaking at Arab street at night can also be a good choice. There's no "mat rempit! For the first time, lepak seems exclusive and high-class

Accommodation....We stayed in a budget hotel near Bugis(Beach hotel) for SING100 per night, not that near though to Sentosa Island, but good enough for us (We have the same mutual understanding that its even wiser to spend more money on shopping, not for accommodation). We dont have that big of a problem since we are travelling by car. But we surely gonna book one of those in Sentosa Island if we gonna come again next time.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Shopping Spree, Jakarta -Oct2009-

It was a trip to buy all of my wedding stuffs!Will write more bout it.

But first, check out my wedding blog..bubblybridetobe.blogspot..I have written few things on Jakarta trip!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Jakarta Rock! -May2009-

I have never been to the land of Java my entire life, I am half-javanese myself, but the farthest that I have been to is only Batam and Riau (since I still got relatives living there). It was so exciting knowing my friends and I are finally decided that we should go to Jakarta, and since there's a good promo ticket price from MAS; return ticket for only RM100, I just got to say yes to that!This is also my first time ever taking MAS (Malaysia Airlines) for non-business trip

Jakarta, capital city of Indonesia, the most paced up, the most hectic place in Java that you could find. It's more organized if you were to compared with Bandung, more civilized as well. We only have 2 days 1 night to  explore Jakarta (after 4 tiring days in Bandung!) which is obviously not enough (I've got to be back here for more)

It is supposed to be a trip to Bandung only, but Jakarta is not to be missed. We took Xtrans from Bandung (refer to my blogpost on Bandung) to Jakarta heading straight to Jalan Jaksa. It's a small narrow road where you can find lots of bulek (foreigners), and there is a lot of other budget hotels surrounding it. Jalan Jaksa got a world on its own! Read for yourself!http://www.jalanjaksa.com/happenings.html.




For budget travellers, I would recommend Jalan Jaksa's budget hotels not just because the price is not expensive at all, but they are also strategically located in Jakarta city center, but if you have extra money and demand for comfortable and luxurious stay, I wouldnt recommend you Jalan Jaksa's. Le Margot Hotel, the hotel we chose after reading Lonely Planet but since there is no hotel website, but I think you can make booking via phone call.Phone: + (021)3913830 The hotel is good enough for us, for RM30 per person, per night, we're already thankful.
And if you walk straight heading city centre, you can easily reach Plaza Indonesia, etc by walking from Jalan Jaksa which is a bless since we love shopping sooo much. Not forgotten the famous Hard Rock Cafe/Shop which is also located near Plaza Indonesia. If you want to take a taxi, its only Rp20000 away to Plaza Indonesia

That day we arrived, we went straight to famous Ancol (a place of fun and entertainment). My parents have been years talking about their trip to Ancol, and yes, this place is not to be missed! The rides are more thrilling and adventurous in Ancol (compared to the one in Genting). We wouldnt dare riding any of those, but yes, Nelly and Jam were saying yes to the above photo ride, and they ended up being sick (Jam got really2 sick), after that. Huhu. I am not sure whether it is because of the food, or the rides, I am not so sure...hehehe..but guys, think twice if you are thinking of going for their rides!

Ancol is very close to the Mangga Dua shopping complex and we didnt know which part of Mangga Dua we've been to. Mangga Dua is an area consists of shopping centers;some are very near to each others, and some are even connected, and you'll ended up not knowing which shopping mall that you're in. The main six giant shopping centers are the Mangga Dua Mall which is connected via a bridge to The Harco Mas Mangga Dua, the Mangga Dua WTC, the ITC Mangga Dua (I  and II) , the Dusit Mangga Dua and the Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua. Mangga Dua area is famous for their selection of clothes and electronics.

My friend once said that one should go to Pasar Pagi at Mangga Dua if you want a great bargain of Indonesia products, but we couldnt find the place, so we ended up shopping for DVDs at Mangga Dua. Its bloody cheap. 1 DVD for ~RM1.50?That's super cheap. I think we spent more than 2 hours browsing for our favourite TV series/movie, and spent lots of money there..Haha.

Since there's nothing much we could find in Mangga Dua, we just head straight home, I mean, hotel..haha..Went to a good restaurant (somewhere near Jalan Jaksa) to have our dinner, and didnt do anything else but sleeping that night. We're very tired maybe. (Oh ya, I suggest that you take taxi or bus from Ancol to Mangga Dua as it is quite a distance)
The next day, we went to Plaza Indonesia to shop!Jam still wasnt feeling well, so he chose to stay in the hotel room instead. Felt sorry for him, but life goes on. So we went to have our brunch at Plaza Indonesia's Food Court. Please, and please, and please go there if you are in Jakarta!Even though it is just a food court, it's a great place to experience Indonesian food choices!

