ROBILLIAM

Birthday Night

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 15:18:00 +0000

Another Langham post because I think one is not enough, lol. So, after I had my birthday dinner with my family, I decided to do a "photoshoot" around Langham and it's just too good to be not posted, so here it is.

On the look:

Coat: H&M | Shirt: H&M | Pants: H&M | Shoes: Zalora

Oh wow, just realized I'm getting close to my 30s. I can't thank God enough for every blessing I've had, and all the lessons I've learned all this year. Hopefully I will be a better person and be a blessing to the people around me.

The Langham Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 30 Apr 2023 13:06:00 +0000

I was so blessed I could spend my birthday this year by staying at The Langham Jakarta with my family. As we know, The Langham is a five-star hotel chain from England, and it opened its first branch in Southeast Asia in Jakarta. Located on the SCBD's famous District 8 complex, The Langham offers luxury services, as we could tell just from the first time we entered the building.

As soon as we passed the iconic pink taxi and enter the arrival hall, we were greeted by a show stopping chandelier. The wall & floor is fully covered with white marble, make it looks more expensive. From the entrance we used the connected elevator to the sky lobby on the 62nd floor to check in.

Sky Lobby on the 62nd floor

At that time the hotel was very packed because of the Eid holiday, luckily we took Langham club in our booking, so we could cut the queue. We were directed to their club lounge on the 59th floor to check in and got free access to drinks & snacks while we were waiting.

The check in process was smooth and fast. The club lounge is also very neat and comfortable so it wasn't a problem even if we had to wait a long time. After maybe less than 30 minutes in the club lounge, we went into our room.

Executive Cityscape Room

We stayed in Executive Cityscape room on the 58th floor. Upon arrival, we were greeted by personalized welcome included cakes, fruits, sparkling water, as well as a greeting card, photos, flowers, and balloons.

The room is spacious with a million dollar view of Jakarta's skyscrapers. It felt like a luxurious cozy residence. I think it has modern classic style with its white paneled walls, oak herringbone floors, plush chairs, and with a very nice bedding set of course.

The bathroom is super amazing. I love it so much! The wall & floor is covered in white marble with gold accents, furnished with oversized bathtub, twin vanities, separate rainfall shower and automatic smart toilet. It has a floor to ceiling window with smart glass and a switch to make the window can fade from translucent to opaque. The most beautiful view was when lots of natural light shone in the morning.

A walk in closet with lots of storage is in the separated room behind the bed. There's a cupboard where you can find mini bar, with The Langham fine tea selection, coffee, coffee maker, and other cooking supplies, as well as a mini fridge stocked with wine, cold beers, and other drinks. You can also find a safe and other amenities in other cupboards & drawers.

The Facilities

The Langham Hotel also has several facilities that you can use during your stay, such as gym, pool, sauna, spa, etc. The Gym is located on the 63rd floor. It has everything you need from bench press, dumbbells, treadmills with a great view, and all the Technogym equipment. There's also a trainer on demand for private sessions if you need one.

Next to the gym, still on the same floor, is an indoor pool & steam room. The indoor pool itself is separated into a 16 meter infinity pool and a jacuzzi. It's actually Jakarta’s highest indoor infinity pool which offers great city view.

Jacuzzi

Steam Room

You can also swim in the outdoor pool which is on the 6th floor. You can swim in the 20 meter long pool or maybe just relax on the lounge chairs & cabanas enjoying the view of the surrounding tall buildings.

Near the pool, on the same floor, you can find Chuan Spa which offers treatments inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) philosophies. You can immerse yourself in the peaceful ambience, filled with calming hues and contemporary design.

Dining

Another advantage if you use the Langham club is that it offers a la carte breakfast, afternoon tea and evening cocktails, as well as buffet dinner. Unlike in the restaurant, you can enjoy your food more privately in their club lounge and every meal is cooked by their professional chefs.

Whether you include The Langham club in your stay or not, there's still plenty of great dining options. Tom's by Tom Aikens, a restaurant feature British and European classics where located on the 62nd floor open for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Alice, a modern French brasserie & patisserie where located near the lobby open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. T'ang Court, a Cantonese cuisine restaurant where located on the 61st floor open for lunch and dinner. The restaurants are not only open for hotel guests but also open for public.

Tom's by Tom Aikens

Bar at Tom's by Tom Aikens

At our last day we got complimentary to late check out. We were allowed to have afternoon tea in the club lounge before we went home. What a great gesture! We really enjoyed our afternoon tea session, all the desserts & canapes they served were really good.

It was a nice staycation indeed, will be back next time and try their restaurants too for sure.

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The Langham Jakarta

Sudirman Central Business District 8 Lot.28, Senayan, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta City, Jakarta 12190.

https://www.langhamhotels.com/en/the-langham/jakarta/

Restaurants & Bars in Four Seasons Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 20 Jun 2021 09:32:00 +0000

This post is Four Seasons Jakarta hotel review part 2. If the previous post talked about the rooms & hotel facilities, this post is about the restaurants and bars that you can visit for dining in. Check it out!

Alto Restaurant & Bar

On our first evening, we had dinner in Alto Restaurant. It is a fine dining restaurant located on the 20th floor of Four Seasons. They serve the guests with good food, nice ambiance, mesmerizing city view, and sincere hospitality. The restaurant decoration is certainly one of the prettiest in town, sleek modern yet lux with bold vibrant orange reddish color.

The menu offered here is basically Italian food. All the food are made by professional chefs whose expertise is unquestionable. Here's what we tried: Guancia, Carbonara Di Pesce, Spaghetti Alle Vongole, Gnocchetti Al Pesto E Gamberi. Sounds fancy, right? Haha.

It also has bar next to the restaurant. For the bar itself, the area is not as large as the restaurant, but it still feels luxurious. You can see their finest wine collection displayed on the glass shelves. I think it's really cool.

There is also an outdoor area. You can have dinner with a view here. It really offers great panoramic city views.

Nautilus Bar

On our second evening, we went to the Nautilus Bar to hang out and drink some cocktails. It is located on the ground floor. The interior concept of the bar is nautical, with a predominance of bluish black and a sepia palette for the sailing ship mural on the wall. It looks so elegant and luxurious, kinda reminds me of Great Gatsby movie set.

Palm Court Restaurant

On our last morning, we had breakfast in Palm Court on the ground floor, the same floor as Nautilus Bar. The Palm Court looks elegant in the dominance of green and dark brown. There are several high-backed armchairs made of green velvet that remind me of the thrones of kings and queens. In the middle of the restaurant there is a flower display, above it hangs a contemporary crystal chandelier with a unique design. The ceiling detail also gives it a more luxurious feel.

The food was served buffet, and the breakfast menu was quite complete from Continental breakfast, Western breakfast to Indonesian breakfast, all the food I tried was delicious.

The Palm Court doesn't just have an indoor dining area. To the east of the room, there is a door leading to the outdoor dining area and The Orchid Court. The outdoor area looks beautiful with tropical plants and some unique gazebos.

The Orchid Court is located on separated room, smaller than Palm Court. The design is also different from the Palm Court. It is dominated with blue and white color, with a touch of Middle Eastern in the design by the lanterns hanging.

