“What will we do this weekend?! Let’s pack your bag!” My Dad with his randomness suddenly urged Mom & me to go to Genting, Malaysia. He was not interested to gamble, he only wanted to enjoy cold weather and polluted-free air - which we did not have in Jakarta. I had been to Genting several times, and beside of visiting First World and Maxim Hotel, there was nothing much to do there.  OH, WAIT! I found something pretty on Instagram! I saw Colmar Tropicale, French Village Theme that's an exact copy of Strasbourg in France! I googled it but rarely found any info. Thus, I decided to explore this hidden gem!

Where is it & How to go?

Colmar Tropicale is located in Berjaya Hill Resort, Bentong, Pahang province. It’s only one hour drive away from Kuala Lumpur (you can take toll road) or 45 minutes away from Genting. From Genting, I used Grab Car Taxi Promo which costs me around 60 MYR (1MYR = ±3300 IDR = 0.22 USD) each way.  I asked the taxi driver (the ‘Uncle’) to pick me up again in the afternoon because I read others’ blog that it's hard to find transportation there. Taxi Uncle agreed to pick us later for 70 MYR. If you depart from Kuala Lumpur, you might take the shuttle bus from Berjaya Times Square which costs only 60 MYR for return trip. Advanced booking is recommended through their website because the shuttle bus has limited seats with only 4 times schedules per day.

French Village Theme – Colmare Tropicale

The entrance ticket costs 13 MYR which also included entrance fee to Japanese & Botanical Garden. On the entrance gate, I was welcomed with beautiful water fountain with flamingo as their main symbol with a rocky Alsace castle. It was so adorable with rustic feeling!

When I walked down the bridge to enter the main gate, I realized Colmar Tropicale was very well-designed. It created an atmosphere that made you feel you were no longer in Malaysia. Under the bridge, there was a lake with stunning black swan. The main gate stood still, looked powerful with all flags and coloured horse statues in front of it - just like the one in Perth.

Inside Colmar Tropicale, you could ate in various restaurants, you could play arcade games or bring your children to play video games; you could even climb up the main observatory tower (where I got the beautiful shot of Colmar!). After walking around, Mum decided to order chicken rosti (roast chicken) which was so delicious! The food costed us around 30-40 MYR each. Btw, you could also stay at Colmar priced start from 300 MYR per night.

Japanese Garden & Botanical Garden

Finished with going around chateau, we went to the gardens. You might take a free shuttle that departs every 30 minutes. Japanese Garden & Botanical Garden is located side by side one to another. Japanese Garden was so cute, it has a small tea house where you can rent kimono & do traditional tea ceremony with your loved one. I decided not to do it because my time was very limited. It also has a spa house, but sadly, it was a bit off price with 700 MYR for 90 minutes massage :( 

Meanwhile, the botanical garden offers a green house with variety of tropical flowers. It also has a hanging restaurant!

Rabbit Garden & Deer Farm at Mini Zoo

This is one of the best highlight of my day! Free shuttle bus brought us there. We needed to pay extra ticket for 5 MYR to enter. I was surprised because I expected the rabbits to be in the cage but they were not! They roamed freely & hopped everywhere while kids were trying to catch them! The rabbits were so cute and available in many colours, they were fat too!

In addition, there were many deers where I could play & touch. They were very friendly and tame to human, so no reason to be afraid. You could also ride donkey and played with some other animals.

Finally...

It was a very fun weekend getaway in Colmar Tropicale. You could enjoy a perfect winter holiday getaway in Asia. The weather was chill which made outdoor activities enjoyable ❤️ So, where will you go this weekend? See you on the next trip!

-------- Budget ---------

Return taxi 130 MYR for 3people @43MYR

Colmar Tropicale Ticket @13 MYR

Mini Zoo Ticket @5MYR

Lunch @35MYR

Total: 96 MYR (300k IDR / 22 USD)

“Kita sedang on the way ke airport, tiba-tiba ada yang tarik tas tanganku! Seluruh isi tas diambil beserta passport dan handphone! Lemes deh, hilang semua sekaligus. Mana di negeri orang pula..”

