Balikpapan is the most advanced city compared to other cities in East Borneo, including Samarinda, the capital city of East Borneo. This perhaps because the international airport of East Borneo, Sepinggan airport, is in Balikpapan. The airport practically speaking is the only entry point of East Borneo. The other thing is because Balikpapan has 2 oil refinery complexes. Therefore, there are lots of domestic and foreigner workers come to this city.
In the past, Balikpapan was a gulf. There are many stories related to the name
'Balikpapan'. Some people believed that it was named after the native tribe that lived there in the past. The native tribe that lived there known as 'Pasir Balik' tribe. This tribe was the ancestors of the 'Kayun Kulen' and "Papan Ayun' tribes. Then the gulf area was known as 'Kulen Papan' (in Pasir (local) language: 'Kulen means behind' and 'Papan means wood') - transformed into 'Balik (in Indonesian) means behind' and 'Papan (in Indonesian) means wood'.
Balikpapan became the entry point of East Borneo since Balikpapan was colonized and ruled by Dutch. The first oil exploration was carried out by Mathilda Company in 1897. The Mathilda monument as the tribute to Balikpapan history can be found in Yos Sudarso Street inside the refinery area.
There are some places of interests in Balikpapan. There are some monuments built in the city. Japanese cemetry memorial in Lamaru Village, near Manggar beach, and Australian memorial monument in a park in Jendral Sudirman street, were built to honour the both countries' army who died in the 2nd WW in Balikpapan. There is also a Japanese cannon from WW 2 in Margo Mulyo village, 30 minutes drive from the city.
Manggar beach was my wife's favourite place when she was a small kid. She told me the beach was clean with the white sands at that time and she loved to swim in the beach. However, when she visited the beach 4 or 5 years ago, everything has changed. The beach was dirty and there were lots of disorganized hawker stalls in the beach area. It was not comfortable anymore to visit the beach. She has never gone to the beach since then.
Not far from the beach, there is a crocodile farm. It was launched in the year 2000 and there are around 2000 crocodiles there, consist of 3 species: Crocodile Porosus, Crocodile Scheilles and Crocodile Siamlisus.
Kariangau Ulin bridge is located 11 km from Balikpapan. The bridge is in the Kariangau village and Ulin in English means 'iron wood'. This bridge is 800 metres long and was claimed as the 'longest iron wood bridge in the world. From the bridge, you can see the local fishermen activities - fishing, netting..
Bukit Bangkirai ecotourism is located in Km 38 on the way to Samarinda. You can find the canopy bridge here. The bridge hooks up between five Bangkirai trees. The length of the bridge is 64 metres and the height is 30 metres above the ground. From the bridge, you can view the Bangkirai forest. There is cottage for visitors who want to spend a night in the jungle. There is also deer raising area. You also can see the jungle orchid species, like black orchid, orchid tebu, orchid sisik naga, orchid joget, etc. You also can do jungle track and on the way along the path, you can see and find Enggang Bird, Surga Bird, deer, squirrel etc.
As like most of the cities in Indonesia, travelling and exploring this country are a bit challenging. It is advised to hire a local tourist guide as it is a bit difficult to have an accurate map of the cities, most of the people here cannot speak English and the sign boards is in Indonesian. If you plan to go around Balikpapan, for your own convenience, perhaps it is better to rent a car with the driver, because the weather here is too hot (in case if you think you can walk around the city) and all the places I mentioned above are not within walking distance.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Kuala Lumpur
My last visit to Kuala Lumpur was in May 2007. I flew from Surabaya with Air Asia, the budget airline. It takes two hours to reach LCCT airport, KL. I landed in LCCT around 13.00 Malaysia time. LCCT is not as luxurious as KLIA, but it is an efficient airport. I went through the custom for passport checking and collected my luggage. Then, I bought airasia bus ticket going to KL Central. There are some busses going to KL Central and the cost ranges from RM8-RM9. Alternatively, you can take a cab to go to the city central, but it is expensive though ... around RM100. The trip from airport to KL central takes 1 hour. If it is your first time to KL, I suggest you to go to KL Central as your first stop. After that, you can continue the journey to your destination from here, because almost all public transports -taxi, bus, train- pass by and stop at this station to take passengers.
KL Sentral Station
My first destination was Bukit Bintang, the well-known tourist shopping centre. From KL Central, I crossed the street to take KL monorail going to Bukit Bintang. Beside shopping centres, you can find hotels and entertainment outlets here. You can walk around, do window shopping or even shop at the big shopping centres, Sungei Wang Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Lot 10, KL Plaza, Berjaya Times Sq etc. I had my lunch at one of the small restaurants in Jalan Alor/ Alor Street. It is cheaper compared to if I have lunch at a shopping mall. The food was also very good and decent. I had seafood noodle and my wife had seafood laksa. All together I paid around RM 10.
