Through my lens

Back to Bali

Whether we are away for a few days, a few weeks or a few months, at the end of a holiday we often feel that it just was not long enough. It’s true that time passes so quickly when you are having fun. I thought that with a week off and nothing to do but relax, I would have more than enough time to write for my blog. In fact, the days passed before I had even started one story! But don’t get me wrong, of course it was a blessing to have quality time with my family and to be able to discover some new places. Here are some places that contributed to us having such a full holiday.

The Villa Prana in Seminyak is simply beautiful. Open space, a beautiful garden and the minimalist design of this place made it seem like a hidden treasure. Although the villas are new, they are in kept in excellent condition and the grounds are very well maintained. I strongly recommend this place to those who want to stay in Seminyak area. It’s in a good location being within walking distance to the better boutiques and restaurants. The friendly staff and the excellent service made our stay so enjoyable. The Prana Spa is really something that you must experience when you stay – as a villa guest we received a 50% discount. I spent my “me time” having a great three hour treatment. It was one of the best spa sessions I have ever had, and it only cost $56. The Balinese lady who attended to me, Ibu Sudiani, is excellent therapist. If you like yoga, they offers a yoga package too.

Karma Kandara beach. Located in Uluwatu area, this place is only a 45 minute drive from Seminyak. The view from the cliff top there is stunning – quite breathtaking. You can enjoy this beautiful panoramic view while having lunch at the Al Mare restaurant. If you would like to go to the beach there is a charge of roughly $25 (two hundreds and fifty thousand rupiah) but that includes umbrella rental, use of beach towels and a substantial part-payment for your meal. The prices at the beach side restaurant are reasonable.

Another heat place for lunch was Sisterfield in Seminyak. I really loved the simplicity of this place and the food is great. Friends had recommended Sisterfield for breakfast or brunch. The service is very good and the staff are well-trained, friendly and knowledgeable. Definitely this place became an immediate family favourite eating place.

I found the Feather and Find Boutique quite accidentally. The boutique is actually located next to Sisterfield. It is owned by a Swiss lady who has been living in Bali for many years. I liked everything in this shop, especially the dress collection as all were elegantly simple and well made. The collectable trinkets there are all one-of-a-kind.

April 24, 2015November 21, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People, Travel & InteriorTags: Bali, Feather & FInd Boutique, Holiday in Bali, Karma Kandara Beach, Seminyak, Sisterfields, Villa Prana Leave a comment

Casadina Kitchen and Bakery

Finding a nice place to relax with a good coffee and croissant during the weekend is not always that easy. But recently I found a great spot: Casadina Kitchen and Bakery. It’s located in the Kuningan area, South Jakarta. I really love the simplicity and casual air of the place. Seems that the owner, who’s also a chef, knows how to make a place just as comfortable for a family hangout as it is for anyone who wants to relax alone. Whether you go for brunch, coffee, dinner or an afternoon tea (and I have been there for all those reasons!) I think this place should be on your list of options.

January 31, 2015October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Uncategorized 3 Comments

Amsterdam in our mind

Happy New Year 2015!

So many unforgetable moments in 2014. And, we had also so many special events to celebrate in Decembers including fifteen years of marriage and our daughter’s fourteen birthday. So why not celebrate those events and go to a place we had never been to? We choose to visit Amsterdam before flying on to the UK to spend Christmas with family. When we arrived at Schiphol airport at 6.30 in the morning it was dark, wet and cold. It brought back the memories of my first winter in US (quite some years ago). A truly nice feeling, though. We stayed at Ambassade hotel which is located in Herengracht and has a stunning view of one of Amsterdam’s canals. In 2010 the canals joined UNESCO’s world heritage listing. The hotel is located at the city centre and is walking distance to many museums, restaurants and shopping areas. I think the Ambassade hotel was the perfect hotel for us as we were doing what most tourist do: walking and sightseeing. Visits to the Anne Frank and Van Gogh museums were on our “must do” list for the trip. To me, both were really worth a visit as each was truly captivating. During a wet day we took a canal tour around the city. It was a great week and although it was winter Amsterdam still looked charming and stunning. I’d love to come back and exploring the city some more. My little wish for this year is that three of us will be able to continue to travel and to see how beautiful the world is.