La Patisserie

Last but not least is La Patisserie. It is actually a cake boutique & desserts. You can find La Patisserie on the ground floor, close to Nautilus Bar and Palm Court Restaurant. Here, you can enjoy a selection of dainty confections. Unfortunately during our stay at that time La Patisserie was closed. So we didn't get a chance to taste their pastries. I only could take some pictures through their glasses door. From outside, we can see that this room is dominated by Tiffany blue and styled like a fancy European patisserie. So cute!

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Four Seasons Jakarta

Jl. Gatot Subroto No.Kav. 18, Kuningan, Kec. Mampang Prpt., South Jakarta 12710, Indonesia.

https://www.fourseasons.com/jakarta/dining/

Four Seasons Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 19 Jun 2021 11:52:00 +0000

My family and I had a chance to stay at Four Seasons Jakarta last week. As we know, Four Seasons is a world famous 5 stars hotel chain, in Jakarta this hotel is located in Jalan Gatot Subroto, Kuningan. Four Seasons is definitely one of the most luxurious hotels in Jakarta. I will share my experience into two posts, this first post is about the room & the hotel facilities we tried, the second post will be about the restaurant & bar in the hotel. So stay tuned.

Arriving in front of the hotel, several hotel staff welcomed us, opened the car door, and dropped off our luggage. They also greeted us in a friendly manner and ensured that the x-ray inspection to the check-in process went well.

My first impression right after I entered the hotel was super-duper-luxury. This hotel is really in a different class. The yellow tone accentuates the entire lobby area, which looks so luxurious and expensive. Dazzling chandeliers dangle in every corner make the decorations look more beautiful.

Unlike other hotels, this hotel has an all suites concept which means that all of the hotel's rooms are suites. Each of the suites is divided into 3 main rooms, a living room with a work desk, a bathroom with a large walk-in closet, and a bedroom.

The bedroom area and the living room are separated by a sliding door. The living room itself is very spacious. It may be equivalent to 1 standard room in a 3 star hotel. The interior design is super luxurious in a classic European style. The walls paneled in light gray wood with some floral prints. The entire floor of the room is carpeted, while the toilet and walking closet areas are all marble.

Near the dressing table we could find a cupboard with mineral water, champagne glasses, cups, water boiler, and coffee maker on it, inside the drawers there are also coffee, tea, and snacks. Under the cupboard there's a mini fridge filled with drinks and beers.

Let's talk about the bathroom. The bathroom is so spacious, luxurious and beautiful in all white marble with gray accents. There is a separate shower area and his-and-hers sink, complete with a vanity mirror. The bathroom has a direct access to the walk-in closet.

My most favorite part of the bathroom is the tub! The tub is big enough, I think it even fits for 2 adults (in case you need some romantic time lol). I could soak myself in the tub for hours just to relax my mind.

Oh and the view from the bedroom was just beautiful. I really love when the morning sun shined in through the big window. I could enjoy the city view with no stress mind. I live for that moment.

Just like other hotels, Four Seasons serves guests a choice of breakfast in room dining or buffet at the restaurant. We decided to have in room dining for our first morning breakfast. We ordered the food through WhatsApp to the number that has given earlier, and then the hotel staff brought and served it in our room.

There are many menus that you can choose, just as much as we eat buffets in restaurant. The difference is the menu is already divided into several packages of choice and the price is also different. We ordered American Breakfast and Oriental Breakfast. It tasted like any regular hotel food, but it's so Instagrammable.

After breakfast we relaxed a bit and then we went swimming. The swimming pool is located on the 5th floor, but even so, we will not feel at a height because the whole area is designed a la tropical garden. Near the swimming pool there is a staircase up to the balcony which is a sun deck for sunbathing.

During the pandemic, they limit the number of visitors to avoid overcrowding. So we should make a reservation first before entering the swimming pool area. The pool area itself is designed in a tropical style, complete with Frangipani trees which made me feel like I was in a resort in Bali. If you don't swim, you can chill on the recliners by the pool enjoying the view of Jakarta. You can also order some drinks from the bar next to the pool.

This hotel also has Spa and Gym facilities on the same floor as the swimming pool.

One more thing, a mandatory photo spot in this hotel you should've not missed is their grand staircases. Because of its magnificent design, this staircase is one of the famous photo spots in this hotel.

Across the grand staircases you can find The Library alongside with Palm Court, Nautilus Bar, and La Pattesiere, but all of that will be told on the next post.

The Library, as the name suggests, is a library room. From what I see most of the books here are encyclopedias. This room has a very iconic interior design and gives a calm and some mysterious vibes. I really love the world map wallpaper on the wall, I want to have it on my room.

All in all, it was a really great experience to stay at Four Seasons Jakarta. It was really worth it every price.

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Four Seasons Jakarta

Jl. Gatot Subroto No.Kav. 18, Kuningan, Kec. Mampang Prpt., South Jakarta 12710, Indonesia.

https://www.fourseasons.com/jakarta/

Henshin at The Westin Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 22 May 2021 06:11:00 +0000

As I mentioned on the previous post, we were having dinner at Henshin while we stayed at The Westin Jakarta. If you are staying at The Westin Jakarta, Henshin restaurant & bar is something that you don't want to miss. Even if you don't stay at The Westin you still can come to have dinner at the restaurant or chilling at the bar.

We decided to dress up a little extra for our dinner, trying to look fancy. Hahaha. Don't judge us, please.

Henshin is located on the very top, from level 67-69 of Gama Tower, probably the highest in Indonesia. Henshin is decided to three areas, the bar and lounge area on the 67th floor, the main restaurant on the 68th floor, and a private room on the 69th floor. There are two private rooms provided: for 12 people and for 20 people.

The rooftop bar usually has outdoor area open for visitors but it was closed due to the pandemic, so we couldn't go to the bar. But it's okay. From the bar to the restaurant you can walk through the stairs. This staircase is also very iconic because the window facing the city view. The restaurant also offers a very romantic and classy dining room with 360 degree views over Jakarta.

The combination of Peruvian and Japanese specialties is a very unique concept raised at Henshin. This fine-dining restaurant features Peruvian-Japanese fusion cuisine prepared by Chef Hajime Kasuga and his professional team. They serve a la carte options and quality set menus. Henshin also serves signature menus using Nikkei gastronomic techniques. Nikkei means a Japanese born overseas. This technique is a food processing that makes science to create food ingredients.

For the food that we ordered, I love the beautiful presentations but I think it lacked some "kick" in the flavor. Maybe it just didn't suit my taste. I had high expectation for their food, I expected more on the flavor. The sushi was really good tho!

On the look:

Coat: Custom | Turtle Neck Sweatshirt: H&M | Pants: H&M | Shoes: H&M

My impression after dinner at Henshin is interesting, it is a great experience to have a dinner at the highest place. I think it is a great place to celebrate your special moment, like dating with your partner, wedding proposal, anniversary, or birthday celebration.

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HENSHIN

Level 67-69, The Westin Jakarta

Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C-22A, Setiabudi, South Jakarta 12940

https://www.henshinjakarta.com/

The Westin Jakarta

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 16 May 2021 07:08:00 +0000

This year's Eid coincided with the Ascension day of Christ. It was a long weekend. Since we couldn't go out of town due of the lockdown, my family and I decided to stay overnight at the hotel. We had an amazing staycation in The Westin Jakarta. We've been wanting to stay there for a long time and only got it then. Here's my complete experience staying at The Westin Jakarta.

