Caprianist

Yeah you read it right! It’s Desert not Dessert. Vietnam is famous for its exquisite landmark and savory dessert. But, This time I would share about that great time I had in the desert at Vietnam. There’s a place called Mui Ne, which has an unusual vast desert right alongside its coast. Yep, Mui Ne itself is a coastal strip, there’s fishing village in one side, and the desert in the other side.

Located about 4-5 hours apart from Ho Chi Minh City by bus, this area is quite convenient to reach. Thanks for a bunch of good bus selection! Oh by the way you could take the train to get here too. some people would say it’s more convenient. But I think it’s quite the same, because I took the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Mui Ne (FuTa Bus—you could see their schedules and book it here) but I took the train (Vietnam Railway) on my way back. Both of them could be purchased online, so it’s easy-peasy! From the Train Station/Bus Stop to your resort, I would recommend to use the Taxi. You could arrange this kind of transport with your hotel but it’s more expensive than searching the taxi on your own. Well, I myself choose to be a little bit adventurous and try my own luck by searching for the taxi on my own haha—luckily I found it, and it’s metered Taxi!

There’re 2 major attractions that you should visit in Mui Ne: The Red Sand Dunes and The White Sand Dunes! The Red Sand Dunes is much closer to the center, while it would be quite an effort to reach White Sand Dunes. You could rent a car or a bike to reach White Sand Dunes, it took about 30 Minutes by car, though. There’re several activities that you could do in these dunes, whether it’s rent a quad-bike, sand-surfing, or even walking along the dunes while enjoying its sunset/sunrise, I bet it would be unforgettable!

Even though it’s further, I love White Sand Dunes rather than the Red one. The Red Sand Dunes is somehow quite messy, maybe because it’s closer to the center so there’re more people who visit the Red Sand Dunes, compare to White Sand Dunes. Both dunes have different characteristics though, but you could got a lovely scenic view of a huge amount of sands alongside the coast, it’s like a mixture of a desert and a beach!

I spent the sunset in Red Sand Dunes back then, it was lovely but there’s nothing extraordinary. The next morning, I enjoyed the sunrise at White Sand Dunes and it was incredible!! Afterwards, I experienced a ride with a jeep in the dunes. You have to pay 15000VND for the entrance ticket and additional 10 USD for the jeep ride (sometimes the jeep ride price is negotiable). It’s quite pricey, but it really is worth the price. By renting a jeep, you got a driver with it and you could explore the Dunes more, you could reach the greater part of the dunes with a greater view and less people.

I bet one of the best thing to do in Taiwan is culinary adventure! Taiwan is famous for its xiao long bao and bubble milk tea, but Taiwan is more than that! I, myself, didn't know that Taiwan has a great Roasted Duck! Furthermore, who would think about having a High Tea in Taiwan? As we all know, High Tea is common in United Kingdom (and maybe some countries in Europe), but not in Taiwan. So luckily I could find those two things in Shangri-la Taipei!


There’re several restaurants in Shangri-la Taipei, and my favorite one is Shang Palace. This is where you could satisfy your tummy in a perfect way! The signature menu of this restaurant is its roasted duck cooked in two ways. This duck would be served as two dishes: sliced duck wrapped with pancake and braised duck bone soup with taro and milk! The chef itself would come, cut the duck in front of you, and served it just for you! Other than that, I really love its gastronomic dessert.

Not only that, you could spend some time having a lovely high tea featuring a Taipei 101 look-alike rack in Marcopolo Lounge on 38^th floor! It really is a perfect place to chill. Normally, this is a set for two, but I could finish it all by myself! The finger foods are so tiny so it's just feel right and won't make you fully loaded. Some petit cakes are theme-based. So you could find a different one depends on what's going on right now. In my case, I got the Christmas-themed cakes. The scones are delicious and I love to have it with the butter provided. the cookies are quite hard, but it's tasty! The bread pudding is lovely. Not to mention an enticing variety of drinks and cocktails!

First of all, Happy Valentine Day!

it’s been a while since my last post, and now I want to share about my incredible experience at Shangri-la Taipei! Located in the heart of Taipei as the tallest hotel in the capital city, this luxurious hotel is one of a kind!

