I love white sandy beach. I am very lucky to be born in a country with some most beautiful beach in the world.
I got to be honest, until i was in university i never really care about traveling and taking care of nature, the very best gift that free (so far it is). Its beautiful beach, nice sky, green grass... fresh air... i took it all for granted, went there took picture, had some fun with friends and family giggles, play with wave, running on grass... making camp fire.. cooking---and littering.
As i travel more frequent, i could see why its so important to keep our nature always clean.
I swam on that sea full of garbage, i walk on beach with my sandals for fears of broken bottles or...gross.. used condoms (sorry--but it was happened to me).
I saw this video: heart broken video about how evil human is.
We went there to some white sandy beach with our friends, bring some soda bottles, threw it off the boat and leave as nothing bad could possibly happened.
I saw the pictures of turtles trapped in some plastic garbage. Its so sad.
I would encourage everyone NOT TO LITTER when they were traveling. I would pick a plastic bottle that someone else threw in front of me. We had to start to live unselfishly.... its not only us who want a white sandy beach.
I am a litte bit too emotional when writing this, sorry :( just too sad.
Pindahan Tulisan Bahasa Indonesia
MIDWAY --a movie also for traveler!!
Tiger Air & Jakarta Autogate-In Bahasa Indonesia!
New post at Nona Backpacker about Jakarta Airport Immigration Auto gate experience :)
Happy reading!
Pari Island Pictures....
Let the pictures speak...
Welcome To Pari Island |
And the holiday begun... most of the beach pictures taken from the virgin beach with white powdery sand, kind of remind me the andaman beach sands.
White sandy nearly empty beach |
hahah!! ohh my dirty minds!! |
The entrance to village |
famous landmark |
Morning exploring @ Pari Island |
View from one of fishing village |
virgin beach sooo smooth |
very clear water |
virgin beach at Pari island |
you could stroll on the water far away.. sand so soft |
other part of virgin beach |
beautiful.... |
Yessss... there's over 300 pictures i took from the island trip, its worth the time and money! but too bad the accommodation is quite limited and pretty basic as i mention on previous post...
I wish i could post more to show you how beautiful the island. Its not as over crowded as Pramuka island or other island in one thousand island. And i like it how people in here still work together to build this place tourism.
direction sign behind Pari Harbour |
our ride back to Jakarta-on top deck! yeah!! |
One Thousand Island Jakarta--Great Escape to Beautiful Pari Island (Part 2: Less than 24 hour to do thing!)
My trip also was quite hectic. I had very short notice—a day before. And guess who need to arrange the whole thing? ME.
One Thousand Island Jakarta--Great Escape to Beautiful Pari Island (Part 1: Preparation)
One Thousand Island |
Pari Island is one of island among 110 of tiny islands (despite of the name) in One Thousand Island region and still part of Jakarta. There were lots of spots for snorkels—hidden white sandy/stranded beaches among this islands. Some islands in here belong to private/read—rich Indonesian. Some open for public and become favorite escape from Jakarta citizen. Its good for day trip or for weekend trip, for family, couples retreat, or just to hang out with friends. The whole trip depends on how much you want to spent and whats your comfortable limit is.
Most of beautiful island (read CLEAN and PURE) is conservation area either for animals like turtles or the famous Bondol eagles (Jakarta mascot) or for the mangrove. These islands had no accommodations. If you’re good enough, you could find some contact that will provide chance to do camping on beach for this islands. Just have to remember TO LEAVE TRACE AS LESS AS POSSIBLE, leave the island as when you first landed, do not trash or litter!! Some private islands even offer homestay for public, but as I said---if you know the right person….
According to Detik travel, some of the most beautiful island in one thousand islands is:
- Semak Daun Island. Expat often call it with pulau “smack down”. Just for campsite (tips for the island guard around Rp 50,000,-), no accommodation or facilities. Its one of conservation Island for penyu sisik (Eretmochelys imbricata) and penyu hijau (green turtle/Chelonia mydas). You could use the local fisherman boats to get to this island from Pramuka island
- Sepa Island. Paradise for divers, place for those who had the PADI open water certificate practice their new skills. It’s under PT Sepa Paradise management. Also Conservation Island for penyu sisik (Eretmochelys imbricata) and penyu hijau (green turtle/Chelonia mydas) also not much facilities in here, the water in the toilets using the brackish water (air payau)
- Air Island In english it means water island. It’s a private island, beautiful with beautiful corals, white sandy beach and crystal clear water. The island actually one land but the owner then dig the island and it’s divided by water. One part stay private the other part could be visited by public (resort). It had the best facility compare to other island (read more expensive). You could reach it from pulau Pramuka or pulau Tidung.
- Karang Congkak Island No electricity, no accommodation/villager house, camping only. Good for snorkel and diving (Poso wreck dive site). Its 3 hours boat ride from Muara Angke. Its home/conservation island for Bondol Eagles—the Jakarta mascot.
