UBUD : The City of Art

Bali is always about beaches but  that was the time when I started fall in love with Ubud. Ubud is a town in Bali and located among paddy fields and well known as an art and cultures centre.  I've been there before, but I never had opportunity to explore the city until that year I joined the UWRF. My lovely husband accompanied me. It feels like an unplanned honeymoon. I chose the hotel where we'll stay and planned some itinerary that we can do in between my sessions. 

I chose this lovely hotel on Forest Monkey Street named Barong Spa and Resort. Actually it's an accident cause we didn't have many choices cause all hotels were full and this trip was practically a spontaneous trip. After I read some reviews on trip advisor, I made my the decision. And lucky me cause this hotel was awesome. It won severals rewards and I chose the cottage that had a private pool with an affordable price. Cool, huh?

The location was also in the middle of monkey forest so it's only walking distance from everywhere. There were also many cafe, coffee shops and stores nearby. And fortunately the UWRF also provided a free ride to the venue and back to hotel.

The room I've been living for two days was located at the back of the hotel. It's a big room with private pool and lovely restroom where I wanted to take a bath forever. In the morning, birds were coming down around the pool and we can enjoyed our breakfast over the pool. The water was cold but I didn't mind, cause I was too happy that I chose this hotel. The most important part was it has a mini library and I wish someday they'll have my book on the rack. 

For quick itinerary we went to enjoy the barong and kris dance at Sukawati. It's a lovely performance and we enjoyed it very much. After the shows we looked for lunch nearby and the driver told us the tried this restaurant named Warung Nyoman. It's nice place with a lot of paintings on the wall and we had our lunch in front of a paddy fields. What an unforgettable experience.

On the our last night, we took a walk around monkey forest street and had dinner at " Bebek Bengil Restaurant" and took many pictures on the street. Actually that was me who took many pictures, thanks to my husband.

And I never got bored of Ubud the city of art.

Cheers, Dhidie

an intimate letter to welcome the guest

Heaven!!

the writer's life

 a mini library in our room

morning coffee

my morning view

breakfast, anyone?

a little Italian bistro near the hotel called "Pesto"

Barong and Kris Dance

Warung Nyoman

our lunch view

The authentic dirty duck :) Me and My happy face

yummy duck dishes

Visiting Bruce Lee City

Suwe Ora Jamu : Like a Grandma's House

That day, I joined a writing class at Indosat lead by my favourite editor and writer Windy Ariestanty. And It was awesome. She's a very inspiring woman. I learned a lot and I had the opportunity to hand her my novel. Hope she'll find sometime to read it.

Actually her class encouraged me to lead my own writing class. 

Thank's a lot, teacher !!

Then story not only ended there. On my way home I stopped by a little cafe named Suwe Ora Jamu. It's located at jalan Petogogan. I planned to go there since long time ago and it's finally came true. 

As I walked in I felt like I was transported back to my childhood when I entered my grandma's kitchen.

The decoration was superb. The place was not too full because I came in unusual hour. 

So I had my time for myself to enjoy the place only for myself.

Everything was so authentic and I took a lot pictures. You should go there by yourself so you'll know what I felt that day.

The menu also very unique, they served a long list of jamu and other traditional bites.

I felt like a kid found a new playground. A playground for a writer. 

I'll never forget that day when I met my idol and found my new playground

Cheers, Dhidie.

starstruck alert!!

felt like grandma's kitchen

thinking about having quotes written on my wall someday

fried cassava and jams

PT Rasa : A Taste of Nostalgia

I never get enough of Bandung.

There are many new places to eat in Bandung nowadays. However since I spent my college years in Bandung, those many new places are not important to me. Yes, I love to live in my past. I love memories, cause good memories make me blessed what I've had in the past and even more grateful to my present time.

There is one restaurant where I spent a lot of time back then. It's kind of my escape place that time, when I only want to chat hours with my girlfriends or whenever I want to be alone and  I don't want meet anyone that I knew from campus. It's my rendezvous place. 

This place was old school but for me it kept all those memories. And I love memories.

The restaurant named PT Rasa and until now I don't know why they've known along with the "PT". It's located at Jl Tamblong No.15. Last time I went there, as if there are nothing change. It's still stay the same and I feel like I'm on my 19s again. 

The interior still loveable and it still has a touch of memories. 

I can say that they restored this place so good.

My favourite food was laksa and bitterballen and sosis brood and the ice cream and chicken wings and poffertjes. Hahaha.. a lot huh? But my most favourite is the mustard that  accompany the dishes, Yes, strange. They have a lot range of home made ice cream, if Jakarta has Ragusa and Surabaya has zangrandi, Bandung has PT Rasa. 

Last but not least, If you went to this restaurant, don't forget to order Orange Blossom, it's an orange juice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream inside.

Cheers, Dhidie.

PT Rasa, Jl. Tamblong No. 15

Nice Exterior

Old fashion atmosphere

I love the pictures those hanging on the wall

I love memories

Classic home made ice cream

The Classic Cakes

Gleg, Fruit Tarts :) 

Bitter Ballen and Sosis Brood, I love the mustard. And Mustard Loves me.

Girl Friends with three laksa plates

UWRF: Where The Writers and Readers Collide

There are an annual event every October of the year called Ubud Writers and Readers Festival in Ubud Bali. And 4 years ago when I first come to Ubud to attend this event. And there when everything has started. When I told myself that I want to write my own book. 

