Solo Picnic. Bread, Oreo, Water, Mat, Big Trees, Beach, Sky and Sea.

Hey, I found a gem inside a busy city. At the first, I intended to visit Nusa Dua Beach after Sunday service in Puja Mandala. I get around using waze about a half hour and finally i get lost because waze showed me the direction which can't access by public. Well I just enjoyed the hot sunny trip. Fortunately, i found a hidden gem in here. It is located in BTDC Nusa Dua area near to Devdan show theater. Well, i don't know what is the exact name of this hidden beach. I searched in waze, it's appears Nusa Dhamma. Nusa Dhamma is not a beach name but a pura beside this beach. Yeah, maybe this is an unnamed beach. 

 

As like you see in this picture, what a shady trees. When i walk in to this beach the feeling change 180 just like walk from the hell to heaven - hot to cool - 

Quickly i found a place under a big tree and set up my mat for my first solo picnic in Bali. 

Bread. Oreo. Water. Mat. Big Trees. Beach. Sky. Sea.

[Kue Putu] Indonesian traditional snack. Steamed cake made from rice flour with grated coconut as topping. Well the taste was delicious, the texture was soft and fluffy. You can find this street food anywhere in Bali. The price is Rp 1.000/pc (less than 1 cent)

Big trees, beach, sea and sky as my friend.

Anyway, the view has nothing special. So, why i say i found a gem in here? Yeah! because it's rare to find a cool beach at 12pm in Bali.

Direction:

Search Devdan Show Theater in waze. Once you reach there, you will see parking lot for motor bike and then go straight till a gate with many big trees inside. That's the beach.

How to get there?

• Rental motor bike/car. Rental motorbike a day around Rp50.000 - Rp 80.000 (US$4 - US$7) 
• Gojek. Online ojek. available on playstore/appstore
• Grab Taxi. Online taxi. available on playstore/appstore
• Blue Bird/ Local taxi (approximately Rp 100.000 - Rp 200.000/way from Ngurah Rai airport to BTDC area)
•  Trans Sarbagita. Koridor II "Nusa Dua-Batu Bulan-Nusa Dua". It will drop you in BTDC area, then walk around using waze/google map. Public: Rp3.500; Student: Rp2.500

Hello Ajahn Brahm!

Hello Ajahn Brahm! It was amazing to see you again. 

I never thought that i will see you again since the last time i met you in Batam (1 April 2015, Pacific Palace Hotel, Batam, Indonesia - Dhamma Talk "Hello Happiness") for the first time. It was an unexpected golden opportunity that i could met you again in Bali yesterday.  Previously i never knew that you would have tour d'Indonesia in 2016 till the first time i joined Sunday service in Puja Mandala last week. They informed me that will have Ajahn Brahm Dhamma Talk on 14 April 2016. At that time, i felt so excited that i could meet you again but there was two problem that i faced:

1) The event held in Denpasar, it is too far away from my current place. 

2) I supposed to work from 11 to 8 on that day. 

Fortunately i have good Karma. I told my colleague the event during lunch and unexpected that she is interest to join so we went together. Next, work schedule; fortunately i have good seniors, Bro Andi and Bro Angga who help me to change the work schedule from 11 - 8 to 7 - 4, so i could attend your Dhamma Talk at 6pm. 

Yeap! It was also a quite long journey to reach Aston Denpasar. It took me one and half hour by motorbike to reach there. But compare to you, my problems are nothing. You declined India prime minister's invitation just to come here from Australia to share and spread your happiness to us. I feel grateful, absolutely worth it!

 

First, thanks to Bu Vessa who help me to get this golden ticket:)

Ajahm Brahm Dhamma Talk

"Happy Everyday"

Date: 14 April 2016

Venue: Aston Hotel & Convention Center, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia   

 

Well, take a selfie first before the Dhamma Talk start. 

Thanks to Ce Angel who come with me to attend this Dhamma Talk.

 

Finally, I meet you again. 

Well let me share you reader an inspiration story from Ajahn Brahm!

One day if you step in dog poo, don't clean it directly at the grasses or something else first but bring it to home with you. When you arrive home, clean it under your mango tree. One year later, for sure your mangoes will be very sweet. Once you eat the sweet mangoes happily, think what you eat actually. Thanks to the dog, its dog poo bring sweeter mangoes.

 

Hey readers! Let me Kristine Winata ask you a question, one day if you really step in dog poo, will you clean it directly or bring it to home? Nah maybe almost all of you will clean it directly and say it's funny why bring the awful dog poo to home. 

So, what's the point actually? Dog poo bring sweeter mangoes story actually tell us that bad things is not always bad, try to see the positive side and turn bad to good! Well i know it's not easy to do and at all the time most people always see bad things as bad, bad and bad and the at last being desperate just like people won't bring home the dog poo to bring sweeter mangoes. If you really can do it, you are wise people! 

