Where to Stay in Solo: Red Planet Hotel

Terlalu banyak hal menyenangkan tentang Solo, namun sebagai warga Jakarta yang terbiasa dengan pengeluaran lebih tinggi untuk berbagai hal, Solo benar-benar merupakan destinasi liburan yang menyenangkan dengan budget yang benar-benar menyenangkan pula.

Solo has too much fun, especially for those who live in Jakarta and get used to spending high cost for anything. As a destination for holiday, Solo would be a lovely and also budget-friendly.

Karena tujuan utama saya memang berkeliling dan menikmati Kota Solo, penginapan yang tepat tentu saja yang posisinya strategis. Red Planet Hotel Solo benar-benar memiliki posisi yang memudahkan saya untuk berkeliling Solo. Terletak di Jalan Dr. Supomo, saya dapat mengakses berbagai tempat hanya 10-15 menit naik becak (padahal becak termasuk transportasi yang sangat santai dan lambat, namun sangat menyenangkan).

Since my main purpose was walking around enjoy the Solo city, surely I had to stay in a strategic place and Red Planet Hotel Solo really fit my need. Located in Supomo Street, I could reach many places in 10-15 mins by taking becak (a slow kind of transportation, yet so enjoyable).

nice and cozy

Meski Red Planet Hotel Solo mematok harga yang murah (bahkan hingga di bawah 200 ribu rupiah), namun semua kebutuhan dan kenyamanan tidak dipangkas. Memang tentu saja kamar tidak seluas hotel berbintang empat, namun semua kebutuhan utama tersedia dan nyaman, termasuk kamar mandi yang cukup luas untuk kamar yang berukuran kecil, hingga penampang kayu di dinding yang dapat dijadikan meja untuk bekerja dan meletakkan berbagai barang.

Affordable price in Red Planet Hotel Solo (even available under IDR 200) was not a reason to make the guests uncomfy because all needs were fulfilled. Though the room was not as spacious as the four-star hotel, but they provided all the main needs to get you feel cozy, from the bathroom that wide enough referring to the room size up to the wooden section on the wall that could be used as a work-desk or storage.

Mandatory photo spot in the lobby

Di area dekat hotel banyak terdapat tempat makan, namun jika sedang malas keluar kita hanya tinggal turun ke sebelah lobby dimana terdapat kopitiam dengan pilihan makanan dan minuman yang beragam, bahkan order delivery pun bisa dilakukan dari kamar.

We can find many culinary spot near the hotel but if we feel like too lazy to go outside, there’s Kopitiam next to the lobby with lots of variant menu that also available with delivery order to our room.

Namun tentunya saat di Solo saya tidak ingin diam di kamar, kami berkeliling Solo dengan becak. Di depan hotel sudah banyak bapak-bapak pengemudi becak yang siap mengantar kami berkeliling dan bahkan dapat mengantar kami seharian, a whole day becak service! One of the thing to love Solo more!

Of course I didn’t spend my trip to Solo by only stay enjoy my room but I plan to walk around using becak. In front of the hotel, many becak drivers are stand-by to take you on a city tour even for all day long, it’s really a whole day becak service! One of the things to love Solo more!

@marischkaprue - eat, sleep, having fun in Solo

NOTES:

Where

Red Planet Hotel

Jalan Supomo No. 49

Surakarta, Jawa Tengah

Telp: +62 271 7889 333

Booking juga dapat dilakukan melalui website: www.redplanethotels.com

You can book via website also: www.redplanethotels.com

 

Rate

Harga bervariasi, dapat menentukan fasilitas yang ingin digunakan serta pilihan breakfast atau tidak. Harga rata-rata Rp. 200.000,- hingga Rp. 250.000,- per malam, namun banyak special rate mulai dari Rp. 180.000,-

Rate depends on the facility and breakfast included or not. Average rate starts from IDR 200.000,- per night, but they also have many special rate starts from IDR 180.000,-

 

Nearby Attractions

Danar Hadi Batik Museum, Kasunanan dan Ndalem Wuryaningratan, Tengkleng Pak Marto (food), Pasar Triwindu, etc

Danar Hadi Batik Museum, Kasunanan and Ndalem Wuryaningratan, Tengkleng Pak Marto (food), Triwindu Market, etc.

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Photo Story: Sunset in Watomiten, Lembata

Di Bukit Doa, Lembata hari sudah senja. Saya dan Ferry sudah dipanggil-panggil teman-teman yang lain, namun kami mencuri tambahan waktu karena belum puas menikmati senja di Bukit Doa, Lembata, Nusa Tenggara Timur.

It’s already sunset at Bukit Doa, Lembata. Though other friends kept calling, but Ferry and I insisted to get an extra time enjoy the sunset at Bukit Doa, Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara Timur.