Hidup ini terkadang tidak adil. Di saat kita ingin bersenang-senang, ada saja kejadian tak terduga yang mengubah perjalanan impian menjadi bencana. Entah kecurian, sakit, kehilangan dokumen penting, long delay, dan sebagainya. Dua cerita di atas adalah kisah nyata yang terjadi ke diri saya sendiri. Parahnya lagi, saat itu saya lupa membeli asuransi perjalanan (tepatnya karena pelit, huhu). Dari kejadian tersebut, saya memetik pelajaran bahwa travel insurance is important and it’s a must! Saya merasakan betapa pentingnya asuransi perjalanan untuk memberikan kenyamanan dan keamanan saat bepergian.

Kebingungan berlanjut saat saya akan membeli asuransi perjalanan. Dari sekian banyak agen travel insurance, yang manakah yang terbaik? How to choose the best travel insurance? Faktor apa saja yang harus diperhatikan sebelum membeli asuransi perjalanan? Well, it depends on what you need! Check this list out before you buy travel insurance! Ready..set..go!

DESTINATION

Destinasi wisata merupakan salah satu faktor utama untuk menentukan paket travel insurance. Beberapa agen asuransi perjalanan hanya menyediakan asuransi perjalanan untuk tujuan wisata mancanegara, padahal kita sedang ingin wisata dalam negeri saja. Akhirnya, saya menemukan asuransi Travellin dari Adira Finance! Travellin memiliki insurance package bukan cuma untuk wisata luar negeri tetapi juga dalam negeri. Bahkan, Travellin memberikan perlindungan hampir ke semua negara di aneka benua, termasuk hingga ke Afrika!

Untuk insurance package dalam negeri, terdapat tiga pilihan yakni Worldwide Premier, Worlwide Executive dan Asia. Walaupun berlaku around the world, perbedaan utama Worldwide Premier dan Worldwide Executive package ialah jumlah tanggungannya, di mana Worldwide Premier memiliki tanggungan klaim mencapai 100.000 USD! Sementara itu, Asia package berlaku di semua negara di Asia. Jadi, kita tidak perlu repot untuk membeli beberapa travel insurance sekaligus ketika backpacking keliling Asia loh! Cukup membeli satu paket asuransi perjalanan saja.

Bila kita ingin membeli paket asuransi dalam negeri, Travellin juga menyediakan tiga paket yakni paket Domestic Gold, Domestic Silver dan Silver Plus. Untuk Domestic Gold, bila terjadi kecelakaan hingga kematian, Travellin akan memberikan tanggungan senilai 75 juta rupiah. Sedangkan Domestic Silver dan Silver Plus, sama-sama memiliki klaim up to 50 juta, namun Silver Plus memberikan perlindungan lebih kepada rumah yang kamu tinggali saat bepergian. Gambar berikut ialah paket kesukaan saya, Domestic Silver, 10 ribu saja sehari dengan manfaat segudang! Info lebih lanjut dapat diakses melalui website https://Travellin.co.id/

P.S Ingat, jumlah klaim penting saat kamu berwisata ke negara tertentu seperti benua Eropa, karena kamu diwajibkan memiliki asuransi perjalanan dengan minimal jumlah tanggungan sekian besar sebagai persyaratan visa.

TIMEFRAME

Berapa lama waktu bepergian? Pastikan travel insurance yang dibeli sesuai dengan tanggal perjalanan wisata. Biasanya asuransi perjalanan akan menghitung jumlah hari dari tanggal mulai sampai tanggal kita kembali, misalnya tanggal 14 hingga 24 November akan dihitung 11 hari. Untuk berhemat, kita dapat membeli asuransi perjalanan untuk 90 hari sekaligus, bahkan hingga 180 hari lho! Tentu saja semakin panjang jangka waktunya maka akan semakin murah, terlebih bila sering berwisata. 

