What and where to eat in Bangkok

Bangkok has successfully became a magnet for the foodies from around the world. This food paradise and the collection of  their authentic Thailand food is always make me drooling. From the street snack and drinks to their super delicious food. Okay...forget your diet for a while, let's drooling together hehehehe...

As I mention before on another post, about where to stay in Bangkok. I choose to stay at Baiyoke Boutique Hotel at Pratunam Market area. So when I get out from the hotel, the smell of any kind of Thailand food is already waiting for me.

1. Grilled Pork 
  
So, we're walking at Pratunam area oustide the hotel and try to find Thai dishes for dinner. But this sweet and great smell of the charcoal grilled pork has make me stop and of course I have to try this!It's so sweet and tender.

2. Tom Yum Goong 

I believe that every small or big restaurant in Thailand has this Tom Yum Goong on their menu. We don't know which one to try at this Pratunam area, so we try this small Thai food restaurant that quite full of people. Ah...clear tom yum goong so refreshing. Their herbs make it tasteful. I don't think that I can find clear tom yum in Indonesia, usually they are red colored.

3. Super cute Ice cream

Mango flavored

Ok, this one is not really Thai's but who could resist of this super cute desert! Quite expensive but yah I try this for the sake of their cuteness. hahaha... :p I found this food truck on the way to Paladium Shopping Mall from Baiyoke Boutique Hotel

4. Pork / Chicken porridge

Last night we were satisfied with our food hunting. Today we will begin to continue it again, we consider not to book our hotel with breakfast included because so many interesting Bangkok local food is waiting outside our door.

Like this porridge stall, there are a lot of street stall who sell breakfast early in the morning. It seems that a lot of local people order for take away before they go to work. This porridge stall have some limited seat to eat there in the alleyway beside them. They have a lot of customer. I don't know if you will trust me, because I always say that they tasted good .... but I will tell you once more, this porridge is also delicious! Hahaha...

Note that their English is not good, but you can always point your finger to whatever you want in your porridge. 

4. Pomegranate Juice
This pomegranate juice stall is everywhere in Bangkok. In this hot weather, this one is so tempting and refreshing. Make sure you see the seller squeeze the fruits.

5. Thai Fish Cake

Thai fish cake @chatuchak market

6. Fresh Fruits 

7. Thai Milk Tea

@Chatuchak Market

8. Chocolate Ville

This AMAZING place don't even feel like in Thailand. I feel more like I'm in Europe. This place was so colorful and I think more people come here to take a picture. This place a little bit out of town. We got here by taxi. Not every taxi driver knew this place, and I don't see Thailand's people in this place. 

But don't worry here's a map how to get to Chocolate Ville park. 

Chocolateville map

In the peak and holiday season, it's better to book your table on https://www.facebook.com/chocolateville. 

Chocolate Ville opening hours: 16:00 - midnight.

Chocolate Ville entrance ticket : FREE ( you only need to pay if you order your food)

Happy eating for you foodies and have a great time in Bangkok ;)

Travel warning : Sarinah Jakarta bombing and gunfire attacks

Feeling sad but this new Jakarta bombing incident at Sarinah Jakarta, Indonesia  will surely affect Indonesia tourism.

Like it was stated before there are some bombing and gunfight at Sarinah Jakarta and also Starbucks Sarinah on 14 January 2016 around 10 a.m. At least 6 victims die including 3 policeman. Indonesian President, Jokowi is not in Jakarta when the bomb blast, but he manage to going back right after the news about this Jakarta bombing came up.

Starbucks Sarinah Jakarta after bombing (Source)

My condolences to all the victims of this Jakarta Bombing. I hope that we can manage to be unite and curse this terrorist around the world.

The terrorist attack in Sarinah Jakarta has prompted the Australian Department of Foreign affairs and Trade to update its travel advice to Indonesia. (Source)

Latest advice, 14 Jan 2016
A number of explosions were reported in central Jakarta on 14 January 2016. Australians should avoid the affected area, limit their movements and follow the instructions of local authorities. The overall level of advice has not changed. We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia, including Bali.

A message for U.S. Citizens also appears on U.S. Embassy for Indonesia's website (source)

This emergency message is being issued to advise all U.S. citizens to avoid the area around Sari Pan Pacific Hotel and Sarinah Plaza on Jalan Sudirman Thamrin, in downtown Jakarta. Preliminary reports indicate an explosion and gunfire has occurred in the general vicinity and situation continues to unfold. 

#kamitidaktakut

#jakartabombing

#sarinahjakarta

Milan, Italy tourist guide

Milan Expo 2015 is on the northwest of the center of Milan,Fieramilanocity. It was held for six months. Milan Expo 2015 was held under the theme Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life.  The exposition site covers 110 hectares (272 acres) and is expected to attract more than 20 million visitors from 01 May 2015 to 31 October 2015.

We are here on Milan for HOST (Equipment, coffee and food International Hospitality Exhibition). But of course we will give you a little review about other tourist area :p

For you who need to go to Rho Fiera, where the Expo annually held, the metro station to this area is Rho Fiera Station use M1 (Red line). Expo ticket will also give you an option to buy a package that including the Metro ticket to the area.

