All posts by Shem MD

Shem MD is a young doctor who really has a passion for travel and food. He started his hobby of writing about travel and food when he graduated from medical school and became the founder of Travelfore.com. Through a blog created by him, he aspires to gather stories from people all over the world about their experiences in travel and food. He also was a true lover of the art of magic, musical instruments, and mind-blowing movies. And most importantly he is a big fan of Liverpool Football Club. The words often out of him were "Nomad is my middle name !" Shem MD also get Internet Marketing Fundamentals Practitioner Certification, Social Media Practitioner Certification, Content Marketing Practitioner Certification, Display Advertising Practitioner Certification from Marketmotive.com and a member of OMCP Organization. Shem MD also get Hootsuite Certified Professional and a Hootsuite Media Inc. Community Ambassador for Asia Pacific (ID) (Volunteer) Passionate in Digital Marketing, Internet Marketing, and Social Media. Specialties: Entrepreneurship, Business Building, Creative Strategy, Social Media Strategist, Travel and Food Blogging, General Medical Practitioner, Skin Care Business, Magic Props, and Concept Consultant.
Asia, Destinations, Editor's Picks, Street Food Guide

The Vibrant Shilin Night Market in Taiwan

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Everyone in Taiwan knows that if you want to see the most vibrant night view, you must go to Shilin Night Market. Shilin Market Taiwan is also one of the most famous tourist destinations in Taiwan, and it is much recommended for travelers who visit this country. Located in the district with the same name, this colorful place is also the biggest night market in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city.

This market has everything, from food stalls to clothing and jewelry, from bars to video arcades, and from street side snacks to toys. This is also a favorite place for students to hang out with friends, because the market usually opens around 4 PM, after school is over. This is also a favorite place for locals to buy fresh goods for dinner, or hang out during weekend.

History of Shilin Market

Shilin Market Taiwan has been operating since 1909. It was used as a place for trading agricultural and farm products between Shilin District and other areas such as Dadaocheng and Banka. The humble market soon grew into bigger market that sold a lot more things and invited more customers. Gradually, the market turned into a trading, culinary and entertainment center. More vendor owners and merchants started business here. So many were they that the market finally turned into night market (it was previously a regular day market).

Eventually, Shilin Night Market became so crowded that it began to face fire risks as well as sanitation problems. Finally, the government relocated all food vendors; now, food vendors are located near to Metro Jiantan Station. Meanwhile, the old structure that previously housed food vendors were demolished and renovated. The project finished in 2011, and Shilin Market became its current look.

What You Find at Shilin Night Market

Just like its old days, Shilin Market Taiwan sells a lot of things and houses hundreds of vendors, including food stalls. There are about 540 food stalls at the food court, and there is a second structure above the non-food sections. It becomes a parking lot. This is a good place to really see the vibrant nightlife of Taiwan and see the lively interaction between locals and tourists. You can find almost everything, clothes, jewelry, souvenirs, accessories, bootlegged DVDs and imitation products of original European and America brands, video game arcades, bars, karaoke bars, nightclubs, toys and many more. However, the most famous place to visit at this night market is probably the food stalls.

Shilin Market Taiwan sells a lot of foods, but the favorite menus are usually traditional Chinese buns and their fried variations, fried steak (usually made of chicken), milk tea with ‘pearls’ (sweet gelatin balls), and oyster omelet. There are also popular Japanese fried foods, such as many types of tempura, and sweet treats such as peanut candy and jelly.

As a popular tourist destination, Shilin Market Taiwan is located in a very strategic spot and it can be reached from different areas using public transportation called The Red Line by locals (officially known as Taipei Rapid Transit System) that ends at Jiantan Station, located near the market. You can also use bus with particular numbers, such as 216 to 218, 224, 277 and 280.

Save up to $525 when you book your flight and hotel together at Expedia.com!

Editor's Picks, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Street Food Guide

10 Unique Indonesian Foods You Must Try

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When visiting Indonesia, do not skip the opportunities to try its original foods. Indonesia is a country rich in cultural heritages, including traditional foods. Each of 33 provinces in Indonesia has its own specific food, but many of them have spread to other provinces and become famous in many areas. Forget fancy fine dining; it is time for you to hit simple local restaurants or cheap food stalls to get these unique foods.

