Tag: vacation

Why You Need to Visit Kobe?

I am lucky enough for having the opportunity to pursue my studies in Kobe University. Why I could end-up here? Well, you could find it in another article about my scholarship-hunting story. I believe Allah has given me the opportunity which suit me the best. I am a simple-small town girl type. This is the main reason why I fell in love with Jogjakarta. The best part is I also having the opportunity to pursue my studies there.

Kobe is similar with Jogjakarta in my opinion. A small town. Less crowded than the infamous Kyoto and Osaka. Most people knew Kyoto and Osaka but less knew Kobe. Although it is actually only located around 30 minutes from Osaka and 1 hour from Kyoto. That is the best part! Why? Because when the sakura blooming season and peak of autumn has come, you can have a quick break from the crowd by visiting Kobe.  Let me give you 5 points why you should not miss Kobe from your itinerary while you visit Kansai area:

1. Kobe Beef

Maybe you only ever heard about Kobe from its infamous beef product. The wagyu Kobe beef. I am a broke student at that time, of course I could not afford Kobe beef. It equals with quarter of my scholarship for 100 gram savory Kobe beef.  Most people regarded their experience while tasting Kobe beef as unforgettable moments. The meat is melted in your mouth, you could not explain the sensation unless you tried it by yourself. Do not worry! Some restaurants also provide Halal Kobe beef for Moslem traveler.

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Petualangan di Hiroshima

Foto di atas diambil saat musim gugur di Hiroshima. Sungguh cantik karena di temgah kota ditanami banyak pohon yang berubah warna daunnya saat musim gugur tiba. Tahukah bangunan yang ada di foto itu? Bangunan ini sangat berkesan bagi saya karena hal pertama yang teringat jika berbicara tentang Jepang yakni pelajaran sejarah mengenai bom Hiroshima.

Gambar bangunan ini melekat di benak saya sejak kecil. Saat akhirnya bisa melihat dengan langsung bangunan ini, ada rasa senang karena akhirnya gambar yang hanya bisa dilihat di buku sejarah, kini di depan mata saya. Mengunjungi kota Hiroshima sebetulnya tak terbersit di benak. Akan tetapi sangat beruntungnya saya karena kampus saya memiliki program belajar budaya Jepang bagi mahasiswanya. Ada beberapa kota di sekitar Kobe yang dapat dikunjungi. Kita diwajibkan menuliskan laporan hasil kunjungan kita kemudian nanti biaya tranportasi serta akomodasi dapat di-reimburse oleh kampus. Jalna-jalan gratis! Tentu saja saya tak akan menolak.

Tahun ini pilihan saya jatuh pada Hiroshima. Saya menggunakan shinkansen yang tak sampai 1 jam telah membawa saya tiba di Hiroshima. Keluar dari stasiun, sudah disambut dengan suasana kota kecil khas Jepang. Satu hal yang sangat menyenangkan di Hiroshima yakni tak perlu naik kereta. Kali ini transportasi umum yang dipakai ke seluruh sudut kota yakni tram! Wah! menyenangkan mendapat pengalaman baru. Tram-nya terlihat sudah cukup berusia. Seperti ini tramnya:

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The Best Autumn Spot in Japan

Since I first landed in Japan, Kyoto never been failed to mesmerize me. It always beautiful in every season. Kyoto has well known with its abundant culture in every corner of the city. Once you step your feet in Kyoto, you will feel like the time has turned back several decades. If Kanto area especially Tokyo has jam-pack with tall building, Kyoto offering traditional vibes of old-school Japan.

The best season to enjoy Kyoto is autumn in my opinion. There are so many picturesque landscapes which are ‘instagram-able’ material. One distinctive character of Kyoto landscape is a dense trees in one area. Their park offering colorful autumn foliage. If you pointed your camera to one spot in Kyoto, It will captured more colorful autumn compare to other cities in Japan. Well, unless if you are willing to travel to suburb area, I bet you will find similar landscapes with the one in Kyoto. However, in Kyoto you can find picturesque autumn spot nearby the city center, with a very well accessible public transportation. It is like seeing hand-painting right in front of your eyes. It is too beautiful to be true.

Alas, I just realized this after I move in to Yokohama. The second most crowded city in Japan. I never find similar (not even close) with the magnificent autumn spot in Kyoto. It is still a beautiful autumn scene, however if you ever saw the autumn-color peak in Kyoto then everything will look like a plain landscape. Dare to try? Please visit Kyoto in late November and you will never believe that our mother nature has plenty magnificent color to be offered!