Sunset di Bukit Doa, Lembata

Kami kemudian bergegas masuk mobil dan menyusul teman-teman yang sudah bergerak di mobil yang lain. Kami menuruni perbukitan yang coklat di saat matahari sudah meredup.

Then we rushed into the car and following our friends who already moved. We went down the brown hills as the sun dimmed.

Namun ternyata masih ada satu perhentian lagi sebelum langit benar-benar gelap. Kami turun dari mobil, mengikuti jalan setapak dan mendapatkan pemandangan ini.

It seemed like we have one more stop before the sky was completely dark. We’re out from the car, walked the path, and look what we got.

Pantai Watominten dengan batu-batu besar di bibir pantai terlihat keemasan karena sinar matahari senja. Langit saat itu sudah membiru pekat, dengan guratan kuning dan oranye dari tenggelamnya sang matahari. Saat semakin turun langit semakin kekuningan dan memberi guratan indah di langit.

Watominten Beach with those big rocks in the shoreline was shining like a gold because of the twilight. The sky turned into the dark blue, with a combination of yellow and orange from the sunset. As the sun was going down, it became more yellow and put such a beautiful sketch in the sky.

Tanpa sadar langit sudah gelap, senja di Watomiten bagaikan postcard yang menenangkan :)

Finally, the sky was getting dark, sunset in Watominten was really such a lovely postcard :)

@marischkaprue - waiting for another sunset

Photos by Ferry Rusli & me

NOTES:

• Pantai Watomiten ada di Lembata, Nusa Tenggara Timur. 
• Watominten Beach is in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara  

• Lembata berada di Nusa Tenggara Timur, Pulau Lembata berada di sisi timur Pulau Flores, namun Kabupaten Lembata mencakup gugusan pulau di area tersebut
• Lembata is in East Nusa Tenggara, while Lembata Island is in the east side of Flores Island, and Lembata District covers the groups of islands in that area.  

• Akses masuk ke Lembata paling mudah menggunakan pesawat masuk melalui Bandara Lewoleba di Lembata. Rute yang beroperasi dengan jalur Kupang - Lewoleba. Maskapai beroperasi setiap hari (namun tetap harus cek jadwal terlebih dahulu karena ada kemungkinan penerbangan dibatalkan) dengan jadwal: Kupang - Lewoleba pukul 8.30 pagi, Lewoleba - Kupang pukul 9.30 pagi. Waktu tempuh dengan pesawat sekitar 40 menit menggunakan pesawat baling-baling jenis Fokker 50 (untuk Trans Nusa).
• The easy way to enter Lembata is by using a plane via Lewoleba Airport in Lembata with the route Kupang – Lewoleba. The routes of operational airlines which available every day (but you always have to check the schedule to make sure no possibility of cancelling flight) are: Kupang – Lewoleba at 8.30 a.m. and Lewoleba – Kupang at 9.30 a.m. It takes about 40 mins flight using the propeller plane with Fokker 50 type (for Trans Nusa).  

• Harga tiket pesawat Trans Nusa Kupang - Lewoleba rata-rata Rp. 650.000,- hingga Rp. 700.000,- one way, untuk PP sekitar Rp. 1,4 juta.
• The average ticket for Trans Nusa with route Kupang – Lewoleba is IDR 650.000,- up to IDR 700.000 for one way and IDR 1.400.000 for return ticket.  

• Penginapan terbaik di Lembata adalah Hotel Palm Indah Lewoleba, untuk saat ini booking baru dapat dilakukan melalui nomor +6285253913787. Kamar dan service sangat baik untuk kategori hotel di daerah, terdapat wifi di lobby dan area dekat lobby namun wifi sering down. Untuk sinyal internet dari provider ada di depan lobby (E) dan area dekat jalanan. Di bandara, dermaga 
• The best accommodation in Lembata is Palm Indah Lewoleba Hotel. For now, booking only available by phone to +62 852 53913787. It had nice room included the excellent service in terms of local hotel, there was wi-fi at lobby but the signal around the lobby was poor. You can get (E) for internet signal from provider in front of the lobby, around the street, at airport, and dock.  

RELATED STORIES

Destinations in Lembata:

• Bukit Cinta 

Also please see more about beautiful Lembata in Instagram, check out this hashtag to know more: #PesonaLembata and #Lembata 

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I'll Visit Again: Shirakawa-go

Sejujurnya saya berharap datang di Shirakawa-go di saat berbeda, musim dimana saya telah melihat foto-foto desa tradisional yang tertutup salju tebal dengan cahaya-cahaya lampu rumah yang diabadikan dengan sangat indah dalam banyak foto.

