Spring time in Japan

Staying at home for two full weeks, although amidst never ending home works for the kids and my own assignment, makes me take the liberty to dig up my files and post some old photos and videos. I realised I have tons of them even from 10 years ago, when we lived in Geneva, Switzerland , and took so many photos during our road trip to more than 20 countries in Western and Central Europe. Well, let's see whether I can bring them back alive and put them in My Purple World.

One thing for sure, it is now spring in many parts of the world, particularly in the western hemisphere. In Indonesia, spring is probably all year long, as we only have dry and rainy seasons along the year. 
And I love spring.
It always brings back the colors and the fun after a long, dull, cold winter.
It brings hope for new beginning, a new chapter of life.
Something to look forward to.

Well, as we are now fighting the pandemic, wherever we are, we long for that beautiful and warm spring, don't we? But as many of us are practising physical and social distancing, some are even in lock down, let's celebrate spring virtually. 

Morning cherry blossoms walk in Ueno Park, Japan

I still have so many photos of spring that I haven't really put here.
Including those from Spring time in Ueno, Japan, back in March 2018.
I transited in Tokyo on my way to Noumea, New Caledonia in the Pacific.
It was two years ago but it felt like yesterday.
That was also my first time coming to this Land of the Rising Sun.

I just managed to make the video of my spring trip to Japan.
I know..it's been too long but not that long enough to forget how lovely the trip was.

Feel free to enjoy the photos as much as I do and tell me what you think about spring.

I did manage to go to Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden as well to see more cherry blossoms and enjoy more spring in Japan.

But hey, spring time in New York City is also beautiful.
We had so much time enjoying the cherry blossoms in Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the UN Rose Garden, and Flushing Meadow, Corona Park, Queens.

Cheers from the Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Now I kinda miss the UN Headquarters which looks lovely every spring due to those beautiful lines of cherry trees blooming in the Rose Garden, against the background of East River and the Queensboro Bridge. Well, you can see how I miss those places!

Happy spring, everyone!

So how do you enjoy spring in your place?
Is it your favorite season?

Meanwhile, wherever you are, stay healthy, happy and safe!
Happy spring and cheers..

WW: St. George’s, the Capital City of Grenada

I know it’s a #throwback edition of my visit to Grenada, the Island of Spice as I made my journey there in 2017. 
But as I was just finishing the video of my little adventure down here (better late than never) brings me all those good memories back. And I have to say, St. George’s, the capital city of Grenada, has a lot to offer.

I stayed in Grenada for 4 days and most of them were filled with endless meetings.
Nevertheless, Grenada has been a wonderful host and we really got a chance to actually see the city.

had so much fun diving in Grenada..

So besides diving and Catamaran sail, I did visit Fort Frederick, the historical site of the country as well as the best spot to see the city from above.
Not to mention a little stroll we had in the local market.
As I have probably mentioned before, Indonesia and Grenada are closely related, as we both

The local choco from Grenada

Mini me and I way back then..

I was there for a UN meetings and in between, we managed to see the beauty of the lovely state in the West Indies of the Caribbean.
I was lucky to stay at the Radisson Hotel right by the Grand Anse Beach.
The hotel is lovely and I had the full view on sunset on the beach.  

Let's explore the beach..

Down town at the city, we strolled around the market and bought some souvenirs.
We went up hill to see the bird eyes' view of the St. George's.
I love it!

right in the middle of the city

The rainbow..

Here are some photos I took along the way.
Most of them were taken around Grand Anse beach, the famous white-sandy beach in the country, as well as downtown.

Getting ready for our diving trip

Let's sail..

Care for some souvenirs

Yummy salad..

Let's relax..

The Radisson Grenada Hotel

the rainbow over the St. George's

Feel free to check out my video at my YouTube channel as well.

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Wonderful Places to Visit in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia.

Welcome to the Mangkunegaran Palace

Wonderful Places to Visit in Solo, Central Java, Indonesia

Solo.

Have you been visited this beautiful city in Central Java?
I have
And I love it!

Solo has always been special for me.

