Puncak (3): Bavarian Haus Restaurant

Reading good reviews & promotions about this restaurant, made us very interested in going there. Especially when I read an article about it (click here), stating the food was all halal with an excellent quality and freshness 😋 (though they also served some beer).

Finally, while we were in the area, we intentionally went there (Sunday, July 30, 2017). The first impression was the restaurant's concept looked amazing. The interior & exterior were very beautiful, well maintained and squeaky-clean. The service was flawless & the staffs were friendly. The location was also great (if you come from Jakarta/Bogor), not too far from Ciawi toll exit. Oh and there was also a clean musholla (praying room) inside.

HOWEVER, we didn't too crazy about our food. We ordered barbequed beef ribs & mushroom soup (for me), meatloaf (for my husband), and sausages with potato wedges (for the boys). When our orders arrived, they weren't hot, just warm. I think it was because they didn't warm the plates, so it instantly cooled down the temperature of the food.

Overall, we were impressed... By the decorations, not the food. The food was just OK; perhaps it would taste more delicious and much better if it was still hot. Nevertheless, this place is still worth to come while you are in the area. Even for us, we don't mind going there again, but we won't expect much of their food.

-miamekarpuspa-

Puncak (2): Grand Diara Hotel

Finding a good hotel in Puncak was difficult. Most hotels were old buildings, the location was quite remote (with a difficult road access), or even the price was too expensive for a decent, international-standardized one. Now, those days are over. Thanks to Grand Diara Hotel, seek no more for a budget-friendly hotel with a good quality of service.

For detail information, you can browse to their official website http://granddiarahotel.com/ and check their photo gallery and the room rates.

What we loved about this hotel:
😍 The location was perfect. Not too far from Ciawi toll exit. It was on the main road, you won't miss it.
Close to the hotel, there are some tourist attractions: The Ranch, Taman Matahari, Taman Safari (a bit further) etc.
Some good restaurants, also: Cimory Mountain View (western food), Bumi Nini (Sundanese), etc.

😍 We were very satisfied with our room (Deluxe type). It was clean, air conditioned and with a balcony. The size wasn't too big nor too cramped; it was just right for us. The bed and the pillows were comfortable; we had a very good sleep at night. TV had some national and international channels. Wifi signal was good.

😍 The bathroom: shower only, no bathtub. Hot water ran smoothly in the shower and in the washbasin at any time. The washbasin was low enough for my boys to wash hands and brush teeth by themselves (one less thing for Mommy to do).

😍 The restaurant was on the 6th floor (rooftop). At night, it had a nice view (but very windy and chilly). Breakfast menu was ok. My husband enjoyed the fresh fruit (and some other stuffs.. He kept going back-and-forth between our table and the buffet stations), my boys were happy with their cereal, and I really liked the fried rice (a la carte). It was delicious and the vegetable were very fresh.

😍 The hotel was children friendly. There were: a small indoor playground (at the lobby), another small outdoor playground, a small swimming pool, and two trampolines 😲 (I've never seen such thing in another hotel).

😍 Check in and check out were smooth. We did arrive at 10.30 AM to drop our luggage, and went to The Ranch until 4 pm. Our rooms were all ready by then.

What we didn't too crazy about: almost nothing! Well, like I said before, we prefer staying in a modest, simple and budget friendly hotel. When the room has got too many decorations, I always get paranoid that my boys would break them (and that means we have to pay for it).

My tips for you if you're interested in staying there:

✓ For your serenity, ask for a room facing the backyard, not the main road. Because the main road is 24/7 super busy and noisy.

✓ Come earlier, because the traffic in Puncak is always crazy. Drop your luggage there, go to a tourist attraction(s) nearby, come back in the late afternoon/evening when your room is ready, check in and enjoy your rest.

✓ We're not sure if the room size is suitable for people with large body proportion, or wheelchairs. Perhaps you should contact them directly regarding this issue.

We stayed there for one night only (July 29-30, 2017). It was our first time staying here, and would not certainly be the last!

-miamekarpuspa-

Puncak (1): The Ranch Mega Mendung

As my first review, I'd like to tell about my latest holiday trip, which was last week (July 29-30, 2017) in Puncak, West Java.

We depart from our home at 6:30 AM (in Serpong, Banten), arrived in Puncak area at 10:00 AM. We stopped by at Cibubur Rest Area for a toilet & coffee break. The traffic was already heavy that morning. Luckily, I prepared some food and drinks for the road.

Traffic in Puncak area is always crowded, because the main road is narrow. At certain times, one-way system is applied but without any fixed schedule, depends on the traffic situation. I'd say it's more like gambling (lol).

