Capsule Transit KLIA 2 Review

The capsule room of Capsule Transit KLIA 2

The aisle in The Capsule Transit KLIA 2

Amenities which are given: toothbrush, towel, and mineral water

Pardon my tired face (have to rush to airport post doing

 tooth filling and tooth extraction to my patients :P)

The Shared Bathroom

On my last Tibet trip, I have a night layover at KLIA 2 before departing for Chengdu, China. I chose not to stay in the terminal building and booked a 12 hours room in Capsule Transit Hotel just outside the departure section of KLIA 2 which cost USD 30.

There is another transit hotel which is located inside the departure section, Sama Sama Express KLIA 2, but the price is way more expensive and out of my budget (about USD 55).

The pros of staying in Capsule Transit Hotel

• The price is cheap for a 12 hours room rate
• Able to take a proper nap compare to staying inside the terminal building
• The bedding and the pillow is quite proper. The pillow is a medium micro or nanofiber one so it is quite comfortable, and the bed sheet is smooth
• Able to take a proper shower and even have our hair dried for a hair dryer is provided by the hotel
• Able to enjoy the free wifi provided by the hotel

The cons of staying in Capsule Transit Hotel

• Because the hotel is located just outside the departure section, we have to clear immigration first to be able to stay there, which will quite takes time
• The bathroom is not really clean when I first arrived at 12.00 am that night, probably because a lot of the guest have already used it and the staff hadn't clean it yet

Despite the cons, I will still stay in the hotel rather than waiting for my flight in the terminal building where I probably wouldn't be able to get a proper rest and probably also wouldn't be able to directly enjoy Chengdu right after I arrived there.

For me, this hotel is scored 3.5/5 and I probably will stay there again on my another layover trip in KLIA 2, unless I have more budget to stay in Sama Sama Express :)

Will I ever?

Gili Air

North Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

The room of Zipp Bar Restaurant & Bungalows 

The bathroom

The exterior and its pool

Zipp Bar Restaurant & Bungalows

Gili Air, North Lombok

Indonesia

Ph. 081917310209

Waking up at Gili Air I could not help but feeling serene and refreshed, even after the rather heavy workload I had the day before. I put my bathing suit and robe on, put on a proper amount of sun block cream, pick up my sunglasses, books, and phone (to play some music) and off I went to the beach in front of my bungalow to enjoy the warm sun and the crystal clear water. 

Speaking about the hotel I stayed the last time I went to Gili Air, I surprisingly love it. The first time I arrived, I feel a little bit confuse because the bar is on a renovation and there is a mess here and there, the bungalows is located behind the bar. Turns out, now there is this regulation from the government which ban any cafe or hotel built along the shoreline. There is minimum distance from the beach to where a cafe or hotel is allowed to be built and operated. So, a lot of places are doing renovation.

But after entered the bungalows, I find that I love the place. The bungalows is near to a beautiful beach with a white sand and crystal clear water with a sight of breathtaking green hills as the background. Scallywags beach club with its delicious meals and comfortable seating set is just two minutes by walk. Yet, somehow the bungalows is quite and secluded. (Not to mention its super helpful staff whom I love!). 

In the morning, after get enough with the sun and the beach, I swim in the pool while enjoying their coffee and french toast. When outside, the sun is burning my skin, surprisingly the ambience in its pool is comfortable with fresh air and refreshing breeze playing out with my hair. After that, taking bath in their open air bathroom is the perfect way to start just another plan of walking around Gili Air in the morning while looking for some gelato. Just, I guess they need some maintenance on their bathroom's and bedding's cleanliness so they can be super comfortable.

Anyway, it was a perfect day at Gili Air. 

So, having no one to take care of, I have plenty of time. For self improvement; I could read books all day long on my day off while waiting for the laundry to dry before ironing it, I could write for hours after done cleaning the room and done with the dish washing, I could travel to wherever I want to go,  whenever I want to, I could work all day long thus my knowledge, experience, and skill will be improved, I could take some time every few months to do volunteering in a case I care about (mostly on children education, literature, and gender parity).

These past years it is always about "I". Moreover, growing up in a family where parents giving the ultimate freedom; of thinking, of doing, of the future, I always feel I can choose the best option for me out of the choices available, another matters always might be excluded. My parents are the one who ensure me that I can fly high up as I could, I do not need to take care of them because they can take care of themselves and love living their life, enjoying their job and traveling the globe. Thus, I do not used to think about others when making a decision. When I want to work faraway from them I can just go, when I want to pursue my study in a different continent might as well doing it as I wish, when I want to impulsively go to Nepal I can just take the next plane. What a selfish individual, I understand. 

