One Day in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Posted on 2013/04/13 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

A month spent in Indonesia and two days in Singapore, I whittled it down to one day in Kuala Lumpur. I was on a tight schedule, since I was meeting a friend up in Koh Lanta, Thailand in a few days. However, I still wanted to at least see a bit of Malaysia, and decided that a one day stop in KL would do it. I took the overnight train up from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, which I love – Sleeper cars are great, and consolodate both long distance transportation as well as sleeping accomodations into one. You go to sleep in one place, wake up in the next – it’s comfy, inexpensive, and a bit romantic.

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Anyway, I arrived in the morning in KL and checked into the Reggae Mansion, a very hip backpackers hostel. A few pics from KL.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/sets/72157633525242767/

My sleep pod at the Reggae Mansion

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KL’s convenient monorail, which runs all over town.

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Naturally, my first stop was the Petronas Towers. After years of reading about these towers in architecture books, it was an incredible experience to actually stand at the base of them – and then go explore the upper floors.

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Looking across the bride that connects the middle of the two towers.

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Checking out Thean Hou Temple, where couples go to apply for marriage licenses.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamfan2/8757236244/in/set-72157633525242767

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Ascending to Batu Caves.. and being careful with the monkeys!

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Inside Malaysia’s National Mosque

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And finally, a quick stop in little India to see strings of wedding flowers made.

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Welcome To The Shopping Future: Singapore

Posted on 2013/04/12 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

Finally, I’ve made it to the city-state of Singapore. Jakarta was nice as was the reset of Indonesia, but emerging into Singapore felt like being reborn into the future. Singapore is ultra modern, extremely clean, meticulously beautiful, and has a class and character of its own. What a breath of fresh air.

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Singapore is intense – the entire place is constrained to one island, and all wealth generated gets funneled back into this small island oasis. Buildings are continuously being made brand new. Roads are perfect. Transit is on time and comfortable as riding in a limo. Any amenity you need is available. Additionally, Singapore has a unique history and feel of its own. The locals are warm and friendly, and amidst the continuous maze of shopping malls and luxury resorts, there are character-filled enclaves of local people, ethnic neighborhoods, and asian flavor. I’d recommend that if you’re in the area, you take a trip of at least a day or two to Singapore. If you’re not so much into ritzyness and high class shopping, maybe just a day or two for the essentials.

During the one day I spent in Singapore, I decided to try to see an overview of as much as possible.. and went by the mega tourist route, doing the double decker tourist bus. After a good experience doing the double decker bus with friend Emily in NYC, I thought it might be a cool way to see an overview of Singapore too.

Of course, spending time in the shadow of the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort was great. The resort has everything, and I spent a solid half of my time in there.

Saya and I got drinks on the roof and enjoyed an amazing view.

Lots of shopping, including an extended conversation with reps at Louis Vuitton and Leica. Let me know if you’d like to send me a Leica M to test out.. I’ll post the photos on this blog! :)

Aside from the shopping, architecture in the city is beautiful. Even underpasses are new and nice.

The incredible cloud forest at the gardens by the bay.

And finally, the supertreees.

From CNN:

Ranging in height from 25 to 50 metres, the Gardens’ 18 Supertrees are basically vertical gardens covered in bromeliads, ferns and tropical flowering climbers. Two of the trees are connected via an aerial walkway.

It’s pretty innovative stuff. The structures mimic the ecological functions of real trees through their environmentally sustainable features.

Some have photovoltaic cells on their canopies to harvest solar energy to light up at night, others are integrated with cooled conservatories and serve as air exhaust receptacles.

An overview of the Gardens By The Bay, by Grant Associates

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Arrival at Singapore’s Changi International Airport

Posted on 2013/04/11 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

In addition to exploring Singapore, I also blocked off a whole day to explore Changi International Airport. Frequently regarded as one of the best airports in the world, I was interested in it enough that I decided to devote a whole 12 hours to fully exploring it.

I arrived at Changi at midnight, and instead of leaving the airport, I stayed there at one of the hotels within the secure “sterile” area. Quite a nice luxury! My room was basic, but clean and quiet, and included access to the gym and rooftop swimming pool and bar. Decent amenities for an airport hotel room inside the airport!

One of the many quiet lounges to relax in – all with free super-fast wifi interent.