Sate Buntal
Sate (satay) buntal is one of Bali’s unique dishes besides betutu chicken and suckling pig. The word ‘buntal’ refers to the sate shape, which is not in small pieces of meat like the usual sate. Instead, sate buntal is made of finely chopped fish meat with spices, which are formed into one large lump orb bulge (‘buntalan’) using hands. The meat then attached on bamboo skewers and grilled.

Gudeg Kendhil
Gudeg is actually a famous and common dish in Yogyakarta Province in the center of Java; this is a rice dish eaten with stewed jackfruit, egg, chicken, sweet-savory spice and fried shaved coconut. However, Gudeg Kendhil is cooked in a clay pot (kendhil) and has hearty taste.

Mie Aceh
Mie Aceh (Aceh Noodle) is a spicy noodle dish from Aceh province in western Indonesia. The dish uses egg noodles with thick broth, served with beef, goat meat, crab, squid or prawn. There is also fried noodle version, but most people love Mie Aceh with broth.

Mie Bangka
Mie Bangka (Bangka Noodle) is almost similar with Mie Aceh. It is also made from egg noodle. However, the broth is lighter, served with various seafood dishes.

Gulai Patin
Gulai is a term for dish that is cooked with yellow coconut milk broth (the yellow color is from turmeric). Patin is a freshwater fish with soft meat that is very abundant in Jambi province. Gulai patin is usually cooked with coconut milk broth, but more traditional version uses fermented durian fruit flesh.

Ayam Taliwang
Ayam Taliwang (Taliwang chicken) is a chicken dish from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara. This dish is a set of fried or grilled spiced chicken served with white rice, fresh vegetable salad and chili paste. Usually, this dish served with really hot spice.

Tinutuan/ Manado Porridge

This is a porridge dish from North Sulawesi. Tinutuan has become a staple food in many provinces, mainly because this dish is light and healthy. Tinutuan is rice porridge without any strong flavor, mixed with green vegetables and corn. To complement its light flavor, Tinutuan is often served with salted dried fish, boiled corn, and chili paste. This is also a popular dish for breakfast.

Gohu Ikan
Gohu Ikan is a dish from Ternate, Maluku province, which is well known as ‘Ternate sashimi.’ This is because Gohu ikan is a raw tuna fish mixed with very strong and sharp spices, such as chili, red onion, garlic, lime and many more.

Rujak Cingur
This East Java dish is made of cow’s snout or tongue, mixed with cucumber, young mango flesh, soy cake, pineapple, bean sprout and long beans. It is eaten with special spice made of prawn paste, palm sugar, chili, salt and fried onion.

Catemak Jagung
Catemak Jagung (corn catemak) is a type of dessert porridge made of corn, pumpkin and green bean, which is very popular in East Nusa Tenggara. Although this is dessert, the porridge is rather savory than sweet.

Celebrity Chefs, Editor's Picks

Chef James Martin, the Celebrity Chef

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JAMES MARTIN AT MANCHESTER 235Currently, being a chef is not just about cooking, creating recipes and running a restaurant or kitchen. A successful chef with good look can become ‘celebrity chef,’ just like in the case of Chef James Martin. While Chef Martin spent years learning about catering, savory cooking and pastry making, he is also well known in England and even in the world through his various TV shows since 1996.

Background

Born in 1972 in Yorkshire, England, Martin was originally a farmer kid who enjoyed cooking with his mother. He continued his interest in coking via a professional study in Scarborough Technical College, were he studied catering and had training at several famous restaurants, including Hostellerie De Plaisance in France.

With such impressive background, Martin was able to find his first job before age 20 as staff at Maison Troisgros, also in France. He then returned to England and worked at several famous restaurants there such as One Ninety Queen’s Gat, The Square and Harvey’s, before becoming pastry chef at Chewton Glen Hotel.

First TV Debut

Chef Martin first became TV celebrity in 1996 when he appeared in James Martin: Yorkshire’s Finest, in which he explored the culinary richness of his hometown. However, his name then started to soar when he appeared in BBC 2 cooking program, called Ready Steady Cook. Interestingly, at one point during his appearance in that program, he also gained world record as the fastest carrot chopper in the world, when he peeled and chopped 515 grams (almost a quarter pound) of carrots in 60 seconds.