The Westin Jakarta is a 5-stars hotel, a part of Marriot Bonvoy. It is strategically located in the Setiabudi district, near to the Central Business District of Jakarta. The Westin Jakarta is currently the highest hotel in Jakarta (or maybe in Indonesia) for occupying the top 20 floors of the tallest building in Indonesia, Gama Tower.

Entering the building, a strict security screening will greet every guests, then there is a special lift access directly to the Sky Lobby. The hotel lobby is located on the 52nd floor, hence it is called Sky Lobby. Once in the lobby, we can see the view of Jakarta from various sides.

During the pandemic, health protocols are prioritized by the hotel. After we checked in we couldn't go straight to our room, it had to be disinfected first. We were directed to their executive club lounge to wait. It took about an hour if I'm not mistaken, but it wasn't a big deal for us. We really enjoyed the view from the lounge while having afternoon tea.

We reserved a renewal room on the 56th floor. My first impression when I entered the room was, "wow!" The room was so spacious, it had a warm and modern feel. Our room was on the corner with two sided window, so we could get dual views. Near the window we could find a large work desk, TV, sofas, and coffee table.

The hotel provides iron and its folded table inside every room. They also provides coffee machine, water kettle, and reusable coffee cups as well. There's also a mini fridge filled with beers, bottles of water, juices, and soft drinks.

The room itself is very comfortable and again the view is a plus when you're staying there. In the bathroom there is a bath tub, if you stay at renewal room you can soak in while enjoying the city view. I could take hours just in the hot tub, a relaxing way to pamper myself.

In the evening, we had a dinner in Henshin Restaurant. I will share it on the next post. Stay tuned! If you don't go to Henshin, you can wander around the Sky Lobby. Since the core of the tower is located in the center of the building, it is able to see a 360-degree view of the surroundings. The lounge area was also beautifully decorated. I love the chandeliers that dangling on every corners.

Next morning, woke up feeling so refreshed. Started my morning in the bathroom, soaking myself again in a tub, enjoying view while sipping tea. The bathroom is spacious, it is divided into several areas, the bath tub, shower, toilet, and dressing room. There's also open wardrobe next to the dressing room.

We had breakfast at the Seasonal Tastes restaurant. Seasonal Tastes restaurant delivered delightful breakfast in a very modern yet natural ambiance. The breakfast served with a combination of buffet and a la carte concept. For a la carte you can order through a menu that can be scanned at each table, while for a buffet you can order the food you want on the display, there will be restaurant staff who will deliver the food to your table.

They served Western, Asian, and Mediterranean food. All the food they served was very tasty. It fit perfectly to my taste. It was even better than Henshin Restaurant in my opinion. Highlights of all the dishes I tried were the egg benedict and the pancake.

After eating a lot of food, we wanted to burn all the calories and fat, so we decided to hit the gym. The gym is located on the 50th floor, it's not really big, but it has great view. The equipment is also quite complete.

Beside the gym, you can find an indoor pool. During the pandemic the pool is limited for social distancing, you must book first before you can swim. Since it was fully booked at that day, we couldn't swim. So sad. The pool itself is not too wide, but rather long.

Overall it was a great experience to stay at The Westin Jakarta. Their service was totally satisfactory. It is worth it to try. For more info about The Westin Jakarta you can visit their website below.

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The Westin Jakarta

Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. C-22A, Setiabudi, South Jakarta 12940.

https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/jktwi-the-westin-jakarta/

Birthday Staycation at Novus Jiva

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Fri, 30 Apr 2021 13:00:00 +0000

I was turning 25 on the 25th, my golden birthday! It was indeed gold because my family and I had a staycation. The best birthday I've ever had so far in my life. We stayed at Novus Jiva in Anyer, Banten. We knew Novus Jiva after we stayed at Novus Giri. Novus Jiva and Novus Giri are under one developer.

Novus Jiva is a 4 star villa, resort, & spa. It is currently the largest in the area, covering an area of 38sqm. Unlike the other resorts or hotels in Anyer on the beach side, Novus Jiva is located on top of a hill 32m above the ocean. So at least you don't really have to worry about tsunamis, lol.

There are several types of rooms that you can choose. There are rooms with outside bathtub and even own private pool, you can check it on their website, I put the link below. We chose the standard room with double bed and we added an extra bed, because it was the only option that available. But it was great enough for us.

Waking up in the morning would be great because you could see magical sunrise and feel the ocean breeze.

There are restaurant and cafe on the first and second floor, with a beautiful view of pool and ocean. We had our breakfast there. The breakfast food was okay, usual hotel food. I got donuts and muffin with a candle on top as my birthday treats from the hotel. The hotel's staffs were really nice and very hospitable, they even sang me Happy Birthday.

For those who want to hold a wedding, Novus Jiva provides like a mini chapel in the middle of a lake with a background of the open sea. It can also be used for pre-wedding photos because it is beautiful.

The sunset was as magical as the sunrise. I was really enchanted by it.

Novus Jiva has its own private beach across the hotel. You can chill on the bean bag chair along the beach, watching the sun goes down. There also a stall where you can buy some drinks.

You don't need to be tired of walking far because there are shuttles ready to take you from the hotel to the beach and vice versa. And it's totally free!

My favorite spot at Novus Jiva is the infinity pool. It is so beautiful! The palm trees make it even more beautiful. There are also sun loungers with beautiful straw umbrellas around the pool. It gives some Bali vibes.

Near the lobby, you can find a miniature ship that you can use as a photo spot. Before we went home we took some photos there, also we went to the beach again. The sun was scorched, it made the beach empty of visitors, so we could take pictures freely.

For those of you who want to take a vacation but not far from Jakarta, this place can be used as a reference for your next destination. Novus Jiva is definitely a great place for you to have a staycation with your family and loved ones, it's totally worth every price.

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Novus Jiva Villa Resort, Hotel, & Spa

Jl. Raya Anyer Carita, Km. 140 Pasauran, Serang, Banten 42167.

https://www.novushotels.com/novusjiva/

Lunch at Nicole's Kitchen & Lounge

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 04 Apr 2021 11:57:00 +0000

On our way home from Novus Giri, we felt hungry. We were looking for a good place to eat in Puncak, and a suggestion appeared on Google for a restaurant called Nicole's Kitchen & Lounge. So we decided to have lunch there. We chose to eat there because the restaurant was quite famous for its Instagram-able decors.

Nicole's Kitchen & Lounge is located in the same area as Kampoeng Brasco Fashion Outlet & Epic Photo Studio. It is divided to two areas, Nicole's Kitchen on the ground floor and Nicole's Lounge on the 3rd floor.

When we arrived, turned out it was not like what I imagined. The place is actually smaller than what I thought. We decided to go up to the 3rd floor with the available lift to have lunch on their lounge.

On the 3rd floor the decoration is like in a garden. It is full decorated with artificial plants and flowers. While the chairs and tables are all white from woven rattan. So cute!

Nicole's lounge itself is divided into indoor and outdoor areas, and in the corner you can find like a mini greenhouse (?) where you can eat with a view. Beside it, there's also a swing that can be one of the photo spots with a mountain hills as a background.

