Medan, 19 - 20 September 2006

I was invited by PTPN III, a state plantation company based in Medan to deliver a speech about IT implementation in their company. The flight from Jakarta was quite smooth. The B737-500 practically flew quietly, no turbulence whatsoever.

I stayed in the Emerald, a 4-star, Chinese-style hotel. The hotel is still new. My room is clean, with a standard size. However, it seems to cost a bit dearly. The published rate is > Rp 800.000 for superior rooms. I don't know the exact price since PTP III takes care of everything.

During the stay, I was taken to different restaurants. Medan is really a big city with so many choices of food. We went to steak and Padang restaurants. The food is above average. But in general, I prefer Javanese food to Medan food, which tends to be very hot.

Lembang Area, 26 - 27 May 2006

A family trip to West Java. Destination: Lembang. My wife wanted to go to a cool place this time. We chose Lembang because we haven't had any chance to go there. The trip was pleasant even with baby Izna was on board for more than 9 hours. Apparently, he is just the same as our older children: he loves to travel :)

We stayed at an old hotel, the Grand Lembang. The room was spacious but a bit dark. We didn't care much because we were to tired to complain for that.

The next morning was a trip to Tangkubanperahu. The mountain is famous for its crater. The sulphuric smell stinked when we approached the top of the mountain. Unfortunately there is no way for visitor to descend down to the crater... well, there may be one, but surely I wouldn't try to find it :)

We didn't stay long at the top. We then approached Ciater, the place of a hot water spring. It is said that the spring water is good for skin health. I don't know whether it is true or not, but surely it was relieving when I put my legs into the pool.

On the second day, we plan to go to Bandung, but early in the morning I got a shocking phone call: there was a big earthquake in Yogyakarta. We then rushed back home, and alhamdulillah everyone in the big family was safe.

West Sumatra: 1 - 3 May 2006
I was invited by Padang Institute of Technology for a technical assistance workshop. Oh boy! This was really a moment I've waiting for so long... The workshop started on Monday, but I decided to depart for Padang on Saturday.

The Minangkabau airport was newly opened at that time. It stands proudly with its unique buffalo horn rooftype. However, it was a bit weird for me since the airport only has two gates! Anyway, some friends picked me up, and I asked them to drive me to the local minibus station. And off I went to Bukittinggi...

I stayed at Novotel Hotel at Bukittinggi. The hilly town was calm and clean. The hotel clearly shows the Minang accents in its design. The night was rainy, so I just stayed at the room during the night.

In the morning I booked a car. Well... I should admit that I didn't really think much when I made the booking. The cost of the rental was Rp 700.000! Very expensive indeed, but I didn't have any desire for finding a cheaper one.

The first place I visited was the Japanese fortress. It is in the middle of the town. There was a local guide offering a short tour service. I took his offer. He told me stories about the fortress. When I finished, he pointed me a lookout place, and when I got to the place... it was really amazing !! The scenery of the Sianok canyon was really breathtaking !!

After passing the Great Clock (Jam Gadang), I depart for Arau Valley (Lembah Arau), about 1.5 half hour of driving. There is a waterfall there, but I was more interested in gigantic granite walls surrounding the location.

Next was the Pagaruyung palace. It is no longer inhabited, but the original settings are still preserved. The interior was very colourful. Very beautiful !

Not very far from the palace is the Singkarak lake. I love its blue, calm water. Very peaceful there. The lake concluded my journey on that day. I had to admit that this was the most impressive tour I've ever had.

-- Day three

After the workshop ended, the guys took me for a city trip in Padang. Well, the city was ordinary. I almost got bored when they finally took me to a hilly place just outside the city. The time was perfect -- it was just about sunset. We sat on a very simple coffee cafe, eating boiled noodle. The cafe just stands at the edge of a very steepy hill, and below it was a beach. The sky was clear... and the grand moments came when the mighty sun set into the horizon. Subhanallah !!

I wish I could come back to this beautiful land...

Lombok: 8 - 10 April 2006

Family gathering with MTI crew in Lombok. I went with the whole family, including Izna. Everything has been neatly organized by the tour organizer, so the trip was so enjoyable.

Lombok is very quiet. Pity... for it should have been catching up its older sister, Bali. The Bali bombing had a severe impact on Lombok tourism. There was not much tourism development when I visited the island. No spirit... no lively passion...

Tourist objects were deserted, no truly excellent places... The beaches, traditional village, ... everything was so ordinary...

Bali, 28 - 31 January 2006

We took an organized tour with our colleagues' family. Destination: Bali. I was a bit shocked to see how Bali is suffering from recent terrorist attacks. So few tourists on the beaches. So few of them strolled along Kuta and Legian areas, which used to be the busiest tourist areas. So please, please help Bali recover. Visit this precious island, visit their beautiful resorts.

Anyway, we went to the following places:

Barong dance - one-hour barong and keris dance performance. The performance was beautiful, but unfortunately my seat was far from the stage, so I could not examine the details of the costumes.
Kintamani - a point in the slope of Batur mountain. The view to the crater and nearby Batur lake is breathtakingly beautiful. Best time to go there is in the morning, before fog or rain ruins the view.
Tanjung Benoa - from here we rent a boat to go to Turtle island. The boat has a glass bottom. The trip passed a coral spot where colourful fishes swim around it. Back to the mainland, extra activities such as parasailing, banana boat, and jet ski are available. In short, this resort is recommended for children and youngsters who like water activities.
Sukawati - a market selling Balinese handicrafts. Since I do not have much interest in shopping, I just stayed at the bus :)
Bedugul - there is a lake where we could travel along its perimeter using a boat. The place is about 900m above sea level so the air is cool and fresh.
Alas Kedaton - Freely translated as "the palace forest". It is a small forest, the palace for monkeys. You could buy peanuts for them. When you feed them, they will grab the peanuts from your hand. Occassionaly, they will also climb on your shoulder and play around.
Tanah Lot - a temple standing on a rock just across the beach. Best time to visit: late afternoon, because you could see the sun sets (weather permitted).

Hotel: we stay at Adhi Dharma, a 3-star hotel in the Legian area. Modest accommodation. Though it is not written in our tour package, the receptionist told us the rate is Rp 370.000 per night. A bit dearly for such room quality. Room quality is average. Service is quite good. Food is average (not much variation, though). The hotel also has a big swimming pool. Domestic TV channels only.

Hi !
This is my first post on this blog. I just realized that I travel a lot. So why not sharing my experiences to you ? I hope my small notes on my trips and travels could save you from troubles and provides helpful hints during your travels. Enjoy!