Hayman Coffee Beans Review: Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaii Kona

I recently contacted by Hayman Coffee asking whether I would like to try their coffee beans. Known as one company in UK which offer specialty coffee beans, of course my answer was a big YES. And the coffee beans were shipped all the way from Europe to Indonesia. 

I was wondering whether the thousand miles delivery would affect the taste of the beans. But the Hayman's coffee beans are "roasted to order", meaning the coffee are roasted once they receive your order. That is why the coffee beans were still fresh when it was arrived at our home.

The beans came in a very exclusive packaging, I got two kind of beans which were the Jamaican Blue Mountain and Hawaii Kona. I requested coffee beans instead of Nespresso campatible capsules, as we'd like to make the coffee using V60 manual brew.

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Ibis Styles Bogor: A Family Friendly Hotel in Bogor

Bogor is our second hometown after Bandung. We often go to Bogor everytime we miss Bandung. Many times we do a daytrip to Bogor, but sometimes we also stay over night.

When I was searching for a hotel in Bogor for our weekend getaway, I stumbled at Ibis Styles Bogor. I remember staying at Novotel Bogor before for our office meeting, but I have never heard that there is a newly opened Ibis Styles Bogor.

I checked the location of Ibis Styles bogor, and it was perfect. It is away from hustle and bustle of the city, and surrounded by greenery. The hotel is set in a quiet location, where you can have your morning walk or cycling time with your family.

But not only the surrounding that surprised me, the hotel is meant to be a very family friendly hotel, with so many facilities for the kids. 

All these trees in front of 
Ibis Styles Bogor welcomed us :)

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Staycation at Holiday Inn Express Jakarta International Expo Kemayoran

When we don't have any long weekend to spend for a getaway but still feel like going somewhere, what we do is taking a family staycation. We book a room in a hotel located in Jakarta, and we spent one or two nights at the hotel.

Location wise, we prefer to stay away from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. Kemayoran area is one of our fave area as it is minutes away from Ancol. We have stayed many times in Kemayoran area, and this time we were invited by Holiday Inn Express Jakarta International Expo.

What really surprising was the design of the hotel. Holiday Inn Express is famous for "We Keep It Simple and Smart" concept, but I still feel the luxurious touch at the lobby as well as the restaurant where we had our breakfast on the next day. 

We did not miss the opportunity to take picture on its most instagramable spot at the lobby:)

At the lobby of Holiday Inn Express Jakarta International Expo

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BNI Life Perisai Prima: Perlindungan Prima Bagi Traveler

Menurut saya, salah satu hal yang paling penting untuk mempersiapkan liburan adalah melindungi diri dengan asuransi. Saat bepergian dengan kedua Kiddos, kami selalu membeli travel insurance. Namun, saat saya hanya pergi berdua dengan mr.husband, kami pun melindungi diri dengan life insurance.

Pada kesempatan Garuda Travel Fair 2017, saya diminta untuk sharing mengenai family traveling oleh BNI Life. Saat itu, saya juga belajar mengenai BNI Life Perisai Prima. Produk yang memberikan proteksi terhadap risiko kematian dan penggantian biaya perawatan di rumah sakit akibat kecelakaan. Asyiknya, BNI Life Perisai Prima diterima di luar negeri, dengan metode reimbursement. Salah satu jenis asuransi yang ditawarkan BNI Life, yang cocok untuk traveler.

Bersama Melisa Karim, Kemal dan Ibu Lia Susetio dari BNI LIfe di GATF 2017

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Istanbul With Kids: Visiting Istanbul SEA Life Akvayrum

Having visited and had super fun seeing the Dugong at Sydney SEA Life Aquarium, we wanted to visit another aquarium during our family holiday in Istanbul. When we did our research on kids friendly places in Istanbul, we found out that there's SEA Life Akvaryum in Istanbul. Of course we put it in our itinerary right away! 

It is located inside a huge shopping mall called Forum Istanbul. From the first time we arrived at Forum Istanbul, we saw a huge advertisement of the Istanbul SEA Life Akvaryum.

