Perfect Weekend Getaway : Belitong!

It's a teaser about my trip to Belitong island. What makes it special is I went there with all my girls! Super fun and talking about crazy spirit, this girls are the best for making me laugh all the time. "We don't even have to try, it's always a GOOD TIME!"

view from the plane

Welcome to Belitong!

1st stop : SD Laskar Pelangi

Museum Andrea Hirata - Laskar pelangi

Bendungan Piche

wishing to get a prophecy in Kwan-Im Goddes Temple

coffee time! taste a famous traditional Belitong coffee

beautiful beach, here we come!

Garuda Island, made from rock!

yes, Belitong beach stoked from it's rock, they said it's a meteorit part

snorkeling at Lengkuas Island, lighthouse on the background

enjoying the ocean!

view from the top of lighthouse in Lengkuas Island, splendid scenery

uh oh, the storm is about to come! run my boat run!

at Bali Village

Mie Belitong. YUMMY!!!!

amazed by an amazing view at Kaolin Lake

wow-ness, isn't it?

thing that you can't do in your crowded city. Thanks, Belitong!

:)

pictures by Mumu, Kania, and Mas Heri

Solitude is (sometimes) a Victory

 

When your world seems too crowded, nothing can't beat the memories of solitude moment like this. Sinking your skin deep in the water... This picture taken in East Kalimantan. Me snorkeling at Kakaban island. Heavenly, peacefully... Please take me back there!

Traveling Bersama Valadoo & Travel Consultant, Mau?

Buat orang yang travel freak seperti saya, pergi sendiri tanpa bantuan tur perjalanan merupakan pilihan yang paling menyenangkan. Saya memang travel-freak, tapi saya bukan master dalam hal traveling, terlebih adanya keterbatasan waktu dan uang, tentunya. Maklum, masih muda. *ehm* Modal saya cuma satu. Passion.

Dengan modal passion yang super tinggi akan jalan-jalan, alhamdulillah saya pernah punya beberapa kesempatan untuk menguak indahnya alam Indonesia. Karena passion itu tadi, sepertinya teman-teman saya jadi ketularan  'kabita' jalan-jalan dan seringkali meminta rekomendasi saya akan itenerary maupun tips-tips traveling secara random. Nah, walaupun saya memang lebih memilih traveling sendiri dan mengandalkan teman dan kenalan di daerah tujuan yang ingin saya datangi, tapi tidak menutup kemungkinan untuk pergi dengan memakai jasa tur atau paket wisata yang banyak ditawarkan, apalagi kalau gak pengen repot dan perginya rame-rame. Kalau hidup bisa dibikin lebih mudah, kenapa tidak?

Saya ingin membagi rekomendasi, sebuah nama, untuk solusi yang bisa memudahkan kita untuk bepergian. Namanya Valadoo. Sedikit tentang Valadoo; Valadoo adalah Indonesia Travel Expert. Valadoo merupakan online one-stop solution untuk kamu yang mencari variasi liburan yang tak terlupakan, baik liburan akhir pekan maupun perjalanan wisata melalui penawaran yang mudah diakses dan hemat biaya. Valadoo mempunyai fokus di destinasi lokal dengan beberapa pilihan destinasi internasional.

Penasaran? Saya pun mampir di website-nya dan menilik lebih jauh soal apa sih Valadoo, berikut review dari website Valadoo.

Website Valadoo

Layoutnya rapi dan menarik

Sebagai geeky architect, yang bikin saya tertarik untuk membuka halaman sebuah website adalah tampilannya. Layoutnya harus rapi dan menarik. Kalau engga, males, langsung close. Begitu saya buka website www.valadoo.com, saya gak mau buru-buru klik close, malah rasanya penasaran terhanyut didalamnya. Serius! Tampilannya sleek dan menarik, gak bikin bingung untuk yang pertama kali masuk. Mata saya langsung dimanjakan dengan foto-foto menggiurkan yang bikin gak sabar pengen trip.

tampilan page utama website valadoo,com, menarik ya!

foto, click button, dan penjelasan yang rapi!

