Thursday, January 31, 2013

My First Time in Tokyo DisneySea

Disneyland for kids might be their heaven. Cute real man size Disney characters that they can take pictures with, decorations that might be very pleasing to kids' eyes, or the rides that kids would enjoy. But to many grown-ups (especially grown-ups without kids), Disneyland anywhere in the world might be too boring for some. To me, visiting Disneyland once is more than enough. It's actually quite the same between one Disneyland to another, at least the ones in LA, Hong Kong, and Tokyo (the ones I've been to). Hence, my trip to Tokyo Disneyland early this year was quite boring.

The pricy entrance tickets, the outrageously long line-ups (some took about 3 hours), the same old rides that grown-ups like me might find quite boring, or the expensive food restaurants and stalls inside the theme park might add up to my negative perception towards Disneyland. Well, I'm sure one day when I have kids I wouldn't mind to go there again. But, before I have kids, I have sworn that I wouldn't wanna enter Disneyland again (unless there's a really really good reason for that :)). Note: I'm sure Disney fans (I'm not a big fan) might disagree with me now :).

On the other hand, Tokyo DisneySea absolutely blew me away. Probably since it's my first time and there's no DisneySea in Singapore or Hong Kong which are the two countries closer to home that have Disneyland. It's absolutely different from Disneyland. It has more grown-up feels to it. It's more mature in a sense. In other words, well, it's not everywhere like Disneyland. So if you happen to be in a town where DisneySea exists and you've never been to one before, then you should go!

My first time visiting DisneySea is when I was in Tokyo Japan early this year (2013). It's a pretty good first time although the line-ups are still very llooooonnnnngggggg............

Eventhough you spend almost your whole day in a DisneyLand or DisneySea theme park, you still can only ride probably 3-4 rides. Let me remind you again, the line-ups are crazy!!!! Sure, you can use a FastTrack, but it can only help a little since not all rides have fast track and you can only take another FastTrack ticket after like one hour after your previous FastTrack ticket.

So What about Tokyo DisneySea that makes it special?

Well, the rides are probably not like usual rides that you can find somewhere else and it has a variety of underwater world themes that you can enjoy. In my opinion, everyone should visit DisneySea at least once or twice in their entire life. I would want to visit DisneySea again :)......

Movie Review: The Help (2011)

The Help (2011)

Movie Rating: 85/100

Casts: Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Jessica Chastain, Octavia Spencer, Bryce Dallas Howard

My Comments:

Surprisingly I enjoyed this movie, I actually watched it twice already.
Very talented cast.
I found this movie is beautiful and inspiring.
It might not be the best movie ever, but it surely entertains me very well.
Some parts are very emotional, especially the story about Emma Stone's character's childhood maid.
Jessica Chastain stole the scene. She's very charismatic in this movie.
Octavia Spencer is also very funny in this movie.
Bryce Dallas Howard is successful acting as the villain of the movie.
The relationship between Minny and Celia is very sweet and funny.

"The Help" Movie Trailer

Minnie's Chocolate Pie - The most funny scene in this whole movie

"You is kind, you is smart, you is important"

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Movie Review: Inception (2010)

Inception (2010)

Movie Rating: 79/100

Casts: Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Hardy, Ellen Page, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Marion Cotillard

My Comments:

Christopher Nolan's writing is very brilliant.
The movie is very well constructed and architecturally beautiful.
It's thrilling, suspenseful, unpredicted, well acted, satisfying, compelling, and cool.
Despite it's two and half hours length, the time just flies by and you don't realize it's actually a long movie.
I was drawn to the storyline thanks to a great screenplay.
Very well directed and the story is very well described.
The ending is a big thumbs up.
One of the best sci-fi movie in a long time.

"Inception" Movie Trailer

Movie Review: Warrior (2011)

Warrior (2011)

Movie Rating: 92/100

Casts: Joel Edgerton, Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Jennifer Morrison

My Comments:

This movie might be one of the best movies I've seen in 2011.
There are two stelar acting performances in this movie. One is by Nick Nolte and another one is by Tom Hardy. Nick Nolte is very good in this movie acting as a father who regretful about his family especially his two sons. You can for sure feel his pain.
Warrior is a very emotional movie and tells a story of how a family can reunite even after bad things happen and they have been separated for a long time.
Jennifer Morrison is very hottt in this movie.
The fights are brutal.
This movie ends up being much better than anyone could expect at the beginning. I totally start watching this movie with a low expectation thinking that it would just be another wrestling movie, but I ended up being amazed on how emotional and well directed this movie is.