Welcome to Forum Istanbul Shopping Mall:)

There are 2 huge aquariums in Istanbul, please don't get confused. We visited the one with "SEA Life" brand which belongs to the same group company with SEA Life Sydney, SEA Life Bangkok, etc, which is called Merlin Entertainment.

It was not difficult to find Istanbul SEA Life Akvaryum, the sign inside the shopping mall was really clear. Other than SEA Life Akvaryum, there's also Legoland Discovery Center inside the Forum Istanbul. However, we didn't have the chance to visit the Legoland Discovery Center. We spent hours inside the SEA Life Istanbul.

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[Guestpost] Temukan Keunikan Goa Terawang Blora

Sewaktu teman saya Muti, mengirimkan tulisan mengenai Goa Terawang di Blora, saya semakin ingin mengunjungi goa serupa tapi tak sama yaitu Goa Jomblang di Gunung Kidul.

Minggu lalu saya berkesempatan melakukan mommies day out ke Gunung Kidul, namun hanya berhasil ke Goa Pindul. Salah seorang teman yang belum mommies namun ikut acara tersebut, Leon, kemudian pamer foto-foto saat ia bekunjung ke Goa Jomblang. Dan tentu saja, Goa Jomblang masuk ke dalam bucketlist saya, untuk kunjungan berikutnya ke Gunung Kidul.

Foto belongs to Leon, when she visited Goa Jomblang in Gunung Kidul

Leon juga menceritakan betapa serunya saat ia ditarik turun dengan tali menuju Goa Jomblang di Gunung Kidul. Dan sayapun semakin iri..hehe..

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Rekomendasi Wisata Kuliner di Sekitar Jalan Riau Bandung

Salah satu pusat wisata belanja dan kuliner di Bandung adalah Jalan Riau yang dipenuhi berbagai factory outlets. Sejauh ini dua factory outlets favorit saya adalah Heritage dan Cascade yang lokasinya sebelahan dan terhubung satu sama lain. Heritage saya suka karena koleksi baju pria yang lengkap di lantai dua, sementara Cascade selalu saya kunjungi karena memiliki koleksi baju muslim di lantai dasarnya.

Karena banyaknya wisatawan domestik dan mancanegara yang akhirnya datang ke Bandung untuk belanja di sekitar Jalan Riau ini, muncul berbagai restoran, tempat nongkrong dan tempat ngopi di sekitar factory outlets yang ada di Jalan Riau Bandung. Dan jangan tanya deh, daerah ini kalau weekend macet banget!

Untuk menghindari parahnya kemacetan di sekitar jalan Riau ini, sebagai orang Bandung, saya sarankan menginaplah di sekitar Jalan Riau dan explore wisata belanja dan kuliner yang ada di sana dengan jalan kaki. Terdapat berbagai rekomendasi hotel Bandung di situs Wego yang bisa teman-teman pilih sesuai dengan budget liburan. Selalu ada referensi website mana yang menawarkan kamar dengan harga paling murah. Selain hotel, ada tiket pesawat murah dan dan harga promo di Wego.co.id. Praktis kan, enggak perlu membandingkan harga hotel atau tiket pesawat di berbagai websites!

Setelah urusan hotel selesai, saatnya kita memilih tempat makan! Supaya tidak bingung, rekomendasi wisata kuliner di sekitar jalan Riau Bandung saya tulis berdasarkan kategorinya ya, dari mulai tempat ngopi hingga restoran.

TEMPAT NGOPI & NGEMIL CANTIK DI SEKITAR JALAN RIAU BANDUNG


Contrast Coffee 

Dari luar Contrast Coffee terlihat mungil, namun jangan tertipu, masuklah ke dalam dan teman-teman akan menemukan sebuah coffeeshop yang memiliki industrial design, keren banget!

