On the way...

After our stay at the beach, it's time to head up into the mountains to Ruteng. Transportation in Flores can usually be done on small buses and the most popular company offering this service is Gunung Mas. For 70,000 you can get from Labuan Bajo to Ruteng. Travel time is around 4.5 hours. The scenery is amazing as you wind your way along twisting roads with hairpin bends. There is no quick way to get anywhere in Flores. Every road hugs a mountain. As you begin to get higher up, you will also notice a change in temperature and suddenly you'll be glad you brought that jacket with you. Mist hangs low over the mountains and brings a refreshing coolness and moisture to the air after the dry heat of Labuan Bajo. As we weave our way through the mountains I find it hard to stop taking photo after photo of the beautiful vast landscape as it enfolds before me...

Pesona Bali Restaurant, Labuan Bajo

Persona Bali Restaurant is a small roadside eatery in Labuan Bajo. Offering mainly Indonesian dishes, the menu has a good selection of choices. I felt like some gado-gado and chicken satay. The food took awhile to come forth from the kitchen but as long as that means it has been freshly prepared then I don't mind. When the food was brought to the table, the portions were generous (not always the case in Indonesian restaurants!) The gado-gado was full of vegetables with a flavourful peanut sauce. The chicken satay was also generous with large chunks of meat on the stick (anyone who has eaten those skinny meat satay sticks will totally appreciate what I mean!) It was also accompanied by a healthy serving of salad and rice. Prices were reasonable which can be hard to find in Labuan Bajo these days with the recent opening of many new Mediterranean restaurants with Mediterranean prices to match! And of course, there's the view...which certainly helped me enjoy my meal that little bit more.

Golo Hilltop, Labuan Bajo

Before we made our way to Kanawa island, we had to spend one night in Labuan Bajo. Flights to Labuan Bajo are increasing but still limited and as we didn't arrive until after 2pm we missed the daily boat to the island that leaves at midday. After browsing Trip Advisor to see what was on offer, I was rather dismayed to see that many hotels had received poor reviews. Complaints ranging from poor facilities to mismanaged staff. Eventually I settled on Golo Hilltop. Situated just outside of town but withe views across the harbour, it seemed to be the best of the bunch. When we arrived, we were picked up at the airport by the hotel driver. Unfortunately he seemed to have left his manners at home that day and left us to carry our bag up the stairs by ourself with not even an offer of help. Not a good start. When we reached the reception, we stood around for awhile feeling a bit lost while a member of staff talked to another couple. Eventually someone else approached us and asked us to fill out a form. I was rather disappointed that we weren't offered a friendly greeting for even a welcome drink of coffee or tea which is part and parcel of life here in Flores. Being married to a native of the island, I have visited many homes here in Flores in the past and never once have I not been greeted with a smile and handshake nor an offer of coffee.

After filling in the form we were shown to our room. The room was simple with an AC and four poster bed with a mosquito net. There was a shelf unit with a safe as well as an empty small fridge. There was also a kettle with some coffee sachets and tea. The toilet was fairly basic too offering the necessities of a sink, shower and toilet. The price was 350,000 for the night. When asked if we could have some water for the room, we were told we could buy it at the restaurant. To be honest, a complimentary bottle of water in the room would have been much appreciated after our journey from Jakarta. The saving grace of this hotel has got to be the view. When you sit outside your room you have a wonderful view across the harbour and it certainly allowed me to soak in lots of uninterrupted sky. We wanted to rent a motorbike and asked one of the staff to help us. There were two motorbikes parked in the car park but the staff member said he didn't know where the keys were and went off on his motorbike to ask the boss. He never came back! We had to organise the motorbike ourselves by contacting a friend of my husband.

The next morning, we arrived in the restaurant for breakfast and were told we could have eggs and bread or a banana or pineapple pancake with coffee or tea. We were given the choice of how we wanted our eggs cooked...whoopee do! Breakfasts in Indonesia never fail to disappoint me. I think the only time I have ever been blown away by the standard of breakfast served was when I visited Bali Starling homestay in Canggu. Otherwise it is disappointment after disappointment. Pancakes are usually thick and stodgy so I generally avoid them and stick with the basic eggs and bread. The sad thing is that I have been travelling in Indonesia since 1997 and the breakfast options have not changed a single bit. It's very disappointing for someone who adores breakfast and understands it's importance as the first meal of the day. Anyway, I continue to live in hope.

