Malang Trip

Malang is a city located at East Java, Indonesia, well known as city of flower. This city has cool weather and clean atmosphere, which may be good for flowers and fruit, especially apple to grow.
There’s not much you could visit in Malang city, however surrounding Malang, there are many tourist attraction worth to visit, such as Bromo, which is known has the best view to enjoy sunrise, Selendang Biru beach, which still has the natural beauty of white sandy beach and Batu, the small town which look alike Puncak. Moreover, Malang is an interesting place for those who love Indonesian cuisine culinary.
On the last weekend, I visited Malang to attend my best friend’s wedding. Take an advantage at that opportunity; I planned to visit Batu and Bromo during my visit. Here are the places worth to visit when you’re in Malang:

1. Candi Sumber Awan & Candi Singosari

Years ago, Malang used to be the government center of Kanjuruhan and Singosari Kingdom. That’s why there are many temples found surround Malang, one of them is Candi Singosari. This temple is located at the center of Singosari town, near the road. The temple area is very small and there’s nothing much you could see as the most of the statue has been broken and placed outside the temple.
Candi Sumber Awan is also located not very far from Candi Singosari, however the atmosphere is different, as this temple is located inside the forest, which you need to walk about 400 meters to reach the temple. This is the only stupa –modeled temple in East Java, according to the temple guard.

2. Coban Rondo Waterfall, Batu
Coban Rondo waterfall is located at Pandesari village, Pujon District (about 32 km away to the West from Malang). It took about 30 minutes to go to the waterfall from Malang. The waterfall itself is not very hard to find as there is path walk for visitors to follow, with the view of pine trees on the path side. The height of waterfall is about 84 meter. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful view of waterfall or even swim under the waterfall.
Historically, the word Coban means ‘waterfall’ while Rondo means ‘widow’. It is name under the legend of Dewi Anjarwati, by which the waterfall is the hiding place of Dewi Anjarwati from Joko Lelono, who tried to take her from her husband, Raden Baron Kusuma. Joko Lelono and Raden Baron Kusuma died during the fight, which left Dewi Anjarwati as a widow.
The entrance fee to the waterfall is Rp6,000 / per person or Rp2,000 for motor cycle. It is quite cheap and I think it is an interesting place for having a refreshing holiday.

3. Batu Night Spectacular. Batu Night Spectacular is the new theme park at Batu, which open from 3pm till midnight. The theme park is located at Jl. Raya Oro-Oro Ombo 200, Batu. It offers variety of entertainment and rides, such as haunted house, swing rides, carousel, go kart, cinema 4d, etc. The entrance fee is Rp10,000 / person and for each rides you should pay another fee about Rp10,000-Rp12,000 / ride. You could also enjoy the lampion garden, which looks amazing and colorful at night. The theme park also has food court which offers various foods from Chinese to Indonesia food. On weekend, they have art performance at the stage in the food court and dancing fountain like in Grand Indonesia, Jakarta. It is a good place to spend the night with family or friends during holiday, just don’t expect too much with the rides.

4. Bromo Bromo is well known as having the best view of sunrise. If you’re planning to visit Bromo, you could rent a car from travel, which will pick you up at Malang at 1 am and drive you to the Mount Pananjakan to see sunrise. It only spent 1,5 hours to go from Malang to Mount Pananjakan. At Mount Pananjakan, you will be asked for entrance fee of Rp4,000 / person and Rp4,000 / car. To go to Mount Pananjakan, you could use regular car, no need to ride a jeep. But if you’re planning to see the Sand of Sea after seeing sunrise, you must rent the jeep.
The sun is rise since 5-6 am, but if you arrived early, you will get better spot to view sunrise. My recommendation is when you arrived at Mount Pananjakan at 3 am, you go straight to the sunrise terrace (please bring flashlight as the step to terrace is very dark around that hour), unless you wanted to buy some foods or hot drinks at the stalls. Before 5am, you could find seats at the terrace sunrise and when the orange color starts to appear, go to the left – center side of the balcony. That is where the sun will rise. It can be pretty crowded after that, so you better save your spot first, especially if you wanted to have good pictures, without no strangers behind you. J The sun will rise on the front and if you turn right, you could see a very breathtaking view of Mount Semeru.
From the Mount Pananjakan, you could go to Sand of Sea to see the Crater Lake by jeep. The rental fee costs Rp300,000 – Rp350,000. At the Sand of Sea you have to climb up the steps to the mountain before seeing the crater. There are horses available to be ride if you don’t feel like climbing. It cost Rp20,000 – Rp100,000 / horse depending on how you are able to bargain *hehe*

