THE HEALING PINK BEACH

Remember my post about saving Pink Beach? Terakhir saya datang ke Pink Beach dua tahun lalu, saat itu kondisi koral di perairan pantai pink yang terkenal di Taman Nasional Komodo ini sudah menyedihkan, banyak pecahan koral-koral mati berwarna putih yang membaur dengan dasar laut yang berpasir putih.

Remember my post about saving Pink Beach? I last came to the Pink Beach two years ago, when the condition of corals in coastal waters of the famous pink in the Park has been a sadness, a lot of broken white corals died blending with white sandy seabed.

Tahun ini saya datang lagi ke Pink Beach. Meski cuaca cukup mendung, kami tetap memutuskan untuk snorkeling di area ini. Saya cukup senang melihat kondisi Pink Beach yang membaik, soft koral mulai banyak yang tumbuh, sementara perlahan hard coral juga mulai ada kembali (namun untuk hard coral tentunya akan memakan waktu yang sangat lama).

This year I came back to Pink Beach. Although the weather was quite cloudy, we still decided to snorkel in this area. I was glad to see Pink Beach's conditions are improving, many soft corals begin growing, while slowly hard coral also started to grow again (but for hard coral will certainly take a very long time).

We can still see the dead corals but it's healing slowly :)

Seiring munculnya koral kembali, penghuni laut di perairan Pink Beach juga semakin ramai, we can easily find Nemo (the clown fish), trigger fish, parrot fish dan berbagai anthias, it's just so relaxing to see those beautiful colors under the sea!

With the regrowth of corals, residents in the waters of Pink Beach also gets busier, we can easily find Nemo (the clown fish), trigger fish, parrot fish and a variety of anthias, it's just so relaxing to see those beautiful colors under the sea!

Meski membaik, bukan berarti perairan ini tidak rapuh, selalu ingat untuk menikmati laut dengan bijak: snorkeling dan berenang tanpa menginjak atau memegang karang, berenang dengan posisi horizontal di area dangkal untuk menghindari kaki menabrak karang, dan gunakan life vest jika tidak bisa berenang atau belum nyaman di laut. Hopefully the coral reefs here will get better and better :)

Although it is improved, does not mean that these waters are not fragile, always remember to enjoy the ocean wisely: snorkeling and swimming without touching or holding the reef, swimming in a horizontal position in the shallow area to avoid foot struck a rock, and use a life vest if you can not swim or have not been comfortable at the sea. Hopefully the coral reefs here will get better and better :)

@marischkaprue - got a great pink friend named Patrick

NOTES

PINK BEACH
Komodo National Park

Flores

Read Full Story...

Best of 2015

Another year goes by and I have to say that 2015 is another great year on my days as a travel blogger, there’re so many beautiful places that I am so lucky to be able to visit but here are the highlight of my 2015:

Amazing Misool

It’s been 3 years in a row that I am so lucky to be able to visit this paradise over and over again. Misool adalah destinasi dengan pemandangan spektakuler yang terasa tidak nyata sangking indahnya. Saya selalu menyebut Misool sebagai area dengan pemandangan seperti di film-film Hollywood, spektakuler!

Falling in Love with Banda Naira

Tahun 2015 juga merupakan kali kedua saya mengunjungi Banda Naira. Gugusan kepulauan di Maluku ini merupakan tempat yang sempurna untuk menikmati keindahan laut Indonesia Timur. Banda terkenal dengan koral yang padat dan laut yang jernih. Di tahun 2015 saya bahkan bertemu dengan si hiu martil yang biasa menghuni perairan banda di bulan Oktober hingga November.

Fun Japan 

 
There’s always something special about Japan, mulai dari warga Jepang yang sangat ramah (bahkan keterlaluan ramahnya), hingga destinasi-destinasi yang sangat terasa “classic Japan” dimana kita dapat menikmati rumah-rumah tradisional, Torii gate dan berbagai castle. Tahun 2015 saya berkesempatan berkeliling sebagian area di Jepang, mulai dari Tokyo, area Kansai hingga Central Japan, surely there are more spots that worth to be listed as bucket list in Japan.

