This is Derawan

I'm such a tropical kid, my love to sea and sand is enormous. Lucky me, living in a country that has thousands of beautiful islands. Another perks of living in a tropics is, it's summer every day every year. So when a friend of mine asked me to join her and her collegues for a weekend getaway to East Borneo, I didn't think twice to say yes.

Derawan is an island in east Borneo, well known for it's beauty and unique water villas, it's surrounded by couple of smaller islands. Compare to other islands, Derawan is the most densly populated, also the most polluted. I was relieved that instead of staying in Derawan, we were staying in Maratua island. Smaller island, not as famous as Derawan, but is well renowned amongst the diver.

Both Maratua and Derawan are super pretty, but yet the islands has lots more to offer. We went to Gusung island, 20 minutes away by speed boat from Maratua, and we didn't want to go home. It's a tiny island with white and soft sandy beach, also a deep blue sea with nemo the clownfish and patrick the starfish in it. 

If white sandy beach, deep blue sea and clear blue sky are not enough, then you should try to swim with thousands of sting-less jellyfish. Yes, no lie, sting-less jellyfish! It was in Kakaban conservatory island, we can play with this soft and pretty creatures. I was overjoyed myself and completely forgot to take pictures, but go google it, Kakaban Island :)

Still in Kakaban island, lies an extremely beautiful lagoon right in the middle of Kakaban's mangroove forrest. If the sea recede, you can explore the cave near the lagoon, but please be careful with the strong stream.

Super sunny day at Maratua Island, East Borneo

Water villa at Maratua Resort, our home for the weekend :)

Derawan Island, the biggest and most populated island amongst other islands

The neighborhood in Derawan Island

Gusung island, the smallest and non-populated, yet the prettiest of them all

Chillaxing at Gusung Island, East Borneo

Kakaban Island. East Borneo

Kakaban island, home to those stingless jellyfish. YES! stingless!

with the local people, Dayak tribe

Mangrove forrest in Tarakan, East Borneo. 

Instant Love: Mecca and Medina

Never been in my life had I felt so content and in peace, until my visit to the holy land. It was my very first time and it was a last minute decision for me to suddenly change my spring promenade to Japan to a religious trip to Medina and Mecca. 

I'm humbly happy beyond words..

Subhanallah...

My reason was simple, I wanted to find my inner peace. I was feeling uneasy the last couple of months, hopelessly exhausted with daily life hassles, stucked in between work and school, also other bits and pieces life has given me. As much as I tried to stay tall and strong, this small voice inside my heart keep on pushed me to go and have a 'rest'. 

The whole 9 days were definitely opened my eyes, it changed my life. I've never seen so much love, faith, goodness, obedience, and discipline as much as what I've seen in the holy land. It was amazing to see what hope and belief can change and turn a human into, changed all the mundane activities into a worship.

I'm thankful and grateful, for every tears behind the smiles, every hopes and prayers that comes from a pure heart, and every strangers that becomes family.

Alhamdulillah...

View of Nabawi's mosque from my room :)

Nabawi's mosque in the afternoon

The umbrellas of Nabawi opens every morning until the afternoon,
this is to protect pilgrims from the heat

Nabawi at night

Quba's mosque, Medina

Jabal Magnit, Medina

Jabal Uhud, Medina

Millions of pilgrims leaving the Haram mosque after prayer

Haram mosque, Mecca

The Holy Kaaba in Haram's mosque, Mecca

Life in Mecca, view from the hotel

A Quickie to Central Java

So, me and some closest friends decided to have a quick getaway during Chinese New Year's holiday. And the vote has landed to.. Solo and Yogyakarta. Yaay! never been there, yet always astonished by their culture and architecture.

Spent two nights in Solo, my favorite part of the city are the Danar Hadi Museum of Batik (House of Danar Hadi) and Triwindu vintage market (Pasar Triwindu). At Danar Hadi Museum of Batik, you can learn the history of batik, as one of the cultural identities and an inseparable part of Solo. I admire the complexity, philosophy, effort and history that lies behind each batik's which made those piece of art even more precious. Taking photos in this museum is fully prohibited. Another favorite place of mine is the Triwindu vintage market. If you're a vintage votary, this place is worth a visit. I like the selection of traditional vintage jeweleries made from silver, which still in an exquisite condition. All beyond pretty, happy me!

Chinese New Year's festivity in Solo

Full of hopes and wishes, happy new year!

Danar Hadi Museum of Batik, Solo

Triwindu vintage market, Solo

Aren't they pretty?

Moving to Yogyakarta, we spent a night at D'Omah Hotel in Tembi Village, a pretty yet laidback hotel with a Javanese vibe, owned by Warick Purser, an Australian-born entrepreneur, who gained Indonesian citizenship through his passion for humanitarian work. At that night, Mr. Purser invited us and some other guests to a cocktail party in his amazing private villa not far from the hotel. I praise D'Omah hotel for it's wonderful place and hospitality, a night was not enough. 

one of our room at D'Omah hotel, Yogyakarta 

splish splash - ing in our private pool at D'Omah hotel, Yogyakarta

Since we only had two days in Yogya, our itinerary was quite packed. So little time too much to do! We visited the famous Ullen Sentalu culture and art museum in Kaliurang highland which not only has a remarkable landscape and architecture, but also fabulous art collection from Royal House or Kraton of Java. Again, taking picture is prohibited except in one or two open air areas. We also visited Taman Sari Water Castle with it's beautiful underwater mosque, it's very pretty yet has a mystical ambience. Last but not least, in the very last day, we finally made it to see the majestic Borobudur temple, the 9th century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Magelang. The place is truly magical, I lost my words. If you fancy for a visit, try to stay at Manohara hotel in the Borobudur park complex, so you can see the temple at it's best, sunrise time.

Ullen Sentalu Museum, Yogyakarta (more info: www.ullensentalu.com)

Roof relief at Taman Sari water castle, Yogyakarta

underwater mosque at Taman Sari, Yogyakarta

Borobudur (more info: http://www.borobudurpark.com/)