Princess Cheryl Around the World

Uluwatu and Tanah Lot, 2nd attempt

princesscheryljw — Fri, 2 Apr 2010 02:53:00 GMT

This year I sort of having a series of revisiting trips! Bali for the second time, Macau for the second time, and Hong Kong for the third.

Too much to post, but so little time! Thus I rather do simple photo blogging. I love my valentine present - my Sigma 10-20mm wide angle lens. It has then walked 4 places and fulfilling my desire of capturing sceneries.

Now, feel the serenity of the holy Uluwatu. Second attempt, yet so amazing.

Always my best travel partner. I always feel myself missing something when I travel without him. Another trip soon? I wish I have the time... let me think how. =)

Experience the sunset at Tanah Lot without the sun! Last trip I've seen the sun sinking slowly into the sea, this trip the sunset color was totally different, with the shades of orange and violet.

Love this photo the most! I'm very satisfied with my smile. Bedazzled...

Jimbaran Bay Seafood

princesscheryljw — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 18:29:00 GMT

When people talk about seafood and sunset in Bali, the first place that comes to their mind is Jimbaran Bay. Am I right? But in this post I'm not going to talk about the sunset, in fact, I'm going to share about the sunrise and breakfast at Jimbaran Bay. Hoho~

Surprised? Breakfast at Jimbaran Bay?

Hmm...

Gotcha! It's lunch at Jimbaran Bay.

Our professional photographers - Nicky and Ben

Boga Wista Seafood Restaurant

Marvelous sunshine. Best time for photo shooting. But DSLR requires skill and I'm not mastering it yet. Now I appreciate the excellence of a compact camera. One shot done deal. Especially the vivid colors of my Lumix.

If you're not prepared for this, stay indoor when you're at Bali.

Or bring an umbrella.

Or get a higher SPF sunblock.

I just accompanied my friend Jenny to get the SPF130 PA+++ sunblock last week. She's in Bali now. I don't know if she'd regret for going to Bali because she's so afraid of the sun...

While waiting for our lunch to be served, I took a walk at the beach.

I was posing under the umbrella (lan yau yeng...)

The Jimbaran Bay seafood course!

Soup...

Vege served with chili... You will not like the taste..

I love their chili paste and sambal! Really hot and spicy!

Here's our individual servings of seafood platter.

Yummy yummy~

The grill fish was nice. But other than fish, everything else was also grilled. That's the style of Jimbaran Bay seafood. Don't put too high hope as many people thinks that seafood here is overrated. Perhaps... but I still like the fish because though it's grilled it still tastes juicy.

(^.") Another fun and hassle-free trip organized and arranged by my sponsor Summer Planner.

While having lunch, we were entertained too... watch the video clip.

Ooooo... D-I-C-K-S in Bali

princesscheryljw — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 21:23:00 GMT

The gang was so excited about dicks in Bali... Souvenirs for their friends and colleagues. But I didn't buy any... did I actually miss out buying these??!! Never mind, go and read Grey's post about "phallus".

Photo adapted from Grey's blog

Footprints of Kooky and us in Bali

princesscheryljw — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 00:17:00 GMT

I've had a great time in Bali this trip. Trying out my 500D and I'm happy with the photos, especially the poser ones. =P

Kooky's potraits...

Sunrise at Kintamani

princesscheryljw — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:25:00 GMT

Initially we should be witnessing the miracle sunrise moment on top of Mt.Batur, but due to last minute decision and not enough rest (too much Bintang beer the night before...) we gave up the plan. Actually we didn't bring the appropriate shoes as well, I'm not a hiking kaki, cannot just walk up with normal sneakers... And we slipped a few times due to the very loose volcanic soil. I know it's quite embarrasing, but I really couldn't make it through. Maybe next round. =)

Sub-product of the failure hiking trip... Sunrise moment at Kintamani. I put the photos into a video as well, enjoy!

Where we stayed in Ubud

princesscheryljw — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:57:00 GMT

This is my mini palace in Ubud. Something different right? I've never expected that the doors of our room is soooo Chinese. I mean the bling bling gold paint.

Meet Melissa the smiling dog. She just gave birth to 4 puppies when we were there. I didn't manage to find her pups because she hid them really deep into the abandoned store at the back of the kitchen... Awww....

I miss the breakfast... It's one of the most delicious breakfast we had during our first visit to Bali.

Ubud random shots

princesscheryljw — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:50:00 GMT

For the sake of updating my travelog in Bali before my coming trip in less than a month. This was in Ubud.