For the outdoor area there are several lounges and gazebos, decorated with some park lamps. It's the right spot to enjoy the view and the cool mountain air. Unfortunately when we were there the outdoor area was unavailable because it was going to rain, better luck next time.

For the menu, they served Western and Indonesian food. We ordered smoked beef burger, fish & chips, and sop iga bakar (grilled rib soup). Everything was surprisingly delicious! What I liked the most was the sop iga because the rib was tender and the broth was very rich of flavor. It was also so good to slurp the hot soup in cold weather.

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Nicole's Kitchen & Lounge

Kampoeng Brasco

Jl. Raya Cipanas Jl. Hanjawar No.1, Palasari, Cipanas.

Operational Time: Sun-Sat, 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM.

After having lunch, we continued our journey home. We enjoyed the green scenery on the right and left of the road. Really healing.

Short Staycation at Novus Giri

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 03 Apr 2021 08:40:00 +0000

My family and I have been through some difficult times the past couple months. Many things happened, the worst was when my beloved father passed away. It wasn't easy at all for us to cope with the grief, but we know life goes on, we should not stuck in the sadness for long time. After two months of staying at home, we thought we needed a mental refreshment for a fresh start, so we decided to have a staycation.

The staycation itself was spontaneous, we didn't plan in advance. It happened after my oldest brother mentioned he wanted to go to Puncak, he gave the idea to stay overnight. Right after he told us, we immediately searched for any villa or resort or hotel to book online. It was late Friday night, it was not easy to find a room available at that time. Luckily after searching through we finally found a good resort to stay. After booking a room, we went straight away. We just packed a few clothes to wear.

The journey up to the mountain peak was not too jammed luckily, but the steep winding roads and the lack of street lights were adrenaline-pumping. After about 2 hours (if i'm not mistaken) we finally arrived at the resort around 3.00 AM. It was Novus Giri Resort & Spa, located in Puncak, Bogor.

Novus Giri is a 4 stars resort & spa. It has suites with their own private pool, but those were fully booked, so sad. The staff told us, the pool suites are rarely empty, you must book from long ago to get that. We could only book a standard room with double beds. Their standard room actually was already very good, considering the cheaper price. It was enough for us. The room was spacious to add an extra bed, so five of us could stay only in one room. My most favorite part of our room was the backyard. I loved to wake up in the morning with a natural view of the trees around, sat there to breathe some fresh air while sipping my morning tea. I could also see Mount Gede clearly from there.

All the rooms, beds, and furniture are regularly disinfected, so we had no worry to stay during pandemic. Strict health protocols are also in place to all staff and visitors. I only took off my mask for a while when I was eating or photographed. Oh, you have to beware of unexpected guests. There are monkeys hanging over the surrounding trees that can visit your room. You can find a sign on the connecting backyard door to not feed the monkeys. But it's okay they won't attack you as long as they are not harmed.

There's also a public swimming pool, so if you stay in the room that doesn't have private pool, you still can swim.

On the look:

Sweat shirt: H&M | Corduroy Pants: Zara | Slippers: Fladeo

We had breakfast at The Bamboo Restaurant during our stay. They served all you can eat food, from Western to Indonesian food. It's all cooked by their professional chefs. During the pandemic in order to reduce the need for physical contact, there are servers to pour the food onto your plate. All the restaurant staff & chefs were also using mask & gloves. For the food, it was delicious, I had no complain.

Overall, it was nice to have a staycation at Novus Giri. We enjoyed it so much, short but memorable. Definitely one of the best resort in Puncak. We love to come back again next time, maybe stay in their private pool suite.

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Novus Giri Resort & Spa

Jl. Sindanglaya Raya No.180, Sindangjaya, Kec. Cipanas, Kabupaten Cianjur, Jawa Barat 43253

http://novushotels.com/novusgiri/

Last Day of 2020

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 03 Jan 2021 11:04:00 +0000

Happy new year! First of all I want to congratulate all of us. Congrats for staying alive and surviving 2020! We've made it! I'm so proud of us! As we know 2020 is not an easy year, we faced so many challenges in 2020, especially because of Covid-19. The pandemic itself is not over yet, there will be more challenges waiting, but as a firm believer I have high hopes that this year will be even better than last year. Can I get an amen?

This year-end holiday is totally different from previous years. Well, there are still many people who spend their holidays traveling, but not with my family. We decided to stay in Jakarta, trying to stay away as possible from the crowd. As for the last day of 2020 we only went to a rooftop restaurant in a hotel for a dinner, even at that time we could only eat until 7 pm due to curfew. All malls, restaurants, public places were only open until 7 pm to avoid crowds during new year celebrations. Of course we still followed the health protocols when we were there. We used our masks all the time, we only opened when we were dining and taking photos. Here are some photos we took.

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Skyloft Restaurant & Bar - All Seasons Hotel

Jl. Talang Betutu No.2, RT.11/RW.20, Thamrin, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta 10320.

After having dinner, we directly went home. Celebrate our new year's eve together at home by watching some movies on Netflix. It's all about togetherness that matters most. At 12 am we prayed together, praised and worshiped God, gave thanks for all His blessings. We also got some messages from God. He said that this year is the year of blessing, our year of glory. So never lose your faith! Keep relying on Him!

SKYE Restaurant & Bar

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 06 Sep 2020 16:39:00 +0000

Last Saturday night, my family and I had a very intimate dinner in a celebration of my brother, Kevin's birthday. Actually his birthday was on 4th September, but he wanted to celebrate it on Saturday by having a family dinner in a restaurant after stayed at home for a very long time.

It took a very long conversation and a lot of deliberation until we decided to have a dinner in SKYE Restaurant. We made a reservation at the very last hour, luckily we had a spot for 6 person on that crowded night.

SKYE is one of those hip bars and restaurants in Jakarta that exclusively opened on the 56th floor of Menara BCA (BCA tower). Located above the heart of downtown Jakarta, SKYE is of course the perfect place for those of you who crave for a dinner or maybe just to unwind with stunning city view.

There are two ways to access this place. The first one is through the Menara BCA directly and the second one is through lift access in Grand Indonesia Mall. In times of pandemics like now, SKYE remains open by following government health protocols. Before entering, our body temperature will be checked, lift is limited to 6 people, they also provide hand sanitizers at several corners. Most important, we used our masks all the time, we only opened when we were dining and taking photos.

SKYE has two main areas, an indoor area which is the restaurant area and an outdoor area with a bar and lounge. We arrived early, so we could spend some time in the outdoor lounge first before dinner. The outdoor lounge itself directly overlooks the panoramic view of Jakarta's skyscrapers. As you can see, yes, there's a pool. You can chill near the pool, but no, you can't swim in it!

SKYE Bar near the outdoor lounge.

The restaurant itself is known as an international restaurant that serves Southeast Asian, Japanese, Italian, and Mexican menus. The food with no doubt was incredible! Perfectly cooked and seasoned. We ordered a lot and didn't have any complain at all. I personally like their grilled pork ribs, it's juicy, tender, and flavorful, also it served with rice!

It was kinda pricey, but i think it was worth the price. The ambiance, the view, the service, the food, was impressive overall! Special kudos goes to the staff for their kind hospitality!

