A Visit to Krakatoa Volcano

If you think you are an adventurer, this is a place that you should visit: Krakatoa Volcano, or in Indonesia it is called gunung Krakatau. It is a small volcano in the middle of the sea, Sunda strait, between Java Island and Sumatra Island, Indonesia.

Krakatoa Location

This volcano is famous due to its 1883 eruption on 26 August 1883, destroying much of the island and its surrounding archipelago. The dust and smoke of this eruption even said to reach Europe, causing red and dark sky in some parts of Europe. It was said that Edvard Munch created the painting "The Scream" between 1893 and 1910 based on the impression of the red sky in Europe during Krakatoa eruption.

The Scream by Edvard Munch

Nowadays, the volcano is active but the original Krakatoa has vanished due to eruption, and replaced by Anak Krakatoa. The Volcano is still active and dangerous, and it is reported to raise around 40 cm each year.

The Krakatoa is a unique place since it is rare that you can get a combination of secluded volcano surrounded by blue ocean. There are not many tourists in Krakatoa, so this is perfect if you want to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Krakatoa by yourselves.

Boat from Carita Beach to Krakatoa Volca

To go to Krakatoa, from Jakarta, you can drive to Carita beach, Anyer, and rent a speed boat there. The boat fee last time was IDR 3,500,000.- (around USD 375) per boat, including lunch and can fit 6 persons. Another way is to take a boat from Sumatra, since this volcano is actually between Java Island and Sumatra Island. It takes a few hours by boat to visit Anak Krakatoa. You also can visit a few islands surrounding.

One thing is it takes strong legs to hike the Krakatoa since the volcano slope is steep. The top of the volcano is still steaming and it is still dangerous as it was before.

Anak Krakatoa Volcano

Strange feeling will linger when you are on the secluded Krakatoa Island. The feeling that you are alone on a secluded volcano surrounded by the fast blue ocean below and blue sky above. Nothing can depict the feeling.

There are some grasses, bushes, and pine trees on this island. The only animal you can find may be monitoring lizard. The land you step on is darg grey as it used to be the lava of the eruption. You can find some dark porous rocks there, created when carbon-dioxide or carbon-monoxide coming out from the lava while it is cooling down to form the rocks.

Here are some pictures from Krakatoa.

Krakatoa Island beach



Beautiful scenery from Krakatoa Volcano

Beautiful scenery from Krakatoa Volcano



Hiking to the top

On top of Krakatoa

Factory Outlet in Serpong - Parade

Indonesia, especially Bandung city is famous for factory outlets, those are shops that sell branded fashion with low prices, since they get the stuff directly from factories. You can find branded things from Gucci, Hugo Boss,Giorgio Armani, Burberry, Guess, down to Zara, Esprit, Forever 21, or Levis in these factory outlets. They get these things usually from factory over-productions, and sometimes from factory rejects. The quality is still very good and the price of course quite cheap.

Parade Factory Outlet, first floor for ladies

One of my favourite factory outlets is actually not in Bandung, but near my place. It is in Serpong main road and called Parade Factory Outlet. The place is quite large and what makes this place different is the variety of the clothes. My wife likes to visit here since they offer a wide variety of branded ladies' clothing. Last time she bought a Burberry jacket for the price of UDR 250,000.- (around USD 27), a pair of Guess jeans, and many other branded clothing.

Accessories

The man section is upstair but I don't think it is much of man fashion here. Nevertheless, last time I manage to find Armani and Cerruti wool pants for the price of around IDR 260,000.- (around USD 28) each. I also bought some Salvatore Ferragamo,s shirts here for approximately IDR 140,000 (around 16 USD) each. However, you may not find the same things when you shop next time since their merchandise is always changing.

Some Clothes

Parade Factory Outlet

Belitung Island, Indonesia

Pulau Burung (Bird Island)

I visited this island a few years ago with my wife and I have to admit, this island is very amazing. It has white sand beaches with crystal clear water and huge granite rocks as the background. It is a heaven for photographer and people who just want to have a quite moment laying on the beach without many people around.