This peaceful city has long been famous for its Palace, cultural live, and wonderful people. No wonder it has a special place in my hearts.

Particularly since this is the very place where the door to the blogging world was opening up for me.

Yup..this is where I joined  Asean Blogger Festival back in 2013.

It all started when my office, Directorate for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs of MOFA assigned me to join ASEAN Blogger Festival as one of the speakers for Freedom of the Expression session as well as the Master of Ceremony for the opening session and welcoming dinner. It was kind of work I love to have. So I joined the event and I loved it!

I met so many bloggers from ASEAN (p.s.: to those who are not familiar with what ASEAN is, it's the Association of South - East Asian Nations which comprises of Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Viet Nam, Myanmar, Cambodia, Lao PDR, and the Philippines). as well as from all over Indonesia. As this is one of the biggest blogger events in the region at that time,  I met many senior bloggers and those who have been famous for being one. Lucky me! 

This is the place where I met the founders of my blogging community, Kumpulan Emak Blogger, and some other blogging communities that have been active for quite some times. I instantly joined them and I have been blogging since then! Another great thing is that we manage to keep our friendship up until now. Precious indeed.

And Solo couldn't be more than perfect for that. Its cultural richness and historical sites for many special occasions, - including the site of the first human 

Pura Mangkunegaran

Rasanya kunjungan ke Solo akan kurang lengkap jika tidak mengunjungi Pura Mangkunegaran yang sangat terkenal sebagai istana resmi Kadipaten Praja Mangkunegara dan kerap menjadi pusat aneka kegiatan, terutama kebudayaan. 

Pura Mangkunegaran or the Mangkunegaran Palace is the official palace of the Mangkunegaran royal family, the ruler of the kingdom in Solo.

Ada beberapa tempat yang bisa dilihat oleh publik dan ada beberapa bagian yang privat di istana yang dibangun oleh Pangeran Samber Nyawa atau Raden Mas Said yang menjadi  Pangeran Adipati dengan gelar Mangkunegaran I. Rasanya kalau sedang berkunjung ke keraton seperti ini, aku ingin mendengar lebih banyak lagi berbagai cerita dan hikayat jaman dulu, termasuk aneka affairs LOL #anaknyakepo.

Foto by my friend Vienna

Sebelumnya saya juga sempat menghabiskan waktu di salah satu pendopo yang terbuka saat Mangkunegaran Art Festival digelar. Sepertinya gelaran ini dilakukan setiap setahun sekali but I gotta check on that. One thing for sure, this festival is too good to miss!

Berbagai tarian tradisional cantik dipersembahkan olhe para penari yang cantik dan keren. Bener- bener menyenangkan deh! Karena acaranya diselenggarakan secara profesional dan tarian serta kesenian yang ditampilkan pun juara!

I love this one as well!

Museum Keris Surakarta - Surakarta Keris Museum

Have you heard of Keris or Kris, Indonesian traditional dagger?
Famously known for its asymmetrical shape and unique pattern of laminating the iron and nickel, Keris has long been famous as part of Indonesian culture, particularly in Java.
It is very distinctive so that Keris has been nominated as UNESCO  Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
And Solo, or the city of Surakarta, has a special museum for this.

Sudah ada yang pernah mampir ke sini? 

Saya baru tau kalau Solo punya Museum Keris yang lumayan lengkap dan unik.

Saat ke sini, terasa sekali kalau museum ini memang baru dibuka.

Di museum ini kita bisa mengetahui sejarah keris yang merupakan bagian budaya Jawa yang sangat erat eksistensinya dengan masyarakat Jawa. Oh ya, Keris juga telah resmi menjadi UNESCO  Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity! Keren kaaan...Membanggakan sekali ya! Keris telah menjadi salah satu karya seni budaya yang menjadi warisan budaya kemanusiaan lisan dan nonbendawi.

Selain itu, kita bisa melihat proses pembuatan keris dari awal saat jaman dahulu, penyebaran keris di berbagai wilayah Indonesia maupun kawasan Asia Pasifk,  dan berbagai jenis keris yang unik dan kerap 'berisi', untuk mereka yang percaya.

