Teluk Ijo, an alternative getaway in Banyuwangi

Teluk Ijo, Banyuwangi

Who would’ve thought that Banyuwangi is now one of the best tourism destinations in Indonesia?

It was just a city you cross when you want to go to Bali from Java Island and now, people actually stop by to visit some of its wonderful beach destinations. I was on touring with a few friends to Banyuwangi and one of our itinerary lists is Rajegwesi beach. We heard a lot about the beach and it took about 2 hours drive from our hotel at Kalibaru.

There is not much to see in Pantai Rajegwesi excepts some fishermen’s boats and not-so-pretty beach. However, it turns out that from Rajegwesi, we got to do a boat trip to Teluk Ijo (literally means the Green Bay).

This was my very first time to cross the water using fisherman’s boat and with a limited amount of safety kits. Our tour guide bargain the price with the boat owner and we managed to get in the boat – the 5 of us. Each boat is supposed to carry only 4 passengers. Thus, I was actually skeptical and not sure if it was due to safety or the money. It costs Rp. 35,000,- for a return trip.

It's kinda hard to take pics without resulting blury images. The boat's shaking and so are my hands! 

It’s a deal. A young man, who happened to be the owner of the boat I hopped into, asked me to get in the boat.

I asked him, “How about my vest?”

He replied, “Get in first, I’ll hand (the vest) you later.”

What went in my mind, “What?!”

What I actually said, “Oh, okay.”

It took awhile for me to get my left foot inside that never-calmed-rushed-by-the-waves boat!  It only gave a small space for 5 people and finally I sat on the humble seatings made from wood panels. The young man handed me my vest and in between the panic, the struggle to sit still when the waves hit my boat, I put on the vest.

Look at how I 'smartly' put on my vest. The blue stripes are my backpack's 

The belt was ripped and I couldn’t fasten it. I asked the man who happened to sit behind me. We were separated by the boat machine so I needed to scream when talking to him.

“I can’t fasten my belt, do you have any other (vest)?”

“I don’t have. It’s okay, Miss. The vest is fine.”

Okay, so it was like an accessory rather than a safety kit.

We crossed the water and I can hear myself screaming whenever the boat was hit by the waves. Thank God the machine made a loud noise so no one actually heard me screaming. I even wonder would they knew if I fell from the boat with the noise so loud? *Just wondering.

After 20 minutes of constant heart attacks, we finally arrived to Teluk Ijo. It is a small beach, a private one, with turquoise water and white sands. The reefs make a beautiful background that makes it an even prettier place. We took some pictures there before we headed back to Rajegwesi for another 20 minutes.

Clear turqoise water at Teluk Ijo

Yep, there is always a first time of anything. When was the last time you did something for the first time?

6 Must-See Things in Bangkok

200 years ago, Bangkok was a small trading center community. Today, it’s one of Asia’s best destination with it glorious and illustrious history. The dazzling palaces, the mouthwatering spicy foods, and the famous market; here is a summary list of things you must visit when you visit Bangkok!

1. Visit Wat Arun

Wat Arun is an impressive temple that showcases the towering spires. As one of the most beautiful temple in Asia, Wat Arun was built in the 19^th century during the reign of Khmer. The style is highly visible on the structure and construction. The stupa ornates a pattern of floral decks with porcelains glaze on the surface. The stunning view is even more beautiful at night.

Commonly known as the temple of dawn, Wat Arun is a symbol of Rattanakosin period. It is located in Chao Phraya River area. The riverside makes it more appealing but apart from that, Wat Arun has the most impressive design among many other temples in Thailand. The colorful decoration and the view over the water seem very majestic!

An hour visit to the temple is recommended because you can explore the surrounding area. You can also see another temple nearby, Wat Pho, that stands directly at the opposite of Wat Arun. Using shuttle boat, you can cross the river at 3 Baht.

2. Enjoy the sights

Apart from the temples and palaces, there are other landmarks for tourists. One of the best sightseeing is at Dusit district. The rapid development and the tourism in Bangkok have made it possible to access many districts easily. Chinatown has an impressive selections of foods that you can’t resist. Both are in Chao Phraya area.

Ban Nam Peung Floating market is only available on weekends. Here, locals and tourists packed the area with various choices of goods in cheap price. Many cycle tours come to Bang Kra Jao, the green lung of Bangkok.

