Ciputih, Ujung Kulon

Found this place from searching the net – googling, not much information found except few personal blogs in multiply that try to tell how beautiful it is. Curiosity, yes that’s the exact word that drive me to search little deeper.

Start with very little information got from the net, and equip with the only map got from “Pulau Umang” website, we decided to go there just to have a look on that site, who knows we may bring our family or friends here.

It’s a medium distance drive from Jakarta, about 5 hours drive. Depart on 4.30 in the morning, we took Jakarta-Serang Tol then Exit in Serang Timur then facing to Pandeglang trough inland route. It is not an easy road actually, since it is a primary economic route from Serang to Pandegelang, we have to struggle against large trucks and Intercity Buses. Many people said that taking this road is the shortest path to go to pandegelang, but for me, it is unpleasant drive compare with another route if we took Anyer-Carita-Pandegelang, at least there lot of Sceneries to see. For the one who like easy drive, I strongly suggest to take Anyer-Carita road rather than this one.

Passing Tanjung Lesing junction, the road was getting worse, it’s not too bad actually, if you have sedan car, then you may got some trouble, it will slow you down up to 10-20km/h, but if you have higher ground clearance car like MPV or SUV, it should not be a problem, except you’ll have much bumpy journey. This road condition will continue for next 1-2hours drive, up to a small town called Cijulang, before it getting better. You’ll find lot of “Pulau Umang” signboard that you may use it as navigation point up to another small village called Sumur, there’s a junction that you have to take a straight choice, rather than the right one (which lead you to Pulau Umang harbor front). Start from this junction, you still has to drive about 6km further before you reach the resorts.

First impression, the resorts complex is huge, but build “as is” with letting the original environment grow like they should be. No fancy artificial garden or water fountain or whatever that you may find on several resorts. It just a bunch of trees grow on top of white sands ……… yes! It is real white sand!

The beach it self is very wide sand beach, white sands, blue and clear seawater, it reminds me to Dreamland or Nusadua Beach in Bali, and it has almost no sea waves. Very calm beach. Very beautiful ………………. According to local people there, this is the only one beach that has such kind of sands. We are lucky, since the weather is very clear so that you may watch the blue sky, blue sea and white sands very clearly.

Next to the beach, there’s a large swimming pool in front of the main building which is a restaurant, well, it is not a well managed restaurant, they serve very minimum level of food choice, but at least you may have “Udang goring a’la Ciputih” or “Ayam Masak Kecap”, but the unique thing about the place is, you may enter up to the kitchen to talk with the cook even you may borrow their equipments to mess with your stuff.

Facing the beach, there are unpopulated isle called pulau mangir, you may have to go there by renting a boat from “Sumur”, if you like snorkeling this isle is a good spot for you. It has a wide white sand beach, mixed with very clear water with lot of live corals beneath. It’s about 1m deep and you may have very fun snorkeling there, but have to be cautious since you will find difficulties to step on it.

One thing that you should prepare is about food, since the place is very remote, they do not have proper logistic, more over the room rate is not include breakfast, the best way for you is to bring your own logistic, instant-noodle, preserve food is very recommended, otherwise, you may go to sumur in the morning to go to “Fish Market”, you may buy some fresh-fish just landed from “Bagan” and ask the kitchen to cook it, they will charge you Rp. 15.000/kg, fried or BBQ. But no prawn and crabs, just fish and Squid. If you may want to have prawn, you have to buy it once you enter panimbang long the way before you reach Sumur.

In Overall, this place is marvelous! It has been our favorite destination recently; we’ve been here three times just in less than 6 months, even though we have to take 6 hour drive from Jakarta, it doesn’t matter!

A little tips: do not go there during Nov – Mar since it has west wind seasons, you’ll find larger sea waves that usual and (off course) rain, not recommended!

"Begor" Suryo

Bebek Suryo, that’s the name that look so usual especially for common Javanese name, Suryo is quiet common. But, Bebek Goreng Suryo came with different signature. It is a restaurant that put their specialty in traditional “Deep Fried Duck” Located somewhere in Jalan Senopati, Jakarta Selatan.

Once you reach the place suddenly you will know that this is not a cheap thing at all. The restaurant actually a typical large house that quiet commonly found in area, converted into a cozy café style “makan place” that has open terrace in the backyard. That is the most favorite place for most visitors, and hardly vacant during lunch hours.

The place has lot of traditional ornament and furniture that shows where the owner came from. But that’s not the main concern right now, but the “Bebek Goreng” it self that very special. It well deep fried, very crispy and very soft duck-meat that you may peel the meat from the bone easily. The spices is so “perfect” so that it will match very well with hot rice, off-course they will serve the dish with very well decorations and most important thing is the yellowish Gravy that straightly remind you to the “Street Bebek Goreng” that you may find every Street Stalls in Surabaya.

One minus thing here is, for the fancy restaurant like this they only accept cash, no credit Card at all. So be prepare to bring enough money here, since you will most likely have additional orders for very delicious “Bebek Goreng”

Pondok Suryo
Bebek Goreng Surabaya
Jl. Suryo No.16 Senopati
Jakarta
Ph. +62(21) 739 3358

Cariu, Last visit

Cariu, last visit
The Deer Sanctuary .............

A bit surprise when we revisit this place last month, some changes has been made, especially for the small forest next to the hanging bridge, now …… no more. 

They cut down the trees and change it become a farmer plantations, plus a couple of farmer house mixed with some open air “Bale-bale” in the riverside.

I’m a bit disappointed finding the place has been changed, now more close to civilization compared with a year before that it was used to be. But well, what can I do? Probably they wanted to make this place more commercial, since the sanctuary is also need big fund for their daily operations.