Some of the traditional Indonesian Keris

Kalau ada kesempatan, jangan lewati museum yang satu ini ya.

Banyak hal menarik yang bisa dilihat.
Dan jangan lupa untuk pakai sepaut yang nyaman. Waktu kami ke sana, somehow liftnya tidak berfungsi, jadi lumayan juga turun naik sampai lantai 4 or 5 untuk melihat beranek ragam koleksi keris yang dipajang ini.

Belanja Batik dan Souvenir tradisional

Solo dan Batik adalah satu kesatuan yang tidak bisa dipisahkan. Meskipun banyak tempat di Jawa yang juga terkenal dengan batiknya, Solo memiliki kekhasan tersendiri untuk warna dan pola Batik yang dihasilkan. Bahkan Solo juga kerap menggelar Karnaval Batik Solo yang makin terkenal karena keunikannya. One of the batik collections that I admire while visiting Solo is the one they use to adorn the wayang displayed in the Royal  Surakarta Heritage hotel. Batik Solo is awesome indeed.

Kami sempat mampir di beberapa toko sepanjang Kampung Batik Lawean dan Kaumna. Buat kalian yang cinta Batik, siap - siap kalap yaaa karena banyak sekali kain Batik cantik yang rasanya sayang dilewatkan. Selain itu, kami juga belanja beberapa souvenir khas dan makanan asli Solo seperti intip dan serabi Solo. Pokoknya enak-enak semua juga! Kalau tanya yang saya beli apa saja, saya akan jawab semuaaa LOL. Memang pulang dari Solo kemarin, saya sempat membeli aneka keripik, abon Solo yang sangat terkenal dan juga intip serta jajanan pasa. Bahagia deeh pokoknya.

I believe there are so many beautiful places you can visit in Solo but since I only have one and a half day here (including my full day meeting, mind you), these are a few wonderful places you should not miss when you are visiting this lovely city.
So, which place that you think you will visit in Solo when you get a chance?
Tell me in the comments, please.
See you on the next adventures, dear friends!

WW: Way Lalaan Waterfalls, Lampung, Indonesia

Here comes our first trip in 2020!

This time, as we spend new year's eve at my hometown, Lampung, we took the liberty to explore more of its natural landscape.
We drove to Kota Agung (interestingly, translated as the Holy City ), the capital of Tanggamus regent, in Lampung Province. It took us around 2 hours to reach the city and we directly visited this famous waterfalls.

My kids went crazy as that was the first time for them to see the waterfalls that close and even swam under it!
Super exciting indeed.
As for me, I haven't visited this very place since ages ago and was super happy to go back!

Enjoy the photos while I will be back for more detailed stories.

clean and fresh water..

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Luxurious and Inspiring Stay at Conrad Bali Hotel - Perfect Holiday Spot

Welcome to Conrad Bali

As I stepped into the room, I immediately embraced the cool breeze welcoming me to my room. I instantly smiled.
After being refreshed with cool towel and fresh welcome drink (Sprite and lemongrass are super cool!) when I arrived around 20 minutes ago, coming to my beautiful room is indeed the reason why I come to this hotel.
I feel homy.
And super comfy.

Bli Made, the bell boy helping me with the luggage, softly informed all the amenities of the room. He offered further helps should I need more. Such a friendly guy.

Well, welcome to Conrad Bali Hotel!

Sunrise at Benoa, the backyard of Conrad Bali Hotel

Luxurious hotel, feels like home. Lovely pools!

That's my tag for Conrad Hotel Bali.

And I do enjoy my luxurious and inspiring stay at Conrad Hotel Bali.

Conrad Bali Hotel.

Have you heard of it before?

Or probably you have spent some nights here as well?

One thing for sure, I have stayed in this hotel couple of times before and I keep coming back.

"Love the hospitality, the staff and the pools!"

I first stayed in Conrad Bali back in 2011.
Indonesia was the Chairman of ASEAN at that time and I was on duty to be the liaison officer for the Prime Minister of Lao.
He stayed in the Suite while I got the Ocean View not far from his complex.
Lucky me!
That's when I first fell in love with its amazing room, hospitality, and services. Let alone the amazing view I got to enjoy on daily basis.

