HEAVENLY CORAL REEFS in PULO CINTA

So I went back again to Pulo Cinta, a breath taking above seawater villas, with stunning view everyday (you can see my blogpost about Pulo Cinta here).

Ready to dip in the water!

Pulo Cinta from above, photo by M. Ikhsan

Float in this beautiful sea before we dip in

Pulo Cinta tidak hanya cantik dari atas (the aerial photos are just super stunning), ataupun di atas permukaan laut saat matahari bersinar cerah. The coral reefs around this island is super healthy.
 

Pulo Cinta is not only beautiful from above (the aerial photos are just super stunning), or above the water's surface when the sun is shining brightly. The coral reefs around this island are super healthy.

Area snorkeling favorit kami hanya berjarak sekitar 5 menit saja naik boat, dari unit villa pun kita dapat berenang ke banyak lokasi untuk snorkeling namun mesti mengitari sisi yang lebih dalam karena banyak koral di area dangkal agar tidak mengenai koral saat berenang.

Our favorite snorkeling area is only about 5 minutes away by boat, from villas we were able to swim to a lot of locations for snorkeling but we should swim around the outer deep side which since many corals are in shallow areas, so that won't touch the corals while swimming.

The wall

Gugusan karang yang cantik ini berada di area dangkal sekitar 2 hingga 5 meter saja sehingga sangat menyenangkan untuk mengitari dan menikmati warna-warni karang yang padat ini. Dari area dangkal langsung terdapat wall (kontur yang langsung menurun, dalam, sehingga tampak seperti dinding) yang dari atas terlihat berwarna biru tua.

These beautiful coral clusters are located in the shallow area of about 2 to 5 meters so it is fun to go around and enjoy the colorful corals of this dense. From the shallow area there is already a wall (contour straight downhill, in, so it looked like a wall) that from the top looks dark blue.

Kami bermain-main di area dangkal dan perbatasan wall, kadang menyelam turun di area wall yang dihiasi karang-karang indah. Ini juga trip pertama saya menggunakan monofin (I've learn a few times in the pool before and been wanting to learn using monofin since long time ago), so we took several photos here, hope you like it :)

We play in the shallow area and the border wall, sometimes diving down in the area of wall decorated with beautiful coral reefs. This is also my first trip using a monofin (I've learn a few times in the pool before and been wanting to learn using monofin since long time ago), so we took several photos here, hope you like it :)

@marischkaprue - wishes she can breathe underwater

Photos by Ferry Rusli

NOTES

PULO CINTA

Boalemo, Gorontalo
Sulawesi, Indonesia

GETTING THERE

From Jakarta to Gorontalo (Terdapat banyak penerbangan menuju Gorontalo dengan short transit time di Makassar, harga tiket Jakarta - Gorontalo saat normal season sekitar Rp. 1,6 juta - Rp. 2,5 juta PP), untuk harga tiket dari kota lain dapat dicek di website berbagai maskapai yang ada.
From Gorontalo: 2 jam naik mobil dari Bandara Jalaluddin di Gorontalo, dilanjutkan dengan naik boat (15 menit) dari Pantai Bolihutuo menuju Pulo Cinta.

From Jakarta to Gorontalo (There are many flights to Gorontalo with short transit time in Makassar, ticket prices Jakarta - Gorontalo during normal season around Rp. 1.6 million - Rp. 2.5 million PP), for a ticket from another city can be checked on the website there are a variety of airlines.

From Gorontalo: 2 hours by car from Gorontalo Jalaluddin Airport, followed by a boat ride (15 minutes) from the Bolihutuo Beach towards Pulo Cinta.

 

RATES

Check out this blogpost toknow full information about the rates & facilities in Pulo Cinta

TO KNOW WHEN SNORKELING

Jangan menginjak karang, upayakan posisi badan lurus (horizontal) saat di area dangkal yang memungkinkan kita tidak sengaja mengenai koral

Do not step on corals, try having straight body position (horizontal) while in the shallow areas since it possibly makes us accidentally touch on corals

Jika tidak bisa berenang, gunakan life vest, for safety reasons of course

If you cannot swim, use a life vest, for safety reasons of course

Untuk mendapatkan foto underwater, again, jangan memegang karang untuk menahan posisi badan di air, cukup berenang turun (hanya bisa sebentar pun tidak masalah), gunakan mode timelapse (dengan setting kamera mengambil foto setiap detik, sehingga kita tinggal memilih foto yang bagus), kebiasaan memegang karang untuk menahan posisi di bawah air juga akan membuat kita tidak belajar untuk turun dengan baik, dan akhirnya berenangnya juga ga semakin baik, rugi kan :)

To get the underwater photos, again, do not hold the coral reefs to hold the position of the body in the water, simply swim down (if you can only do it in several minutes, it is not a problem), use timelapse mode (by setting the camera takes photos every second, so we could just choose a nice photo) the habit of holding on to the coral to hold an underwater position will also make us learn not to go down well, and lastly your swimming skill is also not getting better, such a loss :)

Jangan iseng memegang binatang laut atau koral, banyak bintang laut dan koral yang beracun (atau membuat gatal seminggu lebih, gak mau kan garuk-garuk sepanjang trip atau bahkan masuk rumah sakit?)

