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Monday, January 9, 2017

Where to stay in Bali?

Bali, Island of Gods, is one of the most beautiful islands on the planet which combines fascinating sea and beaches with beautiful rainforests, lakes and a mystical culture. Bali Island offers something for every budget and taste. Whether you are a backpacker or a billionaire, you will find something for you here.

Bali is one of the 1,700 islands of Indonesia but it is the most popular tourist destination in the country: 80% of the tourists coming to Indonesia are visiting Bali and only Bali! But this popularity also has it's problems: places like Kuta, the most popular tourist town in the South, are becoming concrete jungle, tourists touts are annoyingly frequent and some places are really crowded.

Bali is quite accessible with many flights operating to the island from around the world. If you live in relatively nearby countries like Singapore, Malaysia or Australia you also have many budget airline options flying regularly to Bali.

Where to stay in Bali? The answer to this question depends on your budget and what you would like to do in Bali. Bali is a huge island and the bikini and alcohol soaked beaches of the south are quite different than cool and forested mountain lakes. By far the most popular region of Bali is the south, especially Southern coastal towns and villages near Kuta.

There is a reason Kuta is quite famous. Kuta was the first place discovered in Bali as a tourist destination. Until late 1980s, only a few backpackers knew the place and Kuta was one of the 3 backpacker heaven "K"s of far east: Katmandu, Khao San Road and Kuta.

South Bali (Kuta, Seminyak, Jimbalan, Legian, Nusa Dua)
The southern coast line of Bali is the most popular tourist destination of the island. Bali is governed from Denpasar town here (which has the airport but offers almost nothing to tourists). Bali's entertainment, night life and partying center Kuta is here. Seminyak, a calmer and more expensive destination and Legian in between Kuta and Seminyak is also here (Legian caters to older tourists). Bali Denpasar Airport is also in the south.

Kuta largely caters to budget to middle level tourists. Although it is popular with almost all nations, in peak seasons Kuta is largely full of Australian youth. The city looks like a mass and is ultra chaotic but it some how works and is still very popular. The main reason for its popularity is its night life and 5 kilometer sandy beach, one of the best beaches in Bali.

Kuta is not a place to enjoy luxury Bali villa stay. Calmer and more luxury hotels and resorts are in Seminyak and Nusa Dua. Especially Seminyak is highly popular with its luxury villa resorts, luxury SPAs and calmer environment. Seminyak was just a sleepy fishing village a decade ago and now is one of the most important tourist destinations in Bali.

If you want to stay in Kuta, Seminyak or Nusa Dua, you can visit Bali Kuta hotels, Seminyak hotels and Nusa Dua hotels pages.

Bali regions map. South Bali is the most popular tourist destination in Bali and houses Kuta, Seminyak,
Legian, Nusa Dua, Denpasar ... Courtesy of WikiTravel.org.

Central Bali (Ubud, Tabanan ve Bedugul)
South Bali is a beach resort destination and Bali is quite well known for this type of holiday making. Central Bali offers a very different holiday experience. Far from the beaches and in the mountains, Central Bali is the ciultural and art center of Bali and offers a mystical, magical and cool (literally, it is in the mountains) holiday.

Ubud is probably the most famous town in Central Bali offering a Zen holiday in Bali. Made more famous by famous book and movie "Eat, Pray, Love", the place offers a cool retreat for the people living in the tropics and a cool, tropical mountain holiday for all. If you will stay in Central Bali, try staying outside major towns like Ubud and select hotels and resorts overlooking rice fields, terraced hills and majestic rainforests.

Ubud Viceroy Bali Hotel pool. In Central Bali, select hotels outside major towns and on hills overlooking forest,
terraced hills and rice fields.

In the north of Central Bali, you will find magical Bedugul offering a fantastic nature. The area is 700 - 2000 meter high above sea level and can be quite cool in the night. Even if you do not stay here, take time to rent a car with driver and spend a day trip to this fascinating area in Bali. One of the most famous symbols of Bali, Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is right next to Beratan Lake in this region.