January 4, 2015February 20, 2021 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Ambassade hotel in Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Anne Frank huis museum, Canal tour in Amsterdam, night photography Leave a comment

The memorable journey in Willpattu, Sri Lanka

I must say, our first holiday trip to Sri Lanka was quite an adventurous journey. It was unforgettable. Especially when we spent three days camping with Leopard Safaris in Willpattu National Park. Willpattu is located in the Northwest of Sri Lanka and borders the Indian Ocean in the west. It is Sri Lanka’s largest National park and is now open to public after years of being closed during the war. It took about 4 hours drive to reach there from Nogombo, the area near Colombo where we stayed for a few days before going to the Park. Frankly speaking, I never anticipated that our planned camping at Willpattu would be the best camping we had ever experienced. So many things to talked about with this place! I don’t know where to start. But let me begin by describing our tent. As this was a holiday, comfort was our priority: our tent was big and its queen-size comfortable bed provided us with a great place to rest. Although there was no air conditioning, the breeze carried a welcome chill every night. I had thought that there would be plenty of mosquitos at the camp site but there were none at all.

We called this “glamping” (glamour camping) as the staff from Leopard Safaris were always on standby if we needed assistance. It was the things that we will never forget that made this holiday great: the food was so amazing. The chef cooked delicious meal every day; breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Sri Lankan curry and Lamb chops that I had for dinner were so good. Although we had no electricity and no internet we found ourselves enjoying nature’s beauty – it made me appreciate what life is really all about. One morning when I decided not to join the safari crew to the jungle, I stayed at the campsite to enjoy my peaceful morning with a cup of Sri Lankan tea that the staff brought, I listened the humming birds and smell the fresh morning dew. It was so relaxing. Fantastic.

During the days we spent our time driving through the jungle searching for animals and birds. I expected to see many leopards but unfortunately the only one I saw was sleeping after finishing his meal. Although I wanted to photograph him while awake, we left him while he was still sleeping. We saw plenty of beautiful Sri Lankan birds – so colourful and gorgeous. Definitely all the great memories will bring us back to Sri Lanka again one day. We thank the Leopard Safari team, especially Pila, who made our journey so memorable and delighted. Please check their website http://www.leopardsafaris.com.

November 2, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Camp site, eco friendly, family holiday, Leopard safaris, Sri Lanka, Willpattu National Park Leave a comment

Beautiful Minangkabau

Traveling to Sumatra was something I had been really looking forward to. I think for those who never been to Sumatra, visiting Bukittinggi (in West Sumatra) should be on your list. I went with a group of five friends from Jakarta. It was just a four day visit but truly a nice journey. As I love spicy food I was so looking forward to tasting the real flavours of Padang food such as beef rendang (beef curry) and Satay Padang. I knew it would not be too different from the taste if bought in Jakarta, but I wanted to taste the real thing. We were so lucky that one of our friends in the group is from Bukittinggi. She guided us to some great places. Particularly when visiting new places I find it a true pleasure to explore the place and do unique things. Beside tasting the food, visiting a traditional market was a must for me, and my thanks to Rino who took me around the market. In fact there were so many kind of products sold there I even managed to get a photograph of a dried eel – Rino also told me how to cook them to make crunchy and spicy. Sounds delicious !

Our journey begin as soon as we arrived at Padang airport. Our tour guide drove us straight to Bukittinggi. It took three hours. We finally made it to our first stop the Lembah Anai (Anai waterfall). It was OK – nothing really special though. I don’t know why this place is so popular with tourists. We did not stay there too long.

