The trip Adventure in Java and Sumatra
Yes!! Finally I knew that I’ll have tour trip again soon. That my reaction when Mr. Richard Richert told me that he will come to Indonesia with his son Eric (they are from France) few months ago. So from that day, I started to arrange the trip for us. Since we went to Bali for several times already, so I gave him some options to visit some other places in Indonesia. Sometime it’s not easy to become tour guide and arrange the trip for someone. We must think the peoples interest and also not to forget bout the budget which must be fit with them.
Finally after giving some option, we decided to go to Bromo (east Java), Kiluan bay in Lampung (Sumatra) and then we’ll end the trip just to go around west Java.
Sunday 19 April 2009
Mr. Richert and Eric arrived in Jakarta. I booked hotel in Grand Melia hotel already. Normally, I always show my present if my client check in to the hotel or even pick them up. But this time since I was ill and they arrived really late and also we going to leave to go to Bromo very early for the next day (Monday 20 April 2009 flight at 6.50 am), so I decided to check in to the hotel for them 1st and left the things they need in the hotel then I left. Around 11 PM I heard my phone rang and Mr. Richert told me that he has arrived to the hotel already.
Monday 20 April 2009
I left my house exactly at 4 am in the morning. I ordered taxi from the night before with very reliable taxi company; Blue Bird Group just to make sure that I won’t be late to reach airport. I picked up Mr. Richert and Eric in the hotel 1st before we were going to the airport. This time, was the 1st time for me to take the flight from terminal 3 Sukarno Hatta Airport – Jakarta and honestly speaking I was quite impressed by the condition of this new airport. Nice, clean and tidy even the facility isn’t completed yet and I hope isn’t like this because it’s just new. We took AirAsia to fly us to Surabaya. The trip was nice and smooth and we reached Surabaya on time as schedule. That time was the 1st time for me to took the flight from Jakarta to Surabaya (Juanda Airport) and I just knew if the airport isn’t located in Surabaya but in other city near by name Sidoarjo. It’s took me one hour from airport to the city centre.
Thanks to my friend Tiwi who living in Surabaya, she informs me all the condition and gave me all the necessary information before we went to Bromo.
Its have two ways to go to Bromo. One by Pananjakan and the
other one are by Probolinggo. All those way will bring us to Bromos just we
will arrive from different direction. Since I already booked the hotel in
Cemoro Lawang area (Bromo Permai Hotel I) we supposed going to Bromo from
Probolinggo, but as my friend’s friends recommendation we took “wrong” way and
arrived in Bromo through Panajakan.
Sometime being lost isn’t lost at all. By going from different direction we were able to saw a lot of beautiful places and incredible view where we can only find it if we go to Bromo through Panajakan. Even the difficulties of the road we must past, but still its worth with the view we can see. Even thought like that, I’m not really recommendation this road for somebody who not familiar with this place coz as my driver said, this road is quite dangerous (and unfortunately because of that he not dare to stop just to let me to take photos of the view).
Finally after long road and some difficulties we found the entrance to go to Bromo. Unfortunately this wasn’t the way to go to our hotel. After asked to the guard who guarding the Bromo tourist area he told me there are two option for us to take; go around back again and then entering Bromo by Probolinggo or we can hire guide to lead us to across the ocean of the sand which is quite dangerous for the new comer who don’t know the save road. I finally choose the 2nd option. Even though quite difficult, but finally we manage to across to other side with the bonus of wonderful view which is quite rare see by other tourist.
After long and tiring journey, we finally found our hotel in Cemoro Lawang. It was raining and the weather was cold, it was bout 150 C. I booked also for the jeep which can bring us to go to the top of Bromo to see the sunrise for the next day. The jeep cost Rp. 275.000,- and they will leave from hotel about 4 am so we must ready to wake up before.
Tuesday 21 April 2009
The hotel bell boy woke me up at 3.30 am. I know my
condition still not fit well. But I also exited to see the beauty of sunrise in
Bromo. Exactly by 4 am we went to Pananjakan with other jeep which was rented
by the group who stayed with us in same hotel. Unfortunately, that day was
cloudy. We can’t perfectly see the sunrise coz covered by fog and mist. After
the sun had rise, we went to Bromo to see the sulfur crater. The jeep dropped
us to nearest point to go to top of Bromo. We can walk after or take the horse
rent. The horse rent cost Rp 50.000 – Rp. 100.000,- / person return. Just for
your tips, keep the ticket they’ll give and just pay them after you reach back
to your jeep. With my condition (I felt ill more than before) I was choose to
take the horse to ride me to the stair of sulfur crater in Bromo.
We just stayed about 30 minutes there before we go down then heading back to Surabaya at 9 am.
In Surabaya we stayed in Somerset hotel. That evening we went to the biggest red light district area in Surabaya, Gang Dolly. Honestly I want to take pictures of that place but due to the security reason, I was not allowed by my driver to go down. We took the dinner in Sampoerna place. Sampoerna is one of the biggest cigarette producers in Indonesia.
Wednesday 22 April 2009
This day we went back to Jakarta. We took the flight in the late afternoon (3 PM by AirAsia). We reached Jakarta around 4 PM, after taken our lunch and dinner (we joined it together) in Pisa Kafe, we went to the bus station in Gambir to bring us to Lampung. The bus left on time at 9 PM. For me, taking the boat in the night is just normal. But not for Mr. Richert and Eric. Fortunately the weather was great. We can saw a lot of beautiful stars shining on the sky like billion diamonds.
