Indonesia Archives

Accomodation March 7, 2017

Bali’s Most Instagrammable Villa – Cloud Nine Estate

Cloud Nine Estate: Jalan Rsi Markandya 2. Banjar Sebali. Desa Keliki. Date of Visit: February 2017 Guys, this is definitely NOT a sponsored post in any way, but I just had to share this gorgeous villa with everyone (though a little reluctantly, because I’m definitely looking forward to going back there, and I don’t want them to be fully booked or have their prices increase haha). Since we travelled there in February for a pre-wedding photoshoot, we were looking for somewhere a little more luxurious (but still affordable) to stay at, so as to complete the whole happy experience. My good friend recommended Cloud Nine Estate long ago, but it was slightly out of budget so I never got around to treating myself. Until this trip. Let me tell you, it was so worth it. It’s literally a little piece of heaven in a quiet corner of Ubud! Every corner was…

Bali December 13, 2016

Bali Sights Part 2 – Hidden Gems You Have To Visit!

Date of Travel: November 2016 It’s been awhile since Part 1, which I wrote about the touristy sights in Bali (Ubud) which I was definitely not impressed with – too much crowd, too high expectations. So I’ve finally gotten around to writing about Part 2 (amidst my crazy renovation planning and ROM shebangs) – the two hidden gems YOU HAVE TO VISIT! Melasti Cliff (Ungasan Cliff) Green Bowl Beach #1. Melasti Cliff / Ungasan Cliff After getting super disappointed the day before with all the touristy touch-and-go sights, we spent the night doing some thorough research and digging before we found this spot – and everything seemed too good to be true! I mean, hidden cliff…gorgeous blue waters… and no one to disrupt your me-time? That’s just too amazing! Getting There. This was the only hard part as it was not well-known amongst the drivers. We had to use our google map…

Bali November 20, 2016

Bali Sights Part 1 – Unimpressive Tourist Attractions but a Crazy Good Spa Find!

Date of travel: November 2016 Recommended Driver: Mano (+62 856 3778 685) (let him know you got the contact from Jeremy!) Bali has always been reverently known as the Island of the Gods, aptly so, as almost every corner finds you in a breath-taking landscape you never knew could exist. Prior to this trip, I have hardly ever been to Bali, except for a few times MANY years ago, staying at Hard Rock Hotel (what a shame to have missed out on the gorgeous villas available everywhere) and travelling no further than the beach down the road. This trip has been quite an eye-opener and I am certain there will be many more trips soon to explore more parts of Bali! Check out the video here! (Bump the quality up to HD!) Although we stayed in a villa 30minutes from Ubud, it took us one day to realize that touristy…

Batam July 5, 2016

Lotte Mart Wholesale in Batam – YES!! (Must-Go!)

Lotte Mart Wholesale – Jl. Engku Putri, Batam Centre Core kel. Gulf Tering, district Kota Batam, Batam, Riau islands Date of visit: July 2016 Having stayed in USA for a year, I’ve grown to appreciate Costco and their wholesale supermarkets – being able to buy things in BULK (like serious bulk) and feeling like I’ve saved a ton of money. I think I’ve once bought like 60 packets of instant Quakers flavoured oatmeal for $15 or something… cool right?? That’s something I miss in Singapore, going grocery shopping with my friends and buying the staple things in bulk. So imagine my excitement when I stumbled into Lotte Mart Wholesale on a weekend trip to Batam! WHAT IS LOTTE MART Lotte Mart Wholesale is a super-sized grocery store aimed to provide businesses (retail, hotels..) and SMEs with quality products at very competitive prices. They use a membership system with these businesses (sending…

Bandung March 9, 2016

Ola Spa, Bandung – Cheap & Awesome (Must Go!)

date of visit: August 2015 Address: Jl. Bahureksa no. 23. Bandung – West Java. Indonesia 40115. Contact number: 62-22- 4234253/ 62-22- 6168898 No holiday is complete without a massage, so we were pretty determined to find a good massage place (at a good price, of course). We were recommended by the hotel to go to Everyday Spa in Bandung, as they told us it was the most popular massage place. But when we called to ask about the price, it was really expensive, about IDR 295,000 for an hour. That was way more than we wanted to spend on a massage – almost Singapore price! So we did some research and looked through reviews to find a better option. Pinisi Relaxation seemed like a contender, but some reviews stated that it was in a really sketchy, dark building. So it was out (We didn’t feel like getting assassinated). We,…

Bandung March 3, 2016

The White Crater, Indonesia (Wanderlust-worthy!)