The newest addition of sightseeing with a modern touch is the Asiatique. It features a huge ferris wheel, restaurants and night market plus famous ladyboy show. This is a mixture of local and eclectic style of culture. To come here, you need to cross the river by boat from Taksin Bridge. Asiatique gives a different feel of nights at Bangkok. You can have many acitivities here, from gastronomic trail, riding ferris wheel, and other boasting assortments that are delightful. This is also shoppers paradise with fashionable clothes and home décor accessories in more than a thousand stores.

3. The Grand Palace

One of the must see place in Bangkok is the Grand Palace. It is completely stunning and one of the best landmark in Thailand. Grand Palace is home to the Royal Family and administration office. Visitors can enter inside the palace and be intricate by the details. It is a beautiful and complex architecture that shows the craftsmanship of Thais. Within the walls, it is also the headquarter for war ministry departments. Apart from that, it is a spiritual place where people celebrate every year.

The complex houses various areas, the king’s palace (The Central Court), reception hall, and the layout is similar to Ayutthaya. The entrance involves administration offices and the Emerald Buddha is situated just outside the outer court. Not all halls are opened for public. There are only 3 of them which you can visit during the day. However, 3 is enough for an exquisite experience on the façade’s details. Grand Palace is a sacred place. Thus, it has a pack of rules for the visitors. Important tips when coming to Grand Palace.

-          No see through clothing

-          No sleeveless clothing for men and women

-          Wear shoes or sandals with socks because no bare feet is allowed

-          You can rent proper clothing with a certain deposit at the entrance

4. Museum and Galleries

As an old town, Bangkok boasts an amount of museums and art galleries. The open air historical sightseeing also owns local museums worth to check out. One of the best museums is Siam Museum. It’s an education museum where you can learn much about Thailand’s culture, economy, culture and ethnic.

Chinatown Heritage Centre showcases the history of Bangkok. It has arts and crafts traditionally made and all of the area is accessible by public. The Museum of Floral Culture is another beautifully designed museum by Sakul Intakul. As the newest addition of cultural attraction in Bangkok, Museum of Floral culture collects Asia’s floral civilization from Japan, Indonesia, Laos, and India. The beautifully preserved mansion with colonial architecture is housed in the complex of 1,800 square meters. This is a Zen Garden in Thailand! Another museum to visit is the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles. It is situated inside the complex of Grand Palace. Jim Thompson Museum is a privately owned museum established by Jim Thompson. As a US architect who visited Thailand during the World War II; he thought it was a potential market for silk weaving. Today, it owns some of the best artifacts in the teak house.

5. Floating Market and weekend market

One of the famous floating market in the world, Bangkok’s floating market houses boats of fresh tropical veggies and fruits sold by the locals. You can have ready to drink coconut water, spicy foods of Thai cooked right on the boat and other stuffs to enjoy. The tourists can enjoy relaxing boat tour provided by many companies nearby the river. The guided tour can help you to bargain the overpriced goods. Using boat tour, you can visit Damnoen Saduak market, Bang ku Market, Taling Chan and Tha Kha.

At Amphawa floating Market, you can see restaurants balconies that overlook the floating market. The seats are always filled with people that radiate different backgrounds. Classic foods like Pad thai and modern desert like Ice Cream are available. To explore more, you can rent tail boats and go to the nearby klongs. It is necessary to come a little earlier to avoid the overwhelming crowds.

Chatuchak is a famous market that only opens on weekends. The place is very popular for whole sales and trades. It has become a landmark of Thailand with more than 9,000 stalls and more than 200,000 visitors come here every weekends. You need to bargain the stuffs because normally they are overpriced but a day trip here is worth the squeezing. Everything is on sale and you can have good quality products in cheap price.

From books to ceramics, you can find almost anything in Chatuchak. The low-price feature seems to be a great tourism attraction.

6. Khao San road

Khao San road gets very busy at night. It can be said as a modern place where nightclubs and local foods blend for every kind of tourist. The cocktail bars in the eclectic market seem to be a very unique mixture and the scenic view will definitely poke your eye. From local to western plate, the foods definitely are mouthwatering! The thai people are very open minded and of course, this place is the right spot to spend your night if you can’t sleep! At Khaosan Road, you can also find clothes and stuffs you see in markets. The energy and vibe are just irreplaceable!

8 Things to do in Siem Reap, Cambodia

Cambodia is famous for its Angkor Wat temple. Many travellers are fascinated by the scene. But if you come to Cambodia, there are many places to see besides the iconic Angkor Wat. Million of tourists come to Cambodia to witness its culture and tradition with their own eyes. Here are an in-depth lists of things to do in Siem Reap!