Oh, I ve got a lot to say but I am signing off. Later dude!(I've got 3-4 Jakarta trips that I have yet to write...sigh~)

xoxo

-estro-

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Bandung Food Trail -May2009-


at Rumah Mode
It was supposed to be a Bandung-Shopping-Spree!I heard so many stories from friends bout how awesome their shopping trips were, n I saved RM2000 solely for shopping. N yes, I am not like most ppl, I shouldnt realle expect that I have the same taste in fashion though..huhuhu, I hate to say this, but I really dont think shopping is the greatest thing about Bandung.
But we enjoyed Bandung as much as the shoppers were, totally in a different way.

me and my lil sista
It was officially changed to "Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan" (food trail) as we think the food is awesome!Unlimited awesomeness I would say.

It was a 5 days-4 nites trip, wif Kaf, Jam, Nelly (little sister) and Afifi. We took a flight to Jakarta using MAS (that way, we can be carrying stuff more than 15KGs). There are few ways to reach Bandung from Jakarta; either using airplane, taxis, vans and buses. The buses are pretty slow though, and they only take passengers 11am the earliest

1) Taxi from the airport - Use only Blue Bird, because its reliable and metered. Try not to use other taxis (dats what Ive understand from other bloggers). Refer to this link to get more info on taxis in Bandung. http://jakartahotels.com/info/taxis.php

2) Trains - Its pretty reliable coz they have proper schedule, but you have to travel to the Jakarta City (Stasiun Gambir) to use this transportation mode, and its a hassle for us, since you have to carry your luggages and take taxis or buses. The cost of the ticket cheapest which is Rp 20.000,- to Rp 40.000,- (depending on the class)

3) Xtrans - (this is our choice, and also recommended mode of transportation to/fro Jakarta Bandung). Its cheap, most reliable (coz they r punctual), comfortable, fast n cheap!!One way ride costs us approximate RM30+ only. http://www.xtrans.co.id/. Their tagline is "fully commited for on-time departure, excellent service, safety and convenient", so its pretty much telling you that their services is tip-top!. Fully recommended!

pose at Mt Tangkuban Perahu

  



Its very strategic, bacause its located along Jalan Dago (the road where the factory outlets are located). You can just walk from the hotel to the factory outlets, but we took the bus instead,since its available (Its not really a bus, its a van, that you can stop anywhere along their route, and it costs us RM1 per ride, per person).

Since that we have 4 days in Bandung, we thought that it would be better if we start wif some sightseeing activities. So we went to Tangkuban Perahu, an active volcano which is famous with a legend of a man, named Sangkuriang who wanted to marry his own mom (which he didnt recognized after being cast away for disobedience when he was still a little boy) , and the mother has to stop that from happening by demanding him to build a boat (perahu) in one day but the boat has to be ready before sunrise. Unfortunely, the perahu couldnt be completed,so the lady resisted his offer to marry her, and he was so mad that he threw the perahu and the perahu landed on a upturned position and became a mount(tangkuban means upturned);a story that I heard from my parents since I was still a little girl, and now I've got to see the place myself. We've paid Pak Engkus ~RM100 per day (for 5 person, so it can be considered as cheap) for a minivan ride to any places (Toyota Unser), and he took us to our first spot, Tangkuban Perahu which is located I think 2 hours away from Dago.

I couldnt say much about this place, since yes, its undeniable beautiful, but they were many street hawkers (which is this situation, its not streets), that sell you stuffs at higher price (what do you expect, we're all tourists, so we're not that poor) and they keep pushing you to buy their stuffs, and they will not stop until you buy. They were 5 of them who keep following us everywhere we go, so it felt kinda uncomfortable. From Rp100,000 to Rp10,000, they were so persistence.Well, I got to buy something though just to keep them away. So I bought a pack of strawberries that costs me Rp20,000. Sigh~. We were also told that there's a hotspring nearby,where you can enjoy volcanos hotsprings, and in order to go there, one must pay some amount to a tour guide. And we said ok to that, thinking that the place is not within walking distance, and thought that we're paying for a van trip, etc. Never thought that its only a 15-mins walking accompanied by two tour guides and yes, you dont need two, or even one tour guide for that, since there's a lot of signboards for you to get there. Yes, we've been tricked, as the tour guides actually asking for Rp500,000 for the "accompanying" service. I would argue if I were in Malaysia,but since we are outsiders, we just have to adhere. huhuhu...

