Ah sorry! Thought you were replying to my other post.
Ye cracking place.
Get chips from Feccis, the blue ball does a good meal (up from the rugby club), so does the salt cellar on the front - under one of the hotels.
Suggestions for a trip during the holidays / new year?
Need nice beaches. Sunny weather. No rain. A little bit of nightlife and hopefully not much restrictions because of the pandemic / no quarantine.
Was thinking Punta Cana and a few days at Santo Domingo.
Try the north part of Tenerife.
Did that last February before covid hit, having a week in Peurto De La Cruz and it was great. Not overly busy, but busy enough to keep myself amused and warm during the day, with nights being slightly cool but only needing jeans and a jacket on 1 night, the rest of the time a tshirt with a jacket incase was enough
Done the Atlantis Bahamas twice, fabulous for kids and adults alike. Not cheap mind.
cough Dubai cough
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I’m the opposite to you. Ski resort for me.
We’re lucky here in Wales, we have fabulous beaches already and for me a ski holiday beats pretty much all others. The scenery, excuse to eat loads, feeling of being able to explore, and of course being active most of the day rather than and oiled up whale on a chair at the beach.
There’s just something about it for me.
Anyone can tell me the place for this picture in Wales? I took this in 2016, I remember it was like some sort of dam in between my drive from Swansea to Bets-Y-Coed. I love the colors but now struggles to remember the name.
Craig Goch Dam in Elan Valley ?
Hmmm does not ring a bell…I went to look at it in google and there seems to be some part that looks like it but I am not exactly sure but the geography looks about right…Thanks!
I was a few days in the mountains last week. This pic is from the internet, but we were at this place, and it looked pretty much like that (the mountain at the back is the Dent Blanche, 4’357 meter above sea level). Incredible weather to walk around and enjoy the landscape, we were lucky.
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The current tragedy at Malang’s Kanjuruhan Stadium has got me to reflect on my half dozen or so trips over the previous 3 decades.
I mentioned a bit of my last visit of five and a half year ago to that wonderful little city in the Breaking News thread.
That was a 5-day sojourn to Surabaya, Probolinggo & Malang in Indonesia’s East Java province. I was part of a media group that include mainstream newspapers; fully sponsored by the Indonesian Tourism Ministry.
Here is my article published in the Indo Connect magazine. It is but a 30% shortened version of the 4,000 words longish piece I wrote for a friend’s blog.
I’ll look for it later and serialise it here unless there are violent objections. 
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Would/can you share the link? The writings aren’t clear.
I don’t have the soft copy of the mag’s article which is only a condensed version of 30% of the full one.
As said, I’ll serialise the entire 4,000-word article at a later date, subject of couse to no raising of violent objections. 
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This is my 4,000 words report on the March 2016 media trip to Surabayta, Probolinggo & Malang. As it’s too long, I’m breaking it up into several parts to be posted on the next few day, at most.
Although it was years ago, time almost stand still at this little city so most of the places are on the whole relevant. There will surely be new developments but slow and steady.
Here we go.
Part 1
A Sponsored Media Trip to WonderfuI Indonesia’s East Java
Sweeping caldera, crater perpetually emitting sulfurous plume, eco & agro tourism destinations, vast fruit plantation, huge antique car collection, mini universal studio theme park wannabe and more. That’s what the compact group I was with encountered during our recent trip to the Bermuda, oops I mean the “SurProMal” or Surabaya-Probolinggo-Malang “triangle”.
AT THE INVITATION OF THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA IN SINGAPORE AND THE VISIT INDONESIA TOURISM OFFICE – SINGAPORE, I EMBARKED ON A 5-DAY, INDONESIAN TOURISM MINISTRY SPONSORED VISIT TO EAST JAVA ON THE LAST DAY OF MARCH 2016. IN THE PARTY WERE EIGHT OTHER LADIES AND GENTLEMEN FROM VARIOUS MEDIA ENTITIES IN SINGAPORE AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE INDONESIAN EMBASSY.