The rooftop cactus garden, with bar.

Structural Garden

One of the many luxurious waiting areas, with spectacular views of the airplane operations.

Candy, free, at all info desks. All of the info desk people spoke great english.

Another one of the outdoor gardens, which was nice to wander through..

Should the free wifi kill your phone’s battery, there’s free, secure charging stands everywhere – including for the new iPhone5 Lightening connector!

The butterfly garden, with a ton of beautiful butterflies.

Any electronics you want can be bought at the airport.

Free, 24/7 movie theater.

The oh so relaxing indoor Bamboo Garden.

Sports area

Serene Koi Pond

Of course there’s a rooftop Sunflower Garden.

Another smaller movie theater.

LAN Gaming Room

A little bit of home.. they have my favourite travel store, Flight001!

The lobby of one of the airport hotels.

And finally, the grand finish, the multi-story slide. Awesome!

Back to City Life in Jakarta, Indonesia

Posted on 2013/04/04 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

On March 6 2013, my good friend and travel buddy Jan and I finally made it out of the expanses of Java, and into Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. Arrival in Jakarta was a long time coming – It’s a city I’ve heard about continuously for years. Two close friends of mine have moved there for extended periods of time, and I’ve seen and heard all sorts of different accounts of the city.

For some reason, prior to my arrival, the image I had in my head of Jakarta was a distinctly rough one. I had heard that it was a rough, crowded, loud city. I heard stories of local women befriending whites guys very quickly. I heard or crazy bars, crime, and everything else. And for some reason, the image in my head was of a city of rubble – much like the depiction of the city of Mogadishu, Somalia in the film “Black Hawk Down”. So that’s what I was preparing myself for. But what Jan and I found was a much different place.

Jakarta turned out to be splendid oasis in Indonesia. Yes, it’s crowded, loud, smelly, and dangerous. But it’s also refined, beautiful, peaceful, and depending on where you go, quite safe. I felt welcomed to Jakart with open arms by the Indonesias I befriended – both my wonderful hosts at the EXCELLENT Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel, as well as the cool kids who reached out to me on CouchSurfing.com.

A brief note on Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel: It’s great. Really great. Out of all of the hostels I’ve stayed at around the world, Six Degrees definitely ranks up there in the top 5, if not the top 3. If you’re traveling to Jakarta and looking for an inexpensive hostel atmosphere, with great other travelers to meet, a super social atmosphere, clean, quiet accommodations, tasty food, and the best staff you can imagine, stay at Six Degrees. The location is not the absolute most ideal, but taxis are cheap, and what Six Degrees doesn’t have in location, if more than makes up for in charm and comfort. Stay at Six Degrees, it’s great. Find Six Degrees on Tripadvisor too.

Jan’s stay in Jakarta was a quick 2 days, and then I was on my own for the rest of my time there – however by “On My Own”, I mean surrounded by the nicest people, excited to share their city with me. A few pics from Jakarta:

Arriving in Jakarta, Jan and I took a walk around town – through a few peaceful riverside enclaves.

And then the Tuk-Tuks started. These three wheelers are everywhere, with their maniacal drivers trying every trick in the book to get you inside. Prices are crazy, and the driving style is even crazier. Fun for a quick experience, though.

Jakarta’s Istiqlal Mosque – the largest Mosque in SE Asia. From Wikipedia:

Istiqlal Mosque, or Masjid Istiqlal, (Independence Mosque) in Jakarta, Indonesia is the largest mosque in Southeast Asia[1] and has the highest capacity. This national mosque of Indonesia was built to commemorate Indonesian independence and named “Istiqlal”, an Arabic word for “independence”. The mosque was opened to the public 22 February 1978. Within Jakarta, the mosque is positioned next to Merdeka Square and the Jakarta Cathedral.

The mosque is a beautiful structure, and the constant hum of worshippers walking around is even nicer. After taking off our shoes, Jan and I were given a personalized tour of the place, including the main worship room, which is huge.

Taman Mini Indonesia. What a weird place. This once great park tries to embody all aspects of indonesia culture into one park, and includes houses built in the styles of all of Indonesia’s tribes and regions. Centrally, it features a lake with islands in the shape of Indonesias islands. Something similar to the “The World” island formation in Dubai.. but smaller and crappier. Do not waste a day going here.