WHAT & WHO TO COVER?

Sebagai konsumen, kita harus selalu memperhatikan apa saja yang ditanggung dalam asuransi perjalanan. Terkadang beberapa asuransi nakal tidak mencantumkan klausul tanggungan untuk hal yang dapat terjadi. Berbeda dengan asuransi Travellin memberikan tanggungan untuk hal-hal berikut secara menyeluruh:

Bukan cuma itu, Travellin bahkan berani memberikan perluasan jaminan atas rumah yang kecurian saat berwisata, pembajakan pesawat, dan kecelakaan saat perjalanan. Lengkap sekali bukan?

Di samping itu, kita juga harus memperhatikan siapa yang akan pergi dan berapa orang yang ingin di-cover dalam asuransi perjalanan. Beberapa asuransi perjalanan menyediakan asuransi hanya untuk individual, padahal kita pergi ramai-ramai. Apabila kita bepergian dengan jumlah lebih dari 15 orang, kita bisa membeli asuransi dengan pilihan grup sehingga bisa lebih hemat. Jika pergi dengan 2 anak dan satu pasangan (cukup satu istri / satu suami lho ya), kita dapat memilih paket Family.

SIMPLE BUYING PROCESS

Saya selalu memperhatikan kemudahan dan kecepatan dalam pembelian travel insurance. Apabila websitenya tidak user friendly, biasanya saya langsung pindah ke website lain. Saya cukup terkejut ketika menemukan asuransi perjalanan online buatan bangsa Indonesia, dengan cara pembelian yang sangat mudah! Membeli asuransi perjalanan Travellin semudah tagline-nya, as easy as 1 2 3!

Pada tampilan kedua kita tinggal memilih periode yang diinginkan (harian, 90 atau 180 hari) dan tanggal awal serta tanggal akhir perjalanan. Pada step ketiga, paket yang sesuai akan langsung muncul dan kita tinggal klik paket apa yang kita inginkan. Saat kita telah memilih dan menekan tombol Go to My Quote, Tadaaa! Pilihan kita segera muncul dan kita tinggal mengisikan biodata, review order dan tinggal bayar. It’s super simple and takes less than 5 minutes. Super convenient and even you could do it through your mobile phone. How awesome is that?

CLAIM EASENESS

Hal ini juga merupakan salah satu hal krusial sebelum membeli asuransi perjalanan, yaitu kemudahan mengajukan klaim! Banyak agen asuransi perjalanan menjual dengan harga miring namun sangat sulit ketika di-klaim. Untuk itu, penting untuk membaca review terlebih dahulu: apakah contact person asuransi tersebut mudah dihubungi? Apakah klien-klien sebelumnya dapat mengajukan klaim dengan lancar saat terjadi kesulitan? Untuk pelanggan Travellin, klaim dapat diajukan secara online ataupun via call center yang dapat dihubungi dari dalam dan luar negeri. Klaim juga dipastikan selesai dalam 14 hari lho! Berikut caranya:

Last but not the least…PRICE

Hal ini merupakan salah satu faktor yang krusial! Terkadang, asuransi dengan biaya mahal, hanya memberikan tanggungan secukupnya saja. Padahal, tentunya yang kita inginkan ialah value for money! Dengan asuransi Travellin, kita dapat membeli asuransi perjalanan dengan biaya serendah 10.000 rupiah saja per harinya! Sebagai contoh, paket Worldwide Executive untuk melindungi perjalanan saya ke Inggris selama sebelas hari hanyalah 27.5 USD! Bandingkan dengan asuransi lain yang mencapai 50 dolar!