After a disappointing trip to Tangkuban Perahu, we went to Kampung Daun for lunch. It was a place recommended by a friend, and I fully understand why she recommended this one. The place was great;the food, the view, serene, peaceful, beautiful,delicious,yap, I've said it all. And that "Banana fritters with ice cream" was one of the greatest that I have tasted. Yeah, I am a fan of this dessert, and everywhere I go, this is among the first thing that I'll search for. hehe.

We went to the famous shopping mall in Sukajadi, called "Paris Van Java", and yeah, as usual, we shopped. This mall is famous because of its Paris-like atmosphere.I never been to Paris, so I couldnt really tell. At least, "Charles and Keith" products are sold at cheaper price, and there's a lot more design/products as compared to Msia. Well,again, search for a good food is on again. We had our tea break in one of the cafe (Oh la la Cafe) serving strawberries and chocolate waffle, and drinks, before dinner time. I couldnt recall the name of the coffee shop though, I just guess. We went for a taste of sundanese food for dinner, couldnt remember the name of the restaurant, but I do remember one thing, the food is awesome (try to find Sundanese level at located on ground level)!!!!!!!!!!Nasi timbel, Nasi lalapan, ayam bakar...oh, I couldnt forget the taste of all those. Thank to my friend, Aleeyah, who is pursuing her medical degree (at that time) in Bandung, and she's the one who recommended that place to us.

The next day, we went to Dago factory outlets, along Jalan Dago. There are more than 20 outlets selling clothes, bags, belts, etc, but those places have failed to amuse me, as a shopper, and shopping is my entertainment. But Rumah Mode restaurant and cafe left me one hell of a good memory. We had plenty of "es" or ice desserts. From "Es buah" to "Es campur" and "Es alpukat", I think we enjoyed the desserts more than the shopping exercises.haha.

Oh ya, Bumbu Desa is the bestest (I dont know whether there is such word..haha) sundanese food restaurant on earth (yes, I exaggerated a bit). The chicken, the sambals, the hot chillis, oh my, I wish I can go there again now just to eat there. I dont quite remember the location, but you can always ask your driver to take you there. And its a blessing Bumbu Desa has opened its branches in Msia today. But I always think the main restaurant (which is in Bandung) tastes better.

The famous Pasar Baru is also one of the top most visited place in Bandung. Its like a normal shopping mall, but they mostly sell garments at cheaper price (lots cheaper compared to Malaysia). For embroided baju kebaya, you can get there at RM25 each (full set). Me and my sister bought more than 10 kebaya for our family, and lots of pretty fabrics for our Hari Raya.

If you walk to the left of Pasar Baru, you can find a street of tailors. They sew pants for RM16 each (complete with fabric and the sewing services). I picked a jean material, and couple of fabrics for my work pants, and its added up to only RM60. Its a 24-hour services, and you can only collect your pants a day after.

There's another good restaurant I would like recommend located along Jalan Dago, but I couldnt remember the name of the place. Its cheap, serve tasty food, and the atmosphere is great. Ah, Bandung food trail was awesome. If only I could have a second one though (well, as of today, its still not safe to travel to Indonesia due to political issues and weather..huhuhu)

Oh ya, here's my list of other recommended places if you were to visit Bandung! We will make sure to visit these places next time around

  1. Taman Rekreasi Seri Ater @ Ciater Hot Spring for a hot relaxing bath!
  2. Cidiwey (house of strawberries) - This is one of shooting location of the famous Indonesian movie, "Heart"
  3. Lunch at Sambara restaurant - Just ask your taxi driver the whereabout
  4. Other shopping spots? Check out Cihampelas (heaven for jeans), and Cibaduyut (heaven for handbags)...We have made few attempts to go there, but it's always 'macet' (heavy traffic)
  5. Have extra days in Bandung? Opt for a road trip to Bogor - Famous attractions in Bogor: Botanical Garden, Istana Bogor (Bogor castle), Rumah Anggrek (House of orchids) and don't forget to drop by at Fishing Valley for a nice seafood lunch
  6. Dinner in Dago Atas can be the ultimate oppurtunity to get some fresh air, enjoy panoramic views of the city as well as the surrounding hills and taste some of the best cuisine around Bandung after shopping in one of the countless factory outlets in lower Dago. The city lights by night will provide a mesmerizing bird's eye view of Bandung
  7. Spa at Dago area. It is bloody cheap. We went to this one shop (which I couldnt recalled the name), and we've paid RM30 each per person, for a 2-hour creambath and treatment!!!