At the end of the night my mom already had prepared a surprise for my brother. Suddenly some staff came from the kitchen brought a cake with a candle while singing "Happy Birthday." I honestly was surprised too! hahaha. What a lovely night to remember!

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SKYE Bar & Restaurant

Menara BCA Lt. 56, Jl. M.H. Thamrin No. 1, Jakarta Pusat, DKI Jakarta 10350.

Opening Hours (during pandemic): 03:00 PM - 09:00 PM.

Age restriction in the SKYE Lounge only 18+ years

Dress code: Smart casual (no sandals/flipflops, shorts, t-shirts, tanktops/singlets).

Use Your Illusion

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 26 Jul 2020 07:18:00 +0000

Before Jakarta was locked up due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I had a chance to visit an art exhibition titled Use Your Illusion. That was the last time I visited a public place before quarantines. The exhibition was held at Edwin's Gallery, Kemang, South Jakarta from 29 January to 16 February 2020. I visited it with my best friend there was no visitor at that time, only us, it kinda felt like we were in our own private art gallery. Lol.

Curated by Zarani Risjad, the exhibition invited 14 artists to dig deeper into the boundary between illusion and reality from various perspectives. Illusion is often regarded as something imaginative and a source of various kinds of entertainment, such as magicians, haunted house performances to several shows that can be associated with cinema and technology.

The exploration of the artists in this exhibition departed from the matter around the boundary between illusion and reality and how it could offer a perspective that is relevant to reality. All artworks on display were directly selected by considering the compatibility between the work and the theme. Visitors were shown to many art installations that would inspire imagination as you can see from some pictures I took below.

Tepian Lingkaran - Ajeng Martia Saputri, 2020.

Endapan Memori - Ajeng Martia Saputri, 2020.

Rukmunal Hakim & Jonathan Aditya, 2020 (Left-Right): Ke Bawah, Terlalu Dalam Ke atas, mungkin mencekam

Ruth Marbun, 2020 (Left-Right): Singular Matrix Extrinsic Bystander The Elephant in the Room All of the Above

Right: Nikmat Sisa Penguasa - Octo Cornelius, 2020. Left: One to Others - Daniel Satya, 2019.

Tempa, 2020 (Left-Right): Unlimited Space Postcard Diaries

Find the Letter H - Hendra 'HeHe' Harsono, 2020

Trapped in the Sickness - Muklay, 2020

Boy in the Blops - Hendra 'HeHe' Harsono, 2020

Come Out and Play - Hendra 'Blankon' Priyadhani, 2020

Enggar Rhomadioni, 2019 (Left to Right):
Overacting
Bright Room & Red Pillow

Mise-en-scène 1,2,3 - Wulang Sunu, 2020.

Pseudo Menegerie - Wulang Sunu, 2020.

Life Chain Reaction - Eldwin Pradipta, 2011

Folded Cleaning Cloths - Meliantha Muliawan, 2020

Artwork; Artwork on the Wall - Eldwin Pradipta, 2020

Now all museums and art galleries are still temporarily closed. But I think there will be other shows that will come after the pandemic ends. For further information, you can follow their instagram account, I will list it below.

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Edwin's Gallery

Jl. Kemang Raya No.21, RT.6/RW.1, Bangka, Kec. Mampang Prpt., Kota Jakarta Selatan 12730.

Instagram: @edwinsgalleryjkt

Taman Galudra

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 25 Jul 2020 15:00:00 +0000

We're at the end of July, soon we will enter August. I personally feel that 2020 is so long yet so fast at the same time. I remember I had a lot of excitement welcoming this year in January. I started 2020 by doing a retreat at a mountain villa, what a good start. But as we know Covid-19 has become a huge problem this year which causes us to stay home and have to cancel many plans (including trip plans) that we had planned earlier this year. Such a bummer!

Unlike the previous years, my family and I celebrated the turn of this year at a mountain villa. We stayed for a week from 26 December till 1 January. The villa is located in Taman Galudra, Cianjur, at the foot of Mount Gede. Although the journey to get there was very difficult with very steep and winding terrain, but when we got there, everything paid off. Well, the villa was okay, but the view was OMG! Very very beautiful!

Mount Gede as a background.

As far as the eye could see, only the green vegetation seemed. A sight that can't be seen in the city. Lots of trees towering means a lot of oxygen is produced, making the air fresher, also removed all city pollution from my lungs. The view is enhanced by the presence of blooming flowers that add some beautiful colors.

We had a chance to visit some vegetable plantations around the villa. The plantations consist of spinach, cucumber, watercress, leeks, etc. The farmers were very kind and friendly, they allowed us to take photos. Not only that, they also gave us some of their crops to be brought back to our villa.

Mount Pangrango

In the morning, I woke up to be greeted by a very beautiful view. The gradations of color at the sunrise sky with the silhouette of the mountains in the mist was truly magical. The pictures below can't even do any justice.

By the way I got a new fur friend, Molly, a toy poodle that was brought by the family next to our room.

When the sun went down at dusk, I think it felt a bit scary because the mountain mist began to emerge. It gave the impression like I was being in a horror movie setting. I know my imagination sometimes can go too far. Lol. Oh and the temperature was getting colder at night which made it even worse. But the worst thing was no heater on the villa, I froze to sleep even though I already wore blanket and sweater.

On New Year's Eve, we celebrated by gathering with other visitors and praying together. After that we enjoyed a fun game, a heart to heart sharing moment, and ended up burning some corns on a campfire. I didn't took any pictures, it was a simple but meaningful celebration. Also since the signal was quite poor we really enjoyed our intimate moments without internet.

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Taman Galudra

Galudra, Cugenang, Cianjur, West Java 43252

Looking back at these photos now reminds me again that life is beautiful, and we must always be grateful for life. Even though this year may be a pain, never lose your hope & gratitude, friends!

2019 Thailand Trip - Ending

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sun, 12 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0000

We're finally in the end of my 2019 Thailand Trip post series. It was short trip but memorable for me, not only it was my first time going abroad but also I got a lot of great experiences visiting Thailand, learning their culture and definitely the most amazing experience was tasting their authentic food. Hope I can go back again one day and explore it more. Maybe another cities like Pukhet or Chiang Mai?

Before we went to the airport we had lunch, at the same restaurant when we first arrived in Thailand, Makan @Pratunam. Same food, but this time the tom yam had white broth.

After had lunch our tour guide brought us to MBK Center Mall for our last shopping time. I just realize that I didn't take any pictures at MBK, I think we were so busy shopping, also the mall honestly was no different from any ITC in Jakarta so nothing caught my attention to be photographed.

Right when we got out of the MBK mall and about to go to the airport, it started raining heavily and the roads started flooding. I guess Bangkok was sad to see us left. Lol.

All the way to the airport, on the bus we sang, some people dance. It's nice if I remember again now. I am personally grateful for our tour guide, Mr. Nam who accompanied us during our trip very well and friendly. Unfortunately I do not have a photo with him. If you're reading this, Khob khun krab, Mr. Nam!

When we arrived at Don Mueang Airport the rain stopped, the sky started to clear again. We waited for a long at the waiting room until our time to take off then our flight took 4 hours and finally landed in Jakarta around 8 PM I think. Here are some photos I captured.

And here's a complete list of our 2019 Thailand Trip.