Kabar gembira lainnya, asuransi Travellin memberikan poin yang dapat dikumpulkan dan di-redeem dengan hadiah-hadiah menarik lho. Bahkan dengan menggunakan kode TRAVELLINYEAREND, kita bisa mendapatkan diskon sebesar 20% untuk pembelian asuransi perjalanan. So, what are you waiting for?

Demikianlah faktor-faktor utama yang harus diperhatikan sebelum membeli travel insurance. You should always be cautious and check again! Pastikan asuransi pilihan anda sesuai destinasi wisata, cocok jangka waktunya, memiliki nilai tanggungan yang oke, mudah dibeli dan mudah diajukan klaimnya, serta harganya pun efisien! Tidak lupa, pastikan websitenya aman untuk bertransaksi online, serta asuransi perjalanan tersebut dijamin oleh perusahaan finansial terkemuka yang disetujui oleh Otoritas Jasa Keuangan. 

Kenyamanan dan keamanan saat berwisata tentunya sangat penting bagi Anda, bukan? Lebih baik sedia payung sebelum hujan sebelum terjadi yang bukan-bukan. Pastinya Anda tidak mau impian wisata menjadi bencana. Dengan Travellin, we travel happily and worry-freee!

Cheers,

Hana XX

Andai kamu bisa travel ke negara manapun di dunia, negara apa yang akan kamu pilih? Hayoo, mau menjelajah ke mana? Bayangkan kamu tak perlu memikirkan budget, jumlah hari cuti, dan kamu bahkan bisa naik best airline tanpa repot mencari tiket murah di travel fair. Where is your dream destination? Beberapa orang menjawab Jepang. Adapula yang ingin pergi ke Italia, Paris, Iceland, atau mungkin USA. Aku sendiri sulit sekali memilih. Destinasi travel impianku antara lain Selandia Baru, Meksiko, dan India. Namun saat ini, aku sedang ingin sekali wisata ke Australia, tepatnya ke Melbourne!

‘WHAT?? Melbourne apa spesialnya? Bukannya cuma kota modern biasa? Sama lagi sama London, lo khan dulu tinggal di London?’ Sebagian temanku mencemooh. Tapi menurutku, Melbourne merupakan kota super unik dengan vibrant culture dan daya tarik tersendiri dibanding kota Australia lainnya. Arsitektur klasik berpadu street-art dilengkapi suasana rindang kehijauan begitu menenangkan hati. Bukan sekedar kota metropolitan, Melbourne juga memiliki great nature spots dan wildlife khas Australia (mau ‘khan foto sama koala?). Kekayaan seni dan budaya, shopping yang beragam, serta delicious dishes menggodaku untuk ke sana! I really want to enjoy my summer in Australia. Kita travel bareng, yuk? Andai bisa liburan musim panas ke Melbourne, berikut hal seru dan objek wisata yang akan kita kunjungi:

DAY 1: CITY CENTRE HOPPING

06:00 Fly High with Hot Air Balloon in Yarra Valley

The first place that we’ll visit is… Yarra Valley! Di kala hari masih gelap, kita sudah bersiap untuk terbang menaiki balon udara! Kita menaiki balon udara tepat saat matahari mulai menampilkan semburat cahaya emasnya, sambil menghirup nikmatnya embun pagi di tengah hamparan wineyard Yarra Valley. Ketika melihat ke bawah, mata kita dimanjakan panorama hutan, sungai Yarra, bahkan pemandangan seluruh kota Melbourne! Betapa karunia Tuhan yang indah membuat diri kita merasa begitu kecil dan dikaruniai sebagai ciptaan-Nya. Pasti happy banget, apalagi kalau tiba-tiba dilamar di atas balon udara (ngareeep). Setelah naik balon udara, kita akan menikmati sarapan ala western lengkap dengan segelas wine di tengah Yarra Valley winery.. Aaah, nikmatnya..