We visited Pusat Dokumentasi and Informasi Kebudayaan Minangkabau (Centre for Documentation and Cultural information of Minangkabau). That was quite interesting too. It is a stunning building the shape of rumah gadang (sharp peaks at both ends of the roof). The inside is more like a library with open space and so many old black and white photographs displayed everywhere. After we listened to a short history of the Rumah Gadang the guide took us to a dressing room – this was the fun part. We had the opportunity to wear a beautiful Minang bridal costume, including the tall head ornaments. The guide told us the ornament we had on were only imitations and that the originals that were worn by the bride in a Minang wedding weighed an additional five kg. Wow! Anyway I can tell you we had so much fun in dressing room – six little girls playing dress up!

The Hills hotel (www.thehillsbukittinggi.com; Jl. Laras Dt Bandaro, Bukittingi, Sumatera Barat 26115, Indonesia
+62 752 35000) that we stayed at during in Bukittinggi is just walking distance to the famous Bukittinggi icon Jam Gadang and Pasar atas (a traditional market located upstair where they sell handcrafts and fabrics and a market below where they sell fresh veggies and fruits). Jam Gadang in the evening looked more charming than during the day. They have a night market every Saturday and that gave the place a more “happening” feeling with locals around as it is likely the products they sell are only for local consume not for tourist.

The last day of our trip we went to Lembah Harau (Harau Valley) and Danau Maninjau (Lake Maninjau) before heading back to Padang. However, for me the highlight of this trip was when we visited Istana Baso Pagaruyung (Pagaruyung Palace) that was beyond my expectation. It’s real beautiful. Pagaruyung Palace is the istana of the former Pagaruyung Kingdom, located in Tanjung Emas subdistrict near Batusangkar town, Tanah Datar Regency, West Sumatra, Indonesia. The exterior and interior palace are stunning and well kept. Never seen anything like it before. The inside palace is exeptionally well maintained. I loved those colours and the sparkly fabric in every piece of drapery. This palace used to lived in by a king and queen with their big family (the history of this palace please check Istana Baso Pagaruyung).

Lembah Anai (Anai Waterfall)

Pusat Dokumentasi dan Informasi Kebudayaan Minangkabau (Centre for Documentation and Cultural information of Minangkabau) in Padang Panjang.

The Hills hotel in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra (www.thehillsbukittinggi.com)

Istana Baso Pagaruyung (Pagaruyung Palace, West Sumatra)

Jam Gadang at night, Bukittinggi West Sumatra

October 21, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Beautiful Indonesia, bukittinggi, Istana Baso Pagaruyung, jam gadang, Lembah Anai, Minang costume, padang food, Rumah gadang in bukittinggi, the hills hotel, traditional market in bukittinggi, travel to West Sumatra, West Sumatra 2 Comments

Phuket, Thailand

Returning to Phuket was a dream come true. I remember the first time we visited Phuket – ten years ago – it was wonderful. My daughter and I were so excited to be returning. Not so much had changed, the beach was still clean and beautiful – the markets, however, were more crowded. We were joined by two friends from the UK on this trip. The moms would have ‘our time’ while the two kids had fun together. This getaway was not at all planned. Everything we did just depended on how we felt that day. Some days we simply stayed on the beach all day, swimming like fishes and relaxing on the pool deck at the resort.

The view from our hotel room was simply stunning – we looked out over Patong beach. The two things that my daughter wished for from this trip were to go to Phi Phi island to swim and to take an elephant ride. Both were so easy to arrange. We made all our bookings directly from the hotel. It only took an hour from Royal Phuket Marina to Phi Phi Island by speedboat – and cost about 2,500 Bath/person, including speedboat, tour guide, lunch, and snorkelling equipment. They also stopped at Pileh Cove and Bamboo Island. The views were simply gorgeous, especially Phi Phi Island. Needless-to-say, the kids just jumped into water right away. It was crystal clear with a stunning aquamarine colour. I can’t described how beautiful and relaxing the place was. Last but not least, we took a trip to Kata Island for an elephant ride. It was really enjoyable. Although it wasn’t my first elephant ride, i was still quite scared.