- Kotok Island Took 90 minutes boat from Marina Ancol. Also home conservation for Bondol Eagles. Unique thing about this island?? The tree house!! You could rent the tree house as well.
The exact location for Pari Island is in coordinate: 6°0′14″LU 106°46′44″BT. The island name “Pari” is from “stingray” because the island looks like stingray fish.
Overall boat route map from 3 different harbor |
traditional wooden boat at Muara Angke Harbor |
Muara Angke hectic boat departures on weekend (picture takes from blog Wirawan Prasetyo) |
not for one with long legs and big butts?? (picture taken from blog Irwanah) |
Kali Adem harbor front gate-yes it said muara angke, its the "new" muara angke harbor :D |
Kali Adem Pier with faster boat |
Faster boat, still no AC but at least you could have a seat! (Taken from tidungholiday blog) |
Type of boat depart from Marina Ancol--hmmm |
Seating inside the boat |
- Main Ancol Theme Park Gate. You could access this from Gunung Sahari street, outer ring road toll, stop at Ancol. From Dufan-turn left and drive along with the canal until you see pier #6. This gate open 24hours.
- Ancol East Gate; good if you’re from Kemayoran direction—this gate open 24hours
- Ancol west gate/pluit. This gate only open after 07.30am. This gate located next to marina.
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No 05 : This pier used for boats to Alam Kotok Island. The boat leave at
8am
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No 06 : This pier used for boats that goes to one thousand islands
islands, the private/resort or the non resort island. The boats here leave
based on the passenger bookings. Boat leave at 7.30am—therefore you had to
be there before 7am (boarding time)
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No. 09 : This pier used for boats goes to Putri Island Resort. The boats
leave also at 8am
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No. 16 This pier used for the boats that leave to Ayer island
resort. The boats leave at 9am
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No. 17 this pier used for boats that goes to Bidadari Island Resort. The
boat leaves at 11am (but still you need to be there 30 minutes before for
boarding)
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No. 19 : this pier used for boats that goes to Sepa Island Resort
- Dermaga Marina Ancol Pier No. 22 – 23 this pier used for boats that goes to Pantara island resort
...to be continue....
Merpati Airlines Promotion for 2014! yay!
Ok, take a deep breathe, i was just woke up and want to check flights for my next holiday when i saw all of this madness promotions for flights---aaarrghhhh!!! my travel addiction kick in!!
Citlink Promotion! **Rp 55.000,-** get yourself some coffee people!!
Long time not posting some promotion from airlines, now i will post you some domestic airlines with promotion fare. Its from CITILINK!
One of my fave airline these day! |
This airline from last year already become my fave domestic airlines--especially since Airasia mostly these days ONLY boasting for cheap fare--BUT-- no its just not cheap, almost the same like other airlines fare and sometimes even more expensive than local flights so NO, i wont bother to click Airasia to check **full of disappointment**
So check your remaining vacation days and the 2014 public holidays calendar, and book the flights!! make your holidays HAPPENED!! **btw its quite late night to book the flight, but if you really want to make it happened in CHEAP way.. there always be sacrifices you should made--go get that coffee.. and stay awake from 22.00 to 3 am!!**
Happy booking!!
Bangkok Lady Boy; From Marilyn to Lady GaGa!
One thing that fascinate me about Bangkok is how the people feeling comfort with the "phenom" that i call Lady Boy, a.k.a Transgender or Kathoey in local Thai language.
Ladyboy cabaret show-extravagant stage! |
I think its only in Thailand where the transgender found a home where other people not discriminate them or look bad at them in such negative way. They were given so much freedom here to live their life as any other people. Lady boy is considered as the third gender here in Thailand.They even had a separate toilet for them, so its Ladies, Gents, Ladyboy toilet. Hehehe In here, lady boy/kathoey is really part of the society.
Venus Fly Trap band. Which one is the real girl can you tell?? |
They walk and do their activities at day time. Not like in Indonesia they should hide them self until night time come to reveal their true soul. You wont see any different between them and real girl. In fact maybe among 50 girls in Thai 1 of them is a lady boy, and you wont notice this! Ohhh... and forget those thoughts of "oh yeah i will know them if you ask me to pick which one the lady boy and which one the real girl" things. You will loose your bet fella! check the Venus Fly Trap band (Hot Venus, Posh Venus, Cool Venus, Naughty Venus & Sweet Venus) picture i post above... can you tell which one is the real girl which one is the lady boy??
Answer is none of them real girl, all lady boy/transgender.
Yolanda-Venus Fly Trap Ladyboy Band member (yepp she's stunning!) |
And they even had their own university where they could study, wear girls uniform without any prejudice from other student. I think its only in Thailand where school allowed their transgender students wear female uniform to attend their class and without any other kids bullied them!
