Acheh & Pulau Weh in instagrams

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I took so many pictures that i just had to share the ones i took on my phone too!

#1 The first taxi that we took in Acheh from the airport

#2 Joe’s Bungalows, where we first stayed

#3

#4

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Iboih area in Pulau Weh:

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#10 The ONLY and BEST way to eat Indonesian food – with your hand, and legs up!

#11 Toy conference

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#19 No harm came to this hermit crab in the taking of this photo

#20

#21 Spiders are lucky

#22 Steph and Nick

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#24 Breakfast with the perfect oozy eggs

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Pantai Sumur Tiga @ Pulau Weh:

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#30 Food Coma

#31 Consider The End

#32 Clem like a happy dog in the waves

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#34 We usually get Jose Cuervo but the airport didn’t have it. This is usually our 2nd choice. Any other suggestions for great tequila? We love our tequila!

#35 Clem

#36 Steph

#37 Nick

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#41 <3

#42

Thought i’d share some of the facial products i took with me to Pulau Weh! (Disclaimer: these were all sponsored). Brought some Swiss Line mist which activates cell regeneration. And a couple of products from Kiehl’s new Clearly Corrective line, which eliminates dark spots. The key ingredient, Activated C, is the latest generation of Vitamin C.

If you’d like to try it, you can drop by any Kiehl’s store to get some samples. You can leave a product review on their Facebook page, and win one of 4 bottles of Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution worth RM200 (the star product of the range which i’m using now). They’ll be giving out a bottle every week in March!

 

Pulau Weh: Pantai Sumur Tiga: Freddie’s / Casa Nemo

After spending 2 nights in Iboih, we called for a taxi and traveled roughly 45 minutes to another area in Pulau Weh. Pantai Sumur Tiga is supposedly the longest beach in Pulau Weh and got its name from three wells that lay along its stretch (sources say there are actually five wells). It’s also reputedly the best beach in Pulau Weh, with guesthouses and hotels that range from affordable to high end.

We stayed at Casa Nemo – a pretty nice guesthouse with 8 bungalows/rooms perched on the hill overlooking the beach and ocean. The beach was practically a 4-minute walk from our doorstep. A slow walk. I’m not one of those cheaters who tell you it takes 5 minutes when it actually takes 15 cos they’re running a marathon or something.

Our spacious room had no air con (but we didn’t need it cos it’s cold at night) just fan, but had hot water shower, fridge, nice porch with hammock, taps to wash the sand off our legs before we got in the main door (so important for crazy OCD people like me who love the beach but HATE sand in the room!). The bed was okay, think they need new pillows and beds and there’s no mosquito net; but i love the ambiance of the place and the BEACH just made up for everything. Room cost 250,000 rupiah/RM87 per night.

In fact, reason i’m writing a fair bit about Casa Nemo is cos i would totally recommend you to stay there (Disclaimer: if you’re half the backpacker type) but i forgot to take pictures of the place. I don’t even have a SINGLE picture of Casa Nemo cos i was too enraptured with the beach that was just outside our doorstep.

LOOK.

JUST LOOK AT THAT BEACH.

Incredible! And to think it only cost us RM87 a night to stay there… SO WORTH IT OKAY. To see pictures of Casa Nemo’s bungalows *click here*

We spent the late morning hanging out on the beach (OF COURSE). Clem immediately jumped into the ocean to play with the waves. I thought i’d try it later on. Big waves scare me. Tell you why later.

I was so intent on getting as MUCH SUNSHINE as possible that i lay on the beach reading Norwegian Wood while we waited for the food to come. Casa Nemo only served breakfast and beer when we were there so we walked next door to Freddie’s, another guesthouse + restaurant:

Like i mentioned in a previous post, we went to Pulau Weh just as the rainy season was over, so there weren’t many tourists then. Fab, really.

You can’t ask for a better lunch view.

Steph & Nick

Thanks to Steph for taking pix with my camera that holiday, i always whine that there are never any natural shots of me but this time there are!

Here’s a very natural shot of us. One moment we’re all lovey.

Next moment we’re fighting, pushing each other, wrestling, etc.

It usually ends with Clem saying, “STOP before someone (you) cries.” Or him handling me too roughly and i start screaming like he just did a Tyson on me.