Day 1	Arrival Neon Market Wat Ratchanatdaram
Day 2	Chao Phraya River Wat Arun Al Meroz Hotel Pattaya Floating Market Alcazar Cabaret Show
Day 3	Nong Nooch Tropical Garden Pattaya City Asiatique The Riverfront
Day 4	Gems Gallery Bangkok Street View Back to Indonesia

Khob khun krab, Thailand! See you again next time!

Bangkok Street View

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 11 Jul 2020 03:30:00 +0000

Besides having the same time zone, Bangkok and Jakarta have so many similarities, especially in the city ambience. In my opinion Bangkok street view is quite similar with Jakarta. They are both huge-mega cities with beautiful skyline and tall buildings. When I was walking on the streets of Bangkok somehow I felt like I was on the streets of Jakarta. The traffic on both cities are chaotic, but I have to admit Jakarta's traffic is still worse than Bangkok. *sigh*

One thing that really got my attention the first time I visited Thailand was the number of royal portraits displayed on the streets. Major streets and roadways in towns and cities throughout the country also display the Thai national flag alongside portraits of the Thai King and Queen. Thai royalty also have their own individual flags with their particular royal insignia and this flag is often flown or displayed alongside the image. It's just really cool how Thai people respect their king & queen.

Anyway, here are some interesting things of Bangkok's streets based on my experience, compared to Jakarta:

You get to hear less horns in Bangkok, people tend to not honk no matter how bad the traffic.
The ratio between the number of motorcycles compared to cars is higher in Jakarta.
Bangkok is more pedestrian friendly. Well some parts of Jakarta are also pedestrian friendly, but the other parts are not really convenient enough for pedestrians.
Bangkok is cleaner and more neat. As long as I was walking on the sidewalk in Bangkok, I didn't see any littering garbage. Also, unlike Jakarta, there were no street vendors, beggars, or buskers wandering in the middle of the street.

Gems Gallery Bangkok

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 13:21:00 +0000

On the last morning in Bangkok, we visited one of the most prestigious places in Bangkok. It was Gems Gallery. It is one of the largest retail jewelry stores in Thailand, not only in Bangkok they also have branches in Chiangmai, Phuket, and Pattaya. It offers jewelry and beautiful gemstones with many choices since it was first opened in 1987.

First time entering, we were invited to the Multivision Slide Room where we watched a video about Gems Gallery and how the process of obtaining precious stones from hundreds of meters underground. After that, we were invited to see some gemstones on display in front of the Multivision Slide Room. Here are some gemstones that I could capture.

Next we were guided to see firsthand how the process of polishing precious stones into rings, bracelets and necklaces. But, unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to capture images during the process. Out of the manufacture room, we were directly directed to the jewelry store. Again visitors can't take photographs of jewelry there. Regulations are made by companies to avoid plagiarism of jewelry designs made and sold there.

The spacious jewelry store contains 80 storefronts, in which 50,000 jewelry items are sold at varying prices with varying stone sizes. The price of the jewelry itself depends on the type and quality of the stone. It also depends on the shell of jewelry, some are made of 18 carat yellow gold, there is also white gold, and some are made of silver.

The staff and jewelry experts there understand various languages (including Bahasa Indonesia) who are ready to help explaining the things we want to know about jewelry and gemstones. However, if you do not want to buy, we as tourists can look at the gallery that is displayed, just looking at the glitter of the existing jewelry, but do not take pictures! :")

In addition, Gem Gallery also won ISO 9002, ISO 9001: 2000, and ISO 9001: 2008 certificates. So, the buyers don't need to worry of non-authentic jewelry.

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Gems Gallery Bangkok

198/23-24 Rama 6 Road, Phayathai, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.

Opening hours: Sun-Sat, 08:30 AM-05:00 PM local time.

www.gems-gallery.com

Asiatique The Riverfront

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Tue, 07 Jul 2020 09:32:00 +0000

We left Pattaya in the afternoon after visiting Kao Chi Chan and went back to Bangkok. It took about 148 km by bus to Bangkok. We slept all the way because we were exhausted after exploring Pattaya all day. After almost two hours of bus ride, we finally arrived in Bangkok at night.

Our tour guide knew how starving we were so first stop, he brought us to a dinner buffet. We had dinner in Tivoli Coffee Shop at Asia Hotel, although the name is coffee shop but they tempted us with a sumptuous buffet table. They offered exciting variety of Thai, Regional and Continental favorite menus. Our dinner was even more entertained with the live music sung by an Asian Elvis impersonator. We really enjoyed it!

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Tivoli Coffee Shop at Asia Hotel

296 Phayathai Rd, Thanon Phetchaburi, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand

www.asiahotel.co.th

Hunger satiated, we headed over to the next stop, Asiatique The Riverfront. Asiatique The Riverfront is Bangkok's largest open-air mall with a water-front theme. In my opinion it's like a combination of a night market and a shopping mall. It combines shopping, dining, sightseeing, activities, and events under one roof.

Asiatique was once a river port warehouse which was renovated into a shopping mall. This warehouse architecture is still maintained and being the uniqueness of its design now. It features 1,500 shops and stalls and 40 restaurants which divided into 4 districts: Chareonkrung, Town Square, Factory, and Waterfront.

Just like any other night market in Bangkok, the goods being sold here mostly consist of various touristy items. You will be spoiled with many choices, from fashion, jewelry, souvenirs, handicrafts, etc, you name it! The quality of goods sold here is better than goods on the other Bangkok night market, but the starting prices here tend to be higher. You can try to bargain but don’t expect to buy something for the best possible price.

There’s a wide selection of bars & restaurants serving dishes of various cuisines, also various Thai street food is on offer here. However, once again, prices of food here are double than those on the streets of Bangkok. Just don’t expect the prices here as low as in other Bangkok's night markets.

Left: crocodile meat. | Right: Scorpion as snacks.

You can also do a lot of fun activities that offered. You can ride carousels, entering a haunted house, and any other attractions, but one of the major attractions here is their 60 metres high ferris wheel, named Asiatique Sky. You can enjoy amazing views of Bangkok city and Chao Phraya River from the top of this tallest ferris wheel in Thailand with a fee of 250 Bath.

For me, the main highlight at Asiatique is the riverfront. There are several seating benches facing the river, you can just enjoy the views of Bangkok lights on the edge of the pier with cool night breeze.

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Asiatique The Riverfront
2194 Charoen Krung Rd, Wat Phraya Krai, Bang Kho Laem, Bangkok 10120, Thailand.
Opening Hours: 04:00 PM - Midnight local time.
www.asiatiquethailand.com

After a tired day of traveling around, Asiatique can be the right destination for you to close the day with good food, a cool riverfront atmosphere, and if there is still a lot of energy left, continue shopping at this place.

Pattaya City

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Thu, 02 Jul 2020 17:21:00 +0000

Even though we stayed very briefly (2D1N) in Pattaya, but it has offered us some of the best holiday experiences. With a wide range of attractions, shopping, dining and entertainment options, Pattaya is undoubtedly one of the most popular destinations in Thailand for travelers, after Bangkok. Due to its proximity and easy accessibility, Pattaya has topped in the holiday itinerary for people planning their holidays in Thailand. Here are some more photos when we were in Pattaya City.