And now come the time where I might start to have to care about others. When my relationship will go to a more serious step, I have to be responsible to others, other than my parents. Here comes the condition where I might not get the amount of freedom my parents used to give me. Because I will have new (and a lot) responsibilities which I have to take care of, too.

I might have to think about the other parties before choosing where I will pursue my study; will I still  able to do my responsibility when I am away from home? Will they be okay to take care of themselves and enjoying their life while I take a little time to focus on my self, will they enjoy their lives the way my parents do? Will I ever? Will I ever be able to adjust my plan and my decision with others, when all this time I can always do things as I wish, whenever and whatever?

These things have been bothering me lately. These new concept of life. As bothered as my mind can be, I just try to think that I will try my best to do each of my responsibility, responsibly. There might be some, or a lot of inconveniences here and there but I will try to adapt to it the way I happily adapt to a new neighborhood I found in a new places I travel. The new neighborhood might be noisy and dusty just like the little alleys along Thamel, Kathmandu but when I try to see the beauty inside, of how the beautiful mess of praying flags above the Thamel road reflects the faith of each of individual hold dear inside their heart, of how the messy old book store provides the best gem of books, about life, about balance, about philosophy. There, then, I still able to feel complete, even between the mess. 

And around people with a positive mind, no matter how chaos the world might be, I wish, we will always be able to enjoy this live, though sometimes the tides might be dangerous, but there will still be time where the tides is as beautiful as the ones along Gili's shoreline on a summer day, no?

Staycation: Medana Resort, Tanjung, West Nusa Tenggara

The room is full of beautiful paintings and carvings

The bedroom

The relaxing and serene bathtub

The restaurant and pool

Accidentally came upon this resort and turns out that I'm in love with it. Located at a secluded area, just before Oberoi Hotel Lombok, although this resort doesn't have any private beach but I just love the serene ambience. Only 6 villas available at this 1.5 hectare land, made perfect by its private and quite large pool for only the 6 villas and a quite and cozy restaurant facing the pool.

I came here with my mother and father, and they do not like this hotel for they prefer a more modern, super clean and super bright hotel. So if you're not so into an authentique ambience with a lot of paintings and statues and wood carvings then maybe you will also not find this hotel quite satisfying. 

But I love it.

The moment I entered the room I feel calm. I love reading my book on its bed and continue reading my book while enjoying a warm water in the bathtub with the aromatheraphy candle lit up, enjoying all of my senses working while pushing my mind to think. Don't you love it?

Then, early in the morning I can have the pool all for my self. While waiting for the sun to rise higher and warm up the air. A day in this resort can restore all of my energy which has been drained during the hectic weekdays.

To sum it all, if you love Antonio Blanco Renaissance Museum, any restaurant or hotel owned by Tugu Group, and the ambience of almost all places in Ubud, I think you will love this hotel, then :)

Medana Resort Lombok

Jalan Oberoi, Sigar Penjalin,

Tanjung, North Lombok 

West Nusa Tenggara

83352

Ph. +6287864088569

Price upon booking (via Traveloka): idr 550.000 (usd 39) 

for standard one bedroom villa

ps. I will be traveling at the second and third week of April and will not bring my laptop, will not post any blog post because I want to enjoy my time to the limit while on it, so see you after my journey! Can you guess where am I going to travel? :P 

Staycation: Hotel Vila Ombak, Gili Trawangan

The Private Dock of Hotel Vila Ombak

The Balcony of Our Room

Interior of The Room

The Bathroom 

Dinner at The Beach (Hotel Vila Ombak Restaurant)

When my parents came along with me while I was looking around the neighborhood of my (then) future workplace, Tanjung, West Nusa Tenggara, we went to Gili Trawangan and spent our time at Hotel Vila Ombak. We booked it quite impulsively without really comparing it with another hotel like we used to. When we thought that the price is reasonable and we saw the picture of the hotel on the internet we thought it was enough.

But after experiencing it I thought it was better. The price is not so expensive yet the hotel is very comfortable and offer a great service. First thing first, I love their private dock. I think I did not see any other hotel owning this kind of private dock. There is a public harbour at Gili Trawangan but you can imagine how crowded it is for this island is the most crowded island of all the three gilis. Can you imagine how comfortable it is arriving at the dock right in front of your hotel so you do not have to carry your luggage all the way to your hotel or paying an extra fee for using rented vehicle available?

Then going to our room, we got the standard room at the second floor. Although the room is not facing the pool but the surrounding is so comfortable, with trees around and with the breeze blowing I can lay in the sun deck available at our balcony while reading my favorite book, all the time! 

There is nothing so special inside our room, but of course I love their complimentary drinks for I can drink my coffee while watching the rerun of Harry Potter on HBO before I dozed off, and not to mention they gave us free fruits also (the orange was sweet I love it!). 

