Bayu Cottages Amed


Finally we got a chance to stay at Amed Beach Bali with our kiddos. We stayed at Bayu Cottages, a very nice cottage with an affordable price. Four of us stayed at their triple room, and cost IDR 450,000 incl breakfast. 

Bayu Cottages located at Lipah beach, an area full of hotels in Amed. The cottages located on a hill and each of the 6 rooms has a stunning view to the ocean.



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Mandalika Beach Lombok

Here's some picture of Mandalika Beach (around Novotel Lombok) taken by noon time...





This beach is only 30 minutes away from BIL, the new airport of Lombok. So make sure you visit this beautiful beach if you're flying to Lombok. You can take taxi by the airport cost around IDR 150,000, or you can stay at Novotel and use their airport pick up.


written on January 30, 2012
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Lombok Airport Bus

Since Oct 2011, all of the airplanes going to Lombok will go to the newly opened Bandara International Lombok, about 1-1,5 hours to Senggigi Beach. But it is only 30 minutes away to Mandalika Beach.



I went there when the airport has just opened for 2 weeks, and many people from surrounding villages go to the airport just to see the airplane. Well, no wonder as this airport was built in the middle of those villages. So don't be surprised to see many people outside the airport:p



To go to Mataram or Senggigi, you can take taxi, the rate is about IDR 200,000 to IDR 300,000. The cheapest way is to take the Lombok Airport Bus, if you go from BIL to Mataram, it cost IDR 15,000 and if you go directly to Senggigi it cost IDR 25,000. The bus is an air conditioned bus, the same bus you may find at Soekarno Hatta (Jakarta) Airport.


Here is the schedule of Lombok Airport Bus.



The bus will stop at Senggigi just opposite Asmara Restaurant, from there you can continue taking taxi if you'd like to go to Bangsal Harbour to continue going to Gili Trawangan.



Let's go to Lombok my blog readers, I just love it!


written on January 27, 2012
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Sade Village Lombok


I heard about Sade Village from Lombok Travelling book that I have bought, and to my surprise, I passed the Sade Village on my way from Mataram to Novotel Lombok. So, on the day we left Novotel, we walked into this village, just to know what is inside.



We met Pietro at the parking place, a local guy whose job is being a tour guide. When we asked them how much was his fee, he answered that it depends on how much the guest would pay him. So we walked inside the Sade Village with him. He took us to many houses that sell homemade sarong. They are beautiful. I bought two of them, cost each IDR 75,000. I was not sure how much is the normal price, but after seeing the lady made it by hand, I refuse to bargain for lower price:p



Pietro took us to see the inside of the house, I just can’t imagine how to live in these houses..



This place can be reached from Bandara International Lombok about 20 minutes by car. So if you want to see this traditional village, you can spare some time before your flight or even visiting the village right after your arrival. If you ask me, is it worth a visit? I would answer yes.


written on January 18, 2012
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Seafood Remaja Indah Lombok

It is proven that if you want to try the best local food, than hear from the local! I am really fortunate to have Daniel as our tour guide hehee..not really an official one, but he is the one taking us here and there while we're in Lombok. And he took us to this place, a seafood small resto called Remaja Indah on Jalan Raya Lawang Kuta, Lembar.Daniel said that it's the best seafood in Lombok, and frankly speaking I trust him.

The resto located opposite of a mosque. If you go towards Lembar from Mataram or BIL, you will find this resto on your right side. It's only a small resto, but it's worth the journey! For your info, Lembar is the harbour in west Lombok, you will arrive in Lembar if you are taking ferry from Padang Bai, Bali.



We ordered their shrimp, crab and grilled fish, they are all delicious, and the best was of course the crab!



To our surprise, we were 10 people and only had to pay IDR 650,000 for all the food we ordered, very cheap! Well, don't judge the book by its cover, don't judge this resto by its look from outside:p If you plan to have your culinary experience in Lombok, than this resto should be on your list!


written on January 10, 2012
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Novotel Lombok

Novotel Lombok located at Mandalika Beach, has an advantage from the opening of the new Lombok airport: Bandara International Lombok ('BIL') which is only 30 minutes away from Novotel. The previous airport, Sepinggan was close to Senggigi beach, but was 1,5 hour to Novotel Lombok.

I stayed at Jayakarta Lombok on our first night for the business trip, and the second night we tried the Novotel Lombok, as the next day we'll have to take the flight back to Jakarta. It was really a long journey from Mataram to Novotel. We left the city at about 6pm, and arrived at novotel at 7.30 pm. A local driver took us to Novotel, otherwise it is considered not save to go there after the sunset.

We didn't see much that night, all we knew that the hotel is rather isolated. So we just got into our room and promise to wake up early to see the sunrise in the morning. But the hotel staff told us that the sunset couldn't be seen from the hotel. So we just stroll down to the beach that morning. The beach looks very different than when we visited it after 10 am. You'll see in the picture below.



