Tips – Wander and Explore

Turkey (Istanbul part 1) Ortakoy – Istiklal Street – Pierre Lotti

Published on 11th Aug 202111th Aug 2021 by wanderandexplore88Leave a comment

If we are talking about Istanbul, we are talking about the largest City in Turkey. It is divided into two parts, the European side and the Asian Side. When we visited Turkey last October, we only visited the European side. Hopefully, once we go back there next time, we can explore more.

Ortakoy Village

After breakfast at the hotel, we went directly to Ortakoy. Ortakoy was a cosmopolitan area during the Ottoman era and in the first decade of the Turkish Republic. To this day, the neighborhood still hosts many different religious structures. It’s also a good place to stop for tea or coffee time. Coffeehouses and tea terraces overlooking the seaside next to the mosque now as they have for centuries and are one of Ortakoy’s prime attractions. From there you can also get a super amazing overlook view of the Bosphorus bridge. Ortakoy Mosque is also one of the attractions you can visit. With an elegant architecture, Ortakoy Mosque is one of the most beautiful mosques in Istanbul. It was built in the 19th century and gives an impression of standing on the water.

How to get there? It’s easy to access from anywhere. If you stay at Sultanahmet, you can use tramway (T1) in front of sultanahmet to go to kabatas. In kabatas station, there’s a bus station that goes to Ortakoy every 5 minutes. Public Bus Line 22, 22RE and 25E from Kabatas Or if you want, grab a meter taxi to get there.

We tried two different options of food that a lot of sellers had offered there, waffle and kumpir. Kumpir is Turkey’s traditional food, a baked potato filled with ingredients such as olives, meats, corn, cheese, etc. You can add ketchup and mayonnaise too if you like. In our opinion, it’s super yum!

Kumpir with sausage, cheese, corn with ketchup and mayonnaise

Taksim Square/Istiklal Street

Next destination is Istiklal Street next to the Taksim Square. This place is a must visit for all travelers in Istanbul. Istiklal Street means “Independence Avenue” and is a 1,5 km long colorful pedestrian street and grand boulevard full of all kinds of shops, restaurants, cafes and street shows.

How to get there? If you stay at Sultanahmet, the easiest way is by the tram. Take the tram at sultanahmet square to Kabatas tram station, get off, go across the street, go down to the METRO station and take the funicular to Taksim. Istiklal is off Taksim square. The old tunnel tram stops at Taksim Square. You can take that down Istiklal Street.

There are many things you can do in Istiklal Street. Shopping branded stuff (people say it’s not too recommended since it’s a touristy area, you might end up getting charged on a higher price), Chit Chat with friends at the bar/café while sipping your coffee or even wine, ride an old tram, visit Madame Tussauds, visit historical sites like Tunnel Square, Church of Holy Trinity, ST. Antoine of Padua Church, or you can just take pictures for your Instagram feed.

The Flower Passage is a famous historical arcade in Istiklal Street containing many cafes, restaurants and wineries. After the Russian revolution of 1917, many formerly wealthy Russian women sold flowers here. That was how this place was originally named. You can enjoy this area either by strolling through on a leisurely journey through Istiklal Street or by sitting and enjoying a meal or a beverage under its domed roof.

Pierre Lotti

Our last stop before going back to the Hotel was Pierre Lotti Hill. Pierre Lotti offers a spectacular panoramic view. You can enjoy the panoramic view while having a tea at one of the rustic teahouses and restaurants up here.

How to get there? Take a bus or ferry from Eminönü to Eyüp, then take the cable car near Eyüp port to the top. You can also wander past the Eyüp mosque and go up through an old Ottoman cemetery. Alcohol is forbidden there due to the close proximity to Eyüp mosque.

Cable Car to Pierre Lotti

The View

After all those places, we came back to the Hotel for Dinner and rested. We will share another Istanbul Story soon.

xoxo

Once Upon a Time in Turkey Part 2(Ephesus – Pamukkale – Hierapolis)

Published on 7th Dec 20202nd Jan 2021 by wanderandexplore88Leave a comment

On the second day, after we had breakfast and took some pictures at our first Hotel in Izmir, we checked out and headed to the leather factory in Selcuk. Selcuk is one of the cities in the Izmir province. It only took about 15 minutes to reach from our first hotel. Izmir is famous for the quality of it’s leather. According to the manager at the leather factory, in the Greek era, Izmir didn’t obtain paper supplies from Egypt so the people needed to think of an alternative. Animal leather was their solution. That was the history of the establishment of the leather factory in Izmir.

