After our terrible visit involving Grab rides in Batam, we decided then that it was #batamnomore. However, as things turned out, we did have to …
Montigo Resorts Nongsa Batam: Review of Premier Villa!
Indonesia
Top 13 Things to do and Attractions in Yogyakarta Indonesia!
There are so many things to do and attractions in Yogyakarta! Not to be confused with Jakarta, Yogyakarta has secretly crept up the charts as …
Yogyakarta Travel Itinerary Day 4: Sultan Palace (aka Tamansari Water Castle), Pasar Beringharjo, Jogja City Mall and Massage No. 3!
Day 3 was actually the last day that Arif drove us around Yogyakarta. If you have been following our last couple of posts, you’d know …
Yogyakarta Travel Itinerary Day 3: Merapi Jeep Tour, Pindul Cave Tubing and Pinus Pengger Pine Forest
Another major attraction in Yogyakarta is Mt Merapi. It is an active volcano and had recently erupted prior to our visit. On day 3 of …
Yogyakarta Travel Itinerary Day 2: Borobudur, Chicken Church, Kedung Pedut Waterfall, Kalibiru, Ambarrukmo Mall and 4 Hands Massage!
On day 2 of our travels in Yogyakarta, we did the touristy thing of catching sunrise at Borobudur! We also took the opportunity to check …
Yogyakarta Travel Itinerary Day 1: Prambanan Temple, Parangtritis Beach Horse Ride and Massage no. 1!
So we were thinking of travelling to a nearby destination. A short flight from Singapore, a good mix of nature, things to do and it …
Can I use Grab in Batam Indonesia? #BatamNoMore
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Top 5 Essential Travel Experiences in Bali Indonesia!
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Harris Hotel Batam Center : By 2bearbear’s Youngest Reviewer!
Harris Hotel Batam Center was visited by one young aspiring blogger – Ken. Known simply as Ken, he is only 8 years old this year. Ken stayed for 2 nights at Harris Hotel Batam Center and here is his version of the review…
Getting to Harris Hotel Batam Center
From Singapore Cruise Centre, Singapore to Batam Centre Ferry Terminal, Batam Island. (When we exited the ferry terminal, they always ask us for taxi). 5 to 10 minutes walk to Harris Hotel Batam Centre.
Things to note
1. Check in is at 2:00pm Batam time GMT +7. Check out time is at 12pm GMT +7.
2. The hotel staff is very friendly and they also have a welcome drink! It tastes like lemongrass.
3. Getting to the Ferry Terminal and the Megamall opposite is very difficult.
Used Batam Fast Operator. Got seasick on the way 🙁
About Harris Hotel Batam Center
(Hotel Room Service Number is 0). Hotel room very clean. Swimming pool at hotel has sea view, 1.15m tall (Note from Tom : I think he’s referring to the depth of the pool).
What I enjoyed in Batam
Megamall has A&W, J.Co and other shops.
1. Did foot reflexology at Johnny Andrean for 42,000Rupiah ($4.50 SGD) per person. Hair wash and blow dry for 45,000Rupiah per person at UG floor. (Note from Tom : Foot Reflexology at 8 years old?! He really knows how to enjoy this Ken)
2. Lunch at Black Canyon Coffee Cafe. Cookies ‘n’ cream frappe costs 33,000Rupiah at Ground Floor.
3. Next it’s time to play at Time Zone! 1 card costs 100,000Rupiah ($10.70 SGD) with stored value of 175,000Rupiah. The best game was the car racing game. I played it for 7-9 times!!! But beware, there is a gambling game called Deal or No Deal!!! At 1st floor…
4. Movies at Cinema XXI are priced at 25,000Rupiah ($2.70 SGD) for Mon to Thur and 30,000Rupiah ($3.20 SGD) for Fri to Sun. Caught 2 movies in 3 days. Big Hero 6 and Penguins of Madagascar, 2 of the latest movies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note from Tom : This was the actual number of exclamation marks used by Ken – All 19 of them. No kidding!). After movies, I finished the remaining Rupiah in the game card 🙁
5. Bought back 2 dozens of J.Co Doughnut for 115,000Rupiah. Yummilicious!
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Hope you have enjoyed Ken’s review of Harris Hotel Batam Center and his coverage of Batam during his 3 days stay!
Top 5 Things to do and Attractions in Bandung Indonesia!
Many people think that there aren’t many things to do and attractions in Bandung Indonesia. Well, this post is going to show you what are some of the things to do in Bandung and the attractions in Bandung, Indonesia that we have covered during our recent trip to Bandung!