Further Celebrity Debut

Chef Martin appeared in BBF Food show Stately Supers as well as reality show in Channel 4, where he and the host visited home cooks at their own houses for comfort food cooking challenge. Then, he got his first presenter gig in BBC1 in a weekend show called Saturday Kitchen. By this time, his name soared among BBC viewers as one of their celebrity chefs.

After Saturday Kitchen, Martin appeared in various shows such as Can You Cook It?, The Great British Village Show, James Martin’s Christmas Feast and Eating with the Enemy. One of his most successful programs was Operation Hospital Food, where he improved menu quality at Scarborough General Hospital. This show was highly appreciated by viewers, and becoming one of Chef Martin’s most successful shows.

TV Appearances in 2013

Chef Martin apparently has not lost his celebrity charm. This 2013, he appeared at several shows. Between February and March, Chef Martin explored United States and sampled various cakes and snacks before reviewing them in United Cakes of America. He was also involved in judging panel in June show, The Roux Scholarship, together with Angela Hartnett and Raymond Blanc.

His most recent appearance was in June, when he appeared in The Great British Budget Menu and showed various nutritious, delicious recipes with cheap ingredients. Besides all his TV appearances, Chef Martin is also a successful restaurant owner with two restaurants; The Leeds Kitchen at Alea Casino (closed due to the closing of the casino) and the latest one in The Talbot Hotel in North Yorkshire.

Celebrity Vacations, Editor's Picks

Hollywood Celebrity Summer Vacation 2013

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This summer, many Hollywood celebrities make news only by visiting famous holiday spots and showing off their bikinis and swimming attires. From Hawaiian beach to Mediterranean Sea, Hollywood celebrities welcome summer by enjoying sun in even warmer (and more exotic places) than LA. Some bring their kids, others enjoy romantic holiday with their mates.

Who are Hollywood celebrities that recently grace many magazine covers and social media albums with their summer holiday pictures in exotic places? Let’s find them out.

Beyonce and Jay Z
This dream couple spent their summer holiday in Mediterranean Sea, cruising with their private yacht to Italy and Spain along with their daughter, Blue Ivy Carter. This summer holiday apparently doubled as birthday holiday, as dear Mrs. Carter turned 32 when they started the cruise. Beyonce regularly posted her holiday pictures in her personal blog, including her pictures with Jay Z on their yacht.

Bradley Cooper
The actor apparently chose to spend precious ‘me-time’ by himself, when he was spotted by paparazzi relaxing alone in Hawaii beach last Saturday. He spent time swimming, cruising on the beach and just enjoying himself. He even chose not to bring his girlfriend, a model named Suki. The Hawaiian holiday was his last free time activity before he starts a new movie project with Cameron Crowe.

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams
These two famous tennis players apparently chose to spend their precious summer holiday time in their own country, taking a short break before the next championships and sport events. Serena chose to spend summer by taking a break on Miami Beach, while Rafael Nadal chose to going on a yacht cruise with some good friends.

Penelope Cruz
Apparently, Penelope Cruz has no problem at all showing off her body in bikini, only 2 months after giving birth to a daughter. She and her husband chose to spend summer holiday in warm Corsica, spending time together with their friends on beach cruise and yacht trip in Mediterranean Sea.

Pink and Nicole Kidman
What are the similarities between Pink and Nicole Kidman? Nothing, except that they were just spotted spending summer holiday in Indonesia. They went to Yogyakarta and apparently quite succeeded in avoiding paparazzi for some time. They spent time by shopping in Malioboro Street as well as visiting Borobudur Temple and Kaliurang area near Mount Merapi.

Hayden Panettiere
The former Disney Star, who a couple of months ago became infamous when sporting misspelled Italian phrase as tattoo on her ribcage, was just spotted in Miami Beach, a favorite spot for many celebrities to spend summer holiday.

Jennifer Lawrence, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis and Ang Lee
These four celebrities also have similarities: they just spent summer holiday in the exotic Belize. In fact, these famous four had stayed at the same resort, the Chaa Creek, which is famous as one of the most favorite holiday resorts in Belize for celebrities due to its strict privacy policy. Leonardo DiCaprio was also seen spending holiday in Belize, but that is because he owns one of the small islands nearby.