The deer them selves are about the same, except there’re more male deer may found in this place than before, but seems that our favorite ‘Asep’ has died according to the local ranger there.

One thing that very interesting we found of, by the time we would like to return to the carpark is that the farmer house is selling BBQ Freshwater Fish, this is the thing that we have to try ….. imagine, the original country-style Freshwater Carp
Fish, fresh from the river …………….

So here we are, the taste is not expected to be similar with famous “ikan bakar” restorant but the “Pecak” and “Sambal” is marvelous, made from from Mountain Chili that picked-up directly from farming.


Yummy …………………………….

Warung Bancaan Mang Barna & Bi O'om

Last week I went to Bandung on Official duties to have some meetings with some customers. Nothing special with the meeting it self unless it always talks about how you may offer better solution to the customers and maintaining relationship with them. But the interesting part is about lunch.

Having lunch in a “Ramadhan” like this is a bit un-easy since some of out colleague are Moslem and they are not able to company us for lunch. But well, we still need some lunch don’t us? So, after getting some good reference from our local staff, we decided to try-out on “Warung Bancaan Mang Barna & Bi O'om”, located on Jl. Trunojoyo 62, Bandung, just next to sambara Resto, one of fine-dine Sundanese Restaurant.

It is a bit contradiction seeing two sundanese restaurant side-by-sides, while the first restaurant offering modern atmosphere and the other one offering the original sundanese. We are not to keen to go into Sambara at this time, and straight go into the other one.

It is a really traditional, the interior is quiet modest, with lot of long dining table that may accommodate about 10 people each, you may find few “lesehan” place in the corner, go into the edge of the restaurant is the main attraction of the place. This is where the preserve sundanese food ready to eat were display in attractive manner. In the other edge you may find a ‘salty fish corner’ where lot of dry-marinated fish display in a table, and you may pick-up what you want and ask the butler to fry it for you. There also a “Es Goyobod” and “Es Cincau” corner that will made by order.

The other unique things are we have to use tin plate & cup to get our meal. This tin thing was quiet rare to see recently, it was very popular when I was a kid.

So here we are, we pick-up what we want and have to go to cashier table and they will record all things that you take, before you may go for meal. You do not have to pay it that time; they will ask you for having your meal before paying.

That’s the hospitality of this place.

Anyway, there’s too many ‘unusual sundanese’ dish that I do not know the name, but you may see it on the photograph. But one thing that I can say, It is a good meal indeed.

WARUNG NASI BANCAKAN
Mang Barna & Bi O'om
Jl. Trunojoyo no. 62
Bandung
Ph : 022.420.3650

Lorry Ride ......

Train is one of my favorite things when I was a kid; don’t know why I like it the most, besides all military tings. There’ are two places that I quite often to visit in this little town, One is This train museum and the other one is the “Palagan Ambarawa” which is a memorial park build to remind the Battle of Ambarawa, 12 December 1945 when the Great General Soedirman ordering large scale offensive to drove Allied forces back to Semarang.

Now days, we always pay a visit there every time we went to Semarang to see my parents. Usually we start from “Kerep” which is a devotional visit place that has Mother Marry Statue.

This is the third time we here, but it still become one of our kids favorite place. An old train stations, a bit less treated, probably because of limited maintenance fund, that may happened to most of Indonesian museum, and only small numbers of museum that has proper maintained such as one in Bandung, the Geology Museum, but not this one.

Trash everywhere, mixed with many stalls scatter around the place, thick dust in some corners has become proves that the place is not well maintained. But still, it is an interesting place to see since it has lot of vintage locomotives display.

This time we took lorry just to go to “Tuntang Train Station” to have some sightseeing next to “Rawapening” lake. It took about 30 minutes ride on single way so that it spends a total about 1.5 hours before we get back to the museum.

The ride is a bit tricky since the machinist refuse to drive the lorry at the first place, before we have a “very understanding deal” with him before ride. Totally we have to spend about Rp. 200.000,- to make the lorry up and go! But it is a nice ride, we ride next to the lake and saw some exciting scenery, green rice padi field, chicken and duck stall, up to fisherman boat and pier.

Fisherman boat Quay on Rawapening Lake shore

One thing that is very funny is because the train is very noisy and bumppy, it is very difficult to have still pictures on that conditions. I have to use continous shooter to get several pictures. It is not easy at all, moreover the machinist did not want to stop the lorry since he wants to went home earlier. Oh boy ........

Kepiting Nyoto Roso - Ungaran

The other famous “Kepiting resto” that we visited is this legendary “Kepiting Tauco” Roso Nyoto that located in Ungaran, a small town about 29km away south of Semarang. This traditional resto is very popular so that we may have to make a call at least 30 minutes before arrival to make sure we may get our order, unless you may willing to wait for another 30 minutes before they serve the dish you wants.

The place is a actually small house that has moderate yard that they change to restaurant extension side by side with parking lot that may accommodate about 4-5 cars inside, the rest you may have to park on-street near the place. Although the place is small, but it is very easy to identify since it has large billboard and moreover there’s too many car parking outside that won’t be miss.

We get our table after several minutes and may have to wait the other people finish their meal, My Dad has to go inside to confirm the order, and we still have to wait for another 5 minutes before the dish arrived.

For the first glance, the look is not to interesting, very traditional like dishes. One portion is containing 2 (two) fresh crabs, cooked in very think “Tauco gravy” But when it comes to your mouth you may feel the difference, the taste will left in your mouth for sometimes, very delicious!! Definitely we may have to go back there once we go to Semarang.

Besides their crabs, we order “Swie Kee” which is frog in “Tauco gravy”, Butter Prawn, and “Mendoan Penyet”.

In short, this is “yummy place that need to be visit ……..!”