This hotel has a lot of potential but still has a long way to go in respect of customer service, which let's face it we are all looking for when we go on our holidays.

Kanawa Beach Resort, Labuan Bajo, Flores

If you haven't heard about Kanawa Island then you really are missing out on one of Indonesia's hidden gems. It's a small island located one hour by boat from Labuan Bajo. There is one resort on the island that has a choice of bungalows, bales or tents for accommodation. The accommodation is nicely spaced out so you don't ever feel too close to anyone else. 

We opted for a bungalow for our four night stay. At a price of 460,000 per night I must say that I was expecting a little more luxury. I was a little disappointed at the sparsely furnished bungalow (bed and shelf) and the pretty basic toilet. However, whatever might have been lacking in the accommodation department was more than made up for by the beautiful white sand beach, the crystal clear waters and the amazing snorkelling. During the four days stay I swam with turtles, stingray and even sharks! I also saw an amazing array of brightly coloured fish like clown fish, angel fish and trumpet fish. The reef was breathtaking. I really just didn't want to get out of the water.

There is one restaurant on the island that serves mainly pizza and pasta. However, there are also a selection of daily specials that include local dishes. Service is not the fastest. Staff are pretty laid back with orders and we rarely got our food at the same time. However, tables are situated close together and there are plenty of opportunities to get to know fellow travellers visiting the island and exchange stories.

The resort also offers day trips to surrounding islands Rinca and Komodo and also has a dive centre where you can organise dives. We didn't do very much. I've been to Komodo and Rinca before and was just excited about unplugging from the grid (there's no internet connection and limited phone service). I was able to switch off and completely relax. That was my aim and Kanawa Island was the perfect location. Whatever the resort might have been lacking one can completely overlook as you fall asleep to the sound of the waves and wake up to pristine surroundings. We'll definitely be back...

Falling in love with Flores all over again...

So it's school holidays and of course I'm away on my travels. This holiday it's all about Flores. I'll be spending a month on the island, travelling around and visiting my husbands family. First stop is Labuan Bajo, the main town in Flores and the general entry point for tourists. They've just built a new airport as the fact that the Komodo dragons won one of the natural wonders of the world allocations has meant there is a considerable rise in tourism. From Labuan Bajo, it is easy to organise a boat trip to include both Rinca and Komodo where you are bound to see a Komodo dragon. These creatures are both terrifying and amazing and if you haven't seen them you really should. Labuan Bajo is also the perfect spot for organising your dive trips or doing some island hopping. We decided on a trip to Kanawa Island and when I review it in my next post, you'll be wanting to go too. 

Labuan Bajo

A slice of heavenly Shiraki Roll...

Another of my teacher gifts that I simply have to mention is the Shiraki Roll from Bonjour Bakery. If you haven't ever tasted a slice of this you really need to get yourself down there and buy a roll right now. Then try really hard not to shamelessly devour the lot in one sitting. It is so good. The sponge is soft and fluffy and the cream is light and sweet enough so that you feel with every mouthful as if you are getting a little closer to heaven. You won't regret a single bite!

Take me back to Yesterday Lounge at Antasari

I'm forever on the look out here for unique and interesting places to hang out. It's always good to have a range of places to go to suit a mood. I came across Yesterday Lounge when I was googling around on Google. I was instantly fascinated by the theme of the place and decided I must make an effort to go and have a drink there. I'm really glad I did. 

Yesterday Lounge in Antasari is a breath of fresh air (if you can imagine that in Jakarta!). It's vintage, old school feel makes you believe you really have stepped back into yesterdays gone by. The interior furnishings have been ingeniously crafted from old car parts from the seats (old car seats and oil cans) to the tables (oil drums and engines). There are vintage posters adorning the walls and even some old motorbikes to add to the vintage vibe. The cafe itself is set on a large property with trees and gardens, a car garage, old jeeps and then to really throw a spanner in the works, you bump into deer roaming around the property. I'm guessing the owner is a car collector because of all the old vehicles and the repairs being done in the on site garage. 

