Next Destination - Tropical Life

Mar52015 by olafNo Comments

Jiwa Spa at Conrad

Unwind

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#00e3ff"] Jiwa Spa translates from Indonesian to English as “Soul Spa”. It is here at Conrad Bali that Jiwa Spa has managed to seamlessly integrate modern therapeutic and treatment techniques with Indonesia’s ancient art of massage and healing practices. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] Jiwa Spa is a luxurious sanctuary where dedicated staff attend to the mind, body and spirit of their guests with a wide selection of treatments and 5-star service accruements that include a welcoming foot massage, a personal Jiwa Spa robe with slippers and complementary use of the steam, sauna, pool and Jacuzzi facilities. One of the more traditional Balinese treatments is the traditional Balinese lulur where you would be treated like Balinese...

Mar32015 by olafNo Comments

Kilo Restaurants

Spice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#00e3ff"] After the success of their restaurants in Singapore, Kilo recently opened up their first overseas branch, in the heart of Seminyak. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] Designed with modern Balinese architecture, wood furniture and big windows overlooking a well-manicured landscape, Kilo serves refined comfort and adventure food for those looking for good taste in a casual space. Serving for lunch and dinner, the dishes in KILO are influenced by several cuisines such as Japanese, Italian and Spanish. One dish I found incredibly tantalizing was the squid ink rice. To be honest, this is not an appetizing looking dish. The black colour resulting from the squid ink can be a bit overwhelming for first timers. However, it is ...

Feb252015 by olaf1 Comment

Luang Prabang, Laos

Five Best

Luang Prabang is the former capital city of Laos situated in north central region of the country and considered one of the Southeast Asia’s most interesting destinations. This small UNESCO World Heritage City has a charm of its own as it sits peacefully beneath a temple-topped hill at the confluence of Mekong and Khan Rivers. This is the city of Buddhist temples and monasteries, a happy bustle of locals about their business, charming French colonial buildings and local timber Lao structures. The most visited temple here is Wat Xieng Thong or Temple of the Golden City. This temple includes a monastery and is an important monument to Laos’s religious spirit, royalty and art. Luang Prabang is of gentle appeal to visitors and every morning here hundreds of monks from the monasteries walk thro...

Feb252015 by olafNo Comments

Traders Hotel

Next Stay

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#00e3ff"] One of the finest and most conveniently situated hotels in this bustling modern city, Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur has continued to provide guests with outstanding accommodation, spectacular city views, great facilities and professional friendly service for both leisure and business travellers. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] One of the finest and most conveniently situated hotels in this bustling modern city, Traders Hotel, Kuala Lumpur has continued to provide guests with outstanding accommodation, spectacular city views, great facilities and professional friendly service for both leisure and business travellers. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] The hotel is strategically positioned in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s...

Feb132015 by olafNo Comments

Tapis Restaurant at Kayumanis Jimbaran

Spice

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#00e3ff"] This elegant restaurant sits unobtrusively in a quiet corner of Jimbaran. Tapis Restaurant at Kayumanis offers a pleasant environment for dining and a menu of authentic Indonesian cuisine. [/vc_blockquote][vc_column_text] The restaurant is relatively small and presents as a luxury home. Timber furnishings dominate the interior and while there is an Indonesian authenticity with the menu, dishes are presented in an appealing modern mode. I made myself comfortable at one of the tables and started my culinary journey with tuna sambal matah - pan seared tuna with sesame seed served with Balinese chili sauce ‘matah’. I followed this with the restaurants rendang, a rich beef stew based with coconut milk and the delicate sw...

Nov152014 by olaf2 Comments

Yogyakarta

Next Destination

[vc_row][vc_row][vc_column ][/vc_column][/vc_row] [vc_row] [vc_column width="1/1"][vc_blockquote type="type1" border_color="#00e3ff"] It has not surprised me to learn that Yogyakarta is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia. My experience with previous visits here has already shown me that these claims are credible. I had arrived off a short AirAsia Flight from Bali and was more than ready for my weekend break. [/vc_blockquote][/vc_column][/vc_row] [vc_row] [vc_column width="1/1"][vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row] My first visit was to the Keraton, Yogyakarta’s royal palace. The Sultan of Yogyakarta and his Queen still reside in the palace but allow visitors into the grounds to view traditional Javanese dance performances. I am always pleased to see traditional cu...