Welcome to Conrad Bali Hotel

Then, I get back in 2019 for the preparation of my event.
We stayed at the Ocean View as well and enjoyed every part of the hotel.
It was a packed visit we once again wooed by Conrad Bali's endless charm.
We got the check the rooms and the whole facilities in the vicinity.
Love it!

And a week after, I came back for the third time and definitely happy to be back!

the ocean view room

The room is spacious with big balcony and lounging sofa inside and at the balcony. Comfortable mattress, lovely pillows and bed sheets are to die for. 
I mean, be honest.. we don't always find or be lucky enough to have nice, back-supporting mattress in the hotel. Most of their mattresses are soft. Too soft or simply too worn out.
The same goes with the pillows.
But that's not the case with Conrad Bali Hotel.
I find the bed so comfy yet support my backache-prone body.
Another reason to sleep early and wake up late.

The interior of the newly - renovated room is also fresh and directly reminding you of the ocean. Fresh turquoise and ocean - blue colors are popping out from the cushions, pillows, and rug. The Balinese carvings adorn the room as well, be it as the night light cover and wall decoration.
Such a feast for the eyes!

The twin bed 

I love the fact that there is a huge plate of fresh food with hand - written post card greeting me personally as I entered the room. 
Moreover, it have mangosteen! One of the my favorite tropical fruits! 
It certainly costed my tons to get some while we were in New York.
And while in Indonesia, especially Bali which has been famous for its tropical fruits as well, I can definitely enjoy it to my heart's content.

Welcome..and enjoy the fruit!

The view of the  ocean and the pools is amazing!
I could vividly hear the swirling water and the waves from the distance.
Inviting you to come down and plunge yourself in the fresh water.
Such a calming sound for me.

Gorgeous view, isn't it!

Now let's take a look at the bath room and the amenities.
They are lovely as well as complete. 
Here in the bathroom, you get your private bath tub, shower and obviously toilet.
The bathroom is spacious and you can fell its luxury it makes you wanna stay there longer than you should LOL
The Mandarin Tea collection is super nice, ranging from the bath gel, shampoo, conditioner, refreshing body lotion, comb, dental kit, shower cap, nail file, and more. Power outlet, huge and make up mirror, as well as hair dryer are available.
And in the bath tub you can find bath salt infused with fragrant frangipani!
I love it!

My cozy corner..

You definitely have complete mini bar in the room, free water, coffee and tea with sugar and cream, with coffee maker and water boiler ready. Slippers, bath robes, hangers, ironing board and iron, plus safety box as well as shoe shine and related amenities are there for you to use. And there is one big woven beach bag that you can use during your stay.  

The room is indeed exquisite!

I have everything captured in my video about Conrad Bali Hotel at my YouTube channel.
Feel free to have the tour of the room below :).

And as you step outside, they have many pools for you to try! 
Truly many lovely choices to explore while spending some times here.
You can jog along the shore line then plunge yourself to the nearest pool in the vast area of the hotel.
You can definitely hit the gym and enjoy the spa as well.

Besides, the beach and its stunning sunrise are waiting. 
Tanjung Benoa, where the hotel is located, has long been famous for its sunrise.

So don't you there miss it!

the beach early in the morning.. when it's not the tide

The breakfast is also nice as we have so many choices, particularly the fresh fruits. 
Suku Restaurant, where you have the breakfast, is boasted with Indonesian, Western, Indian, and Japanese cuisine (and more!) perfectly tailored for your power and satisfying breakfast. Especially if you have planned to explore Bali afterwards.
I had my customized ginger-lemon-honey infused warm water made for me every morning by the helpful waitress here in the restaurant. 
Heaven!

Bon appetit..

I can go on and on and on about the inspiring stay I had with Canrad Bali Hotel.
But again as I said, I hope you can get more information from my YouTube video.
For sure, get more information and rate at www.conradbali.com

See you on the next adventures and stories indeed!