Singapore Trip

Want to know what the best travelling experience I ever had? Singapore! A small developed country which mostly the citizen is Chinese, a country where English transforms to be Singapore English and is used as a national language. As a citizen from developing country, I wanted to know how a developed country looks like. To fulfill my curiosity, visiting Singapore might be the best choice. It isn’t far and not so expensive like European or USA country. Besides, many airplanes company offer promotions flight going to Singapore. Those reasons and some other reasons made me fly to Singapore.

 22^nd of October 2011 was the time. We went to Singapore for five days. We went to the airport by taxi in early morning. That was at 3 am. The flight was only 2 hours from Ngurah Rai International Airport to Changi International Airport in Singapore. That was unforgettable experiences.

I didn’t think that I would get so many ‘wow’ expressions there. First, the thing that made me ‘wow’ is the Changi Airport. It is so much better than Ngurah Rai Airport. I started wonder how other International Airport in other developed country would look like. On the way getting out of the Airport, there were some taxies waiting for passenger. There was a luxury black car on that line. Someone came and asked us to get in to the car. Then I realized that was a taxi. The taxi had luxury seat and LCD TV inside. That was the second ‘wow’ in my mind. 

The taxi driver drove us to the hotel that we have booked online. On the way to get the hotel I saw beautiful-cared park, and so organized traffic. That was totally NOT like the traffic in Bali.  The taxi headed to Sims Avenue 112 in Geylang where the hotel is, not so far from the airport. The hotel’s named Amrise hotel. It was okay, with AC, TV, and warm water.

We started to experience Singapore just after putting our bags in the hotel. We went around the hotel, and had lunch in small restaurant at the street side. There were so many Chinese restaurants which were always full by people, Singaporean. One thing I still wonder of is about Singaporean who often stay up late watching football match in the restaurant close to our hotel, but they still be able to wake up early on the next day. I wonder how much they have sleeping time.

On the first day we went to Bugis junction, a big mall in Bugis. That is so big mall, where you can find a playing-water park with various color flowing up and down. Singapore has many big malls anywhere for example; Bugis Jucntion, Orchad central, Cathay mall, Ilumo mall, vivo city mall, Singapore convention center and many more, I don’t remember. Not only big malls, Singapore has also many skyscrapers like apartments or schools. That is caused of the increasing population in limited land since Singapore is small, it might be one third of Bali.

a temple in Little India

Besides, Chinese tribes there are large number on Indian people live in Singapore. They have their own area with shops and temples called Little India. You can find typical Indian food, merchandise, clothes, and ‘pacar’ art painting on Indian girl’s hand there.

Little India

If there is Little Indian for Indian people, there is also China town where you will find typical Chinese things, starting from the food until the sandals with Chinese pattern. Everything has Chinese characteristics.

China town

One thing also interesting about Singapore is their government who has project to make two types of Singapore, Old Singapore and Modern Singapore. A taxi driver said anything like a building is built in two versions, Old and Modern. If there is an old building, it will not be damaged. It will be let alive while the modern version of that building is built. Such a wonderful idea to make income in tourism field.

Singapore doesn’t have many natural beautiful panoramas, such as beaches, mountains, waterfall etc. They build amazing recreational places to attract the tourists visiting Singapore, one of them is Sentosa Resort World which has many tourism objects inside, such as; casino, hotel, The Merlion Tower, Ifly Singapore, Universal Studio Singapore, and many more.

You can go to Sentosa Resort World by Sentosa Express. The station of Sentosa express is in Vivo City Mall. You can buy the ticket for Sentosa Express with only 3SGD with operating time from 7 am- 12mn. It is used for one day long, so you can go there as many time as you want without buying a new ticket in the same day. From the Sentosa Express station you will be dropped to your destination (sub-station). The first point is waterfront station where Universal studio n casino placed. The second point is Imbiah lookout station where you can see Singapore from The Merlion Tower. The third point is the beach station where you can see the beach and the Singapore Ifly.

