Viet Nam: Hanoi Part 1

Introduction

If I were to ask what is the capital of Viet Nam?

Would you say its Ho Chi Minh (HCM) or Hanoi?

If you guess the latter, then give yourself a pat.

Hanoi is located north of HCM almost 2000km away.

It has an estimated population of more than 7 million people and size of 3,329 km².

The city has a huge Chinese influence, which is evident in its temple around the city and the people who mostly speak Mandarin.

I visited the Hanoi in 2014 and this is my story.

Google Map of the City

A useful Local Map with Itinerary

 The City

Hanoi International Airport (Noi Bai) is the gateway into Hanoi. It is located 45 km away from the city itself. The airport itself has a combination of old and new.

I wasn’t in time to get photos on arrival but I thought slip in some departure photos of the airport here.

Although, I didn’t notice any renovation works, the new photos from the airport website show a new modern face.

http://www.hanoiairportonline.com/


There are a few nice restaurants and you definitely want to get a local data SIM card.

There are plenty of cabs outside the airport but I have not heard good things about local cabs in Viet Nam.

The hotel (with a small fee) can arrange for a cab to pick you up at the airport to save you the hassle.

The City (For Reals, this time)

When I think of Vietnam, I expect tropic climate, paddy fields and palm trees. This wasn’t the case in Feb, 2014. I was pretty under dressed and didn’t bring the necessary set of clothing for the weather.

Temperature between December to Feb can be high as 18^oC and get as low 15^oC at night. Somehow I felt it was much colder though.

To really grasp the “essence” of the city itself, one should travel to the Old Quarter. Hanoi’s old quarter is a famous tourist spot and the city offers many walking tours.

In many travel guides, it is mentioned that it has a French colonial architecture. I am not architecture expert, but I am pretty sure I missed that out altogether in my 3 days trip here.

Here are some pictures from inside my cab. The city streets are combinations of narrow lanes and roads wide enough for 2 cars to pass through and in some place just enough for one.

Photos are a little blurry, as I was taking them inside a moving cab

The Hotel

Neon lights look nicer at night

The Hanoi Eclipse Hotel was highly rated on Tripadvisor. In fact these days, it is very difficult to book as rooms are quickly taken up.

They have a very modest lobby, but the rooms are large and very comfortable and clean.

The staff speak English and are very helpful.

Night view of the hotel. I just love neon lights.

The breakfast though limited (back 2014) has combination of western and local food.

If needed, they even can help with to get private cab from the Airport to hotel.

They provide toiletries, which is another plus.

If you need to book tours, they have arrangement with agents who can help with that.

Here is a quick look of the room.

Don’t Panic

This is the section where I usually you get tips on travelling to a location or what to expect on the local culture.

1)   Visa on Arrival

Most travelers (especially from West nations) are required to make a Visa. Visa on Arrival queue is long and you may want to check before arriving to Viet Nam. Immigration officer do not speak English well and that may be a hassle.

2)   Currency and Credit Card

The local currency is dong but you may to bring a US currency as well.

I find most locals rather transact in US currency versus dong.

But when possible use the local currency as you get better exchange rate, most of the time.

The credit cards have a service fee charged back to customer. Bring cash and use cash.

3)   Weather

Check the weather before coming. I wasn’t alone thinking Hanoi is going to be tropical. I saw many people disembarking from the plane with shorts and island shirts.

More on the city in Hanoi Part 2.

The Pearl of the Orient: Hong Kong

Introduction

There are many places in Asia called the Pearl of the Orient. Penang, to Malaysians, Viet Nam, to Americans and Hong Kong, to everyone.

So this time, I took on the Pearl of the Orient Hong Kong (HK). Almost an island state like Singapore, you can probably finish in few days.

This itinerary was planned for a span 5 days. I will hitting all the famous tourist spots, eat a little and almost no shopping. Planned for the budget traveller initially, the most expensive part this trip was still the flight SGD320, while accommodation was number 2 at SGD250. My food budget was another SGD100 for the whole trip and local transports with entry tickets was close to another SGD100. In total SGD770, HK was not cheap by any means. Cheaper flights and hotel are needed to save more on this trip.

Map from Bing

The Journey

The flight was not too bad, just a little over 5 hours. No stopovers, direct. It was my second time on Cathay Pacific Airways. I should have subscribed with their frequent flyers program. I used the same airlines for my Bali trip. The seats were much more comfortable than a budget flight. More leg room too. The best part was I did not have to worry about check in luggage. Everything was included in the fare of 320 Singaporean dollars (SGD).

All I needed to do now was sit back relax and ta-da food was served. The congee was good considering it was airline food. When have you ever heard, anyone giving good reviews about food served on a flight?

This was my first trip to Hong Kong. Something I had planned over 2 years, detailing every inch of the island and how I would spend each minute. Making the most of my time and those precious annual leaves. I spent hours over Trip Advisor looking through reviews of places people visited and gave 5 star reviews.
“It is a must see when you are in Hong Kong!”
“Don’t miss this!”
“Life changing moment after coming here.”
Ok, I made up that last one.