It's fun to be surrounded by people who has common interest with you, and I never regret my coming to this event since it was the amazing one. A lot of famous writers from Indonesia and the countries were there to share their experience and so on. And I was so excited that I came to meet them and learned from their experience in the same room. First I came, I had a starstruck when I met A Fuad the writer of Negeri Lima Menara. It's a trilogy that came to be his best seller and it's been released in English version.  Then I also join the traveller writers session that has Trinity, the writers of Naked Traveller and Tony Wheeler who's started the Lonely Planet with his wife Maureen. Another session was great where Ayu Utami was a speaker, her book Saman was also translated into English.  Can you imagine if your book can be enjoyed by people all over the world with no language boundaries at all.
Yes, There were a lot of fun which not everybody can understand except people who love to write or read. And thanks to my husband to let me join this event and accompany me also. It feels like honeymoon itself. I'll always remember that moment back then, when I was finally fell in love with the city of Ubud.

Cheers, Dhidie

I'm too excited to arrive in Ubud

yes, me and my double name

My first session

Finally met him in flesh

should I frame it?

All women writers

Met the traveller writer

Double Fun @ Double Three

Double Three Hotel by Hilton

Last year, I was thinking of going staycation. The word staycation is refer to vacation without going out of town. 

it's the time to celebrate mine and my son's birthday so I chose this hotel for our staycation. 

What made me interested to this hotel at the beginning was its location. it's located where I spent my teenagers. it's in Menteng and just next to the movie theatre where I went so often during my high school (yes, it's cheaper ticket than other cinema and the food nearby was affordable).

And the surrounding, I mean Bikini and Menteng area was kept a lot of memory in my head. 

This hotel is kind of invisible if you don't put attention to the building on the street then you can't spot it easily. I didn't take too many pictures at lobby and in the room because we're too enjoy to take the pictures. But the interior was awesome. I love it. I love it more when the receptionist gave us the famous welcoming cookies those were so delicious. They're very generous to give us the cookie and it's just come out from the oven when we're arrived. They even sell the cans of cookies to bring home.

What I and my kids enjoyed most were the swimming pool. Because it didn't feel like we're in Jakarta. It's Bali in my imagination. I would love to lie on my back and enjoying a book at a pool side. My kids also enjoy the pool so much.

The breakfast buffet also was very satisfying. I love the choice of their coffee and it's a pool side view. 

It's really a hidden gem in Menteng. Maybe I'll come back again later only to buy the cookies.

Cheers, Dhidie.

Nice Building

The Best Part Of This Hotel is "The Cookie"

You feel like you live separated from those buildings outside

Kids just enjoying the pool side

From where I sat

I love how the serve their coffee

A Bus Trip To Cirebon

Last year exactly one day after our independence day, we planned a trip to Cirebon. This was my third times going to Cirebon with friends. This time with my neighbours. Why I decided to join this trip. Because it's a road trip and we're going visit places that I knew that I would be impossible to visit during my regular visit to this city. And this was my first time to try the new highway Cipali which connecting Cikampek and Cirebon.

Our bus was awesome. It's a big bus that equipped with karaoke system. So we can sing along the way. It's also had lounge at the back of the bus. So we can sing while chatting like in the karaoke room. However, the most important thing was it has a socket to charge our mobile.. Hahaha... So no worries for dead batteries. The itinerary was first stop we'll have our breakfast at Nasi Jamblang Bu Nur. Then we're going to visit Keraton Kasepuhan until noon. Then we're having lunch at Empal gentong Haji Apud, little shopping for batik and local snacks at Trusmi Area. Then we'll close the day by having dinner at Tomodachi resto that was located at Ade Irma Suryani Waterpark.

The first venue we visited was Keraton Kasepuhan. Have I told you that I have this strange addiction to historical building? Hahaha, weird huh?

First we entered this location, I can feel the past ambience. We sat at one of its pendopo and listening to the tour guide explainantion about this place. It's a palace with mix architecture and interior that was influenced by sundanese, javanese, Islam, China and  Dutch styles. 

Further inside there were several buildings that still well maintained. There was one building where I can pretend to be a princess at that time. The palace was awesome. After taking hundreds pictures inside, we pray at the mosque that still located at the same area. The name is Masjid Agung Cipta Rasa, this mosque was built by Majapahit architect. This place was the witness of Sunan Gunung Jati, Sunan Bonang and Sunan Kalijaga that has been living in Cirebon to deliver Islam. 

The last venue was very beautiful. We're going to have dinner at one of best restaurant in Cirebon. It's located inside a waterpark and it's seafront. So we can felt the sea wind and the saltiness of the air.  There are a lot of spot for taking pictures. And we stay there watching the sunset then continue to have dinner at the unique restaurant that formed like a big ship.

That was an exhausting yet unforgettable trip ever!

cheers, Dhidie

Let's sing a long on the bus

Imagine what happen in this palace hundreds years ago

One of the building inside the palace 

kereta sings barong

some of relics from the past

The palace surroundings

Blast from the past

The building was still well maintained

The historic mosque

high ceiling inside the mosque created the good air circulation

The Podium 

small door to enter the mosque

The Ceng Ho Restaurant from Tomodachi

Pardon my excitement for taking zillion pictures everywhere

Let's call it Amsterdam :)

The building behind me is a function that could held wedding party. Romantic huh?

The Ship

The night view from the restaurant

Lovely view at night

My favourite picture.