09:00 Hosier Lane Street Art

Puas menikmati panorama Yarra Valley, kita langsung hunting foto di city center. Melbourne terkenal dengan budaya street art dan graffiti keren, salah satunya di Hosier Lane. Di sana, kita bisa berfoto dengan bermacam lukisan keren yang dibuat oleh artist indie. It’s a must go place banget buat yang mau punya foto Instagram hits!

10:00 Captain’s Cook Cottage & Fitzroy Garden

Captain Cook’s Cottage adalah bangunan tertua di Australia yang dibangun  tahun 1755 dan dihuni oleh Captain James sang penemu benua Australia. Hebatnya lagi, tadinya bangunan ini terletak di Yorkshire, Inggris; namun dirobohkan dan materialnya disusun kembali di Melbourne! Keren ya? Kita juga bisa berfoto bersama petugas yang mengenakan kostum abad 18. Selesai berpetualang di rumah klasik Captain Cook, kita akan jalan-jalan sejenak ke sekeliling Fitzroy Garden, taman khas Inggris yang klasik.

12:00 It’s Lunch Time Now!

Setelah capek jalan-jalan dan foto-foto, saatnya kita mencoba makanan khas Melbourne. Kalau meat pie atau lamington cake sudah dijual di Indonesia, bagaimana kalau kita mencoba makanan yang unik?

Sebagai pencinta seafood, makanan khas yang akan kucoba ialah Prawn Cocktail! Prawn Cocktail biasanya menjadi appetizer dari hidangan utama, terdiri dari selada dan udang segar yang dibumbui dengan mayones dan saus tomat. Penduduk Melbourne sangat menyukai Prawn Cocktail bahkan menjadi hidangan kebanggaan sejak 1970. Nanti kita coba prawn cocktail di restoran Atlantic ya, dibuat langsung oleh Chef Donovan Cooke! Serasa makan fine dining in Aussie style ‘nih!

Belum kenyang dengan Prawn Cocktail, kita selanjutnya melahap Chik’o Roll. Chiko roll tidak terbuat dari ayam, melainkan terbuat dari daging sapi, kol, wortel, dan aneka sayuran lain dilapisi roti dan digoreng kering. Mmm yummy! Bentuknya mirip dengan hot dog sehingga kita bisa makan sambil jalan-jalan deh.

14:00 Queen Victoria Market

Kita bergegas menuju Queen Victoria Market untuk langsung belanja! Di tempat yang biasa disebut ‘Queen Vic’ atau ‘Vic Market’ ini, kita dapat belanja aneka souvenir hingga makanan segar. Belanja di sini juga bisa ditawar. Beruntungnya lagi dari November hingga Maret 2016, Queen Vic memiliki Summer Night Market hingga pukul 8 malam!

18:00 Dinner Time

Sehabis lelah berkeliling dan belanja seharian, kita akan mencicipi kuliner yang ekstrim namun khas Australia yakni steak kangguru! Di belahan dunia mana lagi ada steak kangguru? Walaupun takut dan kasihan memakannya, tetapi juga penasaran karena steak kangguru terkenal dengan dagingnya yang empuk dan rendah lemak. Dagingnya di-grill  hingga tingkat kematangan medium, serta dibumbui dengan bawang, merica, rosemary dan rasa buah yang agak masam. Salah satu restoran terkenal yang menyajikan kangguru di Melbourne ialah Royal Mail on Spencer Street.

20.30 Eureka Skydeck

Hari menjelang malam, tapi ada satu tempat yang akan kita kunjungi sebelum tidur yaitu Eureka Skydeck! Eureka merupakan gedung observasi yang terletak di lantai 88 dan berlapis emas. Kita dapat menaiki 88 lantai tersebut dengan lift secepat 40 detik saja! Lantainya yang terbuat dari kubah kaca membuat kita melihat kecantikan kota Melbourne yang sempurna di malam hari. Sure we’ll have a good dream after this!