Far Far Away in Universal Studio

The most attractive place in the Resort World Singapore is the theme park Universal Studio Singapore. To experience Universal Studio, you will need to buy the entry ticket 48SGD for child, 66SGD for adult on weekday and 52SGD for child 72SGD for adult on weekend. In the universal studio you will find so many theme parks, they are: Hollywood, New York, Mummy, Jurassic Park, Far Far Away, Giant Roller Coaster, Water World and many more. One day is not enough to try out all the games in Universal Studio. I suggest you to come earlier and make sure you are in a good stamina. :D

Singapore Flyer

Another attraction of Singapore comes from Singapore Flyer. It might be the twentieth ‘wow’ of Singapore. Singapore Flyer is World’s largest giant observation wheel, which standing at a stunning 165 m. It offers breathtaking 360 degree views of Singapore and beyond. One capsule can be ridden by more than ten people.

National Museum of Singapore

The last day in Singapore after experienced Resort World, Universal Studio, Singapore Flyer, China town, Little India, the malls, we planned to visit Singapore Zoo. The first plan changed because it was raining at that day. The decision is to visit National Museum of Singapore.  We were lucky that was free entry day get into the Museum. The museum is technologically built. It has thousand plasma TVs describing Singapore history. Amazing.  It was the last place we visited before fly away from Singapore to Bali on 26^th of October 2011. 

Five days staying in Singapore was not enough to explore more about him. I would like to go to Singapore again if I get another opportunity. I would be so happy to be able to go to other side of world.  That’s of course when I have much money. :D

                                                                                              

Taman Ujung Karangasem on the second day in 2012

On the second day in 2012, We were still in Karangasem. Before check out time, we spared few times to swim at the beach. That was good beach with not so big waves. We check out from Puri oka beach bungalows at 11. We headed to a historical park called Taman Soekasada in Ujung village Karangasem which is well known as Taman Ujung. It’s only about 25 minutes to get there from Candidasa by bike.

Taman means park while Ujung is one of fish village in Karangasem where the villagers work as fisherman to live their life. At the beach close to the Taman Ujung you can see there were many canoes in rows. You can see the beach view from a high building in Taman Ujung.

As a slight history, Taman Ujung was built in 1919 under the reign of the King of Karangasem, I Gusti Bagus Jelantik(1909-1945). Originally, Taman Ujung was a little pool, the place where to punish bad people who used black magic at that time, the pool was called Kolam Dirah or Dirah pool. By the time, because the beautiful view and many water spring available in that place, it was enlarged by the King and named Taman Soekasada Ujung, where Sukasada is the name of area where its located and Ujung is the name of the village.

When we got there, we should buy the entry ticket 5k for local and 20k for foreigners as tourist. It may be little too much for a foreigner friend who have stayed for long in Bali.  From the ticket box we entered the park by walking on the kind of bridge where you can see rice field under you. There are big pools with many fish inside. There is a Museum about the King and the Kingdom in the middle of the big pool. You will find some swan swimming on the pool and beautiful lotus floating. On another big pool you can ride a small boat to see around the pool. There are at least two high building where you can see the Bisbis hill and the beach view of Lombok strait.

There were so many people visiting Taman Ujung at that time, it might be caused of New Year holiday. People mostly came for picnic. They brought mats and laid it on the grass while eating their foods. It seemed they were on family vacation. We didn’t bring anything and started to get hungry; we were just heading to go to a friend’s village where he comes from. It was not so far from Ujung.

Candidasa in early 2012

Now, let me share about my last day in 2011 and the first day in 2012 in Karangasem regency. I chose to spend my New Year eve in different way from previous New Year eve celebration. I often spent my New Year eve in Kuta to see million fireworks on the sky, and the traffic jam that has been started some days before New Year eve. This year, I wanted to experience something new.

On 30^th of December I still didn’t have any idea what to do the next day. I was bored with the same activity every year, gathering and having chat while drinking with some friends, going to the beach to see fireworks, etc. I started to text some friends wondering what they would do on New Year eve. A friend said she would go to a place where there is neither so much traffic nor many people in east part of Bali. “Agree!” I decided to join her.

