Tag: vacation

Pendakian Fuji

Si Pak Suami lagi ngantri taksi dari kantor karena kereta terakhir udah lewat. Nunggu si bapak sambil liat koleksi foto lama. Wah ada foto pas mendaki gunung Fuji! Jadi terharu inget waktu itu kayanya saya bener2 ultimate crankynya. Jam 11 malem, keujanan plus ada taifun lewat, ga ada tempat berteduh, posisi di pos ke 6. Masih ada 4 pos lagi sampai puncak & lama pendakian 6 jam lagi. Jalanan cuma bisa pake senter. Bikin mental jatuh sampai saya bilang ke suami setengah mau nangis gtu: “aku mau pulang aja”.

Hello mau pulang kemana tengah malem di lereng gunung?! Tapi ini si Pak Suami masha Allah sabarnya. Engga marah, malah kasihan katanya. Dibujukin deh bilangnya ga usah fokus dengan puncak, yg penting tetap mendaki selangkah demi selangkah. Ditemenin mau saya super lambat mendakinya. Malah dapet bonus pas posisi pos 8, udah di atas awan jadi taifun terlewati. Kami mendaki diterangi cahaya bulan purnama, tak perlu senter. Terima kasih sudah mencontohkan sebuah kesabaran. ❤

Halal Souvenirs Haneda Airport

I noticed one new corner in one of Haneda Airport Souvenir shop, it is a halal corner! You can find some halal snacks which still have traditional Japanese taste. These snacks is certified by Nippon Asia Halal Association (NAHA). For sweet tooth, you can have halal chocolate coin and halal cake. If you prefer something savory and salty, probably the senbe (rice crackers), shrimp crackers and other types of crackers are suitable for you.

The store located in the 4th floor, the most right wing when you arrive in departure terminal. If you only have limited time and not sure what to bring for your colleagues, friends, or family in your home country, this could be your answer. Buy your souvenirs with peaceful mind here!

Mrs Istanbul Haneda Airport – Halal Meal

There is a good news for all Moslem traveler whose have a plan to visit Japan. On the beginning of 2017, Mrs Istanbul has opened their 2nd stall in Haneda Airport International Terminal. Previously, this Kebab Stall only available in Haneda Airport Domestic Terminal. Their halal certification is granted by NAHA (Nippon Asia Halal Association). I got a chance to try their kebab several days ago.

Mrs Istanbul is located in the 4th floor. If you has arrived in the departure terminal, look for the traditional bridge ornament  above you in the left side of the terminal. The kebab stall is located on that bridge area.

You can choose your kebab in three types: with rice, with burger bread, or wrapped. They also have 3 types of meat: lamb, beef, and chicken. It is cheap, only 680 yen for burger kebab. The meat is rich in flavor. Less spices used for the meat but that what makes it special. The meat itself already tasty and well combined with the cabbage and tomato. The proportion of those 3 is well balanced. Overall, I recommend you to stopping by their stall. Don’t forget to treat yourself also with sweet dessert with traditional turkey ice cream called Dondurma.

Japan Itinerary – Cherry Blossom Season

Everyday is holiday in Japan! Thanks to the promo ticket from many airlines in order to capture the momentum when Japan became one of the main tourism destination. Usually the peak is during the sakura or cherry blossom season. Recently, it is not always the case, even there are still many tourist flooding in during odd seasons like summer (July-August) and winter (January-February). Japan is renowned with its cherry blossom, therefore it is incomplete if you miss the cherry blossom beauty on your visit to Japan.

However, many traveler seems not bother by this fact any longer, since the airline fare is super cheap if they travel during these odd seasons. However, I still recommend you to have a once in a lifetime experience with Japanese cherry blossom season. It is so magical! Japanese people heads over heels in love with the preservation of nature. They believe part of their life harmony is to preserve nature. Therefore you will find the city park is spotless. No garbage litter the park although during the cherry blossom season, Japanese people usually held picnic under the cherry blossom tree called hanami in Japanese language.

Many friends always ask my opinion regarding their visit to Japan. There are so many picturesque places all over Japan during cherry blossom season. I will highlight some ‘most picturesque’ places in my itinerary below. I guarantee you, you should not miss the chance to visit those places if you only have one chance to visit Japan. This itinerary cover some places in Kansai Area (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) and also Kanto Area (Tokyo and others). Hope you will have a magical experience during the cherry blossom season!

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11AuAsp0Mn-83QyNQAcrrzzI7dWx_a5qunVR8lqnQkPg/edit?usp=sharing

Halal Tips for Traveler in Melbourne and Sydney

I was enjoyed my last trip to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney specifically) in the winter break. Surprisingly, it is more moslem-friendly in Australia than in Japan. It is very easy to find halal food. There is one event when me and my husband stroll randomly in Sydney and we still could find halal restaurant nearby. I will share my experience finding halal restaurant and prayer room in Melbourne and Sydney. Hopefully it will be useful for moslem traveler. The first part of this article will talk about the prayer room and halal restaurant in Melbourne. Then followed with the Sydney part. By the way, if you interested to read my other article about my detailed itinerary for Melbourne and Sydney, you can read it here.

A. Melbourne

Prayer Room

The first prayer room you might find is the one in Tullamarine Airport. The Prayer Room is located on the Ground Floor – between Terminal 2 and 3, and is open 24/7.

The other praying room I found is the one in Southern Cross Station. It is written in the direction sign. It is located in the same location with passenger lounge. There is no wudu space so you could go to the toilet which is located next to the passenger lounge. The prayer room is clean and quite spacious although the prayer room for man and woman is not separated . Prayer mat and Al-Quran is also available.

Continue reading “Halal Tips for Traveler in Melbourne and Sydney”

Melbourne and Sydney Itinerary

“Travelling, it leaves you speechless, then turns you into a storyteller — Ibn Battuta”

Perjalanan ke Benua di Selatan ini merupakan pengalaman pertama saya dan suami travelling bersama ke negara yang sama-sama tak pernah kami kunjungi sebelumnya. Memang saat awal menikah dulu sempat berbincang mengenai keinginan untuk melihat dunia di belahan lain, belajar dari orang-orang baru dan memperluas cakrawala pengetahuan Karena hal yang paling mahal di dunia yakni pengalaman. Tujuan orang-orang travelling mungkin berbeda-beda, ada yang untuk berbelanja, berburu foto pemandangan yang menakjubkan, memperbanyak koleksi selfie kece untuk dipajang di socmed, dan lainnya. Kalau tujuan kami travelling sebenarnya adalah untuk mengobservasi perilaku penduduk lokal dan cara hidup di negara tersebut. Kenapa?

Continue reading “Melbourne and Sydney Itinerary”