DAY 2: BACK TO NATURE

10.00 Werribee Open Range Zoo

Capek jalan-jalan di kota seharian kemarin, kita memulai hari dengan jalan-jalan santai di kebun binatang Werribee yang dibuka sejak 1983. Tak perlu jauh-jauh ke Afrika, di African theme Zoo ini kita dapat merasakan petualangan bersafari langsung untuk melihat badak putih dan singa lho. Kita pun juga bisa memeluk koala dan hewan khas Australia lainnya seperti lemur!

14:00 12 Apostles at Great Ocean Park di Port Campbell National Park

Sekitar dua jam berkendara, kita akan mencapai Port Campbell National Park. 12 Apostles merupakan batu karang yang terletak di sepanjang pesisir Laut Selatan.  Erosi dan kondisi angin ekstrem mengeruk jurang sisi pantai menjadi batuan. Walaupun dinamakan 12 Apostles, jumlahnya hanya delapan lho!

20.00  Penguin Parade at Phillip Island

Apabila kita masih memiliki waktu, tepat saat sunset kita akan mengunjungi Phillip Island. Saat matahari terbenam, akan ada parade ratusan penguin yang berjalan menuju arah pantai. Kita juga dapat melihat anjing laut berbulu  di sini. Lucunya!

Extra Notes

Melbourne juga terkenal dengan festival budayanya yang keren. Di bulan Februari nanti, akan ada festival besar bernama White Night Melbourne yang menampilkan kolaborasi seni dari musik, cahaya, film, desain dan performa para artis. Di samping itu, kita juga dapat menonton tari tradisional suku Aborigin! Wah, asyik banget ya jalan-jalan di Melbourne?

Jadi, ke mana kamu mau menghabiskan musim panasmu? Where is your dream journey destination? Let me know on the comment box. Please help me achieve my Melbourne Dream Journey by clicking below banner. You can achieve your dream journey to Australia too by joining! Let's travel! :)

“So, I’ll set 500k as our maximum budget for the trip ya! Can’t you?” She reassured me. Feb was well-known as my super-cheapo office mate. But that time, she took her frugal lifestyle to the next level. How could I survive in Semarang, the capital of Central Java with tons of mouth-watering dishes, by only having 500k IDR?? I suddenly remembered that the payday was still far away. So, I told her I accepted her challenge. There she was, she nodded and gave me a very big smile.

On Friday afternoon, we went directly from Jakarta’s Central Business District (my office) to Pasar Senen Station. We took Tawang Jaya Train Line, departed at 11 PM from Jakarta and arrived on 6 AM on Semarang Poncol Station. If you prefer a more comfortable option with business class, you would like to take train from Gambir to Semarang Tawang Station. Be mindful to buy ticket in advance through official website and not buying in station from middlemen.

Brown Canyon for the Adventurous One

Our first stop was Brown Canyon. It looked like Grand Canyon in USA (okay, I was being hyperbolic). Brown Canyon was a huge mining area for camphor. The mining activity has formed the rock and soil in unique shapes. It also has created a camphor secretion lake. 

The temperature was so hot like hell, thus I suggest you to come on early morning or late afternoon. To go to Brown Canyon, you need to hire whether a car or an angkot (public transportation looks like an elf) because there was no bus or train went there. It was wonderful, if we think about how human activity was able to disrupt the natural shape of the earth.

Susan Spa & Resort for Your Perfect Instaholiday Snap

After getting burnt under the sun in Brown Canyon, we decided to go chilling at Susan Spa & Resort. FYI, Semarang was surrounded by beautiful sea and mountain, so you can always go to chill weather after a one hot & sunny day. 

Susan Spa & Resort was not an ordinary resort. It has a very beautiful chapel, named La Kana, and shaped in triangle with great views of Semarang city! You could see a massive Mountain stand tall as well as Semarang’s seaview. The cozy place would certainly make you feel homey and did not want to leave. The good news was you don’t even need to buy entrance ticket! You could buy any food or drink for 25k IDR and you can get in easily! I ordered delicious warm tea with some snacks, which was obvious - a bamboo shot spring roll!