Now, as winter approaches, we can start to expect some great winter holiday snaps from more celebrities.

Editor's Picks, Food, Indonesia, Street Food Guide

List of the Most Popular Foods in Bali

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Bali is famous for not only its beauty and culture but also its food. Many tourists that visit Bali probably know more about iconic places in Bali than its foods. While you may prefer to enjoy fine dining meal in fancy restaurant, there is nothing wrong with hunting for Bali’s iconic dishes in local restaurants and cheap food stalls. If you want to explore everything good about Bali, food is the thing you cannot skip.

Bali’s Popular Food List
Here are some of the most popular foods in Bali you can find in various establishments:

  • Ayam Betutu

Ayam betutu (betutu chicken) is an iconic chicken dish in Bali that is loved by both locals and foreigners. This dish consists of steamed, spicy chicken served with white rice, vegetables and chili paste. Some local restaurants actually cook their chicken with hot ingredients, so if you cannot handle something spicy, order a lot of sweet drinks! A complete portion of this dish only costs around IDR 20,000 to 30,000 (about $2 to $3).

  • Babi Guling

Babi guling (suckling pig) is a type of roast dish made of whole pig roasted in a pit. This dish can be found in Denpasar, Kuta and Seminyak, from cheap stalls to upscale dining establishments. This menu is usually served for dinner, and the best way to enjoy this dish is at beachside restaurant or food stall. Usually, restaurants will put bold announcement outside their establishments about their suckling pig menu, to inform Moslem visitors.

  • Godoh Gedang

This is a simple dish made of fried sweet banana, which is very easy to find. Godoh gedang is eaten with coconut shave and palm sugar sauce, but some upscale restaurants serve this dish with white, creamy sweet sauce.

  • Bubur Injin

Bubur injin (injin porridge) is a type of warm dessert made of black sticky rice, crushed until soft and eaten with coconut milk.

  • Lawar

Lawar is a type of vegetable dish cooked with spices and chili, and sometimes mixed with beef or pork. There are restaurants that mix blood into their versions of lawar, which is believed make the taste stronger and more delicious. Lawar can be found anywhere; from cheap food stalls to local restaurants. If you are a Moslem, you should ask about the ingredients first before ordering.

  • Jaja Bali

Jaja Bali is actually a broad term given to various small, sweet cakes that are usually sold in the market. These cakes are popular as snacks or breakfast, eaten together with warm cup of tea or coffee. Since many of these cakes are made of rice, coconut and palm sugar, they are quick to stale. If you want to taste the original Jaja Bali, find traditional market and visit early in the morning. These small cakes are very cheap; often just IDR 500 to 1000 per piece (around 0.5 cent to 1 cent).

What do you think? Are you ready to explore Bali’s rich culinary? Never visit Bali without tasting some of these iconic foods to make your holiday in this island unforgettable.

Editor's Picks, Indonesia, Travel Tips

Nice Places for Family Vacation in Bali

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Bali is a popular tourist destination, especially among backpackers. There are so many things to see here, from beautiful views to cultural attractions. You may have a lot of freedom to explore it if you jus visit by yourself or with good friends, but, what if you visit Bali with your entire family? Surely, you must pick places where you and your kids can have fun together. While you may have to skip nightclubs, you can still have fun in various tourist attractions and destinations in Bali. Here are some fun activities you can do together with the entire family.

Water Sport

Water sport and play are fun activities for both adults and kids. Bring your family to Kuta Waterbom Park for a fun filled day. This water park has actually regarded as the world’s 3rd best water park and becomes 2013 Traveler’s Choice in Trip Advisor website. Besides various water plays, you can also enjoy delicious buffet meal or being pampered in spa facility.

Do you want something more challenging? Head to Tanjung Benoa, a coastal area near Nusa Dua where you can enjoy various water sports, as well as diving and snorkeling. Here, you can enjoy water sports such as parasailing, banana boat, water donut, and flying fish. Kids can join these activities as long as they are already 6 years old and accompanied by adults.

Animals

If your kids love animals, there are many places you can visit in Bali to enjoy interesting and cute animals as well as learning about nature. Bali Bird Park is a famous animal sanctuary that keeps huge collections of rare birds, reptiles and other animals.