WE LANDED AT SURABAYA JUANDA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT AFTER A PLEASANT DIRECT GARUDA BOEING 737-800 FLIGHT. AS OUR TAKEOFF IN CHANGI ENCOUNTERED A LITTLE DELAY, TWO OTHER GROUPINGS FROM KUALA LUMPUR AND PENANG WERE WAITING FOR US IN THE COACH FOR THE RIDE TO TOWN; FOR SUPPER AND THEN CHECKING IN FOR THE NIGHT. (AS I DIDN’T LUG AROUND A CAMERA AND USED THE HANDPHONE’S PICTURE-TAKING FUNCTION ONLY SPARINGLY, A GOOD HANDFUL OF THE IMAGES HERE – AS INDICATED BY THE INITIALS M.O. – ARE COURTESY OF MICHAEL OZAKI, A VETERAN PHOTOJOURNALIST).
A giant king-sized bed in a room with a view all to myself for my first night; in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya. Unfortunately, as time was at a premium, I had not the opportunity to enjoy the nightscape and the hotel facilities.
Sampoerna Museum. First stop in the morning was at the old quarters of north Surabaya’s House of Sampoerna Museum. Now, as a lifelong nonsmoker, I don’t condone smoking as it is detrimental to health and also a significant drain on the pocket, what with the stratospheric duties on tobacco products in the Little Red Dot. With that disclaimer – well, sort of – out of the way, this imposing 1862 Dutch colonial compound began life as an orphanage. PT. HM Sampoerna, founded by Liem Seeng Tee, acquired the place in 1932 to greatly expand the production of its very popular brand of Dji Sam Soe (meaning 234) kretek (cloves) infused cigarettes.
To commemorate the company’s 90th anniversary 13 years ago, the delightful little museum was set up for the public to enjoy an insight into Sampoerna’s history and its cigarettes production. Besides the obvious mandatory tobacco related displays, it showcased the common things of everyday life in the bygone era as lived by the founder and his family. Of interest are the antiquated postal paraphernalia, ancient bikes of both the human and gasoline powered varieties and the elaborate clothes worn by the ladies back in the early days.
A souvenir shop, café and art gallery complemented the visitors’ oddity experience. Wait, there’s more; a large factory floor at the rear, viewable through a panoramic glassed partition on the second level accord a bird’s eye peep into the labour-intensive making of the cigarettes. Almost five hundred uniformed workers in neat rows of assembly lines dexterously hand-rolled the non-filter baccy at an incredible speed that rival Wong Fei Hong or Ip Man’s lethal strikes. At an average output of three thousand per person, that’s one and a half million a day of cancer causing pleasure sticks! If you wish to wantonly puff away your health, a 12-pack costs a street price of only 12,000 Rupiahs or 10 Singapore cents a “death stick” which is one fifth the going price in our Lion City.
Some of us at the museum entrance. M.O. 
An information board inside the museum.
Bejay Bakau Resort. Hitting the road for a two hour plus ride, we lunched at the ecotourism facility adjacent to the harbour of Probolinggo City. Shipping romantics can feast on the sight of old but functioning gaily painted wooden hulled schooners and small likewise built fishing boats. BJBR, as commonly referred to, features an artificial inland beach play area for a host of fun activities for the young and young-at-heart.
The airy restaurant serves a good variety of Indonesian and sea food. Getting to fill the stomach there entails a lovely stroll along boardwalks through a dense canopy of mangrove branches. The 2 kilometre network of wide elevated wooden path over the mangrove forest, parts of which are bicycle friendly, offers a back-to-nature experience. For a little break from the exploring, stop by the little café for a quick drink and bite.
Dessert time after the main dishes at the BJBR’s breezy resto by the sea. Pic courtesy of Hosea Richardo. 
If the witnessing of one sunrise at Bromo is not enough, staying at one of its ten(for now) bungalow guesthouses with glassed walls in their North, East and West sides offer another dawn view, this time over a watery horizon, in air-conditioned comfort. Each single-level spacious unit normally takes two persons but with extra optional beds, six adults can still be filled. They all stand supported by solid looking concrete pillars in the lapping sea. All of them face north, with the mangrove trees guarding the back. Construction of a handful of double storied suites was observed to be in their final stages of construction.