5. Tugu Hotel This is the most exquisite yet mystical hotel I’ve ever known. Tugu Malang houses a vast, priceless collection of antiques influenced by the Javanese Babah Peranakan (the hundreds-years-old mixed culture between the Chinese migrants in Java and the native Javanese). You’ll find many rooms filled with the historical pictures, statues and antique furnitures. The most interesting is each room has historical stories and even though you didn’t stay at the hotels, you can have a tour of the hotel with the real tour guide for free.

6. Bakso Pahlawan Trip Malang is famous for its meat ball (bakso) dishes. You may have taste the meat ball soup anywhere, but there is special menu, which you’ll rarely find in other places, Grilled Meat Ball (Bakso Bakar). You don’t eat them with soup and it tastes sweet. It costs me Rp5,000/ bowl and there are 5 grilled meat balls in one bowl. For the meat ball soup, it costs Rp1,000 / item. You can mix them with bakwan and tahu, also.
Honestly, I don’t really like the grilled meat ball as it is too sweet for me, but it is always fun to try new food, right? The meat ball soup served here is better, I think.
The food stall is located at Pahlawan Trip street, near the Ijen area. Overall, the place is clean and the price is worthed, so just give it a try and enjoy Malang speciality food :-)

7. Toko Oen During colonial times, Malang is awarded as the loveliest town at East Java. Until now, you will easily find places with Dutch atmosphere around Malang, one of them is Toko Oen. This Dutch café is famous for its homemade ice cream and bakery. Visit here for an afternoon break at Malang. The ice cream quite expensive range around Rp20,000 – Rp50,000 but the taste is real good.

8. Inggil Restaurant
Aside from an ordinary restaurant, Inggil provides Javanese food and oldies atmosphere. The food tastes good, especially the mango chilly, but most of all what makes this restaurant extraordinary is it has pictures of old advertising and pictures hanging on the wall and antique stuffs like old radio, gramophone, and other stuffs. The price is not very expensive around Rp30,000/person. This restaurant is located at Jl. Gajah Mada No.4.

9. Sentra Keripik Tempe
Last but not least, you must visit this place to buy gifts for people at home. It is located at Jl. Sanan and there are many stores which sell almost the same items. The biggest one and located on the street side is Lancar Jaya. While others which is also famous and not very far from the street is Burung Swari. Price at each store may slightly difference but no bargain is allowed. You’ll find keripik tempe, keripik buah, bakpia and other snacks of Malang specialties. Price of the keripik is ranging from Rp6,000 – Rp15,000.

So I think that’s all about Malang. I will put separate blog entry for information of Bromo. Just wait for my next writing,ok?!

kisses,

Travellicious

Day 2: Universal Studios

We played all day long in the Universal Studios Japan on our second day in Japan. It is the world's greatest theme park inspired by blockbuster Hollywood Movies, which is located in the heart of Osaka.

As for me, the attractions are standard but the shows are interesting. However, the atmosphere there is full of joy and fun and the old buildings as background makes taking photos more exciting :)

Since pictures worth thousand words, here are some for you to enjoy :)

The famous Globe

4D Cinema featuring Spiderman - great attraction!

