East Java & Bali Road Trip December 2013

Tomorrow I am starting my road trip with a friend for the end of the year of 2013....

Finally the time has come!!!! :) :) :)

Starting on December 20th finishing on December 29th, my route trip would be an adventurous one, exploring East Java (especially Banyuwangi Regency) and Northern Part of Bali and probably also The Gili Islands in Lombok, my favourite islands.....

My Road Trip Route is:
1. Surabaya - Banyuwangi (by train - IDR 140.000 per person)
2. Banyuwangi - Mount Ijen - Banyuwangi (by car & foot - IDR 500.000 for tour guide)
3. Banyuwangi - Sukamade Beach - Banyuwangi (by car rental - unplanned yet)
4. Banyuwangi - Pulau Menjangan Bali (by ship & bus - unplanned)
5. Pulau Menjangan Bali - Lovina (by public transport - unplanned)
6. Lovina - Singaraja (by public transport - unplanned)
7. Singaraja - Tulamben (by public transport - unplanned)
8. Tulamben - Amed (by public transport - unplanned)
9. Amed - Ubud (by public transport - unplanned)
10. Ubud - Kuta (by public transport - unplanned)
11. Kuta - Gili Islands Lombok (by boat)

So mostly this trip is unplanned except for Mount Ijen part since we need to prepare for everything to prevent bad things happening during the hiking since it's a rainy season in Indonesia.

Hotels are also unplanned and we plan to shop around for hotels on each day. I don't know if it's a good idea in terms of price but for sure it will be fun....

I decided to explore Northern part of Bali since it's the part of Bali that we rarely go and I haven't actually been there since 10+ years ago. And there will be a lot of snorkeling during this trip....

I am super duper excited for this road trip.....

I hope I can stay healthy, strong, and safe for this trip....

How about you all? Any plan for this holiday season?

Pulau Sempu - Hidden Paradise in East Java

One spontaneous decision to explore and go on a road trip to somewhere new....

Me and a friend decided within 2 hours on a Saturday Morning that we were going on a road trip from Surabaya, where we live, down to South Malang (still in East Java).

We drove for about 3 hours down to Malang and stayed overnight there. Very early in the morning at about 5am we departed our hotel and continued on another 3 hour drive down to Sendang Biru Beach where we chartered a boat to get across to the island.

But before we took the boat, we had to register and pay some fees to the Park Officials for a permit.

It's actually a good move for a first timer because some people have been reported missing in the past because the didn't know the ways in Pulau Sempu.

The boat ride took about 15 minutes. It could be much faster though if they use faster and better boats.

As soon as we arrived in Pulau Sempu, we had to walk inside the jungle for about 2 hours. It could be quite challenging for an unprepared physical body condition. Therefore, it's best if you prepare your body, bring enough foods and water along the way.

The most famous destination in Pulau Sempu is Segara Anakan (a lagoon). (Photos below)

The calm water in Segara Anakan is the only place (as far as I know) that you can swim in. Some people choose to camp overnight here and swim in the "lake", but we decided to just have a look and didn't swim because there is no fresh water in the island where you can take a shower after a swim.

Segara Anakan 

 Swimming at Segara Anakan

Calm Water at Segara Anakan

Taking Picture at Segara Anakan

Camping Colony at Segara Anakan

South Sea

On the Cliff

Waves Against the Cliff

After having a good time at Segara Anakan, we decided to go to the next beach. The hiking trail to the two next beaches is quite steep and we had to be very careful with our steps....

A Quite Beach at Pulau Sempu

Chillax at Pulau Sempu

A Quite Beach at Pulau Sempu

Calm and Chillaxing

Waves at Pulau Sempu

Pulau Sempu is a hidden paradise yet to be discovered.....

But, in my opinion, Pulau Sempu should be kept quite and natural so that we can reserve the natures in Pulau Sempu.

And please if you go to Pulau Sempu, don't litter on the beach or anywhere in the jungle. And if you are nice enough, like me :), you would also help collecting the garbages along the way, like we did :).....

Have a great adventure of your life!