Do not idly holding marine animals or coral, lots of starfish and coral are toxic (or makes you itchy or allergic for about a week, you do not want the scratching during trip or even go to the hospital, right?)  
 
Just calm, and enjoy!

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EXPERIENCE JAPAN: ICHIRAN, MORE THAN JUST EATING RAMEN

Bagi saya ini tempat makan dengan konsep sangat menarik! Sekilas Ichiran tampak seperti restoran ramen biasa. Ichiran dapat ditemukan di berbagai tempat karena telah menjadi restoran dengan banyak cabang di Jepang. Namun pertama kali saya mencoba makan di Ichiran adalah saat berada di area Dotombori. Restoran ramen dengan display luar serba merah dan lampion-lampion khas Jepang ini tampak biasa saja, namun pengalaman makan di Ichiran sangat unik.

For me this is the place to eat with a very interesting concept! At first glance Ichiran looks like a usual ramen restaurant. Ichiran can be found in many places because it has become a restaurant with many branches in Japan. But the first time I tried to eat at Ichiran is currently located in Dotombori area. This ramen restaurant with outdoor display all in red and typical Japanese lanterns looks normal, but the experience of eating at Ichiran very unique.

Satu hal yang harus diingat saat makan di Ichiran adalah kita harus memilih area private ramen booth, karena jika kita memilih area makan dengan meja biasa maka sensasi yang berbeda ini tidak bisa kita rasakan.

One thing to remember when eating Ichiran is that we must choose a private ramen booth area, because if we chose a dining area with ordinary table, we cannot feel the different sensations.

Usai memilih area private ramen booth, saya harus "memesan" makanan melalui vending machine. Semua menu dalam bahasa Jepang namun terdapat foto setiap makanan untuk memudahkan kita yang tidak berbahasa Jepang. Jika masih bingung, anda dapat bertanya pada staff yang ada, jangan khawatir karena warga Jepang sangat ramah dan aktif membantu turis yang tidak dapat berbahasa Jepang.

After selecting private ramen booth area, I had to "order" the food through vending machines. All menus are in Japanese, but there is a photo of each meal to help us who do not speak Japanese. If you're still confused, you can ask the staff there, do not worry because the Japanese people are very friendly and actively assist tourists who do not speak Japanese.

Private ramen booth in Ichiran

Space to put your bag :)

Setelah memesan dan membayar melalui vending machine, kita tinggal masuk ke area private ramen booth. Staff akan memberi tahu tempat kita duduk yang sangat menarik. Memasuki area private booth ini setiap orang akan memiliki privasinya masing-masing karena area makan kita diberi pembatas di sisi kiri dan kanan, di bagian depan saat kita duduk pun hanya ada celah kecil yang dapat ditutup.

After ordering and paying through the vending machine, we can just go to a private ramen booth area. Staff will tell where we sit which is very interesting. Entering the private booth area makes everyone will have their individual privacy because our dining area is lined on the left and right by a kind of partition, in the front of us when we sat down there was only a small gap that can be closed.

Tahap selanjutnya adalah memilih tambahan ramen sesuai keinginan kita, misalnya memilih rasa yang kental, atau memilih dengan tambahan bawang putih atau tidak. Kita hanya perlu mengisi poin-poin yang tersedia dalam bahasa Inggris di kertas form, jadi no worries saat harus mengisi tipe tambahan kaldu ramen yang kita inginkan.

The next stage is to choose additional ramen or complementary food according to our wishes, for example, choosing the thick a flavor, or choose with extra garlic or not. We just need to fill the points available in English in a paper form, so no worries when it comes to filling supplemental type of ramen's broth that we want.

Staff yang menyiapkan makanan akan mengambil kertas yang sudah kita isi dan menghidangkan ramen pilihan kita melalui celah kecil. Setiap meja juga dilengkapi keran untuk minuman dan terdapat tombol untuk memanggil staff, sangat unik! Satu hal lagi yang unik, saat mengantarkan ramen, staff akan membungkuk ke arah kita sambil mengucapkan beberapa kalimat dalam bahasa Jepang, this is trully a culinary experience you must try!