We stay at Baron Beach hotel while we were in Pattaya. It is a 4 stars hotel located in Soi 9, Beach Road, right in front of Central Festival Pattaya mall. It also only took about 2 minutes to Pattaya Beach, which is a crescent-shaped beach and four kilometres long. Of course we didn't miss to take a walk around the beach and obviously took some pictures there.

Other than Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, Pattaya Floating Market, and Alcazar Cabaret Show, we also visited one of the recommended visitor destinations, Khao Chi Chan. Known as the Buddha Mountain or Laser Buddha, this place has a gigantic engraving of Buddha which is the biggest in the world. This limestone hill was used to be an active site for the construction industry before it was closed. By the year 1996, the laser etched a carving into the rock which is celebrated as a part of His Majesty the King of Thailand’s 50th year on the throne.

Kao Chi Chan

Captured these two dogs sleeping when we stopped at a rest area.

From sunrise to sunset, Pattaya’s beaches are constantly filled with life. After dark, all lights are turned on, the action shifts to the streets, as people explore its nightlife scene, where the fun has just begun.

Pattaya truly lives up to its title of being the party city, it is just like Las Vegas version of Thailand. Pattaya is famously known as a carefree party town where people seek for endless fun. Almost every part of the entire region has some form of nightlife, whether it’s naughty nightlife in gogo bars, live rock bands, international DJs, cabaret shows, pool parties, rooftop bars, and other nightlife attractions.

In conclusion, Pattaya is the right destination for you to unwind and relax with all entertainment offered.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Sat, 20 Jun 2020 00:09:00 +0000

The next day we were in Pattaya, we continued our trip by visiting Nong Nooch Tropical Garden. Another destination you must visit while you are in Pattaya. I think Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is more like a theme park rather than just a garden. There is a mini petting zoo, a cultural village, resort facilities, a pool, and restaurants. It's even a conference center there.

Nong Nooch Tropical Garden is said the largest tropical garden in Southeast Asia. Lots of plant species that exist there even reach 670 species, ranging from palm plants, succulent, tropical plants, to various flowers. It is all of 500 acres and divided into various zones, displays and gardens according to plant species as well as design themes. There's the Pottery Garden, Orchid Garden, Cactus Garden, French Garden, European Garden, Stonehenge Garden, Butterfly Hill, etc.

We couldn't explore every garden since we had to watched the cultural show that had been scheduled by our tour guide. So we only explored the gardens near the performance hall, which were Cactus & Succulent Garden, Mammoth Garden, and Butterfly Hill.

Knowing the cultural show about to start, we immediately went to the Thai Cultural Hall where it was held. Through the show we could take a peek into the history and culture of Thailand. The performances shown were classical Thai dances, Muay Thai, ancient drum performances, etc. It was a good way to cool down a little bit after strolling around the garden. Lol.

After the cultural show, visitors were directed straight across the entryway to an open arena where the elephant show took place. The elephant show featured elephant football, dart throwing, painting and other tricks. You can also take a picture with the elephants if you want, but with a small charge. To be honest I personally feel very sorry for the elephants, they seemed to have been abused by their handler.

Finished watching the elephant show, we had a buffet lunch at the nearby restaurant. Then afterward we returned to our bus to continue the trip to the next destination. As we went to our bus, we passed the Car Garden. We couldn't miss it so we entered and took some pictures. Well, It's basically a showroom with more than 60 cars displayed. Those are not just replicas but real vehicles that the founder’s grandson collected. If you are into cars then very much worth a look.

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Nong Nooch Tropical Garden

34 Na Chom Thian, Sattahip District, Chon Buri 20250, Thailand

Opening Hours: Mon-Sun, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM local time.

www.nongnoochtropicalgarden.com

As I write this blog post, I'm still bummed we didn't have enough time to explore it more. Hopefully one day I can visit it again and explore it further. But after all, it was a fun experience.

Alcazar Cabaret Show

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Thu, 18 Jun 2020 15:13:00 +0000

As the sun went down, our trip in Pattaya still continued. Famous for its vivid nightlife, Pattaya is the place to go if you are looking for a night to remember. When you visit Pattaya, you can't miss going to a ladyboy show, and the famous one is Alcazar Cabaret Show. It is globally famous with the reputation of the best transvestite cabaret show in Thailand. For more than 30 years of performances, it has gained the status of a local legend.

Before we watched the show, we had dinner first. You don't need to be afraid of being hungry or bored while waiting for the show time, because there are restaurants and bars with a live music that you can find beside the theater arena. We waited there until the show time.

The cabaret show itself is performed in the grand and modern architectural main theater building which has a capacity of about 1200 seats. A full-scale theatrical event performed with the state of the art sound and lighting.

The show started with fusion of traditional Thai music and contemporary dance. Continued with different regional dances with music, such as Indian, Chinese, Korean, Malay, Vietnamese, and more. It gave a journey of all around the world in a stage. It was also include a blend of impersonation, comedy and drama, all of which is expertly put together by a very talented production team.

An entertainment show full of lights, music and dances performed for an hour or so. It features over 400 performers in stunning costumes and lavish sets. The performers who played in the shows are mainly ladyboys (transgenders), but there are also some male performers. The whole show is so glitzy and glamorous.

After the show, you can also get an opportunity to mingle with the performers in front of theater building. The performers are very happy to pose for photos, although there’s a small charge if you want to take a picture with them.

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Alcazar Cabaret Show
78/14 Thanon Pattaya Sai 2, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand.
www.alcazarthailand.com

This whole experience might give you a new perspective about the LGBT community. It can break the stereotype of society that transgenders not only work as prostitutes. We must respect them and their life decisions, because we have no idea what they've been through.

Pattaya Floating Market

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Tue, 16 Jun 2020 23:00:00 +0000

We started our journey in Pattaya by visiting its famous floating market. Unlike in Indonesia where floating markets are usually on the big river, Pattaya Floating Market is located on a lake. Covering an area of 100,000 sqm, it can be said the biggest of its kind in all of Thailand or even maybe the biggest in the world.

Pattaya Floating Market was founded with the concept of presenting cultures and traditions from four regions of Thailand: North, South, Central and North East. This concept shows the way of life of people from each of these regions, their daily activities and products of each region.

You will find everything here from beautiful paintings, wooden sculptures to handcrafts, Thai silks, clothing, souvenirs, and lots more. But we were here for the food. So many stalls selling authentic Thai cuisine. You literally can find every Thai cuisine here from traditional food, snacks, fruits, desserts, beverages, wines, to extreme ones like crocodile!

The best part is the floating vendors. Scattered in between the wooden houses and along the river are vendors selling from boats. With a lot of skills these vendors navigate, cook, serve drinks, offer snacks, and make small meals all at once from their boats.

For the ultimate floating market experience, you can use a man-powered boat to get around and discover the richness of the surrounding Thai architecture and riverside life. We skipped that because the boat queue was too long and we didn't have enough time just to queue, so i just took photos of it.

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Pattaya Floating Market

451/304 Sukhumvit Rd, Pattaya City, Bang Lamung District, Chon Buri 20150, Thailand.

Operating Hours: Sun-Sat, 9:00 AM-8:00 PM local time.

Entrance Fee: THB 200.

Wait for the next journey on the next post. See ya!