If you notice, you will see the items for prayer everywhere, on the ground, or even on the car... This is Bali. =)

Balinese loves crackers!

princesscheryljw — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 21:39:00 GMT

I've been crunching a lot of crackers when I was in Bali. Day and night, almost every meal, except breakfast. *Am cruching my fav deep fried pork skin.*

You can find all sorts of crackers sold at food stalls.

Including my favorite deep fried pork skin. I tried it once, got it from my Philippino-Chinese mix student last time. His mother is a Pinoy, and every time when her sisters came visit them from the Philippines, they would pack a whole box of "junk food" and send to KL. It's really cheap in Bali, probably less than a Ringgit for a packet.

And for all dishes served, you will find prawn crackers. No doubt that the fried rice in Bali really taste good, the meat were very juicy. Worth to try!

I will write a review on Babi Guling rice in the coming post. Anyway most of the food in Bali is non-halal because more than 90% of the residents are practising Hinduism.

Babi Guling Ibu Oka

princesscheryljw — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 22:11:00 GMT

Warning!! This is not a halal post. Balinese food is non-halal, and they definitely love pork.

I think the majority who visited Bali would have tried Babi Guling. It is indeed a nice delicacy, crispy pork with lots of seasoned long beans, and served with not-so-spicy chili paste (don't trust me too much when I say it's not spicy... I eat chili padi with rice quite often)

I'm not sure how many other restaurants are famous of selling Babi Guling, but it is pretty easy to find Babi Guling in Bali (not eat-in in restaurants I mean). You see, it is comparable with our Nasi Lemak, you can find it almost anywhere in Bali.

By the road side.

At tourist spot (Tanah Lot).

We went to this famous restaurant in Ubud. Ibu Oka.

Full house!

The lady boss (I think so) busy slicing.

Waitresses busy serving.

Customers busy eating.

My Babi Guling. Crispy pork skin, but succulent meat. WOW!!

I love the taste of the chopped long beans mixed with chili and chili paste! Remarkable~

Before we left, another freshly roasted pig was delivered to the stall. Many people claim it as suckling pig, but I was doubtful about it... Roasted suckling pig we used to have in Malaysia is only 1/3 the size of this one. Anyhow, the most important thing is the food is worth for money right? It is.

Pig head. =p Looks really stupid right?

My rank: 4.5/5

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia Behind the Palace in Ubud Open for LUNCH Reviews from TripAdvisor - read here

Tanah Lot, Bali (III)

princesscheryljw — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 00:19:00 GMT

Finally comes the finale of my Tanah Lot 4 hour sunset moments, after this and this. I hope you are still with me up to this moment.

A close up on the strong waves from Indian Ocean. Can you feel it? (Alright, not yet... just scroll down..)

Higher than 5 metres! Definitely I wouldn't be standing there unless I wanna do surfing.

Looking to another direction of Tanah Lot. We did not go there as it's gonna take another 5-10 minutes of walk. And I felt comfortable to stay here watching the sunset.

Finally, that's the end of it! Sunset of Tanah Lot, Bali.

If you're interested to save these as your wallpapers, leave a comment with your email address, then I can send the large file to you. (^.^)

Stay tuned for the next post of Bali -- Ubud diary.

Tanah Lot, Bali (II)

princesscheryljw — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:58:00 GMT

Sunny day is the best time for photography. I don't mind being sunburned everytime I go travel. Because the photography effects mean more to me than becoming sun tanned.

The Balinese ladies were selling snacks on the staircase.

Ducks. They are the residents in Tanah Lot lolz.

Big waves of the Indian Ocean.

The sacred temple of Tanah Lot. Not allowed to enter unless you are joining the locals for prayer, and you must dress up in their traditional costume.

Low tide. Little fishes trapped here. Only get to go home during high tide.

Poser.

Beautiful blue sky.

The tide is coming~~ Feels like Tsunami is coming...!!

Feel the wave.

We climbed up to the rock.

Beautiful.

Now feel the wind. See my hair flying~

Still hours to go before high tide.

When it's high tide, half of this temple will be in the water.

Balinese waiting for the praying ceremony.

One of my favorite photo.

Little seashells on the rock. Looking at them I suddenly felt that Tanah Lot is actually very romantic.

Actually it should be romantic. He arranged everything while I was still having competition in Marrakech. =p It's my belated birthday trip.

Beautiful Tanah Lot.

Finally the ceremony begun. We were lucky and also unlucky because coincident that during our visit it was their 10 year once celebration called Tawur Panca Wali Krama. (We seemed to always travel during the local grand celebrations... just like Phuket.) Lucky to witnessed such a grand celebration, but we missed the chances to visit some eateries too because the celebration was so grand that the Balinese would rather stop doing business but attend the ceremonies!!

Selamat datang ke Bali.