Clem thought i was so disheveled to eat with sand all over me but i love it. It’s the big grainy kinda sand that dusts off easily, not the fine one that sticks with your sweat and makes you blah.

After lunch we went straight back to the beach!

The waves are so forceful that it can easily wipe the pants off Nick. Or me off my feet. I almost got a picture of his bum but wasn’t quick enough. Steph thought i was being a pussy for being scared of the waves but when they knocked her over too… I SAY HA! I tried going in earlier and a huge wave knocked me a-tumbling, big stones and coral the seasonal tide hadn’t brought out to sea yet crashing on my feet and legs, and sand getting into my swimsuit… which was just magically trying to come off. And all while i was trying to pee. Dammit.

You can see Nick underwater! It’s that clear! And Clem fighting a wave! In the end i HAD to go in the sea (with Clem making sure i didn’t get knocked over too much) cos i really had to pee again. This time Clem held me while i peed. Haha. This is why you need a big strong man – to help you pee in the sea.

I managed to get over my wave phobia the next day and was a big girl and went all by myself! Or maybe at that time the waves were a bit tamer…

ANYWAYS.

OK my chest just looks like that because of this great bikini Serena gave me for Christmas. It miraculously LIFTS in all the right places. LOVE IT.

There are heaps of other pictures we took with my phone (which i’ll post separately just cos the look and feel is so different! OCD…) We drank tequila, played on the beach, bla bla bla then fast forward to dinnertime!

We went back to Freddie’s for dinner

I just HAD to post this picture to show Clem that SEE? I’m not always hitting you! Sometimes i place my hand lovingly on you too!!!

Do you like my dress?! I saw the fabric in Kamdar, loved the ‘melting’ print, and made myself a long beach dress

This is me too tired to hold Clem’s hand but i still want to touch him so i was touching his knee  -_- Hahaaa thanks Steph for taking these pictures!!!

Freddie’s Santai Sumur Tiga
Address: Pantai Sumur Tiga, Iemeulee.
Ph: 0813 602 55001,
Email: santaisumurtiga@yahoo.com.au
www.santai-sabang.com 

Casa Nemo
Address: Pantai Sumur Tiga, Iemeulee.
Ph: 0813 6299 9942.
Email: casanemo@yahoo.com
www.casanemo.com 

Pulau Weh: Iboih area

After spending our first night in Acheh, us four got a morning speed boat which we rode for 45 minutes to get to Pulau Weh. Cost about RM20 per person.

When Clem and i made our decision to go to Acheh, we had no idea about Pulau Weh. Or we just didn’t remember Steph and Nick mentioning we were going there. It’s only after i told some people i was heading to Sumatra, that they asked whether i was going to Pulau Weh. And i was thinking, what’s this deal about Pulau Weh? Now i HOPE we’re going to Pulau Weh… and searched our history emails to check. Turns out we WERE going there so i google imaged it and got mighty excited then!

There are different class tickets you can buy for the boats from Acheh to Pulau Weh, and the difference between executive class and the normal one is USD1. It may seem little but that’s significant for an Achehnese. The exec class had sofas, tvs and air con compared to the non-air con one!

Once we docked at Sabang (as the island is referred to by locals) we took an hour-long car ride (RM17 per person) to Iboih – Nick’s favourite area on the island. It’s got a more backpacker and local family feel to it.

Steph got burnt by a motorcycle and Nick was applying medicine on it. I just HAD to post this picture. It was part of my whole trip experience, y’ know. Keepin it real.

The stark irony of beautiful mosques being built amidst poverty all over Acheh.

There’s no vehicle road going into where all the backpacker inns are, just walkways through the forest. Clem had to carry his and my bag (mine was too full of toys for  me to manage :p) and wondered aloud why there weren’t any boats that would go straight to the guesthouse doorsteps. I think door-to-door shuttle service in 5-star resorts has spoilt him. Steph and Nick must have thought we were such divas.

We stayed in a wooden chalet with fan for RM50 a night. Or RM53? Something like that. It was really cheap!

Steph and Nick in the chalet next to ours.

Practising my paparazzo shots

 

Cassi & Henry

I used a Colgate box to transport the black charcoals i needed for that holiday’s drawings, so i wouldn’t risk breaking the whole set. Most of them broke in the process anyway.