1. Angkor Wat
One reason people come to Cambodia is for Angkor Wat. Where else would it be? It is one of the highlight of Siem Reap and travellers that visit Cambodia would come here as their first destination. You will be amazed by the scale of this complex. Being noted as World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century by the Khmer. It primarily draws tourists due to the numbers of temples that grow like jungle.

You need a three day pass that probably costs around $40 to fully explore the area. The ruins and the carvings, these are such an impressive site! The sacred place has always had perfect time to visit whether it is sunset or during the hot day. The magical morning however, is adored by many. You can immediately feel the sacredness of the place. It is a great idea however, to come here early because the place won’t be packed with too many tourists. During the day, you will experience the overrun bustles of tourists.

2. Balloon ride above the Angkor Wat
Now that you have visited Angkor Wat, it wouldn’t be complete if you don’t ride the balloon. Yes, just like the Turk’s Cappadocia hot balloon ride, Angkor Wat has its own. This is the first balloon trip in Cambodia and you can enjoy bird eye view of the Angkor Wat with that unique silence and romance picturesque. The privately own business offers a touring service that is totally different from anything you see in this country. If you want to appreciate the ruins without having to compete with other tourists hordes, then this is the best way to see Angkor Wat, from 600 feet above! The new perspective is much more fascinating as you can witness the whole complex beneath you. The price is quite friendly with $35 you can enjoy the ride.

3. Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary
The Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary is one of the breeding place for water birds. It is situated just near the Tonle Sap Lake. This sanctuary houses hundreds of birds species and you can see rare birds by boat. Hiring a boat will cost $45 for a return ride. Once you arrive at the sanctuary you can begin your walking tour in this wildlife area. Expect to see rare species from Black head ibis, Milky Stork, Lesser Adjuncts and more! The diverse biosphere offers tons of things to see near the Tonle Sap. Visit the sanctuary during the dry season that occurs in the month of December to May. At this particular season, you can see migrating birds fly above you and fly to the sanctuary. The birds amount increase as the water recedes.

4. Angkor National Museum
Museum indeed, makes you smarter. For a quick learning session about Cambodia, the museum would be the right place to start.

To learn more about Cambodia, the best place to visit is Angkor National Museum. The area takes 2 hours to complete and it houses artifacts and statues dated from centuries ago. It has a complete insight on how Khmer civilization played a huge role in Cambodia. These artifacts have been recovered from around the world and the preserved collections become the first archaeological museum dedicated to the Angkorians. If you want to know the awesome story of khmer and the civilization back then, then Angkor National Museum is where you should be!

5. Kampong Phluk
Situated 13 miles from Siem Reap, kampong Phluk is the iconic floating market of Cambodia. It is actually a fishing village with swamps that surround the Tonle Sap Lake. Tourists can take boat or ride a bus and hop off at the Kampong. As there are not many tourists jam in Kampong Phluk, you can still feel the authenticity of this village. It was where the Khmer people do their daily fishing routines back then. The activities in the cluster include crab eating, boat rowing, and entering the submerged forest. During the dry season, the water will be low and the houses seem to have high construction. The lakeside view is untouched by the tourists and it is worth your time and adventure. To come here, you can rent a boat from Chong Khneas. Or you can cross the road with Tuk Tuk and reach Rolouse village. It will take you to the flooded forest.

6. Wat Thmei
During the reign of Khmer, many people were massacred brutally and the glass walled stupa in Wat Thmei becomes a symbol to commemorate the event. The horrible Khmer rule that created insanity is a famous thing you learn about Cambodia. And the temple is a living reminder of it.

You will witness the bones inside the complex and there is a monastery that houses monks and orphans. Wat thmei is popularly known as the Killing Field. The active pagoda houses some of statues although they are not as inspiring as the bones. But looking around this place will teach you many things about the past.

Life in the dark days during the Pol Pot rule was an incredible yet horrible thing to remember as more than 2 millions of people were killed. If you want to know about the Khmer brutality, you can ask an elder guide and he will tell you the real story of just that!


7. The Land Mine Museum
Siem Reap was not a safe place to travel, and during the year of 1970, the Khmer Rouge was a brutal thing in the country. Millions of land mines became left behind after the reign ended. Hence, it is now a living proof of the past and the conflicts. In present days, you can see these dangerous land mines unexploded. This museum is an eye opener to anyone who visits and you can take advantage of the quiet area as not many tourists often come to this place.