Songkran, in Jakarta. During the time I was in Jakarta, Thailand was celebrating their new years – and the Thai community in Jakarta got in on the action. I met up with a few friends to shoot waterguns at eachother and run around partying. A great time!.

Car Free Sundays. Every Sunday, the main drag through Jakarta shuts down for the morning, and the locals come out to bike, ride and walk around in the fresh, quiet air.

As a thanks to the Six Degrees Backpackers Hostel, I made them a mug with my picture on it. They loved it. What an ego move! :)

Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Posted on 2013/03/28 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

After making the long trek by bus across Eastern Java, Jan and I finally made it to the cultural capital of Indonesia, Yogyakarta. As the cultural capital, the town is filled with vendors selling locally made silver jewlrey, batiked textiles, and a whole host of other artwork and handycrafts.

Jan and I only had one full day in Yogya, but we made the most of it by visiting the main walking street, central temple and a ton of small vendors. At the end of our day there, we got on a high speed train toward Bandung, a short ride outside of Jakarta. Pics.

Our base of operations, the train station, was naturally an excellent place for photos.

Pedicabs lined up, waiting for unsuspecting tourists.. like us!

Gamelan, traditional Indonesian music being played at the Kraton.

Headed towards Bandung.

Indonesia’s Prambanan, Surviving After The 2006 Java Earthquake

Posted on 2013/03/22 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

After sunrise at Borobudur, Jan and I headed over to the Hindu Temple of Prabanan. The temple’s design and construction is a stark contrast to the looks of Borobudur. Although the main temples still stand, Java’s 2006 earthquake destroyed almost all of the peripheral temples, leaving only foundations. Reconstruction efforts continue, and we were lucky enough to arrive just weeks after the main temple was reopened. Pics.

Morning Fog At The Buddhist Temple of Borobudur

Posted on 2013/03/20 by Jeffrey Donenfeld

After an early morning sunrise on Mt. Ijen and another at Mt. Bromo, Jan and I decided to continue the trend and go for a 3rd sunrise at the ancient Mahayana Buddhist Temple of Borobudur.

A bit on Borobudur, from Wikipedia:

Borobudur, or Barabudur, is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist Temple in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia. The monument consists of six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.[1] A main dome, located at the center of the top platform, is surrounded by 72 Buddha statues seated inside a perforated stupa.

Built in the 9th century during the reign of the Sailendra Dynasty, the temple’s design in Gupta architecture reflects India’s influence on the region. It also depicts the gupta style from India and shows influence of Buddhism as well as Hinduism.[2][3] The monument is both a shrine to the Lord Buddha and a place for Buddhist pilgrimage. The journey for pilgrims begins at the base of the monument and follows a path around the monument and ascends to the top through three levels symbolic of Buddhist cosmology: K?madh?tu (the world of desire), Rupadhatu (the world of forms) and Arupadhatu (the world of formlessness). The monument guides pilgrims through an extensive system of stairways and corridors with 1,460 narrative relief panels on the walls and the balustrades.

Evidence suggest Borobudur was constructed in the 9th century and abandoned following the 14th century decline of Hindu kingdoms in Java, and the Javanese conversion to Islam.[4] Worldwide knowledge of its existence was sparked in 1814 by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, then the British ruler of Java, who was advised of its location by native Indonesians. Borobudur has since been preserved through several restorations. The largest restoration project was undertaken between 1975 and 1982 by the Indonesian government and UNESCO, following which the monument was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[5] Borobudur is still used for pilgrimage; once a year Buddhists in Indonesia celebrate Vesak at the monument, and Borobudur is Indonesia’s single most visited tourist attraction.

Pics from our early morning visit:

Arriving at the temple early in the morning, a thick morning fog hung over the ancient stones.

All visitors to Borobudur are required to wear traditional Sarongs. Upon arriving at the end entrance gate, before going through security, one of the park rangers helps each guest put one on.

As a still active temple, Borobudur draws in both tourists and worshippers, including these monks.

Intricate stone carvings adorn the entire structure. Considering how many times this monument has been robbed, bombed, lost, and destroyed, it’s still in incredibly good shape – thanks to an army of experts working on its constant maintenance and restoration.

The Stupas, Borobudurs hallmark feature point towards the heavens.

Jeffrey Donenfeld

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