Candidasa map, taken from: google

 The next day on 31^st of December 2011 at 11 pm I was ready for a trip. I knew it wouldn’t be so long trip but it would be tiring because we would go there by bike. We leaved at 12 pm from Denpasar and arrived there at about 1.30 pm. I got but hurt :D It must be easier to go there by car but you should consider about the traffic too. There were some traffic jams on our way, especially on the way back to Denpasar. People seemed like to have a trip on New Year holiday.

The place is called Candidasa in Karangasem regency. It’s about 65 km from Denpasar. When we got there, my friend has booked two rooms for us because we were four in a pretty bungalow called Puri Oka Beach Bungalows. It has semi Balinese style of building. 

puri oka restaurant

The price is not so much for a bungalow which has front beach view, swimming pool and restaurant facing to the sea. It was 200k for a small room without AC, but it has big fan then it isn’t a problem when you feel hot.

puri oka beach

The beautiful blue with three small islands in the sea made me feel I was not in Bali. Many canoes were in a row on the beach, some of them sailing on the sea. There were no people at the beach. It looked like private beach somewhere far far away. It was so peaceful there. On the left side of the bungalow, there is a green hill, make the good feeling for someone who sees it. On the right side from the beach you can see the indentation of Bali, and Padang Bai harbor looks small from where you are. 

First day in Karangasem, we just went around Candi Dasa and tried Karangasem typical foods. We went to Candi Dasa beach where there is kinda food court and tasted typical Karangasem salad called ‘serombotan’, I also tasted pork meatball and fish satay or skewers. If you don’t like to try various Balinese food which mostly spicy, you can choose what menu you want on one of many restaurants at Candi Dasa beach street.

at candidasa beach

One restaurant we visited is Janger Bar and Resto, they have happy hour cheap price for bintang beer which is only 19k for large beer and 12k for small one. There were some foreigners in those restaurants in Candi Dasa but not as many as there are in Kuta.

The time went so fast, and it was 15 minutes to go before calendar changes to be 2012. We were just sitting at the ‘private’ beach in the bungalows. There were some boys and girls from Jakarta playing firework there too.

Then it was the time to count down, 5,4,3,2,1 fireworks exploded and colored the dark sky while “Happy New Year” was said among us.

Nammos Beach Bali

Couple weeks ago I n my boy went to a beautiful beach in southern part of bali, bukit ungasan. Its about 30 minutes away from ngurah rai international airport .

The beach is peaceful blue with the white sands. It's quite far from habitation which is on the hill . To get there, you can choose going down by stepping down hundreds stairs or by exclusive lift which is provided by karma kandara beach club. Of course that isn't free. 


We chose stepping down the stairs, curious how far it is n how the surrounding panorama is. It looked like we were in the jungle stepping down the stairs, it was only the wave sound we heard n some bird chirping. Only thousand trees around. That was tiring and we decided to take a break, from the place we could see the wide blue sea, so nice. 

We continued to step down till we got on the rocks on the beach . It felt like we have stepped down 300 hundred stairs,that might be right number! Omg, we were so thirsty! There was no small shop 'warung' selling drink or snack, like it use to be in other beaches. You better prepare stamina n drink before you go there, or else you can buy some drink or food in the beach club, which probably cost much.


The waves were so big at that time, we just walked on the rocks at the beach. If you go to your right you will find some sun bathing beds on the beach , karma kandara beach club owned.

The beach's named Nammos, if you type nammos in google you will get an article about Nammos restaurant in Psarou beach, Mykonos Greece. Don't know who n how it was named. But the view is really nice. 


There were only two people when we got there, that's a good place for u who are tired of crowded beach like kuta or 66. according to a norwegian friend Mette, there will be many people come on the weekend to party in the club n the beach.
She said the club is very nice for you who want to try a new party experience.