And yet, after so much meticulous planning, I would always get stuck on choosing a hotel for this low budget trip. Hong Kong hotels are not easy on the wallet. A good hotel would cost easily from USD 150 or more. A two-star hotel would be cheaper but they are always full and it is rather difficult to book in advance.

Most backpackers or budget travellers would always suggest hostels especially the infamous Chung King Mansion (more on this later).

While, I do see some good reviews, there is always an equal amount of poor reviews about staying in hostels. Everything from loud patrons, elevators not working, small beds, insects, limited shower area, weird smell, hotelier not honouring bookings to men trying to pick up lone female travellers.

Next, I was worried about language. Hong Kong-ers spoke Cantonese instead of Mandarin. Not that I know either language. The only Cantonese I could muster up was “leng lui”, which was “pretty girl” and “mai tan”, which meant “check please”. I was not sure if either would help me in a pinch or get me deeper in trouble.

No pain, no gain. I cannot write a good story if I never get my feet wet. After all, I have been to places where I did not speak the language, hotels with weird smells and loud patrons. In most places I been, I was usually the loud patron.

Although, I initially would like to make it backpackers trip, I classify this as a budget trip.
 

The Stay

The hotels in Hong Kong were so expensive so I decided to check out budget hotels, guesthouses and hostels.

I was not planning to stay much in my room during my stay here. So a cheap place with a private shower, clean bed and place to chuck my stuff would be sufficient. 
Chung King Mansion was the first place recommended by most backpackers and budget travellers. Chung King Mansion has quite a reputation and not in a good way. Complaints range from elevators being way too crowded and or broken down, suspicious men loitering outside the building, people approaching you to buy stuff, the smell and the smell. A simple Google search on Chung King Mansion’s history and it will tell you why.

So, that was out. I seen good reviews for this place called Oi Suen Guesthouse. As usual there are good and bad reviews. I guess the poor reviews are not by budget travellers, expecting 5-star hotel accommodation. However, the owner does take the effort to respond to poor reviews. Fair is fair. I took a chance and booked.

What I liked the most was after booking the room (through Asia Room), the owner sent me an email almost immediately. She gave relevant advice, what to expect when arriving in Hong Kong. Heck, she even gave detail explanation with photos on how to find the place. In Hong Kong, almost all buildings here look the same. If you do a book hotel, do get such details.

When I arrived here, I took the lift up but it does get crowded at times. I was greeted by Rainbow (aka Ellen) at the reception. The reception is a just a desk in one of the rooms. 

Listen carefully to her instruction. There is a deposit for the keys and a receipt will be provided. Return the key and receipt when you check out.

The room is small. The bed filled two corners of the room. There was space under bed to keep your stuff and a meter away, a very small toilet-washroom-shower facility. There was no window and this is a good thing, it keeps the noise down at night. The air-conditioning works and keeps the room well ventilated.



Careful when you shower. Avoid stepping over the shower drain. If the drain is blocked, water overflows from the shower into the room. Then your stuff gets wet. In my personal experience, the water made its way to the corridor. It was really messy to clean it up later.
The room will be cleaned daily with fresh floor mats or towels. Towels you use after showering is HKD20. So bring one. There are minimal toiletries. Shower gel and shampoo are provided but no toothbrush. Stuff which you need to bring if you don’t want to buy more stuff.

Check-ins are between 2PM to 7PM but if you are arriving later then do inform Ellen. Check out is at 11AM.

The only thing not working in my room was the TV, but I didn't mind as I was not in the room most of the time. I informed Ellen but it still wasn't working during my entire stay there. She did apologize about it but it was of no consequence to me.

Ask Ellen anything you need and she will help you get it, especially the discounted tickets for Tian Tan Buddha cable ride and Victoria Peak tram. In each room, there is a information card on how to get to the airport, Hong Kong tourist spots. Do get the SIM card, it is totally worth it if you are staying for 5 days or more. Ask Ellen and she will advise on the best option for you.

The 5-night stay cost an average of 50 dollars a night. You can get better deals if you book early. I booked only 2 weeks in advance.
There were many restaurants down stairs and it was close to the Ladies Night Market. Mongkok MTR is also around the corner. Money changers are everywhere and some are opened all night.


DON'T PANIC

HKD 1000
There is scare about fake HKD1000 notes. I looked online and it was very difficult to differentiate between fakes and non-fakes, new and old notes. It is a serious (and on-going) issue. An online search will reveal articles dating back as far back as 2007. Some merchants do not accept HKD1000. In other cases when a merchant isn’t sure, they will return the notes back to you and ask you pay them with other notes. I found out early, thanks to Ellen.
A tip, do not change HKD1000 notes at your local money changer. Just get HKD500 as your largest note.



Prepaid SIM Card and Phone
One of the things, I did almost immediately was to get a local SIM Card. Ellen allows you to rent if you need one. I bought one which has unlimited data plan and some limited minutes for calling and SMS for HKD98. This plan will last for 1 week.
 
