After a day of heavy traveling, there is nothing much more enjoyable than having a good night rest in a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere and when you are in the town of Magelang where the Buddhist complex, Borobudur, resides, you simply must choose Manohara Hotel as your home for the night. Here are some of the reasons why:

Welcome drink from Manohara Hotel to soothe your day

Originally, our Semarang flight was at early in the morning, around 6-ish or 7-ish, but Air Asia waved its magic wand and our flight was delayed to afternoon, which caused us to arrive Semarang at 4-ish. After all matters were settled (getting out of aeroplane, immigration, etc), it was around 5-ish already. We had made our reservation for the first night at Imam Bonjol Hostel but I forgot to inform the owner about our flight delay and when we reached the destination, to our horror, the main gate was locked as if there was no one in the building.

Speaking of the hostel, it was nothing like a hostel at all. In fact, from the outside, it looks like some old warehouse building with a lot of hidden agendas behind it. And the idea that the main gate being locked was very suspicious. I mean, who on earth locks the main entrance and exit way to the building? How are the occupants going to go out or go back in?

We were standing out as the sky was going dark (it was around 5 something to 6pm local time), deciding what to do. I mean, we had been ringing the doorbell for ages and still no reply. Hunger and clueless on where we were (not exactly, but still) were the main thing on our minds. In the end, we decided to go hunt for another hotel to stay for the short night.

Hotel Plampitan, our saviour

We took beca (tricycles) to try our luck for the hotel we booked for the last two nights, Quest Hotel in Jalan Plampitan. Surprisingly, or rather unsurprisingly, the hotel was fully booked as there were functions being held over there. But on our ways over to the hotel, I noticed a rather low profile hotel right along the street called Hotel Plampitan and luckily for us, we managed to secure a room. The room was quite decent and rather OK for the price at IDR 188.000 (about RM 65.00). Once the main crisis had been resolved, we can then proceed to fill our stomachs and have a good rest in anticipation of tomorrow's journey to Borobudur.

Paragon Mall which we frequented regularly

Nasi Padang

Honey Lemon Chicken

Es Cleopatra

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Sharing is caring. A word of advice and a piece of information.

When your flights happened to be delayed or postponed, remember to inform your hotels about it so that they can keep your reservations, or in our case, have the main gate remains open. You do not want to be kept outside of your hostel, unable to enter.

The launching of this new route to the Indonesian city by Air Asia back in late 2011 piqued my interest and I managed to secure return tickets to Semarang for my May trip. This is how I first came to know Semarang, a quaint city up north of Central Java. Before that, I’m oblivious to the existence of this port city as I am to many places around the world.

Lawang Sewu, a beautiful and historic building in Semarang

I’m not the only one unaware of the city as there were close to zero foreigners in Semarang. We (I went with my roommate/coursemate of mine) barely came across Westerners throughout our stays, bumping only into one Frenchman, I presumed, at the airport, heading to Kuala Lumpur. The lack of foreign tourists makes this city much more unique and unspoiled. However, such anonymity undoubtedly would not last long as the city is prepping up for the upcoming Visit Central Java 2013.

Gereja Blenduk, another local landmark

Is 5 days 4 nights trip to Semarang enough? It depends, but personally, I’m had just the right amount of fun and sun exploring the city (not to mention that my thinning wallet cannot last any longer than planned). In fact, if you just solely go for the charm of the city, 48 hours to 72 hours would be perfect. You will come out all soaked up with the charms of the city as well as have your belly gained an inch or two what with the ridiculously good and cheap foods over there.

Bakso and mie ayam are some Indonesian delights at low prices

That is not to say that my trip was a drag. We went to explore the Buddhist complex, Borobudur, located in Mangelang, a small town about 2 hours bus ride from Semarang. The history of the monument is rich, dating back centuries ago. It takes hours to truly absorb the legacy of this UNESCO site.

At the top of Borobudur for sunrise

Many picturesque shots can be taken there

As usual, I refused to believe that I had to bide farewell to Indonesia. However, it will not be a long adieu for I’m all set to make a comeback next year.

At the top of observatory deck at Masjid Agung overlooking Semarang

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Sharing is caring. A word of advice and a piece of information.

Air Asia has daily flight to Semarang, Indonesia from Kuala Lumpur since its first flight in early February 2012. It takes about two and a half hour to reach Semarang. For more information about the fare of the flight as well as the schedule, go to Air Asia's website here.

In less than 24 hours, I will be onboard in the Air Asia flight to Semarang, Indonesia. Every times I tell people that I’m heading to Semarang, the first question that pop out would be, where is Semarang, followed by, why did you choose this place instead of, say, Jakarta or Yogyakarta? Another popular question would be, what are the attractions over there in Semarang?

To be honest, I had not heard of Semarang until I saw the promotion on Air Asia. Back in late 2011, Air Asia was launching new routes to Semarang, Indonesia and Surat Thani, Thailand at a promotional price. Since it’s rather cheap and I have yet to been to Indonesia, why not start with Semarang? So, in view of my approaching holiday, I thought of answering these few questions before I fly off to the Indonesian city.

Where is Semarang?

Semarang is located at Java, situated right at the centre of the island. It is the largest city in Central Java and back in the colonial era, this Indonesian city is an important port. It is actually quite near to other major cities in Java such as Solo and Yogyakarta, all under few hours of journey.

Why Semarang?

Being a cheapskate that I’m famous for, whenever I want to travel to a new country or a new place, I always hunt for cheap flight and what cheaper than Air Asia and its launching price? My return trip to Semarang only costs RM126.00 inclusive airport tax and fuel surcharge.