 

Petualangan di FujiQ Highland

Kalau melihat foto di atas, apa yang terbayang di benak? Seram? Saya sebenarnya tak mampu membayangkan bahwa saya berhasil menaiki wahana memacu adrenalin ini di FujiQ Highland. Oya foto ini bukan saya rotasi lho! Ini wahananya memang menuking 180 derajat!

Ini salah satu wahana memacu jantung buat saya. kursi penumpang hanya 6 per kereta. Awalnya kita akan dibawa duduk menaiki tower sambil menghadap ke langit? Rasanya apa? Ya masih senag-senang aja. Tapi saking tingginya sempat merasa ini kapan sampainya. Nah setelah sampai di atas kita disajikan pemandangan super indah. Ya, karena letaknya dekat gunung Fuji maka pemandangan dari puncak ini sangat menghibur mata. Apalagi jika kondisi cerah tanpa awan, maka gunung Fuji akan terlihat sangat menawan. Tapi saya mah boro-boro keingetan mau lihat gunung Fuji. Rasanya pas sampe atas sudah nyessss… kaki keringat dingin.

Belum sampai disitu saja, masih banyak adegan berikutnya yang kalau saya bayangkan sekarang rasanya masih keringat dingin. Nah seperti terlihat di foto, ada bagian yang menukik pada saat posisi kereta seperti di foto. Ini saya ambil fotonya dengan Iphone yang tentu saja tak bisa mengambil gambar yang bergerak dengan cukup baik. Gambar ini bisa diambil karena memang keretanya berhenti sekitar 5 detik dulu sebelum diluncurkan ke bawah. Ya! dari atas terlihat seolah-seolah tak ada rel lagi di bawah, dengan posisi menukik 180 derajat, wah sudah lemas tak menentu kaki ini dibuatnya, 5 detik terlama dalam hidup rasanya.

Setelah 5 detik itu, kemudian meluncurlah kereta dengan kecepatan penuh. Tak sampai disitu saja, lintasnanya pun meliuk-liuk. entah berapa kali putaran. Kaki di kepala, kepala di kaki, sudah semrawut rasanya badan ini karena diputar-putar. Bahkan ada terowongan gelapnya. pula, berputar ditambah terowongan gelap benar-benar menuntaskan pembantaian oleh wahana ini.

Seru kan? Ini baru satu wahana saja. Aslinya ada 4 wahan roller coaster menantang di FujiQ. Bagi para pencari adrenalin wajib menyempatkan diri kesini. Jika tak ingin mengantri panjang, tiket fastpass bisa dibeli terpisah di booth tiket di dalam FujiQ. Tiket fastpass ini spesifik untuk 1 wahana jadi kalau ingin 4 wahana ya harus beli tiket fastpass sebanyak 4 buah. Selamat berburu adrenalin!

Solo Traveling di Kawaguchiko

Foto di atas mengingatkan kembali saat masa awal petualangan sebagai mahasiswa asing di Jepang. Saat musim semi pertama di Jepang saya alami, tentu kesempatan ini tak ingin saya sia-siakan. Kebetulan ada teman dari Indonesia yang ingin berpetualang ke Jepang. Setelah petualangan di kota, saya pun menambah agenda untuk menjelajahi daerah danau Kawaguchiko dekat Gunung Fuji. Saya pikir toh ini searah dengan kepulangan saya dari Tokyo ke Kobe. Tak ada salahnya berhenti di kawasan Fuji selama satu atau dua hari.

Awalnya saya berencana melakukan petualangan di Gunung Fuji bersama seorang teman yang sama-sama berkuliah di Kobe. Namun karena keperluan mendadak, tiket yang sudah dibeli dialihkan ke teman yang lain. Ya sudah tak mengapa toh masih ada teman ini pikir saya. Namun ternyata tepat di hari H sang teman mengabarakan bahwa ia ketinggalan bus karena tak berhasil menemukan halte keberangkatan. Hostel sudah dipesan dan semua itinerary perjalanan telah siap, sayang sekali kalau saya harus membatalkan dengan alasan tak ada teman. Jadilah ini sebuah perjalanan sendiri untuk pertama kalinya di negeri rantau untuk saya.

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Tips Jalan-jalan Hemat di Eropa

Bagi para budget traveller tentunya perlu mengalokasikan pendanaan dengan teliti agar pengeluaran tetap terkontrol. Salah satu pos pengeluaran yang bisa dikontrol sejak awal penyusunan itinerary yakni pengeluaran untuk transportasi lokal alias dalam kota. Negara-negara yang memang memiliki perhatian khusus untuk memanjakan para turis biasanya menyediakan tiket transportasi harian dengan harga ekonomis apalagi untuk traveller yang senang wara-wiri dalam satu hari ke 3 tempat wisata atau lebih.

