Nita Strudwick

These are my favourite photographs from our trip to Sri Lanka. The private walking tour we took in Colombo introduced us to some highlights from a local’s perspective. With a knowledgeable private guide we learned about the city’s architectural history. The company offered half-day or full-day tours, each going at your preferred pace. Although we could not avoid a little hectic traffic, especially on the way to the market, we saw so many interesting things and got to feel the city’s dynamic pulse. I personally like to visit locals’ preferred shops when I travel and I like to know what things are usually sold in local markets. Its always fun to watch the activity in the markets. The colours and the textures of the vegetables and fruits are not just great to photograph but getting to know them adds to my knowledge about the varieties of the local foods available Visiting Colombo’s historical building was really interesting too, especially the old Grand Oriental hotel building that has been open since World War II and is still quite well maintained. I never thought that taking a walking tour could be such a great way to get to know so much about a city.

November 21, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: Travel & InteriorTags: Colombo, Colombo harbour, Grand Oriental hotel, Sri Lanka, traditional market, Walking city tour 1 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

A Portrait of her

I first met Chelsea Islan at an exhibition of Estu Susanto’s work. Frankly, my first impressions were that she was a smart and very friendly person with a fabulous complexion that I really wanted to photograph! We talked about her acting and her latest movie, Street Society (already showing at Indonesian’s cinemas). She also shared with me her thoughts of what’s new in Jakarta; much appreciated, as I have only been back in Jakarta a few months. Then a few weeks later we bumped into each other again in Starbucks and we made an arrangement for a photo shoot at my studio.

During our session she was simply great and provided some really stimulating ideas. I loved her look and her expression. Here are some of the images, I tried to created a vintage look which I then edited with soft colours. With her modelling skills and talents I have no doubt that Chelsea’s presence in the Indonesian film industry will be a long one. Thank you for my make up artist friend, Jasmine who helped me during the session.

MUA Jasmine J Kaligis

Model Chelsea Islan

Photograph Nita Strudwick Photography

March 2, 2014October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: Chelsea Islan, make up artist, model, photo shoot Leave a comment

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

Singapore at a glance

I did not recall how many times I have visited Singapore but this time was very special as I travelled with my friend Linda who took me to some unusual places. Foolishly, every time I go to Singapore I almost always spend my time around Orchard Road. Never too far from the shopping or at Sentosa Island or at the zoo. But actually there are so many places I have never been to, Chinatown, for example. I was amazed to see that all the building there were still being kept in good condition. it was clean (after all it was Singapore) and pleasant to walk around and do shopping too. Singapore is a huge city with several district that are famous for sightseeing, restaurants, nightlife and great accommodation Combining the skyscrapers and subways of a modern, affluent city with a medley of Chinese, Malay and Indian influences and a tropical climate, with tasty food, good shopping and a vibrant night-life scene, this Garden City makes a great stopover or springboard into the region. No surprise, Singapore is so well known and is one of the most prosperous countries, not to mention that is now the world’s busiest port.

Singapore is an island state with just over five million people. It’s a fairly crowded and is in fact second only to Monaco as the world’s most densely populated country. However, unlike many other densely populated countries, Singapore – with more than 50% of its area covered by greenery and with over 50 major parks and 4 nature reserves – is an enchanting garden city. Unfortunately we did have not time to go to the Botanical gardens. I hope next visit.

July 25, 2013 by Nita Strudwick Categories: People, Travel & InteriorTags: Merlion statue and Esplanade in Singapore, orchard road, singapore panorama, tourist places in Singapore, travel to singapore, tropical climate Leave a comment

When time passed quickly

Sometimes it’s so hard to say good bye especially when you are having a good time. For this family, three years seem passed so quickly – now it’s time for them to go back home to Japan. But they were excited to go home and see their family. I can now feel what they felt, as in few days my family and I will be moving for three years to Indonesia. We are so excited with the new place, the new home and the new environment. But most of all I am excited by the reunion with my parents, sisters and brother. Here’s some photos that I took for Yukika and family.

June 3, 2013October 9, 2018 by Nita Strudwick Categories: PeopleTags: family photo, kangaroo, Yarralumla park Leave a comment

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.