Tag Archives: airasiago

Yogyakarta : Day 1

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel by

We hired a supir for 12 hours but ended up finishing our excursion in less than 10 hours because Hazeeq was getting cranky from the Avanza ride. Our Supir’s name was Fitrah. He was a sub for the original supir Arnaaz, a nice fella we met at the airport. Arnaz was actually our taxi driver from the airport to the hotel.

This was the plan for the day : Candi Borobudur → Gunung Merapi → Candi Prambanan

Candi Borobudur

Foreigner : IDR 250K/pax

2015-02-09 16.50.15

With such extravagant fee, we had a complimentary 330mls of bottled water each. I was in awe of the architecture of the place and the surroundings. Never have I seen a place so at peace with nature befitting its role as a place for worship. Eventhough I am a Muslim and this place is best known for its Buddha practices, I still wish that some visitors would be more respectful towards it. I hate how some would freely climb onto the sacred structures or out of habit clear their throats on the wonderful green grass. Like, helloooo..

Yogyakarta-borobudur

We spent just an hour at the place as the place was getting hotter by the hour with the crowd of people piling in.

Gunung Merapi

General entrance fee : IDR6K/pax

Jeep ride : depend on chosen route

We had doubts on whether Hazeeq would enjoy the jeep ride. We chose the shortest route which was still a 1.5 hour journey that cost IDR 300K per jeep. I wouldn’t recommend this jeep ride to pregnant mothers, elderly with bone and joint problems, a heart condition, severe asthmatic sufferers or those with anxiety attacks.

Hazeeq loved the bumpy rocky ride.

Yogyakarta-merapi

We also had an overly enthusiastic jeep driver who even directed certain photograph poses for us. We couldn’t help noticing that slight irritated tone when Mr Husband can’t seem to follow his instructions on how to pose. Ha ha ha.

Candi Prambanan

Fee : IDR 20K/pax

Yogyakarta-prambanan

We wanted to pay the foreigner fee (very honest tourist we are) but was ushered to the local’s ticketing office instead. So we were like, ‘okay…. ‘. We got in with a local price and again I was struck by its magnificence. A Hindu temple in almost ruins during the earthquake.

The walk around this candi was quicker as there were less space to cover. We spent more time on lunch and feeding the deers. Even Fitrah, our supir was surprised at how fast we finished the trip. He even offered to take us to one more place to finish the 12 hours as promised. We declined. We needed to rest. Hazeeq needed a nap before he morphs into Hulk.

On our way back o the hotel it rained. So dinner was again, room service. I have to say it was an exhausting 10 hours especially when you’re bringing a 3 year old. Cause sometimes he just refuses to walk and you’re stuck in having to carry him or it could be the complete opposite when Hazeeq would be like this crazy energizer bunny and wouldn’t stop running.

So be advised to have breakfast before even starting the trip and have your lunches promptly. Feed the little monster in good intervals and wear comfortable footwear. Bring a hat. Bring a paper fan. Prepare small change for snacks and water.

Our Hotel ⌉ Taman Sari & Malioboro ⌉ Food & Ole Ole ⌉

Yogyakarta : Cakrakusuma Hotel, Jalan Kaliuran

Posted in Everyday Life, Leisure & Travel by

RM 559.56 . That was the cost for our trip – A return flight ticket from KLIA2 to Yogyakarta for 2 adults and 1 child plus a 4D3N stay at Cakra Kusuma Hotel. Minus shopping and touring money of course.

Yogyakarta

I was pleasantly surprised with this hotel. It was rated as a 3 star hotel but hey.. it was worth all the money we paid for. What was important was not only the cleanliness but the kind hospitality they offered to my kid. It was like a small resort in its own world. At one time you’re on the busy streets of Yogya and once you’re in the facility, you’re like in a different place. Very cooling and relaxing.

Yogyakarta feb15

There were a few setbacks:

We had to weather the rain to get to our rooms situated further back from the roofed reception. Especially now when its sunny during the first half of the day and like a meteorological expert – we can predict the rain to pour by 3PM everyday. Thank god for in-house umbrellas.

There was no fridge in the room. We had a leaking sink and the walls were not soundproof.

But they compensated well:

Hot showers, daily complimentary bottled water and beverages, free basic toiletries, a resourceful reception and fine room service dining. At least we can still experience Indonesian cuisine within the comfort of our own room especially when it rains during dinnertime. We enjoyed the Free WIFI most, so Mr Husband could VIBER his parents back home and upload the pictures on FaceBook.

Yogyakarta1

Would I stay at this hotel again? A definite yes.