Banyak fitur-fitur menarik yang sangat helpful

Sebagai seorang arsitek pun saya punya prinsip kalau desain kita harus semaksimal mungkin untuk menolong dan mempermudah hidup manusia. Loh kok sama kayak desain web Valadoo? Website ini selain layoutnya rapi dan menarik, juga sangat, amat, helpful. Banyak fitur menarik yang membantu kita menentukan pilihan dalam berwisata. Misalnya, mau tur private hanya dengan teman-teman dan tinggal duduk manis? Ada. Mau tur yang lebih bebas, atur itenerary sendiri? Juga bisa. Setiap destinasi wisata yang ditawarkan juga diperjelas dengan pilihan apakah tur ini bersifat private, free & easy, dsb. Belum lagi informasi akan paket wisata tiap destinasi yang sangat jelas dan tidak membingungkan. Kita juga bisa cari mau aktivitas apa; Seni dan Kebudayaan, Pegunungan, Fotografi, Olahraga & Petualangan, Pantai & Pulau, semua diklasifikasikan dengan baik. Saya yakin, kita pasti gak akan kesulitan untuk berwisata, ngga ribet dan tinggal berangkat! (jangan lupa bayar dulu! :p)

mau pilih tur seperti apa? ada pilihannya, ga bingung deh..

Singkat, Jelas, Padat.

Pasti itu semua yang kita cari kan, untuk apapun pembelian / pemesanan online? Website yang ga neko-neko. Begitulah yang saya liat dari website Valadoo. Setiap destinasi wisata terinci dengan jelas, dari mulai Tour Summary Details, Rincian Harga, About Your Stay, Our Review, Details, dan How to Get There -nya semua terangkum rapih dan akan menjadi rekomendasi yang lengkap dan (yang paling penting) meyakinkan untuk kita. Makin gak sabar dong untuk wisata?

contoh kalau kita klik salah satu destinasi, informasi lengkap!

penjelasannya bikin ga sabar pengen booking trip kan?

Intinya : It's a Fully Recommended Website for Traveling!

Valadoo.com sangat membantu untuk kita yang mau traveling tapi masih clueless, ataupun buat kamu para travel expert yang siap jelajah setiap sudut jengkal dunia, baik di dalam negeri maupun luar negeri. Layout yang tersusun rapi, lengkap nan sarat informasi, juga enak dilihat. Tinggal klik-klik dikit, berangkat deh kita! Can I ask for more? YES! Ternyata bukan itu saja yang menjadi kelebihan Valadoo di mata saya.

Valadoo & Travel Consultant

Judge a website by it's cover, done. Tapi, tau gak sih 'dalemnya' Valadoo itu sendiri? Ternyata, Valadoo bukan sekedar travel expert yang punya developing web yang baik. Apa yang saya ketahui tentang Valadoo itu sendirilah yang membuat saya tambah percaya untuk berwisata bersama mereka. Mereka punya program yang disebut sebagai ‘Travel Consultant’. Travel Consultant adalah istilah  dari Valadoo untuk para experienced traveler yang berpengalaman menjelajahi berbagai destinasi, khususnya di wilayah Indonesia. Selain frekuensi traveling para Travel Consultant yang cukup tinggi, mereka juga aktif dalam komunitas travel dan mau membagi pengalaman dan tips mereka seputar traveling.

Valadoo menggandeng para travel expert sebagai travel consultant mereka, dan beberapa diantaranya pasti sering kamu lihat di media elektronik maupun media cetak. Bukan sembarang orang, pastinya! ;-) 

Ada Amalla Vesta, founder dari akun twitter @LiburanLokal dan @SwankyTraveler, Riyanni Djangkaru, eks presenter acara travel dan pemilik majalah Divemag Indonesia, Marischka Prudence, presenter acara travel di salah satu televisi swasta, Barry Kusuma, photographer traveler yang banyak mengabadikan keindahan alam Indonesia, Lucia Nancy, pemenang Aku Cinta Indonesia (ACI) Detik 2010, dan founder komunitas KeluarRumah, daan masih banyak lagi! Para expert inilah yang akan memberikan rekomendasi untuk beragam paket destinasi wisata di Valadoo, tentunya akan membuat liburan dan pengalaman kita makin berkualitas dong?

Amalla Vesta, Riyani Djangkaru, Marischka Prudence, beberapa Travel Consultant Valadoo

Makin percaya dan pengen trip bareng Valadoo kan???