You can also take your kids to Ubud, where there are several animal related destinations. Animal Welfare Association is located in Monkey Forest Road and keeps stray cats and dogs that have been vaccinated and tamed. Kids can learn how to take care of pets in proper ways, as well as playing with cute cats and dogs. You can also adopt an animal or make donation.

Other animal related place to visit in Ubud is Bali Bird Walks, where you can take a walk in Tjampuhan Village and enjoy rural views as well as local birds. You and family can also join local guides in ‘farmer for a day’ activity.

Finally, there are P Stables, a stable compound located near Pererenan Village and open for public. Here, you and your family can learn how to ride a horse, before a trained guide take you to nearby beach for an unforgettable beachside horse riding.

Culture

Bali is rich in cultural heritage, so there are many places where you can take your family to see it. There is the iconic Tanah Lot Temple where you can enjoy sunset, before heading to the temple and enjoy traditional dance performance (based on schedule). You can also visit Tirta Gangga Park, a beautiful historical site that used to be private sanctuary for royal families.

Bali is not just about beachside clubs, bars, shopping and surfing. There are so many things to see in this island while enjoying precious time with your family.

Asia, Editor's Picks, Food

12 Japanese Most Iconic Foods

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Japanese food is a world of its own. It is beautiful to look at, made with great skills and sense of beauty, and has unique flavor. Japanese food is so popular in many countries in the world, and you can find Japanese food almost everywhere. Are you fancy yourself as a food lover? Let’s check if you recognize all of these 12 iconic Japanese foods.

Oden
Oden is a type of street food you can find during autumn and winter, because its ingredients are stewed and served with hot broth. Ingredients of oden can consist of fish cakes, thick omelet, carrot, chicken, radish, dumplings and many more.

Sushi
You must know that this is a fish dish, usually eaten with rice. However, sushi has a lot of variations. There is maki-zushi (rolled sushi wrapped in seaweed and filled with fish and vegetables), nigiri sushi (handmade sushi with rectangular sticky rice and different toppings), temaki (sushi rolled in ice cream cone shaped seaweed) and many more.

Mochi
Mochi is a type of rice cake that can be either sweet or savory. Sweet mochi is eaten with sugar or soy powder, and unsweetened mocha becomes topping for savory dish such as udon (noodle dish).

Anpan and Melon Pan
Anpan and melon pan are two famous breads in Japan. Anpan is a traditional sweet bun that dates back from the Meiji Era, filled with red bean paste. Melon pan is called ‘melon’ because the shape is like half melon, not because it has melon in it.

Ramen and Udon
Ramen and udon are two popular noodle dishes in Japan. Ramen has soy sauce or meat broth with pork and egg as common toppings, while udon has thick shape and usually topped with tempura or fried tofu.

Tempura
Tempura is a term of deep fried meat, vegetables, chicken or seafood that is covered with batter. They are fried in vegetable oil and eaten with dipping sauce.

Sukiyaki and Shabu-shabu
Sukiyaki and shabu-shabu are popular winter dishes served in hot pot style, and consist of thin slices of meat and vegetables. They are usually eaten with rice and accompanied by sake or beer.

Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki is an Osaka dish that is often cooked as method to use leftovers, but it is popular outside Japan as ‘Japanese pancake’ although it is more like savory dish than cake. The batter is made of egg and flour, and the topping consists of shredded cabbage, chicken, seafood or anything you want.

Gyoza
Gyoza is a type of dumpling originated from China, but the Japanese version has more garlic in it and the wrapping is thinner. It is filled with chicken, beef or pork, and eaten with soy sauce.

Miso
Miso is a famous soup that is made of miso paste (a kind of soy paste), seaweed and fish stock, with fillings such as tofu, vegetables and onion. It is often served for daily meals and very healthy.

Teriyaki
Teriyaki is a term for meat or fish dish that is cooked in sweet and savory sauce. The sauce is made of sugar, soy sauce, honey and mirin.

Oshiruko
Oshiruko is often called dessert soup, because it is sweet but look like thick soup. It is made of red bean and eaten hot with mochi or dumpling. It is often served during winter or as New Year dish.

There are still many signature dishes in Japan, but these 12 foods can be considered as the most iconic ones, both in and outside Japan.