Go Back in Time at Fort Rotterdam Makassar

A visit to Makassar, used to be Ujungpandang, will not be complete without a visit to Ford Rotterdam....

Entry to Fort Rotterdam is absolutely free. You can sign up your name as a visitor at the entry office near the entrance.

Fort Rotterdam is basically operated as a museum in Makassar City.

Fort Rotterdam is one of the highlights when I visited Makassar in September 2013.

Toraja - Rich in Culture & Tradition

So, I haven't been updating this travel blog of mine for quite some time. But, I decided to update this blog with an entry of my recent travel to Tana Toraja in South Sulawesi / Celebes, Indonesia.

It was such a surreal experience. While it might not be one of the most popular travel destinations among Indonesians, it could be very interesting to international tourists who are looking for something new, especially those who are interested in cultures and traditions.

Starting my journey by car from Makassar, the Capital of South Sulawesi, at 10pm, the road trip took about 8 hours. We decided to sleep in the car for that night. Thank God for a good and strong driver who didn't sleep through the night. Thinking about it now, it was quite insane and tiring. But it was all worth it when we saw the many interesting and unique sites in Toraja.

We arrived in Toraja at about 9 am, since we took a roadside break for about 2 hours to let the driver catch some zzz-s.

The first site we visited was LONDA. The site which has graves in caves....

In front of the graveyard caves....

Venturing inside the cave... At some parts we had to crawl up and down through the cave....

We were also lucky enough to attend a Torajan funeral ceremony which was apparently visited by some foreign tourists. One of the tourists said that they had to donate a cow for the ceremony while we didn't have to.....

A tourist taking picture of the ceremony

 The relatives of the deceased....

After watching the ceremony, we went to the next site which was Kete' Kesu which is a colony of some villagers.... it's so nice to see a group of "Tongkonan" (traditional Torajan ancestral Houses) and the types of houses where they live in....

Next was Londa with a Torajan tomb in a high rocky cliff.

There is also this unique custom in Tana Toraja that the bury babies who died before they reached six months old in trees.

"Baby Trees"

Apparently a trip to Tana Toraja was a quite unique and interesting one..... A trip which you won't forget for the rest of your life and probably the only experience you can't get anywhere else in the world.

A look at one of the many cultures of Indonesia at Tana Toraja was an absolute eye-opener of how rich Indonesia is in culture and tradition....

Movie Review: G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)

Directed by: Jon. M. Chu
Casts:
D.J. Cotrona, Byun-Hung Lee, Adrianne Palicki, Dwayne Johnson, Bruce Willis, Channing Tatum

Genre: Action & Adventure, Science Fiction & Fantasy

My Movie Rating: 70/100

• I came to the theatre with mixed expectations. On one hand, I knew this movie would be good. But on the other hand, some of my friends who watched it before me said it's not as good as the first one. In addition, the rating on rottentomatoes was not as high as I thought.
• But well, I actually loved and enjoyed every bit of this movie. It has very awesome actions
• You don't come to watch this movie to see amazing storyline, but to see some very cool actions.
• The casts are also very charismatic. Adriaane Palicki was very hot in this movie.
• One negative to some of my girl friends is that Channing Tatum's character died at the very beginning of the movie. But well, for me, it's not too big of a deal..... :)

Movie Review: Olympus Has Fallen (2013)

OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN

Casts:
Gerard Butler as Mike Banning
Morgan Freeman as President Benjamin Ashley
Aaron Eckhart
Melissa Leo
Ashley Judd


Genre: Drama, Action, Adventure

My Rating: 75/100

• The movie is very intense from the beginning to the end and has very touching moments especially for nationalism of a country.
• This movie also plays with emotions. I had some angers at certain times, sadness at some, and proud at a couple times.
• In general, I think it's a great entertaining movie that audiences would enjoy.
• However, the storyline is pretty predictable and I feel like critics wouldn't like it.
• But, who cares about critics if you actually enjoy watching the movie. I would rate this movie 75/100.
• The performances of the actors are also great, especially Gerard Butler and Melissa Leo, whose acting performances stood out to me.....