Honestly, I expected to visit Shirakawa-go in a different season, where I would see many photos of traditional village covered with a thick snow and the light house captured amazingly.

Saya dan Ferry mengunjungi Shirakawa-go di saat musim panas. Jepang di bulan Juli memang sedang dalam suhu panas, namun justru ini membuat langit sangat biru dan indah.

Ferry and I came to Shirakawa-go on summer. The fact that Japan is in the hot temperature during July even turns the blue sky more beautiful.

Terletak di area pegunungan di antara Gifu dan Toyama, Shirakawa-go berada di tengah lembah dan sisi sungai Shogawa. Saat musim panas pemandangan hijau menghiasi desa-desa tradisional yang telah menjadi situs warisan budaya dunia UNESCO ini.

Located in the hills area between Gifu and Toyama, Shirakawa-go is in the middle of the valley and river side of Shogawa. On summer, green landscape adorns the traditional village that already listed in UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Kami naik bus sekitar satu jam dari Takayama. Dari area parkir bus kita tinggal berjalan kaki menyeberangi jembatan untuk masuk ke area desa di Shirakawa-go. Rumah-rumah tradisional yang menjadi ciri khas area ini langsung terlihat jelas. Bentuk atap segitiga inilah yang membuat Shirakawa-go terkenal di seluruh dunia. Bentuk bangunan rumah di Shirakawa-go disebut gassho-zukuri style, artinya tangan yang berdoa. Bentuk segitiga ini rupanya merepresentasikan bentuk tangan pada umat buddha yang sedang berdoa.

We took a bus for about an hour from Takayama and continued walking from parking area, crossing a bridge to enter the area of Shirakawa-go village. We can see traditional houses that become the signature of this place. Those triangle-shaped roofs are one that makes Shirakawa-go become popular around the world. The house pattern in Shirakawa-go is called gassho-zukuri style which means the praying hands. The triangle-shaped is the representative of the praying hands of Buddhists.

Tidak hanya bentuk yang unik, bangunan di Shirakawa-go ini memiliki atap yang tebal agar tahan terhadap lapisan salju yang sangat tebal di musim dingin. Di saat musim panas bangunan ini sangat rentan terbakar sehingga di depan setiap unit bangunan terdapat hydran yang disembunyikan di balik tempat kayu sehingga tidak merusak pemandangan yang sangat tradisional di Shirakawa-go.

Not only the unique pattern, building in Shirakawa-go also has a thick roof to stand the very thick snow layer on winter. On summer, the buildings are easily to get burnt so there is hydrant available in front of every building that being put behind the wood case so it won’t ruin the very traditional yet beautiful view of Shirakawa-go.

Yang menarik, bangunan-bangunan ini masih ditempati oleh warga dan menjadi rumah pribadi mereka. Sebagian telah beralih menjadi toko atau tempat makan karena banyaknya turis yang ada, namun sebagian besar rumah-rumah di Shirakawa-go ini masih dihuni penduduk aslinya. Kita dapat melihat mobil-mobil modern yang diparkir di area rumah, sangat kontras dengan kesan tradisional bangunan yang ada.

Knowing that these building still become the house of local people was so interesting. Some already turned into shops or restaurants since there were many tourists visit, but some still made the houses in Shirakawa-go as a living place. We could see it from the modern car parked around the house that so contrast with the traditional atmosphere.

Untuk melihat pemandangan desa dengan lebih jelas, kami menuju Shiroyama viewing point yang berada di atas bukit, dimana kita dapat melihat Desa Ogimachi, desa terbesar di Shirakawa-go dari ketinggian. Bus stop menuju viewing point berada di tengah desa sehingga mudah diakses.

In order to get a clearer view of the village, we headed Shiroyama viewing point on the hills where we can see Ogimachi Village, the largest village in Shirakawa-go, from the top. It’s so easy to access the bus stop to reach viewing point since its location in the center of village.

Green view of Shirakawa-go

Dari atas kami dapat melihat rumah-rumah segitiga khas Shirakawa-go yang dikelilingi bukit kehijauan, jalanan utama di Desa Ogimachi dengan deretan rumah yang sangat cantik. Saya membayangkan suasana desa ini di saat musim dingin dengan lapisan salju tebal, surely I must visit this place again but in the winter, Amen to that!

From the top, we could see the scenery of Shirakawa-go’s triangle houses surrounded by green hills and the main street at Ogimachi Village with attractive rows of houses. I visualized this village on winter covered with a thick snow and all I could think that surely I must visit this place again but in winter. Amen for that!