8. Angkor night Market
The scenic of night market in Siem Reap is one place to visit for sure. As a popular place for cheap shopping, the destination sells various products from handy crafts to the local foods. Night market gives you a cooler temperature way from the heat of the sun. There are also plenty of authentic local foods to try out and you will find great deals of brands from Ray Ban to Prada. Of course, these aren’t genuine stuffs but they are worth for souvenirs. Just like Cathucak market in Thailand, this night market requires a little skill in bargaining, by the way. Other activities to enjoy are the Dr. Fish massage, 3D movie, and chill out in one of the bar. Don’t forget to try the local snacks!

Exploring Bandung Geological Museum

Let's see how these species leave marks on our planet!

Learning with objects has been an integral part of geological study at Bandung Geological Museum. It holds extensive collections that include not only fossils from over the centuries, but also geological benefits and disasters. 

The highlights include the rocks and mineral collection, Megalithic fossils collection, including the replicas of human's skulls collections. 

It was a hot day in Bandung. And this Geological Museum was our first stop.

                               

Admission fee for student is Rp. 2.000,-.

I'm not a student, so I gotta pay Rp. 3.000,- :D

Greetings from the Mammoth! :d

Tyrannosaurus, the guy from Jurassic Park :D

Replica- Homo Neanderthalensis

This is Bubalus Paleokerabau - the fossil of extinct bovid

(Okay, I know you're confused, it's Kerbau Purba :D )

Hippotalamus Sivalebsis a.k.a ancient Hippo

Museum Geologi Bandung

Operational hour:

Monday- Thursday (09:00-15:30 WIB)

Saturday - Sunday (09:00-13:30 WIB)

The Mystical Kawah Putih

Kawah Putih is a crater lake located at Ciwidey - 2 hours or 50 kilos from Bandung city (minus the heavy traffic jam!) To get here, you better be waking up early! It is quite scenic and you have to go pass through meander roads up to the mountains. Luckily, our driver is an expert :D

 

We have to walk up from the parking lot for about 10 minutes to the crater location. And here we are!

It was raining heavily in Kawah Putih when we arrived. Everybody was wearing sweater or jacket, or anything to keep the body warm. Plus, an umbrella which could not really do its job to cover us from the heavy rain :D

Getting near the crater lake. I could smell the sulfur and you can tell it's highly acid!

The sulfur acid pH is said to be about 0.5 - 1.3 - creating bluish to whitish green lake.

It is chilly up here but visitors seem not to care about the weather :D

This is an area situated near the crater. Somehow, it's creepy like an abandoned place :D

Essential Tips to Kawah Putih (during rainy season):

Of course, the best time to visit Kawah Putih is during summer. During this season, you can take great pictures (without the creepy background of mist covering the area like those in mine!). 

Yeah, but really, if you have to go during the cold season, this is what you need:

1. If you travel during rainy season, better be prepared with rain coat or umbrella. I actually prefer raincoat because by then, your hands are free from holding umbrella, and you can take pictures :D Just make sure to protect your camera :D

2. Wear something warm. Long pants, sweater, jacket or anything. Trust me, it's chilly up there!

3. The entrance fee is Rp. 15,000,- per person. You can either use your car or park it on the lot and take Ontang Anting - a small shuttle that carries up to 8 persons up to the crater lake. You need to pay additional cost of Rp. 13,000,- per person and it can take up to 7 persons. 

Ontang-Anting

4. Due to the highly acid lake, bring a mask or you can buy it on the spot, it's Rp. 5.000,- each.

4. Bring extra pants and shirts in case you get all wet but you still want to continue your trip somewhere.  (I didn't :( )

A trip to Museum Bank Indonesia (De Javasche Bank), Surabaya

source: AntaraFoto.com

To tell the truth, this was the first museum I visited in the city. (Shame on me?)

I always have an interest on museums. I love how they give us clues of the pasts. How people used to work with things, how they learned during the time, and this one, how they actually operate a bank during the colonial era.
This impressive old building resides at Garuda Street no. 1. It's a bit tucked inside a small alley so me and my friend almost missed (and get pissed!) the place. After making the second turn, we finally found it!

No entrance fee. It's FREE!

From 1953 to 1973, the government operated the building as Bank Indonesia - the first bank to operate clearing system from 6 major banks in the country. After being renovated for several times, this bank hasn't lost its touch of 'Dutch-ness' I shall say :D

This was used to be a basement floor and after a major renovation, it is now the first floor. (Lucky we don't have to creep in these.. ) As I walk through it, the atmosphere was cool and humid. I was skeptical as to where this small path leads to.