Movie Review: Habibie & Ainun (2012)

INDONESIAN MOVIE......

Based on a memoir by B. J. Habibie, the 3rd President of Republic of Indonesia

Casts: Reza Rahardian, Bunga Citra Lestari, Tio Pakusadewo


It's a very touching movie about the real life story of the love between the third president of Republic of Indonesia and his wife, Ainun Habibie.....

• There a re very touching moments in the movie about the true love between two people that can only be separated by death.....
• The casts are amazing in depicting the real life characters......
• I think it's ne of the best Indonesian movies ever....
• There are some interesting facts about politics in Indonesia described by this picture.....

If you wanna watch the movie, you can watch here (Note: No English Subtitles)

http://www.dennyshotspot.com/

Quote of the Day - March 10, 2013

"Success is a state of mind. 

If you want success, 

start thinking of yourself as a success."

~ Dr. Joyce Brothers ~

Quote of the Day - March 9, 2013

"We are all faced 

with a series of great opportunities 

brilliantly disguised 

as impossible situations."

~Charles Swindoll~

Quote of the Day - March 8, 2013

"Knowledge is not enough; 

we must apply.

Willingness is not enough; 

we must do it."

~Bruce Lee~

Quote of the Day - March 7, 2013

"The greatest glory 

is not never falling 

but in rising everytime we fall."

~Unknown~

Movie Review: Jack the Giant Slayer (2013)

Movie Rating: 45/100
Genre: Fantasy, Drama, Action Adventure
Casts: Nicholas Hoult, Eleanor Tomlinson, Ewan McGregror, Stanley Tucci, Eddie Marsan
Directed by: Bryan Singer
My Comments:

• I am not a big fan of this movie.
• It's not wonderful but it's also not bad. It's simply mediocre.
• It's not a movie that would make you in awe or remember anything after it. It's forgetful.
• Sometimes during the movie, it felt so boring and cheesy.
• However, the cast is pretty awesome especially Ewan McGregor who did a very very good job playing his character in this movie.
• Well, to sum up all my comments, this movie is simply FORGETFUL.

Movie Review: Magic Mike (2012)

Movie Rating: 70/100
Genre: Comedy Drama
Casts: Channing Tatum, Matthew McConaughey, Alex Pettyfer, Matt Bomer, Joey Manganiello, Cody Horn
Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
My Comments:

• This is just an OK movie. It's actually worse than I thought. I thought I would enjoy watching it more, but I simply didn't.
• There's a lot of skin showing in this movie.
• The storyline is pretty shallow but I already expected this for this kind of movie.
• I realized from this movie that Channing Tatum is a pretty damn good dancer.
• However, it's pretty entertaining in some ways.
• With that amount of skin showing of the muscle beefy hot sexy hunk stars, this movie will for sure attract girls and/or gays audience.

Quote of the Day - March 6, 2013

"There is no elevator to success...

you have to take the stairs."

~Zig Ziglar~

Movie Review: Identity Thief (2013)

Movie Rating: 80/100
Genre: Crime Comedy
Casts: Jason Bateman, Melissa McCarthy
Directed by: Seth Gordon
My Comments:

• It's a pretty good movie if you want some comedy and relaxed movie time.
• Melissa McCarthy is funny and comical, as always.
• Jason Bateman is also great in this movie, just like what he is in his other movies.
• By the end of the movie, the story gets more touching as how Melissa McCarthy's character gets to know and becomes a part of the family.
• This movie is definitely recommended for you if you are up for some laughs.....

Movie Review: Sinister (2012)

Movie Rating: 85/100
Genre: Supernatural Horror
Casts: Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
My Comments:

• This has to be one of the scariest horror movies I have ever watched.
• I got chills a lot of time during the movie. Damn!!! And the ending is very unsettling which makes it even scarier.
• If you love horror movies, you will definitely like this movie.
• Ethan Hawke is a phenomenal actor in this movie. But, I have to give thumbs down to his costar, the wife. Her acting is very stiff in my opinion.