It’s a good place for small meetings, conventions and retreats…and to relax. Don’t stay just one night; its not enough.https://translate.google.com.sg/translate?hl=en&sl=id&u=Wisata Probolinggo - BeeJay Bakau Resort Pantai Probolinggo - Resort Family Jawa Timur
Some additional BJBR suites under construction for the resort’s expansion. M.O. 
to be continued… …
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This is my 4,000 words report on the March 2016 media trip to Surabayta, Probolinggo & Malang. As it’s too long, I’m breaking it up into several parts.
Here we go.
Part 2
Mount Bromo. The high point of the trip, in both the literal and figurative senses of the word, is the pre-dawn ascent to the Mount Penanjakan lookout to witness the sunrise to the east of the famous mildly active Mount Bromo volcano. The popular vantage point – at 2,770 metres or almost 9,100 feet elevation is higher than Bromo proper’s 2,329 m or 7,639 ft – would present the viewer with a clear look, weather permitting, of the sun rising over the far horizon to the left. Bromo, named after the Hindu deity Brahma and arguably Indonesia’s most famous fire-mountain, with its signature thick column of climbing white plume would be impressively visible in a surrounding sea of mist with the ever brightening sky.
The crash pad that served as our late night rest and transit point before embarking on the last legs to the lookout area. It ain’t no Hilton but as a barebones place for a shower before & after the final ascent, and with only two hours for a quickie nap, what’s the issue?
What’s cooking? With an intense look of concentration, the barbecue chef carves up a whole roasted lamb that comprise part of our dinner. Not for the health conscious – cue carcinogens, but who cares?
Sinfully delicious!
We embarked on the last leg up to the lookout before 3am from a midway hotel in Ngadisari, on a 4×4 jeep which is the only vehicle type allowed, aside from motorbikes. The short drive was up tight hairpin bends on a narrow mountainside road, then a smooth passage through a sandy plain and again shooting up even more hair-raising steeper meanders on asphalt.
Our thirtyish driver was one cool dude, a strong silent type with the occasional hint of a smile. He handled the rugged vehicle like an extension of his sinewy body. The only words he uttered; after a controlled spin from the first nasty bend, was a concerned “Is it ok?” in response to the light squeals from the three lady passengers behind. Me calling him Lewis Hamilton brought the closest approximation of a grin from his otherwise stoic demeanor.
The final stretch was by foot power on a moderately inclined slope and a long flight of stairs. We arrived at the peak before the ever-thickening throng of crowds and were able to secure choice spots at the railings and the apex. The first discernible pre-dawn streaks of saturated orange and blue hues greeted us at about a quarter to five. Ten minutes later, the tentative rays that herald the arrival of Apollo’s (sun god of Greek mythology, among other portfolios) charge began the light show. We linger around for the next hour to witness the slowing emerging majesty of Bromo as the sun progressively lighted up its spectacular visage.
The sun creeping up over the horizon…… 
And there it burst forth……the rays of the rising sun.
Part of the hordes watching and shooting………… 
High living. To the general east of Bromo, at almost the same elevation, nestled a human settlement among the morning clouds. Village life up there might be idyllic but there’s always an element of health risk – however low – from the constantly emitting volcanic ashes, particularly during heightened phases coupled with adverse prevailing winds. Still, the hardy inhabitants are rooted there, some for generations and it would take more than a few occasional mighty puffs of sulfur to dislodge them. Anyway, for what its worth, there are currently about half a billion people living near active volcanoes all over the world. M.O. 
View from side window of the down-slope meandering jeep.
Besides Mount Penanjakan, there are at least five other observation stations easily accessible to the public. For groups, it is advisable to avail the services of a local tour agency for transport and accommodation arrangements, but adventurous independent travelers could make the trip with a little prior fingerwork on the keyboard.
On the return journey, we stopped at the Cemoro Lawang Sea of Sands in the Tengger Caldera. This was the flat sandy plain we passed through in the dark hours earlier. Surrounded by mountain walls on all sides, horses, ponies and donkeys graze lazily on the lush verdant grass on our left. The vast expanse of grey volcanic soil on our right is the way to the climb up the crater rim of Bromo, passing by an old Hindu temple complex.
At the Sea of sands. The zigzagging trail from behind the temple lead up to the rim of the Bromo crater. M.O. 
The horsemen of the Apocalypse? M.O. 