Thursday 23 April 2009
We reached Lampung very early in the morning (3.30 am). We went to my mom house to take a rest there for a while.
The agenda of this day was just to visited Tangkil island and Pasir Putih beach. After rested for a while, we went to the Tangkil Island at 9.30 am. I rented the boat from Muthun beach just to bring us to the island. Eric was happy coz that day wasn’t public holiday, so the island we can say just belong to us. After we snorkel around the island and sunbathing we back to my mom’s house to take lunch there.
At 3 am we went to Pasir Putih beach. Actually my plan was to do another snorkel in the snorkel spot near Condong Island. Unfortunately the weather was bad and the waves were big and unsafe for us to do that activity. This evening I introduce Mr. Richert and Eric Indonesian cuisine. We took Nasi Uduk for dinner in small restaurant near my mom’s house. After all long tiring day and trip, we finally went home and resting at home.
Friday 24 April 2009
The schedule of today is to see village side and going to Kiluan bay. We started at 9 am and went to the little village in Sekampung which still have rice harvesting. After went around take token some photos we heading back to Bandar Lampung to go to Kiluan Bay and spend the night there to see the dolphins in the next morning.
To go to Kiluan bay, we need high wheel car and special guide who can show us the road. The road to go there is still under construction and a lot of broken road so we need to have special skills to drive the car just to pass this road. After about 3 hours journey, finally we reached the Kiluan bay at 6 PM. Unfortunately the sun had already set. I just saw the rest of wonderful colors left on the sky. We need to took the traditional boat which just enough for us (we were 6 persons) to bring us to the Kiluan Island. After 15 minutes on the boat we reach the small island which just occupied by 5 peoples (one family) who lived there.
We lived in very simple accommodation and feel the life like Indiana Jones. There is no electrical in this island, we just use conventional lighting also solar power which just enough for few hours in the evening to light up bit the dark night. Also no signal for any kind of mobile phone yet in this island, so if you want to have bit signal, you need to stand up near by the beach to have Telkomsel (the name of the provider) signal. If you want to feel to live and life back to the nature, this island is the perfect place for that.
Saturday 25 April 2009
I woke up at 5 am and saw the view around. I did really
impressed by what the nature serve for us. We stayed in small island which is
surround by the rock in the sea and also mountain like the wonderland. I just
saw all of that in the morning since we reach the island when was already dark.
At 6 am we went to the middle of the sea. For the safety, we took two boats for 4 or us. After sailing for about 20 minuets and waiting for bout 10 minutes I saw the groups of dolphins swim toward us. It was mix feeling I had, exited and impressed by all of that. We spent bout two hours on the boat running from one other dolphins groups to another. I saw maybe bout thousands more of dolphin there. We toke a lot of photos and the moments which maybe just come once for a while.
There are two kind of dolphin in this bay and in the late morning (9 – 10 am) all those two kinds of dolphins’ joint and reunion together just in the front of us. What the wonder of the world. After the dolphins tour we went back to the island and swimming on the beach and did little bit jungle trekking there.
We left the island at 2 PM and heading back to Bandar Lampung (the capital of Lampung).
That evening we still bring all those wonderful and unforgettable memories in our mind. Bring back some lovely stories to my family which waiting for our return.
Sunday 26 April 2009
In the morning we were ready to leave Lampung and went back to Jakarta. My brother sent us to the bus station in Bandar Lampung. Exactly at 10 am we left Lampung and back to Jakarta.
We reach Jakarta around 6 PM, not a lot of traffic jam because it was Sunday. I sent Mr. Richert and Eric to Grand Melia Hotel in Jalan Rasuna Said before we went to had dinner in Louwie in Oakwood building – Mega Kuningan area. After dinner I went back home and just prepared my self for the trip the next day to west Java.
Monday 27 April 2009
This day the trip was the easier for me rather than the other trip we had before. The plan for this day just will go to Cilember Waterfall then going to Bandung (the capital of west Java). I left home at 8 am and reach hotel bout 10 am. We went to the Cilember waterfall directly. I took a shower there….the water was cool and fresh, great enough to woke me up. After bout one hour there, we went directly to Bandung through Cipanas. We didn’t taken toll road just to see around and planed will take toll on the way back.
We arrived in Bandung at 6 pm and stayed in Grand Serela hotel. Nice boutique hotel in Bandung in Marthadinata street (Riau Street). This hotel surround by factory outlet and very suitable for whom love shopping.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Actually this day I planed to bring them to White crater in Ciwidey. Unfortunately, Mr. Richert has had a problem with his feet so he can’t walk properly. So after walk around the hotel for a while with Eric (we left Mr. Richert in the hotel room), we went back to Jakarta at 12 noon. This time, we took the toll road Cipularang and arrived in Jakarta at 2 pm. I brought them to my house to have lunch and I cooked for them. Well, I love to cook and they love the food I cooked too.
After we had our lunch, I sent them to the Grand Melia hotel to stay until the next day and going back to France.
Wednesday 29 April 2009
Sad moment, I must say goodbye to Mr. Richert and Eric. I arrived in the hotel at 12 noon, after we check out; we went directly to the airport. It took bout 45 minutes for us to reach airport. Actually they flight was at 5 pm. But they need to meet their friend 1st.
It was always sad moment for me, but when ever we meet, we must ready to say goodbye. I just hope that one day we can meet again…and spend great moment again.
Au revoir…