In the leather factory called Kobakko, they would hold a private fashion show for every group that came to their factory. Sometimes they would invite you to join to their fashion show with all their gorgeous models, hahaha. The quality of their leather is really good, you will get a lifetime guarantee if you buy their collection. Although, their normal price is high at about $1000 – $7000 depending on the model and material. They will give you discounts up to 70% but if you still think it’s not in your budget, no harm trying to negotiate a bit lower :). Oh they also have an orange garden outside. If you want to, they will let you to pick some oranges for free!

One of our group tour participant join the fashion show

*Another group tour participant join the fashion show*

After shopping-time was done, we headed to Ephesus. Ephesus is an ancient Greek city on the coast of Kusadasi which is three kilometres southwest of present-day Selcuk in Izmir Province. It was built in the 10th century BC on the site of the former by Attic and Ionian Greek colonist. During the classical greek era, it was one of the twelve cities of the Ionian league. The city flourished after it came under the control of the Roman empire in 129 BC.

The city was famous for its nearby Artemis Temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and famous for its library called Library of Celcus. There is also a theatre capable of holding 25,000 spectators. If you have the time and want to explore more, up in the hill there is a house that, in legend, is said was a house of the Virgin Mary. The house where she spent the last years of her life in Ephesus.

A lot of explanation and description signs are available for you to read and learn in Ephesus. Forget about the people who walk around you and walk around slowly. Imagine you are traveling back in time by listening to some classical Greek songs while reading those descriptions. Oh, watch your step! It could be slippery at some parts 🙂 and don’t forget to take some amazing pictures!

In the late afternoon, after we had lunch, we went to Pamukkale, which means Cotton Castle in Turkish. This area was declared as a World Heritage Site and is famous for its carbonate minerals that are left by the flowing thermal spring waters. The rich mineral waters attracted people to visit this area for thousand of years and was used as a Spa since the 2nd century BC. It is located in Turkey’s Inner Aegean region, in the River Menderes valley.

The ancient Greek-Roman city of Hierapolis was built on top of it. It can be seen from the hills on the opposite side of the valley in the town of Denizli. In the period of the Roman Empire, Hierapolis and its site were a health centre. Thousands of people used to come to the baths. Today’s Antique Pool that we called Cleopatra’s Pool was shaped by the earthquake which happened in the 7th century AD. The marble portico with Ionic arrangement fell into the spring during that earthquake.

I don’t think Turkish people know covid-19

We’ll continue again soon with the next destination..

With Love,

Jake and Ayu

Tabanan Trip

Published on 21st Nov 202030th Nov 2020 by wanderandexplore88Leave a comment

I always wanted to go to another region in Bali, not only Canggu, Ubud, Seminyak and Kuta. One of my friends, Yudhi, suggested me to have a staycation in Tabanan, which is one of the regions in Bali. He was originally from there so he knows a bit more about where we can go and what to do there better than I do. Jatiluwih Rice Terrace was the main spot we visited. We also spent the night fairly close to there.

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

If you only know about Tegalalang rice terraces in Ubud, Jatiluwih rice terraces are larger and in my opinion have a better scenery. Located just 10 minutes away from Tanah Lot, or about 1-1/2 hours from Canggu area, Jatiluwih rice terraces comprise over 600 hectares of rice fields following the flowing hillside topography of the Batukaru mountain range. Pointed as one of UNESCO World Heritages since the site has been able to maintain the local culture heritage in form of water irrigation system managed traditionally called by SUBAK. These are well-maintained since the 9th century.

You could do many things in the Jatiluwih rice terrace areas. From cycling, to jogging or just taking pictures like us! If you wanted to go here by motorbike or cars, parks are available but not many. Jatiluwih rice terraces are completed with the hygiene standard (wastafel and hand soap) and you still need to wear a face mask when you are around a crowd of people. Don’t forget to bring an umbrella if you come during a rainy season and watch your step, it could be slippery.

