Hello all!! Last month, I had the opportunity to visit East Java, Indonesia with some of the other Nuffnang bloggers~ Read on to find out more on what I did while I was there!
This is a 5D4N 'Road Less Travelled' trip in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Indonesia, Garuda Indonesia & Nuffnang Singapore.
DAY 1
Airport Outfit // Gutsy Glam
My first time flying business class!
About Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia'a National Airlines has undergone a remarkable transformation the last 10 years - fresh corporate identity, new aircraft fleet, in-flight product and service. They have also received a 5-star rating awarded to airlines at the forefront of product and service delivery (7th airline to earn this accolade).
Garuda Indonesia also won the ‘World's Best Airline Cabin Staff’ in 2015 and 2014, ‘World’s Best Economy Class’ in 2013 and ‘World's Best Regional Airline’ in 2012 by Skytrax World Airline Awards.
BIG COMFY SEATS!!! I love it! So much leg space :D
Charlene and I chilling around before both of us fell asleep while flying to Bali!
And before we know it, WE ARE IN BALI!!! Ahhh super miss Bali and all of its vibes! Oh and I just got reminded that I have a million photos from last December's Bali trip waiting for me to sort through/edit so that I can blog about it
Lunch by Kuta Beach!
Drove past fields like such while we were on our way to the hotel!
The first night, we stayed at Hotel Santika. It was clean, comfy and I wished I had more time to rest on this huge bed!
View from the room:
We also had a welcome dinner that night at Hotel Santika.
Turned in extra early that night cuz we only had about 3 hours to sleep before waking up!
It took us about 2 hours to hike up Kawah Ijen! I SWEAR IT WAS SO SO TIRING!!
I didn't have the chance to climb down the crater though cuz it's not recommended for people who has asthma! So here are some images of the blue fire sent to be by Chuanren (Purple Light Visuals, the official photographer for this trip) and Andy.
Just as I thought that the hike up was tiring, everyone who went down the crater told me that the hardest part was actually going down the crater due to the narrow & slippery paths!
The magnificent turquoise sulfur lake of Kawah Ijen lies at 2148m above sea level and is surrounded by the volcanoes sheer crater walls. The vent is a source of sulfur and collectors work here, making the trek up the crater and down to the lake every day. Goshhh this is so tiring?? I can't imagine having to hike this every single day Really so much respect for them!
So while the rest of them were on their way down to the lake, I was all alone in the cold, waiting in the dark till sunrise!
Yessss!! I see it!!! Sunrise soon!!! :D
Finally, it's dawn!!!
Omg gasp at the beauty of this whole view....
Chanced upon Evonne halfway cuz she decided that the road down the lake was too dangerous for her to handle! lol.
It was then time to
How my shoes should look like: Before VS After
(Source: here)
DAY 3 - BROMO
The weather here was amazingggggg. It wasn't too cold nor too hot! Purrrrfeect!! :D
Meet-up time was at 2am to begin our 1 hour drive to Mount Bromo!
Photo by Purple Light Visuals
We waited in the cold for almost an hour (since we were kiasu and wanted to chope good spots) to witness the amazing sunrise!
Gosh all of us looked so pale and tired!!
Photo by Purple Light Visuals
After the sunrise, we were led to another part of the park to see the plumes of smoke coming from Mount Semeru, an active volcano which rises 3676 meters above sea level.
The beauty of Mother Nature
A picture with my dear Charlene and can I say... THANK GOD FOR THESE AMAZING EYELASH EXTENSIONS FROM MILLY'S!!! If not for these lashes, I have no idea what time I gotta be up just to draw my eyeliner and all~ Saves me so much time!!
We then drove through the 'Sea of Sands'~
Photo by Purple Light Visuals
And arrived at the foot of Bromo Crater where we would have our horseback rides!
It was pretty frightening honestly when I first went up the horse especially when it started moving... It felt kinda unstable.. like I was about to fall off anytime?? It took me awhile to get used to it!
The air is really dusty so I'd recommend you guys to bring along a mask!
Ps: didn't realise that my xiaomi cam cover had a huge scratch, causing this 'bokeh' blurry effect :'(
Finally arrive at the foot of Bromo Crater!
I didn't hike up though cuz... just look at those steps man!!! I really couldn't function properly anymore since I slept so little and my legs were still pretty sore from the previous Kawah Ijen hike!
My cutie manager, Madeline and I!
And one more shot with my current & previous manager, Amantha!
Charlene's horse so chio one!!!!!
Jeep buddies
& finally the last stop for our Mount Bromo adventure - Whispering Sands!
Mount Bromo Travel Tips
►Bring heat packs if necessary and especially if you can't take the cold
Entrance Ticket: Weekday IDR 207,500/pax | Weekend IDR 307,500/pax
Local Transport (Jeep Hardtop 4x4):
Entrance Ticket: Weekday IDR 207,500/pax | Weekend IDR 307,500/pax
Local Transport (Jeep Hardtop 4x4):
From Malang IDR 1,500,000/jeep
From Pasuruan IDR 800,000/jeep (4 attractions) or IDR 600,000/jeep (2 attractions)
From Probolinggo: IDR 750,000/jeep (4 attractions) or IDR 500,000/jeep (2 attractions)
Horseback ride: from IDR 125,000 - 150,000
For more information on Mount Bromo, click here.