The old buildings as background

View from the bridge inside the theme park

There you go! Please make sure you try the cute snoopy-shaped bun and other fancied snacks there!

cheers,

Travellicious

Visiting Hongkong

Hong Kong is situated on the southeast coast of China at the mouth of the Pearl River facing the South China Sea and it consists of Hong Kong Island, the Kowloon Peninsula and the New Territories. As a cosmopolitan city, Hong Kong is famous for its skyscrappers and shopping centers. Here are some of must visit places in Hongkong:

1. Hong Kong Disneyland

As always, Disneyland succeed to bring us back to our childhood memories. You can enjoy the rides, attractions, Mickey's show and stay until night to watch the fireworks performances. I recommend you to stay at one of the Disneyland's hotels. Believe me, you'll feel like you're living in a real Disneyland. Too cute to be true :) Disneyland can be accessed by train from the city. You should spend a day in here to enjoy the whole attractions. Visit this website for more info of tickets and hotel booking. I uploaded here some photos taken at Disneyland Park and Hotel.

Fireworks at Disneyland

Disneyland Hotel Room

2. Ocean Park
Ocean Park is a theme park located in Hong Kong Island, featuring rides, exhibits and conservation facilities. There are three attraction areas, which are the Lowland, the Headland and Tai Shue Wan. The three areas are connected by a cable car and an outdoor escalator, which is the second longest in Hong Kong. You may see pandas, spectacular jellyfish, sea lions and dolphin show, here. Visit here for more info of Ocean Park.

From left to right: sea jellyfish aquarium, sleeping panda, and dolphin in action at Ocean Park

3. Victoria Peak

To go to Victoria Peak, we must use Peak Tram, special tram which rises to 396 metres (about 1,300 feet) above sea level. The railway is so steep that the buildings you pass look like they are leaning a gradient of between 4 to 27 degrees. From the Peak, you may see panoramic Hongkong's skyscrappers. It is a great experience to have a trip using the old-fashioned tram yet so steep railway; and of course you'll also enjoy a great view from up there. Inside the Peak, there is also Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, where you could take pictures with hundred famous people around the world.

Tram ticket fee is about HKD33, while package Tram+Madame Tusaud entrance fee is about HKD170. More info, visit here.

4. Repulse Bay
Repulse Bay is one of the most beautiful beach in Hongkong, surrounded by luxurious houses owned by Hongkong's riches and celebrities like Jacky Chan.

View from the beach in Repulse Bay

5. Victoria Harbour
Best places to photo Hongkong night view and skyline at night is in Victoria Harbour. The harbour is located between Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. Also located in the harbour, there is Avenue of Stars, built along the promenade outside the New World Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui. Modeled on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, it honours the most illustrious people the Hong Kong film industry has produced over the past decades.

6. Shopping Paradise
Hong Kong has many famous shopping areas, such as Causeway Bay and street markets. For branded items, you may securely find them at Causeway Bay. Here, you can be sure that the brand is original and not fake. Some stores in Kowloon may sell the same item with lower price but the originality is not guarantee. For cheaper shopping, visit Hongkong's street market; such as Ladies Market in Mong Kok.

As I joined a tour for my trip, the visited places are arranged by the tour. Unfortunately, we did not visit Victoria Harbour and Ladies Market at Mong Kok, so I can't provice you with pictures and detail budget :(

Thousand Island (Pulau Seribu)

As describes by the name, Thousand Island consists of several islands such as Pulau Pramuka, Pulau Ayer, Pulau Bidadari, Pulau Sepa and etc. The islands have white sands, clear water and nice corals, which you may rarely find in other beaches near Jakarta such as Ancol or Anyer.

How to go there?
Thousand Island is located at North Jakarta and can be accessed through Marina Ancol or Muara Angke Pier. To go to Marina Ancol, you must go inside the Taman Impian Jaya Ancol. While for Muara Angke Pier, you must go to Pluit first, then when you found Megamal Pluit on your left, you follow the street and turn right, go straight until you see sign of Muara Karang, then you must turn right, go straight until you found fish market on your left. Enter the fish market and follow the road until you found the gas station. The pier is on the left of the gas station.