The hotel we stayed at, Amari Coral Beach Resort, was a totally relaxing place to be. Not just great food but the staff were so professional and friendly. We will definitely return to this hotel. If you stay there don’t miss the Wednesday night seafood buffet – first class.

August 21, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Amari Coral Beach Phuket, Amari Phuket, Elephant tracking, Kata beach, Phi phi Island, Phuket, Thailand 2 Comments

2mad Gallery and Eatery

Recently I took some photographs for 2mad Gallery and Eatery in Jakarta. I was trilled when Maggie, the owner, contacted me. As one of their clients I do not just adore their stuff but I agree with Maggie that we should support local designers to be competitive and creative. If we don’t, who will? Maggie’s place accommodates Indonesian designers who display and sell their products in the gallery. The gallery is located on the second floor, above the cafe. So while you are waiting for your meal you can go upstair to check it out. Most of the pieces are one of a kind. They also sell custom made furniture, home ware and paintings. So when you see things there probably its never seen anywhere else.

The restaurant concept is very casual and cozy. As soon as you enter the cafe you will see the picture of New York’s Madison Avenue hanging on the wall. This cafe reminds Maggie of New York where she spent a few years studying. This little cafe is located at 46F Broadway, Kemang South of Jakarta. It is easy to find as they are on Jalan Benda Raya – just look for the yellow door. Whether you come for cocktails after office hours or brunch on Sunday morning this place is always great. If you would like to know details about this place you can check their website 2madison.com. BTW, they also sell furniture online and from experience, I can assure you that delivery is always on time.

2Madison Outlet, Jl. Benda Raya No. 46F unit B, Kemang, Jakarta Selatan. Phone : (+62-21) 788 334 80/ 788 393 82 (or wa 087 886 461 788)

June 5, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: 2mad Gallery and Eatery, Cafe in Jakarta, Cocktails, Custome made furnitures, Jakarta, Kemang, Sunday brunch 2 Comments

Halooo … Hanoi !!!

Recently we visited Vietnam and spent more than a week exploring Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Danang. It was an amazing trip, especially when we stayed on a boat for a few days in Ha Long Bay. The scenery was simply gorgeous. So breathtaking! The city of Hanoi is quite something, with the activities in the markets day and night. But believe me, the traffic there is worse than Jakarta. The motorbikes seem to come from every direction – absolute chaos, quite unpleasant for any pedestrians. Other than that, I really liked the city, there is so much happening. It’s so dynamic. After Hanoi, we flew to Danang, and I visited My’So’n Sanctuary, located about 70km (43 miles) south west of Danang. My’So’n Sanctuary is a large complex of religious relics, the temples and towers there connect to each other and all have complicated red brick designs. It was so mesmerising – and a good thing I hired a personal tour guide to tell me about the history of each temple. Visiting the ancient town of Hoi An was also interesting with wonderful old houses, temples, and pagodas, and the shop lined streets (I wrote detail about Hoi Ann and Danang in different page). At night, with so many beautiful lanterns hanging everywhere the town really came alive. Beautiful. Hoi An is listed as a world cultural heritage site by Unesco. I have also added some photographs the interior of the Sofitel Metropole in Hanoi.

HANOI

Sofitel Legend Metropole, Hanoi, Vietnam

15 Ngô Quyền, Hoan Kiem District, Hà Nội, Vietnam

May 2, 2014 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People, Travel & InteriorTags: Hanoi, Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Vietnam 2 Comments

Glamour look

Oh gosh, I feel bad that I have been neglecting my blog for weeks. I guess it is not right for me to say that I was too busy to keep my blog up to date. I should have managed my time better and put more effort into uploading my latest work. Anyway, I’m sorry and here is some of my recent work – some glamour shots that I worked with Santi Sutedja (a make up artist) and Yunidithia (the beautiful model).