So crowded!

Tanah Lot, Bali (I)

princesscheryljw — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:48:00 GMT

Tanah Lot is famous for its sunset. Most of the visitors to Bali will plan their itinerary to slot in "Tanah Lot moments" at sunset. =) Some people even told me, you will see miracle moments at sunset Tanah Lot. Hmm...miracle moments...like seeing sparkles raising up from the sea to the sky?? Heheh...

By the way, do you know what is the meaning of TANAH LOT? The word Tanah is interpreted as a reef looking like gili or isle. Lot or Lod word has meaning the sea. So Tanah Lot is meaning the small island floating on the sea. It has become one of the tourism icon in Bali because it has different characteristic with the other, that is, looks like a floating one if the tide is high but when tide is low, people can walk to the temple.

I just know that we spent around 4 hours at Tanah Lot... shopping lolz... (0.O)" Was craving for wooden arts and crafts...not the food.

Some people loves to compare price of goods from every stall before they decide to buy, but I'm not that type. Everytime when we go travel, we always think that we should help the locals. What's the point of bargaining for a dollar and end up not happy at all? (I feel bad for exploiting the great effort spent on art work...because I know how humiliating and painful it is if someone were to buy my art work at a freaking low price but not knowing how to value it at all.) Don't boo me okay? I'm just expressing my thoughts honestly.

Follow This Way To Tanah Lot Temple Art Market --> Go! Go!

Colorful batik cloths for sale.

The market. Big market to spend money. I was a "millionaire" in Indonesia, why not? =p See how we enjoyed spending like a millionaire~ Woohooo~

I like this. Should this be considered as one type of offering in Agama Tirta ("Science of the Holy Water", that how the Balinese call their religion). Usually hung on a the trees.

A BIG BAT!!!

AS BIG AS A ROASTED DUCK!! (This description was given by one of my friends.) Well, it's definitely the focus of all visitors.

Finally I reached the entrance to the Cultural Park.

When it was still low tide.

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

princesscheryljw — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:33:00 GMT

If you go to Bali, one of the must visits sure is Uluwatu. Pura Luhur Uluwatur is one of Bali's kayangan jagat (directional temples), guarding Bali from evil spirits from the South West. You will see the signboard of Blue Point Bay Villas & Spa on the way to Uluwatu temple.

ATTENTION!! Take off your glasses, earrings, hats, caps. Be careful with MONKEYS~ So it's better if you wear contact lens. And leave your sunglasses in the car. No kidding, because the monkeys were actually trained to snatch things from visitors, and if you want to get it back, you have to pay. Paying for your own stuff, isn't that stupid, so please take my advice.

When visiting temples in Bali you have to respect the local customs. Proper dress is a must, even if you wear long pants or a long skirt you will need a sash tied around the waist. If you are wearing shorts you will need a sarong. The key is -- make sure you wear something that covers your knee. Sarong can be hired at the temples entrance so no worries. (I purposely wanna wear sarong lolz...)

Great color combination of the sarong with my dress. ^.^

You have to walk down a slope to get to the cliff. Monkeys everywhere.

Spectacular view isn't it?! The temple is located high on a cliff top at the edge, around 250 feet above the waves of the Indian Ocean. Can you spot the temple?

The view on your left.

The view on your right.

The waves of Indian Ocean. I wonder if one could still survive if he fell off from the cliff...

So that's why they build these walls for safety reason.

You can buy ticket to watch Kecak Fire Dance show as well, show available at sunset. We did not watch the show here, we watched in Ubud.

Walking up to the temple on the right. Do you dare to sit at the very edge?

The temple atop the cliffs.

Not allowed to enter.

Be careful with the monkeys. Monkeys playing diving and swimming.

Students educational trip.

Camwhoring.

I like this one. Was taken without me knowing it. Thus very natural.

Always my best travel mate. My partner. My dear. =)

Fantastic ambience. Listen to the waves hitting on the cliffs. (click 'listen' to link to my original post for the clip)

We walked to the other end of the cliffs (to the left). You have to walk pass a very narrow muddy road to get to here.

No walls here. So don't fall off the cliff while doing photoshoot. The wind is always very strong.

Yes, this strong! Look at how the sash was blown.

I wonder how could I get to the beach down there. Uluwatu is known as a surfers paradise too. Yes, because of the waves.

So that's all about our Uluwatu experience. Finishing the post with our personal photos. I've developed a 8R photo for this one. Need to find a nice frame to hang it in our new house.

Garuda Wisnu Kencana (GWK) Cultural Park

princesscheryljw — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 19:06:00 GMT

One of the must visit places in Bali is Garuda Wisnu Kencana. It is devoted to the Hindu god Vishnu, and his mount, Garuda, the mythical bird who is his companion.

