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I have found this older post with missing info and old links so is updated now and while doing it bringing many many memories of my visit to Yogyakarta. I have, also, told you that I have been 8 times to Indonesia over the last few years, and most of these trips were to the more popular cities but once I went to some off the beaten paths areas such as here in exotic Yogyakarta !!  Hope you enjoy the post as I

Briefly, Yogyakarta is the capital of the special territory of the same name, in the center of the island of Java, Indonesia.  Its name, which means “the work of Ayodhya”, comes from that of a city in the kingdom of Koshala of which Rāma was the monarch in the epic of Ramayana. The Special Region of Yogyakarta, one of Indonesia’s autonomous regions, owes its special status to the Sultanate of gyaHamengkubuwono, which has ruled the region since 1749 and led it through the difficult times of the occupation and the struggle for independence

The city is known as the center of classical Javanese art and traditional culture including wayang kulit shadow theater, batik, ballet, theater, music, poetry. Yogyakarta is also known for its silver craftsmen, gathered in the money district, Kota Gede. The German painter and musician Walter Spies , who was one of the first Western artists to make Bali known to the world, was conductor of the European music troupe of the Sultan of Yogyakarta.

Some things to see here with more time are: The Beringharjo market is a huge covered market ,where you can find everything: a huge choice of batik (clothes and printed fabrics), spices, fruits and vegetables, wicker baskets, trinkets… It is open in the morning only from 8h. The Sultan’s Palace! Yes a sultant still resides in Yogyakarta. He is the governor of Central Java and has a large palace in the city center, which is open for tours every morning. The Taman Sari ,formerly, the Water castle of Yogyakarta was the place where the Sultan and his Court came to bathe. The famous temples of  Borobudur  and  Prambanan  are located near Yogyakarta.

Oh yes I came here by air, see my post on airports of Indonesia. On the older Yogyakarta Adisutjipto International Airport is The new airport Yogyakarta International Airport or Kulon Progo International Airport, is in the district of Temon, kabupaten of Kulon Progo, which serves the special territory of Yogyakarta in Java, The airport was inaugurated on May 6, 2019. This one I have not try yet as my last visit dates from 2018.

The Yogyakarta Adisutjipto Inter airport : https://adisutjipto-airport.co.id/en

The newer Yogyakarta inter airport : https://yogyakarta-airport.co.id/en

The Restaurant Taman Pringsewu Km. 9 Mulungan Jln. Magelang, is the pride of the family every time there is an event that definitely has to eat its food here. The tastes never disappoint and the variants are very much so you can choose, the price is worth it, the place is clean and the service is fast  Friendly children. Super menu.  Super nice,very affordable price & the dining experience is extremely relax with nice ambience. Definitely will come again. The food and service is awesome. First time there and can come back again hopefully. I had lunch at the in a magnificent setting with all exotic local foods some are even hard to remember or spell ! The grill fish is to kill for it, . A wonderful coconut and orange drink as well.The chain webpage :https://pringsewuresto.com/default.html

And the personal Taman resto webpage : https://restoran-taman-pringsewu.business.site/#posts

The Yogyakarta tourist office: https://visitingjogja.jogjaprov.go.id/en/

The local Yogyes on Yogyakarta (ID): https://www.yogyes.com/

The Indonesia tourist office on Yogyakarta : https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations/java/yogyakarta

There you go folks, another nice off the beaten path spot on my world map, and plenty of good memories which have lasted and will last forever. Thanks for the friendship and opportunities to visit all these wonderful places in our world such as Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Again, hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Let me tell you a bit more about Vietnam and my many trips there over the years, I found new older pictures not in my blog yet and they should so here they are on nice Cà Mau, Hope you enjoy this post curiosities of Cà Mau as I.

Briefly, Cà Mau is the capital of the province of Cà Mau. It is located in the Mekong Delta, 360 km southwest of Ho Chi Minh City.  Ca Mau province is served by National Highway 1A, National Highway 63, and Quan Lo-Phung Hiep Highway. The area is Vietnam’s biggest shrimp exporter. Bordered by the sea on three sides, it has the most developed fleet fishing in the Mekong Delta. It is also the largest aquaculture area and the largest production in the country.