February 14, 2014February 14, 2014 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: beauty shots, fashion, fashion photography, Jakarta Indonesia, make up artist, model Leave a comment

Semai Buku Nusantara

I worked together with Anne Luntungan for Dompet Dhuafa’s project to provide some images to be used for a promotion called “Semai Buku Nusantara”. The program targets people with surplus reading books, asking that they donate them for the most disadvantaged schools across Indonesia. School books are easily available in urban and semi urban areas but are much more difficult to get hold of in the poor, rural and remote areas. Although the program already reaches 20 of Indonesia’s provinces, there are still many kids who could benefit from this program. For more detail please check website: http://makmalpendidikan.net/id/program/gerakan-semai-buku-nusantara or http://www.dompetdhuafa.org/2012/08/06/dompet-dhuafa-luncurkan-gerakan-semai-buku-nusantara.

July 26, 2013July 26, 2013 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: dompet dhuafa 2013, Indonesian student, semai buku nusantara 2 Comments

Sydney I am in love

Welcome to Sydney the most populous city in Australia. Its no surprised that this city was ranked 7th most economically important city and among the top 10 most liveable cities in the world. While New York or Paris are great tourist destinations, in my opinion Sydney is the better family holiday destination. My 12 year old daughter is always excited about visiting Sydney which is only a three and a half hour drive from Canberra – and I can’t recall exactly how many times we have made the trip.

Each visit means an opportunity to relax and to take as many photos as I can , wherever I go. I enjoy having a flexible schedule and just spending quality time with my family, especially with my daughter. So I don’t mind if she wants to visit the Aquarium (yet again) or the Zoo – these are always on her “must do’ list. However, this last trip, we skipped the Zoo. As Sydney has so much to offer we often wander around jsust experiencing the different atmosphere in each part of the city. We also took a ferry to visit our friend in Mosman.

When my husband was occupied at his company workshop, my daughter and I just explored the city. The Rocks area which a place full of unique spots and galleries is great for those that love the arts. The Contemporary Art Museum is a must see. A great variety of restaurants too. I am Indonesian and I was pleased to find excellent Indonesian restaurants there too (oh, heaven!). This city will always be in our hearts and I don’t doubt we’ll be back again soon.

Martin Place# Pitt Street

Sydney Aquarium

April 25, 2013October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Mosman, Pitt Street, Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Opera House, The Rocks 5 Comments

Hidden treasure in Victoria

Here we are again, Melbourne … Both the beautiful city and the nearby panoramic costal views always makes me want to return. My best friend and I recently took our daughters on a road trip to Apollo Bay. We hired a car and drove along the coast, visited some wineries and stopped in small towns along the Great Ocean Road. We stayed in Apollo Bay for a couple of nights at Chris’s Beacon Point Villa. The trip was a great experience. It was my first time to drive along the coast with its winding roads. At one point, close to midnight with the sea on the road side (which we couldn’t see but could certainly hear) I was quite anxious as we did not know the area well (and had no GPS signal at all!). I had to slow down when we saw a Koala crossing carrying her baby on the back, very cute! Too bad it was far too dark to take a photo – I wouldn’t have dared to stop anyway. We had a wonderful week together. Not only did I get to spend quality time with my best friend but our daughters renewed their friendship too. Here are the photos I took during our road trip.

January 12, 2013October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: apollo bay, great ocean road 5 Comments

I could not hide my excitement when I met Ira and Rena for this glamour shoot. Especially when I met Ira – it was like meeting an old friend as we both so interested in fashion. As you may know, Ira is a well known Indonesian model. I still remember her face being on the cover of a teenage magazine (MODE). I was also surprised with Rena as she had lots of ideas for shots. Although she is not a model, her expressions really did indicate that she has that talent. Here’s the photographs…..