PS: If you're gonna travel Central Japan, download the free guidebook here (I'm the editorial team)

Cruising Tanjung Puting

Menyusuri sungai Borneo dengan warna sungai yang hitam dan memantulkan langit biru dan awan putih sangat menenangkan. Sepanjang perjalanan kami dengan mudah menemukan gerombolan si hidung besar bekantan. Beberapa kali kami pun stop dan melihat langsung orangutan di habitat aslinya yang menjadi area konservasi ini. Tanjung Puting adalah destinasi yang ingin saya kunjungi lagi!

More about Derawan

Saya selalu beruntung memiliki kesempatan mengunjungi destinasi yang sama berulang kali, dan biasanya itu merupakan destinasi yang saya sukai. Derawan adalah salah satunya, dan di tahun 2015, saya kembali mengunjungi Derawan, kali ini bersama Terios 7 Wonders. Meski ini kali ke empat kunjungan saya ke Derawan, selalu ada hal baru dan menarik.

Tahun 2015 adalah kali pertama saya mengunjungi Gua Haji Mangku di Pulau Maratua di Derawan, dan kali pertama pula saya bertemu langsung dengan tresher shark, si hiu dengan sirip belakang yang sangat panjang! It surely an unforgetable moment!

Learn From International Bloggers

Tahun 2015 saya melihat Kementrian Pariwisata sudah lebih aktif lagi merangkul para pegiat sosial media. Tidak dipungkiri, peran dunia digital dalam promosi (termasuk pariwisata) sangat besar. Di tahun 2015 Kementrian Pariwisata Indonesia mengundang puluhan blogger luar negeri untuk datang ke Indonesia, menikmati keindahan dan keunikan Indonesia serta berbagi foto dan cerita dari Indonesia.

Saya termasuk salah satu blogger nasional yang ikut menemani para blogger internasional ini, it such a great experience to be able to know those amazing people, I learn a lot from them :)

Hopefully Kementrian Pariwisata bisa terus giat promosi dan satu yang saya sangat harapkan jika blogger atau pegiat sosial media internasional bisa juga diundang ke Indonesia Timur yang sangat spektakuler viewnya :)

Beyond Lembata

Dari Bukit Cinta turun ke Laut, kunjungan kami ke Lembata memang dengan satu misi: mempromosikan alam bawah laut Lembata yang masih “perawan.” Namun ternyata Lembata juga tidak kalah dalam hal destinasi darat, kami sempat berkeliling beberapa area perbukitan yang sangat indah, serta menikmati sunset Lembata yang tidak pernah gagal.

Road Trip: Flores

Saat saya memutuskan untuk road trip Flores dengan support dari Pepsodent Travel Smart, I know saya bukan tipe yang senang sendirian, I always like to have a company, untuk ngobrol ngalor-ngidul hingga malam hari, atau bercanda tidak jelas dan heboh saat melihat pemandangan sangat indah. I immediately contact Edna, a journalist and travel writer that happen to be my bestfriend. So there, the road trips full of laugh and silly conversations, great ingredients for best trip experience. Also, Flores is amazing, dari Wae Rebo, Desa Bena hingga Maumere, kami selalu disuguhkan pemandangan mempesona.

Serenity and Fun: Jeeva Beloam

You know what’s better than a trip to private resort with stunning view? The answer is trip to private resort with stunning view with friends, crazy and fun friends. Kami menikmati hari-hari yang sangat menyenangkan di Jeeva Beloam, bersantai, menikmati laut yang sangat indah dan tentunya tawa seru sepanjang hari, it surely a perfect trip!

My 2015 is more than great, it’s amazing! God being so kind to me, I got so many blessings, so many opportunities to see amazing places, to meet different kind of people, to learn more from each experience, to share to all of you!

Thank you 2015, let’s bring it on 2016!

@marischkaprue – a happy go lucky blogger and diver

Read Full Story...