I first came via air to the small Cà Mau airport, which serves the town of Cà Mau. It is served only by the Vietnam Air Services Company (VASCO), which I took and they operates an exclusive connection between Cà Mau and Hồ Chí Minh City (HCMC).

I drove around the town to see and feel the local ambiance, and then settle for lunch at the local Guyen Thanh (see post for more) resto where I had some excellent big scallops and tropical fish that can grow to several hundred kilos and they had for display we ate the smaller ones ::)  The resto is a tropical paradise with a property made for events and weddings, very nice.

There are many massage parlors along the main road N1 and took the picture out of curiosity, Also, the famous burgers are all over even here in Cà Mau with the national chain Lotteria, again just out of curiosity and memories of passing by the City,

Its always hard to find official Tourism information on Cà Mau ,the general Vietnam tourist office: https://vietnam.travel/

As went there as French, got plenty from French language webpages such as the Mekong Delta area on Ca Mau in French: https://www.mekongtourisme.com/destination/detail/Ca_Mau_38.html

There you go folks, another dandy in nice Vietnam, This is Cà Mau in the south, worth the detour. I had lots of good times there and very friendly folks which still in touch thanks to the networks. Cà Mau was an off the beaten path trip and nice memories. Again hope you enjoy the post as I

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

Well looking at my vault of pictures and posts in my blog realised had just small mentions of the Airport of Cebu, Philippines. This was my most entries to the country for several years and 6 visits, sometimes straight there and others rerouted after Manila. Therefore, let me put more into my blog of the Cebu airport and hope you enjoy the post as I.

Let me tell you the airport for the main Cebu city had to passed first by Lapu Lapu, and Mandaue towns. The trips were routine, same route each time. The island of Cebu is 122 miles (196 km) long; nowhere does it exceed 20 miles (32 km) in width. The capital city of Cebu city is located in the Central Visayas region VII, consisting of a main island and 167 surrounding islands and islets. Cebu is the oldest city and first capital of the Philippines. Cebu city forms part of the metropolitan area with Danao city, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue and Talisay cities. Mactan Cebu international airport is in Mactan island the second busiest airport in the Philippines !!

A bit of history which was interesting to me tell us that on April 27, 1565, Miguel López de Legazpi and the friar Andrés de Urdaneta arrived on Cebu and founded the first Spanish settlement and Catholic mission in the Philippine archipelago. For six years, until Legazpi’s removal to Manila, Cebu was the Spanish colonial capital. It remained the primary Spanish bastion in the southern part of the Philippines. The local native language is the Cebuano an unique language of the region which as a result of the 333-year Spanish colonial period, Cebuano contains many words of Spanish origin. Indeed it is very interesting to listen to it.

The Mactan Island side of the bridge, which is in Lapu-Lapu City, is accessed by Old Patiller Road, a spur road of the Manuel L. Quezon National Highway. On this island is the Cebu Mactan International airport. Here I have landed and take off several times on my travels there and was by the end routine; always going by car to my hotels. The main airlines here which I have taken are Cebu Pacific Air , operating flights to over 60 domestic and international destinations across 14 countries , and Philippine Airlines , which took to the skies on March 15, 1941, laying claim to the distinction of Asia’s first airline.

From the airport you have the taxi yellow and taxi white located at the Terminal 1 Domestic Arrival and Terminal 2 International Link Bridge Arrival , There is My Bus ,located at the Taxi Bay Area of T1 Domestic Arrival and Bus Bay of T2 International Arrival, MyBus provides daily connectivity from SM City Cebu (a big mall see post) to Mactan Cebu International Airport and vice versa. There is a premium bus service between terminals 1 and 2 ; passengers will need to secure a shuttle coupon from the arrival transfer desk / information counter and present it to the bus dispatcher before boarding, There is a nice car parking located at Terminal 2 grounds and walking distance going to terminal 1, There are several car rental operators on both terminals including international known names such as Alamo, and Hertz, I have used none of the above, here just for information.