Alor street is very famous with its good food, especially Chinese food. I love it. During midday, this street is quiet and not many restaurants open. But you have to go there at night, the street has a wonderful lively nightlife. Go and have your dinner there ... you won't regret it.
The next morning of my visit, I woke up really early in the morning, because my second destination was The Twin Tower. I took komuter/ the train from Pasar Seni station to KLCC station. I had to leave early, around 7am, to queue for the entrance ticket to the sky bridge of the Twin Tower. It is FREE. The sky bridge visit is open Tuesday-Sunday, 8.30am-5pm. When, I reached there the queue was not that long, there were around 30-40 people were lining up before me. There are 1,300 free tickets given out daily. They start to distribute the ticket at 8.30am and the first visit is at 9 am. So, you better queue early to avoid disappointment.
The Twin Tower
Petronas Twin Tower has 88 levels with 452 metres height. It has been recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as the tallest buildings in the world. The building was designed by the US architect, Cesar Pelli. The sky bridge is located at levels 41 and 42 (170 metres above the street level) which links the Twin Towers. You can view KL from these levels.
From KLCC, I went by cab to KL Tower. The train station is not in walking distance to KL Tower, so to save time, I decided to take a cab instead. Using cabs in KL is another thing you should know. They do not use the taxi metre to charge you. Most of the time, the driver will inform you how much you have to pay. If you think it is too expensive, you need to bargain with the driver.
At the KL tower, you do not have to queue for the tickets because you have to pay to go to the observation deck. The ticket was 20RM per person for adults. KL tower is located at the top of Bukit Nanas. KL tower is 4th tallest telecommunication tower in the world. The tower total height is 421 metres. The observation deck is 276 metres above the street and from here you can view all the places of interest in KL with the binocular provided. I think the KL view is better here than the Twin Tower. You will also be equipped with an audio tour to help you to identify all those places. It is recommended to visit this tower in the evening, so you can see the beautiful sunset. If you have enough time, try to come to the tower before sunset to take pictures and then just wait to get the beautiful view during sunset.
The last place I would share is China Town. It is located at Petaling street. I stayed at one of the hotels there. I chose to stay there because you can find budget hotels there and the train station, Pasar Seni, is within the walking distance. So it is very easy to go everywhere you want. Oh, one more thing, the food at the stalls is okey with reasonable prices. At night, this street is very crowded. At the both sides of the street, there are shops selling anything, t-shirts, jeans, bags, purses, souvenirs, Chinese medicine etc. If you want to do budget shopping or buy souvenirs, then do the shopping here, but you have to bargain so you can get a good price. Happy shopping .....
Well, that is all for now. Enjoy KL...
KL Sentral Station
My first destination was Bukit Bintang, the well-known tourist shopping centre. From KL Central, I crossed the street to take KL monorail going to Bukit Bintang. Beside shopping centres, you can find hotels and entertainment outlets here. You can walk around, do window shopping or even shop at the big shopping centres, Sungei Wang Plaza, Starhill Gallery, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Lot 10, KL Plaza, Berjaya Times Sq etc. I had my lunch at one of the small restaurants in Jalan Alor/ Alor Street. It is cheaper compared to if I have lunch at a shopping mall. The food was also very good and decent. I had seafood noodle and my wife had seafood laksa. All together I paid around RM 10.
Alor street is very famous with its good food, especially Chinese food. I love it. During midday, this street is quiet and not many restaurants open. But you have to go there at night, the street has a wonderful lively nightlife. Go and have your dinner there ... you won't regret it.
The next morning of my visit, I woke up really early in the morning, because my second destination was The Twin Tower. I took komuter/ the train from Pasar Seni station to KLCC station. I had to leave early, around 7am, to queue for the entrance ticket to the sky bridge of the Twin Tower. It is FREE. The sky bridge visit is open Tuesday-Sunday, 8.30am-5pm. When, I reached there the queue was not that long, there were around 30-40 people were lining up before me. There are 1,300 free tickets given out daily. They start to distribute the ticket at 8.30am and the first visit is at 9 am. So, you better queue early to avoid disappointment.
The Twin Tower
Petronas Twin Tower has 88 levels with 452 metres height. It has been recognized by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat as the tallest buildings in the world. The building was designed by the US architect, Cesar Pelli. The sky bridge is located at levels 41 and 42 (170 metres above the street level) which links the Twin Towers. You can view KL from these levels.
From KLCC, I went by cab to KL Tower. The train station is not in walking distance to KL Tower, so to save time, I decided to take a cab instead. Using cabs in KL is another thing you should know. They do not use the taxi metre to charge you. Most of the time, the driver will inform you how much you have to pay. If you think it is too expensive, you need to bargain with the driver.