Ulun Danu Beratan Temple Beratan Lake Bali

Southeastern Islands of Bali (Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida ve Nusa Ceningan)

Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and Nusa Ceningan Islands are perfect places foir divers (actually the smallest of these, Nusa Ceningan, is a better place for surfing and snorkeling than diving). These islands are 15 kilometers off Bali and offers clear waters with rich marine life and fantastic beaches.

Nusa Penida is the largest of all these islands but almost all the accomodation is on Nusa Lembongan.

North Bali
North Bali is not as popular as the south and it is far from souths crowds. In the past, when Dutched ruled the island, north was the capital. Today Lovina in North is a popular tourist destinations for budget and mid-level accomodation seekers also looking for a calm place to relax and find bargain prices to stay.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Monday, October 7, 2013

Business trip from Singapore to Jakarta

Last week I traveled to Jakarta from Singapore for a business meeting. It was less than a day travel and I only stayed one night. I have flied there by AirAsia and came back by Jetstar. This was the first time I have been in Jakarta since 2009.

AirAsia operates 6x daily flights from Singapore to Jakarta. The 1 hour 45 minutes flight was smooth and ended up in a terminal which seems to belong to AirAsia. Last time I have been to Jakarta I had to take visa from Indonesia Embassy in Singapore. This time it was a very easy on-arrival visa which took less than a minute to queue and take and cost 35 SGD (25 USD). But i think the queues in immigration were short because this was a terminal solely serving AirAsia in Jakarta.

This was also my first time in Jakarta without a colleague. I did not have time to check the address of hotel, how to get there, which taxi to take. Before leaving the terminal I asked the information counter about the cost of taxi from Jakarta Airport to Le Meridien Jakarta hotel. They told me that it should cost 125,000 Rupiah. When I went out of terminal I have directly walked to bus platform and avoided all those smiling faces trying to direct me to an expensive taxi ride. Indonesia is famous for scams so it is best to avoid anyone trying to direct you to a vehicle.

I was watching the taxis and trying to decide which to take when I have seen a Blue Bird taxi. I have heard about this company in Bali and knew that it is advised to take taxis belonging to Blue Bird to avoid overpaying. I have waited an available one and jumped into a Blue Bird.

You need to pay for all high-way tolls on your way to central Jakarta by cash and taxi driver either pays them on his own and takes the total from you later or requests them one by one from you. Mine has requested them one by one.

I was preparing myself to a very heavy traffic but there was not traffic on my way to hotel. I think this is because I have arrived on Friday night and the heavy traffic was from Jakarta center to outside. On the other hand my boss, who arrived early Thursday needed 2.5 hours to arrive from airport to the hotel. Taxi ride from Jakarta Airport to my hotel, Le Meridien Jakarta cost me 105,000 Rupiah without highway tools. So Blue Bird was a good choice.

Le Meridien Jakarta Hotel is a central hotel which was quite near to our meeting location in Jakarta. It was my first time in this hotel and I enjoyed the stay. The room, the bed and the bathroom was quite large and with a price tag of 100 USD per night it was reasonably priced. The dinner was not included in my booking so I (or my company) paid 40 USD for an open buffet dinner which was quite nice. I also enjoyed the breakfast but having arrived late with some work to do, I had no chance to try facilities such as swimming pool and gym.

I would definitely recommend Le Meridien Jakarta Hotel but the most important criteria in Jakarta to choose a hotel is the location. Given the horrific traffic in the city which has no meaningful public transformation, you should choose a hotel near your most visited destination.

This is the second time I stay in a hotel operated by Starwoods hotels in the last 3 months (previously I have stayed in ALoft Bangkok Hotel Sukhumvit 11) and I have enjoyed both of the hotels.

From Jakarta to Singapore, I flew with Jetstar. I both like AirAsia and Jetstar. The food on the plane is reasonably priced and for an almost 2 hours flight, I am quite OK with a budget airline even for business trip.

While flying in and out Singapore, I have realized that there are many tropical islands in Riau Islands below Batam and Bintan to visit.