That was why we decided to depart early in the morning, though check in time at the hotel was at 2 PM. At 10:30 AM, we arrived at Grand Diara Hotel. We confirmed our bookings (4 rooms) and drop our luggage there, then went to The Ranch Mega Mendung on foot (it's literally next to the hotel, only 5 minutes away).

The Ranch Mega Mendung

The landscape view from the restaurant balcony on the upper floor

This is the newest holiday destination in the area (for now). It is a franchise of the same tourist attraction with the same name in Lembang. Entering this place reminded me of Farmhouse in Lembang, plus a small horse track.

The entrance fee was Rp.20.000/person. The ticket can be redeemed for a cup of milk, or as a discount voucher for dine-in meals at the restaurant (not applicable for snacks).

The facilities are:
▷ horse riding (Rp.25.000 + costume)
▷ rabbit park (Rp.20.000 + some veggies for feeding the rabbits)
▷ cow feeding
▷ sheep herding
▷ archery
▷ trampoline
▷ a restaurant & a cafe
▷ a souvenir store
▷ a factory outlet (in a separated building)
▷ a musholla (praying room)
▷ many snack booths

The costumes for horse riding

What we loved about this place:
😍 The facilities were very well maintained and clean.
😍 Although some parts of the garden hadn't finished yet, the landscape was very well made.
😍 Accessible for baby strollers and wheelchairs.
😍 The place wasn't crowded at all, considering it was on Saturday. Maybe people haven't noticed it yet, lucky for us!
😍 So many beautiful spots to take photos at.

What we didn't too crazy about:
😩 The restaurant was big, but the waiters were just standing at one corner, so we had to raise our voices to catch their attention.
😩 I ordered "mie tektek" (Javanese style steamed noodle), but I didn't like it because it was too sweet. However, my husband enjoyed his fried rice and my boys liked their dory fish & chips.

My tips for you if you're planning to go there:
1. If you depart from Jakarta or Bogor, go early in the morning to avoid the traffic jam in Puncak area. Prepare some food, snacks and drinks for the road.
2. Anticipate the weather, it can suddenly rain/shower for a while, then sunny, then rain again.
3. Bring cash. I'm not sure if they accept credit/debit cards because the place is still newly opened.

We spent almost 5 hours there (11 AM to 4 PM), but it seemed not enough. I still wanted to take more photos because the garden and the flowers were sooo beautiful. And the boys enjoyed their time, as well. We all really had a great time there and will definitely be back (hopefully soon) 😊

-miamekarpuspa-

Hello!

Welcome to my blog.

I like traveling. And now, after I got married and have children, we all looove traveling. However, I used to have difficulties in finding reviews about hotels, restaurants and holiday destinations which could cater our needs. As time went by, after a few times of traveling with my children, I've got some valuable experiences I'd like to share with you.

I am a full time mom with two very active boys age 7 & 6. Before we travel, while making our itinerary, I always consider these points:

1. Schedule. We prefer traveling during low season, considering the transportation fees, traffic and crowd. We usually travel in February-May.

2. Cleanliness. Non negotiable. Especially when you travel with young kids, hygiene is super important. You don't want to ruin your holiday itinerary because your kid has got stomachache after eating something, right?

3. Halal food, because we are Muslims.

4. Having active boys means I need to look for activities/attractions which require my boys to move A LOT. Or they'll get bored easily. You definitely don't want your kid nagging and crying while you're in a middle of a shopping spree, because he/she is bored (oh yes, I've been there!).

5. For hotels, we prefer staying in a modest & mid-range one. Not budget hotels, because the room size is usually too small. Nor fancy/boutique hotels, because we will definitely spend the whole day outside the room. My priorities are:
* Location
* Room size
* Soundproofing or quiet rooms (after a long trip, we will definitely need a good sleep)

6. Traffic. I always use Google Map to calculate the travel time between places in my travel itinerary. It really helps, and super easy. Just type in "from blabla hotel to blabla", then -voila- the result comes out.

I may not have so many travel experiences yet, because my boys are still young, and we don't really have a budget for doing it every month, but my husband and I are trying to arrange our family's "dream vacation" at least once a year. (Besides, making a holiday itinerary with a limited budget is more challenging. Not to mention, trying to stick to it! LOL)

So, based on my own travel experiences, I am making this blog. To help you. Perhaps you are a parent who will travel with your young children. Or you are a Muslim who is looking for halal food. Or you're just stopping by and coincidently found my blog LOL. Anyways, I hope my blog helps. Cheers.