Pagoda Avalokitesvara Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong

Mind has been indulged by seeing greeny lush on Susan Spa while my body has been moved by the early adventure on Brown Canyon. It’s time to feed my soul! So, we went to Vihara Buddhagaya Watugong, the tallest pagoda in Indonesia, around 45m heights! Eventhough I was not a Buddhist, I believed going to a prayer house would give a serene peace. 

Inside the pagoda, a statue of Buddha Rupang (I guess it was happy Buddha) and Kwan Im Goddess (the symbol of compassion) stood still. Meanwhile, outside the pagoda, you could put your prayer and wishes on the tree. You can wrapped it in orange paper and gave some coin as your offering in the box. The atmosphere of the pagoda was so quiet and peaceful; I almost fell asleep. If you don’t hire a car, then you could ride Bus Rapid Transportation (BRT) and drop of at Sisemut Ungaran Station. Psst, this pagoda was totally free to get in!

Alun-alun Semarang (Semarang Plaza) to end a Perfect Night

Sightseeing in Simpang Lima Plaza was something that cannot be missed! This was the icon of Semarang where I could stroll around the night market and laughed at the cosplayers (they were dressed up like SpongeBob or Dora the Explorer with fail plastic surgery *lol*). The greatest thing was I could ride a cool laserlight odong-odong (small mini cooper modified to have fun)! This uber cool odong-odong would accompany your trip with loud music; not only dangdut (Indonesian traditional genre), but also EDM song if you want. 

I happily ate cheap dinner at street stalls (Tahu Gimbal Pak Edi - Mixed Tofu with Veggies) for as much as 12k! Chicken Rice next to it was so yummy too! You must be kidding me if you don’t like it! Again, I bought another spring roll. For those of you who were curious (do not, it could kill a cat!), bamboo shot spring roll or lumpia was the main cuisine of Semarang. It was a tiny crisp flour with bamboo shot and chicken or prawn, deep fried with sticky sweet sauce. Lumpia was a mixture of Javanese and Chinese culture, where an immigrant from China named Tjoa Thay Joe married Javanese ladies, Wasih; and they invented it! Thanks to them!

The night was still long. We went to grab a drink at a high-ceiling bar located in the top of the valley called Nest.Co.Logy – The Land of Gastronomy (another review though). It’s magnificent décor, unique fusion food, amazing views of Semarang’s nightlights, especially it’s affordable price -  has enlightened our hearts. I went to Mister Stay feeling content and relaxed, to put it simply, ‘happy tummy happy me’. LOL.

Lawang Sewu

The final day has arrived. We visited the most beautiful but most terrifying site in Semarang, Lawang Sewu! Lawang means door and Sewu means thousands. This colonialized building which used to be a main station during Dutch era has thousands of endless doors.

I saw the old pictures from Dutch era along with its historical explanation. I was mesmerized when looking at its beautiful artistic stained glass with gothic touch in the second floor. I wondered how could artists from the past were able to create such an amazing masterpiece. I shivered when I visited the underground jail (It even has a skull and I did not know was it real or not *cry*).  Rumour said never come to Lawang Sewu at night, because the place was haunted *CRY louder*. Some people have reported they saw a headless priest walked around, holding his head at night. But overall, it was a beautiful place to take a picture and relaxed with your family and friends.

Sam Po Kong Temple

Ten minutes away from Lawang Sewu, there was a huge red temple named Sam Poo Kong Temple. This temple marked the journey of the brave General Cheng Ho who came from China to Semarang. History said he had traveled the world, including United States even before Colombus found it! Massive statues welcomed you to enter the temple. Red colour was simply everywhere, reminded me about Shaolin temple on the movie.  Some employers offered a photo session using Chinese traditional clothes. Obviously I refused it, I did not even need to use that clothes to look more Chinese than this *lol*.