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Flights to Yogyakarta from Singapore by SilkAir

SilkAir, the regional wing of Singapore Airlines, will start direct flights from Singapore and Yogyakarta Indonesia, from 25 November 2013, increasing its Indonesian network to 12 destinations. Subject to regulatory approvals, the flights will operate three times weekly on Monday, Friday and Sunday. The new services will be operated with Airbus A319 and A320 aircraft, featuring both Business and Economy Class cabins.

Renowned as a centre of classical Javanese fine art and culture such as batik, ballet, drama, music, poetry, and puppet shows, Yogyakarta is close to the world famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples and offers a variety of natural attractions and sightseeing opportunities within and beyond the city. Because of its proximity to world famous Borobudur and Prambanan temples, also because having unique Javanese court Kraton culture of Kraton Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta has become the second most important tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali.

The announcement came just 1 month after Silkair has introduced its flights to to Semarang and Makassar on 29 July and 1 August respectively. SilkAir first began operations to Indonesia in August 1992 and has steadily strengthened its network over the years. SilkAir currently serves 11 Indonesian destinations, namely Balikpapan, Bandung, Lombok, Manado, Makassar, Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Semarang, Solo and Surabaya.

With the new destination launch, SilkAir’s frequencies to Indonesia will increase to 70 flights weekly.

Yogyakarta has become the second most important tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali thanks to its
proximity to Borobudur and Prambanan and having unique Javanese court
Kraton culture of Kraton Yogyakarta

The new Yogyakarta services are connected via Singapore with the rest of the more than 90 international cities in the joint Singapore Airlines – SilkAir network.

SilkAir currently operates more than 300 weekly flights to 44 destinations in 12 countries. Recent additions to the network include Hanoi (June 2012), Visakhapatnam (October 2012), Semarang (July 2013) and Makassar (August 2013). The airline currently has a fleet of 23 Airbus aircraft, comprising 6 A319s and 17 A320s. In August 2012, the airline announced the largest order in its history of up to 68 Boeing 737 aircraft, with firm orders comprising 23 Boeing 737-800s and 31 Boeing 737 MAX 8s.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Flights from Singapore to Surabaya by Garuda Indonesia

From 19 July 2013 Garuda Indonesia will start flights from Surabaya to Singapore, Garuda’s busiest destination outside of Indonesia. With the addition of this new four times weekly service, the airline will operate over 80 weekly flights from Singapore to five Indonesian destinations: Bali, Jakarta, Makassar, Balikpapan and Surabaya.

To celebrate the launch of the new Singapore - Surabaya flights, Garuda Indonesia is now running a sale valid until 8 August 2013 for travel from 19 July to 9 August 2013. The return flights in economy class are on sale from S$265 with terms and conditions apply.

Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 3.1 million (7-9 million in the metropolitan area), and the capital of the province of East Java. Other than Garuda Indonesia, budget carrier Jetstar and Singapore Airline's regional arm SilkAir operates non-stop flights from Singapore to Surabaya.

Flights from Singapore to Bali are also expanding with a new four times weekly service from 19 July and introduce the addition of a ninth daily flight between Singapore and Jakarta starting 18 August.

"Southeast Asia is an important region and Singapore in particular is a key growth market for Garuda Indonesia. We are constantly looking to improve our flight offerings to provide Singapore travellers better connectivity into Indonesia,” said Nicodemus Lampe, Vice President, Area Asia, Garuda Indonesia. “With these new services, we aim to increase our passenger appeal and are confident that we will be able to capture a larger share of the market, in line with Garuda Indonesia’s ‘Quantum Leap’ strategy of becoming one the most profitable airlines in Asia.”

The new route and developments will be supported by a fleet of Boeing 737-800 Next Generation aircraft featuring upgraded on-board services such as individual touch-screen LCD TVs throughout Executive and Economy Classes with Video on Demand entertainment systems.

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Flights from Singapore to Makassar Indonesia by AirAsia

Malaysia based AirAsia flies to many destinations from Singapore. And by 1 July 2013 it will add one more destination: AirAsia will start budget flights from Singapore to Makassar, the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. AirAsia will operate brand new Airbus A 320s on Singapore - Makassar route four times weekly.