 Oh ya, I have not listed down the factory outlets that you must visit if you were to go to Bandung, to shop (the one in BOLD is the must-visit FO;
  1. Bale Anak Outlet- Jl. Sumatra 31 P: +62 22 4215606
  2. Best Choice - Jl. Sukajadi 227 P: +62 22 2030924
  3. Big Price Cut - Jl. Aceh 66 P: +62 22 4202166
  4. Blossom Factory Outlet - Jl. Dago 40132
  5. Cargo - Jl. P. Diponegoro 30 P: +62 22 7200233
  6. FOS Clothing Gallery - Jl. Setiabudhi No: 73 P: +62 22 2043676
  7. Herreds - Jl. Aceh 40114
  8. Herritage- Jl. R.E. Martadinata 26 40114 P: +62 22 4220545
  9. Otten One - Jl. Dr. Otten No. 1 P: +62 22 4264905
  10. Raflesia City - Jl. Dago 40132
  11. Rich & Famous - Jl. Ir. H. Djuanda No: 14 P: +62 22 4265222
  12. STAR FASHION Factory Outlet - Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No.108 P: +62 22 2510000
  13. Stock Centre - Jl. Soekarno Hatta 24 40212 P: +62 22 6035531
  14. Terminal Mode - Jl. Lombok 45 P: +62 22 4239656
  15. The Summit Boutique Outlet - Jl. Riau No. 61 P: +62 22 4221001
  16. Warung Gaul Fashion Outlet - Jl. Cihampelas 151 P: +62 22 2034987
  17. Merdeka Outlet
  18. Level FO
  19. Victoria FO
  20. Raffles FO
And last but not least, a trip to Bandung would not be complete without buying Kartika Sari brownies. So head up to the branch at Dago, and buy kgs for your family and friends!

Till later y'all
xoxo

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Bali, the Proposal -Feb2009-

This is where Rahim proposed! Went there for a-day visit (on Valentine's day), and it was awesome!!!!!(**n we got married exactly a year after - on 14th Feb 2010). Didnt quite managed to go to all Bali main attractions, (Cant wait for our next Bali trip in May 2010!!). We went to Kuta Beach for our Mcdonald-lunch and visited the famous Garuda Wisnu Kecana (GWK), and it was awesome!, In the afternoon, we went to Nusa Dua for snorkelling and straight to Jimbaran Beach afterwards for that surprise sunset dinner for me by the beach (and he proposed to me!!!, n I said yes!)

Taxi ride from airport to Kuta wasnt expensive at all. I think its around RM15 the max.The rate might increase nowadays..

Kuta beach?its totally overrated. Despite the facts that there's a lot of tourists n surfers, I think the beach is not kinda beach that I wanna visit next time. If you are a surfer, you might think of going there, since Kuta beach offers incredibly huge waves for the surfer and surf/wake board rental services for 20usd per hour , which is damn expensive. Totally not going there again. the beach is not clean, and there's a lot of hawkers trying hard to sell their stuff/services. Keep meeting them every 5 minutes, and I dont feel comfortable around there. Well, Hard Rock cafe/hotel is located alongside, and I've got to buy a Bali Hard Rock Tshirt to add up to my collection..wink2..so we went there anyways..


Garuda Wisnu Kencana?Or locally known as GWK (pronounced as "ge-we-ke"). Our taxi driver recommended this place. He said if we were to pay him ~RM100, he will takes us to GWK, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran in one day (the top most visited), and we said yes (I think its kinda pricey, but since Rahim's paying, I dont care..hahaha). I really like GWK, its a private cultural park, showing big sculptures, and somehow I think the place is awesome (for photography session)!Great views, great sculptures, green grass, big stones (and I was thinking of saving this place for my post-wedding shots)..hahaha..Well, I do appreciate great views..and I thought that's we are paying for when travelling out of Msia aite?


Nusa dua? We paid RM100 for a snorkelling trip for two, enough for us to experience snorkelling for 2 hours, turtle islands, and a return trip to Nusa Dua islands (with a glass boat, so you can see the fishes from your boat). Dont ever be fooled by this package, the water is not that crystal-clear, and I couldnt see the fishes(I think might be because of the weather). If I were to visit Bali again next time, I will definitely consider staying in Nusa Dua area. Its a high-class area, with white sandy beaches and the hotels are all exclusive.

We went to Jimbaran Beach for the famous sunset dinner (their well known Jimbaran Ikan Bakar is a must taste, sedaaap), and thats when Rahim proposed to me..Everything was perfect. Candlelight dinner in Bali, sunset, table on the beach (with our foots touching the white sandy beach), and that cute 0.3K diamond ring that Rahim chose himself (well, good enough for engagement I guess). I'm officially his then (well, not quite la, since the engagement ceremony is right after!) And tell you what, I'm so going to Bali again!