Photo Story: Sunset in Kalong Island, Flores

Saat LOB (live on board) atau tinggal di kapal dalam perjalanan kami menyusuri perairan Lombok hingga Taman Nasional Komodo, biasanya kapal akan merapat ke lokasi perairan yang tenang untuk memasang jangkar di malam hari sehingga kami dapat beristirahat tanpa mengalami banyak guncangan dari ombak.

During LOB (live on board) or stay on boat in our trip through the Lombok sea to Komodo National Park, the boat usually moored to the calm spot to set the anchor at night so we could rest without getting too much shock from the waves.

Di hari ketiga kami telah menyusuri banyak lokasi dan sudah berada di area Taman Nasional Komodo di Flores. Menjelang senja kapal merapat ke dekat Pulau Kalong untuk perlahan memasang jangkar.

On the third day, we already explored many spots and reached the Komodo National Park area in Flores. When the dusk came, the boat getting closer to Kalong Island to slowly set the anchor.

Tidak lama kami justru disuguhi pemandangan senja yang sangat indah di lokasi istirahat ini. Langit berubah perlahan dari biru menuju jingga,merah oranye hingga ungu, bahkan kamipun dapat melihat bulan sabit sudah muncul di langit sebelum gelap tiba.

Soon we realized there was a very beautiful sunset in the rest area. The blue sky slowly turned into orange, red-orange, and purple. Even a crescent moon was there before the dark come.

Crescent moon in the middle of purple sky

Momen jadi semakin indah saat ada warga lokal dengan perahu kecil melintas, membentuk siluet cantik di tengah senja yang manis.

It’s such a perfect moment when I saw local people with a small boat pass along and create a beautiful silhouette in the middle of this lovely sunset.

Sun is always saying good-bye in a nice way in this paradise

@marischkaprue - never get enough of sunset

NOTES

• Having this trip with Tukang Jalan, dengan budget Rp. 1,9 juta per orang (sailing dari Lombok menuju Labuan Bajo, sudah include makan 3x sehari). Untuk info trip serupa hubungi Tukang Jalan di +6281 806898303/ 081315890191 atau email di tuk4ng.jalan@gmail.com
• Having this trip with Tukang Jalan, with budget IDR 1.9 million per one person (sailing from Lombok to Labuan Bajo, included three times meal). For similar trip, contact Tukang Jalan at +62 81806898303 / +62 81315890191 or email to tuk4ng.jalan@gmail.com.
• Untuk menuju ke Labuan Bajo dari Jakarta melalui penerbangan transit di Bali. Harga tiket Jakarta - Bali sekitar Rp. 600 ribu (one way), sementara harga tiket Bali - Labuan Bajo sekitar Rp. 1 juta (one way). Total tiket Jakarta - Labuan Bajo PP sekitar Rp. 3,2 juta.
• To reach Labuan Bajo from Jakarta, use transit flight in Bali. Ticket price of Jakarta – Bali is about IDR  Rp 600.000,- (one way), while the ticket of Bali – Labuan Bajo is about IDR 1 million (one way). Total ticket price of Jakarta – Labuan Bajo is about IDR 3.2 million (round-trip).
• Jika ikut trip sailing dari Lombok menuju Labuan Bajo maka tiket yang diperlukan dari Jakarta ke Lombok (sekitar Rp. 700 ribu) dan Labuan Bajo - Jakarta sehingga total budget tiket sekitar Rp. 2,3 juta
• If you join the sailing trip from Lombok to Labuan Bajo, so you have to buy ticket from Jakarta to Lombok for about IDR 700.000 and also Labuan Bajo – Jakarta so the total budget will be about IDR 2.3 million. 

RELATED STORIES:

• Rinca Island, Beauty and The Beast
• Fosil di Gua Batu Cermin (Labuan Bajo)
• Best View: Gili Laba

DIVING IN KOMODO:

• "Shark Hunt" in Crystal Rock & Castle Rock
• NIght Dive in Siaba Besar
• Falling Fishes in Batu Bolong

Read Full Story...