At the airport I have use the Mabuhay Lounge in Terminal 2 flying for Philippine airlines ,Did purchases at the Duty Free store at Terminal 1 Domestic Airport Village ,Arrivals, Had my coffees at Illy Caffe on Terminal 1 South Wing Pre-Departure

With more time some of the things to see here me think are:

The Santo Niño Basilica, also known as the Minor Basilica of the Holy Child of Cebu. Casa Gorordo is a house museum located in the historic Parian area of Cebu, the oldest city in the Philippines. Fort San Pedro is a military defense structure in Cebu , built by the Spanish under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi, first governor.  The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, officially known as the Metropolitan Cathedral and Parish of Saint Vitalis and of the Immaculate Conception is the ecclesiastical seat.  The Jesuit House or Museo De Parian is possibly one of the country’s oldest houses, having been built centuries ago. The Magellan’s Cross Pavilion is a stone kiosk in Cebu City, the structure is situated on Plaza Sugbo beside the Basilica del Santo Niño. The Colon Obelisk marks the start of Colon Street, the oldest street in the Philippines established in 1565 by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi. The Yap-San Diego Ancestral House in Parian, Cebu City is said to be the first Chinese house built outside of China. Museo Basilica Del Santo Nino, a museum was first established in the year 1965. The Archdiocesan Museum of Cebu is the only ecclesiastical museum in the country that is completely housed in a Spanish-era rectory.

The official Cebu Mactan airport : https://mactancebuairport.com/

The official Cebu tourist office : https://cebucitytourism.org/

There you go folks, wonderful memories forever of my forays into the Philippines. Many friends later longing to be back one day eventually, For now hope you enjoy the post on the airport of Cebu as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I need to tell you about my memorable experiences on hotels in Indonesia, basically base in Jakarta and Surabaya. This was my first experience with Indonesia and over the years had the opportunity to be back 8 times and got to know the country well, Many friends still in touch and lots of wonderful memories I like to keep in my blog, There are many posts on the country and its monuments and places to even airports! Do not know when back, but the memories will lingered forever, Hope you enjoy the post on my hotels in Jakarta and Surabaya as I,

First, let me give you Surabaya, a lot written on it in my previous posts; so here is the hotel I always stayed and by now has change name too. The old Somerset !

There was always a shuttle to my home base hotel , in Surabaya , the usual have come here Somerset Hotel and Résidences, great place where many in front desk knew me! Very centrally located and restaurant lane just a few blocks on foot from it. It is well located off the main highway for in and out quick which helps in traffic flooded Surabaya. The hotel is now under new owners and is call the Verwood Hotel & Serviced Residence.   The hotel is still located at Jalan Raya Kupang Indah, Surabaya East Java.

It is a huge property with all the trimmings, and always book here, easy walking to a street of many restaurants and right near the main road taking me to my assignment. This hotel features a restaurant, an outdoor pool, and a bar/lounge. Good for family and enjoy the children’s pool, playground, and arcade/game room. Enjoy the fitness center and perks like free self parking and a free area shuttle. Free WiFi, LED TVs with cable channels on the 467 soundproofed guestrooms with 24-hour room service. Other amenities include coffee/tea makers and free bottled water. Superbe always for several years.

The official Verwood hotel and Serviced Residence :http://www.verwoodhotel.com/index.html

Now let’s go full throttle to big Jakarta ,they were several here. They were :

The first stayed was at the  Hotel Santika Taman Mini Indonesia Indah at  Jl. Pintu 1, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, is connected to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII),(see post) one of Jakarta’s most popular museums park. Featuring a “miniature Indonesia,” the park showcases the rich cultural and natural diversity of this spectacular country. Located on the ground floor, Krakatau Restaurant offers the best in international, oriental and indonesian cuisine. Available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. And the Jali-Jali Lounge is open 24-hours a day. The plus was to walk across the street to the wonderful park as above.

The Hotel Santika offers an outdoor pool, 2 dining options, free Wi-Fi and free parking, and modern rooms with a flat-screen TV. The rooms are tastefully decorated, elegant interiors, wooden floors, a safe, tea and coffee facilities and a bathroom with a hot shower. The hotel offers a gym, a business center, a 24-hour reception and a concierge service.  Hotel Santika Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is a 20-minute drive from Cilandak Town Square’s dining and shopping mall, and 1.5 hours from Soekarno Hatta International Airport.  (see posts)

The official Hotel Santika Taman Mini Indonesia Indah : https://www.mysantika.com/indonesia/jakarta/hotel-santika-taman-mini-indonesia-indah/

In subsequent trips I stayed at my most used hotel the Grand Kemang Hotel right in the entertainment center of Jakarta. You really don’t need a car staying here as all shopping, restos, bars to boot are walking distances. It has a wonderful Sparca restaurant. I must say for lodging was my best experience in Indonesia. Location is at Jl. Kemang Raya 2H Kebayoran Baru, Kemang.