Between our chalets were natural stone steps leading down to the sea. If you think the picture looks cold, that’s cos it WAS. It turned out a tad rainy that day.

Steph, Nick’s feet, Clem. After i took this picture, i joined them. For 15 minutes. Then i got out of the cold water to look forward to DRINKING. And eating. I’d already had breakfast and lunch, around then was 4pm and tea time! I had spicy noodle soup while playing Monopoly Deal and drinking Bintang.

Golly gee i’m so attractive

We graduated to local whiskey (RM35!) when it started raining an hour later.

Lots of animals around Iboih, cats…

Giant monkeys

Dogs.

Because the locals are very conservative Muslim, dogs are frowned upon and mostly kept only because the tourists like them. They’re not usually fed as much as the cats. This old Muslim masseuse lady fed a bunch of dogs like her own before the locals poisoned them just because they’re dogs.

When Nick asked her about her dogs, she confirmed they had died, and said she didn’t want to talk about it anymore, and that it made her too sad. (((SAD!!!)))

Later that night Clem pointed at something flying and said, “Look! Eagle!” (He gets really excited about eagles.) I watched this huge thing with swooping wings and said, “It’s not an eagle… it’s a bat holy shit.”

A huge mothertrucking fruit bat, the biggest i’ve ever seen in my life. The span of one wing was the measure of my fingertips to my elbow, or more. It crawled up and down the branches of the tree right in front of us. Quite fascinating. It’s like Nat Geo. But in real life. (Listen to me, sound so city girl can die.)

At night we just hung out and played this question game which was quite interesting, till Nick tried to get us to guess the word ‘microbe’.   -_-

Convinced Clem to let me draw on the part of his leg that got shaved at Matt & Serena’s tea ceremony torture event. I used 5 out of the 8 comic boxes then got tired. He insisted i not waste the space so i wrote ‘OK. THE. END.’

Next morning was bright and shiny yay! It’s best to go to Acheh any time of the year except Nov-Jan when it’s rainy season. We were there early Feb so we were pushing it.

Despite this restaurant’s humble appearance, it has food the standard of a 5-star resort! I kid you not.

The fries and cheese with this was an amazing composition i couldn’t stop eating.

This is the best picture i have of myself with no make up. #win

Steph was semangat enough to set the timer on my camera…

She called us posers. I said what did you expect.

After lunch, we took a boat to the island next door, which is owned by a local family.

Clem is like a little kid. Ask him to smile and this is what he gives me.

Nick

Nick and Clem making a moat for my pony

OK yes that’s me. You might think it’s silly but i swear once you try it, an umbrella is a GREAT IDEA to bring into the sunny sea with you, next to a beer.

I don’t feel as stressed out sitting in harsh sunlight. I don’t mind getting darker (i’m not one of those pro-whitening girls) but i just get so HOT. So being able to chill in the warm water without sun burning me is all good.

The mosquito bite on Steph’s forehead fascinates me

Hermit crab we made friends with, but didn’t hurt in the slightest bit, i swear

That night the electricity went out, along with the water that came out of the shower head. I pacified Clem that it was like camping.

Thank goodness for the mushroom light Yishyene gave to me!

Since we couldn’t depend on the electricity and water there, we shifted to another part of the island the day after!

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All pictures taken with the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3.

Acheh: Joel’s Bungalows

Clem and i try to step into unfamiliar territory every time we go on holiday. This time we went somewhere most haven’t ventured to, but we did especially because Nick has been living there for 6 years. It’s always a kinder experience when someone local takes you around a new place!

Flights to Acheh were cheap – i bought our flights a month ago and they cost RM400 per person, return, with baggage. Flight was 2 hours, not too painful. And for the first time in MONTHS, there wasn’t a delay on our AirAsia flights!

Nick moved to Acheh after the devastating tsunami in 2004 and worked for an NGO. Still is actually, besides venturing into a coffee business of his own. Also saw some cool algae experiments he’s carrying out in his house but didn’t take a picture damn.

This is the graveyard where many tsunami victims are buried…

Tyre felt a bit wonky so driver stopped to change it

Acheh’s landscape is really beautiful. You notice the difference from when you’re landing in the plane… there are a lot of fields and trees and mountains. Nick pointed out which parts the tsunami washed away back then, and the new buildings that have/are being built. It’s sad and mind-blowing to see how far the water came up to.