Bromo has been active for the past hundreds of years, with the most recent eruptions in 2004, 2010, 2011 & 2015. However, human causalities are rare, with most serious suffering being from sometimes copious volumes of ejected ash which does cause collateral damages. Still, its generally safe to visit; just check the news and updates before planning a trip there.
We were there in the morning of April 2nd and we didn’t encounter any untoward incident. Increased volcanic activity must have started shortly after we left the vicinity. Lucky us! This is a later report from a monitoring facility; the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre: Based on satellite images, wind data, and ground report, during 2-5 April ash plumes from Tengger Caldera’s Bromo cone rose to altitudes of 2.1-3.6 km (7,000-12,000 ft) a.s.l. and drifted 25-45 km SW and W.
Getting ready to set off towards Malang after the descent and breakfast. Nicely cold and misty! 
to be continued… …
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Fuck, some one the landscape is just mind-blowing. Is that pig or lamb?
Lamb
This is my 4,000 words report on the March 2016 media trip to Surabayta, Probolinggo & Malang. As it’s too long, I’m breaking it up into several parts.
Here we go.
Part 3
An apple or more a day. Malang at a cool altitude of 476m is lower than Bandung’s 768m but it’s a comfortable enough respite from Surabaya’s hot stifling climate. Many varieties of fruits, the most famous being apples, are grown in the mid hills a short distance from the town area. Over a hundred big and small orchards raise this produce as their main or even sole crop.
What else but apple stalls lining the roadsides? 
Apples in her eyes. One of the ladies in our group having a spot of fun. Pic courtesy of Alam
The largest of the bigger plantations is Kusuma Argo Wisata that grows not just apples but also, guavas, papayas, strawberries and a few others. This sprawling property is also an agrotourism destination with its resort hotel, convention centre and waterpark catering to a wide section of holiday makers. Besides the standard Indo fare, the restaurant there serves a selection of what else but apple-based cuisines, namely; Apple Beef Steak, Apple Chicken Steak, Mie Sarang Apel and Apple Fried Rice. Order a glass or two of fresh-from-the-trees apple juice to wash it all down.
Rows of young still-growing apple trees under the azure sky with puffy interspersing clouds. 
For the kids in everybody after the treks through the vast plantation. 
Angkut Museum/Movie Star Studio/ D’Topeng Kingdom Museum. Not far from the apple farms, at 15km west of Malang City centre, is a transportation museum billed as the largest of its kind in Asia. The blurb says transportation but aside from a few ship models, it’s overwhelming cars & bikes. Well, there’s an old train and a downscaled but still imposingly huge Apollo moon rocket replica. A commendable construct but sadly, to an aerospace enthusiast’s eyes, the proportion is somewhat off…I’m nitpicking though as the general public will not be able to discern the inconsequential imperfection.
What I am more attracted to is the sole aeroplane which rests on the rooftop. This particular example is a retired early dash200 “Jurassic” series of the venerable Boeing 737 jetliner which first took to the skies in the mid 1960s, and in its latest iteration of the 737MAX fourth generation family, is set to continue being built up to 2026 and beyond.
A clear look up at the 737 (minus right-wing engine) from outside the museum. Of note is the air traffic control tower mockup behind the jetliner which sports the now-uncommon red & white checkerboard paint scheme heavily favored by the military from the WWII period. M.O. 
Scale models of a Chinese Junk, a ship of the Majapahit Empire and the RMS Titanic.
We all know the last mentioned vessel lost an argument with an iceberg on her maiden voyage but few are aware that only three of her four funnels were actually functional. The last is a fake, a dummy added in to improve the ship’s looks. Talk about vanity, lol! 
Automobile aficionados, especially of the vintage era, would be find themselves in seventh heaven at the sight of the hundred or so cars and motorbikes. Kids and the Peter Pans among us would also love them. It’s a sumptuous feast for the Realm of the Senses alright. The longest ride on display is a Hummer stretch limousine capable of ferrying 18 valued passengers in over-the-top luxury along its over five metre length.
No bummer, its a s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d Hummer.
Other than the plethora of the real McCoys, the make-believe movie world is also represented; such as the Batmobile and a sofa car from a spy movie. Phew, as an acquaintance would say; “it’s car porn”. And going backwards in timeline, the collection includes handcarts, rickshaws, horse-drawn carriages, unicycles, bicycles, tricycles and even a quadracycle. How about coal-fired, steam-powered bikes & trikes? You can bet on them being part of the ensemble as well.