Belitung island is a small island about 45 minutes flight from Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. At my time, I took Sriwijaya Air from jakarta to Belitung but yu also an take Batavia Air. We had a customized private tour where we had a car and a driver that would bring us anywhere we want. We staty in a hotel next to the city but if you like to close to the beach you can stay in a few hotels in Tanjung Tinggi like Lor Inn Hotel. Next are the places I recommend for you.

 

There are many small islands near Tanjung Tinggi. All islands have clean white sands and huge granite rocks. You can rent a boat from Tanjung Tinggi and visit some beutiful islands there. Pulau Burung (Bird Island) is made of huge granite rocks that look like a bird from a far.



Lighthouse in Lengkuas island

There is also an old lighthouse you can visit in Lengkuas Island. You can climb the stairs and see beautiful scenery from the top of the lighthouse. There is an old building in this island as well and one person as a keeper stays here. There is also a "sand island" this is special small "island" that only exists during low tide. the sand is white and clean and you can watch big starfishes on this island. My tour gude told me that once there was a tourist who just spent the whole days laying on the white sand beach. Nice way to enjoy life!




A boat at the quiet Belitung beach

Starfish on White Sand Island





Another thing to visit is the pristine blue lakes. There many lakes in Belitung and they are actually abandoned tin or kaolin mines. Belitung and Bangsa, it's neighboring island, are famous for tin and kaolin. It was said that long time ago even you can dig in your house yard to collect tin. You also still can find beautiful grassland and prairie in Belitung.

Now, talking about food, Belitung is famous of seafood. When I was there last time, my tour guide even brought us to the seaman who just finished netting white clams from the sea. There are many seafood restaurants in the island. Another famous fpod is Mi Bangka or Bangka noodle. It is like mee rebus but with thik gravy. The gravy contains dried shrimp powder so it tastes very good.

So if you are looking for serene beautiful white sand beach less many tourists, Belitung Island is the best place to visit.

Sitting on big granite rock near Tanjung Tinggi

Grassland in Belitung

White Clams fresh from the sea

Serenade Lake

Serenade Lake Gading Serpong

Serenade Lake, the name is really suitable to depict this place. There are so many serenade lakes in the world, but what I am talking about is a cluster in Gading Serpong, Tangerang.

This is  a small cluster with one beautiful lake. The cluster is very strategic since it is located exactly after toll exit from Jakarta and beside a river. The air is not so hot at noon, maybe it is because the proximity to the lake and river.

 


 

Jogging track around the lake





Garden near Jogging Track






















Serenade Lake and the Club House

 

The lake is quite clean and serene. I am imagining the good thing to do is sitting under a big tree beside the lake and start painting or composing  music or poets.. The lake is surrounded with jogging track and flowers and there is a club house with infinity swimming pool beside the lake.

 

Just check the pictures that I took from this place.

  



The street

 

 





Frangipani Flower

When thinking of frangipani flower, I always think of Bali, the Island of Gods. In this Island you can find frangipani flowers almost everywhere, hotels, temples, even Balinese men put this flower on his ear for certain occations.

 

White Bali Frangipani with small flowers

Frangipani can create mixed feelings when combined with certain situations. In Java, frangipani can be found easily in cemetery, creating a gloomy moments when people visiting their deceased relatives. Long time ago, in Java frangipani is not planted in a house, since it is related to cemetary. Only in recent years people plant frangipani in their house yards, after modern design that follow Balinese design becomes popular.

 

In Bali, frangipani is a must ornament in the hotel yards and swimming pools, and sometimes also used in wedding ceremony. 

 

 

 

Red Frangipani

I remember when I had a pre-wedding picture taken in Ulun Danu lake, Bali, Indonesia. This lake is a crater lake with a small temple in it. The location is in high altitude so the air is cool. At that time during the photo shoot, my wife has white bali frangipani flowers on her hair. She looked so beautiful and draw admiration from local Balinese women and also tourists who took her picture as "Balinese bride". 