Aturan dasar yang bisa diterapkan sebelum memutuskan untuk membeli tiket transportasi harian (daily pass) ini menurut pengalaman saya baru akan untung jika kita mengunjungi minimal 3 tempat wisata dalam satu hari. Jadi misal dalam satu hari kita hanya ke 2 tempat saja, biasanya membeli tiket satuan untuk rute tertentu akan lebih hemat. Beberapa kota di Eropa yang pernah saya bandingan tarif daily passnya:

  • Paris: Paris Visit Pass tampaknya sangat mahal. Apalagi sebenarnya tarif subway dalam kota sangatlah murah sekitar 2 Euro untuk satu kali perjalanan. Apalagi jika sekedar di pusat kota Paris. Saya sendiri memakai Mobili Pass, tiket ini bisa disesuaikan tergantung area yang akan kita kunjungi hari itu. Harganya bervariasi tergantung area. Paris dibagi ke dalam 5 area untuk rute subway. dengan patokan area 1 adalah pusat kota Paris dan area 5 adalah area pelosok salah satu contohnya mencakup istana Versailles. Tiket bisa dibeli langsung di mesin tiket setibanya di bandara Charles de Gaulle, Paris.
  • Belanda: Daily Pass di Belanda tampaknya sebuah kewajiban mengingat tarif keretanya lebih premium dibanding negara lain. Sebenarnya ini masalah kejujuran. Karena justru di beberapa tempat tidak perlu men-tap kartu ke mesin. Jadi kalau mau akal-akalan beli tiket dengan jarak terdekat tapi kita keluar di stasiun berbeda tidak akan menjadi masalah. Akan tetapi saya tidak anjurkan, toh kita sudah memakai fasilitas yang disediakan. Ada baiknya mendukung prasarana penunjang dengan membayar tiket sesuai kewajiban. Tiket ini ditukarkan setibanya di bandara Schipol.
  • Roma: Roma menurut saya kota yang paling urakan. Semua orang tampaknya sudah terbiasa melangkahi gate karcis. Jadi tampaknya jarang sekali orang yang membayar kalau naik angkutan umum. Kecuali di stasiun pusat yang bahkan ada polisi menjaga, biasanya lebih tertib. Bus pun begitu, tampaknya tiket dibeli di awal seperl monthly pass, jadi jika anda bermodal koin euro dan berharap bisa langsung bayar pakai uang koin, anda tak akan menemukan mesin pembayaran. Jadi membeli daily pass di Roma sangat saya sarankan demi efisiensi perpindahan tempat.

Demikian beberapa info yang bisa saya bagikan. Semoga bermanfaat ^^

Halal Restaurant in Florence, Italy

Have you ever wondered to finding halal restaurant in Florence, Italy?

Yes, this is the city where the famous movie Inferno taken place. At first I was quite in doubt to finding such halal restaurant in suburb area of Italy. However there is one and the only halal restaurant there named Maddina.

I bet from the name you were guessing that they only serve Indian cuisine. The answer is no! Instead they serve wide variety of Italy cuisine as well. At first when you entered the restaurant, you will feel classy ambience from the decoration and also the seating arrangement. The ambience is close to the high-end restaurant in my opinion. Surprisingly, the price is not that expensive though. Each menu start form 10 Euro exclude tax.

The taste is very delicious! Although at first I am quite nervous to order Italy cuisine in such an typical Indian restaurant. I was ordered cheese risotto. My husband was ordered spaghetti bolognese. Both of us also ordered lasagna since we really tempted with the display in front of the restaurant.

All menu are super delicious! It is the best Italian food we ever try in Italy so far.  Moreover, you can ask permission for using the praying space in this restaurant. Why I said it is a praying space because it is located in the basement. It seems that the room is their storeroom. They had prayer mat and also a rug there which you could use for praying.

If you ever had a chance to visit Florence, don`t miss this restaurant! It has all in one package. You can eat delicious food without worrying to finding prayer space nearby. Happy traveling!

Terpisah di Roma

 

Selama di beberapa negara di Eropa, pengamanan di tempat atraksi turis utama dijaga ketat. Bukan hal aneh melihat polisi dan tentara menenteng senjata AK-47 dan wara-wiri di sekitar. Kalau di Italia ditambah dengan anjing besar di stasiun-stasiun utama. Saya ini penakut sekali, takut digigit! Nah kebetulan saat saya dan suami di sebuah stasiun, ada anjing yang menggonggong ke dalam kereta, menandakan ia mencium sesuatu dari salah satu penumpang kereta

Saya yang dasarnya penakut, tak sadar langsung buru-buru masuk pintu kereta tanpa memperhatikan si mas suami di belakang. Tiba-tiba pintu tertutup dan kami terpisah!

