Pantai Seger & Tanjung An in Lombok: Jul' 2011

I’ve always wanted to go to Mount Rinjani with its Segara Anak Lake since several years ago. But, it’s a real mountain with the height of 2,736 above the sea level that you can only reach by hiking (some people can go there by helicopter, but it’ll be very expensive). I never hike a mountain with that kind of track. Fortunately, some of my friends were going to hike Mount Rinjani: Berti, Ahau, Yadhi, Lucky, Yana, Ferry and Herry with Mo, Ang, and Fifi from www.rinjanimagazine.com as our guide during the trip.

Day 1

Indi picked us up at Selaparang Airport to have a breakfast in a restaurant and a lunch at her house in Praya before going to the beach. Yes, it’s a hiking trip to Mount Rinjani with the beaches as the side trip. We went to Seger Beach and Tanjung An. I’ve been to this area before, but only visited Kuta Beach. Unlike the beach in Gili Trawangan, the beaches on the south part of Lombok seem deserted. Not many people here as it is quite secluded. Still, there are still some aggressive hawkers in the area. The hawkers in Kuta beach are worst compared to Seger Beach and Tanjung An. Luckily, there were only a child trying to sell a coconut to me at Seger Beach and there was none approaching me at Tanjung An.

Pantai Seger (Seger Beach)

Pantai Seger (Seger Beach)

It’s a perfect beach to do sunbath, as a place to read all of your unread books, to watch the clear blue sky and ocean, and to be photographed. For us, it is a great beach to be photographed especially with the fishermen took advantage of the low tide on the beach. Rudy, Yana and me explored the reef abandoned by the sea water that noon at Seger Beach. We found what it seems as crabs, sea urchins, and some parts of small octopus. It’s all still alive and moving, hence we also busy avoiding them. While we were exploring the reef, the others are on the hill taking funny pictures of them and taking shelter.

Pantai Seger (Seger Beach)

Pantai Seger (Seger Beach)

Tanjung An

Tanjung An

Tanjung An

As the night approached, we went back to Indi’s house in Praya. We used two cars to go to Sembalun village at the foot of Mount Rinjani. It’s almost midnight when we arrived in the village. But before we arrived there, the driver pulled over the car on a hill. At day time, the village can be seen from the hill. At night, we can see the sky filled with stars. It’s beautiful, but the driver forgot telling us to wear our jacket. It’s very cold. I rushed back to get inside the car.

We stayed the night at one of the locals’ house in Sembalun village. Everything is cold here: the water, the floor, the wall…except inside my red sleeping bag. Our host provided us with a glass of hot tea and a bowl of noodle before we went to bed.

Work Trip: Thailand - Pattaya: Jun'11

Working trip versus Pattaya? Story...later :)

Pattaya Marriott Resort & Spa

A Performance at Royal Garden Plaza

The Sanctuary of Truth

The Sanctuary of Truth

Pattaya Beach

after Alangkarn Shows

Naklua Market

after Tiffany's Show

after Tiffany's Show

Walking Street

Bandung: May'11

I was supposed to go to Belitung Islands this weekend. Instead I canceled it due to a doctor appointment. You won’t find Belitung Islands covered in Lonely Planet: Indonesia (I had the 9^th edition). The alluring islands become famous among Indonesians especially since Laskar Pelangi movie had been played. It’s a must destination.

So, I ended up going for a day trip to Bandung which is famous for its spreading factory outlets selling clothes. No, I didn’t go to the factory outlets. This time I went to Bandung with my parents and maid to Mount Tangkuban Perahu and Saung Angklung Udjo.

Mount Tangkuban Perahu

We departed from Jakarta at 6 am by car and arrived at Mount Tangkuban Perahu, Kawah (crater) Ratu at 9 am (a car Rp13,000, entry fee Rp10,000/person for local, bus can’t go to the top so the passenger should take a minibus for Rp12,000/person or taking a walk).