Date visited: Aug 2015 Entry fee: IDR 150,000 for foreigners/ person & IDR15,000 for locals. Kawah Putih (eng: White Crater) is located in Bandung, Indonesia – about 1.5-2hr drive from the city center. It is aptly named for its eerily beautiful white appearance. Unlike in normal volcano craters, the lake here is highly acidic (ranging from pH 0.5 -1.3 – please don’t fall in guys!), hence the color changes from bluish to whitish green to even brown, depending on the sulfuric concentration. The sand/rocks surrounding these waters are whitish-yellow, due to the contact with the acidic waters. The result? Breath-taking and beauuutiful – almost like a painting. Light turquoise waters, trees and greenery everywhere – if the waters were not killer-acidic, I would have taken a dip! We were terribly lucky to have visited in an off-peak season/timing, which meant almost no other tourists except for us. (Tip: We set…

Bandung February 28, 2016

Tangkuban Perahu, Ciater Hot Spring & Floating Market

In my previous 4d3n Bandung Itinerary post, I mentioned these places as the main activities for Day 2. They were actually planned out for us by the friendly staff at Hyatt Regency Hotel (thumbs up!) – since these three places were along the same route. We managed to also get a great deal for transport – Indra who charged IDR750,000 for 10 hours. Unfortunately I did not get his contact details, as the hotel staff did all the liaising for me! (Tip: if possible, ask the concierge for more options when choosing transport, as they usually recommend Golden bird – which charges about IDR1,250,000 for 12 hours) So was it worth the while? Let me share some details with you, and you can decide for yourself. First stop: Tangkuban Perahu NOTE: Entrance fees are IDR 200,000 per person (while for locals it’s only IDR 20,000). We grumbled a little since…

Bandung February 26, 2016

4d3n Getaway to Bandung, Indonesia (Itinerary!)

Date travelled: August 2015 As I’ve mentioned in my previous post, this was a pretty last minute plan for the SG50 holidays last year. Because everything was fully booked or way too expensive by the time we got around to planning the trip (even Bintan was crazy), we were resigned to doing a staycation in Singapore. However, after chancing upon this article online, we got really inspired to explore Bandung, Indonesia. Tickets were $200/pax (last minute prices) and most of the hotels mentioned in the article were fully booked, so we made do with a comfortable one in the city area – Hyatt Regency Hotel. This meant that we would have to take long rides up to the volcanoes, but it also meant that we could take some time to explore the outlets, cafes and food! So here’s my itinerary overview: Day 1: Morning flight via AirAsia straight to Bandung…

Bandung February 26, 2016

Two Cents Coffee – Bandung Cafe

Jl. Cimanuk 2, Bandung 40114, Indonesia Date of visit: August 2015 We found this cafe after walking past a few “sketchy” cafes (no aircon, no proper seating and flies everywhere) so it was definitely a highlight for us! Decor & Seating Two Cents Coffee looks like a touristy cafe even from the outside, with a hipster, rustic feel. There is both inside (aircon) and outside seating available although it can get quite packed! Food Prices were steep for Indonesia – roughly Singapore cafe prices ($10-15 for simple breakfast items), so I was pretty surprised to see many locals in the cafe too! Food was good and quality was as expected for the price. It was definitely also “instagrammable” with the nice plating and tablewares used, haha! Service Service was a little slow, but it might be due to the cafe being crowded or just the laidback culture of the place.…

Accomodation February 25, 2016

Hotel Aryaduta Bandung (Previously Hyatt) – Good Stay!

Hotel Aryaduta Bandung (previously Hyatt Regency Bandung) Jl. Sumatera No. 51, Bandung, West Java, 40115, Indonesia, ‏‎800 1205131 Date of Stay: August 2015 * at the time of stay, it was still called Hyatt! We were doing up a pretty last minute plan for the SG50 holidays, and by the time we got around to looking at air tickets, it was insane. Everything was either fully booked, or damn expensive. Lombok, Tioman, Redang… even Bintan lol! Then when I was about to give up and book a staycation in Singapore, we chanced upon this article: https://indonesia.tripcanvas.co/bandung/unique-hotels/ Man, Bandung looked gorgeous, and these looked like a fantastic idea. Tickets were affordable ($200 per pax) although most of the hotels on the list were either fully booked, or too close to a volcano for my mom’s comfort. She was worrying endlessly about a volcano eruption during my trip, but we still went anyway (sorry, mom!) So…