Than we tried their pool. It's not a big pool, and it get hot at 8 am already. So make sure to wake up early to swim in their pool.



The hotel surrounding is really a resort type. But you are far away from everything! So if you wish to stay here, make sure you rent a car or a motorbike, so you can go to the nearest resto. The food is expensive at the hotel. The breakfast is just a standard hotel breakfast, nothing was special.



The room is nice and spacious, no complaint regarding the room. Please note that there is no lift at the hotel, so ask them to have room on the ground floor if you travel with your children or elderly.



We visited the beach again at about 1 pm, and we saw a different beach than we visited in the early morning!



It's the best Novotel I have visited so far, I think the beach that made it really special:)


written on January 8, 2012
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Gili Trawangan

It's our first time ever to visit Lombok, so we decided to have a short visit to Gili Trawangan. We wanted to visit Gile Meno and Gili Air, but as it was raining, so we decided to only visit Gili Trawangan.

We left our hotel The Puncak Lombok at about 7 am, and we were heading to the Bangsal (that's how the harbour called) which was about 1 hour from our hotel in Senggigi area. On the way to the Bangsal, we could see the Gili, the Senggigi bay, very beautiful.




We were guided by our friend Daniel Yosua Ramlan by blackberry messanger:p Daniel is our friend who is currently working in Lombok. He kept telling us not to stop at the first parking place, just go straight, and find a parking place near the harbour. If we stop at the first parking place, we will be forced to take cidomo (horse carriage) and will cost us quiet expensive. So when the guy in uniform told us to stop, we didn't stop and just go straigth. Thanks to Daniel:) We stopped at the parking place, just few meters from the harbour.



Than we went to the ticket booth, the Bangsal ticket booth is very traditional (the wooden house in the picture below, the modern one is the ticket booth in Gili Trawangan). Be careful with tourist scam at Bangsal. They are people telling you that the boat is not operate. Don't listen to them, just go straight to the ticket booth.



We bought a public boat ticket from Bangsal to Gili Trawangan which cost IDR 10,000 per peson. There are different colors of the ticket. We were confused of what to do after we got the ticket, until there was an announcement that passanger with pink ticket shall board to the boat. The boat is packed with people taking fruits and vegetables to the island. We saw also bed at bangsal to be taken to the island. So interesting to see how people move stuff to Gili Trawangan from Bangsal.



And finally after a 40 minutes boat ride, we arrived at Gili Trawangan for the first time ever :)



We rented a bike, we thought that we could explore the whole island with the bicycle, hmmm I am telling you never thing about it! :p We did, and we regret it so much. The stone road is only until the end of the road with many hotels and cafe, after that there were only sandy road, and we couldn't use our bike!



The good thing was, we could stop at a very quiet beach and enjoying the beautiful view :)



After enjoying the beach for a while, we continue pushing our bike until we found a stone road again, which lead us to the main road. Alhamdulillah :)

Before leaving the island, we tried their street food which look really yummy.



At about 11.30 am, the wheather was really cloudy, so we decided to go back to our hotel. It was only a short visit to Gili Trawangan, wasn't that impressive because of the bike problems:p But yes the beach is fantastic. Next time, I and rene will try to spend a night here to explore the Gilis more.


written on January 4, 2011
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Talaga Sampireun Bintaro



If you'd like to have great Sundanese food with super atmosphere while you are in Jakarta, than you have to visit Talaga Sampireun. Located in Bintaro, to be precised near the exit of Pondok Aren highway, you'll find this resto on your right side.

We had a reunion with tesyasblog tour to Penang participants in Talaga Sampireun :p We reserved the day before to get an airconditioned saung (bamboo house), which is suitable for 12 person. The reservation for lunch weekend is divided into two batches: 10.30 am to 1 pm or 1 pm to 3 pm. We choose to have lunch at 10.30 am, which was good as the resto was not (yet) crowded. And please be advised that the reservation is required a day before. There is a minimum order if you wish to use the saung, for an air conditioned single saung, the minimum order is IDR 700,000.



The kids love this place as they can play with the fish. Actually there is also a playground there, but we sat on the other side of the playground, so that the kids didn't see it.



We ordered gurame terbang (fried gurame fish), tahu kipas (one of the best!), chicken satay, shrimp, and squid.



The F&B here is quiet expensive. We went there when Permata Bank had a joint promo with Talaga Sampireun, giving a 25% discount with its Credit Card. We had to pay IDR 620,000 for three families, after discount. One person on average will be around IDR 100,000 to IDR 150,000. Well, for this great place, it is worth it. But I think that the playground should be free of charge on weekend as well.

Talaga Sampireun 021-7453999


written on January 2, 2012
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