Designed and built by Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s foremost modern sculptor, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue or GWK and its pedestal building will be standing 150 meters tall with its wings span 64 meters across. Made from more than 4000 tons of copper and brass, the statue is picturing Lord Wisnu, as the source of wisdom, riding on the back of the mythical bird Garuda as the manifestation of conscience toward Amerta, the perennial goodness. The statue and its pedestal will be surrounded by more than 240 hectares cultural park which was once an abandoned and unproductive limestone quarry. The cultural park will provide attractions for both local and foreign visitors with supporting facilities such as Lotus Pond, Festival Park, Amphitheater, Street Theater, Exhibition Hall, as well as Jendela Bali The Panoramic Resto and souvenir shop. At present time, the statue of Wisnu, the statue of Garuda, and the hands of Wisnu have been placed temporarily in three different plazas within the park. GWK Cultural Park is intended to educate, especially the young generations about the importance of preserving and cultivating world’s cultural heritage.

A different angle of Wishnu's statue.

Hiding under the yellow umbrella.

The magnificient statue of lord Wisnu. Lord Wisnu symbolizes water while Lord Brahma symbolizes fire. According to the local Balinese, this piece of land does not have any water source before GWK was built, but soon after the construction of the statue of Lord Wisnu has completed, suddenly water flows out from the ground! That's amazing isn't it.

As the anchor point of GWK, the 20 meter tall copper statue of the Lord Wisnu has been placed temporarily on the highest hill of Ungasan where visitors can enjoy sunset or sunrise over the magnificent view of Kuta, Benoa and Sanur. The location is called Plaza Wisnu and on this plaza’s yard, namely Parahyangan Somaka Giri, a holy spring continually spews out clear water through a stone bowl which many people believe it can cure illnesses or give you a long life.

The statue of Garuda.

Right behind the Plaza Wisnu is the Plaza Garuda where the 18 meters tall statue of Garuda placed temporarily. At the present time, Plaza Garuda becomes the focal point of a massive alley of carved limestone pillars which covers more than 4000 sqm open space area namely Lotus Pond. The colossal limestone pillars and monumental Garuda statue make Lotus Pond a very exotic space. With its room capacity that can accommodate up to 7000 people, Lotus Pond has gained good reputation as the perfect place to hold big and international events.

The latest addition to the Cultural Park - the Hands of Wisnu. It's placed temporarily at Tirta Agung.

Walking around the park.

A good place for photo shooting too.

Red petal and blue sky. A beautiful contrast.

I like this one the most, panoramic view of GWK.

Bali accommodation - the worst hotel I've ever stayed

princesscheryljw — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:53:00 GMT

Talking about accommodation, this hotel should be the worst that I've ever stayed! From the brochures or even postings on the internet, you would never expect how big is the difference of the photos from the truth.. The miracles created by photoshop.

They may look clean. But in reality... I didn't even dare to sit for even 1 minute.

Some traditional Balinese design wall. Very dusty and very 'antique'...meaning not maintained at all... Never seen a 3* hotel so old and broken. Photos look ok but in reality is the other way round.

Basically this reception is only for display. Everything that we requested... "Sorry we don't have.." "I have to ask my manager, but manager not around...maybe you come back again tomorrow morning?"

The keys to the room of surprises... Surprises neverending... Broken floor tiles (broken tiles in the bathroom.. first time that I have to wear slippers in the bathtub...), crazy shower (30seconds hot, 30seconds cold, one moment the water pressure was so damn high and the next moment the shower was like totally no water!!), smelly toilet, broken closet (couldn't even hang my clothes!), and the dustbin is even more broken than the public wastebin... arrgghhh!!

The breakfast... 2 toasts with butter and jam, a glass of juice, and coffee or tea... If that's what you serve your guests for breakfast, it shouldn't be ranked as a 3* hotel. This is even worse than staying in homestay.

Look at my disappointed face.. Duh..first morning in Bali. ><" Starving... Didn't even filled half of my stomach.

The only beautiful thing is the garden in front of the spa room.

In order to make me happier, he started to do some photoshooting for me..

At first we thought of going for a swim. But the water was icy cold! And there was not even a person or life guard there. The pool is not that shallow though, and I'm easy have muscle cram in swimming pool, that why I didn't go into the pool.

The Balinese style garden. Only good to see in the photos. But at least the photo looks good right?

Black and white. I love this one.

This post sounds very boring and demotivating right? Yea I feel that too, in fact that's my feeling when I am writing. Until today I have only one perception about this hotel -- bl**dy hell.