With the addition of these flights from Singapore to Makassar, AirAsia now flies direct to six Indonesian cities in total, including Jakarta, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Bali and Semarang. The flights will also bring the number of direct flights from Singapore to the region to 15.

Makassar is located at the east of Indonesia and offers exotic marine tourism and a wide range of affordable seafood. Makassar has the first indoor theme park in South East Asia named Trans Studio. There are several attractions and activities the city offers to tourists such as Losari Beach (long stretch of waterfront in the middle of the city), Fort Rotterdam (an old fortress from Dutch colonial days), Pulau Khayangan (a small island about 20 minutes away by boat from central Makassar) and Pulau Samalona (a beautiful white sandy island with good diving).

The capital city of South Sulawesi is also a dominant trading center for Eastern Indonesia and frequented mostly by business travellers.

As usual, new flights comes with promotion: AirAsia is offering promotional fares from as low as S$65 direct from Singapore to Makassar – one way. The discounted fares are available for booking until 16 June 2013, for travel between 1 July 2013 to 15 August 2013. Terms and conditions apply.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok by AirAsia increased

Beginning from 11 June 2013, Malaysia based popular budget airline AirAsia will introduce more flights from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok, an Indonesian island east of Bali, increasingly getting popular tourist destination as an "unspoiled Bali". AirAsia will fly daily between Kuala Lumpur and Lombok instead of current four times a week frequency. To celebrate the the launch of the daily Lombok flights, AirAsia is offering promotional flights (all-in-fare) from as low as RM 99 one-way from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok. Promotional fares for return flights from Lombok – Kuala Lumpur are also offered from as low as RM 102 one-way. The promotion is valid for booking period from now until 19 May 2013, for the travel period from 11 June 2013 – 30 April 2014.

AirAsia has launched the direct flights to Lombok as the 15th Indonesian destination from Kuala Lumpur in August 2012. Located just east of Bali, Lombok in many ways lives up to or exceeds the promotional term, "an unspoiled Bali". With beautiful beaches, enchanting waterfalls, the large, looming volcano of Mount Rinjani combined with relatively few tourists, Lombok is indeed the paradisaical tropical island that many people still mistakenly imagine Bali to be now.

Visitors can ride the waves by surfing in Tanjung A’an or experience a dreamlike and picture perfect underwater world by snorkelling and diving around one of the many Gilis off the coast of Lombok, such as Gili Trawangan.

Watching the sunset, while walking on untouched sandy beaches at Senggigi, presents perfect romantic moments for honeymooners. After a day of rigorous activities, revitalize by enjoying a relaxing massage at one of the many spas in Lombok. Continue having fun into the night by visiting local seaside nightspots along Senggigi Beach, enjoying a drink and trendy music while being caressed by the cool sea breeze.

For food lovers and those with a keen taste for full-bodied spicy cuisines, Lombok is famous for halal Sasak dishes such as Ayam Taliwang, Sate Ikan Tanjung and Pelecing Kangkung. White rice—a Sasak staple--is regularly served together with the scrumptious dishes.

Passionate shoppers will find Lombok as a trove for unique woven fabrics, exquisite pearls and fine potteries. These local products are available for purchase at dedicated galleries, or for an authentic buying experience, obtain it directly at the villages cum cultural centres where they are produced.

Lombok is a unique and immaculate destination, which will definitely satisfy diverse holiday preferences. It is a must for those looking for adventure, serenity or a romantic getaway.

AirAsia will fly from Kuala Lumpur to Lombok 7 times a week.

Besides contributing towards reinforcing Malaysian – Indonesian bilateral ties through direct air connection to various destinations of both nations—promoting economic gains and enhance business and tourism activities—this latest effort by AirAsia is set to bring in more business and leisure travellers into Lombok and presents unparalleled access to Kuala Lumpur for Lombok’s population.

Guests are encouraged to pre-book their check-in baggage allocation online along with their flight bookings as they are able to save up to 66% as compared to checking-in their bags over the airport counter.