At the KL tower, you do not have to queue for the tickets because you have to pay to go to the observation deck. The ticket was 20RM per person for adults. KL tower is located at the top of Bukit Nanas. KL tower is 4th tallest telecommunication tower in the world. The tower total height is 421 metres. The observation deck is 276 metres above the street and from here you can view all the places of interest in KL with the binocular provided. I think the KL view is better here than the Twin Tower. You will also be equipped with an audio tour to help you to identify all those places. It is recommended to visit this tower in the evening, so you can see the beautiful sunset. If you have enough time, try to come to the tower before sunset to take pictures and then just wait to get the beautiful view during sunset.
The last place I would share is China Town. It is located at Petaling street. I stayed at one of the hotels there. I chose to stay there because you can find budget hotels there and the train station, Pasar Seni, is within the walking distance. So it is very easy to go everywhere you want. Oh, one more thing, the food at the stalls is okey with reasonable prices. At night, this street is very crowded. At the both sides of the street, there are shops selling anything, t-shirts, jeans, bags, purses, souvenirs, Chinese medicine etc. If you want to do budget shopping or buy souvenirs, then do the shopping here, but you have to bargain so you can get a good price. Happy shopping .....
Well, that is all for now. Enjoy KL...
Friday, June 27, 2008
Two things you should do in Genting
Wow, I am excited to tell you this. There are at least two things you should do when you are in Genting. First of all, you should do the indoor skydiving... Wooow ... this one really stimulates your adrenaline... at least that what I felt. Genting Sky Venture is located at 2nd floor of 1st world plaza. The ticket is 50RM per person for adult. On the ticket counter, the lady will ask you for your weight or if you have any serious diseases for safety reason. If you have no idea about your weight, do not worry, there is a body weight scale at the corner of the room. If the counter lady is not so sure about your weight, then your weight will be taken by her. The requirements for this skydiving are your body weight should be between 25-114 kg, you are not pregnant (for women) and you have not problems with your heart, neck or back.
You will be given the necessary direction what you should do in the wind tunnel by the instructors. Then, you have to change and equip yourself with the safety tools. So, basically you will enter a wind tunnel and the instructor will lift your body, give you instructions and that's it you are flying in winds of 193km/hour... just like a skydiver.This is a safe game and there are instructors who will direct you and take care of you so you can enjoy the game without worries. It is highly recommended for you who like a challenging moment. At the end of the game, you will receive a flight certificate with your name on it.
The flight cert
The other thing that I would like you to do is to visit Chin Swee Caves Temple. You can take the shuttle mini bus from Highland Hotel. The mini bus operates hourly. It costs 5RM per person return ... cheap, right? Or alternatively, you can take a cab to go to the temple. It is located about 5–10 minutes’ drive down from the Genting resort. On the way down, you can enjoy the scenic view of Genting Highlands. This temple as well as Genting resort itself were founded by Mr. Lim Goh Tong.
The temple is designed in Chinese style. So, besides the Reverend Mr. Chin Swee statue, who is worshiped because of his abilities to summon rain and drive away evil spirits, you also can see Buddha, Kuan-yin, the eight deities playing chess and Goh Tong statues. The other thing is that you can climb the-9 storey pagoda located near to the Kuan-yin statue.
The view of Genting Highland from the top of the Pagoda
Visitors can also follow the journey from hell to heaven 'the Journey of Enlightenment' based on Chinese beliefs. There are ten Chambers of Hell. The visitors only need to follow the path and walk up path to a hill. The journey shows us what it would be after our lives in the world for good person and evil person. Go and see by yourself...
You will be given the necessary direction what you should do in the wind tunnel by the instructors. Then, you have to change and equip yourself with the safety tools. So, basically you will enter a wind tunnel and the instructor will lift your body, give you instructions and that's it you are flying in winds of 193km/hour... just like a skydiver.This is a safe game and there are instructors who will direct you and take care of you so you can enjoy the game without worries. It is highly recommended for you who like a challenging moment. At the end of the game, you will receive a flight certificate with your name on it.
The flight cert
The other thing that I would like you to do is to visit Chin Swee Caves Temple. You can take the shuttle mini bus from Highland Hotel. The mini bus operates hourly. It costs 5RM per person return ... cheap, right? Or alternatively, you can take a cab to go to the temple. It is located about 5–10 minutes’ drive down from the Genting resort. On the way down, you can enjoy the scenic view of Genting Highlands. This temple as well as Genting resort itself were founded by Mr. Lim Goh Tong.
The temple is designed in Chinese style. So, besides the Reverend Mr. Chin Swee statue, who is worshiped because of his abilities to summon rain and drive away evil spirits, you also can see Buddha, Kuan-yin, the eight deities playing chess and Goh Tong statues. The other thing is that you can climb the-9 storey pagoda located near to the Kuan-yin statue.