Hulk smash! The jolly green giant zealously guarding his stomping ground is fittingly constructed mainly from scrapped car parts. 
Holy Toledo! Bruce Wayne’s alter ego would have approved of this fantasy-on-wheels. 
This ornate predecessor of the automobile is driven by flesh, bones & blood engines of two horsepower. 
The sons of the soil’s dependable “green” mode of transportation. 
And then there’s also pedal power. According to a nearby signage, riding – even just to pose for the camera – is not allowed but that didn’t deter this visitor (her initial hesitation dissolved by my naughty encouragement) from trying out the strange contraption.
A vintage motorcycle with a single cylinder engine. Getting it started is presumably via the pedals. 
Vintage four-wheeler in pristine condition. 
An early convertible. 
A forerunner of the pickup truck? 
A hot racer. 
Ford Thunderbird of the mid sixties, the fourth generation descendant from its 1950s progenitor. 
Ford’s personal luxury coupe of the early seventies with 7,500cc V8 engine. Road tax? Ouch! 
Way “mini-er” than the famed Morris Mini, and with a really miniscule engine of around 200cc, the Heinkel Kabine microcar (1.32 metre high and weighing in at 40% of the Mini) predates the distinguished British icon by a few years but its total production runs sadly did not last long. 
Next comes the Universal Studios-esque Movie Star Studio where buildings, street scenes, vehicles and other props were painstakingly recreated. There’s Buckingham Palace, Hollywood theatres & cinemas, old Chinatown, major cities of America, Asia & Europe, and a Gangster Town reminiscent of the Bugsy Malone and Al Capone world of crime.
Here we go, ambling down the ramp into old Chinatown.
Bonnie and Clyde would surely feel at home here.
Some of the bygone rides in Gangster Town.
A pickup truck in the same era. 
On the streets of London…… 
Rolls Royce limousines on display inside “Buckingham Palace”.
Some ladies relaxing outside “Buckingham Palace”. 
Time to try to strike it rich?..…No, thank you! 
to be continued… …
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This is my 4,000 words report on the March 2016 media trip to Surabaya, Probolinggo & Malang. As it’s too long, I’ve broken it up into several parts.
Here we go.
Part 4
Last, and maybe least of this three-in-one attraction is the D’Topeng Kingdom Museum. That being said, history buffs might beg to defer and would certainly enjoy the comprehensive collection of traditional masks & textiles, sculptures, decorative knick knacks, and other cultural art objects from all over the Indonesian archipelago.
An info board inside D’Topeng briefly tracing the early interaction between China and Indonesia. 
Ah, lest I forget, Kampung Apung near the exit/entrance depicts a floating market and street stalls selling souvenirs and food & drinks for the hungry & thirsty after the long look at the displays in this large compound.
Birdseye view of Kampong Apung. At the right & top third of the picture, against the washed-out sky, jutted the approximately 1/5th high model of the original 363ft tall monstrous Apollo moon rocket; Saturn V. Right on the extreme top right-hand corner, the real-life decommissioned 737 passenger jet sat on top of the building that housed the transportation exhibits.
Back to the Entrance. No, we didn’t do an encore. That was the beginning, brought to the end just for the heck of it. 
Stays. For the four nights of our stay, we were parked at three different hotels. The first, in Surabaya, was a late night check-in and an early morning departure affair so we did not get to appreciate its service and amenities other than a shower and a knocked out snooze in a comfortable bed. The second was at a basic mid-mountain no-star lodge-esque stopover where we hardly have time for a two hour or so shuteye, setting off to the mountain top at the unholy hour of three in the morning.
However, our final two nights accord us the opportunity to really partake in the warm Javanese hospitality of a nice international class hotel. Horison Ultima Hotel Malang, at merely six km from the town square, is a luxurious retreat with pleasant view in a quiet neighborhood that boasts all the trappings of modern conveniences. Clean well-kept rooms, wifi, spa, gym, swimming pool, multiple dinning outlets, attentive & responsive staff and a shopping mall a stone throw away – what you would expect in a top hotel in major cities like Jakarta except for a very one important factor it couldn’t match; price level. It’s much lower than in the capital for an equivalent facility.