Quote of the Day - March 5, 2013

"The key to success is

for you to make a habit

throughout your life

of doing the things

you FEAR."

~Vincent Van Gogh

Quote of the Day - March 4, 2013

"Life's greatest difficulties 

always happen 

right before 

life's greatest breakthroughs."

~Billy Cox~

Trivia: Why is the Academy Awards Also Called the Oscars?

THE COMMON TRIVIAL QUESTIONS

Why is the Academy Awards also called the Oscars?

How did the Oscar statuette get its name?

How did people come up with the name Oscar for the Academy Awards?

Best answer according to my research:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_did_the_Oscar_statuette_get_its_name

The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) created the awards program in order to recognize outstanding achievement and to encourage excellence in all areas of film-making. The statuette was designed by Cedric Gibbons, art director for MGM studios, and was sculpted by George Stanley. The statuette is that of a knight standing on a reel of film with his hands gripping a sword. Ironically, Gibbons received the award 11 times out of 39 nominations, second only to Walt Disney who won 26 times. The statuette's nickname of Oscar has unknown origins. However, the most common story is that of AMPAS librarian Margaret Herrick commenting that it resembled her Uncle Oscar. The AMPAS official name for the statuette is the Academy Award. The most popular story about the name's origin involves then Academy librarian and future executive director, Margaret Herrick. The story goes that Herrick, upon seeing the statuette sitting on a table exclaimed "it looks just like my Uncle Oscar!" The name stuck and it has been called by that name ever since. 

Another common story involves actress and two-time Academy Award winner Bette Davis, who reportedly named it after her ex-husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, Jr. Columnist Sidney Skolsky, perhaps the first to use the name in print, claimed that the name came from an old music hall joke, "Will you have a cigar, Oscar?" 

Although we don't know the name's true origin, we do know that it quickly gained popularity. In 1934 Hollywood reporter Sidney Skolsky used the name in reference to Katherine Hepburn's win that year. Walt Disney is also reported to have called it by that name in the same year at the Awards ceremony. By 1939 the Academy itself was using the name officially.

No one knows for sure. Bette Davis, who won two Academy Awards during her career, reportedly said the statuette reminded her of her first husband, bandleader Harmon Oscar ("Ham") Nelson. There also is a story that Margaret Herrick, the librarian and director of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, once said that the award looked just like her Uncle Oscar. 

Great Quote of the Day - March 3, 2013

"The chief cause of failure and unhappiness is

trading what you want most 

for what you want now."- Zig Ziglar

Taking MRT from Changi Airport Singapore to Downtown Singapore (Orchard Road)

Taking the public transportation especially MRT when you are in Singapore might save you some money. 
A taxi ride from Changi Airport to Orchard Road might cost you about S$17. Unless you have 4 people in a taxi ride (full capacity), the cost difference between taking MRT and taking taxi might be quite a lot.

Of course, there's also another mode of public transportation service provided by the Airport Authority that you might want to consider.

Last week, I tried taking MRT from the airport to Orchard Road just to see how convenient it is to take the MRT. I found it quite OK despite the need to change train 2 times.

Here is how.........

TAKING MRT FROM CHANGI AIRPORT TO ORCHARD ROAD

In order to take the MRT, you have to go to Terminal 3 first at Changi Airport. MRT station is located at Terminal 3.

Buy your ticket @ S$3.10 per person to get to Orchard Station.

1. Take East West Line (dark green color) from Changi Airport Station (CG2) to Tanah Merah Station (EW4, the 2nd stop after Changi Airport Station)

2. Stop at Tanah Merah Station (EW4) by taking the left platform and then take the train that is going to Joo Koon direction, then make a stop at City Hall Station (EW13, the 9th stop after Tanah Merah Station)

3. Change MRT line to North South Line (red color, Jurong East Direction) from City Hall Station (EW13, NS25) to Orchard Station (NS22) or Somerset Station (NS23) depending on which part of Orchard Road you want to go.