I’m quite surprise when I arrived in my room, because the room is spacious, with a big and TV-enabled bathroom, furnished in contemporary décor and a great cleanliness! I got the one with Taipei 101 and panoramic city view right outside the window, it really is a jaw-dropping scenery! the bathroom amenities by L'Ocitanne is also provided, and it really made me enjoy my bubbly experience in this bathroom. The TV inside would make yourself more comfortable to spend much time here!

Furthermore, I got an exclusive access to the Horizon Club. This is the place where you could enjoy the spectacular views while having a delectable breakfast, all-day refreshments, and evening canapes and cocktails. Their a la carte menu are scrumptious, and my favorite one is its waffle! The waffle is juicy but soft at once. Kinda like a belgian style. It's sweet, but not too much, that's why I really like it. The staff here is so helpful and they would help you to get the best table with a best view. But in my own honest opinion, you could get a magnificent view from anywhere due to this round design. How could you resist to have a breakfast in this kind of scenery? In my own experience, a sip of tea while enjoying the view could make it even more refreshing than it used to be!

Shangri-la Taipei has a heated rooftop pool with Jacuzzi in it and it was unbelievably relaxing! the Rooftop pool itself located on 43^rd floor. This pool is open for all year round, and the size of the pool is quite big! Beside the pool, there’s a Taipei 101 viewing spot, which is one of my favorite place to enjoy the landscape of Taipei. And it really is the best spot to enjoy 360 view of Taipei from up above (even better than Taipei 101 observatory deck). The viewing spot is quite windy, though. so I should warn you to take good care of any loose item that you brought.

I really enjoy my stay at Shangri-La Taipei! I really couldn’t find any bad aspect of this grand hotel. The service, the room, the scenery, the restaurant, and everything else is just perfect! I really really recommend this hotel if you visited Taipei!! #ShangrilaTaipei #ShangrilaHotels

Wondering to experience Angkor Wat in another whole new way? Then you could consider a Microlight! Angkor Wat is so magnificent, wherever you see it. But I think using a Microlight to see it is a different way to enjoy its beauty. Starting from USD 75 per pax, I think it's worth to try! you can even mount your action camera on the Microlight.

Basically, it's like a joy flight where you will ride this tiny plane in the open air for about 15 mins to enjoy the Angkor Wat Complex. Note that you CAN'T ride this plane on your own, there's a professional pilot who will ride this one for you. So just sit, relax, and enjoy the view and the breeze!

If 15 mins won't satisfy you, usually there're many providers who would offer you for more time (well of course with more bucks!). there're several options for the airplane type too, choose what's suitable with your preferences!

The place where the microlight departs is not that far from the city center. So I recommend if you have a plan to witness the sunrise at Angkor Wat, then ride Microlight the day after or the day before. Cause it's quite a distance from city center to Angkor Wat and it would be a waste of time to go back and forth.

To save your time, I would recommend to spend the rest of the day to explore the city after your Microlight Experience. I should admit there's not so much tourist attraction in Siem Reap (other than Angkor Wat Complex). But at least You could go to the Night Market and The Pub Street. If you’re a fan of Hard Rock’s café, you could pay a visit to Hard Rock Café Siem Reap too.

Well, Pub Street has "Angkor What?"—a really good slang from their own famous landmark—and it has a cheap beer. You could spend some time there, but I suggest to get your dinner somewhere else. Because, in my own opinion, the Pub Street is like one of the Tourist Trap, which is really overrated!

You could go further away from those area, and trust me all the foods out there are way better!

Sedari kecil gw itu nggak pernah sekalipun kepikiran untuk demen keliling dunia. Yaelah, jarak rumah sampe sekolah yang nggak nyampe 3 km aja menurut gw udah JAUH banget. Ya kali gw bakal suka pergi-pergi jauh dengan jarak ribuan km dari rumah gw! Dulu gw termasuk anak rumahan banget, lagi weekend di rumah, lagi libur tanggal merah juga pasti di rumah, mau lagi sekolah juga pengennya cepet-cepet pulang ke rumah. Paling banter sebelum pulang ke rumah ya mampir jajan ke tukang kue cubit atau batagor dulu, but that’s it!! Kemudian setelah masa labil lewat, mulai deh gw demen BANGET yang namanya traveling!