Lokasinya tidak jauh dari Cafe Bali maupun tempat makan steak yang famous di Bandung: Suiss Butcher. Dari jalan Riau, tinggal belok kiri ke Jalan Anggrek sedikit, Contrast Coffee ada di sebelah kanan jalan.

Tidak hanya interior design-nya yang menawan, Contrast Coffe juga memiliki area outdoor yang menyenangkan.

Interior Contrast Coffee yang kekinian

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Enjoying BBQ Spice Grill at Hardy's Dining Room Mercure Bandung Setiabudi

When you are staying in a hotel which is located in the northern part of Bandung and Lembang, it's better to stay at you hotel for dinner to avoid the traffic jam in the area. That's what we did when we stayed at Mercure Bandung Setiabudi.

 

What's better than having a BBQ in the cold air of Bandung? We went downstairs to Hardy's Dining Room around 7.30 pm. The restaurant was already busy with other guests who were enjoying the BBQ Spice Grill at Mercure Bandung.

 

The BBQ area just outside Hardy's Restaurant

 

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Mercure Bandung Setiabudi: The Perfect Hotel For A Weekend Getaway

I often received questions from my friends and tesyasblog's readers about where to stay in Bandung for their weekend getaway. Then I question them their need, budget, and itinerary. 

Bandung as you may know is very hectic during weekend, especially long weekend! All the factory outlets, cafes, restaurants and tourist attraction places from Kawah Putih to Lembang Floating Market will be packed by locals as well as visitors. Choosing the right hotel for your itinerary is really important, otherwise you will be stuck for hours in traffic.

If your plan is to explore Bandung plus Lembang area, I would recommend staying at a hotel which is located between the two cities. Mercure Bandung Setiabudi is located in the northern part of Bandung, in the middle between Lembang and the heart of Bandung. 

Mercure Bandung Setiabudi is a semi resort. After your busy day eating and shopping in Bandung, you will feel a different ambience when you are back to the hotel. And of course, being the only international chain hotel in Lembang area, you will feel a top notch service as well as a modern and lovely room.

Every room has a backdrop with Bandung's icon on it.
Ours was the old building of Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung 

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2 Hari 1 Malam Di Lombok, Ini Itinerary-nya!

Cara dan gaya travelling itu berbeda sesuai selera, bujet dan waktu yang dimiliki. Hingga sekarang, banyak yang masih heran kenapa saya bisa ke Hong Kong pulang pergi. Tapi ada hikmahnya juga, ketika saya pergi ke destinasi domestik dengan waktu yang singkat, teman saya entah ngeledek atau apalah maksudnya.. mereka bilang, "Lah, dia sih ke Hong Kong aja PP" #jleb!

Untuk saya, sesingkat apapun suatu perjalanan, yang penting bisa menikmati destinasi yang dikunjungi. Tentunya karena waktu yang singkat, sebisa mungkin saya mencari harga tiket promo. Lah kalau perjalanan lama aja saya sabar menunggu promo kok, apalagi kalau hanya travelling satu-dua hari kan?

Kebetulan di Garuda Travel Fair 2016 ada promo ticket redemption dari Garuda Miles ke 7 destinasi tertentu, termasuk Lombok. Dari normal point 14.000 one way, diskon menjadi 7.000 point saja. Ah, I love free tickets! Saya memilih pergi Sabtu jam 05.50 dan kembali hari Minggu jam 14.50.

Rencana liburan kami hanya 2 hari 1 malam di Lombok, saat akhir pekan saja. Kami memilih untuk explore daerah sekitar Pantai Kuta Lombok, Hotel Novotel, dan sedikit melipir ke Lembar untuk makan siang. Karena tiba pagi, kami akan memulai our weekend getaway dari Desa Sasak Sade.

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Things You Should Know Before Jumping at Amped Trampoline Park Jakarta

Looking for an indoor playground in Jakarta to go on weekend with your family? Last week we headed to Amped Trampoline Park, which is located in Kelapa Gading area, Jakarta. It's our first time going to a trampoline park. So happy that Jakarta now has an indoor trampoline park:)

After a one hour session of bouncing and jumping, I would say that this is definitely a must visit place! The area is so huge, and they have a rule that there must only be one person in each trampoline. So it's very save to jump on the trampoline of Amped. Not too mention that you will find Amped's crew in all area. 