The vault I peep through, has been modified
and somehow leads to this humid room.
They used to keep confidential documents here.

But it turns out that it leads to another vaults.I saw several safe deposit boxes and managed to peep on one of them.

Gold digger!

Specimen in 1960: President Soekarno series

Too bad, we don’t have IDR 500 paper money anymore.
We use coin now
and it makes our wallet thicker, don’t you think?

The ground floor displays several tools and equipments that they used, to make and destroy money from time to time.

During 1970 until 1991,
paper money with defect condition would be destroyed with this tool

Heading to the second floor, this was where the bank activity took place.

I feel like dancing...

Just checking if it is still working. Well, it does!
This revolving door was used to be the main entrance of the bank . After a major renovation, the entrance door is moved to the first floor. (so the 2nd floor was actually the first floor and the first floor was the basement. Confused?)

The 2nd floor of the building

Some doors are…vanished!?

People would save, transfer, or draw money on the 2nd floor. *So the tellers worked as ATM machines I guess :D

How may I assist you?

It was an exciting 1.5 hours visit! I'd love to explore another museum in the city! THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Why you should visit museum? If you can't find a reason to love museums, then these few points might enlighten your mind.

1. Museum makes you smarter. Really, it will excite your brain as you witness decade-year-old machineries, or how stuff works back then. 
2. Museum makes you grateful After all these years, you will come to realize that you are living in a world filled with advanced technologies where you don't have to wait for days just to transfer funds. 

You have no idea how they could actually do stuffs in traditional ways, and yet, they survived! Imagine if it was us! Thy shall be frustrated.

Teritip Crocodile Farm

The first time I got closer to a croc was during my trip to Balikpapan. We visited this crocodile farm as part of our journey to Borneo island. 

Yeah, if only the predators inside the farm, were this cute!

The breeding center is situated at Teritip, Balikpapan. It's a small center near the Manggar beach.

There are more than a thousand of this reptile including the famous Borneo crocs, the Muara crocs, Supit crocs, and fresh water crocs. 

At first, my thought wandered around..like what it would be like or how huge this center was. But after we arrived there, it is actually a small center with the farm packed with crocs, big ones! 

And every time we get pass through each pool, they would make a move as if trying to say, "I smell you!" Hahaha.. *No I couldn't laugh at that moment 'cause I was too terrified if they jumped out from the wire-meshed cage! 

Lazy cozy croc..Let it sleep, for when it wakes up, it would eat you up.

These crocodiles are half-meter up to 10 meter long! It's incredible. And the one in the picture was about 6 meter long. It couldn't even fit in my camera frame! 

I don't think this farm has enough safety because there is only this thin wire fence that literally separates us!

This crocodile breeding center is a privately owned business established in 1990. The purpose is to meet the exotic-skin bags demand. 

"Baby I'm preyin' on you tonight, hunt you down eat you alive!"
Familiar with this song lyrics? Hahaha!

  

CROCODILE RIDE - FOR FREE

An irresponsibly silly person wrote this

This farm would be a great tourism destination in Balikpapan, if it were well-managed. Like those doors made from wooden, I'm not sure if that's safe enough. Well, at least they didn't jump on me. 

Entrance fee: Rp. 10,000,-

Operational hour: 8 am - 5 pm everyday

The Trace of Dutch Colonial in PTPN XI

I’ve always fascinated with old buildings. This one is an old Dutch architecture in Surabaya built in 1920 by a Batavia Architect Bureau, Hulswit, Fermont & Ed. Cuypers. 95% of the building materials were shipped from Netherlands! Oh boy!

On our way inside the building, this wall is on the right side of the stairs.

Formerly known as Handelsvereeniging Amsterdam, this building is now a state owned Agricultural Office that focuses on sugarcane plantation and distribution.

What a privilege to enter this place. Not all of the people have the authorities. So thanks a bunch to Surabaya Heritage Track for making it possible! :D

This is one of my favorite view upstairs. I love how the lights go through the windows and through the European-style glasses.

Tiles are almost worn out. (pardon my wet shoes. It’s raining heavily outside!)

Local identity - Behind me, it’s the hallway to Director In Chief’s office. The decoration of this interior involves traditional and modern elements.

You can tell how happy I was to be here! :D