That’s extremely good value, good for a longer stay and the cooler climate is certainly a bonus. Service is exemplary, with the little issue of wifi connectivity attended to and solved in a jiffy. My reading glasses left in the lobby in a rare moment of forgetfulness in the early morning was retrieved at the counter late evening after a long day’s outing. The front office crew had found it lying around and safe kept it well. The breakfast spread, a mix of local and international fare was as nice as such buffets go. Dinner at a cozy second level corner was also very palatable, with good ambiance and a live band belting out a string of classic and contemporary beats.
Other eats and bits. What is a travel article without more brief mentions of food, glorious food? Generally the cuisine we sampled are fine, with two standout restaurants more worth talking about in this limited (by self-imposed) space. They are Waroeng Bamboe Sidomeoljo and Taman Indie Resto on the far and near outskirts of Malang respectively. As the name hinted at, the former is a rustic bamboo edifice where the diners sit on the ground at low tables surrounding fish ponds. The dishes are chiefly of – no prizes for guessing correctly – fishes but they are delicious, along with the great ambience. Our last dinner was at the more upmarket abovementioned Taman where the sumptuous combination platter of local fare was accompanied by live performances of traditional Javanese dance and later, music and songs.
Dishes of fish, more fish, extra fish and excess fish done in a wide variety of ways. They are all delectably cooked but there’s always too much of a good thing as evidenced by the plentiful leftovers. We all tried not to be wasteful, honest, but there’s only so much we can stomach. Burppp! 
Our last supper 
……while being entertained to a traditional dance by a bevy of beauties. 
Both ubiquitous bakmi (noodle soup with meat) and bakso occupy the top places in the pantheon of Indo street grub that can be found in virtually all nooks and corners of every cities, towns and villages. Malang is no exception, more so the latter where it boasts its own variant called Bakso Malang. The beef balls in the latter come in two sizes; 2.5cm and a hefty mouth-stretching golfball sized 5cm. Go on, have a ball.
Sneaked shot of picture-shy stall owner by his Bakso Malang street cart.
What to bring home to family & friends? How about some easy-to-carry Malang specialty? There are lots of options but apple products would be appropriate since the city is Indonesia’s top producer of Newton’s renowned inspiration, his Eureka! moment. So we load up with boxes of apple strudel from a sweets chain named Malang Strudel. There are currently six outlets across the city though it was started only a year ago. That it grows so fast is not only from its fine products range but also to the pulling power of the man who helm it: Teuku Wisnu, a popular TV personality. https://translate.google.com.sg/translate?hl=en&sl=id&u=https://malangstrudel.com/&prev=search
(Bearded) Teuku Wisnu with some staff and customers (not our media group). M.O. 
Every self-respecting Indo town possesses their own Alun-alun; a set of two open fields or squares in or around the town centre where all sorts of events are held. Malang’s examples are no exception, with people converging on them round the clock, even just for casual meet-ups. Its a nice place to head to with time on hand to observe and immerse in the culture of the locals.
Sand & sea lovers are not left out as there are three beautiful beaches close together in Malang: Balekambang, Ngliyep and Sendang Biru, often referred to collectively as just Balekambang.
Malang Airport is a small operation catering solely to domestic flights serving Jakarta and a tiny handful of other cities. Only Surabaya Airport, the nearest international airhub at 100km by road is the lone option for a fast direct ride back to home. For us on this particular occasion, the organizers had the best of intentions in arranging for the Singapore group to do two sectors; the domestic Malang-Jakarta leg, and then transition from the capital to the Little Red Dot for the second flight. Though the costs would surely be higher, they did that to spare us the hassle of bussing to Surabaya Airport for the direct flight home as the total journey time would be just about the same. In the end, as recounted in the epilogue below, it turned out Man proposes, Heaven disposes. As they say; C’est la vie!
Finally on the flight back home from Jakarta. This newish Garuda 737-800NG features the latest Dreamlineresque Boeing Sky Interior with pleasing LED mood lighting and ergonomic pivoting overhead baggage compartments.
A much needed massage for Pak Alam, our trip leader who took care of the nitty gritties and went through much sh!t to get us home safely on the last Garuda flight of the night. Pic courtesy of Annie.
to be continued… …
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