Staff who prepares the food would take the papers that we have filled in and served ramen our options through a small gap. Each table also features a tap for a drink and there is a button to call the staff, very unique! One more thing that is unique, when delivering ramen, staff will bend toward us while saying a few words in Japanese, this is trully a culinary experience you must try!

@marischkaprue - she don't mind eating alone in this unique ramen restaurant

NOTES

ICHIRAN RAMEN

Tersebar di berbagai kota di Jepang, cek lokasi di website www.ichiran.co.jp/english/index.html

Located in various cities in Japan, check the location on the website www.ichiran.co.jp/english/index.html

 

ICHIRAN
OSAKA
7-18 Souemoncho, Chuo Ward, Osaka, Osaka Prefecture 542-0084, Japan

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WHAT'S YOUR EXOTIC CHOICE: SNOW OR SUN?

Bagi saya, destinasi liburan bagaikan selera makan, setiap orang akan memiliki tipe destinasi favoritnya masing-masing, dan itu merupakan hak setiap orang juga, jadi jangan pernah pergi ke destinasi A karena "semua orang pergi ke situ," kalau kita kurang sreg dengan tipe destinasinya, why bother yourself on going there?

Namun, untuk tahu preference kita tentunya tidak ada salahnya kita coba dahulu berbagai destinasi yang berbeda, bagaikan makanan, dengan mencoba berbagai jenis makanan, kita akan tahu mana yang kita suka, rasa favorit hingga tipe makanan kita merasa tidak cocok di lidah kita.

Nah, kali ini ada dua tipe yang saya kategorikan: SNOW or SUN? plus destinasi-destinasi bagi kalian, sesuai preference between SNOW or SUN, yang pasti dua-duanya exotic!

TEAM: SNOW

SWITZERLAND

View from Aussichtsplatform, Zermatt

JAPAN

Snowy region in Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route

NEW ZEALAND 

Playing with snow in New Zealand

TEAM: SUN

INDONESIA (of course!), where? here's some options:

-- first, you can click this for 5 Places Worth Dreaming for

And what else?

PULO CINTA

DERAWAN

Playing with stingless jellyfish in Kakaban Lake

ORA BEACH

Pristine white sandbed :)

 ALOR

Blue mood

Alor's super clear seawater :)

There're more destinations that will surprise you with it's stunning landscape and beauty. Knowing your preferred getaway and escape from routines will surely boost you mood, just like Vitalis' new exotic scent: Switzerland Surprise, Carribean Getaway and Honolulu Escape.

WHAT KIND OF TRAVELER ARE YOU?

Try this funpersonality test to know your preference ;)

http://pesonavitalis.com/personalitytest

Keep exploring and don't forget to create the best happiness during your trip!

@marischkaprue - She escape from her previous job and getaway to surprising destinations

UPSIDE DOWN WORLD BALI: A PLACE TO HAVE FUN

Dengan konsep ilusi mata, Upside Down World memaksa kami untuk kreatif membuat pose-pose unik yang tampak nyata. Ferry jatuh ke meja makan? Well, it's actually upside down, he's jumping up, and then later, we flip the photo to make it look real :)

With the concept of optical illusions, Upside Down World forced us to be creative in making unique poses that look real. Ferry fell to the dinner table? Well, it's actually upside down, he's jumping up, and then later, we flip the photo to make it look real :)

Saya selalu senang mencari tempat-tempat semacam ini di mana kita dapat membuat berbagai foto menarik, dan bukan hanya foto, this is where you can have fun!

I am always happy to look for places like this where we can make a variety of interesting photos, and not just the photos, this is where you can have fun!

You can be a ghost :))

Or feeling a bit Spidey-sticking on the ceiling :)

This one is a bad example, we're not creative enough, towel still shows the real gravity X)

Upside Down World Bali, sesuai namanya adalah attraction dengan berbagai ruangan yang dibuat "terbalik." Meja, kursi dan ornamen-ornamen pelengkap dibuat menempel dengan di plafon dalam bangunan, hasilnya, kita seakan-akan berjalan terbalik. Namun keseruan adalah saat mencari pose-pose menarik agar terlihat unik saat hasil foto dibalik, ini cukup tricky karena sulit membayangkan hasil yang terbalik. Saya dan teman-teman awalnya cukup bingung apa yang harus dilakukan tapi di dalam setiap ruangan ada foto-foto sample yang menunjukkan seperti apa ruangan saat dibalik :)