@marischkaprue - don't mind a revisit to the same destination

Photos by Ferry Rusli & me

PS:

I'm so lucky to be able to visit Shirakawa-go again during winter, see how it turned into WINTER WONDERLAND here (click here)

NOTES

• Shirakawa-go berada di Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Central Japan.
• Shirakawa-go is located at Ōno District, Gifu Prefecture, Central Japan.  

Bus ticket counter di Takayama Bus Terminal

Platform no.4

• Shirakawa-go dapat diakses dengan mudah dengan naik bus, terdapat beberapa pilihan, paling mudah adalah dari Takayama Bus Terminal (1 jam perjalanan). Harga tiket bus ke Shirakawa-go adalah 4.420 Yen untuk pulang pergi (round trip), naik dari Platform 4 dengan tujuan Kanazawa dan Shirakawa-go (papan platform berwarna kuning). Beli tiket di loket Bus Ticket, disarankan untuk beli tiket setidaknya satu hari sebelum agar mendapatkan seat.
• We can reach Shirakawa-go by bus that has many alternatives. The easiest one is from Takayama Bus Terminal (for about one hour). Ticket price to Shirakawa-go is ¥4.420 for round trip, get in from platform 4 with the route Kanazawa – Shirakawa-go (yellow platform board), and buy ticket at the Ticket Bus counter. Advance ticket booking, at least one day, is recommended to get a seat.  

bus ticket and we're ready to go!

• Jadwal bus dari Takayama menuju Shirakawa-go ada di jam-jam berikut: 7:50, 8:50, 9:50, 10:50, 11:25, 11:50, 12:50, 13:50, 14:50 dan 16.30. 
• Bus schedule from Takayama to Shirakawa-go is available at the following hours: 7:50, 8:50, 9:50, 10:50, 11:25, 11:50, 12:50, 13:50, 14:50, and 16:30.

Bus schedule to Shirakawa-go, click to enlarge

• Sementara rute bus dari Shirakawa-go menuju Takayama ada di jam-jam berikut: 6:43, 9:35, 10:45, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:40, 15:15, 16:15, 17:20, 17:30.
• While the bus route from Shirakawa-go to Takayama is available at the following hours: 6:43, 9:35, 10:45, 11:15, 12:15, 13:15, 14:40, 15:15, 16:15, 17:20, 17:30.

tarif bus ke Shirakawa-go, click to enlarge

• Terdapat locker room di Shirakawa-go sehingga jika ingin mampir di Shirakawa-go sebelum menuju Kanazawa, atau sebaliknya dari Kanazawa sebelum ke Takayama, bisa jadi opsi karena koper dan barang dapat disimpan di locker.
• Those who want to drop by in Shirakawa-go before heading Kanazawa or from Kanazawa before heading Takayama don’t need to worry since there’s locker room to keep your luggage and stuffs.  

• Jika ingin mudah terdapat juga beberapa opsi tour Shirakawa-go dan Gokayama dengan guide berbahasa Inggris. Tour Shirakawa-go dan Ainokura dengan harga 6.690 Yen (dewasa) dan 4.420 Yen (anak-anak) dengan jadwal dari Takayama - Gokayama Ainokura Village, Tenshukaku Lunch, Shirakawa-go Village dan kembali ke Takayama, tour dari pukul 8:30 dan tiba kembali di Takayama pukul 15.10. Reservasi harus dilakukan sebelum pukul 17:30 satu hari sebelum tour. Booking bisa dilakukan online di www.nouhibus.co.jp/english.
• For easier way, there are also some tour options of Shirakawa-go and Gokayama with English guide. The tour price of Shirakawa-go and Ainokura is ¥ 6.690 (adult) and ¥ 4.420 (children) with the schedule starts at 8:30 from Takayama – Gokayama Ainokura Village, Tenshukaku Lunch, Shirakawa-go Village, and back to Takayama at 15:10. Reservation must be before 17:30, one day before tour date. Booking can be online at www.nouhibus.co.jp/english.  

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White Dip: Underwater Photos

It's been a while since the last time I post underwater photos in this blog, so here are some photos me and Ferry made during our stay at Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Bandung.

We did this in the morning, the water was so cold (it's morning in Bandung anyway), but we have to do it in the morning while people were still having breakfast and we have empty swimming pool, just for us - yeay!

I usually hate cold water in a swimming pool but actually dipping in cold water in the morning really "wakes" you up and boost our spirit. So once in a while, it's okay to dip in cold water ;)

@marischkaprue - no, she cannot breathe underwater

NOTES:

• We're staying at Sheraton Hotel & Tower, Bandung. They already refurnish the hotel and it's even more pretty than before. See here for more review about the hotel.

RELATED STORIES

Underwater:

• The beginning
• Underwater Photo: Batik
• Underwater Photo: Thunder

Where to go in Bandung:

• The Valley
• Selasar Sunaryo

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