Flight Frequencies for Kuala Lumpur – Lombok (from 11 June 2013 onwards)

Sector Flight Depart Arrive Frequency

From Kuala Lumpur to Lombok AK 1408 0840 1145 Daily

From Lombok to Kuala Lumpur AK 1409 1215 1525 Daily

Apart from that, guests are also able to pre-book their in-flight meals with a wide variety of hot meals available on board with an option to book up to two meals for each guest. Check-in baggage allocation, in-flight meals, Pick-A-Seat, travel insurance and more are all available online and guests are able to add or make changes to their booking very simply through ‘Manage My Booking’.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta offers luxury weekends in Jakarta

5-Star Mandarin Oriental Jakarta is already offering a great, luxury stay at a very central location in Jakarta. And now the luxury hotel is also offering shopping assistance for its guests staying over the weekend by providing complimentary transfers to Jakarta’s most prestigious shopping malls. With weekend room rates from USD 225++, Mandarin Oriental guests will comfortably enjoy drop off and pick up service by a Mercedes Benz to Plaza Indonesia or Grand Indonesia shopping malls where they can shop for designer brands and high-end retail outlets.

In addition to this transfer services, hotel also offers amazing brunch options each weekend, from Jakarta’s most popular Saturday brunch at Lyon, to all-you-can-eat dim sum brunch at Xin Hwa. To start the weekend, Lyon serves a unique brunch concept with a wide range of a la minute French main courses and desserts. The special brunch menu is specially created by Chef Thierry Le Queau with the freshest ingredients. Lyon Saturday brunch is priced at IDR 360,000++. Xin Hwa, the legendary Chinese restaurant,serves delectable dim sum treats every Saturday and Sunday. The dim-sum is offered a la minute to maintain its fresh and succulent taste. Dim Sum brunch is priced at IDR 178,000++.

For a complete weekend experience, guests can also relax and experience the hotel’s signature spa Harmonious Indonesian Treatment at the Fitness and Wellness Centre. This specifically designed massage begins with a full body exfoliation and then uses the rhythmic and therapeutic movement of traditional Indonesian massage to ease tired muscles and dissolve tension and stress, and is priced at IDR 720,000++.

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta

“We are delighted to provide an overall experience for an ultimate weekend retreat, with fantastic dining offers, easy shopping access, and rejuvenating programmes, allowing our guests to indulge and be ready to start another week completely revived”, said Mark Bradford, General Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta.

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta
With a conveniently central location in the financial and diplomatic district, Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta is the most luxurious hotel in this exciting city. With stunning rooms and spacious suites, fabulous restaurants, fantastic facilities and legendary service, there really is nowhere better to stay.

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta is at Jalan M.H. Thamrin PO Box 3392, Thamrin, Jakarta, Indonesia 10310 (Show on map).

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Pilot error to blame for Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash

Indonesian investigators blamed pilot error Tuesday for the deadly Mount Salak Sukhoi Superjet 100 crash on 9 May 2012 which killed all 45 on board. The National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) found that the aircraft's terrain awareness and warning system (TAWS), which aims to prevent "Controlled Flight Into Terrain" (CFIT) accidents, had sent a 'terrain ahead' warning before the crash, followed by six 'avoid terrain' warnings which were totally ignored by the pilot in command.

The crash could have been avoided if a recovery action was carried out within 24 seconds from the first warning, but instead, the pilot switched the TAWS off assuming that there was a database problem. Besides this, the voice data recorder of the plane has revealed that a potential buyer had been in the cockpit for 38 minutes to discuss the jet's fuel usage. This caused "diversion of attention" during which the plane flew off course. Prior to crash, at 14:21 (07:21 UTC), the crew requested permission to descend from 10,000 feet (3,000 m) to 6,000 feet (1,800 m) for unclear reasons, which was granted. KNKT cleared the Indonesian air traffic controller who has granted the descend as transport ministry earlier said permission to descend was given near a clearing where planes can descend to 3,000 feet.