Movie Review: Les Miserables (2012)

Les Misérables (2012)

Movie Rating: 75/100

Casts: Hugh Jackman, Russels Crowe, Anna Hathaway, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Amanda Seyfried, Eddie Redmayne, Samantha Barks

My Comments:

The most joyful time during the entire movie is watching the incredible acting performance by Anna Hathaway as Fantine. I think she deserves to win all the accolades/nominations she got.
Les Miserables is a great musical, but when it's turned into a movie, it becomes too much. Some parts of the conversation had better been a regular conversation, NOT singing. When they sing it, it becomes very cheesy.
Samantha Barks is very talented, I think we will be seeing more of her in near future.
For me, Russell Crowe's singing is too flat and there's not enough emotional connection between the facial expression and his singing voice.

Activities in Gili Trawangan

If you happen to cross the sea from Bali to Gili Trawangan or you happen to be in Gili Trawangan by any other reasons for a night of two, these are the activities you can do to fill you day and night ini Gili Trawangan:

Island Hopping

Island hopping trip packages for diving and snorkeling are available widely on the island of Gili Trawangan. They are usually run by specific hours so prepare to book your island hopping trip the day before.

Snorkeling, Scuba Diving, Diving

With a reputation for being "Turtle Capital of the World", the Gili islands have become popular for beginners and experienced divers. This is one of Indonesia's top areas for scuba diving and snorkelling. There are about 25 dive sites around the islands of Trawangan, Meno, and Gili Air. For more information, please check this website: http://www.gili-paradise.com/gilis-information/dive-the-gilis/

If you are lucky enough, you can spot a sea turtle sightings during your snorkeling or diving activity.

Kayaking

Another water activity you can do here is kayaking. You can try crossing the sea between Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. But, you can only do this when the current is safe enough.

Cycling / Walking Around the Island

You can cycle around the island for about 60 minutes or walk around the island for about 2-3 hours (depending on your speed). Some parts of the island are not suitable for biking (especially on the north and northwestern part of the island), you might have to walk your bikes sometimes.

Sunbathing / Relaxing on Powdery White Sandy Beach

If you want to keep it low key and relaxed, you can lie on the beach and enjoy the sun. The beaches are clean and comfortable and there are many sea-side restaurants that you can order drink and food from.

Watching the Sunset

One of the favorite things to do when the clock almost hits 6:30pm (6:30pm is the sunset time in Gili), is finding a place to watch the sunset. The best sunset-watching place may include Villa Ombak Sunset or The Exile located on the Southwestern part of the island.

Trying Magic Mushrooms

Known for a party island and if you are up for it, Magic Mushrooms are widely and openly sold in Gili Trawangan.

Having Romantic Dinner

If you are a couple, you can book for a romantic dinner on the beach at various restaurants in Gili Trawangan.

Seafood Dining

Dining on the island is widely available. Western food and seafood restaurants can easily be found on the island of Gili Trawangan. Famous restaurants for dining may include The beach house, Tir Na Nog, Trattoria, Villa Ombak, etc.

Gili Trawangan - The Party Island

After my new year trip to Japan, I got the chance to visit Lombok for a friend's bachelor party. But it's not Lombok that's the most exciting thing about this trip, it's Gili Trawangan!!!!

Boat on White Sandy Beach in Gili Trawangan

It's actually my second time stepping on this 2 km by 3 km island. My first was last year with a friend's friend from Germany and a friend who's actually from Lombok and more familiar to Gili islands than me. I remember my first time I was undescribably excited when the boat reached the island. I thought to myself "wow, this is another world. The view is amazing. The white sandy beaches are breathtaking. How can I miss this place all along?". Note: I am actually from a neighbouring island east to Lombok called Sumbawa. it's pretty damn close.

This time, I got the opportunity to bring along 6 guy friends and to show them around the island. One guy is getting married soon so we thought let's do something different. And yeah, going to Gili was our decision. And probably I can say THE BEST DECISION.....

Map of The Three Gili Islands

Our first activity when we got to the island at 9am by a chartered boat (costs Rp 250.000) from Bangsal Port in Lombok mainland was searching for a hotel. It was rather quick when we finally decided to rent a 2 bedroom villa at The Beach House Resort located in the central area of East beach where the main activities, crowds, bars, restaurants, and parties are located. In the end, it cost us Rp 3.025.000 for the two bedroom villa plus 2 extra beds and breakfast included. It's a pretty good deal since the villa also has its own 3 m x 8 m private pool.

As soon as we got the villa taken care of, we headed out to rent some bicycles for us to move around the island easily. It's a great decision to cycle on the island other than to walk. I guess walking and cycling are the best, if not the only, means of transportation on the island. Of course, there are "local taxis" called cidomo (cart pulled by a horse) but I think it's not too efficient since the island is pretty small anyways.