The view of Genting Highland from the top of the Pagoda
Visitors can also follow the journey from hell to heaven 'the Journey of Enlightenment' based on Chinese beliefs. There are ten Chambers of Hell. The visitors only need to follow the path and walk up path to a hill. The journey shows us what it would be after our lives in the world for good person and evil person. Go and see by yourself...
Thursday, June 26, 2008
City in the cloud ... Genting
Genting is located 51km from Kuala Lumpur. There are lots of types of transportation to go up to Genting, by taxi, personal car or Genting bus express. I took the bus express from KL Sentral because it is very economical for me. The express buses are not only departed from KL Sentral. You can take the bus from the Puduraya Bus Terminal, Pasar rakyat, KL Sentral Station and Terminal Putra LRT Gombak in Kuala Lumpur.
It is very easy to go to Genting. You can buy the bus ticket at the bus counter. The counter is located at the 2nd floor of KL Sentral Station. The ticket price (for bus and cable car) is 8.30RM per person for adult. It takes 45 minutes to reach Genting Skyway Lower Station. From the lower station, then, I took cable car going up to the resort. It takes around 10 minutes to go up to the resort. On the way up, you can enjoy the scenery and the view of rain forests below you.
The cable cars
Genting skyway is claimed as the fastest and longest cable car in South East Asia. The maximum speed is 6 metres/second and the distance between the lower station to the top of the hotel resort is 3.38 km. The Genting skyway was formally opened by the Ex-Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1997. It can carry more than 2,000 people per hour each way with 8 passengers per gondola. The cable cars do not operate the whole year. There is maintenance schedule for one month and last year (2007) it was on August. So, it is better for you to check the maintenance schedule of the skyway, otherwise, you will be disappointed.
1st World Hotel scale model
I stayed there for 3 days at 1st world hotel. This hotel is unique. The building is so colorful. There are six hotels that are attached one another, so you can walk around all the hotels, with some of the entertainment activities inside the buildings. So it basically is a huge building divided into compartments with all the entertainment activities inside the building. There is also outdoor activities.
First world hotel is a three stars hotel, so it is the cheapest hotel, with 6118 rooms (can you imagine 6118 rooms?? Because of that, this hotel has been awarded by the Guinness Book of Record as a hotel with the greatest number of rooms). Eventhough,this is a three stars hotel, this is hotel is comfy and clean. You can get a good rate if you do your reservation in advance far before your visit. This hotel is also very close to 1st world plaza. It is easy for you to enjoy the indoor entertainment activities, shop till you drop at the shopping centres; and stop and take a break while you are eating at a restaurant or coffee shop, if you stay at this hotel.
The cloud...
I think the name 'Genting' is from chinese pronounciation of 'yinting' meaning: cloud. Genting is well-known as Malaysia 'Las-Vegas'. Lots of people come here just to gamble. There are international gambling games offered by the Casino de Genting, such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker, jackpot machine. To have permission to enter the casino, you have to be 21 years old (from your passport), dress formally, non-moslem, and should not bring camera or video recorder. Unfortunately, I do not know how to play all the games. So I just saw people spent their money in the casino.
I also visited Chin Swee Caves Temple and did play some games and enter places of attraction; bowling, archery, snow world, ripley's, flying coaster, genting sky venture etc. The most impressive one for me was genting sky venture and the least interesting was the snow world... to be continued...
It is very easy to go to Genting. You can buy the bus ticket at the bus counter. The counter is located at the 2nd floor of KL Sentral Station. The ticket price (for bus and cable car) is 8.30RM per person for adult. It takes 45 minutes to reach Genting Skyway Lower Station. From the lower station, then, I took cable car going up to the resort. It takes around 10 minutes to go up to the resort. On the way up, you can enjoy the scenery and the view of rain forests below you.
The cable cars
Genting skyway is claimed as the fastest and longest cable car in South East Asia. The maximum speed is 6 metres/second and the distance between the lower station to the top of the hotel resort is 3.38 km. The Genting skyway was formally opened by the Ex-Prime Minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 1997. It can carry more than 2,000 people per hour each way with 8 passengers per gondola. The cable cars do not operate the whole year. There is maintenance schedule for one month and last year (2007) it was on August. So, it is better for you to check the maintenance schedule of the skyway, otherwise, you will be disappointed.
1st World Hotel scale model
I stayed there for 3 days at 1st world hotel. This hotel is unique. The building is so colorful. There are six hotels that are attached one another, so you can walk around all the hotels, with some of the entertainment activities inside the buildings. So it basically is a huge building divided into compartments with all the entertainment activities inside the building. There is also outdoor activities.