The bathroom is quite spacious but there is no bathtub available for the standard room, but it was reasonable enough when looking at the price. They provide us essential oil soap and shampoo and I love the smell of it! 

Hotel Vila Ombak has an outdoor cinema and they provide free ticket for their guest while outside guest who want to watch the movie have to pay for around idr 100.000 (usd 0.7). That night they were playing The Beach, yes the one starring Leonardo Dicaprio shot at the beautiful Thailand! After enjoying my dinner (with a cool live band playing along  -which I fallen in love at first sight, and I requested a John Mayer's  Song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" because I thought the singer would sang it perfectly, and he did!-) I watched The Beach at the outdoor cinema, at the beach, with the constellations up above, can you imagine? It was perfect! :)

And in the next morning, after walking around Gili early in the morning and while waiting for our check out time, it was cloudy so I can enjoy their swimming pool like my own pool because nobody was swimming haha. I love their pool it is so big and comfortable, too bad I didn't take any photo of it, maybe next time I can upload some video (wish me luck for the video editing haha!) Anyway they also provide sun deck on the beach along their hotel so we can just lay there and watch the beautiful sea and the green hills of Lombok Island across the sea. 

So overall I give 5 out of 5 stars for this Hotel Vila Ombak, definitely will come back someday when I have the chance, I hope it soon!

Hotel Vila Ombak

Gili Trawangan, Lombok

West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia

Price upon booking: idr 1.100.000 (usd 88) for Superior Lumbung Terrace Room

Phone +62 370 6142336

Two Days Solo Trip to Yogyakarta

Mutiara Hotel 1 Yogyakarta

Jl. Malioboro No 18, Yogyakarta

Price upon booking (March 2017): around idr 600.000 (usd 13.5)

My rate: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Last March I went to Yogyakarta for 3 days. At the first two days I was traveling solo and at the third days my parents joined me at Yogya.

I stayed at Mutiara Hotel, a quite old hotel and surely needs some interior improvement here and there to be honest,  but it was clean and for that I love it, and of course the location is great, at the heart of Malioboro. I think that is the perfect location for solo traveler, to be surrounded by a lively places, the festivity of lights coming from the stores, food stalls that open until morning, coffeeshop,  well everything is within walking distance and it is somehow comforting. 

At the first day I went to Hayati Coffee for a pick up latte then I decided that I wanted to walk along Jalan Prawirotaman so off I go. I walked and walked along the road and suddenly I heard some saxophone being beautifully played and turned out that it was played by some musician at Via Via Restaurant, so just because I wanted to hear him play, I eat at that restaurant haha. Later I found out that every friday night at 8 pm is a jazz night at Via Via Restaurant. Too bad I was too enjoying the night I did not have any photos of it. 

Ullen Sentalu Museum

Jl. Boyong KM 25, Kaliurang

Opening hour: 8.30-15.00, open everyday

Entrance fee: Adult idr 50.000 (usd 4)

The second day, I visited Ullen Sentalu Museum, again. I have ever visited the museum 4 or 5 years ago but I still haven't satisfied yet. In this museum we are wandering around guided by their professional guide who will tell us the stories about each collections and we are not allowed to take any pictures inside the building. I can not look back into some photos and reminiscing it everytime I miss this place so I just went there, again!

We will be guided through the museum in a group consist of about 5 people and we are free to ask as many questions as we have throughout the tour. What I love the most is a room full of letters from friends and families, written for Tineke, a Surakarta Princess. Tineke loves a prince who is hold a lower status than her own and for that her mother did not approve of him and she was broken hearted and her friends and families try to comfort her with the letter. One of the letter said (as what I remember because we are not allowed to take picture) "You are still a student. One day you will know what pure life ties you; struggles, successes, failures." Oh, fyi, 8 years later Tineke married that prince anyway!

And I looove the story about Gusti Kanjeng Nurul. She is also a princess from Surakarta. At that time, she is so intelect, able to speak a lot of languages, great at arts, and she refused a lot of proposal because she does not agree on polygamy. One quick fact I learn from this tour is that Nyai Roro Kidul and Ratu Pantai Selatan (Queen of The South Sea) are a two different person. Nyai Roro Kidul is Ratu Pantai Selatan's head of army, the one she sents when she needs her army to do their job. How new is this information for you?