December 20, 2012October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People Leave a comment

Under the sea

Our holiday destination this time was Cairns. These photos were taken when we snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef. For me this was my second try at snorkelling. My first experience was in Hawaii. It was great! Well, to be honest I am a bit scared of seeing what happens under the sea, I am scared that I might see a shark or some other unexpected thing. But sometimes (most of the time, I guess) there is no choice – as I have a teenage girl who seems to be scarred of nothing. So when she asked me to snorkel with her, I had to go. Then I thought positively about it and that motivated me to move out of my comfort zone. I took all these underwater photos using my new underwater camera, a Canon Power Shot D20. I am quite happy with this new camera. I bought it the day before I snorkelled and used it in the automatic mode. So far, the result are OK. I even took a short movie down there too.

October 29, 2012October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: great barrier reef Leave a comment

What makes life real simple

Something a little personal from me today. Like many photographers, I sometimes struggle to find the time to take photos of my family – especially with my daughter’s weekend activities and my busy husband’s travel schedule. The only real chance I have is when we go on holiday, but that doesn’t happen too often. But today we took our dog for walk, she was off the leash and ran everywhere. She looked like the happiest dog in the world. I know that a bright sunny day is not great for taking photos, but who cares. It was just a relaxing Saturday morning and I finally had few great shots of my family and a wonderfully refreshing walk.

September 15, 2012September 15, 2012 by Nita Strudwick Categories: UncategorizedTags: nature Leave a comment

Fun time together

I got to spend all day to photographing this amazing family:) Lucky me, Rini and her family were so fun & easy to photograph. Although the weather was cold but they let it go and it did not stop them to had fun with their daughter, I love that!

July 6, 2012July 6, 2012 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People Leave a comment

Mother and daughter

These photographs were taken during early fall when all the leaves had changed colour. This made the photos looks so lovely. I must admit that Rini and her daughter, Maureen, were very cooperative, this duo really worked together and they had fun creating these natural looking photographs.

July 4, 2012February 20, 2021 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People Leave a comment

Antonia Upritchards

Two tiny feet,

That wave in the air...

Two tiny hands,

That tug at your hair..

And an adorable little face,

A bundle of joy to love & embrace ~ Unknown

February 29, 2012February 29, 2012 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: bundle of joy 4 Comments

Back to saddle

We were very pleased when our daughter decided to start horse riding again. After being away from it for a while, she finally thinks that riding is her passion, and we can tell that she is very good at it. As parents we have always encouraged her to find sports that she really likes and to master them. Sport is not only good for her body and mind but also helps to build her character in positive ways. Whatever sport it is, I believe her involvement in sports such as soccer and horse riding have had a good impact on her social life too. For example, soccer has taught her how to be corporative, to respond quickly and be supportive. In horse riding she has learned patience and how to interact with animals. Apparently with her natural riding talent it is possible that one day this hobby could turned become a prospect career – as long as she practices consistently and takes the sport seriously. I took some shots of her jumping sessions yesterday. After the session finished she said “It felt so good to be back to saddle again!”

November 7, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: daughter, equestrian, Horseriding, Riding school Leave a comment

Captured sweet moment a mother and sons

I always enjoy Autumn colours. So beautiful and warm. Especially when the leaves changed colour and fall. The colour looking so amazing. Last weekend at the garden for a family photo shoot with mother and two boys. I also captured Alissa doing a handstand pose (she is a yoga instructor) while the boys were playing in the background. Sweet!!!

November 7, 2018November 7, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: family photoshoot, Harrogate

Fashion shots

A gorgeous day for fashion shoot for an Indonesia magazine on theme of Chinese New Year.

Model : Lily (Modeling Agency)

Fashion stylist : Erin Metasari

Photographer : Nita Strudwick

October 11, 2018February 20, 2021 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People Leave a comment

Fashion Editorial

Fashion Editorial shots for Rusi Design new collections.

October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People Leave a comment

The beauty that never last

It’s sunday morning as usual do what I like. Whether being productive like go to the gym or shopping with my daughter. Sometimes I just do nothing but eat, sleep or have massage at home. Today why not give more attention to my blog, since it has been neglecting for years. Yes, blame my laziness !