We stopped in for a couple of beers and some finger foods. The beer menu was vast and offered a choice of serving sizes from a small bottle to a bucket of bottles and a mug to a pitcher. For the snacks we went for the nachos (made with singkong chips), the bitterballen and the French fries. Prices were reasonable ranging between 27k - 49k for the snacks and a bucket of four San Miguel was 150k. The food itself was fairly standard but the beer was cold, served in a bucket of ice. I would say that you would be more likely to come here because of the setting and drinks than the food. The lounge has live music five nights a week and there are a variety of music styles catered for from jazz to classic rock. 

I will definitely come back here again for drinks and bring along some more friends. I love themed cafés and lounges and being a big fan of all things vintage this place suits my style perfectly!

Outdoor seating

Vintage decor 

Interesting tables 

Shuttered walls

Unique furnishings 

Motorbike on display

Oil can stools...genius!

Singkong Nachos

Bitterballen 

French fries

Old jeeps galore

Garage

I spy with my little eye...a deer!

Better CHOCOlate than never...I totally agree!

So one of the perks of being a teacher is that on the last day of the school year you usually come home laden down with gifts. These are from thankful parents for the care and attention you have given to their children over the year. I cannot lie that I love to receive gifts and especially ones that contain food. One such gift today was a cake from better chocolate than never. This is a cake shop located in Senopati. I have wanted to go there for awhile now to sample their cake so you can imagine my joy when the cake came to me instead for one of my gifts.

The cake was a Banana Chocolate Pie and it smelled absolutely delicious when I opened the box. There was a rich aroma of dark chocolate and I could also smell caramel.

The bottom was an Oreo crust, then a layer of banana, dark chocolate on top and the whole thing was drizzled with salted caramel. Divine! It was pure joy in every mouthful. The contrast of textures with the crumbly biscuit, soft banana and smooth chocolate and caramel worked so well. As did the combinations of flavours. This is a must try for anyone who believes that banana and chocolate were made for each other.

The other bonus of being a teacher is the amazing people you get to work with and the fact that you can share divine treats like this with them. Otherwise I might have just crawled into a corner and eaten the whole lot. It was THAT good! I'm thinking I need to go and sample some of the other cakes they have on offer now too.

The Mango Tree Bistro at Epiwalk, Kuningan

Sometimes you can pass by a restaurant many times and never feel the desire to go inside. I live just across the road from Epiwalk Mall and although it is a small and relatively quiet shopping mall, it is home to quite a number of restaurants. The Mango Tree Bistro is one of those. I've passed by it a whole bunch of times, but only decided to cross the threshold a few days ago. It serves Thai cuisine and offers a good range of dishes. Prices are reasonable per dish ranging between 45k - 70k for main courses. Naturally we ordered a few and decided to share. First up were the Tom yum chicken wings. These were absolutely delicious. They were crispy and full of flavour. I could have eaten a whole plateful myself. Then came the Beef Red Curry. It was rich and creamy and the beef was tender. The Morning Glory was our choice of vegetables and this dish was spicy and the vegetables still had a bite to them. Finally there was the garlic prawns. The prawns were nicely cooked and the flavour was delicious. The meal was incredibly satisfying flavour-wise and it was great to have a meal that really tantalised the taste buds. My only gripe would be the portion sizes which I felt were rather small, especially the prawn dish. 

For my drink, I had a Thai ice tea, which was that lovely orange milky colour and tasted great.

The decor of the restaurant also met with my approval. I do like a restaurant that has some interesting things to look at as it all adds to the dining experience. Here, there were some brightly coloured lanterns, shelves of wine bottles and wall features to take in.

I will definitely pop back across the road to the Mango Tree Bistro as there are a few more dishes I wouldn't mind trying and I'm a sucker for a good Thai feast.

Lanterns 

Bottles and bottles...

Wall feature

Tom Yum chicken wings

Beef Red curry

Morning Glory

Garlic Prawns

Thai ice tea

A plea to a volcano...

Dear Gunung Sangeang Api,

Can you please stop erupting so I can go for my holiday on Sunday to Flores? You see, I've worked so hard this school year and I think I deserve a holiday. Your eruption and belching of volcanic ash almost 20 miles up in the air is causing havoc to flights in the area. In order to get to Flores, I actually need to fly right over Sumbawa where you are located. So please quieten down again. If you really want to erupt again, maybe wait until I'm due to fly back. Then I will just have to have a longer holiday.

Love Me

This photograph was taken by professional photographer Sofyan Efendi during a commercial flight from Bali to the fishing town of Labuan Bajo in West Nusa Tenggara province.