First world hotel is a three stars hotel, so it is the cheapest hotel, with 6118 rooms (can you imagine 6118 rooms?? Because of that, this hotel has been awarded by the Guinness Book of Record as a hotel with the greatest number of rooms). Eventhough,this is a three stars hotel, this is hotel is comfy and clean. You can get a good rate if you do your reservation in advance far before your visit. This hotel is also very close to 1st world plaza. It is easy for you to enjoy the indoor entertainment activities, shop till you drop at the shopping centres; and stop and take a break while you are eating at a restaurant or coffee shop, if you stay at this hotel.
The cloud...
I think the name 'Genting' is from chinese pronounciation of 'yinting' meaning: cloud. Genting is well-known as Malaysia 'Las-Vegas'. Lots of people come here just to gamble. There are international gambling games offered by the Casino de Genting, such as roulette, baccarat, blackjack, poker, jackpot machine. To have permission to enter the casino, you have to be 21 years old (from your passport), dress formally, non-moslem, and should not bring camera or video recorder. Unfortunately, I do not know how to play all the games. So I just saw people spent their money in the casino.
I also visited Chin Swee Caves Temple and did play some games and enter places of attraction; bowling, archery, snow world, ripley's, flying coaster, genting sky venture etc. The most impressive one for me was genting sky venture and the least interesting was the snow world... to be continued...
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Putrajaya
Going to Putrajaya is easy. Take KLIA transit train from KL Central to Putrajaya central. Buy return ticket instead of one-way ticket because return ticket is cheaper. But, once you reach Putrajaya central, transportation mode is a problem. There are two types of public transport to reach the city centre. The first one is by taxi, which is expensive (at least for me as a budget traveler) and the second one is by bus. I decided to take bus to go around the city. However, I was very disappointed. I thought it would be very easy for me to go and see around the city because it is the government administrative centre (it should be easy to access around the city, right?), but it was not like my expectation. First, I did not have a map (I had already searched for it at the tourism centre but the map is not helpful It only shows the areas/percincts in Putrajaya ... which was very confusing to me. I also could not find any map at the Putrajaya central). Second, I could not find information which bus that I have to take and which places are recommended to visit. I had asked at the bus counter and the men over there only told me to take a bus with certain number without further explanation. And finally, I got lost in the middle of offices. Very very confusing and disappointing for me. Well, I still want to share my visit though.
KLIA Train ...
Putrajaya is the new Government Administrative Centre. In the past, the administrative centre was in Kuala Lumpur. It is about 135,000m2. The areas in Putrajaya are divided into precincts and consist of government offices.
After a long walk from nowhere (I did not manage to identify the place where the bus driver dropped me off) I arrived at Taman Putra Perdana. Taman Putra Perdana is located at in Precinct 1. It is quite a big park. I walked around the park and I found the Prime Minister and his staffs offices building, known as Perdana Putra. Perdana Putra is the main administrative offices of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, and Chief Secretary to the Government.
Prime Minister Office
I walked across the park and I saw Putra Mosque. Putra Mosque is one of Putrajaya’s icons. The mosque has a pink dome and is built from rose-tinted granite. The mosque accommodates 15,000 worshipers. Another place that is nearby to Putra Mosque is Dataran Putra. It is a 300-metre circular area with concentric stars shape. This landmark is a symbol of all the states in Malaysia.
Me & Putra Mosque
I also visited 'Tasik Putrajaya/ Putrajaya Lake'. There is Tasik Putrajaya Cruise. The cruise will take you around and see the city’s landmarks from the comfort of an air-conditioned passenger boat.
Basically, Putrajaya is a new developed city. Not much you can see here. As long as I know, you can only find parks, bridges, and buildings. However, they are modernly designed and unique. But if you do not like buildings, then I suggest to place this city as the least priority.
KLIA Train ...
Putrajaya is the new Government Administrative Centre. In the past, the administrative centre was in Kuala Lumpur. It is about 135,000m2. The areas in Putrajaya are divided into precincts and consist of government offices.
After a long walk from nowhere (I did not manage to identify the place where the bus driver dropped me off) I arrived at Taman Putra Perdana. Taman Putra Perdana is located at in Precinct 1. It is quite a big park. I walked around the park and I found the Prime Minister and his staffs offices building, known as Perdana Putra. Perdana Putra is the main administrative offices of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, and Chief Secretary to the Government.
Prime Minister Office
I walked across the park and I saw Putra Mosque. Putra Mosque is one of Putrajaya’s icons. The mosque has a pink dome and is built from rose-tinted granite. The mosque accommodates 15,000 worshipers. Another place that is nearby to Putra Mosque is Dataran Putra. It is a 300-metre circular area with concentric stars shape. This landmark is a symbol of all the states in Malaysia.
Me & Putra Mosque
I also visited 'Tasik Putrajaya/ Putrajaya Lake'. There is Tasik Putrajaya Cruise. The cruise will take you around and see the city’s landmarks from the comfort of an air-conditioned passenger boat.