Rho Fieramilano station is located outside the inner city area, so you cannot use the urban €1.50 ticket. You can use the following tickets:

• Single ticket € 2.50, valid for a 105 minute trip from the time it is validated. In Milan valid on ATM’s and Trenord’s urban network. Outside Milan only valid on the M1 suburban metro line to and from RHO Fieramilano; not valid on the railway routes.
• Return ticket € 5.00, valid for two 105 minute trips from the time it is validated. In Milan valid on ATM’s and Trenord’s urban network. Outside Milan only valid on the M1 suburban metro line to and from RHO Fieramilano; not valid on the railway routes.
• Day pass € 7.00, valid from the time it is validated until the end of service for an unlimited number of trips. In Milan valid on ATM’s and Trenord’s urban network. Outside Milan only valid on the M1 suburban metro line to and from RHO Fieramilano; not valid on the railway routes. This ticket is sold and is valid only on the day of exhibition event.
• Urban pass holders can recharge a fare extension on their card as follows: a return ticket for 3.20 € allowing to travel on the M1 suburban route to and from Rho Fieramilano, or a single ticket for 1.60 €

You will need to buy metro and bus ticket and you can choose some option that will suite your itinerary. To buy a ticket online You can now download the new official ATM Milano App on your smartphone, available also in English. 

We choose to use this card for our daily transport need in Milan. 

RicaricaMi is a rechargeable electronic card that can store four types of tickets. In depth. 

Tickets can be purchased from the automatic machines located in metro station. 

For urban ticket option : 

Urban Ticket

Price: € 1.50 
Valid for 90 minutes after stamping, gives you unrestricted travels for all the Milan Municipality area. The ticket is valid for a single journey on the underground or rail network, including the urban rail lines of Trenord and the 'Passante Ferroviario' (Urban Railway Network).

One Day Ticket

Price: € 4.50
Valid for 24 hours after stamping, gives you unrestricted travels for all the Milan Municipality area. The ticket is valid even on the rail network, including the urban rail lines of Trenord and the 'Passante Ferroviario' (Urban Railway Network).

Two Day Ticket

Price: € 8.25

Valid for 48 hours after stamping, gives you unrestricted travels for all the Milan Municipality area. The ticket is valid even on the rail network, including the urban rail lines of Trenord and the 'Passante Ferroviario' (Urban Railway Network).

Now you ready to explore Milan!

What to do in Milan?

1. Duomo Cathedral   
Milan Cathedral  is the cathedral church of Milan, Italy. The Gothic cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete. It is the 5th-largest church in the world and the second largest in Italy. It's the icon of Milan. So make sure you do selfie here in Duomo Cathedral Square! 

If you want to see Milan from the rooftop of the Duomo Cathedral you need to buy a ticket. Opening hours and admission prices here 

2. Shopping in Milan, Italy
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II is one of the world's oldest shopping malls. Housed within a four-story double arcade in central Milan,  the Galleria is named after Vittorio Emanuele II, the first king of the Kingdom of Italy. It's next to Duomo Cathedral. Here you will find many branded fashion store. Just name it..

If you still not satisfied you can also walk to Via Monte Napoleone area. It's a walking distance from Duomo Cathedral. 

Tips : If you need public restroom, you can find it behind the Duomo Cathedral.
Remember, most of the store in Milan will closed at 19.00 p.m.
Other cafe and restaurant will stay open until around 22.00 p.m. on weekdays. 

Where to stay in Milan, Italy?We are staying at : Dieci Hotel

Where to stay in Milan

We are on business trip and we never thought that on the Milan Expo season, we got 4 star hotel in Milan in our budget. We are going to HOST (International Hospitality Exhibition at Fieramilano) which take around 1 hour trip from our hotel. On this post I will only share about our hotel in Milan. You can find another stories about Milan on my next post :)

Best places to stay in Milan when you're on business budget will be Hotel Dieci. Milan's hotel like most hotel in big cities is quite expensive. But we got our best price deal on Agoda last October 2015.

Dieci Hotel is not really in the center area of Milan. It's on Citta Study area. Click here if you need to find other hotel in other favorite area such as : Stazione Centrale, Milan city center

How to get there from Malpensa Milan Airport :

1. Take Malpensa Shuttle Bus to Central Station. Ticket online here. It's now cost 16 Euro for round trip. You can also buy the ticket at the airport. Don't worry, the bus depart every 20 minutes.

If you need to go to other area in Milan city, you can always take this Malpensa Shuttle Bus to Central station and change to use Metro or city bus. Milan transportation system is very good, they have bus and 4 metro lines you can take. 

2. At Central Station, take bus N 90 (Lotto - Isonzo) for 9 stops to L.Go Rio De Janeiro bus stop
As a first timer taking a bus is another adventure for us :p . Because the bus is not stopping in every bus stop. So you need to give attention to the bus stop.

Dieci Hotel will be on your left side. It's ok you can always stop at the next station if you miss the bus stop. Hehehe...Take bus N 91 across the street to going back.