The strategic position of the hotel, just 1 km from the city center, allows guests to easily and quickly reach many tourist sites. With the city’s main attractions including Kemang Street, Kemang Village, Wijaya Golf Course close to the property, guests will love this location. the establishment offers, among other things, 24-hour room service, free WiFi in all rooms, 24-hour reception, WiFi in public areas, valet parking. The hotel rooms have been furnished to the highest standards of comfort and ergonomics and some include the following amenities: flat screen TV, additional bathroom, additional WC, free instant coffee, free tea. The hotel offers an excellent variety of leisure facilities, including outdoor swimming pool, garden. Painting and art installations will spoil the eyes of visitors on various sides of the hotel. Now for the rooms, there are 203 in total. Some of them are the Junior Suite Room with an area of 48 m2 and an Executive Suite Room covering an area of 47m2 . Junior Suite Room in a spacious room, there is a bathroom with TV, minibar, refrigerator, sofas and tables for relaxing, dining together or talking with relatives. Meanwhile, to enjoy food and drinks, there is Sperta with a la carte menu and buffet, Sparca lounge, courtyard by the pool with Vibar. Great souvenirs and would love to come back here!

The official Grand Kemang Hotel : https://grandkemang.com/

The next in time hotel I stayed was the Amaroossa Cosmo Hotel was right in front of an overpass highway along the whole front even if told is in the chic district of Cilandak. My first sampler was at  the hotel Andromeda Cafe, ok with a nice mini garden in the back but again that wall of highway, the other was the Bell Lounge but it was dull no action nobody there lol!!! Not a pleasant experience even if quiet and friendly staff. It is located at Jalan Pangeran Antasari No. 9 a-b, Cilandak, Cipete Selatan, Jakarta.

You have   98 guest rooms, all of which are decorated and designed to give you the right to enjoy the most important things offered by all major hotels: the perfect place for you to rest, relax in fantastic comfort where all the needs will be fulfilled and pampered. All rooms are equipped with air conditioning, LCD TV, kitchen, living room, safe, hair dryer, telephone and mini-bar. Internet network can also be accessed free of charge in all areas of the hotel. There is also an outdoor swimming pool, fitness center and restaurant to support your activities while in the hotel. You will also find other facilities such as laundry, free parking. You can drive about 20 minutes to Cilandak Town Square mall, while a trip to Soekarno Hatta International Airport takes 60 minutes from the hotel.

The official Amaroossa Cosmo Hotel : https://amaroossahotel.com/jakarta-cosmo/

And my very last hotel in Jakarta and Indonesia was the Swiss Belinn Hotel Simantupang. And twice to boot on same trip with an incursion to Surabaya and back to Jakarta.  The first round was for five nights and then there is one night before heading back home. Both times at a new hotel experience, the Swiss Belinn Hotel Simantupang, was a great experience even if the breakfast choices were few to me. The rooms were great, modern clean and spacious, and the location was good.  It is located at Jalan R.A Kartini 32, Lebak Bulus, Cilandak, Lebak Bulus, Jakarta.

In the city center, Swiss-Belinn Simatupang at about a 40-minute drive from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, and located in the vibrant Simatupang area of Jakarta. The popular Pondok Indah Golf and Country Club and Pondok Indah Mall are both reachable within 7 minutes’ drive from the property. Gandaria City Mall is a 15-minute drive away. The hotel’s 159 comfortable and stylish rooms in 20 floors feature dedicated workspace, sitting area and floor-to-ceiling windows with city views. In-room amenities include air conditioning, LCD TV, IDD telephone, personal safe, desk, refrigerator and complimentary Wi-Fi access. For a luxurious, guests can choose to stay in the hotel’s opulent suites.  After a hectic day of sightseeing, guests can relax in the hot tub or feel refreshed with a dip in the outdoor pool. The concierge staff assists with ticket bookings and restaurant reservations. Other than this, it also offers luggage storage, parking, laundry and free Wi-Fi access. A hearty local meal can be enjoyed in the elegant setting of the in-house restaurant, Barelo. It also serves a wide range of international delicacies, and lip-smacking Indian food. The anecdote was that driving back we got hit with a huge Jakarta traffic jam that in several years coming there never encountered. We decided to walk once saw the hotel on the distance from the road! and got to it first than our driver !! Always funny to tell the story !!