(Source: here)
Checked out of our hotel and started our 2hrs++ drive to Malang City!
And doesn't this image looks like a painting!! Mother Nature is just too beautiful!
Oh, we also made a pit-stop halfway to get some local snacks! ;)
Dinner that night was at Taman Indie Malang!
DAY 4 - MALANG
This is by far my favourite hotel out of my whole entire stay! :D Love it!!
It also comes with a pretty view from my room!
Checked out of Singhasari Resort and headed over to Jatim Park 2 (consists of Museum Satwa & Batu Secret Zoo) on Day 4! Felt a lot more refreshed too since I had 8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Whoooo
Jatim Park 2/Batu Secret Zoo
The zoo showcases one of the largest and most extensive animal collections from all over the world from the endangered white tigers and white lions to rare reptiles. Located inside the Jawa Timur Park 2, visitors can enjoy nature’s beautiful creations and learn more about the animals."
Finally a picture with the two yoga twins, Zoe & Sheila!
One thing I really like about Batu Secret Zoo would be the various photo opportunities you get with the different animals! It's really much more engaging and interactive!
With Randy!
OMG ALPACAS ARE SO CUTE!!!
GIVE ME THAT CARROTZ
& a picture with the cutest baby white tiger!!!
A photo with all the other Nuffnang Bloggeratis - Charlene, Sheila, Zoe, Jessica, Evonne, Randy and Andy!
Thank you Charlene for being my companion during this trip!!
Farewell dinner that night was at Dream of Kahyangan Art Resto!
After the dinner, we travelled to our last hotel for this entire trip - Novotel Surabaya Hotel.
Had yet another good night sleep before waking up at 9am to meet Chuanren from Purple Light Visuals to take some OOTD shots at the hotel's pool side~
Photos by Purple Light Visuals
Before heading to the airport, we also dropped by the House of Sampoerna - a production plant for Indonesia’s most prestigious cigarette‚ Dji Sam Soe.
This is where you can get to observe a real hand-rolled production facility with more than 400 women hand-rolling cigarettes at a speed of more than 325 cigarettes per hour!
Had a quick lunch at the House of Sampoerna Cafe and I really like the interior decor of the whole cafe!
This is probably the one and only photo I took together with Chuanren. So much thanks to this guy who helped all of us with our photo-taking needs, group shots and especially my OOTD requests lol. Thank you!!!!
And then it was time to head back to Singapore~
Lastly, I wanna thank all the sponsors for this trip!
Also, a big thanks to Garuda Indonesia for flying us to East Java, Indonesia & for organising this trip!
And not forgetting...
Special Promo Price:
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SGD $350 (all inclusive) flight ticket
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Booking period:
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From now till 31 October 2015
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Travel period:
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From now till March 2016
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Destinations featured:
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Departure: Singapore - Denpasar (Bali) – Banyuwangi
Return: Surabaya – Singapore
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Booking details:
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Tickets are available for purchase at Garuda ticketing office (101 Thomson Road #12-03 United Square) or via the reservation hotline 6250 2888.
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Promo code:
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Please quote ‘GANuffnang’ when booking
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LAND TOURS
Contact Trisno from Diorama Travel Management at: trisno@dioramagroup.net
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The promo code is already embedded in the following URL. So Nuffnang readers who visit the website www.acetravelinsurance.com.sg/nuffnang shall automatically enjoy the discount.
Promo available till 11th October 2015
Promo details: 20% off Single Trip Plan (not applicable to Basic Plan for Malaysia/Batam/Bintan) // 10% off Annual Plan
I have probably said this a million times but I just wanna remind myself again and again to be thankful/grateful that I was given a chance to experience such an adventure! Frankly, this is not the kind of trip I would plan for myself since I am not really into waking up at wee hours, hiking for hours and tiring myself out so much. I think the last time I ever had such trips was to Peru where I hiked Machu Picchu?? And that was in year 2009 lol. In a nutshell, I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone this time round and visited new places which I haven't been before!
Little moments like these are precious memories to be kept forever :)
I know it's been a long post, so thank you guys for staying with me till the end :)
Love, Shenny
Stunning! Love your post babe!
ReplyDeleteHehehe thank you babe! Waiting for your post!
DeleteNice photos, Shenny!
ReplyDeleteLike you, this trip is also an experience for myself, I would normally cater for less-adventurous itinerary for my kiddos :)
Will not be forgetting East Java for a long time.
cheers, Andy
(SengkangBabies)
Hello Andy! Hahhaha thank you :D
DeleteYesssss these memories will be with us for a life time! Hahahhaa and its definitely once in a lifetime kinda experience, I wouldn't want to hike Kawah Ijen anymore lolololololololol
Hi Shenny! My name is Kevin and I recently wrote a blog post on the topic "(Travel Bloggers Share Their) First Time Flying Business Class" - Part 1 which can be found here: http://thetravelguyshops.blogspot.jp/2016/06/my-first-time-flying-business-class-and_21.html
ReplyDeleteI would love to include excerpts of the one you wrote in Part 2! If you would like to be included, please email me at thetravelguyshops@gmail.com with the answer to the question: "How Were You Upgraded to Business Class?"
Thanks!