Happy Travel Log

Saturday, 12 December 2015

Waiheke Island, Island of Wine

A trip to a city, down town definitely we will have to visit. Nearby suburb is another place to visit. I got a book from library prior to the trip. The writer was in New Zealand for 2 years with working holiday visa. She gave a insight view of New Zealand. Waiheke Island was a place that highly recommended by her in the book. Well, I and wife decided to check this out.

Waiheke Island is in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand, about 17.7 km from Auckland. It was rated the fifth best destination in the world to visit in 2016 by Lonely Planet. It has become known as New Zealand's "Island of Wine," home to a dedicated group of winegrowers who have successfully produce red and white wines with distinctive varietal character.

Devonport

We made a booking with Fullers, a ferry operator and tour company for Waiheke Island. Fullers

We selected Taste of Waiheke tour, a day of wine tastings at 3 vineyards and an olive grove. The package includes 2 ways ferry ticket and a light lunch at Stonyridge vineyard. Ferry is departed from Devonport. It cost us NZD140 per person.

Auckland

Waiheke Island

This is the bus for our tour. The driver cum tour guide is friendly and humorous.

Stonyridge Vineyard

First stop we at Stonyridge vineyard. We tasted red and white wines followed by a light lunch. Second stop was olive grove - Rangihoua Estate. We tasted their award winning olive oils. Next was Wild on Waiheke vineyard. Besides wines, they served us various beers too. Personally I like their cider beer, nice.

Cheers

Our light lunch - quiche and salad. Of course, with wines.

Award winning olive oils @ Rangihoua Estate.

The olive tree.

The tour finished with wine tastings at the beautiful Mudbrick vineyard with spectacular views of the Haoraki Gulf.

Mudbrick Vineyard

Often spotted helicopters in the island. According to tour guide, these are the transport used by the rich.

Waiheke Island

Gado-gado Gembira

This restaurant also highly recommended by our local friends. It has been in business for more than 20 years as my friends visited this restaurant in their childhood time.

It is called Kedai Kopi Gembira. (translate to Happy Coffee Shop)
Their signature dishes are Gado-gado and Bihun Soto. Gado-gado is an Indonesian salad of slightly boiled vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu served with a peanut sauce dressing. The main usually is lontong (rice cake). However, this Gembira style is they serve noodle instead of lontong. Top with fried prawn crackers, fried emping melinjo (fried gnetum gnemon seed) and bawang goreng (finely-chopped fried shallot sprinkles). Oh... So crispy and with the peanut fragrance, I fall in love with Gado-gado. Bihun Soto is traditional Indonesian soup composed of broth, chicken meat, vegetables (potato, bean sprout) and thin rice noodle.

Gado-gado

Mihun Soto

The local style is to get a pack of cracker, soak them in the broth and dig in.

Various crackers.

You also can pick some Otak-otak to have along with the main dishes. Otak-otak is grilled fish cake wrapped in coconut leaves, it made of ground fish meat mixed with tapioca starch and spices.

For dessert, we decided Es Teler and Avocado juice. Es Teler is a fruit cocktail in Indonesia. It is so call national drink of Indonesia. Shaved ice tops with fruits and served with coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, Avocado juice.

Es Teler

Avocado Juice

It tops with sweetened condensed milk and Milo (Cocoa).

Various cakes, desserts.

Customers can opt to have these if do not want to have heavy breakfast.

Address:

Kedai Kopi Gembira

Jl. Bakar Batu No. 47

(It is not located at down town Tanjung Pinang but very short distance from down town, let's call a taxi.)

Friday, 11 December 2015

Tanjung Pinang Spa

What to do in Tanjung Pinang? Eat - checked, shopping - checked, relax (spa) - checked. Let me share our enjoyable spa experience during my November 2015 trip.

We searched the other blogs, Tripadvisor as well, found this Spa quite numbers of netizen talked about.
Bintan Paradise
Website: http://www.ladiesspa.co.id/

If you let taxi driver / tour guide bring you there, you will pay more as your fee includes the commission. So call the owner and ask for free pickup and drop off service as well as discount.
Owner: Ali (Indonesian Chinese), Handphone No. +62 813 647 12345
He is a nice guy and he even can help you find hotel and tour guide there with good rate.

The spa room.

Entry

The room is clean, quiet atmosphere, ideal place for relaxation. I took the 7. Coffee Spa Package, wife took Body Masker Spa Package. The massager used coffee to scrub my body, quite unique experience. In the end, I was soaked in black coffee pool. I felt like soak in a big cup of black coffee. Well, as a coffee lover, I was enjoyed.

The next day, we went there again for my wife's manicure. Not a bad choice.

Cost:

7. Coffee Spa Package (130 mins): Rp 440,000 (after discount)

Body Masker Spa Package (120 mins): Rp 358,000 (after discount)

Address:

Jl. Ir. Juanda (Pancur)

Tanjung Pinang 29123

城市广场 City Plaza 的炸鸡（Arnold's Fried Chicken)

久闻这炸鸡店大名但都没机会一试。那周末妻要去城市广场City Plaza补货（新衣裳），我说，炸鸡是主要的目地，补货有没都没关系。哈哈！

这店已经营了30年，叫Arnold’s Fried Chicken(译：阿诺炸鸡)。30年哩，怪不得那么出名。他们有个看板系统来管理络绎不绝的顾客群。我们在入口下了订单，拿了号码就顾着那看板。那天是星期六中午，4组顾客已排在我们前面。号码一显示，马上冲去入口柜台付账，拿了个传呼机，就被带进店内。传呼机一响，就是有得吃了。