The National Transport Safety Committee (KNKT) has also absolved Sukhoi of responsibility for the crash, ruling out technical failures in its report. According to KNKT all the warning systems were working well, and that a "Landing Gear Not Down" alert was sent out seven seconds before the crash, indicating it was less than 800 feet from the ground without its wheels lowered. The safety board's findings clear the way for the company to begin delivery of 42 aircraft to two local carriers, Kartika Airlines and Sky Aviation, with each jet priced at around $30 million.

Sukhoi Superjet 100

Sukhoi Superjet 100 is developed by Russian plane maker Sukhoi and there are 42 orders for the plane all from Indonesia. Although the accident was a blow to Russia's bid to improve the image of its aviation industry, Indonesia last month deemed the Superjet 100 technically fit for its skies, and the jet has already been certified as airworthy in Europe.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

The Bali Zoo

Yes, Bali Zoo. The Island of Gods, which has been ranked as the second best island on the planet to Travel by Travel + Leisure in 2002, has a zoo which has opened in 2002 as the island’s first and only Balinese-owned zoological park. But many go to Bali without knowing that there is a Zoo on the island. It is a great zoo and it has recently received The TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2012 for the exceptional traveller ratings over the past year. TripAdvisor has awarded Bali Zoo the prestigious Certificate of Excellence award, recognizing our 4 rating as an exceptional achievement.

Bali Zoo lies on 22 acres of lush landscape in the art village of Singapadu and is home to a diverse collection of more than 350 exotic animals a majority of which are indigenous to Indonesia, including rare and endangered species such as the Sumatran Elephant, Sumatran Tiger, Orangutan, Sun Bear and Binturong.

How to get to Bali Zoo?
Bali Zoo is located in Singapadu Village, Sukawati District, Gianyar, Bali. It is an art-village as the home of well known Balinese artists. Bali Zoo can be easily reached. It is quite close to Denpasar capital city and the other popular tourists activities centre such Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua and Ubud. It takes about 20 minutes from Denpasar or 45 minutes from Ngurah Rai Airport by Taxi or Tour Bus. The zoo is open daily from 09.00 AM to 06.00 PM (except for Nyepi Day) and on Wednesday & Saturday it is open from 09.00 AM to 09.30 PM.

Bali Zoo Ticket Prices
Admission to Bali Zoo is US $24 for adults, US $12 for children. There is a Family Ticket which costs US $65.

Sumatran Tiger is indigenous to Indonesia and it is a rare and endangered species.

Things to do in Bali Zoo

Elephant Expedition - Bali Zoo’s Gentle Giants, herd of Sumatran elephants hails from Palembang, Sumatra, offers a comfortable bench seat ride perched atop one of zoo's Sumatran elephants and you’ll be driven by an experienced mahouts through a scenic pathway that winds through parts of the zoo then outside the park where you can see where our elephants sleep and bathe.

Animal Encounters - You can sit up close and personal with tame tiger cubs, crocodiles, binturongs, pythons, elephants and lions and take unique photos with them. Daily session from 1pm and 4pm in the restaurant.

Bali Zoo Elephant Expedition

A Night At The Zoo - As sun settles, many animals become active so a night safari in Bali Zoo is a much more different experience than a day visit. The Zoo describes the experience:

"Begin the evening’s escapade at the Bali Zoo with our elephant encounters and feeding experience. You’ll meet our gentle pachyderms and see how it feels to actually feed these amazing mammals by hand. Then head over to our restaurant for a petting and photo session with our tame Borneo bear cat, scaly python and even a Sumatran Sinyulong freshwater crocodile. Continue your tour with a guided walk through the Bali Zoo in which your senses will come alive to the natural sights and sounds of our tropical menagerie at night followed by a dramatic fire dance performance to entertain you before dinner. Your special evening concludes with a sit down al fresco feast under the stars next to our open-air lion enclosure where you’ll be dining only a few meters from our resident king of the jungle and his pride of adorable lion cubs." Source : Bali Zoo

Mahout For A Day - If riding on the top of a gentle giant with an experienced mahout is not enough, you can command the largest land animal on earth. You can learn up close and personal what it takes to care for a Sumatran elephant for a day in Bali Zoo.