A scattering of new houses and buildings have been set up since then, with some halfway done. Apparently the Achehnese are not mindful time masters when it comes to building. Their new airport has been ‘building’ for the past 5 years and all i see is its skeleton. It’s quite funny.

Steph wasn’t feeling well the first night, ahlala…

Nick said Joel’s Bungalows at Lampuuk beach is the nicest place for us to stay in Acheh and i totally agree! The place is beautiful with the sea and cliffs right next to us, and individual cabins with decently-decorated bedrooms and bathrooms.

I tried searching it on Trip Advisor but there are no ratings for it, instead, i found a glowing review on how Joel took many orphans and homeless kids under his wing after the tsunami. Read it yourself *here*

There’s a cabin right on the pond where you can stay in too (pictured above) but looking at the walkway that leads to it above the dank water, i doubted our ability to stumble back safely after a night of drinking with them at Joel’s restaurant. Didn’t help that Nick mentioned the pond is a water buffalo grave too! Fascinating.

I so so badly wanted to chase these ducks. I also saw for the first time two steady streams of BATS that flew out to feed in the evening, both streams being wavy lines that started at the cliffs and ended as far as the eye could see.

We stayed in a cliff cabin like this, but the one that was closest to sea. It costs 250,000 rupiah/RM88 a night.

Not for careless people!

The view from our balcony – FANTASTIC. You can see mountains,cove, sea, forest, beach and cliff all at once!

I really appreciate how Joel made the bathrooms open air and au natural against the cliff’s rock side.

While i was running last minute errands in KL before leaving for Acheh, this bright purple kid-sized hula hoop caught my eye and the words TAKE ME WITH YOU ran in my head loudly a couple of times. I decided not to fight it and just bought it. Christened it Henry (short for Henrietta) and brought it to Acheh.

See, it came in useful to mark where the drinks are so we don’t knock them over!

And to lean on when tired from day at office, flight journey and drinking! I ended up giving it to the 2 small kids that lives next to Nick on the last day we were there. Felt that they would love it more than me… and i can always buy myself another one that calls out to me next time at Star Enterprise.

Clem took this picture in the morning

Clem, Nick and Steph

Nick bought us his favourite local breakfast. It’s like nasi lemak and beef rendang. SEE, this is why it’s great to go somewhere a friend is! They get to feed me the best food HEH

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All pictures taken with the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL3.

Seminyak, Bali – Johnny Ramli // Mades Warung // Amor Villa

After leaving the central Bali area of Candikuning,
Clem and i drove South all the way back to Seminyak.
I wheedled him to find Johnny Ramli’s shop called WRKSHP13
cos i really wanted to buy myself a necklace from there.
Ever since i saw Jess constantly wearing her Johnny Ramli piece,
i’ve been itching to see what other silver necklaces he has.

‘Twas not an easy feat finding the shop,
the area was jammed and numbers didn’t seem to follow in order along the road!
Was about to give up and asked someone for directions when…
they pointed next door and said THERE!
How lucky!

There are clothes and leather bags and clutches but i was more interested in the long silver necklaces.
Couldn’t take pictures of them all but they were nice enough to let me pick two to photograph.

All the necklaces are handcrafted from silver bits and pieces.
I think lots of them would look great on fashionably adventurous guys.
Priced from RM300-RM550

WRKSHP13
JL. Petitenget no198 unit B,
Kerobokan, Seminyak, Bali
www.johnnyramli.com

Since we arrived in town late, we simply booked ourselves into a cheap guesthouse to spend one night in before moving into the villa next day

A few years ago, Kuta would never be as jammed as this,
it’s crazy!
Cars and vehicles were at a standstill
cos road was too narrow for everyone to move along.

Next morning i’d planned everything we had to do to a T (internet cafe, breakfast, check out guesthouse, pick up Bali Aqua) so we could check in Amor Villa early and spend all day there!

Entrance to lobby

We dropped our bags, put our supplies in the fridge and ran for lunch at Mades Warung.
Everytime i’m in Bali i try to eat at Mades Warung cos their nasi campur is OUTTA THIS WORLD.