White Sandy Beach

We spent the day with snorkeling, mostly (Read: the most exciting activity for me). It was my first time snorkeling and was actually able to adapt and use the snorkeling gears properly. I think I can make snorkeling my new hobby! I can't wait to do some more snorkeling in the future.

We also rented some kayaks to cross the sea from Gili Trawangan to Gili Meno and back to Gili Trawangan. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to cross a small strait by a kayak. Initially, the current was too strong to kayak there, however, we were persistent enough to wait until the current gets calmer. In the end, we finally conquered the kayaking challenge.

After we were tired enough due to kayaking (it took about one hour), we still decided to cycle circling the whole island. Yeah, it's a pretty active day for us, but we surely had fun!!! It was not one of the best decisions because some parts of the island didn't have proper roads for cycling and are covered by sands and sometimes we had to walk our bikes. But, we found the best place to enjoy sunset from this cycling trip. So, it's not a waste! :)

At night, we had dinner and enjoyed the sunset and the clear panoramic blue sky.

Beautiful Sunset @ Villa Ombak Sunset

In general, Gili Trawangan is known for a "Party Island" where parties are held in turn by the many hotels on the island. Magic mushrooms are also available for sale freely on the island (given that police enforcement on the island is minimum).

Magic Mushrooms For Sale

If you are visiting Indonesia and especially Bali, don't miss this island. It's another different world from Bali. More virgin beaches, more peaceful, less crowded, more beautiful coral reefs (if you happen to like snorkeling and diving). I am pretty sure there are many agencies you can find in Bali that would take you to Gili. It's about 2 hours boat ride from Bali.

Websites you might wanna take a look to get information about Gili Trawangan and the other two gilis:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gili_Islands
http://wikitravel.org/en/Gili_Islands
http://www.gili-paradise.com/
http://www.fastboatsgili.com/gili-trawangan.htm

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Hotel Review: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo Japan

During my last trip to Japan, I stayed at Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo. I stayed there for 4 days and 3 nights (Jan 3, 2012 - Jan 6, 2013).

Here is my review and some important information that you might want to know about Keio Plaza Hotel....

Hotel Information:

Website: http://www.keioplaza.com/
Guest Rooms: http://www.keioplaza.com/rooms/index.html
Hotel Facilities: http://www.keioplaza.com/facilities/index.html
Location: http://www.keioplaza.com/map/index.html

What do I have to say about this hotel?

Price: 9/10
I think the price is OK and not too pricey and a lot of Indonesians stay at this hotel.

Room: 10/10
When I got to my room, the room has an average size, not very big and not too small. For me personally, it has the right amount of space. The room is clean, the bathroom is tidy and offers great comforts.

Hotel Staffs: 8/10
The hotel staffs are quite friendly and helpful in general.

Location: (7/10)
This hotel is located in Shinjuku area of Tokyo and next to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. It's actually in the middle of a busy part of the city. However, since most of the time we walk in Tokyo, in the end it feels quite far from the public transportation. Some times, I felt too tired to go out again at night after returning from one whole day of walking.

Views: (8/10)
The hotel has a pretty good views of building surrounding the area. It's very urban and modern.

Overall: (8.5/10)

Overall, the hotel is pretty good and recommended. The hotel itself is quite old but they maintain it very well so it doesn't feel too old. There are also many restaurants inside the hotel that you can try.

For others' reviews, please check:

Agoda

TripAdvisor

Hotel Review: Hotel Grand Le Daiba Tokyo Japan

During my last trip to Japan, I stayed at Hotel Grand Le Daiba Tokyo for New Year's Eve 2013 and I had quite a pleasant stay there. I stayed there for 3 days and 2 nights (Dec 31, 2012 - Jan 2, 2013).

Here is my review and some important information that you might want to know about Hotel Grand Le Daiba Tokyo....

Hotel Information:

Website: http://www.grandpacific.jp/eng/
Guest Rooms: http://www.grandpacific.jp/eng/room/
Hotel Facilities: http://www.grandpacific.jp/eng/facilities/
Access: http://www.grandpacific.jp/eng/access/

What do I have to say about this hotel?

Price: 8/10
First of all, it's quite pricey and might not be your best choice if you are under a budget. It's a five star hotel in Odaiba area in Tokyo.

Room: 10/10
The room I stayed in was quite big and completely shattered my expectation and assumption that hotel rooms in Tokyo would all bevery tiny and small. Well, I guess the price makes for the spacey rooms.

