Travelog: Nias

I took an hour flight to Nias and arrive at the small airport on the edge of the island at Gunung Sitoli. Its not much of the city as it is a small place with few shops along the street. When you arrive you’ll be like and idol stars welcome by renting car drivers who try to take a passanger. Its not a formal taxi and you have to negotiate to get the right price till your destination. But once again you have no clue what is the right price for the distance you try to reach. Based on the information I receive from the fellow traveller, from the airport till to Teluk Dalam the place I’m planning to go is round about 300K IDR which is a lot. But seing the surrounding I understand why they put higher price, the distance wuite long and there is not much option for public transportation.

Sunset at Sorake beach, Nias

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Travelog: Mentawai

Mentawai consist of several island and famous for the Mentawai ethnic and their beautiful beach with waves for the surfer. I am not a surfer but I really eager to visit the place as you only see it through tv in the previous time. So the trip start with a fast boat riding for 6 hours, its a beautiful day, the clouds are full above the blue ocean and there are some fish jumping over in the middle of somewhere as I sit on top of the boat. We stop by at Mailepet port then continue the riding for another 2 hours before we arrived at our destination port. I go with a guide and another two friend traveler. Then we meet with another couple who just been abandoned by their guide so there is 6 of us at the end. The trip should be accompanied by a guide as they people speak in their ethnic language so we will need to be accompanied by certified guide who can help us to communicate with the local people. From the port we took 30 minutes ride to the villages where we will took another small wooden boat through the river to the jungle. Another man from the village join us as additional helper, so there are seven of us on the small boat with addition to the boat driver.

Cookie, Sikerei from Mentawai

Cookie, the Sikerei from Mentawai

Travelog: Visiting Puncak Mandeh, Painan and Pesisir Selatan

After several days playing and watching sunsets at Bungus, we got back to Teluk Kabung and continue the journey to the sout part of the area where there is new open place they say as Raja Ampat Sumatera which know as Puncak Mandeh. You can see the view from above and the beauty almost the same like shown at Raja Ampat at Papua, Irian Jaya the other province of Indonesia located on the eastern part of the country. It takes around two hours by riding the motor bike and yes the view are breathtaking. We stop for a while, take some pictures and continue the journey.

The view from Puncak Mandeh, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia

Travelog: Going to Teluk Kabung, Bungus

From the Maninjau Lake, me and my motorguide go back to Bukit Tinggi as the transit spot before we go to Teluk Kabung at the edge of the island. We go through so many new places to reach there. We go pass Batu Sangkar again towards Sawahlunto and old city known as a mining city in the previous time and maintain well to preserve the history. I stopped by for a while since I have another friend who lives there. Yes the advantage of entering government school is you have so many friends from all over the places in Indonesia so I’m happy to see familiar faces after long time no see. Its like waking up the youth in you once again ‘meh’  

Happy to see long time no see friend again at Sawahlunto

Travelog: Puncak Lawang, Kelok 44 and Maninjau Lake

I spend a  night on a hostel above a cafe in Bukit Tinggi which probably I’m not recommended anymore  since I arrive late and its the only available place at that time. The bed is not clean like someone already use it before we use, the bed is itchy and the window frame full of cigarrete buts and its noisy as hell till 1 am but hey let just take it, sleep  and leave.

The next morning we continue the ride to see the famous Maninjau Lake, before reaching the lake we go to the top of the hill known as Puncak Lawang where you should be able to see the lake from above if the sky is clear but the fog at that day didnt give the view I was expecting since its too cloudy. The small park above the hill filled with small cafe with cofee and snack shop, people gathering to take picture on the edge of the hills then off we go down wards to Maninjau lake, passing another famous area known as Kelok 44. Named kelok 44 because the road to the lake is consist of 44 turns so make sure you drink your medicine to avoid car drunk due to the turns.

Picture spot at Puncak Lawang where you can see Maninjau Lake from above.

Travelog: Watching Pacu Jawi and Playing Princess at Batu Sangkar

From Harau valley I moved out through the cities using the guide with motorbike since its the common transportation with the expertise driver who know the area. It quite cost me but that is the recommended transportation to travel around. I know the guide since he take several guesses to the homestay and he is one of the recommended guide by Ibu Nonik as the owner of the homestay. So he pick me up from the homestay, pack my backpack on the motorbike and off we go.

The cow rider during Pacu Jawi at Batu Sangkar, so many muddy splash

Travelog: Payakumbuh – Lembah Harau

Berdasarkan informasi dari hasil browsing dan rekomendasi yang cukup baik saya memutuskan akan mencoba menginap di Lembah Harau, tepatnya di Abdi Homestay yang lokasinya tepat di tepi lembah. Saya menghubungi nomor kontak yang diberikan dan pindah dari tengah kota menuju lembah Harau menggunakan grab.

Harau valley, Sumatera Barat

Teletubbies valley

someone goes crazy in there, it must be because of the heat ;p

Teletubbies valey, Bromo, 2015

Going down

Walking down is not a fun part neither, you have to be more careful since the dry sand is slippery

Bromo crater, 2015

Bromo stairway

its a 150 step away, so close yet soooo tiring ‘hosh hosh hosh’

150 stairway of Bromo, 2015