Bali Camel Safari

A unique experience you can have in Bali is try to riding a camel by the beach. This unique activities often done by couples whose looking for the pre-wedding Photo-Spot. The camel ride has been there in Hotel Hilton (was Hotel Nikko) since 20 year ago. But not many people knowing about this, though the guide said that it is popular for Japanese tourist.

While I knew about the Camel years before, I just had the chance to try it yesterday. I booked the Camel weeks before our visit to Bali. Turned out it is a right way. When we visited the venue. It has already fully booked.

We booked the first batch in the morning because the sun light is still healthy while the weather is already great for taking photos. The camel is located far down on the beach. A guard was escorting us to the place. There we saw the camels with their herders. There are total 5 camels on the beach. The oldest is 37 years while the others are around 11 years old.

SAFARI PACKAGES

They have several package for this camel ride, depends on how long you want to ride the camel (30 - 60 minutes) and whether you want to include the food afterwards or not. They also provide a pre-wedding packages. All safari tour is required 2 persons minimum. Here the information of their packages :

*this rate subject to change 

1. Safari 1 - include 1 hour camel safari with lunch or dinner + parasailing, banana boat, glass bottom boat, and turtle farm
2. Safari 2 - include 1 hour camel safari
3. Safari 3 - include 1 hour camel safari with lunch or dinner
4. Safari 4 - include 30 minutes camel safari (we pick this one)
5. Safari 5 - include 1 hour camel safari with Balinese massage
6. Safari 6 - include 1 hour camel safari with Kecak Dance
7. Pre-wedding packages : 30 minutes or 1 hour photo wedding

TRANSPORTATION

There's also have transportation service for morning and afternoon safari in several location, such as : Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Jimbaran, Tuban, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, and Sanur. There's time table for every pick up location.

*terms and condition apply for the transportation services

I strongly recommend to do prior booking through their website to guarantee availability. They have 5 camels for this safari with several time frame options for a day. 

Morning safari will be at 9.00 and 10.30 AM. Afternoon safari will be at 14.00 and 15.30 PM.

We took the 30 minutes ride and we feels that it is more than enough. We ride the camel down from Hilton to Ritz Carlton beach. Lucky us it's a hot sunny day, no rain or cloudy as you can see at the pictures, a perfect clear blue sky. No worried the Herders will stroll along with you and take picture after picture for you. You just sit relax and enjoy the ride.

The Camel must move in group, because they are grown up together. If one is left behind, it will become restless and uncontrollable. That's why the minimum requirement for one ride is two persons. Along the way, we across the ongoing development of Kempinski Hotel (which has run for 7 years !?!), which is located between Hilton and Ritz. We can see that the hotels developments in the area makes the beach ecosystem changed.

There are two Camel Herders who guide us. One walk in front to guide the camel, and the other one took photos for us and much of our surprise, the result is good. It seems that they are already done this hundreds of time.

Overall, this is a good experience. Riding camels is actually not that different as riding horse. But it is a new experience for mounting and dismounting a camel. We just hope that the company will always take care of the Herders and the camels not just exploiting them for another tourist attraction.

For more further information you can directly contact BALI CAMEL SAFARI'S

Hope this information useful for whoever want try to ride a camel.

A day trip to Hakone

Hakone is one of the city in Japan that famous for it's hot springs (onsen), but other than that it's worth to visit because there are many places for sight-seeing. Hakone is accessible from Tokyo by all land of transportation (car, bus, trains). It become one of the most visited place other than Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka.

How to get to Hakone from Tokyo

The fastest route would be take Shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo station to Odawara station and then change train to Hakone Yumoto station. It takes around half an hour for 3500 yen one way to get to Odawara station. 

The other alternative is by using Odakyu Train. It takes around two hours from Shinjuku Station to Hakone Yumoto Station and cost 1190 yen one way. You can also choose the "Romance car" limited express cost 2080 yen one way for only 85 minutes. This alternative is already covered if you buy the Hakone Free Pass (you must pay additional fares for the Romance car).