Things to do in Bandung – Shopping
1. Shopping Malls and Factory Outlets
There are so many shopping options in Bandung that range from huge shopping malls to factory outlets. Trans Studio Mall, Cihampelas Walk (Ci-Walk), Bandung Indah Plaza (BIP), Paris Van Java and Braga City Walk are just some of the malls that we’ve been to. Our favourite? Paris Van Java! There are al fresco dining and shopping options as well as a few levels of underground shopping, including a mega market as well as a cineplex. In other words, all shopping, dining and entertainment options under-one-roof!
Things to do in Bandung – Dining
2. Endless Dining Options in Bandung
There are countless dining options in Bandung and there simply wasn’t enough time (and room in our tummies) to try all of it. In this section, we’ll feature some of the things we ate during our trip!
The Valley
The Valley Bistro and Resort Hotel offers great dining options with splendid views overlooking the city of Bandung.
Local Delights
Other Dining Options
Bandung Attractions
After covering the things to do in Bandung (including dining and shopping options available), we’ll next touch on the attractions in Bandung that you may wish to visit as well.
3. Bandung Attractions – Trans Studio Bandung Theme Park
Trans Studio Bandung theme park is an indoor theme park that includes a 45 seconds roller coaster ride known as the Yamaha Racing Coaster. For approximately $20sgd during week days, a visit to this Bandung attraction is well worth it. Well, less so on weekends at $30sgd.
4. Bandung Attractions – Djuanda Forest Park
Djuanda Forest Park offers a tranquil greenery walk for visitors at Dago. Visitors can enjoy a serene walk, visit the famed Japanese caves or the waterfalls within the park’s vicinity.
5. Bandung Attractions – Dago / Bukit Pakar
The Dago and Bukit Pakar area offers splendid views over Bandung city. There are many dining options, galleries and even a golf course – all of which enjoy marvellous views…
6. Bandung Attractions – Asian African Museum
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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals in Bandung right here!
The next time you’re visiting Bandung, remember to check out our post about the things to do and attractions in Bandung Indonesia first!
Trans Studio Bandung Theme Park : A Pictorial Post
Trans Studio Bandung is a theme park located at the heart of Bandung City. During our stay at the Sheraton Bandung, we took a day out to visit Trans Studio and its adjoining mall and had a ball of a time! This post will be a pictorial post to show you around Trans Studio Bandung. Do note that this is mainly an indoor theme park (which still surprises us) except for the roller coaster ride which spends 45 seconds out in the open. We’ll talk more about that later…
About Trans Studio Bandung
Do note that tickets costs 150,000rp (about $18SGD) from Mondays to Fridays and 250,000rp on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. To fast track to your favourite rides, you can purchase the VIP access at an additional 250,000rp.
Trans Studio Bandung – Studio Central
Transcar Racing Video
Trans Studio Bandung – The Lost City
Trans Studio Bandung – Magic Corner
Dining options inside Trans Studio Bandung
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Verdict
It is really amazing that such a huge theme park can be built entirely indoors. For the week day price, it is still worth a visit. For those looking for thrills on the rides, only Yamaha Racing Coaster and Indosat Vertigo Galaxy are truly scary. The 4D movie is also worth a visit. Otherwise, for these attractions, it is not worth a visit on weekends at 250,000rp.
Gino Feruci Braga Bandung Hotel : Decent hotel in the heart of Bandung City
Gino Feruci Braga Bandung was our choice of stay in Bandung city after our stay at Sheraton Bandung. This is because of the location (along Braga Street – walking distance from the Asian African Museum), price (relatively cheap for a 4 star hotel) and facilities such as a spa, swimming pool and gym.
Lobby of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Superior Room of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Video tour of Superior Room at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
What we liked about the room was that it had a great view of Bandung city. However, 2 things needed improvement during our stay. Firstly, the room was not sound proof and we could hear people along the corridor and kids shouting next door. Secondly, while watching “Unbreakable” on the cable network, the programme suddenly went off and we were not able to resume watching the programme.
Facilities at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
Spa
Gym
The spa and the gym are co-located in the same premise on level 4. We did not try the massages here as it was priced the same as in Sheraton Bandung – can you believe it?!
On the other hand, the gym was cool. It had treadmills that were facing the TV with cable. The only catch is that you can only switch on the TV by pressing buttons at the TOP of it (not at the sides or below). It took us some time to locate the buttons before we could enjoy our run while watching cable shows.