What to do/see over there?

As it is in Central Java, it is quite easy to go to other cities surrounding Semarang. It is actually two to three hours ride to Borobudur, the famous Mahayana Buddhist monument in the UNESCO heritage listing, which I will be going, for sure. Another religious complex within the proximity of Borobudur is the Prambanan, a Hindu temple compound dedicated to Trimurti.

While both complexes are outside of Semarang, this does not mean there is nothing interesting in the city. Lawang Sewu is a famous landmark in the city. Originally built as a railway station for the Dutch East Indies, the basement of the building served as a prison during the Japanese invasion and is rumoured to be haunted with ghosts of the past.

There are also many fascinating colonial buildings left behind during the Dutch era in Kota Lama which I always enjoyed admiring at. These beautiful remains of the past are something worth protecting of as it is part of our history. That is why I like walking along the old Chinese shophouses whenever I’m in Penang or admiring the British colonial buildings in my hometown Ipoh.

There will be more entries on Semarang after I come back from the trip. Till then, wish me a safe flight! 

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Like I had said in the previous post, these days, Ipoh is undergoing a lot of developments and one of it is the arrival of Sky Lounge. Located above the MH Hotel next to the McDonald's Drive Thru, I have problem understanding why on earth there is a sky lounge overlooking nothing but roads and highways. I mean, shouldn't sky lounge be built with beautiful sceneries to look at?

At the Sky Lounge

What to look at from up here???

That weekend when I went back home, me and few of my friends went there after being disappointed by the lack of chocolate fondue action on Saturday. For those who think this Sky Lounge is some shady places filled with tattooed peoples smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages, think again. Yes, smokers and drinkers were aplenty (we were the drinkers) but there's nothing shady at all about it. In fact, it's so safe that some parents brought their children along! I'm not judgemental and the kids being theirs, it's their prerogatives.

Our drinks

Anyway, back to the Sky Lounge. The place itself is quite cool and relaxing albeit with ear pumping music playing along. As for the drinks, for me, while it was quite cheap, it somehow tasted diluted. I mean, the tequila I ordered tasted a bit watery. Well, RM11.00 a shot, I guess it's part of the deal.

Group shot

*THE END*

p/s Holiday's coming soon! Yippee! Can't wait for it!

Haagen Dazs restaurants are aplenty in Malaysia but the one in Ipoh was newly opened few months back. Ipoh no longer is a quaint little town now that development projects keep sprouting out there. The newly opened AEON Jusco at Station 18 is supposed to be the happening place in town right now but I had yet to go there. Maybe my next trip back home.

Surprisingly, the Haagen Dazs in Ipoh is quite crowded with people, especially at night. Often you heard tales of youngsters heading to cities like KL and Penang, leaving the one with families and older generations behind in Ipoh. But, last weekend, it's far from it from the look at Kinta City Shopping Complex and the Haagen Dazs itself. It was packed and we were unable to find a table for us on Saturday and when we did found one, they ran out of fondue! It was beyond belief!

My friend had to stalk the shop for empty tables...

We tried our luck the next night and luckily, we managed to find a seat and able to enjoy the chocolate fondue we came for. Maybe it was Sunday that was our charm (after all, people do need to go to work/school on Monday). And was it worth the hassle? Depends on who you asked.

A journey of indulgence indeed...

Me, I would say it worth it with the price we paid (I had 30% discount). You often seen people dipping breads in melting cheese during winter and while that is impractical here in Malaysia, dipping ice cream balls in melting chocolate is definitely more for our temperament. Watching the melted chocolate froze back into solid, coating the balls of ice creams, it is quite a sight.

Enjoy the photos.

Belgian chocolate's the best...

*THE END*

The next day, which was our last day on the island, we woke up rather early in the morning to try to cram as many activities as possible into the schedule. After breakfast, we straight away checked out and then went to the Pantai Cenang to just lie there and enjoy the morning sun and breeze. It was about 8.30am and we spent about an hour there, walking by the beach, sitting there and just relax. It's just a fulfilment of sort, to have at least spend an hour on the beach since we were on an island, after all.

Then, we quickly sped up to the Langkawi Cable Car station in hope to be able to go up to the mountain and have a look at the scenic view well-praised by many. But, little did we know, even though it was around 9.45am when we reached, the queue was already freaking long and that at least two hours needed before it's our turn for the ride. There was no way for us to be able to go up and then come down in time for the ferry ride back to the Peninsula. With greatest regret, we abandoned the plan.

Look at the crazy shit queue

Now that we had few hours to spend, we were on a lost on where to go. Eventually, we decided to visit the famous Makam Mahsuri (Mahsuri Mausoleum), the famous legend of Langkawi. Mahsuri was a legendary tale of a woman whose was beyond description and it was her beauty that set the destructive path for her. She was happily married and one day, when her husband was off for some governmental duty, she was framed for adultery and was sentenced to death. Before she died, she cursed the island of Langkawi of misfortunes until the seventh generation of hers was born. There are a lot of versions as to who was responsible for her death and all these versions you can actually learn it in Makam Mahsuri.

Mahsuri in portrait

Traditional Malay kampong house

Mahsuri's tomb

Beautiful view of paddy field

Traditional kuih

When the brief tour of Mahsuri was over, so too were our time on the island. We headed back to the jetty and waited for our 2.15pm ferry back to Kuala Kedah jetty. It may be nothing much of a trip but like every one of my trip, sadness hit upon me and before this vacation was officially over, I already long for another one.

Goodbye, eagle

*THE END*