They not only guard the visitors, but also teach you how to jump in the trampoline and roll into the foam pit.

Amped's crews at the High Jump Area

If it's your first time visiting Amped Trampoline Park Jakarta, I will share with you things you should know before visiting this place. 

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Ibis Budget Semarang Tendean Review: Beyond Expectation

On our second night in Semarang, we stayed at Ibis Budget Semarang Tendean. Being a budget hotel, we didn't expect too much of this hotel. Especially after our blisful stay at Novotel Semarang on the first night.

When we arrived at Ibis Budget Semarang Tendean, we were amazed by the look of this hotel. There were so many "WOW" factors of this budget hotel: the building was eye catching with its purple color, the lobby was so fresh and bright, everything in Ibis budget Semarang Tendean looks brand new. 



The eye catching Ibis Budget Semarang Tendean

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Novotel Semarang Experience: Our Blissful Stay In The Heart Of The City

Having always stayed at Novotel Semarang on my previous business trips to Semarang, made Novotel Semarang my first choice when I took our Kiddos for the first time ever to Semarang. 

This time, we traveled to Semarang from Jakarta by train, so having a hotel which is centrally located was what we needed. Taxi was only IDR 40,000 from Semarang Tawang Train Station to Novotel Semarang, a shopping mall just across the hotel, and the Lawang Sewu Museum is in a walking distance.

The spacious lobby of Novotel Semarang welcomed us, check-in was fast, the staffs friendlines were awesome and the orange juice provided as the welcome drink was really refreshing. I knew from the start that it was going to be a great stay at Novotel Semarang.

The lobby of Novotel Semarang

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Wisata Kuliner di Cirebon Dalam Satu Hari

Setelah Puncak dan Bandung, destinasi pilihan weekend getaway dari Jakarta adalah Cirebon. Dibukanya tol Cipali dan waktu tempuh kereta yang hanya tiga jam, membuat banyak warga Jakarta rela pulang pergi hanya untuk menikmati wisata kuliner khas Cirebon.

"Saya sih satu setengah jam aja Bu dari rumah ke Cirebon. Makan Nasi Jamblang, terus pulang deh" begitu cerita teman kantor saya yang rumahnya di daerah Cikarang. Saya langsung ngiler dan ingin segera kembali untuk wisata kuliner satu hari di Cirebon.

Makanan khas Cirebon itu ada banyak banget, tapi favorit kami adalah Nasi Jamblang dan Empal Gentong. In between, makan seafood di Cirebon juga enak loh!

Untuk wisata kuliner satu hari di Cirebon, tiga tempat ini adalah rekomendasi kami.

1. Makan Murah Meriah di Nasi Jamblang Ibu Nur

Setibanya di Cirebon, kami langsung menyalakan aplikasi waze dan memasukan "Nasi Jamblang Ibu Nur" sebagai destinasi pertama. Pagi itu restoran masih sepi, kami bisa duduk dengan nyaman. "Bun, kok ini isinya bangku semua enggak ada meja?" tanya Kiddos#1. 

Bangku panjang yang terdapat di dalam restoran memang terlihat serupa, namun sebetulnya bangku panjang yang berfungsi sebagai meja, ukurannya lebih lebar.  

It was our Kiddos' first time trying Nasi Jamblang

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Club Med Bali Review: Sport and Activities

It was my first Club Med experience. Before coming to Club Med Bali, I read its website to plan what will we do at Club Med Bali for 3 days. The Children Club, snorkeling, kayaking, archery, flying trapeze, swimming, tennis and yoga were on our list. 

When we arrived at Club Med Bali, the first thing that our Kiddos request was swimming, because the pool was seen from the lobby. We sat at one of the cabana provided in Club Med Bali, ordering cold drinks from the bar for free, chilling out at the pool, and started our 3 days enjoying sport and activities at Club Med Bali.