Dealing With Komodo For Dummies

Everybody has been saying things about Komodo, from how dangerous and how its saliva filled with enourmous bacteria, or how to run when a komodo dragon chases you, and all other things. One thing for sure, most people scare the shit when komodo approach (including me), but what to do just to enjoy your komodo encounter moment, well here we are..

It's a komodo, not a crocodile

"I'm not a crocodile, I'm way cooler than that!"

Maybe some people are really bad at recognizing shapes but I do feel like there are big differences between komodo dragon and crocodile. They both are dangerous but well, they are totally different. So before you hit the land of komodo, it would be nice to google a bit about komodo, at least the image so you'll know and not making any stupid statement (some does).

It's a komodo, not a dog

remember, only rangers can go this close

Those komodo might seem proffessional (wrote that on my previous post, here), but it's still a wildlife creature, which are totally dangerous to approach carelessly. Remember one thing, even though it might look like a slow moving creature, it actually can run fast, about 25 kilometers per hour.

YNWA

He's your buddy here

Just like diving, you cannot meet up with komodo alone. There are rangers who will accompany you seeing this magnificent creature on it's own habitat. Rangers will tell you what to do, when to move and all the rules to keep you safe. Also, don't get too far from the ranger.

Calm and Confident

Sudden movement always attracts most predators, including komodo dragon. Don't just suddenly run when the komodo walk towards you, just slowly walk to keep the distance as what the ranger would tell you to do.

Dresscode

I can assure you that I'm able to run with this outfit

Any outfit would be okay as long as you can still move and run on it. Don't use heels since you're entering a forest and hills, also you cannot run on those heels don't you?

Red doesn't mean Not

Lazy komodo is lazy, maybe she's on her period

Some girls cancel their trip to Komodo or Rinca Island because they're on their period. Many believes that blood attract komodo dragon. It might true on some ways but you can still visit those islands and see komodo live during your period, BUT (yes, there's but) you have to tell the ranger, so they will provide special attention to you and you should be on the farther more distance with komodo than others. As long as you obey the safety rules, it's safe.

Emergency Zig Zag

They can go from slow walking to run fast immediately

This might appear on Mr. Komodo's instagram with the caption: "lunch"

Let's go to the worst case of komodo chasing you. There are two options: run zigzag since komodo dragon cannot switch direction instantly, or climb a tree. But other than those two, it always better avoid that by obeying those safety rules.

Now let's meet the dragon, shall we?

@marischkaprue - she's a lion, not a dragon

NOTES:

• Anda dapat melihat langsung komodo di habitat aslinya di Pulau Komodo dan Pulau Rinca di Taman Nasional Komodo, Flores, NTT
• You can see komodo dragons on their natural habitat in Komodo Island and Rinca Island in Komodo National Park, East Nusa Tenggara.
• Having this trip with Tukang Jalan, dengan budget Rp. 1,9 juta per orang (sailing dari Lombok menuju Labuan Bajo, sudah include makan 3x sehari). Untuk info trip serupa hubungi Tukang Jalan di +6281 806898303/ 081315890191 atau email di tuk4ng.jalan@gmail.com
• Untuk menuju ke Labuan Bajo dari Jakarta melalui penerbangan transit di Bali. Harga tiket Jakarta - Bali sekitar Rp. 600 ribu (one way), sementara harga tiket Bali - Labuan Bajo sekitar Rp. 1 juta (one way). Total tiket Jakarta - Labuan Bajo PP sekitar Rp. 3,2 juta.
• Jika ikut trip sailing dari Lombok menuju Labuan Bajo maka tiket yang diperlukan dari Jakarta ke Lombok (sekitar Rp. 700 ribu) dan Labuan Bajo - Jakarta sehingga total budget tiket sekitar Rp. 2,3 juta.

More about Komodo and RINCA ISLAND, see here  

RELATED STORIES FROM KOMODO NATIONAL PARK:

• You Must Hike: Gili Laba 

DIVING IN KOMODO: 

• "Shark Hunt" in Crystal Rock & Castle Rock
• NIght Dive in Siaba Besar
• Falling Fishes in Batu Bolong

Read Full Story...