Bukan hanya menggandeng travel expert, yang paling menarik dari Travel Consultant ini adalah visi dan misi mereka yang mulia, yaitu mempromosikan destinasi wisata Indonesia. Meningkatkan kecintaan bangsa Indonesia terhadap kekayaan wisata yang kita miliki, adalah misi yang diusung oleh Valadoo dan para Travel Consultant-nya. Salah satu inisiatif Valadoo adalah dengan kampanye “Explore Indonesia with Valadoo’s Travel Consultant”. Mereka akan mengajak kita untuk menjelajahi berbagai destinasi lokal dan menghargai kekayaan alam Indonesia yang perlu dijaga. Informatif, inspiratif, dan edukatif. Sebuah paket lengkap yang bukan sekadar ‘paket wisata’ biasa.

Saya sebagai anggota ACI 2011 (Aku Cinta Indonesia) dan sebagai travel freak, lantas jadi makin semangat dan salut akan misi ini. Untuk saya pribadi, sangatlah menarik untuk bepergian, berjalan bersama sekumpulan orang dengan tujuan yang sama, dimana disini adalah menyebar luaskan kepada dunia bahwa alam Indonesia itu adalah surga.

Seperti yang sudah saya bilang tadi, bersama Valadoo dan Travel Consultant merupakan sebuah paket lengkap yang bukan sekadar paket wisata biasa, namun paket berisi pengalaman yang menginspirasi, menimbulkan gairah akan kecintaan terhadap alam Indonesia, sesuatu yang tidak dapat dibeli dengan apapun. Saya yakin itu yang akan dirasakan oleh kamu ketika wisata yang kamu lakukan adalah wisata yang ‘passionate’, bukan hanya sekadar hura-hura foto-foto. Pengalaman wisata yang lebih dari sekedar berkunjung, tapi juga mencinta. I called it a priceless experience.

Intinya (lagi) : sesuai dengan motto Valadoo : Travel More, Enjoy Life, ayo kita berwisata dan menyebarkan cinta akan alam anugerah Tuhan, bersama dengan Valadoo, the one stop solution untuk kamu yang mencari pengalaman yang tak terlupakan! 

Gak sabar pengen trip!!!!!! 

Klik disini untuk websitenya : www.valadoo.com
Klik disini untuk kenal lebih jauh dengan para Travel Consultant Valadoo

Quote of The Day

"People who do a job that claims to be creative have to be alone to recharge their batteries. You can't live 24 hours a day in the spotlight and remain creative. For people like me, solitude is a victory."

~ Karl Lagerfeld

Silence

I am running out of words, quotes, lyrics...

You are not my inspiration anymore.

Favourite Toys, Ever!

My birthday is coming, and what can be more tempting than feeling younger on your birthday? ;-)

Since I grew up with these things, so... I would be really happy for having them as my birthday gift. Call me childish? No?

#1. Polly Pocket

It's every girls' favourite, I guess? I have the superb one polly pocket with a Disney creatures living in a pastel house, and it has a lamp that the light can turn on every time you click it. I don't exactly remember how I got that, I guess it was a gift from my Dad from Japan. Super sadly, now all those mini disney creatures are gone, left me an empty house. But that's okay, I will always keep that tiny pastel house and I planning give it to my future grandchildren someday, as a sacred toy! Haha, I love it too much!

#2. Lego

It's every child's favourite! You know, now I'm an architect, and that makes me even more enthusiast about Lego. Whoever invented Lego for the first time is a total genius. It's a brilliant toys that can make your creativity grows in a fun way. Poor kids today who just can play by their digital toys and doesn't know how Lego can be very fun for their childhood, poor them, seriously.

 #3. Puzzle

I'm a big fan! More difficult more interesting. Disney puzzle always caught my eyes, too cute, I love Disney so much! :-) In my opinion, it is not only for child, this toys can works for everyone in every age, and the plus point also it can stimulate your brain to be creative and of course, persistent and be patient!

Love them! xx

picture source from : here, here, here, here and here.

Eye Candy

It's an eye candy, like literally, a candy for your eyes! Round shaped sunglasses with a vintage style. Edgy is edgy! All collections by Riots Barbie. Go visit their webstore and grab some, but please leave one for me, pretty please? :D

Bluepoint Beach, 2011.

To the point that everything seems blue,
Blue wind and blue wave whispering,
As my feelings blue and those blue skies keep calling me on an on,
and on...

Tell me, universe,

... Should I go back?

Changes

I re-post it from my friend's blog, Irene. I've read it a long time ago, and when I read, I saw words that can not be spoken from inside of me, a long long time ago. It's well said. So, it's for you, time travel soul. It was.