This was the view from Cabana by the main pool

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Club Med Bali Review - The All Inclusive Resort

This was our first Club Med experience. Club Med has more than 80 resorts in the world, and 2 of them are located in Indonesia: Club Med Bali and Club Med Bintan. 

If you are not familiar with Club Med, it is an all inclusive resort. The price you pay include all the activities, food, drinks, and of course the kids club for the children. I always thought that staying at Club Med is only for the members. But I was wrong, you don't have to be a member to stay at Club Med in Indonesia. 

We stayed for 3D2N, it was an amazing experience for our family. Read our Club Med Bali Review, we would like to share how this resort had given our family a memorable experience.

Couldn't wait to arrive at Club Med Bali

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Enjoying a Full Session at Kidzania Jakarta

It’s time to go back to Kidzania Jakarta for a full session! Yeay:)) Our Kiddos were so happy to be able to try other establishments after their short visit with the Kidzania TranzitTicket. We decided to choose the first session on Sunday morning (from 09.00 am to 02.00 pm), and we were lucky that there were not too many groups at Kidzania.

The check-in process

Arrival at Kidzania Airport

We arrived 15 minutes prior to the opening hour of Kidzania, and it was already crowded. Phew! We queued at the express ticket counter, although there were lots of people the check-in process was smooth, we didn’t have to wait more than 15 minutes.

The Kidzania crew than place a bracelet on our hand and yes we were so ready to get in.

Everyone (including adults) has to wear the bracelet

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Kidzania Jakarta’s Tranzit Ticket

Good news from Kidzania Jakarta, now you can visit Kidzania with the Kidzania Tranzit Ticket, only for IDR 65,000 (for adult and children), and IDR 50,000 for toddlers. You can take your kids to enjoy up to 3 establishments with Tranzit Ticket, a very good deal especially for first timer to Kidzania like me.

As the Tranzit Ticket is valid only on Monday-Thursday, we visited on a working day. We had lunch first at Pacific Place Mall, and at around 2 pm, we approached Kidzania Ticket Counter located on the 6th floor of Pacific Place Mall.  And a few minutes later, we were inside Kidzania Jakarta. Yeeaaay!

Ouf first sight of Kidzania Jakarta

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Wildlife Sydney Zoo: Enjoying The Indoor Zoo

Another thing to do when you visit Darling Harbour with your kids is to visit the Wildlife Sydney Zoo. It is located next to Madame Tussaud Sydney and also a few meters away from SEA Life Sydney Aquarium.

We visited Wildlife Sydney Zoo before started our roadtrip to Newcastle. It was a perfect timing as the weather was really hot. We didn't have to worry about the weather because it's an indoor zoo. Yup as stated in their website: Sydney's Most Unique All Weather Attraction.

We arrived around 11 am and the place was really crowded. The longest queue belongs to SEA Life Sydney Aquarium, the zoo's queue at the ticket counter was not that long, but still we had to queue for about 20 minutes before getting our complimentary tickets.

The ticket counter, next to Madame Tussaud

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SEA Life Sydney Aquarium

Our kiddos love to visit aquarium so much, we have visited Sea World in Jakarta, SEA Aquarium in Resort World Sentosa Singapore and the Grand Aquarium in Ocean Park Hong Kong. So far, their fave aquarium is the SEA Aquarium in RWS Singapore. 

When we planned a visit to Sydney with our kiddos, of course the SEA Life Sydney Aquarium was on our bucketlist. It is located in Darling Harbour, one of our favorite location in Sydney. I and Rene have passed Sydney Aquarium many times when we visited Sydney, but we have never gone inside the aquarium.

We visited Sydney Aquarium on the second day in Sydney (yup it was the boxing day!). We planned to arrive at the ticket counter as early as possible to beat the crowd. The queue was not yet that long, maybe everyone else were busy shopping at the Sydney CBD.

Finally we are here!

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