At the end of seminar, there was a signature and photo session with my idol. 

During the que in a hour, i notice that all of the people are very happy to take a photo with you. You sign many many books and give many many many smile to many many many people for us take photo with you. I am sure you are happy because we are very very very very very happy before, during and after take a photo with you. Thank you Ajahn Brahm for share your happiness to us.

I'm happy even just talk to you in few seconds: 
Me: "Thank you, Ajahn. Can we take a selfie?"
Ajahn Brahm: "sure" 
(I take out my phone with photo stick)
Ajahn Brahm: "ah, photo stick"
Me: "I have good Karma. Thank you, Ajahn."  

Well, this is what i bring to home. Two books of Ajahn Brahm, "Si Cacing dan Kotoran Kesayangannya 2 & 3", Thank you for sign in our books, Ajahn Brahm. 
Anyway, The puru-puru drinks is very nice!

Last but not least, Thanks to all sponsor who make this happen. Thank you with much appreciate!

Thank you. See you again when i see you, Ajahn Brahm:)

Welcome to the Paradise!

It is a wonderful beach ever! Well i found paradise in Padang-Padang Beach. So far Padang-Padang Beach is the best beach i ever visited in Bali. The suitable sentence to describe the feeling is, "Definitely I will come back again!"

 What impressed me actually?

Scenery? No!

People? No!

Surfing? No!

then what?

 Well, if i compare the scenery, i have to say that the sunrise in Sanur Beach and 

the blue sea in Bluepoint Beach are much better than the scenery in Padang-Padang Beach.

Then people? Yeah, actually it's quite crowded. 

You may find many foreigner and local people here, but it's not crowded as like as Kuta Beach.

How about surfing? 

I think the neighbor beach, Bluepoint beach is much suitable for surfing than Padang-Padang Beach. The wave here just so so only.

Then what impressed me?

"Peace of the Beach"

Sunshine, sky, wind, sands and sea are working perfectly.

 [Sunshine of 4.30pm] Personally i don't like come to beach on hot day. 

If you like to do sun tanning, you may come here earlier at noon. 

But if you don't like hot day just like me, i suggest you to come here around 4pm. It would be much suitable for you because the sunshine just cover other side of the beach.

[6pm] Even though unable to catch the perfect sunset like Kuta Beach, we still can see the spark of the sunset just like in the picture. 

The cool wind made me wanna stay longer at here. 

Sand here is clean and soft, almost no coral. It would be most friendly with your foot.

Dip into a sea bath. It is clear and no coral. absolutely suitable for swimming!

You must bring your swim suit and swimming, otherwise you will regret.

Heyyaa! Here is the entrance to Padang-Padang Beach. 

Hello, Monkey! Becareful of your belonging, there are monkeys around.

Entrance fee: 

Local: Rp 5.000

Foreigner: Rp 10.000

[access to the beach] come to evening, the ways is quite dark. be careful! use your phone light. 

How to get in?

- Rental car / motor bike 

- Gojek (online booking ojek, download the apps at playstore/appstore)

- Grab taxi (online booking taxi, download the apps at playstore/appstore)

- Local taxi/bluebird 

 No public transportation like Trans Sarbagita to reach here. 

 Come in the evening, there was a young man playing a music. very nice!

Around?

There are local peoples selling some beach clothes and beautiful scarf. Don't forget to bargain! Try to bargain start from the half price to get the cheapest price.

Tips:

- Beware of monkey! never put your belonging nearby the hills because there are monkeys around. That time i visited there, a monkey took the local seller's bag. 

- Bring your swim suit. I'm sure you will regret if you not swim. 

- Bring beach mat, water and snack. 

If you come to Bali, you must come to Padang-Padang Beach at least once. 

Welcome to Paradise!

Watch and subscribe my video in youtube!

Location: 

Padang-Padang Beach

Jalan Labuhan Sait, Pecatu

Bali, Indonesia

Water Blow, Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia

Throwback to my first exploring Bali trip, it was "Water Blow" at BTDC Nusa Dua. It is an amazing waves on the rock cliff. The wave hit the reef, pressure rises and blow up. That's why this place called Water Blow.

This is the gate to enter Water Blow. 

To reach this gate, we have to enter from main gate of BTDC Nusa Dua then drive around 5 minutes to reach the second gate which is enter to Nusa Dua Beach. 

Drop at the second main gate then walk through the beach and big statue then walk till the end follow the sign to reach this gate to enter Water Blow area.

This is a big rock statue in water blow area.

Do you see the fence behind the rock statue? 

Yes, that is fence but the fence not covered the whole area. 