Throwback a family visit to England few years ago. One crisp winter morning we took a stroll to the Abbey. This is Kirkstall Abbey in Leeds was built in 1152 as a great example of medieval cistercian in Britain. This was not my first Abbey visit, but it brings back my memory with my first visit to Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire many years ago. The construction of the building always impress me. That old stone that shows the age of the building. I like the smell of it. It so well maintain and a truly priceless treasure. No surprise when summer this place always crowded with families picnic and of course, weddings photo shoot. Who doesn’t like this place ? It’s free entrance, no food vendor around and you can use the facility like those benches for picnic. I guess is not only kids playground, this could be photographer playground too. I can not imagine if we have place like this in Jakarta, it must have been being commercial.

The morning walk with the family was truly enjoyable. Our stroll ended at the coffee shop nearby for having cup of english breakfast tea, scone and jam. It was perfect ending and I could not asked for more. Come back here, I feels like falling in love over and over again.

September 24, 2017October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & Interior Leave a comment

Another uniquely-themed restaurant has just opened in South of Jakarta. Located at Jalan Senopati Raya and has a different atmosphere that many other restaurants in that area. Now that there area so many restaurants in town competition is getting serious. Restauranteurs have to be creative and innovative, as people coming to restaurants look for both great food and a good atmosphere. And, with Jakarta’s traffic many people would rather spend time in a nice restaurant rather than face heavy traffic going home in rush hours.

Jo (from ajourneybespoke; http://www.ajourneybespoke.com) and I became curious when we saw the lovely facade of the building, so we popped in for a lunch at Amber. As soon as we opened the door a friendly staff member greeted us and asked whether we would like to go for a main course or only dessert. The first floor turned out to be their desert lounge – definitely heaven for those with a sweet tooth. The lounge is designed in a french style with elegant and softly coloured furniture. There are so many varieties of beautiful cakes, truffles and macaroons, and specialty teas too. A perfect place for afternoon tea with your girl-friends. The second floor is called the library room. The books on the shelves, wooden floors and comfy chairs really make this place look and feel like a small library. Although the books were acquired for display, I’m sure no one would mind if you wanted to read or look through one. I recall a restaurant in Sydney I visited that had a library – there you could read and purchase what was displayed. The third floor is a music lounge – actually located on the roof – but I think that it is only open at night, perhaps because during the day it would be too hot up there. But definitely a great place for a private party.

After we finished lunch we went downstairs for dessert. Actually we could have asked the staff to bring up our dessert but we preferred to go down and experience sitting at the dessert lounge. It had a very different atmosphere to the library. We chose to have macaroons; cream cheese (blue) and curry (brown). Curry macaroon may not sound too tempting, especially for those not too keen on curry – but you really must try one. The exotic flavour (masala) will give a little bit of kick to your tongue but I’m sure you’ll find this macaroon rather special and just as unique as Amber itself.

May 2, 2015October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: chocolate, Desserts, food photography, Indonesia, Jakarta, www.ajourneybespoke.com Leave a comment

New coffee shop in Jakarta

Good news for coffee drinkers: perhaps this place should be one of your new destinations. Trafique opened eight months ago and is located in an unusual place (and by that I mean that it is not in a mall or shopping area). It is in fact located at Jalan Hang Tuah Raya, a plain white building and has no sign, only a yellow door – that convinced me that perhaps this place could be quite special. The interior is unique. Its simple, clean and very tastefully decorated. It’s open plan approach is complemented by a high ceiling that adds charm and elegance. I just fell in love right away – and that was before I tried the coffee. I found myself contemplating what I would do if this place were mine: would I make the coffee counter as my open kitchen so that I can entertain my guests while cooking. Cool, I thought – well, places like this always fill me with ideas.

It has really surprised me that there are now so many coffee shops around Jakarta. They are no longer just a meeting place or a place to do a little work on your laptop. The coffee shop has become part of the Jakarta lifestyle for many. No doubt this must be part of the stimulation for coffee shop owners to create a unique places like this one to attract new customers. And, so many offer barista classes or classes to educate coffee enthusiasts: so you not only drink your coffee but know something about what you are drinking!