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Top Indonesia Destinations: Lombok Island

Lombok Island is just right next to Bali and is sometimes referred as "an unspoiled Bali". There is no exaggeration in this: Lombok has maybe the most remote and unspoiled beaches in the Indonesian archipelago. It is covered with lush forests and immense mountains. Some of these mountains are volcanic and they provide a majestic backdrop to white sandy beaches and pristine waters. Although it is just right next to Bali and almost has the same size, the island is a relatively unknown and unspoiled tropical paradise with relatively low number of visitors. Lombok is much less developed than Bali. It appeals to travelers truly seeking a quiet island escape.

Getting to Lombok is quite straight-forward if you choose to fly. You can take a plane to Lombok from Bali and Jakarta by several Indonesian Airlines. You can also fly there from Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Passengers can travel to Lombok on any of the six weekly SilkAir flights from Changi Airport. You can also take slow ferries from Bali (mostly used by locals to travel between islands). For the new backpacker heaven, Gili Islands, you also have speedboat option directly from Bali but air transport is much reliable and safer than any boat alternative.

What can you do in Lombok Island? Well this is a large island, similar size of Bali so it has plenty of beaches and forest to offer to visitors. Although it is not as developed as Bali, it offers many natural attractions and activities. The area around Kuta, a coastal town in the south of the island, is a world class surfer paradise. Several accredited dive centres offer skuba diving packages while Gili Islands offer the best snorkeling sites in Lombok. Like Bali, trekking, fishing and biking activities are also available.

Lombok Island

The most popular area of Lombok is Senggigi Beach, a 10-kilometer stretch of coastline. Resorts on Senggigi Beach are close to the water and the township, where travelers will find some basic infrastructure including shops, restaurants and a post office. Jeevaklui Hotel, The Puncak, Puri Mas Boutique Resorts & Spa and Qunci Villas Hotel offers best value for money accommodation .

Off the coast of Lombok are the Gili Islands, a small archipelago of Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air which are very popular with backpackers. The Gili Islands offer secluded beaches, warm waters and good snorkeling and diving, with dive centers located on each of the three islands. The islands enjoy a slow pace – there are no cars and most of the activity on the island centers on eating, swimming and relaxing.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The BCC Hotel & Residence - Batam Island

Batam Island of Indonesia, the nearest Indonesian island to Singapore, is a popular destination for Singaporeans. It is quite near to Singapore and just a short ferry ride away which makes it a perfect weekend getaway destination from Singapore. With the proximity, Batam offers something like a staycation with some hotels providing excellent facilities and relaxed environment for Singaporean visitors.

If you need a hotel recommendation in Batam to stay, I can recommend BCC Hotel Batam. This is a brand new high-rise hotel hotels in Batam which is opened around January 2012. Originally meant to be a condominium The BCC Hotel & Residence offers diverse accommodation options starting from Premiere Suites for 2 guests to 3+1 apartment bedroom to rent for up to 6 people. The hotels most highly pointed feature in the reviews are the big room sizes which makes it very comfortable to stay.

Just 2 minutes' walk from BCS Mall and Food Centre, The BCC Hotel & Residence is centrallylocated (10 minutes drive from Batam center) with 5 star hotel standards and one of the best thing about this hotel is the size of the rooms. Even the smallest units in the hotel, Premiere Suites, are huge and spacious with super king size bed and a huge bathroom equipped with a jacuzzi bathtub (Jacuzzi not working). The hotel is near a shopping mall and there is a food center behind the hotel (something similar to a big hawker center in Singapore) with a good variety of food. Recommendation? i-seafood store is in this food center is decent and the food is cheap and fresh.

Currently, there is a deal which is for 2D1N/3D2N Luxury Stay at The BCC Hotel. The deal includes 2-Way Ferry, breakfast, 7-Course Seafood Lunch, Balinese Massage and shopping voucher. There are 4 price options available.