For a cheaper holiday, I suggested you took the boat in Muara Angke as the price is only Rp30,000 per person while in Marina Ancol Pier the price is Rp75,000. However, as money talks, the boat from Muara Angke is not speed boat like in Marina Ancol, so if you’re looking for comfort, you better take the boat in Marina. The boat will transfer you to Pramuka Island within 2 up to 3 hours depend on the weather and the boat. Based on information I’ve got, Radja Express is the fastest one to go to Pramuka Island. The boat may also stop at Pulau Untung Jawa and some other islands; you must check them before you depart. There is no ticket seller to enter the boat, you just seat and put your bags near you. During the way, the boat fee will be collected.
Tips:
1. You can sit above or below on the boat. If you afraid of sun heat, you better choose to sit on the below, but beware of sea sick and water splash.
2. Arrive maximum at 7am in the Muara Angke Pier to avoid missing the boat. Regularly, there is two boats depart in the morning, and the next departure is 1pm.

Where to stay?
Pramuka Island has several places to stay and even some local people opens their houses for tourists (homestay). I stayed in Wisma Dermaga on my last holiday and it is recommended for it’s cheap price and cleanliness. Price per room is Rp300,000 and the bed is king size so it can be shared for up to 4 persons. For extra bed, you are charged Rp25,000 each. The room size is quite large it can fit for 2 extra bed. The facilities provided including AC, TV and bathroom inside. Another recommended places are Wisma Taman Laut Nasional and Villa Delima (same price and facilities as Wisma Dermaga).

Tips:
Take more people on your holiday to minimize accomodation cost by sharing the room.

What to do?
Thousand Island is perfect holiday destination for you who loves swimming, snorkeling, diving and playing on the beach. At the island, you can rent a boat for Rp300,000 a day (maximum for 20 persons) and snorkeling equipment (including fin, goggle and life jacket) for Rp30,000 per person.
Best location for snorkeling is Karang Lebar and near Pulau Air. Near Karang Lebar you may find small land with white sand surrounded by the blue sea. The view was amazingly beautiful. You must be careful when snorkeling in Karang Lebar as the coral are not so deep and there are many sea urchins (bulu babi).
After that you may visit Semak Daun Island to have lunch and take a rest. Unfortunately, Semak Daun does not have restaurant or food stall, therefore you must bring your lunch from Jakarta or buy them in Pramuka Island before you go. Semak Daun Island is perfect for playing sand and learning snorkeling. It also has many great spots to take wonderful photos.
Before you go back, don’t forget to go snorkeling near Air Island. The coral is deeper so more various types of fish live there. If you are a good swimmer, go deeper to see lobster and touch the fish.
You may ask the boat driver to take you around the Thousand Island, there is lagoon look alike, Karya Island with its white sand and other amazing islands. During the sunset, you may stop at Nusa Kerambah to enjoy the sunset and have dinner in the Nusa Restaurant. The restaurant is not very expensive, around Rp30,000 per person, subject to your own choices, of course.
The next morning, you may visit Conservation of Sea Turtle and Teripang in Pramuka Island or just playing on the beach before you go home. If you want to buy fresh fish to bring home, you may ask local people to take you by boat to Panggang Island.
Tips:
1. Wearing sunblock to avoid sunburnt.
2. Bring some snacks, you may feel hungry after snorkeling.
3. Bring towel dress for ladies and towel for man, you'll get wet and the wind is hard.

The Budget
Boat transfer from/to Muara Angke – Pramuka Island: Rp30,000/person.
Accomodation: Rp300,000 per room (max 4 persons) + extra bed Rp25,000.
Boat transfer for snorkeling: Rp300,000/day
Snorkeling equipment: Rp30,000 (fin, goggle and life jacket)
Food: at Nusa Kerambah (around Rp30,000 per person), at Pramuka Island around Rp10,000-Rp20,000 per person)

Contact person:
Wisma Dermaga: Hermanto / 021-33095523 / 0818779990
Villa Delima: Untung / 021 54373149 / 0813.19551955

Hot Tips: Feel free to ask them to arrange your accomodation, snorkeling and boat trip on your budget!

All photos are under Travellicious copy right so if you wanna use them please ask my permission or make a link to my blog.

xoxo,

Travelllicious