White Java Frangipani with large flowers

There different types of frangipani though. Bali frangipani have a range from white to red. However, I like the white one though since The folwer is not so big and there is a hint of yellow in the middle of the flower. In 2008 when I visited Bali, I took a branch and planted in a litle pot in my apartement. When we moved to a house, we planted it in front of our house. Now it is quite big and has branches full of flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coffee Time at Kopi Luwak

I like coffee and I like it hard. Black cofee with little sugar or no sugar at all. when it comes to good coffee I like it without sugar. However, when it comes to instant coffee, I usually add sugar since the taste without sugar is really just bitter and not good.

I live in Serpong, a small city about 1 hour from Jakarta, Indonesia.These days I like to visit one restaurant in Summarecon Mall Serpong, namely Kopi Luwak just for lunch or dinner. First time I came mainly because they have a special promotion: you can have a free coffee or tea with an order of Indonesian food. They serve good coffee and also quite good food. They also, of course, sell Luwak Coffee, the coffee coming from chivet (An nocturnal animal from forest that eat ripe coffee beans) behind, but considered as the best coffee in the world.

Special Blend with 5% Coffee Luwak

Now talking about their coffee.  It is not instant coffee and you can choose from their special blend (that contains 5% Coffee Luwak' and 95% other coffee), Kalosi Toraja (from Sulawesi Island), Mandheling (from North Sumatra), and Java ( from Java Island of course). I have tried four of them and all of them are very good. So far I like the first one with Cofee Luwak blend the best.



Actually the fist time I did not realized that this coffee has Coffee Luwak in it. The coffee is very good, it is smooth and strong. A sip of hot coffee (you should drink it while it is hot)already heal my longing for good coffee. This restaurant also sells a cup of pure Coffee Luwak at USD 8 only. I haven't tried that but for the brave, you can try and tell me later :-).

Sate Bali

I also find the food quite ok. Usually I just take nasi rames with beef rendang. The beef rendang is good, however sometimes the meat is quite tough and difficult to chew. I think they need to cook it longer to make the beef really tender and melt in the mounth or they should cut the beef across the muscle direction. Anyway, given the food and the very good coffee (it costs only IDR 43,000.- or around USD 5). I think it is the best deal I have so far.



Chivet (or in Indonesia we call it Luwak)

Another food to consider is Sate Bali (Balinese Satay). The satay is made of marinated beef and the it is very tender and it tastes rather sweet. The sauce is spicy just like sambal and I think it is not made of peanut (or just a little peanut in it). It is different from Javanese satay where the sauce main ingredient is peanut. Another drawback fot this place is sometimes the food in their menu already finished, so you need to order another food.

By the way , they also sell roasted coffee beans if you want to make your own coffee at home.

Serpong, 26/12/2012

My dog, Lupi Gonzales

I got Lupi Gonzales (yes, that is our dog's name :-)) about 3 years ago. Lupi is a strong big golden retriever. we ought him from our neighbour who seemed to keep him in the cage for long time.

Lupi Gonzales

Lupi likes balls an his eyes will shine with exitement everytime he sees the kids in my neighbourhood playing soccer/football. Once a kid kicked the ball into my house and Lupi finally manage to get the ball and bite it. The ball, which is made of very thin plastic, of course, torn into pieces and the kid was going to cry. I had to replace the ball with my basket ball (o boy!).



Afternoon walk

Lupi likes to walk (and chasing cats, balls, and chicken!). We usually bring him to walk around the lake (our house is near a serenade lake) twice a day. In the morning he is always ready in front of our door waiting us to bring him to walk. You can see his excitement.



Serenade Lake near our house

Lupi is a strong dog, and walking with him is not easy since he often dragged us to chase another direction. Since there are many dogs in our neigbourhood, Lupi always get big greetings (barking from other dogs) when we passed their houses.



Bathing time

We bath him at least once a week. When it comes to bathing, he really enjoy the "spa treatment" given and becomes very quiet (usually he is a very hyperactive fellow). We even bought a special shampoo (with dog's style of YS Laurent perfumed :-) ) for him.