Editor's Picks, Hotels and Resorts, Indonesia, Sponsored

HARRIS Hotel and Conventions, the Best Resort Hotel in Malang, East Java, Indonesia

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Cheers! I always heard this word anytime I visited HARRIS hotel and met the hotel staffs. The smile will never fade away from your face any time you are greeted by the hotel staffs. This reflects the hospitality of the staffs at HARRIS Hotel and Conventions, Malang. 

Simple, unique, and friendly; these three words reflect the situation in the five-star hotel, which is dominated by orange tone that brings a fresh feeling and atmosphere into the hotel. Situated at the “green” Riverside, near to Malang – Surabaya main highway, from which you can easily get access to the bus station and to the airport. HARRIS Hotel and Conventions, Malang is an ideal place to hold a business seminar, business conference and convention, and many other business and personal activities.

Courtesy of  Malang.Harrishotel.com

In addition, it provides a relaxing atmosphere for the visitors, like me, Shem MD, who came with all family members for an unforgettable weekend in one of the best resort hotels in Malang, East Java, such as HARRIS Hotel and Conventions Malang. I visited the hotel during the weekend when I could do many activities. I stayed at the hotel for a pleasing serenity it offers. Getting into the Green Estate of Riverside, you can easily find the hotel with 229 beds. In addition, it is equipped with a ballroom with a capacity of 1500 individuals and 3 meeting rooms with seating capacity of 50 persons each. This is possible for the ultimate serenity the hotel offers.

HARRIS Hotel and Conventions, Malang, is an ideal place for a relief from the crowded urban life. When arriving at the hotel lobby, I was welcomed by hotel staffs in orange suite, offering professional and hospitable services, such as welcome drink and cold towel. The General Manager of HARRIS Hotel and Conventions Malang, Stylianos Koureas was there to provide us with interesting information on what to do in the hotel. Mr. Stylianos is very warm and polite. It is not surprising to know that he has been awarded as “GM of The Year” for two consecutive years in 2011 and 2013 by Tauzia Hotel Management.

Courtesy of  Malang.Harrishotel.com

After the check-in process, I was brought to my room, namely HARRIS Suite Room No 709. It was a wonderful hotel room suite, with 48 square meter. This suite room is divided into two rooms, the bedroom and the living room. The bathroom space is divided into two different bathrooms, a comfortable guest bathroom in the living room and master bedroom, which is equipped with on-bedroom guest bathtubs.

harris-hotel-conventions-malang

Courtesy of Tripadvisor.com

In the living room, I could enjoy Smart TV channel, which is connected to internet, equipped with a complete set of complete home theatre and 3D glasses, for a memorable home theatre experience. Yes, you can enjoy the 3D home theatre from the comfort of your hotel room. It is fantastic! you can browse the internet as much as you want, using free but fast Wi-Fi services, which could be accessed from the hotel room or from any other areas in the hotel.

After spending sometime lying on the comfortable bed and enjoying 3D home theater movies in the room suite, I moved to the amazing recreation activity area. There are 3 great swimming pools which equipped with a variety of water playing tools, kid’s playing club (Dino’s club), HARRIS hotel cafe and terrace, HARRIS juice bar, fitness center, sauna, wedding chapel, and ping pong table, and many more. More interestingly, the recreation area is surrounded by amazing natural scene, green mountains, and rows of pine trees. All of these will encourage you stay longer in this area.

After enjoying various activities in the recreation area, I enjoyed Spa service in HARRIS spa, which is known to be the best place for relaxation and spa service in Malang. This time, I had “Cempaka Massage,” a combination of Javanese relaxing massage, body scrub, and milk mask. Two hours I spent in the spa went so fast and I felt so relaxed after the massage. You will find your body and soul relaxed after the Javanese relaxing massage. Your skin tone becomes lighter with body scrub and milk mask treatment. For these convenient services, you only had to pay IDR 325.000, the service and the comfort really pay the price. However, if you need a cheaper one, you can have cheaper spa service in the hotel, for which you just need to pay IDR 175.000. I agree with the statement that HARRIS spa is the best spa in Malang.