The 1-Day Tour ⌉  Taman Sari & Malioboro ⌉ Food & Ole-Ole ⌉

Medan : The Itinerary and Grand Angkasa International Hotel

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“With Air AsiaGo, every ibuk can fly”

Finally, I had my birthday trip to Medan last weekend. However, I should mention that this trip has no Brastagi. No Piso-piso Waterfall. Not even a visit to Paten or Hillpark Sibolangit. No Bika Ambon. Danau Toba? Forget it. We think that our dear boy Hazeeq could not stand the 6 hours journey in a confined space. Hence, the mini adventure was limited to just Bandar Medan.. and wow it was still a worthwhile birthday ticket for a party of 3.

1.00 MYR = 3,702.00 IDR

Why Medan you may ask. Why not Bandung or Jakarta. Well.. simply because it was cheap on AirAsiaGo. We were undoubtedly excited about the trip and took much time reading outdated blog entries regarding Medan,till we have overlooked an important fact. The international airport tax in Medan per se has risen to 200 000 IDR fr0m 75 000 IDR starting May 2014. Perghh… nasib jak ada duit lebih. Mun sik.. gine nak bayar yah..

Grand Angkasa international Hotel

medan
In Medan, we lived like royalty.

medan1

We thought our hotel was a 3 star accommodation because of the price but it turned out to be a 5 star hotel.  They were also kind enough to give us a room with proper double bed instead of twin single beds that we initially booked. Breakfast was not included but what the heck.. makan luar ajalah.. As you can see, our days were liven up by the spirit of food and shopping. We went to every single pajak or mall we could think of with the BETOR (beca motor) as our favourite mode of transportation despite Hazeeq’s frequent refusal, “naik motor burok agi?”

a betor with a door

Here is a glimpse of our itinerary.

Fullscreen capture 2582014 90344 PM

Of course the room was clean, housekeeping was superb. Mr Husband made it a point for them to replenish our shower gels that have been used walaupun pada hakikatnya it has been stashed away.. he he. Beds were comfortable. TV reception was satisfactory. We even managed to catch up on movies like White House Down and G.I Joe during Hazeeq’s afternoon 3 hour nap.

Later, stories of shopping and our culinary adventure!!

20 things to do in Seoul, Korea

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KOREA

This is honestly a blog entry way overdue since last year. It was a week long trip together with my in laws and no, it was not terrible. In fact, it was uh-may-zing!!

We booked our flight with AirAsiaGo for 5 adults and 2 infants at the time.

We went during Autumn so the weather was just fine for the kids and our dear warga emas = elderly. I decided to just summarize the Top 20 things I  l.o.v.e.d doing in Seoul. 

  1. Eat Kimchi. Enjoy the pickled radish too. Its delicious for a side dish. Enjoy other Korean delicacies as well. Part 1-001
  2. Listen to K-Pop music or any other Korean artists. I was really into Lessang at the time since I was overly infatuated with Kang Gary through his appearances on the Korean variety show – Running Man. I bought one of his albums as a souvenir to bring back home.
  3. Immerse in Korea’s history at the war museum. It was a sad and harrowing time for them yet inspiring as the Koreans manage to build back their country and stand on its own two feet in less than a century.
  4. Lodge at a comfortable Bed & breakfast. Experience the interestingly insulated wooden floors beneath your feet as you walk in the room with your bare feet.
  5. Walk with Seoul. Or if you (more like the kids) are exhausted, use the super efficient public transports. All one needs is the Travel Card.
  6. Order your meal/ticket in Korean language. Greet someone as a start. They get super excited seeing tourists speak the language. They take pride in their language.
  7. Purchase specialised merchandise – Korean silk, brooch and accessories, their cutlery, seaweed, kimchi!!
  8. Wear a Hanbok and take a family photo. _MG_1533-001
  9. Send a postcard to yourself from Seoul Tower.
  10. Smile to an elderly – shake the hands of the young.
  11. Frequent the numerous coffee shops – consider making yourself a Coffee Pasport if you intend to stay in Seoul for a long time.
  12. And if you’re sick of coffee, have a banana milk instead
  13. Taste the spicy Korean food and be prepared to drink lots and lots of plain cold water.
  14. In Nami Island, take a picture with the breastfeeding lady and her two children. Part 2-001
  15. Get beautiful with the specially formulated BB Creams, lip tints and face maskers. I then realized that Etude House was a Korean brand.
  16. In Everland theme park – be a kid. Why so serious huh?
  17. Perform the Salah at Korea’s National Mosque at Itaewon
  18. Lock your own love padlock at Seoul Tower. Part 11
  19. Snap lots of pictures at the 3D Trick eye museum
  20. Take the cruise ship along the River Han – very relaxing with hot coffee on board.

What did you enjoy doing?