Al Meroz Hotel

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 10:43:00 +0000

After visiting Wat Arun and cruising back to our bus, our tour guide brought us to Al Meroz hotel to had lunch. There were Muslims in our group so to respect them we had halal food. Al Meroz Hotel is knowingly as a 4-stars Muslim friendly hotel. They claim as Bangkok’s leading halal hotel. When we arrived, we could see the building stands out with a golden dome that characterizes Islamic architecture.

Entering the hotel lobby, modern Middle Eastern style was clearly seen in their interior design. The spacious lobby was centered on sturdy pillars of dark brown painted wood accented with lights designed to emit golden rays. Partitions in each room gave a special ethnic touch, as well as the chandeliers and furniture that complement its elegant look.

We had buffet at Diwan Restaurant at Al Meroz hotel. It is all-day family dining restaurant in a non-alcoholic environment. They offered various Halal-certified cuisine, from Arabian, Thai, and regional delicacies cooked by professional chefs. Overall we were really satisfied with the food and the service.

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Al Meroz Hotel

4 Ramkhamhaeng 5 Alley, Suan Luang, Bangkok 10250, Thailand.

www.almerozhotel.com

As we felt full after our meal, we continued our journey to the next city, Pattaya. Wait for the story on the next post!

Wat Arun

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Thu, 04 Jun 2020 12:25:00 +0000

Sawasdee Krab! As I promised on the previous post, now we're going to explore Wat Arun (through pictures, lol). Our tour guide said, "You haven't gone to Thailand, if you haven't visited Wat Arun." When you are in Bangkok, Wat Arun is one of the iconic destinations you must visit. Located on the Thonburi west bank of Chao Phraya, Wat Arun is also known to locals as Temple of Dawn (Wat means temple, Arun means dawn). It's named after Aruna, a Hindu God who was believed to be the embodiment of the rising sun’s reddish glow.

Wat Arun is one of the most beautiful temples with a lot of intricate details. I think it's different than the common temple design. It has a really pretty floral design, really fresh and lovely. The main feature of Wat Arun is its central prang (a tall spire) that 70 meters tall and surrounded by four smaller satellite prang. It's all decorated by seashells and porcelain that came from China as ballast on the trade ships.

We could take the stairs to get to the center of the prang, there is a fence for you to hold because the stairs to the top are quite steep. The central prang is said to symbolize the mountain to the house of the Gods in Hindu cosmology, the physical and spiritual center of nature with a tiered design that resembles stairs to the sky. Around the center of the prang there are also statues of soldiers and animals.

Next to the prangs is the Ordination Hall, it is a building specifically consecrated and designated for the performance of the Buddhist ordination ritual and other ritual ceremonies. The front entrance of the Ordination Hall has a roof with a central spire, decorated in colored ceramic. Guarding in front, there are sculptures of two mythical giant demons, Thotsakan and Sahatsadecha. There's also a statue of King Rama II not far from it, it's said the Ordination Hall supposedly designed by King Rama II.

The front entrance of the Ordination Hall.

The sculptures of two mythical giant demons, Thotsakan and Sahatsadecha.

Statue of King Rama II.

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Wat Arun

158 Thanon Wang Doem, Wat Arun, Bangkok Yai, Bangkok 10600, Thailand.

Opening Hours: Mon - Sun, 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM local time.

Admission Fee: THB 50 /adult.

After enjoying the beauty of the temple, we bought various kinds of Thai snacks and souvenirs which were offered by traders around the pier area, then continued our trip to the next destination. See you on the next post.

Chao Phraya River

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 13:32:00 +0000

Hi, how are you doing? Hope you are healthy and still sane during your stay at home. I couldn't believe we're in the half way of 2020, also it's been almost three months we're in the quarantine! Crazy, right? Now, since we all can't go traveling, I want to bring you to travel with me by throwing it back to my last Thailand trip before Covid-19 attacked. Sit back and get ready to float because on this post we will cruising through Chao Phraya river.

Chao Phraya is a major river in Thailand, it flows through Bangkok and is the lifeblood of Bangkok. It's mostly used as a source of water, drainage, fishing, and also recreation. You can find so many cruise options for your choice, from a river taxi, long tail boats, to a fancy cruise. Although the river is brown (same as the river in Jakarta), but we really enjoyed our boat trip. The view of the skyscrapers and the temples along the river was beautiful, as you can see in the pictures below.

Iconsiam on Chao Phraya River bank.

River City Bangkok Mall.

The Memorial Bridge that connecting the districts of Phra Nakhon and Thonburi.

Wat Kalayanamit, viewed from Chao Phraya.

Apparently not only in the sea, there are also plenty of fish in the river. I don't know for sure, but they are some kind of catfish i think. We got a chance to feed them and apparently they love breadcrumbs. Bet they were right, you will learn new things by traveling.

Finally after about 30 minutes of boat ride and fish feeding, we pulled over to visit Wat Arun.

Wat Arun, viewed from Chao Phraya.

Wait till the next post for we will explore Wat Arun. Læ̂w phb kạn h̄ım̀!

Wat Ratchanatdaram

noreply@blogger.com (Robert William) — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:10:00 +0000

Hi, I finally have time to update my blog again. I have a lot of free time currently because all this self-quarantine due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Being stay at home for such a long time makes me kinda unproductive and just makes me miss traveling very much. Hope everything will be back to normal so I can go traveling again soon. For now, let me reminisce the good times. I will continue my Thailand trip story that my family and I did on October last year. The least i can do to be not bored.

This post is a continuation of the previous post. After we went to Neon Market, we checked in to our hotel. We stayed at Picnic Hotel while we were in Bangkok. It is a 3-star hotel 14 minutes walk from Pratunam market. We took a rest, enjoyed some snacks that we've had bought from 7-Eleven.

We were not sleepy at all that night. Since it was our first night in Bangkok, we were still excited to explore Bangkok. We decided to go out, then my mom had an idea to try tuktuk ride, we called tuktuk that passed by and went around the city. We went around some areas that not too far from our hotel because we had to sleep on time and woke up early in the next morning.

We were so lucky because we got a very kind and friendly tuktuk driver. After going around like an hour and half, he brought us to a place and stopped by to take some pictures. He told us the name of the place was Wat Saket (I don't know how to spell it, it is based on what I heard that time), but after some researches on Google the actual name of that place is Wat Ratchanatdaram.

Wat Ratchanatdaram is a Buddhist temple, it means Temple of the Royal Niece. Based on history, it was built to the order of King Rama III for his granddaughter, Princess Somanass Waddhanawathy. The temple itself is nestled among the Statue of King Rama III, the Royal Pavilion Mahajetsadabadin, and the temple of iron, Loha Prasat. It was sad because we visited at close hour and we couldn't enter inside the complex. We just took some photos from outside the gate, but just from the street we could see its showering night lights, such a majestic scenery.

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Wat Ratchanatdaram & Loha Prasat
2 Maha Chai Rd, Wat Bowon Niwet, Phra Nakhon, Bangkok 10200, Thailand.
Opening Hours: Mon - Sun, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM local time.
Admission Fee: THB 20/adult.

After we were happy with our photos, we went back to our hotel. We had a chit chat session first, then went to the bed. It was the end of our first day in Thailand. Stay tune for the next story on the next post.