As most people know, coffee beans of different types and from different places have very different flavours. From one coffee vendor I learnt how to recognise good quality coffee by its taste and that the darker coffee bean does not guarantee quality or taste. I am not a coffee person, I only drink it occasionally, but my husband is. He prefers to buy beans and to grind them himself each time he wants coffee. I do, however, love the smell of fresh made coffee as it is poured into a cup. Sensational. My first experience with Gayo Coffee in Pasar Santa is one reason I would like to know more about coffee. I am learning to like creamy coffee but am steering away from coffee that is too bitter. Gayo Coffee is becoming my favourite.

If you are curious about the Trafique coffee shop, check this out.

Trafique Coffee Shop

Jl Hang Tuah Raya No. 9, Kebayoran Baru

Jakarta Selatan

March 2, 2015 by Nita Strudwick Categories: UncategorizedTags: coffee shop, Coffee shop in Jakarta, Modern interior, Trafi que coffee shop Leave a comment

Visited Chinatown, Jakarta

I hope it is not too late to wish Gong Xi Fa Cha for those who celebrate Chinese New year. Some weeks ago, when friends from a journey bespoke (www.ajourneybespoke.com), Liz and Jo asked for some ideas to visit a “pasar” (traditional market) for their blog, I suggested a visit to Chinatown in Glodok, West Jakarta. Particularly as the coming week was when the Chinese there were busy preparing for the New Year. I guess it is not only my western friends who wonder what things were sold for the “preparations” beside vegetables and fruits, I too wanted to know what the atmosphere would be in Glodok. I had imagined that the pasar would be dominated by all things red. The traffic en route was OK, although it still took over an hour from Kuningan, South Jakarta to Pancoran, Glodok, West Jakarta. The place exactly as I had imagined. Red lanterns were hung everywhere, and they looked beautiful. Many vendors were selling red ornaments for house decorations.

Here’s the story of the red colour and Lunar New Year. According to tales and legends, the beginning of the Chinese New Year started with a mythical beast called the Nian. Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children. To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year. It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people. One day a villager decided to take revenge on the Nian. A god visited him and told him to put red paper on his house and to place firecrackers everywhere. The villagers then learnt that the Nian was afraid of the colour red. When the New Year was about to arrive, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. They also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian. From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

Isn’t that interesting story? I truly enjoyed my first visit to Chinatown in Jakarta with my friends. We were delighted to see what was happening before the Lunar New Year. We were like bunch of kids in a candy store. We discovered so many thing that we had never seen before. What a trip we had. As usual, I am sharing the photographs I took during my visit.

Gong Xi Fa Cha!!!

February 22, 2015 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & Interior 2 Comments

After a few days traveling around Sri Lanka by car between Colombo and Trincomallee in the North East, it was time to take a different way back to Colombo. We flew back with Sri Lankan air taxi. The small seaplane was like a giant dragonfly. It only accommodated seven passengers and a pilot and co-pilot. It took an hour and a half to fly from Batticlao to Colombo. The view from above was simply gorgeous. I was speechless. Truly, this flying experience gave us such an unforgettable experience. I found it very funny during our departure to see that while we were waiting for the plane to arrive many local people gathered to watch us, we even had kids waving at us as if we were a movie stars!

The last hotel we stayed at in Colombo, the Wallawwa boutique hotel, is a charming hotel. The simplicity and natural touches in the interior made the place so welcoming and cozy. The Z Spa is a must to try after a long day trip. I felt so energised after my spa experience. The food and the service at this hotel were really fantastic. Very highly recommended. There is no doubt, we will come back and stay at this hotel again.

Last but not least, we have to commend RedDot Tours. They did such an amazing job. Our vacation arrangements were excellent: great hotels, excellent driver, comfortable minivan and everything ran so smoothly. They really made everything so much easy as it was so well organised. Well done RedDot.