There are several cafes, restaurant and local warungs to visit if you feel hungry. The range of prices depends on the type of place, starting from IDR 30,000/pax for local warungs to IDR 150,000/pax for a fancier one. Choose your budget wisely or check tripadvisor before you come to have lunch. That is what I usually do 🙂

We spent the night in a Two Bedroom Pool Villa that I found in airbnb, called The Saren. It has an industrial minimalist concept that makes the bedroom look clean and comfortable. It’s basically a Two Unit of One Bedrooms in the first and second floors, which are separated by stairs outside. It’s more of a fit for a group of friends like us, a family with grown up kids or 2 couples who are traveling together. I don’t think it’s fit for a family with little kids since it doesn’t have direct access to each other’s room. It also sells as a separated room if you only book for One Bedroom instead of two. The rate was really affordable. $51/night and we got a private pool! You can book your stay from airbnb and if you are a first timer, you get a free $17 credit for your account 😀

We wanted to go to Pantai Nyanyi (Nyanyi Beach) which is located just 5 minutes of walking from our Hotel but due to the fact that we woke up late, lol, instead of going to the beach, we went to the sleeping buddha statue in Pupuan region. It’s a 1 hour of driving from our staycation place. That driving experience to reach it was insane! You are not only driving straight in a big street, but it was a winding road. We went left, right, left-right and I was about to throw up until finally we arrived! Yeah!

The statue located inside the Vihara Dharma Giri, a Buddhist temple in Pupuan, Tabanan. This temple is open to the public for free, however, visitors are expected to give donations to be used for the maintenance of the monastery. This applies to local and foreign tourists. Please keep in mind to wear something proper to the temple, no shorts and you must remove your footwear when you are in the temple grounds. In addition, you also have to use closed clothing from the waist down. However, for visitors who do not carry appropriate clothing, a cover cloth will be provided by the temple administrator. There are doggos around the temple too, they are sooo adorable. The temple was so quiet and so peaceful so try to come and visit 😊

I hope you like this post and I will try to be more productive and write more this month 😉. I wish the world will heal faster so everyone can travel again freely soon 😊

With love,

Ayu, xoxo

One Night at Hyatt Regency Bali

Published on 14th Nov 202014th Nov 2020 by wanderandexplore88Leave a comment

Last august my friend and I had a staycation in Hyatt Regency, Sanur. It was a fancy staycation but we didn’t spend a lot of money for a night there. Pandemic has a big impact in tourism sector in Bali, almost everyone in Bali is struggle since April 2020, the economy fell down drastically and a lot of hotels closed and some of them that stay open has really huge discount for their customer, that’s why we got such a good deal.

Hyatt Regency just reopened the end of 2018 after 5 years of renovation. It was one of the oldest hotel in Sanur area, which is established since 1973 with Balinese architecture and nowadays mixed with contemporary design. It has big lush garden and located in front of Sanur beach.

Fyi, you need to wear face mask outside your room, and safety treatments during pandemic are in place. Wash basin to wash your hands, hand sanitizer, temperature checking, online menu are ready to make sure you’re always safe during your stay.

We stayed in Premium King Room, that was quite large with a very comfortable king size bed, a bathroom include shower and a bathtub also came up with separate powder room, lounge area inside and our terrace that facing to the garden also has outdoor seating furniture.

When you step outside from your room, you will find a tranquil lush garden and lotus ponds with lot of ducks. Try to find places for instagram pictures? No worries, they have quite a lot of places.

From 3 total restaurants, it was only 1 that open for breakfast, lunch and dinner where we chilled out in the late afternoon enjoyed the tiramisu and our drinks, and had our breakfast in the next morning.

I hope you enjoy this post, Jake and I still preparing the story of our trip to Turkey that we just done last month 😉

Love you all! xoxo

Ayu

Singapore in 3 Days 2 Nights (Part 2)

Published on 14th Oct 202014th Oct 2020 by wanderandexplore88Leave a comment

We had arrived in Singapore in the afternoon. First, we used the MRT to reach the hotel to check in and to place our luggage in the room before exploring the city and then we went straight to Singapore Art Science Museum, located in Marina Bay Sands. The area isn’t too big. There are some spots where you can explore and every month they have different exhibitions that you can visit.