Basically, Putrajaya is a new developed city. Not much you can see here. As long as I know, you can only find parks, bridges, and buildings. However, they are modernly designed and unique. But if you do not like buildings, then I suggest to place this city as the least priority.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Melaka ... The historical city in Malaysia
I went to Melaka last year. I went there by bus from Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. I took the bus from Puduraya bus station KL and it takes around 2 hours to reach Melaka. I arrived in Melaka a bit late ... 3 pm in the afternoon. From Melaka bus station, I took a bus to go to the city and it takes about 15 minutes to reach the heart of the city. At the time of my visit, there was a free bus service for tourists (they had Visit Malaysia Year 2007 event). You could take this bus to visit all the places of interest. I do not know if the free bus is still exist now.
Actually there are about 14 places that you can visit, Melaka Sultanate Palace(Cultural Museum),The Stadthuys, Christ Church, St. Paul Church, Porta De Santiago(A’ Famosa), Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, Hang Li Po’s Well, St. John’s Fort, Portuguese Square, Maritime Museum, Bukit Cina, Mini Malaysia,Melaka Zoo, Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. But because I run out of time, I decided only to walk around the heart of the city. I visited Stadthuys, Christ church, St. Francis Xavier church, and Porta De Santiago (A Famosa), and walked around the China Town.
A monument dedicated by the People of Malacca to Victoria Regina, the Queen, in 1904
Melaka is famous with its historical reputation. It was a maritime trading centre in the 16th century. Because of its strategic role, Melaka was colonized and ruled by the European, the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Melaka obtained its freedom together with other state in Malaysia on August 31st, 1957.
The damage fortress
Porta de Santiago or known as A Famosa was a fortress built by the Portuguese admiral, Alfonso d’Albuquerque in 1511. It was badly damaged during the Dutch invasion in 1641. Then, it was reserved by Sir Stamford Raffles, a British, in 1808.
Stadthuys is one of Melaka's icons. Stadthuys was an official residence of Dutch govenors and their officers. It was built in 1650. Originally it was white, but then it was changed to salmon-red colour to match the Christ Church. The church is pretty close to Stadthuys.
Christ Chruch
Christ Church is a bright red building with Dutch style. It is an Anglican church. Interesting features include the church’s handmade pews, ceiling beams (constructed without joints), brass bible, tombstone and ‘The Last Supper’ in glazed tiles.
Church of St. Francis Xavier. It is a roman catholic church. In the past, St. Francis Xavier was buried here when he died in 1553. After that, his body was moved and buried in Goa, India. In front of the church you can find his statue and his disciple's statue.
After my visit to those places, I had my 'late' lunch at Chinatown. I had laksa and cendol ... not my favourite obviously as the laksa is a bit sour and the cendol is too sweet for me. What a combination, isn't it??
I enjoyed my trip at that time. Next time I definitely will come early in the morning, so I can visit all the places I mentioned above...
Actually there are about 14 places that you can visit, Melaka Sultanate Palace(Cultural Museum),The Stadthuys, Christ Church, St. Paul Church, Porta De Santiago(A’ Famosa), Baba & Nyonya Heritage Museum, Hang Li Po’s Well, St. John’s Fort, Portuguese Square, Maritime Museum, Bukit Cina, Mini Malaysia,Melaka Zoo, Cheng Ho Cultural Museum. But because I run out of time, I decided only to walk around the heart of the city. I visited Stadthuys, Christ church, St. Francis Xavier church, and Porta De Santiago (A Famosa), and walked around the China Town.
A monument dedicated by the People of Malacca to Victoria Regina, the Queen, in 1904
Melaka is famous with its historical reputation. It was a maritime trading centre in the 16th century. Because of its strategic role, Melaka was colonized and ruled by the European, the Portuguese, Dutch and the British. Melaka obtained its freedom together with other state in Malaysia on August 31st, 1957.
The damage fortress
Porta de Santiago or known as A Famosa was a fortress built by the Portuguese admiral, Alfonso d’Albuquerque in 1511. It was badly damaged during the Dutch invasion in 1641. Then, it was reserved by Sir Stamford Raffles, a British, in 1808.
Stadthuys is one of Melaka's icons. Stadthuys was an official residence of Dutch govenors and their officers. It was built in 1650. Originally it was white, but then it was changed to salmon-red colour to match the Christ Church. The church is pretty close to Stadthuys.
Christ Chruch
Christ Church is a bright red building with Dutch style. It is an Anglican church. Interesting features include the church’s handmade pews, ceiling beams (constructed without joints), brass bible, tombstone and ‘The Last Supper’ in glazed tiles.