The official Swiss-Belinn Simatupang Hotel : https://www.swiss-belhotel.com/en-gb/swiss-belinn-simatupang

There you go folks, another dandy memorable post for me and great hotel experiences in Jakarta and Surabaya, Indonesia. Plenty of good memories and still good friends, looking forward to be back, eventually. Hope you enjoy the post as I.

And of course, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!

I found me a couple pictures of my adventures in the Philippines and just need to have them in my blog, In my eagerness to know the town or district where I was lodge in Makati I took a long walk and came across the wonderful Ayala Triangle Park. It was one of the hightlights of my stay as came back several times, Let me tell you a bit on it ok, Hope you enjoy it as I.

The Ayala Triangle Gardens is a 2-hectare (4.9-acre) landscaped urban park in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a triangular public garden and courtyard in the center of the Makati Central Business District. It opened to the public in November 19, 2009 , inspired b y Hyde Park in London, the park, which is dotted with palms, acacia trees, and tropical foliage, is considered one of the few green areas in Makati.

I had several times good lunches at the Banaapple resto, and for the great local dish Lechon or pork dish at Simple Lang  in the wonderful park. Unfortunately, Simple Lang will have to be for the memories as it has closed down. Nevertheless, Ayala Triangle Park is a wonderful place to spent your time in Manila. The Ayala Triangle on Banaapple resto: https://www.ayalatriangle.com/gardens/restaurants/banapple

The buildings on the Ayala Triangle Park include the old Makati Stock Exchange Center and Ayala Tower One (home of the Philippine Stock Exchange) along the Ayala Avenue side, the old Nielson Tower, and Ayala Triangle Tower One and Ayala Triangle Tower Two ;home of The Shops at Triangle Gardens, and Ayala Mall (see post), at the intersection of Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas. Ayala Triangle Gardens Attractions: Filipinas Heritage Library, Gabriela Silang Monument, Ninoy Aquino MonumentSultan Kudarat Monument, Ayala Triangle Gardens Public Art:Homage to Antoni Tapies, Homage to Eusebio Sempere, Homage to Fernando Zobel, Homage to Luis Feito.

The land of the present-day Ayala Triangle Gardens was once the 42-hectare (100-acre) Nielson Field, Manila’s pre-WWII airport, located in the vast Hacienda de San Pedro de Macati of the Zóbel de Ayala family. When the airport was decommissioned in 1948 and transferred its present site in Nichols Field, the site was returned to the Ayalas and redeveloped as a commercial district The runways were converted into roads which now form the Triangle’s boundaries:Ayala Avenue, Paseo de Roxas and Makati Avenue. Only the airport’s control tower was preserved,now the Nielson towers,which was converted into the Filipinas Heritage Library, and later as the Blackbird fine dining restaurant.  By 1971, the Ayala Corporation moved to its new headquarters in the Triangle at the Makati Stock Exchange Center building , The rest of the Triangle was then transformed into the football field known as Ugarte Field, named after the Filipino football legend of the 1930s, In the 1980s, Ugarte Field was the site of regular protests against the Marcos dictatorship.

The Ayala Triangle Gardens hosts the annual Festival of Lights, a lights and sound display from November to January of the following year for the Christmas season. It premiered on November 20, 2009 as the symphony of lights. The show runs every 30 minutes from local time 18h until 22h, More info webpage : https://manilaforkids.com/community-stories/the-festival-of-lights-kicks-off-the-christmas-season-in-makati/

The official Ayala Triangle park:https://www.ayalatriangle.com/

The National Philippines tourist office on Manila : https://philippines.travel/destinations/manila

There you go folks, a dandy park in a nice district of Manila. This is a nice place to spend some time in the city, Ayala Triangle Park of Makati. Glad to have it in my blog and hope you enjoy the post as I.

And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!