Anyone you go with will be happy there cos there’s a great selection of Indonesian, Japanese, and Western food and desserts.

Mades Warung nasi campur special = legend.

Whole time we were eating lunch,
Clem and i were like ‘CAN’T WAIT TO GO BACK TO VILLA’

More villa pix to come in this post.
I gotta go to work now -_-

Amor Villa pix!

I’m standing in the living area as i take this.
Swimming pool in front of bedroom,
dining table outside.

Massive living room we used just to eat dinner at.
High (really high -_- like non-small people friendly high) bar area with fridge.

It is imperative cloths be tied around glass panes like so.
They’re a dangerous design feature for clumsy people like me.

One side of the huge bathroom.
The red tiles freaked me out a little tho.
When you shower the water looks like pools of blood.
Or i’ve been watching way too much Dexter.

It’s kite season during the month of July.
For the Gods so that crops will prosper.

The best thing about having a villa to yourself is you get to run around naked!
I’d never done that before in a villa,
so was really happy running around naked all day.

Being naked is the BEST.
Nothing is on you or bothers you.
I can never understand people who are shy about nudity.
We were BORN with nothing on.
So liberating!
I wish i could be naked all the time except that i love dressing up too.
Oh and i would get arrested.

I totally recommend Amor Villa to anyone!
The only thing missing there is a wall for me to put my legs up.

Previous posts on this Bali trip:
1st post - North Bali: Lovina & Pemuteran
2nd post - Central Bali: Munduk
3rd post - Central Bali – Candikuning Market & Bali Botanical Gardens

Central Bali – Candikuning Market & Bali Botanical Gardens

Previous posts from this Bali trip:
1st post - North Bali: Lovina & Pemuteran
2nd post - Central Bali: Munduk

After we left Munduk, we drove West to pass by two lakes – Danau Buyan and Danau Tamblingan:

Then we drove down South to another lake called Danua Bratan,
where Candikuning town and market is.

Balinese have this amazing ability to balance all sorts of things on their heads.
The most astonishing sight was a slight woman carrying tree trunks on her head!
I asked Clem whether he could do that.
He said OF COURSE. -_-

I really got to get myself a multicoloured brollie like this one!

I bought something from a lady JUST SO i could take pictures of Maurice sitting on tiny toys without feeling guilty.

Bought quite a number of these fantastic wooden animals carved by this sweet man.

One of the nicest public toilets in Bali!

I really wanted to buy nasi padang for lunch at the market,
and asked this lady below.
She smilingly said she only sells nasi campur,
and pointed me to a nasi padang shop.
In the end i bought nasi campur from her because she wasn’t pushy (unlike everyone else in the market!)

She gave me a little bit of everything (which turned out to be a LOT)
and charged me 10,000 rupiah / RM3.50!
It turned out being one of my best meals in Bali.

We left the market and drove to the Bali Botanical Garden
which was much more impressive than we thought it’d be.
It’s massive and immaculately kept!

Eating great food in the sunshine is one of my FAVOURITE things to do in the world!

I can never resist holes in clouds

The reflection is so Monet

Wilson!

I put on a sarong that Clem bought (he loves wearing sarongs at home)
when we went into a temple so i’d be decently dressed.

The gardens are so huge that people drive around the whole place…
which was fine by me. My thighs were hurting from hiking around Munduk for hours.

Is that a natural knot i see?

I found some balloons in my bag so we blew them up and stopped by a lawn to play with them

This pose reminds me of Archie comics

There was a cactus glasshouse as well
which Clem wanted to have a look at
I was like, SNOREEE! But it turned out ok cos it was empty so we could take pictures without people staring at us

I should’ve made him take his shirt off to ‘blend in’.

Wilson blends in! Sorta. Wilson-shaped cacti!

Very suggestive cactus…

And super hairy ones that made me think of Cousin It.

I thought this looked like a Disney tree!
Can you see a face on it?
CAN YOU?!
It’s like a side view of a face, with an eye closed, a curving mouth and the bit sticking out is its nose.

Maurice managed to ride a flower all by himself!
I was mighty proud of him 

After messing around the gardens for two hours,
we decided we did enough garden time and made our way down South back to Seminyak…

Last post with awesome villa pix to come!

(Damn i still have Laos and Sri Lanka posts to edit.
Macam tak habis man)