University class for Ladyboy |
Ladyboy University in Bangkok |
I went there several time to Bangkok and realize that there are very tiny differences between the real girl there and the lady boy! oh my.. they're very pretty! with Asian figure you wont tell the difference because some guys in Asia had smaller frame too (even smaller than me). Not once i was laugh because my Caucasian friends went to Thailand and said to me "I WAS FOOLED!!" and i know what he's talking about! these ladyboys is hard to resist, they're really the "candy eye" for every men.
I went to a street in Phuket and have a chat with them years ago... and found that some of them are very friendly and nice to talk to :) they told me about hard life they should goes through.. and reason why he became a kathoey. He said, he came from a poor family, and he said to help his family he had to work. He see that many girls got more money from caucasian tourist. He never think of being kathoey that time but, then just the economical things push him to.
I always think Thailand had many things attract tourist/traveller to visit them. And i would say, you just cant get enough of this country!
In a search for the beach--Sukabumi, Pelabuhan Ratu (Day 1)
No, you're kidding me? i hope its not Ancol, the one that full of garbage and polluted black water from river that cross the city?? No i wont call that a beach thank you so very much, and i wont swim there!! i dont think fish want to swim there ahhahah!
This is just few lines i threw to my sisters when they said we will have Christmast and End year gathering in beach somewhere near Jakarta. After experiencing Belitung and Bangka island with white sand more beautiful than Koh Phi Phi at Andaman in Thailand... why would i ruin it with going to swim with garbage in Jakarta bay?? its so sick... i did miss the beach but i am not that desperado!!!
Its early December 2012 when they-my sisters assign me on browsing for this new beach destination. You know sisters and mom, there are long list requirements among those search. Its not easy to find the next heaven as we call it.
So somehow i found this pictures of Karang Aji beach with stunning view of Cimaja area in Sukabumi. First we want to stay somewhere else but its kind of hectic in my office and those girls not coming back to me again as they promise me.. and its just a week away before the xmast!!!
View from the 3rd floor of Karang Aji You could see some part of the Ocean Queen Resort |
So i call more than 5 resort to see if they were available for 7 people! and its very hard to do when you just one week away from the holiday! the one that i would say a "shame" to loose is the booking with Ocean Queen Resort. Its not shabby at all. Its cheap deal and they had this villa few meters from the beach. The owner is an expat who reply my email right away that time. But as i said, i loose it because the due time he gave me and my sister just cant decide--DUH.
So back to Karang aji resort, i got the owner phone number and we text several time, hes very friendly and having this fast response. We got our self 3 separated room for Rp 900.000,- total per night. They had guess kitchen we could use. Its very cheap considering its xmast holiday!
View from the 3rd floor sundeck, amazing! |
It took us agonizing 6 hours drive due to heavy traffic to Sukabumi. We stop around 5-6 times to refuel once and last stop is for lunch. We leave the house at 8am and arrive around 2.30pm.
One of the 5th stop near the Sukabumi-Lunch time! |
The first surprise is how steep the resort is that we need to go back down again after up about 20 meters and feel like the car wont make it even for the first turn... with the smell of rubber burned (i dont want to know what the hell it was-just think its just the tire). We finally made it to the top!! and its toyota kijang inova we use!! not some junk car!! geez...
Smelly burning tire |
First day we spent our time just relaxing at the resort. One thing for sure its not really for kids age below 5 so many stairs made of wooden and theres not much light to show the stairs. Theres also several dogs belong to the owner that keep barking on us whenever we went out to the public kitchen. Its very nice of them to have this and allow the guest to use it. But the thing is its separated from main building, so when its raining youll get wet before you able to cook hehehe...
Theres a small swimming pool for children there, the joy of my niece and nephew. Despite its getting cooler they insist on taking a dip. While my mom making us hot spicy noodles, me and two off my sister thinking of sneaking out to the resort across the street, the Ocean Queen Resort.
Walking down to the street was a struggle due to the steep way down, my sisters keep doing they crazy girlie screaming all way down. My youngest sister even took off her sandals hahahah!! because the street not only steep but in most of part also had lots of slippery green moss...
Crossing the street yet another struggle awaits us on the way to the Ocean Queen Resort.
But its just all worthy, the resort seemed nicer. And its straight on the beach front. There are more family with small kids here. The bungalow also not so small.
Me and my sister |
We were spending some of our afternoon playing at the black sandy beach. Its not as clean as i thought it would be. And the wave so huge... some of the expat family seemed bring surfing boards for their kids as well.
I would recommend this place for family, and even the price bit higher but i think its all worthy. You could bring your cooking utensils and cook at your own bungalows with family. And the beach just less than 100 meters from the door step.
As its getting darker we walk back up to Karang Aji--out of breathe..... catching time for sunset, everyone relaxing and getting massage... what a day!
Sunset.. not so clear tho its cloudy afternoon |