Hp yang ada internet dipegang suami. Jadilah ada adegan kami berbicara bahasa isyarat dibatasi pintu kaca kereta. Untung sebelumnya sudah sepakat mau kemana dan ingat nama stasiunnya apa. Sempat ada kakek yang tertawa di dekat saya melihat kejadian ini. Saya yang sempat panik jadi bisa ikut tertawa, iya menertawai kebodohan diri sendiri. Hahaha

Foto di atas adalah foto saat saya menunggu suami naik kereta berikutnya.

Superb Accommodation in Rome

When it comes to accommodation, me and my husband have several aspects in consideration:

  • location: preferred in city center, easy access to all tourist attraction, close to public transportation (train station, bus stop, etc).
  • cleanliness
  • price: middle-average price

While we were younger (oh no! we are currently approaching 30-ish), we put the price as our highest priority (college student, thin money a.k.a broke). As long as it was cheap, we were happy with it! However, it is different now. We feel proper rest is the key for our great holiday time. We need a proper rest to recharging our energy and woke up freshly for another adventure day.

We usually booked chained-hotel like Ibis or Mercure. It is because their has standardized facility all over the world. It also matched all priority we have been set beforehand. Ibis nearby Southern Cross Station Melbourne and Ibis Paris Tour Eiffel are great deals for your holiday. We can easily went to tourist attraction and less commute time (it means more rest time!).

However, different story happened when we try to find accommodation in Rome. I think because Rome is an ancient city, has been built since hundred years ago. Therefore it is difficult to find vacant area to build a new hotel. All the chained-hotel are located outside the city center. It took more than 30 minutes commute time to reach city center from the hotel.

We then try to find nice inn in the city center, near the Termini Station. I look out review for each inn carefully. Especially because the building around the city center is an old-fashioned style. I have concerned with the cleanliness especially. After hours of search, I finally decided to book 3 night stay at Rome Point Inn. Their homepage stated that it has been newly renovated and the photos look convincing (crossed my fingers when I hit the booking button).

First step in the inn building, we already feel the ancient Rome vibes. The hotel is in the 5th floor of the building. The elevator is an old-century one. The one that might be you have seen in 60’s or 70’s movie. It has manual door which should be closed properly in order to made this elevator functioning. We are really excited every time we have to used the elevator. Luckily there is a friendly neighbor (yes! this building is also functioning as common residence) whose kindly teach us how to use this elevator properly. You can only push the floor button once. Therefore if you want to go to 5th floor, you have to push the button later if there are somebody want to go to lower floor.

Luckily the inn exceed our expectations. The real condition of the inn is exactly the same like in their photos. The inn is clean and well-furnished. They clean up our room everyday. Even we get our own balcony. The ceiling is very high, you can feel how exactly a real residence inside an historic building in Rome by staying in this inn. I really recommended Rome Point Inn if you need accommodation in Rome.

Other side story from this Inn, the owner is Moslem brother from Bangladesh. He gave us free breakfast coupon for three days. A very friendly owner and also gave us some suggestions for Halal restaurants nearby.

Halal Tips for France, Belgium, Netherlands, and Italy

On the last April until beginning of May 2017, I got a chance to visit several countries in Europe with my husband. It is because there were national long holiday in Japan called Golden Week. After our lovable journey in Australia, we were thrilled to explore the world more!

Our flight was landed in France, then we flew back to Tokyo from Italy. Since my husband were so busy with his work, the I was in charge for our itinerary. The itinerary is soooooooo important for a trip! It is help you to organized the trip and fully utilize your precious holiday time.

We spend 3 days in France, 1 day in Belgium, 2 days in Netherlands, and 3 days in Italy. We only have limited time in each country therefore the itinerary should capture the best side of each country 😉

More or less I follow this itinerary during the trip except for Belgium. We decided to ride the ‘hop on hop off’ bus because we want to see Belgium beyond the central area. For 25 euro per person, you can ride this bus 24 hour and ‘hop on and hop off’ wherever you want. Sounds a good deal right? (especially because the weather drastically change from sunny Paris to windy and cold Belgium).

You can find my itinerary here.

As you can see in my itinerary that I also already write down the name of the restaurant for every meal time. This is because I have food restriction as it should be a ‘halal food’. Surprisingly it is easier to find halal food in the aforementioned countries compare to Japan. At least you can find halal kebab stall nearby. It was like everywhere!! Cheap food with generous portion. I will share about the halal food especially for fellow Moslem traveler in my next article.