There were already a lot of people there (should have gone earlier). I had been to Kawah Ratu around 17 years ago. All I remember from that visit was the enormous stalls/street peddlers selling souvenirs and food. The stalls/street peddlers are still there, but this time I barely notice the sellers as I was busy taking pictures of the crater, stalls and visitors. The street peddlers barely notice me as well since I didn’t look like a prospective buyer with my eyes fixed on the crater view. The wind had been cooperative enough that I didn’t smell sulphur in the air.

I met some groups coming from Sumatera and Malaysia speaking Malay and Mandarin. So, you can imagine the crowdedness out there. But actually, not every spot in Kawah Ratu is crammed with visitors. If you take a walk a little bit further away from the parking space, you will find a quieter spot there. I do remember that I went to that quieter place 17 years ago, but I didn’t go any further. This time, I only look at that place from far away.

Somehow, I can find quietness in the middle of the crowdedness by looking at the crater and the crowded. The shadow of the cloud has made a different color to the crater. Ok, it wasn’t that different. I just noticed it since I took several pictures of the same crater from the same sitting point. Yup, I just took a sit on a rock until slowly felt the sun warming my back.

We didn’t spend a lot of time here (less than an hour) because we had an appointment with my cousin in downtown Bandung at noon. We had our lunch at Sindang Reret hotel and restaurant. Not really recommended.

I want to go back to Tangkuban Perahu again to ramble around Kawah Ratu and take a look at Kawah Domas. But it will be rather difficult to coax my traveling friends to go here because Tangkuban Perahu can be reach relatively at a canter. It might be not challenging enough for some people.

Here is a link for the reviews on Tangkuban Perahu on Trip Advisors as I read some people found the street peddlers are the challenging part (http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g297704-d1010804-Reviews-Tangkuban_Perahu-Bandung_Java.html). Ignoring the street peddlers is the best way to have a serene visit on Kawah Ratu despite its crowdedness. But, I think the crowdedness is the trade-off of being very easy to access to. Meanwhile, I have no comments on the peddlers and guides on Kawah Domas as I’ve never been there. Hopefully the visitors and the peddlers can go hand in hand.

Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU)

After having a conversation with my cousin, we went to watch a show at Saung Angklung Udjo (SAU). I highly recommend visiting SAU which is established in 1966 as a one-stop cultural workshop, consists of performance venue, bamboo handicraft centre, and bamboo instrument workshop. I had made a call first making sure that there will be a performance at 15.30 (+62 22 727 1714, +62 22 710 1736, address: Jl. Padasuka No. 118, www.angklung-udjo.co.id, entrance fee Rp50,000 for locals and Rp80,000 for foreigners).

The first time I watch the performance was about 3-4 years ago at night after playing paint ball three games in a row (my team was the winner). The performance is so entertaining that it could rejuvenate your body and mind. So, I came again.

The bamboo angklung performance was played for two hours consist of wayang golek demonstration, helaran (a traditional ceremony), traditional dances, calung, Arumba, angklung mini, angklung padaeng, and playing angklung together. It is a snap performances played within two-hours by the students of SAU. In the morning, the SAU students study in a formal school and on the afternoon practice Sundanese cultures. The junior students play the performance as if it were their playing field. Full of laughter and smile. They successfully make a harmony in traditional music and dances in a blissful way.

They have played the angklung performance abroad and often invited to perform it in front of the state guests. It is an amazing performance. It was also my mom second time enjoying the performance.

My favorite time here was when the entire visitors playing angklung together to play some songs. About the visitors, I saw the Malaysian group that I met this morning at Tangkuban Perahu. There were also people coming from other cities such as Padang and Surabaya; and other countries such as Australia, Holland, and USA. The great thing is the Americans are from Alaska. I won’t be that surprise if I met them in Bali or Lombok, but in Saung Angklung Udjo-Bandung? :) Awesome!!!

We arrived back in Jakarta at 8 pm.