Swimming Pool
Sky Lounge
The Sublime Sky Lounge of Gino Feruci Braga Bandung is a great place to hang out and to enjoy great views of the city. The music’s not too loud and the atmosphere is relaxed and unpretentious. The drinks and pizza were a little expensive and the pizza was not that good though.
Breakfast at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung
On Saturdays, there’s an all you can eat buffet and it even comes complete with a live band and al fresco dining!
To round up the post, we think that Gino Feruci Braga can be a good base for you to explore Bandung city…
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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at Gino Feruci Braga Bandung right here!
We enjoyed the great location and friendly service here. So for a no-frills stay with a prime location, do check out Gino Feruci Braga Bandung Hotel.
Sheraton Bandung Hotel Indonesia : Relax Amidst the Resort-Styled Garden Sanctuary
Sheraton Bandung Hotel Indonesia has undergone a complete face-lift over the last couple of months and have since opened its doors, welcoming guests to a newly-reinvigorated and modern garden sanctuary…
Thanks to the good folks at Sheraton Bandung, we were hosted to a 3D2N stay and before long, we found ourselves being whisked away from the Husein Sastranegara International Airport to the hotel premise via the hotel’s own express transfer service.
Lobby of Sheraton Bandung
As we entered into the lobby of Sheraton Bandung, we could feel an air of elegance defined by the high ceilings, classy touches of tiffany blues as well as the brightly-lit spaces…
After settling into our room (newly-renovated Towers Room!), we went on a quick tour of the hotel’s premise and if you wish to, you can consider these various room options…
Room options available at Sheraton Bandung
Deluxe Room
What we liked about the Deluxe Room was the neat artistic features. Notice the flowery design at the head board which also matches the design of the carpet! Alot of thought must have been placed into the design of the rooms during the renovation. The balcony also overlooks the gardens of Sheraton Bandung providing a resort-styled sanctuary on the outside and a chic modern feel on the inside. The only thing that you may want to take note is that there’s NO bath tub in the Deluxe Room. But have no fear, you can always check out the Towers Room for that small touch of luxury…
Towers Room
We were hosted to 2 nights at the Towers Room of Sheraton Bandung and here’s why we thoroughly enjoyed the room…
1. Spacious. The room was really spacious with a huge couch for lazing in and of course a large flat screen TV. The spacious concept also extends to the bathroom, offering users ample space for personal care. The balcony was also huge by these standards, offering yet another view of the garden sanctuary of Sheraton Bandung.
2. HUGE Bathtub! We cannot say this enough, the bath tub was really HUGE! Definitely one of the biggest ones we’ve been to. Perfect for honeymooners and staycationers alike!
3. Comfy Bed. The bed was really inviting and when you snooze, you really didn’t feel like getting up. It was also here on this huge comfy bed that we got our in-room traditional massage. Blissful luxury!
Junior Suite
As you step into the Junior Suite, you’ll realise that you have actually stepped into the next class of opulence and luxury. In this 64spm suite, you’ll find a living space and bedroom (both overlooking the pool area). Attached comes the pantry area, perfect for in-room dining options and of course the modern bathroom.
Presidential Suite
What we really liked about the Presidential Suite was its space. At 135sqm, there’s really no lack of space for work, dining, living, entertainment and relaxation. Surely the pinnacle of luxury at Sheraton Bandung. The only thing which we found strange was that given the huge space, there should have been a smaller guest room to house additional guests if required. Nonetheless, we found out that there’s an a room attached to the Presidential Suite that can be booked for additional guests if required. Combining the room rooms would yield a combined space of 177sqm! Now that’s HUGE!
Facilities of Sheraton Bandung
At the time of arrival, the gym and feast restaurant was still under construction. Nonetheless, we hope this video we’ve created (for the first time! So please pardon the standards) will be able to give you a quick overview of the hotel…
There’s also an in-house spa facility which we enjoyed.