Good luck finding your way around in Singapore!!! :)

~FW~

My 10 Most Satisfying Results and Correct Predictions from The Oscars 2013

Academy Awards 2013

• Best Supporting Actress: Anne Hathaway

Anne Hathaway interview

• Best Actress: Jennifer Lawrence

Jennifer Lawrence's interview after she received the Oscar for Best Actress

• Best Picture: Argo

Very emotional acceptance speech by Ben Affleck.....

• Best Actor: Daniel Day Lewis

• Best Documentary: Innocente

Innocente the Trailer - Such a great touching story of an artist.....

• Best Original Song: Skyfall

• Best Writing - Adapted Screenplay: Argo

Argo the Trailer

• Best Production Design: Lincoln

Lincoln the Trailer

• Best Foreign Language Film: Amour

Amour (Love) the Trailer.....

• Best Sound Mixing: Les Miserables

My Canadian Rockies Tour Itinerary (May 4 - 7, 2011)

I would like to share my Canadian Rockies Tour Itinerary (May 4 - 7, 2011). If you live in Vancouver, you might find this itinerary helpful...... This is basically how I did my road trip to the Canadian Rockies in 2011......

Participants: Boenawan, Resza; Hartanto, Diana ; Thany, Priscilla; Wijaya, Ferry

Wed, May 4
6:00am - 7:00am Vancouver Breakfast at McDonalds or the any other choice

7:00am - 11:00am Vancouver - Kamloops On the road fromVancouver (Joyce / Brentwood) to Kamloops

11:00am - noon Kamloops Lunch OR if not hungry we can continue to Salmon Arm to have lunch at Boston Pizza
noon - 1:30pm Kamloops - Salmon Arm We can have lunch at Boston Pizza, Joey's Restaurant (http://joeys.ca/ourmenu/specials/joeysfeature.html), or McDonald's

1:30pm - 4:50pm Salmon Arm - Golden On the road (POIs in between include: Canyon Hot Springs, Rogers Pass

4:50pm - 5:00pm Golden Take a rest, visit toilet, buy snacks, or fill up gas

5:00pm - 6:30pm Golden - Lake Louise On the road (POIs in between include: Faeder Lake - Yoho Nat'l Park, Wapta Falls, Emerald Lake, Welcome to Alberta Sign)

6:30pm - 9:00pm Lake Louise Dinner, take pictures, enjoy sunset, etc

9:00pm - 10pm Lake louise - Banff On the road to hotel / inn

10:00pm - end Banff Take a shower, sleep, poo, whatever you wanna do, etc
(Hotel: Irwin's Mountain Inn, 429 Banff Avenue, Banff)

Thurs, May 5
8:00am - 9:00am Banff Breakfast and get ready

9:00am - noon Banff - Drumheller On the road (POIs in between include: Peyto Lake)

noon - 3:00pm Drumheller (Dinosaur Valley) Lunch and sightseeing (Dinosaur Trail, World's Largest Dinosaur, Horseshoe Canyon, Hoodoo, Midland prov. Park)

3:00pm - 5:00pm Drumheller - Calgary On the road

5:00pm - 8:00pm Calgary Dinner and city tour

8:30pm - 10:00pm Calgary - Banff On the road

10:00pm - end Banff Take a shower, sleep, poo, whatever you wanna do, etc
(Hotel: Irwin's Mountain Inn, 429 Banff Avenue, Banff)

Fri, May 6
8:00am - 9:00am Banff Breakfast and get ready

9:00am - noon Banff Explore the Banff Village and Lunch

noon - 2:30pm Banff - Columbia Icefield (Latitude 52° N and Longitude 117° W) On the road (POIs include: Hector Lake, Bow Lake, Moraine Lake, Mistaya Canyon, Mount Wilson)

2:30pm - 4:00pm Columbia Icefield Tour Icefield Glacier Adventure (Operating Hours: 9am - 5pm; $49.95 per person; Tours last for 1.5 hours) http://www.explorerockies.com/sightseeing-tours/Icefield-Glacier-Adventure-Ticket-Only--15-hours-10951-N.aspx