Menurut gw sih ya, hobi gw ini juga sebenernya ditunjang oleh harga tiket pesawat yang makin terjangkau, ngga kayak mantan yang makin susah dijangkaunya. Di samping itu, gw suka banget dengan kemudahan memesan tiket pesawat di era globalisasi ini.

Bayangin aja, dulu gw sempet ngalamin yang namanya mau pesen tiket ya kudu USAHA banget, lebih keras usahanya ketimbang yakinin mantan kalo kita masih sayang sama dia. Kontras banget dengan keadaan sekarang, sumpah gw ngga boong! Mau lagi ngapain aja asal ada kuota atau wi-fi gratisan bisa pesen tiket hanya dengan sentuhan jari!

Itu semua bisa gw lakuin dengan aplikasi Traveloka! Udah gitu ya, kadang yang paling menantang dari nyari tiket untuk traveling itu adalah KAPAN waktu yang tepat untuk beli. Nah, untuk mengakomodir itu, gw paling suka pake fitur “price alert” dari Traveloka. Serius, nih fitur berguna banget, ngga kayak gw yang selalu dinilai tidak berguna oleh mantan. Jadi, price alert ini bisa ngasih tahu—bukan tempe—dan  ngingetin lu tiap ada perubahan harga tiket di tanggal dan tujuan yang lu inginkan. Ngga cuma itu, lu juga bisa nentuin budget limit untuk tiket yang lu inginkan tersebut! Coba bayangin, di saat harga tiket sudah di bawah budget limit lu, Traveloka bakal otomatis ngasih tahu—sekali lagi bukan tempe—lu lewat push notification di mobile phone, melalui e-mail, maupun keduanya! Notifikasi yang diberikan oleh Traveloka juga bisa disetel sesuai preferensi, mau harian maupun mingguan, sah-sah aja! Yang jelas sih, tiap dapet notifikasi dari Traveloka sih gw selalu BAHAGIA banget, ngga kayak notifikasi dari mantan yang isinya Cuma notifikasi nge-read pesen kita doang tanpa dibalas.  Ditambah lagi, Traveloka akan menyiapkan grafik perubahan harga tiket tersebut, jadi ini berguna banget sebagai bahan pertimbangan untuk keputusan pembelian tiket, jangan kayak mantan gw yang mutusin gw tanpa mikir.

Hebatnya lagi nih ya, price alert yang bisa kita setel itu ga cuma 1 loh, tapi Traveloka nyiapin 5 price alert yang bisa kita manfaatkan! Satu lagi, ngerasa tanggal traveling belum pasti kayak status kita sama mantan? Traveloka price alert ini punya keunggulan dalam menentukan tanggal kepergian secara fleksibel! Kita tinggal menentukan perkiraan tanggal kepergian kita, tentukan durasi kepergian, dan voila! Traveloka akan memberikan price alert dan rekomendasi sesuai dengan range tanggal yang kita pilih.

Gw sendiri udah praktekin kehebatan fitur ini untuk ke berbagai tempat di masa lampau. Udah gitu, dengan fitur ini gw #JadiBisa mendapatkan tiket ke Taipei untuk tahun baru nanti!!! Namun tahun baruannya tidak bersama mantan.

Beberapa perjalanan masa lampau sang pengabdi mantan traveler

Nah, hebat banget kan Traveloka? Sehebat gw yang terang-terangan belum bisa move-on dari mantan. Jadi tunggu apalagi? Segera pesan tiket di Traveloka dan jangan lupa download aplikasi mobile-nya di application store kesayangan lu sekarang juga!

Siem Reap is a gem in Cambodia for some reasons, and one of 'em is the magnificent Angkor Wat!

First thing first, I recommend anyone who would go to Siem Reap to rent a tuk-tuk for the whole trip. So if you gonna spend 2 days in Siem Reap, rent tuk-tuk for 2 days at once! The place you stay could recommend a great tuk-tuk driver, the usual rate is about USD 20/day. But, I have my own recommendation based on my own experience.

I would recommend Haty Ly (my tuk-tuk driver when I was there) as he will give you a really great price. In my case, he only ask USD 25 for 2 days! (full, from airport transfer, till temple-hopping). Well, I suggest to give him some tips due to his great service and kind attitude, though! He even bought umbrellas for me and my friends when it's raining (OMG we loooove him so much!). Here's his number: +85598801787, you can send him a message via  WhatsApp to book him!