I was mesmerized with all the wonderful places I have visited in Semarang. The richness of history and the excellent mixture of its culture has blended perfectly; gave a perfect combination for holiday and knowledge enrichment. Its awesomeness (which we call 'Pesona' in Indonesian language) has hooked us up. We did not feel like going home. I wish I had more time so I could travel more around Central Java, especially in Semarang, for both its mountains and its beaches. Traveled to this city was a live proof of 'Wonderful Indonesia' slogan. The beauty, the art, and the food has spoiled me. 

The clock has shown 1.30 PM. We need to catch our return train journey. Wow, when I calculate my money, I still have few to spend, my spending was not even close to 500k! With using above plan, I could travel and visit wonderful hidden spots in City of Spring Roll – Semarang. Last but not the least, before my train departed, I bought some gift for my parents, which again: spring rolls!

Budget

Unfortunately, the train ticket price suddenly peaked up and changed by September, it has become 240k for return trip instead of 120k. But that's just an addition of 10 bucks! Happy travelling!

P.S.

Tulisan ini diikutsertakan dalam lomba Blog Visit Jawa Tengah 2016 yang diselenggarakan oleh Dinas Kebudayaan dan Pariwisata Provinsi Jawa Tengah @VisitJawaTengah (www.twitter.com/visitjawatengah) #BlogJateng2016 #JatengGayeng #PesonaJawaTengah

This writing is submitted on Blog Visit Jawa Tengah 2016 Competition by Cultural & Tourism Department of Central Java @VisitJawaTengah (www.twitter.com/visitjawatengah)

I started writing diary since I was first grade on elementary school (5 y.o. to be exact!). I still have that diary in my closet, along with all the diaries I wrote afterwards. It recorded perfectly my first crush on junior high school, my turbulences and hardship during high school, my first kiss, amazing birthday surprises, and so on, and so on. Even sometimes I felt that diary was the only one who could understand me better than anyone else (FYI, I gave nickname to every diary I had & pretend it was my best friend).

Meanwhile, my first blogging experience started 7 years ago. I remembered spent so many times editing the layout, tried to write a soulful poem and fiction stories too. You might visit it on ilovehana.wordpress.com. Please note that it was my first blog, so no judging please (lol).

The diary and blogging era was doomed when I changed my phone to Blackberry and later, Iphone. Every minute or every second, the phone nudged and blinked showing a new message. I texted heavily with friends, best-friends, frenemy, or my current ex-boyfriend. I forgot how to write long sentences. I forgot how to express my feeling & how to sink in soulful words. I was bitter & full of sorrow.

Fast forwarded to almost a decade later, I found joy in travelling. Fortunately, I have managed to travel many beautiful places in the world. I travelled with fabulousity a.k.a ate delicious food, going out with comfort without paying expensive price. Some friends asked me how could I do that? Some others asked how much money I earned to travel around and they started guessing. LOL. This was pretty funny when what you have to do was just a research (okay, I have to admit, tons of research). Instead of answering one by one like I did, my friend suggested me to re-write on this blog. After thinking for a while, I was challenged. I decided to write in English instead in my native language (Indonesian). The main reason was because I wanted my friends (who came from different background & languages) to be able to read this blog too; especially those who seek for tips & guidance when travelling in Indonesia.

So, what can you expect by reading this? This blog (nonahana.blogspot.com) will give you some tips for places (and good food!) to go; along with the budget description! Do you want to enjoy the most of your trip without huge backpack & hurt shoulder? Do you want your IG picture look good without spending whole month salary? The most important thing is I will tell you how to have a fab travel in thrifty way with no problems! Isn’t it what all of us want? I might share some writing about my random life as well xD. What do you think? Is there anything else you expect? Please write on the comment box below and I will follow your blog back J  

Cheers,

Hana xx