Visiting Tidung Island

Tidung Island was the first island that came in my head when my niece asked me for snorkeling in Thousand Island. Well.. my niece was 8th grade and she was never snorkeling in her life. So I have a plan to take her to Thousand Island and teach her snorkeling. She was very happy when I said I will take her to Tidung Island.. ^^

And then I asked some of my friends to acompanying us. Gladly, two of them was agree to join this backpack trip.. ;)

That day (10/7) I and my niece went to Marina Pier, Ancol. To visit Tidung Island, we used speed boat from Marina Pier, Ancol.
note:
Using speed boat from Marina is more expensive than from Kali Adem, Muara Angke. The cost is almost 2,5 times more expensive.

In Marina, there are many speed boats which are heading to Thousand Island. You can find them at 17th Pier. The 17th Pier is the pier that providing public transportation/speed boats to society who wants to visit Thousand Island.

When you get there, there will be some officers with blue shirt who will help you for buying the ticket. You don't have to worry about their present. They are official officers.

Or.. you can walk through to a building next the cafetaria. That building is an office which is selling ticket to Thousand Island.
You can buy the ticket on the spot, without any confirmation first..

The ticket costs in some prices, depending on the island (2016):

• Bidadari/Ayer/Untung Jawa: IDR 75K (weekday), 100K (weekend).
• Pari/Pramuka/Tidung: IDR 125K (weeday), 150K (weekend).
• Harapan/Kelapa: IDR 180K (weekday), 225K (weekend).
• Putri/Pelangi/Sepa: IDR 200K (weekday), 250K (weekend).
• Pantara: IDR 300K (weekday), 350K (weekend).

We arrived at Marina, Ancol, around 8.30 am. There were so many visitors in the pier. But most of them visiting Pari Island. Only a few visiting Tidung Island. Lucky for us, we got an empty boat!

Just 4 of us at the bottom room of the boat! ^^ Capacity of this boat is 180 people.. yeayy^^

Catching Breath at Payung Island

Sudden trip!
Yeup.. I never planned this trip (29/10) until one of my friend told me that next week some of freedivers will go to Payung Island (Payung = Umbrella -) for training.

When I heard about that, I was so excited to join because this was my chance to try again my capability of equalization in the ocean (since I failed the exam of A2 AIDA -).

And the next thing I knew, I was in a traditional ferry on the way to Payung Island..

Note:
If you want to go to Thousand Island by traditional ferry, the port had been moved. It is not next to the gas station anymore, It is moved to Kali Adem Port..
If you used public transportation, the route: Transjakarta (cost IDR 3.500), stop at Penjaringan Shelter - B01 (cost IDR 5K), stop at Muara Angke Bus Station - Becak motorbike (cost IDR 5K), stop at Kali Adem Port.
Or... you can use Transjakarta Feeder  bus from Pluit (but this bus is still rare, specially in the morning when you in hurry to catch the ferry).

Kali Adem Port

Ticket booth to Thousand Island with traditional ferry

Easy Ride to Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Few days ago I had a short trip to Bali. Even it was a short trip, I used it to visit a place that I would like to see much but I never had a change to go there everytime I went to Bali. It was Garuda Wisnu Kencana.

Yeup.. it was a simple thing but It became big if you want it so bad :p
I by myself never understood why I always fail to visit this place (back in the past-). That is why when I had a change, I did it with no doubt, alone by myself.. ^^

Is it possible to visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana alone?
Yes, of course!
In a chep and easy way?
Yes, absolutely!
How? ^^
I will tell you how.. ^^

Online Transportation

It was about 10.30 am when I stood in front of a Padang restaurant at Seminyak, Bali, (3/11). I was waiting for a driver who will drive me to Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Art.

I used G*jek to visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana. What? is it possible using online transportation to visit Garuda Wisnu Kencana? Yes, of course!

Only paid IDR 27K from Seminyak to Garuda Wisnu Kencana by using G*jek. I got 50% discount for paying by G*pay.. It should be IDR 52K, cheap? hell yeah.. ^^

You can find G*jek app at Google store and download it. This online transportation is trully help my day in Bali. Because in Bali, public transportations are rare to find. You need to rent motorbike or car to visit places.

The Beauty of Ijen Crater

previous story... Gulma vs Baluran National Park

After Baluran National Park, we went to Ijen Crater. I didn't know exactly the way that our driver chosen to go to Ijen Crater, because along the way, there was no 'spamming' things.

Roumors said, if we go to Ijen Crater by ourself, using private car, people there will stop you and force you to go out from your car and rent theirs (some kind of jeep), which is very expensive per car. They will not allow you to use your own car to get into Ijen Crater. Hm... lucky us I think ;)

Honey

When we drove on the street to Ijen Crater, I saw an interesting view, boxes among the trees. Why there were so many boxes there? And when I saw bottles in a table next to the street, I asked our diver, what was that? he said it was bottle of honey.. "
"Ow.. can I buy that?"
"Yes, of course, they sell it."

(left) Real honey. (Right) These boxes are bee hives

And then we stopped. I walked through a man who looked busy checking boxes. When he saw us, he smiled and approached us.
"How much is this honey?"
"120K each."
"How about 100K? I'll buy 2."
He said ok.. I smiled happy ^^

Bee... can you find d queen? The clue is, she has no strip in her body ;)
The queen was imported from Australia. It cost IDR 1,2 million /each.