You can also choose to take the Odakyu Highway Bus from Shinjuku Station to Lake Ashi. It cost you 2000 yen one way for around 2 hours in good traffic condition.

What is Hakone Free Pass?

Hakone Free Pass is access pass that can be used around Hakone area. This pass provide you with unlimited transportations around Hakone for two or three consecutive days, such as trains, buses, cable cars, ropeways, and boats. If you are planning to go to Fuji or Kamakura area, you can buy the Fuji-Hakone pass or Kamakura-Hakone pass for three consecutive days. 

You can buy the Hakone free pass here or buy on the spot at Shinjuku Station.

Things We Do in Hakone for A Day trip

Hakone is a big area with many places to visit. Unfortunately for this trip we only have one day here, so we planned carefully to visit Hakone's iconic sites as much as we can. Though it's early winter when we got here so all shops and places already closed mostly at 5.00 pm and sky getting dark around 5.30 pm. We recommend you to spend at least 2 days in here so you can experience Hakone at its best. 

Hakone Open Air Museum

A place when you can see the combination of nature and art at the same time. There are more than 120 artworks and sculptures with modern contemporary themed. The concept of open spaced museum makes us can relax and enjoy splendor of arts in nature.

You can find in here the Picasso Pavilion, art gallery of Pablo Picasso which present the wide range of his artworks including paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, etc. 

Admission fee 1600 yen. For using the Hakone Free Pass ony 1400 yen.

Woods of Net

Picasso Pavilion

Hakone Cable Car & Hakone Ropeway

After we arrived at Hakone Yumoto Station, we used Hakone Tozan Train to go to Gora. To reached Owakudani Crater, we must used the Hakone Cable Car from Gora to Souzan continued by Hakone Ropeway. All of this transportation cost already covered by Hakone Free Pass.

View inside the Hakone Ropeway

Owakudani Crater

After reached the Owakudani, we saw the Sulfurous crater that still active. Sometimes the place due to the volcanic gases. Owakudani famous for its Black Egg (A thousand years egg) that believe can prolong your age. There are many shops and restaurants in this area for grabbing some foods and gifts. Other than the black egg, we also recommend to buy the mochi in here. 

A glimpse view of Mount Fuji from Owakudani

We took our lunch here in one of their restaurant and try their Ramen and Katsu Rice. We also tried their chocolate soft ice cream, despite the cold weather we can't said no to ice cream. Too bad we didn't tried the black egg here because you must buy it 5 pcs minimum for 500 yen that too much for us since only me ate the black egg.

Lake Ashinoko

We took boats for cruising through the Lake Ashinoko for about 10-15 minutes to reach the Moto-Hakone port. Sometimes on the clear day you can also see the Mount Fuji from lake Ashinoko. Best chance is on the early morning or afternoon. Hakone Free Pass is also valid for this transportation. 

Sunset at Lake Ashinoko

Hakone Shrine

Located near the Moto Hakone there is a famous Hakone Shrine (Hakone Jinja). Most people known its big orange torii gate on the shore of Lake Ashinoko. The shrine it self located at the forest of Mount Hakone. Since the sun was already setting we decided only passed by into the main torii gate near the Lake Ashinoko and didn't continue to the main shrine (Motosumiya). But if you have plenty of time, you must visit the main shrine. To reach the main shrine there is a path from the torii gate in Lake Ashinoko with series of steps through the forest.

One of torii gate of Hakone Shrine

Other than these, there are many places and activities that can be done in Hakone. That's why I suggest you to stay at least 1 night in Hakone to experience more. The must try is the Hakone Hot Spring (Onsen). You can found many hot springs in here either in public bath house or private ryokan. 

Not far from Hakone, there is Gotemba Premium Outlet that have more than 200 stores such as restaurants, fashion, sports, luxury goods, and electronics. The price is cheaper than regular retail store that you find in Japan. It's a nice place to shopping !

