• girl sit beside jacuzzi bathtub window sea halong bay era cruise agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Halong Bay Cruise Review: Era Cruises

    Hi, everyone! It’s been two weeks since I saw Maksim Mrvica LIVE and stood beside him… Gosh, I wish I could turn back time. Not sure when he will return to Malaysia πŸ₯² Luckily, long before the concert, I already booked a Vietnam tour that included a 2D1N Halong Bay cruise with Era Cruises. The trip cheered me up a bit… I used to ponder, why do I like the ocean but am not a fan of beaches? πŸŒŠπŸ€” I just can’t stand sitting on a beach for hours, doing nothing under the hot sun. Okay, there may be beach umbrellas but the weather would still be hot. Plus, my…

  • asian girl smile starbucks reserve dewata logo background agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Visitting Dewata, the Biggest Starbucks in Southeast Asia

    It was a rainy afternoon in Bali. My mom, sister, and I were planning to go to Penglipuran Village. However, because it was raining heavily, I suggested that we stopped by the biggest Starbucks in Southeast Asia. “Oh, you mean Dewata?”, asked my driver. Ah, so that’s it! Starbucks Reserve Dewata, to be precise. I wasn’t a coffee lover but since we were already in Bali, I wanted to check it out! Not only it was the biggest Starbucks cafe building ever, it also had its own logo and offered a different experience that you wouldn’t find in other Starbucks. First, it had its own parking lot, receptionist, garden, coffee…

  • man in infinity pool look at jungle bucu view resort ubud agirlnamedclara
    Money,  Travel

    Bali Trip: Why You Should Choose Unpopular Hotels During Peak Seasons

    It’s the second week of January 2023 but who’s still in a holiday mood? πŸ™‹β€β™€οΈπŸ™‹β€β™‚οΈDon’t worry! When you focus on your job, summer won’t be too far, hehe! If you’re a conscious spender like me and are planning to travel to Bali during peak seasons, I suggest you stay in unpopular hotels over popular ones. Last Christmas, I finally realised my dream to stay in a five-star hotel in Nusa Dua. I heard that the big hotels in that area were gorgeous, so I couldn’t wait for my stay. But I found out that the experience wasn’t fully satisfying, compared to my expectation and the money spent. Staying in Popular…

  • christmas at koral restaurant apurva kempinski bali agirlnamedclara
    Money,  Travel

    White and Blue Christmas at Koral Restaurant, Apurva Kempinski Bali

    Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you had a great holiday and Christmas (for those who are celebrating)πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ I had a memorable Christmas celebration with my mother and sister at Koral Restaurant, a fine dining restaurant under the sea. Since the restaurant was inside Apurva Kempinski Bali, we also stayed for one night there. This white and blue Christmas dinner was part of my impulsive travel bookings that I didn’t regret. If you’ve been following my blog, you may remember that in early 2022, I made some impulsive travel bookings. There were consequences to my actions, of course. I was always careful with my spending, but because of my impulsiveness,…

  • girl smile pose with male black ostrich oudtshoorn ostrich farm south africa agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    South Africa: Oudsthoorn Ostrich Farm, Cango Caves & De Zeekoe Guest Farm

    Hello, hello, hello, everyone! I feel excited because Christmas (and my holiday) is coming soon. What about you? The theme for this week is: tall men. So yeah, this week, let me take you to Oudsthoorn, the famous ostrich capital in South Africa! Plus Cango Caves and De Zeekoe Guest Farm πŸ˜‰ If you read my blog post last week, you’d know that Maksim Mrvica is my childhood crush (saw him on TV when I was around 12 years old). Did you know that he’s 207 cm tall?? But not only men in Balkans are tall, there are some tall birds on earth like the ostriches (up to 2.7 meters),…

  • girl hands wide open hermanus walker bay south africa agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Hermanus & Almost Whale Watching, South Africa

    This week, I feel like taking you to Hermanus, South Africa, and show you how beautiful this seaside town is. This is thanks to how I currently feel while writing this blog post β€” serene yet wavy like the ocean, waiting for the day I meet my childhood crush (fangirling over Maksim Mrvica) πŸŽΉπŸ™ˆβ€οΈ I decided to come to South Africa in October because it was the season for whale watching. Travellers would flock to Hermanus, boarding a ship to see the whales, sharks, and other marine animals up close. On the way to Hermanus, I kept replaying Michael Jackson’s song “Will You Be There” and the scene when Willy…

  • vredeneheim red wine tasting flower background stellenbosch south africa agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Wine Tasting & Cheese Pairing in South Africa

    If you’re a wine lover, you’ll love South Africa! This country is blessed with fertile soil and produces A LOT of wines, so you can get high-quality wine at affordable prices. With many wineries, let me take you for wine tasting & wine and cheese pairing in South Africa. I don’t drink much but I’m happy that my tour package includes 2 wine tasting + 1 wine and cheese pairing 😊 But first, let’s have a short walk in Stellenbosch, a beautiful university town! Stellenbosch, the Beautiful University Town in South Africa Located in the Western Cape province, this charming, little town is perfect for students, wine lovers, and farmers.…

  • woman man smile stand in front jeep safari kruger national park south africa agirlnamedclara
    Travel

    Safari in Kruger National Park, South Africa

    Hi friends, thank you for reading this blog πŸ€— Last week we saw what safari in a private game reserve looked like. This week, let’s explore the famous Kruger National Park in South Africa! If you think Botlierskop private game reserve is huge, wait until you see Kruger National Park. Did you know that this park is as big as Israel? With such a huge space, limited time, and hopefully, a stroke of luck, maybe you’ll see the Big 5 in one day. Or at least some of them. So, to minimise your disappointment, I strongly recommend you go for a full-day safari(s) when in Kruger National Park. I mean,…