Upside Down World Bali, as the name implies is the attraction with a variety of rooms that were made "upside down." Tables, chairs and complimentary ornaments are made attached to the ceiling in the building, the result, we seemed to walk upside down. But the excitement is currently looking for interesting poses unique moment to look behind the photos, this is quite tricky because it's hard to imagine the results were reversed. My friends and I were initially quite confused of what to do but in every room there are photographs that show what kind of sample room while behind :)

Beware of the wall-ghost ;)

Area di dalam Upside Down World Bali ini tidak terlalu luas, hanya ada sekitar 8 set ruang, termasuk satu ruangan trick eye dengan mural efek 3D di dinding. Namun saya sudah kelelahan bahkan sebelum set terakhir karena kami banyak bergerak dalam berbagai posisi dan termasuk loncat-loncat yang sangat menghabiskan energi haha!

Areas in Bali Upside Down World is not too extensive, there are only about 8 sets of rooms, including one room with a mural trick eye 3D effect on the wall. However I was exhausted even before the last set because of our many moves in different positions and included jumping highly which drained our energy haha!

If you're in Bali with family or friends, this is one of a place to have fun!

@marischkaprue - her life is a roller coaster (fun one!), but not actually upside down ;)

NOTES

UPSIDE DOWN WORLD BALI

Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai No. 762

Pemogan, Denpasar, Bali

OPENING HOURS

9 AM - 9 PM every day

ADMISSION FEE

Tiket Dewasa/ Adults: Rp. 100.000,- per person

Tiket Anak-anak/ Children: Rp. 50.000,- per person

***

HONEYMOON SPOT BALI: BERRY AMOUR

It's hard to separate romantic mood from this villa in Kerobokan, Bali. Berry Amour, the name itself define how romatic mood is the main theme of all the villas.

Ada 20 unit villa di Berry Amour dengan tiga tema interior yang berbeda, Mystique, Temptation dan Desire, namun semua unit memberikan mood private villa yang serupa: tenang, private space, private pool, kitchen and private jacuzzi (my fav).

There are 20 units of villas in Berry Amour with three different interior themes, Mystique, Temptation and Desire, but all units provide a similar mood of private villa: quiet, private space, private pool, kitchen and private jacuzzi (my fav).

Saya memilih unit dengan desain Mistique, a bit of combination of Asian heritage, nature and modern. Kamar mandi dengan konsep open space, langsung menyatu dengan area jacuzzi persis di depan private pool. It's a  really photogenic and cozy villa to spend with your love one.

I chose the unit with Mistique theme, a bit of combination of Asian heritage, nature and modern. The bathroom with the concept of open space, directly integrates with jacuzzi area just in front of the private pool. It's a really photogenic and cozy villa to spend with your loved one.

Another thing you must try in Berry Amour is it's beautiful floating breakfast. Setiap harinya kita dapat memilih, breakfast on villa dengan set di dining area, bed breakfast atau floating breakfast di pool. Tentu saja yang paling menyenangkan adalah floating breakfast where you can dip in the water, enjoy freshwater, morning sunlight while having your breakfast floating on the pool :)

Another thing you must try in Berry Amour is it's beautiful floating breakfast. Every day we can choose, breakfast on villa set in the dining area, bed breakfast or breakfast floating in the pool. Of course the most fun is floating breakfast where you can dip in the water, enjoy freshwater, morning sunlight while having your breakfast floating on the pool :)

Romantic dinner set

Another signature experience di Berry Amour adalah romantic Balinese Dinner dengan set cantik di villa, elemen-elemen Bali (men will get udeng - ikat kepala khas Bali, while women will get Balinese shawl), dan fusion menu antara Bali dan Jawa, we can choose what kind of menu we would like to try.

Another signature experience at Berry Amour is a romantic Balinese Dinner with a set of gorgeous villas, elements of Bali (men will get udeng - headband Balinese, while women will get Balinese shawl), and fusion menus between Bali and Java, we can choose what kind of menu we would like to try.

This is one of the perfect spot to enjoy private villa without getting too far from all those stores and cafes you want to visit in Bali, ressens l'amour!

@marischkaprue -  l'amour de sa vie

NOTES

BERRY AMOUR ROMANTIC VILLA

Jl. Batu Belig, Kerobokan, Kuta Utara

Kabupaten Badung, Bali

T: 0361 4737405

RATE

Start from Rp. 2,5 juta/ night

NOTES

Roses, flower petals on the bed & jacuzzi is included, just let them know before 

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