The traditional massage was professional and skilfully done. At one point in time, both Kate and I fell asleep! That was how relaxing the massage really was. And to let everyone in on a little secret, the massage packages at this 5 star hotel is actually very affordable! The 1 hour traditional massage was only 185,000 ruppiah or approximately 20SGD! :O
Throughout the hotel, you can enjoy the luscious greenery and the serene vibe of this luxury resort. What we really like after the renovation was that pastel colours brings about a calm and soothing feel. Perfect for a short weekend getaway for city dwellers from Jakarta and Singapore. As a 5 star hotel, Sheraton Bandung offers not only the full facilities of gym, swimming pool and lounge, it also offers an excellent selection of food…
Gastronomical Bliss at Sheraton Bandung
To top off the entire experience, we were pleasantly surprised that Sheraton Bandung also offers a high standard of food selection at its premise. Both western and asian selections were yummilicious and here are some of our top picks…
Daily Cocktails at Tower Lounge Sheraton Bandung
From 4pm to 7pm daily, there’s a cocktail session for guests at the Tower Lounge. At some hotels, this is also called the afternoon hors d’oeuvre, characterised by drinks and bite-sized finger foods…
To enhance the experience, we suggest adding to this menu, buffalo wings. Coupled with drinks and idyllic views? Ingredients for a perfect evening ahead! 🙂
Breakfast at Sheraton Bandung
As for breakfasts at the Sheraton Bandung, these pictures certainly don’t do enough justice to the wide selection available. You can have hot asian dishes, western pastries, traditional noodles, omelettes (at an omelette station) and desserts (including ice cream!). When the Feast restaurant completes its renovation, it will definitely offer a fantastic start to a day at Sheraton Bandung…
In and around Sheraton Bandung
Besides the hotel premise itself, we were also introduced to some of the places that you can visit around the hotel. These places are a mere 10 minutes drive away and you can easily arrange for these day trips through the hotel’s concierge.
Djuanda Forest Park Bandung
The Djuanda Forest Park is a nature reserve and for a small fee, you can enter its premise to visit waterfalls, the famed (or infamous) Japanese caves or just take a relaxing stroll through the forest…
This day, our guide to Djuanda reserve was Intan and she took really good care of us throughout this day trip. She was really professional and hardworking in the sense that eventhough she was dressed in a pretty uniform with heels and all, she still offered to take the 1km stroll with us through uneven surfaces to visit the Japanese caves! Thanks Intan!
Art Galleries
Atop Bukit Pakar, just a mere 10 minutes drive from the hotel, there are a few art galleries where you can visit for locally produced pieces of art…
Particularly at Congo (primarily a wooden sculpture art gallery), we stumbled upon this art…
Can you believe that this piece of art is entirely done out of colour pencils?! The detail and realistic drawing achieve is simply unbelievable! Also, you can chill at the cafe of Congo and enjoy splendid views over Bandung City…
Golf anyone?
At Mountain View Golf Club, you not only can enjoy a great game of golf, the views are just as awesome too…
We understand from our guide that many Singaporeans visit this golf club over the weekends as well! Sheraton Bandung can thus offer a great base for these leisure activities within Bandung. For a place to unwind at night, head to the Valley for great food and splendid views…
The Valley
Having been to attractions in and around Sheraton Bandung, you can also opt to go to the city for more things to do and attractions in Bandung. There, you can have dining options, shopping (outlets), entertainment and attractions such as Trans Studio. All within a 20 to 30 minutes drive from Sheraton Bandung (yes, we have included the time stuck in traffic jams :p)
In and around Sheraton Bandung
Sheraton Bandung is located at Jalan Ir. H. Juanda No. 390 · Bandung, IDWJ 40135· Indonesia and is a mere 20 minutes drive from the Husein Sastranegara International Airport.
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For your convenience, we have arranged for the best hotel deals at Sheraton Bandung Indonesia right here!
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Hotel Bandung. Service was top notch (smiles from staff all around the hotel), ambience was relaxing, room was spacious and the food was awesome! We hope you have enjoyed our coverage of Sheraton Bandung and do let us know how you found the newly renovated Feast restaurant, Shine Spa and Gym as well!
**Special thanks to Ari and the team at Sheraton Bandung for hosting us for this fantastic stay!
Royal Caribbean Cruise – 8D7N Semarang, Bali (Kuta Nusa Dua), Lombok onboard Legend of the Seas
Ah…Cruise Again!
If you have read our last post on the joys of cruising (click here) you would understand why Kate and I really enjoy cruises.
However, we’ve got to say that this Royal Caribbean Cruise was one of the best cruises we’ve ever had because
1. 8D7N for $750 per person is a steal! This translates to only slightly more than a $100 bucks a night! This kind of cheap deal usually occurs in two types of situations. The first one is the establishment of a new route (which was the case for this cruise). The second is when the ship leaves a port AND DOES NOT return to the same port. This is to say you will cruise to another port (likely a different country) and you will have to make your own way back home.