Museum MACAN and Infinity Mirror Room by Yayoi Kusama

Museum MACAN (Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara) was recently opened on November 4th, 2017 in Jakarta and claimed to be the first museum of its kind in Indonesia that providing collection of modern and contemporary art from Indonesia, Europe, America, and Asia.

Last week, we paid a visit to this Museum MACAN that located at Wisma AKR Gallery West Building 5th floor. They opened from Tuesday - Sunday (10.00 am - 7.00 pm) and closed on Monday. The exhibit title is ART TURNS,  WORLD TURNS.

At 4000 square meters facility, you can enjoy showcasing almost 90 artworks here, from Indonesian and International artists. They divided the area into four categories: 

Land, Home, People (Bumi, Kampung halaman, Manusia), 

Independence and After (Kemerdekaan dan Setelahnya), 

Struggles Around Forms and Content (Pergulatan Seputar Bentuk dan Isi),

Global Soup (Racikan Global).  

How to buy the ticket?

You can purchased the ticket on the spot or you can buy it online here. If you buy it online you can choose freely what date and time you will come. You must come to the museum at the time you choose or else your ticket will be no longer valid. Example, if you choose the time 10.00-12.00 you must enter the museum between that time. 

But if you buy the ticket on the spot, you can purchased the ticket only for that day.

Adult - IDR 50k

Elder - IDR 40k

Children - IDR 30k

Best time to visit?

I strongly recommend around morning time (10.00-12.00) is the best time to enter this museum because of less crowded. Other than that weekdays will be a better choice than weekend. But if you are going on weekend please be there as early as you can to avoid the crowded. 

The Infinity Room Rules

• After you enter the museum, actually there's no limitation of time you're inside. BUT there's a limitation time for entering the Infinity Mirrored Room. They only allowed us inside the room for 45 seconds. The time inside may be vary due to the queue lines outside. They may reduce the time if the queue is too long. 
• Maximum person to get inside is only 2 persons.
• The room actually not big enough and surrounded by water so you have to watch your step carefully and stand before the yellow circle. 
• Camera and DSLR is allowed, but we can't use the FLASHLIGHT in the area.
• The infinity mirrored room will be closed at 5.00 pm so you better get there at minimum 2 hours before the closing time in case the queue is long.

Here's several snapshot of the artworks in Museum MACAN. Let's do the Museum tour!

Bung Karno Amidst The Revolutionary War (1966) by Dullah (Indonesia)

Beetle Sphere (2013) by Ichwan Noor (Indonesia)

Juling / Cross eyed (2005) by I Nyoman Masriadi (Indonesia)

Sofa (2005) by I Nyoman Masriadi (Indonesia)

Global Soup (Racikan Global)

Andy Warhol (2002) by Wang Guangyi (China)

Ascending (2002) by Cai Guo-Qiang (China)

I Do Not Rule My Dreams, My Dreams Rule Me (2010) by Takashi Murakami (Japan)

Kaikai and Kiki (2000) by Takashi Murakami (Japan)

The most favorite artworks that become major photospot in this Museum, none other than Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Room. This become the must visited place for everyone that come to the museum. They are willing to queue for hours just for spend around seconds in this room.

Yayoi Kusama transform the dark room using mirrors and lights that reflected on every surface in the room creating an interior space that create an illusion of infinity space.

The Infinity Mirror Room 
 Brilliance of The Soul (2014) BY YAYOI KUSAMA (Japan)

After the exit, there is small shop sells kind of merchandises, such as shirt, handbag, books, and some artworks. 

We spent around 1.5 hours enjoyed our time at the museum after all. Lucky us there's no queue in the ticket booth nor to enter the Infinity Room. So I decided to take 3 times for the Infinity Room. After sight-seeing at the museum, you can also enjoy a cup of coffee and snacks right after the ticket booth by 1/15 coffee.

Thanks for reading and hopefully this post will give useful information for everyone who wants to go to the Museum MACAN. You still have plenty of time, because this exhibition will last until March 18th, 2018.