Anyway, when in Yogyakarta this museum is surely a must visit. This is a privately owned museum, so well taken care of, have a perfectly beautiful interior and exterior, provides a great historical and educational information, be ready to have your mindgasm here :)

Beukenhof Restaurant

Inside Ullen Sentalu Museum

Menu: Western 

Prices: around idr 25.000-200.000 (usd 2- usd 14)

One thing not to be missed is to spend some of your time enjoying some foods and coffee from Beukenhof Restaurant which is located inside Ullen Sentalu Museum. This restaurant is serving western menu and I ordered french toast and ice latte at that time. The ambience is so comforting and romantic I feel like I could spend a day here, sipping my latte while writing whatever I have in mind and enjoying the serene ambience overlooking the inside garden of Ullen Sentalu Museum. 

At that time I was feeling so content spending the time alone with my mind, but another time maybe it will be great to enjoy some steak there with my loved ones while talking about the dreamy future. 

Plataran Borobudur Resort

(I am visiting the restaurant overlooking Borobudur)

Dusun Tanjungan, Borobudur, Central Java

Maybe I have visited Borobudur a lot of time so this time I would love to just enjoy it from afar for once. Anyway don't you want it? Observing life from afar for once just as how the astronauts observing their life from the space? Then maybe, we will finally be humbled by the fact that no matter how great we are, there will always be something greater? 

I spent my lunch at Plataran Borobudur Resort's restaurant and enjoying some Mie Laksa. Nothing so special but the ambience is so perfect. If you happen to look for some place to enjoy a slow afternoon while sipping some tea, maybe you could visit this place. 

Bale Raos Keraton

Menus: Western and Indonesian

Prices: around idr 50.000-100.000 (usd 4- usd 8)

Then finally my parents arrived and we enjoyed some dinner at Bale Raos. It is a restaurant inside Keraton Yogyakarta and serving Indonesian and Western food. I enjoyed some steak and Bir Jawa (Javanese Beer). It contains no alcohol of course. The Indonesian menus here is authentic and that night there is a music band playing keroncong (one music genre of Indonesia). I do not know whether this band always perform here or not, but that night, to enjoy the dinner with my family accompanied by the band, it was one experience I feel like only feel perfect when happened in Yogyakarta :)

Hotel Update: The Peacock Inn, Ubud, Bali

Dress (Cotton On, a gift from dear friends, so thank you!), 

Shoes (Unbranded, bought at local store at Ubud), Watch (Fossil)

Got a twin room at first floor with pool view at my last stay

Some improvement from my last year stay; with a much cheaper price (due to Gunung Agung issue) I got room with television and complimentary drinks plus the water heater

The bathroom is still as properly mantained as before

This October was my second time staying at The Peacock Inn, a boutique accomodation at the heart of Ubud. After spending my one day staycation at Hati Padi Cottages, a pretty secluded and beautiful cottage half an hour drive from downtown Ubud, here comes the time for me to have to stay at downtown Ubud, for the sake of flexible mobility during my volunteering days for Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2017. 

For me, cleanliness is number one issue followed by great location where everything I need (food, market, coffeeshop, neighborhood to wander) are within walking distance with addition of breakfast included in the room price and pool inside the accomodation, then of course a within my budget hotel :P

Last year, October 2016 for a more precise time, I stayed at The Peacock Inn and booked it for idr 407.000 (USD 31) per night, breakfast not included, I got a room at the second floor and got no television nor complimentary drinks inside the room. So what a surprise that this year I checked again for this hotel at Agoda and got a cheaper price where breakfast included, so I booked it right away. And what a more surprised I felt when I checked in at the hotel and got a better room, a twin room at first floor overlooking the pool with television and complimentary drinks inside, a much improvement of the room!

I understand that the price might be cheaper this time due to Gunung Agung issue so less tourist came to Ubud, but I have to appreciate the improvement of the room and the still properly maintained  room (the bed, the linen and bed cover, the microfiber pillow, the bathroom and its free amenities from lemongrass soap until lemongrass body lotion is still as great as last year).

I have the chance to spoke for one moment with Mrs. Georgina, the owner of this accomodation, who is a citizen of New Zealand and also own another places such as yoga studio. I compliment the improvement of the room and she said it was her manager ideas which she approved.  She takes a good care of her guest and their needs, no wonder this place is always feel like home. And with its great location where I can walk to Seniman coffee studio, Ubud Market, Jalan Goutama where a lot of cafes and small boutique open till night, until Nasi Padang restaurant whenever I missed eating something familiar from home, I think the next time I come back to Ubud, surely I will stay at The Peacock Inn again, five out of five stars for this accomodation, believe me this is the most honest review from the bottom of my heart :P

The Peacock Inn
Jl. Sugriwa No 4
Ubud, Gianyar
Bali, 80571
Ph. 0821-4480-443
Price upon my latest stay (Oct 2017) booked via Agoda:
idr 320.000 (USD 23.5)/night including a la carte breakfast