So, please be careful!

Actually this area is consider as dangerous area. 

If you are there and the huge waves come, you can easily fall down on the rock reefs.

 Yeah! because i came at noon. So, the blow was not huge. 



              Water Blow, Nusa Dua
Semenanjung Nusa Dua, Nusa Dua, Bali 80517, Indonesia
Entrance fee: Free   How to get in?  

-Gojek-

Ojek online. Simply download gojek apps in to your mobile. 

(approximately Rp31.000 from Ngurah Rai International Airport to BTDC Nusa Dua)

  

-Grab Taxi-

Taxi online. The system same as Gojek, just simply download Grab Taxi apps in to your mobile. 

  

-Taxi-

You can easily find local taxi or blue bird taxi in airport.

-Trans Sarbagita-

One of the public transportation in Bali. From Ngurah Rai Airport, drop at BTDC Nusa Dua. Take the bus with the sign "Koridor II Batu Bulan - Nusa Dua - PP". If you are not sure, you can easily ask the staff whether they will go to the BTDC Nusa Dua and please ask them to inform you when reach the destination. The ticket is very cheap but for sure you have to walk a distance to reach this place.

Price: Rp 3.500 (public) / Rp 2.500 (child/student)

Hotel?

BTDC - Bali Tourism Development Coorporation

There are a lot of hotels in this area. (look at the map below)

Pacific Palace's Dimsum Buffet (Batam)

One of the delicious and affordable dimsum buffet in Batam's hotel.

Happy Sunday, people! 

Sunday is brunch day.

Here i would like to recommend you one of the affordable dimsum buffet in Batam. 

Yeah, it is at Golden Palace Restaurant in Pacific Palace Hotel. 

Pacific Palace Hotel is the first hotel in Batam which is offering dimsum buffet on weekend and also the only hotel which is offering dimsum buffet on Saturday night.

But I personally prefer to come here on Sunday morning because more choices of dimsum are available than on Saturday night. 

Well, so how about the taste? Let's check it out!

I always take both of it.... and same story always happen.

[Har-Gao] is always good. The prawn is fresh, springy, and the skin is nice and chewy.

I and my friends always take minimum 5 portions of Har-Gao and 
gladly we always finished it. 

[Char Siew Bao] Basically this should be steamed bun with pork filling but no pork, no lard in here. They change the filling with minced chicken meat. Well the taste is average, nothing special.

I always take a portion of Char Siew Bao. 

When my friends saw it, they shaking their head and response, 

"You know we don't like Char Siew Bao then why you always take Char Siew Bao since you never finish it by yourself and everytime we are forced to finish it?"

 Actually, I'm sorry sisbro! 

Because i just can't resist the temptation of Char Siew Bao. 

Everytime i only finished half of it and my other 3 friends was forced to settle the rest. 

So, this is what we say "brotherhood".

Fried bean, Lo Bak Gor and fried dumpling are always be my favorite all the time. 

and must eat the PORRIDGE ok?! yummy to the max!

Hello! They are my brotherhood. Well let me introduce them to you. 

My right side is Mr Ruswin Tao (He always take a big portion fried dumplings)

My opposite is Mr Jhon Cristori (He always help to finished the Har-Gao and Char Siew Bao)

My left side is Ms Ryryn Emon Kho (She likes the SiuMai)

and I will always take a portion of Char Siew Bao. 

Sorry guys! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Price: Rp 99.000++/person (adult)

(Based on 13 March 2016)

 Do you get birthday on Saturday or Sunday? Here is a good gift for you to enjoy free of charge dimsum buffet at Pacific Palace Hotel. 

You just need to show them your identity card and you can enjoy their new promotion.

(based on 1 March 2016)

 

Location:

Golden Palace Chinese Restaurant 

Pacific Palace Hotel

Jl. Duyung, Sei Jodoh

Batam, Indonesia

Contact:

+62778 421111

Instagram:

@pacificpalacehotel

A Sunday well-spent brings a week of content. 
Let's have a Happy Sunday, people!

Bread of Kurtos (Batam)

are you looking for some new, tasty and unique bread? 

Try this Hungarian old bread - Bread of Kurtos! 

 

 

 

 [Nutella Hazelnut] 

It's a wonderful time for Nutella lovers!

A "super" sized bread with authentic look. A crispy bread crust with nutella sauce and hazelnut spread across surface contrast with soft content. 

For the flavor, no doubt.....sweet nutella flavor with crunchy hazelnut will make you crave for more from first bite. For the price at Rp 25.000/piece (based on 12 September 2015), its quite pricey but worth to try and dying for!

Location:

Food Street, Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall

(Near to Sun Bread, Pizza Hut and KFC)

Batam, Indonesia