Hotel Staffs: 9/10
The hotel staffs are very friendly, nice, and well mannered (I find that most Japanese are very well mannered). However, as an international 5 star hotel, not many of the staffs speak English and the one who speaks English may not have the best spoken English skills. When I tried to find something to do during the New Year's Eve, I asked one of the staffs and had quite a difficulty talking to them. But, they are still the best. In my opinion, they are very very helpful and informative. I can see how they tried very hard to answer my questions and gather as much information as they could to make my time there a great one.

Location: (9/10)
This hotel is located in a strategic location in Odaiba area. It's close to shopping malls (Diver City, Aqua City), public transits (Daiba Station on Yurikamome Line), amusement park (Joypolis), and a lot of goo restaurants.

Views: (9/10)
The hotel has some great views. If you are lucky, you can get a hotel room that has a view of the Rainbow Bridge.

For others' reviews, please check:
Agoda
TripAdvisor

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”

― Saint Augustine of Hippo

BBC's List of 50 Places to Visit Before You Die

Here, I would like to declare myself as a traveler. Last night, I came through the list of 50 places to visit before you die according to BBC. Honestly, the places in the list are the places I have wanted to go in my whole life. I have been to some of them and they are awesome and have different uniqueness.

Why do I love traveling?

Well, why NOT??? I think all people should love traveling since you can see so many different cultures in the world (the ones that you can accept or can't), how great God has created humans and earth, and most importantly you can try to understand the way different people from different places around the world think.

Anyway, I would try to group these 50 awesome places according to their geographical locations.

~~~~~ North America ~~~~~

1. The Grand Canyon, USA

3. Florida, USA

7. Las Vegas, USA
I went to Las Vegas in summer 2008. Now, I got to see why people call Las Vegas as "Sin City".

9. New York, USA
I went to New York in December 2006 with a couple of friends. I didn't quite have a good impression of the city. For me, it's a bit dirty and dark.

11. Canadian Rockies, Canada

15. Niagara Falls, USA / Canada

23. Yosemite National Park, USA

28. Alaska, USA

36. San Francisco, USA
I have been here a couple times, May 2006 and August 2008. I have a friend who lives in San Francisco. What a romantic city with hills.....

~~~~~ Central America ~~~~~

13. Chichen Itza , Mexico

43. Barbados, Barbados

~~~~~ South America ~~~~~

14. Machu Picchu, Peru

26. Iguassu Falls, Argentina / Brazil

31. Rio de Janeiro - Brazil

33. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

47. Angel Falls - Venezuela

~~~~~ Europe ~~~~~

18. Venice, Italy

27. Paris, France

35. Rome, Italy

37. Barcelona, Spain

44. Iceland

46. Zermatt, Switzerland

~~~~~ Africa ~~~~~

5. Cape Town, South Africa

17. The Pyramids, Egypt

21. Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

32. Masai Mara, Kenya

34. Luxor, Egypt

40. La Digue, Seychelles

48. Abu Simbel - Egypt

~~~~~ Middle East ~~~~~

16. Petra, Jordan

38. Dubai, United Emirates Arab

~~~~~ South Asia ~~~~~

6. Golden Temple, India

10. Taj Mahal, India

19. The Maldives, Maldives

30. Himalayas, Nepal

41. Sri Lanka, Sri Lanka

~~~~~ East and Central Asia ~~~~~

20. Great Wall of China, China

22. Hong Kong, Hong Kong
I went to Hong Kong in summer 2007 with my younger brother, a cousin, and my uncle. I had a great shopping experience in Hong kong. I also went to macau, China. It only take one hour or so to go to macau from Hong Kong by ferry. Macau is the Las Vegas of Asia, casinos are everywhere.

45. Terracotta Army, China

~~~~~ South East Asia ~~~~~

29. Angkor Wat - Cambodia

39. Singapore, Singapore
I have been here a couple times since it is closed to my home country, indonesia.

42. Bangkok, Thailand
I have been to Bangkok and Pattaya in Thailand. Bangkok is the cworst city in the world for traffic.

49. Bali, Indonesia
Indonesia is my home country. it would be ashamed if I have never been to Bali. I have been to Bali a couple times. I can't remember what year, probably in December 1999. I spent New year's Eve of 2000 in Bali.

~~~~~ Australia and New Zealand ~~~~~

2. Great Barrier Reef, Australia

4. South Island, New Zealand

8. Sydney, Australia

12. Uluru, Australia

25. Auckland - New Zealand

~~~~~ Micronesia ~~~~~

24. Hawaii, USA

50. Bora Bora, French Polynesia