Dear the-rest-of-universe-who-doesn't-understand,

Yes, here I am writing cowardly. I knew what I did was wrong. I know you must've been hurt too that you now hate me constantly or tried so hard not to hate me but in reverse, hate yourself. What I did was something I am not proud either and yourself is not who you should hate.

What I did was merely an act of anger, from a heart that is hurt. I did not want anything or even anyone to wait for this heart to be repaired to even start-over, cause this heart has had its turn and to be sorry, it has changed, which I hope it grew stronger. Waiting is not a waste of time, but without a due, it is. So that's why I did not want anything or even anyone to wait. Because I have waited and somehow along the way I didn't realize my heart loses what it was suppose to keep.

So, let's just move along. Let's forgive ourselves, cause that's what I am trying. It's my way to start over, to repair. Judge me all you want, bring along your judgements to me 'cause I won't try to defend myself anymore. Wrong was wrong. Let's keep that in the past, cause I have closed the book.

Que Sera Sera.

Sincerely,

A Heart In Repair

 :-)

for the original post, click here.

1095 Days of Ours

Yes, it's been about 3 years since he and I met. It's been 3 years since I trusted him to be my partner to build a home, starting with the concrete structure beneath, because what is the most important thing is the strength of the structure itself. Well, he literally used that metaphor to convince me 3 years ago, where he told me he want to be the one who accompany me to start build "my house" all over again. It might sounds cheesy, but for me that means a lot, in a way that no one might not understand.

So, here we are. 3 years later. Many things changed, we've been travel to many places, we did many new things together, we met new friends, we lost contact with our old friends, we fight a lot, we argue many times, sometimes it left tears, but not much as tears of joy that can be felt in our hearts. We've been trough rain and storms, though I realize that it's nothing, no such a big deal, compare to years and years after that we're gonna face tomorrow. 

This just a starter, and we don't know what the future will bring us. All we have to do is having faith, and make the best out of it.

In the night of our anniversary day, we made a little celebration, a dinner at a beautiful restaurant with a valley view in a nice hotel, right after work. The view was amazing, the food was tasty and fancy, the ambience just perfect. But what I care the most is our quality time we had that night. We talked a lot, we shared things that never been shared before which apparently never pop in our mind, we cursed, we laugh, and... the funniest thing is we talked about "the past". He told me about, like anything. Random chicks he had crushed on, random moment he had been trough with his ex and another girls, random guy and also random circle of friends that involved on the whole stories in his past. Some stories I heard before, some old stories that had been forgotten, some new-old stories, some stories just re-told again because we simply want to laugh over it... Me? I didn't talk much about mine, because I think there's nothing else I have to share, my past is boooring. Hehe, kidding, it just that day the topic is about him so I just want to seize it :-p

This picture was taken 2 years ago when he just graduated and earned his Bachelor of Engineering (congrats kiddo! we're waiting for your 2nd college graduation as MBA guy, ehm) and in this pic I think I look shorter and more tiny than I really was, but I don't know why this pict is one of my favourite. Hehe.

When we talked that night, we smiled a lot. Yes we did. We never hate the past. 

In my perspective, everything happened in the past could make us the better person. 

We could gain knowledge (of life), and those knowledge are priceless. 

We looked back, and we will be more grateful that we live as we are now.

I feel gratitude. Thanks for this 3 amazing years, and what the future might be, I hope the best is yet to come, and come, and come again, into our life. All I can say now is just thank you, and thank God.

I love you. :-)

Quote of The Day

"Never explain yourself. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it."

What Shall I Wear Today, Bunny?

I've got a crush on a little stylish bunny named Fifi Lapin, and since ever she published a book : "What Shall I Wear Today" I'm really dying for it. I still don't know where to find this book in my town, but I once read it in magz that this book is available at some bookstores in Jakarta, so I hope soon enough I'll own it. Here a sneak peek from kris atomic, all photo credit belong to her. 

Quoted from kris atomic blog :

"The book is split by days of the week, as Fifi discusses her fashion choices and gives advice on dressing for different occasions. There are make-up tips, recipes and interviews with designers, but as expected the illustrations take centre stage. Adorable!"

 Too adorable, indeed! I loveee this bunny too much!

 

 

 

I am definitely a  little fifiette's! 

Infinite XO's :-)