3. At L.Go Rio De Janeiro bus stop, just walk accross the street. Dieci Hotel is just in front of you!

So easy to get this hotel and bus is the best transport to take to the city center or other places in Milan. The bus in front of the hotel connect you with 4 Milan metro lines.

If you need to take the Metro, the nearest Milan Metro Station will be Loreto station(5 bus stop from Dieci Hotel, take bus N 91 right in front of the hotel. So easy!

To see all the bus stop and bus lines in Milan, check here .


Enjoy your stay at Milan ;)

Breakfast at Dieci Hotel

Bangkok Travel Guide - Erawan Shrine

It must be my lucky day! There were a big sale promo from Singapore Airlines, so I am going to Bangkok and Chiang Mai, Thailand. Yeay...!

So, these time I am going with my parents and our main agenda is going to Erawan Shrine or also known as 4 Faces Budha.  This shrine houses a small statue of Phra Phrom (Brahma).  it maybe a little weird because actually it's dedicated to Hindu's God,but the relation of this 2 religion is close to each other, so there might be some integration.

The Four Faces Budha / Erawan Shrine

The area is crowded with worshipers day and night and always wafting with incense smoke. It is also common to see people bowing as they pass by bus, taxi or above by skytrain. Many believer from around the world believe that if they pray here at Erawan Shrine, they will be blessed and their prayer will come true. 

The shrine is located by the Grand Hyatt Erawan Hotel, at the Ratchaprasong intersection of Ratchadamri Road in Pathum Wan district. It is near the Bangkok Skytrain's Chitlom Station.

The area has many shopping malls nearby, including Gaysorn, Central World and Amarin Plaza.

How to get there: You can take the BTS to Chit Lom Station and follow the sign " Erawan Bangkok" or "Grand Hyatt Erawan Bangkok"

Erawan Shrine opening hours: 6 a.m. - 11 p.m

How to pray at Erawan Shrine :
1. Buy a set of incense, candle and flower
A lot of stall outside the shrine but maybe it's cheaper inside the shrine. It's 25 Bath for the small set. 




2. Start to pray 
Normally we pray clockwise starting from the front, which is the side that's facing to the entrance. 
Every side of the Buddha represents different elements :

Front view: Business and Wealth
Left hand side: Wisdom
Back view: Health
Right hand side: Relationship and interpersonal

Light the candle, pray with the incense and then put the flower at the fence in every side of Budha

3. If you want to donate more for your wish, there are also a dancer in this shrine that will dance and sing while you pray. You need to buy a ticket for 2/4/6/8 dancer, and wait for your turn to pray. 

Where to stay in Bangkok

If you looking for a good price hotel with a shopping heaven right in front of your hotel, uncountable food stall and restaurant, many convenience store and a shopping mall

Here are your answer : Baiyoke Boutique Hotel 

 

I found this 3-star hotel at Agoda and when I already stay there, I found that it is really a good deal. This old hotel maybe old. but it's clean. Their staff speak good English. And the location : SUPER!

You will not get any trouble finding this hotel because it's right behind Baiyoke Sky Hotel / Baiyoke Sky Tower II , the tallest building in Thailand who also have a 360-degree revolving roof deck on the 84th floor and fine dining restaurant.

The airport-rail link to Suvarnabhumi International Airport is accessible via the Rajprarop station, which sit about 150 meters away and can be reached by the hotel’s shuttle bus. The shuttle also transports guests to the Chatuchak Weekend Market and to the Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The hotel is convenient for those looking to explore the largest fashion square in downtown Bangkok Pratunam Market, as well as the shopping and entertainment centers of Central World, Gaysorn Plaza, and the Peninsula. 

Pratunam Market in front of the Hotel

Pratunam Market is already open at around 5 a.m. Oh my...can't open my eyes, but I have to see it. And when I go out at 6 a.m. it's already full of people. Most of them sell with wholesale system.

Near this hotel I also found a quite unique and very creative market at Paladium DIY market in front of Paladium Mall. It's open at around 6 p.m. For you who love the art and DIY things, it's a MUST! It's crowded and full of people until almost midnight. 

Put name and accessories for your passport cover, notebook, key chain,etc   

Handmade key chain with your name

Enjoy your stay in Bangkok, and Happy shopping!! Cuteness overload!

Berburu tiket murah - Hari Libur Nasional dan Cuti Bersama 2014

Membicarakan soal libur selalu menarik. Apalagi kalau libur dengan pengeluaran minim alias murah. Salah satu cara berlibur murah adalah merencanakan liburan sedini mungkin sehingga bisa langsung ambil tiket tiket murah kalau promo tiba.
Ada yang baru pada daftar hari libur nasional 2014 yang akan datang. Yaitu sebuah penambahan Hari Buruh Internasional sebagai hari libur nasional 2014.

Berikut tabel hari libur nasional 2014 ( http://setkab.go.id )

Dengan demikian, hari libur nasional 2014 menjadi 18 hari. Nah yuk berburu tiket murah ;)