Before we were back at the Hotel, we spent some time in Chinatown to buy some souvenirs to bring back home while enjoying the vibes and the crowds. Chinatown is also an instagrammable place to take pictures. If you want to eat cheap in Chinatown, it’s probably better to find a place that’s a bit in the corner since the cafes in the middle are really expensive. I made a mistake myself because I wanted to enjoy the crowds in the middle of Chinatown, but oh well… better to save your bucks somewhere else instead.

On the second day, our plan was to go to Universal Studio Singapore. We took a Grab Taxi to Sentosa to save time and arrive early so we could get breakfast before entering the park. We stayed and played until closing time! Jake really wanted to try Halloween Horror Night since our trip was in early October when the event had just started. But since it was his first time coming to USS I thought it’d be fine to skip this year’s Halloween Horror Night and come back next year. Of course, that was the plan until the pandemic had spread. Well… Now I wish we could have visited it at that time.

We were early!

There are not many options for low budget breakfasts in Sentosa but we had ordered some laksa and chicken wings with quite good portion before we started the day. The taste was okay and still affordable for us.

A must have picture at the Universal Studio😂

We bought the tickets for Universal Studio Singapore through Traveloka for IDR 1,400,000 or around SGD 140 for 2 pax. If you hate to wait for the long queues you can skip the regular lines by purchasing the express ticket in the venue. There weren’t many attractions we had rode. It was quite crowded and a bit rainy in the afternoon so some of the outdoor attractions needed to shut down for a while for safety reasons. We rode Revenge of the Mummy and had to queue for 2 hours! And then we rode Battlestar Galactica (which is my favorite one). We also rode Enchanted Airways, A Madagaskar Crate Adventure, Shrek 4D adventures and for the last, Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase 😆. You can check the complete list of attractions and events that they have in the website.

Battle Star Galactica

Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase

Not only could you ride and experience those attractions, but Universal Studio Singapore also completed with souvenir shops and cafes. Also, they had snack stalls around and many spots for selfies and to take pictures.

There are some events of street entertainment such as the dancing of penguin madagascar, the dance of sesame street, etc. You can check them from the map that you will get or you can just see the advertisement banners around.

With Bert, Count von Count and.. is that Elmo or Murray Monster??? 😆

After the very tiring afternoon in the park, we headed to Vivo City to catch the MRT to the city where we had dinner, we got Mala in food republic that tasted really good! Then we decided to go to Orchard Road to sight-see and see what we could find for our loved ones at home. And shopping for some stuff for ourselves too of course!. Lucky for us it wasn’t raining again that night, so we were able to walk back to the hotel and stay dry! Hahaha.

Finally, the last day before we went back to Bali in the evening. We went to Tiong Bahru to get breakfast. We wanted to try the famous French Cafe in Tiong Bahru that’s called Merci Marcel. The price was quite expensive but for the quality of the food, the taste and relaxing vibes that we got it was well worth it. The cons of the place is that the place is small so sometimes you need to wait in line to get in.

We took a stroll in the Tiong Bahru area and took the MRT to National Museum of Singapore. For me, the trip won’t be complete without a visit to the museum and to know the history behind the place that I visit.

Just on the other side of the road from National Museum of Singapore, there is a Historical Garden named Fort Canning Park. This place once sited the palaces of 14th century Kings and served as the Headquarters of the Far East Command Centre and British Army Barracks. The decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese on 15 February 1942 was also made on the hill, in the Underground Far East Command Centre, commonly known as Battle Box. Nowadays, you can visit Battle Box as one of the museum spots in Singapore which is located inside the area of Fort Canning Park.

And one last time we walked back to the nearest MRT station to pickup our luggage from the hotel and fly back to Bali! I wish I could share more of our experience in Singapore but since it was already a year ago, I forgot some things that I wished I could share. Good thing is I’m trying to be productive and being active again while writing in the blog so hopefully I can share with you, hope that everybody can live normally and travel the world again!

Love,

Ayu & Jake