Courtesy of  Malang.Harrishotel.com

Sunset was the time for me to enjoy the classy delicacies in the hotel. I went to the HARRIS restaurant and cafe, which is located near to the main swimming pool. It provides a serene environment. Here, you can enjoy a variety of high-quality foods, with the rows of pine trees as the background scene and with the fresh air of Malang City soothing your mind. Of the various menus, ranging from Indonesian-specific food to Italian food, Chinese food as well as any other Western foods, I opted western-style food, namely, Balsamic Glazed filet mignon, recommended by Mr. Stylianos, the General Manager of HARRIS Hotel and Conventions Malang.

Within few minutes, some appetizers were served to me before the main course, namely, cheese ball and mozzarella sticks. For the main course, I spent IDR 165.000 and the taste really paid the price. I enjoyed the smaller end of smooth perfectly roasted tenderloin. It was juicy and tasty, with balsamic sauce spread around the filet mignon. It blended nicely with the meat. You can taste the real balsamic vinegar and red wine in the sauce. The foods really pay the amount you spend and you will never feel disappointed with them.

Then came the time for hotel room, where I spent the night under a relaxing atmosphere on the king-size bed. In the next morning, I woke up to enjoy the breakfast buffet. The hotel served the best variations of breakfast menus from different countries. You can visit HARRIS Hotel and Conventions Malang for vacation, business, or for any other activities in Malang City, and you will enjoy a memorable experience staying at the resort hotel.

Other attractive things in the hotel include the following:

–       Unique HARRIS slippers

–       HARRIS car with a unique design

–       HARRIS boutique

–       Happy Feet Reflexiology

–       Daily kids activities

–       Outdoor fun vehicles

–       The spacious parking lot for cars and buses

Location :

HARRIS Hotel & Conventions Malang

Jl. A Yani Utara Riverside Block C-1 Malang 65126, Indonesia

Phone: +62 341 299 2299 I Fax: +62 341 299 2288

Email: sales@harris-malang.com

Cultural and Historical Heritage, Destinations, Indonesia

Discovering the Marvelous Tribal Life in Baliem Valley, Papua, Indonesia

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In addition to Raja Ampat, which is known for its wonderful marine tourism, Papua has another tourist attraction. If you have much with natural tourist destinations, why don’t you try a cultural, tribal one? Living in urban areas, you may not be familiar with the tribal life. You can enjoy it in Baliem Valley. Are you strange with the name? Perhaps; but, you will not be strange to the name “Wamena, Papua, Indonesia”, where Baliem Valley is situated.

Tourism Activities

Trekking tribal villages is the main tourist activity in Baliem Valley. It is home to Dani people that are known for tough and warm spirit. There, you can still be able to meet local men with their penis gourd attire, living in stone-age villages. Uniqueness of the area is not limited to the people and the culture. You can also find unusual traditional architectures, namely, grass huts. Enjoy the fascinating views of forests, green fields, and rivers, with mountain as the background.

You can also go to the settlement areas of Lani tribe, Yali Tribes, and even to Asmat lands. You can begin the exploration from Wamena and follow the game trails to the neighboring valleys or to the mountains, which are accessible by walking, to get some fresh air. The trekking package takes about 30 days even though you can find much shorter expedition to the nearby villages.

Roaming through the markets in Wamena is another fascinating thing to do in Baliem Valley. If you do not have enough energy to hike 100 feet to Yali settlements, you may choose to take bicycle or rickshaw to explore the traditional markets. There, you can find fresh local fruits, local clothing and crafts, and some modern-style products like electronics and even car parts. You can take photographs of local children with their smiling face and show the photos to them (in fact, local children like to be photographed, particularly by the strangers).

Accommodation

You can find a number of hotels and accommodations in Wamena. However, if you come from a different province or from a different country and need to make online reservation, you only have a single choice, namely, the Baliem Valley Resort, a 3-star resort that is situated about 1.100 hectares away from the tribal villages. It is worthy knowing that few hotels provide internet connection, but if you need it, you can go to one of the internet cafes in Wamena.

Accessibility

To go to Wamena, you can fly from Jayapura; it takes about 40 minutes of air travel. Wamena has an airport terminal, in addition to an airstrip. If you are lucky, you can fly with military Hercules from Timika to Wamena or from Sorong to Wamena. The flight costs cheaper with Hercules, but you may not find a certain flight schedule.