BCC Hotel & Residences Deal

Since this is a hotel residence there are good apartment options to stay here. You can stay in 2 bedrooms 72 square meters apartments, 3 bedrooms 98 square meters apartments or large, 128 square meters 3+1 bedroom apartments.

Other popular hotels in Batam:

Turi Beach Resort

HARRIS Hotel Batam Center

Montigo Resorts Nongsa

I Hotel Batam

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Island resort escape from Singapore: Nikoi Island

Nikoi Island is not your typical tropic resort island: this small island is a privately owned by a small group of expatriates who have worked in the region for years. They have heard about the island which was for sale back in 2003 and they have set out to explore in a fishing boat. They were stunned with the 15ha of white shell-strewn beaches, rock formations, virgin rain forest, as well as colossal banyan trees and mangroves. They have bought it and initially used it as a private retreat. By 2007, they have started to share this paradise.

The island is near Indonesia's Bintan Island which offers a great island resort escape from Singapore. The journey to Nikoi Island, which is only 85 kilometers away from Singapore, starts from Singapore’s Tanah Merah ferry terminal and a ferry trip from here to Bintan (one hour), a one hour taxi trip across Bintan to the jetty and half an hour more from jetty to Nikoi Island. This 2.5 hours journey will end with a total relaxation environment on an almost deserted tropical island with crystal waters and white sandy beaches. If you are from Jakarta, there are daily flights from Jakarta to Bintan operated by Sriwijaya Air. You will need a half an hour taxi journey from the airport on Bintan to jetty and another half hour boat trip to Nikoi Island.

Nikoi Island - Source : javabackpacker.blogspot

Although you do not need to rent this entire island like the nearby Pulau Pangkil Kecil, the island is greatly preserved and it is sparsely populated so at times, you feel like you have rented yourself an island resort with the entire island! There are actually only 15 beach houses 10 of which are one bedroom, 4 of which are 2 bedroom and one with 3 bedroom and the owners currently have no plan to build any more. All of these beach houses are just next to the beach with awesome sea views.

Other than swimming, snorkeling, fishing, kayaking, windsurfing and stand-up paddle boarding, the island offers sailing experience with either lasers or Nacras (5m catamaran). You can also play beach voleyball or rock climb or drive mountain bikes on the island.

Private Resort Island for rent near Singapore, Pulau Pangkil Kecil

If it is not enough for you to go to an island resort and rent a bungalow or a hotel room, there is an island getaway from Singapore and near Singapore which can be rented as a whole. In fact, Pulau Pangkil Kecil, a little Indonesian island located near Singapore, is only rented out as a whole so it is not possible to rent the individual houses! It can be rented out to corporate events or for romantic and rich guys to have an absolutely private island holidays with their sweat hearts.

Pangkil Island offers nine detached houses (called “driftwood palaces”) and all of them have unobstructed sea views. Also all of them are just next to the beach. This small tropical island can accommodate between ten and thirty people in comfort, catered for by over twenty staff.

The majority of the guests of this island are expatriates based in Singapore. However people with family and friends travelling from long distance on special occasions are also common.

It takes a little more than 3 hours to arrive to Pulau Pangkil Kecil. You need to first take the international ferry from Singapore to Tanjung Pinang and this first leg of the trip takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. The second leg is a ride from Tanjung Pinang to Pama jetty and this takes 45 minutes more. The last leg from Pama to Pangkil takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending ontides and the weather. (plus about half-an-hour for customs, immigration, toilet stops etc.)

Tropical Island Pulau Pangkil Kecil, Indonesia

Tropical Island escape for rent near Singapore, Pulau Pangkil Kecil

After all these legs and 3 plus hours, you will be awarded by a perfect, isolated, coral-fringed island which offers crystal clear waters for swimming or snorkeling and deserted beaches to walking along at sunset. And if you are looking for this, the experience is completely private, no stranger except the staff on the island, you and your friends, family and/or colleagues only; no other guest.

There are more island resort escapes nearby Singapore:


Dive with giant turtles in Tioman Island	Paradise Island just3 hours away from Singapore	Privately owned paradise Nikoi Island