4:00pm - 5:30pm Columbia Icefield - Jasper On the road (POIs include: Athabasca Falls)

5:30pm - 8:00pm Jasper Dinner and explore the town

8:00pm - end Jasper Take a shower, sleep, poo, whatever you wanna do, etc
(Hotel: Marmot Lodge, 86 Connaught Drive, Jasper)

Sat, May 7
8:00am - 9:00am Jasper Breakfast and get ready

9:00am - 2:00pm Jasper - Kamloops On the road

2:00pm - 3:00pm Kamloops Lunch in Kamloops

3:00pm - 7:00pm Kamloops - Vancouver On the road

7:00pm - end Vancouver Home Sweet Home! Time to recover our energy….. I hope you enjoyed the tour! :p

Hotel Review: The Haven Bali Seminyak

My most recent stay at February 20 - 22, 2013

The room I stayed in: Suite Room (1 bedroom with livingroom)

What do I have to say about the hotel?

Location: 8.5/10

I think the location is pretty good since it's located in Kuta Legian where the crowd is at in Bali. But for some people, this place is getting increasingly more crowded, hence, some people choose not to stay at this area.

Value to Price: 9/10
I think the price is suitable for the quality that we get. It's not too expensive and considerably cheap according to my point of view.

Rooms: 9/10

The room is quite big especially the living room area (if you book the unit with a livingroom). It's clean, tidy, and comfortable. The living room has flat TV with cable and dining area and also a clean kitchen with a fridge. Interestingly, the bathroom in my room didn't have any curtain and you can see through inside if you peek through the patterned-shade glass window. The room also has balcony along the window and it's pretty wide and spacey therefore you can hangout at the balcony in the morning.

Facility: 9.5/10

This hotel has facilities such as FREE wi-fi service even in every room, quite big swimming pools, 2 lobbies and reception area (at the front and at the back), cozy restaurants and bar area. The hotel is located in a long rectangular area and hence it's a pretty long hotel if you walk from the front to the back of the hotel, but the layout is not very wide.

Hotel Staff: 10/10

Like usual in Bali, the hotel staffs are very friendly and pretty helpful in attending to all your needs.

Would I recommend this hotel to others?

Absolutely YES. I would even like to come back here to stay next time I am in Bali.
This hotel is also great if you are traveling with families with children.

Hotel Review: The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan

The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan

Website: http://www.beachhousegilit.com/


What do I have to say about my experience at this hotel?
I stayed with 5 other friends in a two bedroom villa at this resort.

Villa Quality: 9/10
I had the best time here at Gili Trawangan including my time enjoying the villa. The villa had one small private swimming pool that is pretty clean. The villa also has half-open bathrooms that feel very close to nature.

Price: 8.5/10
The two bedroom villa that I stayed in was priced at Rp 2.500.000 per night and I think it's a pretty acceptable price for the quality of my stay.

Quality of Stay: 9.5/10
I had the best time staying at this hotel and given that the island itself is like a heaven to me.

Location: 10/10
The Beach House Resort Gili Trawangan is located at the heart of the island so it's a very strategic hotel where the crowds, cafes, bars, and restaurants are located.
One strong point of this hotel is LOCATION LOCATION LOCATION

Breakfast: 9/10
What can surpass the feeling of having breakfast in the morning by the beach with some good breakfast meals on the island?

Hotel Staff: 10/10
The hotel staffs are generally helpful and informative. You can ask a lot of information about the island including where the best snorkeling spot is, where to rent a bike, where can I party at night, etc....


However, on one negative note (and probably it's pretty common for all the hotels in this island), the water is pretty salty and when we needed to tak a shower, the hotel ran out of water and we needed to wait for them to "refill their water tank"......

Overall: 9.5/10
Overall, I had a great great stay here at the resort and would come back again to stay at this resort when I visit Gili Trawangan again. Would I recommend this hotel to everyone? Definitely YES.


For more reviews:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g664666-d595962-Reviews-The_Beach_House_Resort-Gili_Trawangan_Gili_Islands_Lombok_West_Nusa_Tenggara.html