Church of St. Francis Xavier. It is a roman catholic church. In the past, St. Francis Xavier was buried here when he died in 1553. After that, his body was moved and buried in Goa, India. In front of the church you can find his statue and his disciple's statue.
After my visit to those places, I had my 'late' lunch at Chinatown. I had laksa and cendol ... not my favourite obviously as the laksa is a bit sour and the cendol is too sweet for me. What a combination, isn't it??
I enjoyed my trip at that time. Next time I definitely will come early in the morning, so I can visit all the places I mentioned above...
Monday, June 23, 2008
Short trip in Singapore
I went to Singapore in early June. I only had 3 days to visit S'pore... quite short trip. I started my trip at 8 am from Surabaya to Hang Nadim Batam by Mandala airlines. The flight takes 2 hours. Then, I bought Penguin ticket ferry to Singapore ... the ticket costs SGD 18 per person. It is cheaper to buy the ticket ferry at the airport than at Batam Centre (the harbour). I took a cab to go to Batam Centre and I paid 70,000 rupiahs. I checked in at the Penguin counter, paid the tax (SGD 3 per person), paid the fiscal and departed to Singapore at 2pm. The trip by ferry takes 1 hour. I arrived in Singapore at 4pm. So, all in total I spent 7 hours to reach Singapore from Surabaya.
I spent the night by walking around china town and orchard road on my first day of visit. They are just okey for me. Not too crowded ... may be because it was not holiday season during my visit. I had my dinner at the food court at the basement of Takashimaya shopping centre. The food was not that special.
Singapore's Icons
On the second day, I planned to go to visit 2 Singapore's landmarks, Esplande and Merlion; and some shopping centres, Raffles City Shopping Centre and Suntec City. I took Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) from Clarke Quay to City Hall Station. Then, I walked around 10 minutes from the City Hall MRT Station through an underpass which connects 4 shopping centres - Raffles City, Marina Square, Suntec City and Millenia Walk. From Esplande, I walked around 5 minutes through a bridge to Merlion Park. Merlion is the famous icon of Singapore known worldwide. It is the statue of the lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves.
Fountain of Wealth
I visited Suntec City to see the fountain of wealth. It is supported by four 13.8 metres high bronze legs and located on an area of 1683.07 metres. The Fountain of Wealth has been awarded as the "World's Largest Fountain" in the 1998 by Guinness Book of Records. The fountain represents wealth and life. I spent the night walking around Suntec City and had dinner at 'Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao' restaurant at the Fountain terrace. The food is good and the price is not that expensive. If you like chinese food, it is a recommended restaurant.
A dancing fountain coupled with laser
In general, Singapore is a nice and safe place to be visited. It is very easy and convenient to get around the city. Everything is very clear and I guarantee you will not get lost in Singapore. Have a nice trip to Singapore...
I spent the night by walking around china town and orchard road on my first day of visit. They are just okey for me. Not too crowded ... may be because it was not holiday season during my visit. I had my dinner at the food court at the basement of Takashimaya shopping centre. The food was not that special.
Singapore's Icons
On the second day, I planned to go to visit 2 Singapore's landmarks, Esplande and Merlion; and some shopping centres, Raffles City Shopping Centre and Suntec City. I took Mass Rapid Transport (MRT) from Clarke Quay to City Hall Station. Then, I walked around 10 minutes from the City Hall MRT Station through an underpass which connects 4 shopping centres - Raffles City, Marina Square, Suntec City and Millenia Walk. From Esplande, I walked around 5 minutes through a bridge to Merlion Park. Merlion is the famous icon of Singapore known worldwide. It is the statue of the lion head with a fish body resting on a crest of waves.
Fountain of Wealth
I visited Suntec City to see the fountain of wealth. It is supported by four 13.8 metres high bronze legs and located on an area of 1683.07 metres. The Fountain of Wealth has been awarded as the "World's Largest Fountain" in the 1998 by Guinness Book of Records. The fountain represents wealth and life. I spent the night walking around Suntec City and had dinner at 'Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao' restaurant at the Fountain terrace. The food is good and the price is not that expensive. If you like chinese food, it is a recommended restaurant.
A dancing fountain coupled with laser
In general, Singapore is a nice and safe place to be visited. It is very easy and convenient to get around the city. Everything is very clear and I guarantee you will not get lost in Singapore. Have a nice trip to Singapore...
Friday, June 20, 2008
Cuban Rondo Waterfall
On my holiday in Malang, I went to Cuban Rondo Waterfall. It is located in Selecta, Batu ... about approximately 1 hour drive from Malang. The place is accessible and easy to reach. You must pay the entrance fee around 10,000 rupiahs per person at the entrance point. Then, on the way to the parking lot, you will find 'Agrowisata' where you can see various plants, orchid, rose, vegetables etc.