Furthermore, he could speak in Malay and English fluently!

Now for the Angkor Wat, there's no need to buy your ticket in advance. Just buy the ticket before starting the tour. You could purchase the ticket from the official ticket booth on some building in between Siem Reap City and Angkor Wat Complex (every tuk-tuk driver knows about it, so no worries). There're 3 options, 1-day pass, 3-days pass and 7-days pass. Don't buy the ticket from anyone but this official ticket booth!

After got the ticket in your pocket, now it's time to enjoy the sunrise in Angkor Wat. Wondering where is the best place to enjoy it? The answer would be from the reflection ponds in front of the main

temple. Aaaaand you should take that postcard-like photo from the bottom left side of the main temple for the best Sunrise and Reflection (hey it's essential for your instagram feeds, right? :P)

It would be crowded so I suggest to go there earlier. The Sunrise would emerge around 5:45 AM. It would be best if you depart on 4:30 AM (considering you should buy the ticket first and there would be some queue there too)

Okay it's not the whole Australia, though. Just some part of south east Australia consist of queensland, new south wales, victoria, and tasmania! I should've write about my trip to Blue mountain and Tasmania in a single post as they deserve it, but I decided not to. So if you have any question regarding those two, don't hesitate to DM me on my instagram @iaszz

So here's my list!

10. Visit the controversial art museum in tasmania: Museum of Old and New Art (MONA)

If you asked people what attract them to visit Hobart, Tasmania, well most of them would say that MONA is the reason. From a man-made digestive system (which works like OUR actual digestive system with regular time of feeding and—sorry—pooping) till the death room. You'll find it's weird, somehow cool in occult way, and maybe could be offensive for some people. With great e-guide, one of a lifetime experience, and unexceptional collection, I guarantee you won't regret your visit!

9. Pay a visit to three sisters at the blue mountain

Located in katoomba—just 2 hours from Sydney by train—this blue mountain is so vast and you can do many activities here. You won't miss the three sisters as there're some viewing spots to witness its beauty here.

8. Experienced the wild wild west era at Ballarat City!

Formerly a gold mine, this museum is a great place for family with its wild wild west setting. Don't forget to buy some pastries at their bakery, as it really is delicious! you can read my post about Ballarat here!

7. Find some unique things in a bargain at Salamanca Market

Open only on weekend, it's not only a magnet for shopaholic. From foods till accessories, it really is a great market with good price. You could find nearly anything here. There're so many street musician that perform here too. Definitely a must-visit if you spend your weekend in Hobart!

6. Take some walk in Brighton Beach

A walk in the beach is always a good idea, especially in Brighton Beach. The air is so fresh here with some colorful bath boxes that would ease your mind. You could read more about it here!

 

5. Eat, eat, and eat!

What you have to try is absolutely australian Meat Pie! I would recommend Harry's Cafe de wheels, as they serve the best meat pie. Don't forget to try their fish n chips, anything with their cheese, and ribs! You can read some of it in my previous posts, just like the one about Ribs and Rumps, Ponyfish island, Kazbah, Helm Bar, and so on!

4. Strolling the Bondi Beach (and swim in icebergs!)

Bondi beach is undeniably beautiful. Everyone who visited this beach would make some kind of self-aware nod when read this, I believe! I recommend to swim or have some drinks in icebergs while enjoying this breathtaking view! Read more about Bondi Beach here!

3. Witness the sun drowning between Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House

Okay these 2 landmarks are already great whenever you witnessed it. But I've seen a better version of these two, with additional guest which is the sun. To see the sunset, I would recommend to ride the ferry from manly wharf to clarke quay for the best view. Depends on the season, the sunset time may be vary. Read more about my sunset experience here!

2. Soak at an outdoor hot tub at opossum bay

Tasmania is the coldest region I've experienced in Australia. That's why soaking in a hot tub would be a great idea. Furthermore, opossum bay offer a soothing, superb view of Hobart in distance, with a cool breeze and some bird's chirping. It really is another level of tranquility!

1. Hug Koala!!

This is the best thing you should do in Australia in my own opinion! As an origin animal of Australia, Koala surely has its own charms. They would melt anyone's heart with their absolute cuteness. Read more about it here!