Tips

The following tips may help you during a visit in Baliem Valley :

  • If you want to explore the tribal areas in and around Baliem Valley, you had better join a tourist agent or get a guide. Few local people can speak other languages, English even less.
  • Make sure you ask permission before taking photographs of anything in the market, particularly those from remote villages.
  • Make sure you prepare snacks and other stuffs you may need before night. Few areas have street lamp, and few stores open at night.
  • You had better allocate some extra budget when visiting Baliem Valley. Ever stuffs are flown there, and it is evident from the prices.
Asia, Destinations, Food, Restaurant Reviews, Street Food Guide

Singapore Iconic Menu to Try in One Day

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Singapore is not only famous as a shopping and entertainment center, but also a food paradise. A melting pot of Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnicities, Singapore has rich food culture. It has been in the list of recommended countries to have culinary adventure in many travel magazines and websites for a long time. This time, let us show you 5 iconic Singaporean food and beverages (including really nice cocktail) that you can enjoy in a day, from morning until the evening.

Singaporean Breakfast Set

In a country rich in food culture, even a simple breakfast holds certain appeals. Singaporeans have many different breakfast variations, but one of the simplest and most favorite breakfast dishes is the Singaporean Breakfast Set. This seems like your typical toast and egg breakfast, but with some twists. The toasts are eaten with kaya spread, a type of creamy and sweet jam made of eggs, pandanus leaf and coconut. The eggs are soft boiled, and they come with a steaming cup of coffee or milk tea. Locals often break the toasts and eat the pieces by dipping them into the egg yolks, after adding soy sauce.
Some places recommended by Singaporean is Ya Kun, Killeney, ToastBox and Wang Cafe as these establishments have opened branches all over Singapore. In our opinion, the best Kaya Toast is from Killeney Kopitiam. It costs S$1.60 for the normal kaya toast and S$1.80 if you want it served on French loaf which is their main branch located at 67 Killiney Road, Singapore.

Laksa

Laksa is a Malayan noodle dish with coconut base broth, and places recommended by Singaporean is 328 Katong laksa located at 53 East Coast Road, singapore. This laksa dish is a variation of Malayan laksa called laksa lemak (‘lemak’ is a term given for its coconut milk based broth), which is slightly creamy but spicy. This noodle dish is unique because the noodles are cut into shorter pieces, so you can eat the dish with only spoon instead of struggling with long noodle strings, forks or chopsticks.

Chicken Rice

If you want something healthier and more fulfilling, try Nasi Ayam or Chicken Rice. This dish shares similarities with many other rice dishes in other Asian countries such as Malaysia and China (the famous inspiration is Hainan Chicken Rice). If you cannot handle hot dishes, this is the safer choice. The best place to enjoy this food is at Tian Tian Chicken Rice, one of the most famous chicken rice stalls in Singapore. Located at 443 Joo Chiat Road  Singapore. It even gained the approval of Anthony Bourdain when he was in Singapore.

Chili Crab with Mantou Bread

Chili crab is another iconic Singaporean dishes, and its dubbed down version often appears in various Asian themed restaurants around the world. However, nothing beats the kicking spices in the crab’s sauce. Chili crab was invented by Cher Yam Tian and her husband, Lim Choon Ngee, in around 1950’s. Since then, chili crab becomes a kind of national dish.

The crab is served steaming hot with generous amount of thick red sauce, which is sweet, sour and spicy. The original chili crab has delicious sauce that many people refuse to waste it away. Mantou or Chinese fried bread is often served with chili crab, so people can enjoy the sauce by dipping bread on it. The best place to try Singaporean chilli crab is at No Signboard Seafood. Try the signature Chilli Crab and Black pepper crab here. Located at 414 Geylang Road, Singapore.

Singaporean Sling

Finally, close your day by enjoying Singaporean Sling, an Asian cocktail first made around 1915 by a bartender named Ngiam Tong Boon. This cocktail consist of gin and brandy as the main alcohol, then mixed grenadine, cherry brandy, lemon or lime juice, pineapple juice, Benedictine and Cointreau. This is a type of straight up cocktail, means you drink it as soon as it is poured from the shaker, without ice.

The taste of this cocktail is described as rich, fresh and light, with foamy surface and fragrant smell from the fresh fruit juices and garnish. This is truly the perfect drink to end your culinary adventure in Singapore from morning to evening.