From the parking place, you have to walk about less than 10 minutes to the waterfall. It is very easy to come closer and see the waterfall from a short distance. It is beautiful. I love it. You also can find monkeys hanging down on the trees not too far from the waterfall.
There is a myth about this waterfall. In the past, there was a beautiful princess who were married to an ordinary man. Their marriage was not blessed by the princess' parents and they run away. On the way of their trip, they met a man who also fell in love to this princess. The princess' husband and that man fought for days and nights. The princess was hidden by her husband behind a waterfall and he asked her to stay there and wait for him. However, her husband and the man were both killed on their battle. The princess did not know. She stayed and sat on a rock behind the waterfall. She waited for her husband faithfully until she died. That is why the locals named the waterfall as 'Cuban Rondo'. Cuban (in Javanese) means waterfall and Rondo (in Javanese) means Widow. So this waterfall is not recommended for couple who are not married yet. There is a belief that you will break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend after the visit. Well, I have a friend who broke up with his girlfriend after the visit. Believe it or not? ... Wanna try it?
From the parking place, you have to walk about less than 10 minutes to the waterfall. It is very easy to come closer and see the waterfall from a short distance. It is beautiful. I love it. You also can find monkeys hanging down on the trees not too far from the waterfall.
There is a myth about this waterfall. In the past, there was a beautiful princess who were married to an ordinary man. Their marriage was not blessed by the princess' parents and they run away. On the way of their trip, they met a man who also fell in love to this princess. The princess' husband and that man fought for days and nights. The princess was hidden by her husband behind a waterfall and he asked her to stay there and wait for him. However, her husband and the man were both killed on their battle. The princess did not know. She stayed and sat on a rock behind the waterfall. She waited for her husband faithfully until she died. That is why the locals named the waterfall as 'Cuban Rondo'. Cuban (in Javanese) means waterfall and Rondo (in Javanese) means Widow. So this waterfall is not recommended for couple who are not married yet. There is a belief that you will break up with your boyfriend or girlfriend after the visit. Well, I have a friend who broke up with his girlfriend after the visit. Believe it or not? ... Wanna try it?
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Kumala Island - Tenggarong ....
Tenggarong is in East Borneo, around 1 hour drive from the capital city of East Borneo, Samarinda. I went there in 2006.
Kumala island entrance gate
Kumala island is a small island surrounded by Mahakam river. In the past, this island was a forest island. Then, the local government transformed it to be an amusement park. To reach this island, we have to take cable car or a speedboat. I took the cable car at that time ... quite new and impressive ... you know, I mean I thought I only can see cable car in Jakarta or other big cities ...
I walked around the island. There are some attractions in the theme park, such as small roller coaster, bumper cars, carrousel, etc. The interesting thing that I found was a house called 'rumah panggung' with Dayak decorative painting. There are some wood statues in Dayak engraving in front of the house.
I also took the shuttle car to see the Lembuswana statue. Honestly I don't know what this statue means. I believe there are stories or legends related to it. I only can show you the picture of this statue. I'll try to find out next time I go to East Borneo again :-)
LEMBUSWANA - INTERESTING ISN'T IT???
Unfortunately, this island seems not to be well-managed. You cannot find map to identify places around the island. There is also no information about Tenggarong or Kumala island. It is disappointing as I know that the oldest Hindu Kingdom in Indonesia, Kutai Empire, was located in Tenggarong. So it must be very interesting to know the history about the kingdom, Tenggarong or Lembuswana statue. I think if this island is well-managed, it can be one of the best tourist resort in East Borneo like Sentosa island in Singapore.
Kumala island entrance gate
Kumala island is a small island surrounded by Mahakam river. In the past, this island was a forest island. Then, the local government transformed it to be an amusement park. To reach this island, we have to take cable car or a speedboat. I took the cable car at that time ... quite new and impressive ... you know, I mean I thought I only can see cable car in Jakarta or other big cities ...
I walked around the island. There are some attractions in the theme park, such as small roller coaster, bumper cars, carrousel, etc. The interesting thing that I found was a house called 'rumah panggung' with Dayak decorative painting. There are some wood statues in Dayak engraving in front of the house.
I also took the shuttle car to see the Lembuswana statue. Honestly I don't know what this statue means. I believe there are stories or legends related to it. I only can show you the picture of this statue. I'll try to find out next time I go to East Borneo again :-)
LEMBUSWANA - INTERESTING ISN'T IT???
Unfortunately, this island seems not to be well-managed. You cannot find map to identify places around the island. There is also no information about Tenggarong or Kumala island. It is disappointing as I know that the oldest Hindu Kingdom in Indonesia, Kutai Empire, was located in Tenggarong. So it must be very interesting to know the history about the kingdom, Tenggarong or Lembuswana statue. I think if this island is well-managed, it can be one of the best tourist resort in East Borneo like Sentosa island in Singapore.
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