There is actually a 3rd case. This occurs when they have some collaboration with some websites and you happen to stumble upon it. One of our newly minted friends onboard told us that they got a suite (A SUITE!) for about $1000 per person over the same period through a website offer. The deal was apparently snapped up very quickly.
2. Food. We are not exaggerating when we say that the food was EXCELLENT! The fine dining restaurant (Romeo and Juliet) was one of the highlights of the cruise. Each night we would anticipate the display of its menu and choose the dish that we want! It was something to look forward each night because
a. Service. You would be pampered by waiters and waitresses who will remember your names after the first night! They would remember your preferences such as whether you would like cold/hot water, pepper or not in your soup etc…
b. Presentation. The food would be very well presented! If it was a bisque, you would find a little artistic touch (like latte art) at the top. Likewise for the desserts, the plate would be decorated with fruits, chocolates, sauce etc.
c. Taste. The food we must say is of international standards! Not only would there be creativity in the types of food (fusion, western, asian), the tastes was mostly unforgettable!
d. Unlimited servings! This means you can try ALL the mains and ALL the desserts for the night!
Some examples of the wonderful food we’ve had…
The various desserts…
The Royal Caribbean Cruise Experience
In order not to lugi (to lose out on), you should always board your cruise at lunch time (around 12pm) to enjoy your first meal onboard!
Then spend some time to check out the whole cruise ship!
As mentioned in the star cruise post , it is always wise to wake up early to take in the breeze and the sunrise…
It was refreshing to see guests take on the challenge and scale the wall onboard the Royal Caribbean Cruise. Some of the ladies made it seem easy. However, it is perfectly safe as the guides are on standby to assist you on your way up and down. Hence, only 2 can ascend/descend at a time. The wait is quite fast though, give it a try if you feel like challenging yourself onboard the cruise!
Semarang , Indonesia
We were there on a Sunday and it was nice to see the locals enjoying themselves at the markets and ‘central park’
It is worthy to note at this point that Kate and I usually dont join the organised tours at the ports because of the steep price and also because we prefer to travel by own and enjoy the freedom of going where we want to go. Hence, when you reach a port, do note that you can always choose to take a ride provided by RCC to a popular local area for a small fee and you can travel on your own from there.
Towel Art
Each night, we would be surprised by the Towel Art carefully created and left behind by our room service staff. There was also a Towel Art class that taught guests how to create them. Some examples…
Kuta – Bali, Indonesia
We reached Bali at night and had an overnight stay in the port. Kate and I took the night out and enjoyed the streets of Kuta (Kuta Beach) and chilled out at a pub while listening to the live band.
Nusa Dua – Bali, Indonesia
Nusa Dua is a beach bum’s paradise with pristine beaches and five star hotels lining these beaches. Some of these beaches can be quite private and cater only to guests of the hotel. Like most beaches, there are many water activities such as banana boat, skiing and paragliding available.
The beaches…
Lombok Indonesia
Lombok is a laid back little town where things pretty much remained in the 60s and 70s. However, with modernisation and an upcoming airport, this looks set to change. There is currently just a shopping centre in the middle of town. Hope the rest of its local flavour would remain…
As we alighted at the main shopping mall, a local who spoke a little bit of English, offered to take us around. So we joined another couple on this escapade. He took us to markets first where we were shown the local foods and sweets.
Next we headed to see the local sarong and the different designs they had. We also took the chi-domo (pony) to the pearl centre. There we were shown the various salt and fresh water pearls. Salt water pearls are usually more expensive and their natural colours are less. The ‘scar’ on the salt water pearl is also usually smaller than that of the fresh water pearls.
Belly Flop Competition
The other highlight of the cruise was the belly flop competition. This is where competitors seek to have the biggest splash by spreading their body squarely as they enter the water. The crowd would then judge by flashing their fingers. Here are the highlights
Performances
We were captivated by the world-reowned American pianist who spent some time in China, teaching the locals. Then there were dance performance by the RCC in-house performaners.
The waiters and waitresses even sang us a closing song on our last night. It was really memorable.
Conclusion
All in all, this was one of the most memorable cruises. If you are considering a cruise, we would recommend the Royal Caribbean Cruise for its excellent service and food.
He says: Fun times always end so quickly! The 8 days away really relaxed me completely. Needless to say, I enjoyed the fine dining experience!
She says : Ah…cruise… 🙂
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Royal Caribbean Cruise – 8D7N Semarang, Bali (Kuta Nusa Dua), Lombok Onboard Legend Of The Seas
Royalty Fine Dining Onboard The Royal Caribbean Cruise – Legend Of The Seas