Not Sure How to Get There or What to do in Hong Kong?
I like Ellen’s approach to customer service. After making the online booking, she sent me all the necessary advice I needed to survive HK. This included bus number I should take from the airport.
She gave some details on some of the tourist spots in HK, discounted tickets to visit some of the attraction here, she can even arrange a tourist guide if you need one.

How to get to the City?
There are 3 different ways to get into the City. Train, taxi and bus.

There airport buses which link directly to certain stops at certain major hotels. If your accommodation is one of those places the airport buses would be a good a choice.

Taxi are the fastest to get into town and the most expensive. Taxis here use meter system and regulated. Again language maybe a problem. Do get details of the hotel prior to coming and give it to the driver.

The easiest way for me was the bus and I do mean local buses. You pay fare with your Octopus card and keep an eye on the roads. There is a bus station located in the immediate vicinity of the airport. Ask the info counter and they will guide you there.


 
Food and Language
There were numerous food places just where I stayed. Being the adventurous backpacker type, I wanted to sample what the locals eat. The only trouble was reading the menu and telling the waiter what I wanted. The first few restaurants I went too, it was always a guessing game on what the waiter would bring me. Sometimes, they got it right and other times, well I like surprises, I guess.
One restaurant I went to did offer English menus but I only got the Cantonese version.
Go to better restaurants and even fast food chains. You will find people who can speak decent enough English. I was so happy to see Food Republic, McDonalds and KFC. Even Toast Box was available here. Food wise, if you have grown eating food in Malaysia and Singapore, Hong Kong doesn’t have anything new to offer in my opinion.
 
Tourist Guide and Getting Around Hong Kong
Ask anyone who has been to HK, they always suggest getting the local prepaid transport card, immediately after you arrive. The Octopus card can be used for fast transit trains (MTR) and buses.
I found the card immensely useful as I took the train (subway) a lot in HK. The routes are pretty well connected and when I arrive at a station, all I needed was Google map and I found my way around very quickly.
Street signs are written in English so that was definitely a plus.
So the question arises, do you need a tour guide? Yes and no. If Hong Kong culture is something you want to explore, yes you should. Eat what the locals eat, drink where the locals drink.
If you want to do this on a budget and travelling is second nature to you, a guide book is all you need.
 
Shopping Mecca
There is cheap stuff in HK.
Clothing I found fair-priced but not exactly cheap. Good clothing.
Outdoor and travelling gear is quite OK and in good variety.
Dollar stores offer real bang for your buck.
IT gadgets especially mobile phones are well stocked and they have a lot of discounts.
There are many Indian tailors who do full suits and are well recommended but don’t cost an arm and leg.
So take your pick.
 

My Final Thoughts
When I asked a friend to come over, her first reaction was HK was way too metropolitan for her liking. My next obvious question.
“Have you been there?”
There is a lot of greenery of HK. The hiking community is much bigger and more organized in comparison to Singapore, which is still growing.
There is more to HK than meets the eye, yes, there were many cars, yes, it is noisy and the city never sleeps (I know I checked) but there are beautiful parks, old towns, a giant Buddha and a stunning skyline.
Yes, you should come.

Java Pt5: The Black Sands of Mount Bromo

INTRODUCTION

Ask anyone in Singapore and probably half of them will reply they been to Mount Bromo.

It is probably one of the most visited places in Indonesia besides Bali.

The Bromo pilgrimage maybe a little overrated but you never know unless you try.

The sunrise is said to be stunning and attracts shutterbugs all year long.

The mountain erupted as recent as 2011. Danger has its attraction.

After what seemed like forever, we arrived at our hotel, The Lava View Lodge.

The van drive from the airport with one stop took almost 3 hours.

Half of it took us through steep, winding mountain roads. The tight space in the van did not help.

We were tired, crammed like sardines and it was cold. The time was 1130PM (local time).

THE JOURNEY

Taking the route from Surabaya, this was not an easy journey. It has narrow, winding and steep roads up to the mountain.

This is a useful mini-map from Lava View Lodge Hotel

THE STAY

Lava View Lodge Hotel

On this side of the mountain, the Lava View Lodge is a five-star accommodation. A former Indonesian president stayed here on his visit to Bromo, so we were told. However, what we found in our rooms were very basic.

TV which didn't work and two cushion chairs in the inside

Beds which were dusty and floor which was really sticky.

Two chairs to enjoy the view of the reception building.

The night was really cold and there wasn't hot water. We found out the next morning the hot water wasn't turned on. A simple call to the receptionist fixed that instantly.

Electric hot water but it was not working when we needed it the most.

A sink and mirror with an extremely sticky floor.

However, the best part of the hotel was the view, which we only noticed during the day. Mount Bromo was just at our doorstep.

Top: Reception building
Bottom: Hotel rooms

Bromo and Batok at our doorstep

The prices for the room is also not cheap. These are the prices as of 2013.

Standard Superior Twin/ Double costs IDR 634,000

Deluxe Double & Twin costs IDR 750,000

THE PLACE

Sunrise at Mount Pananjakan

3AM was by far the earliest we had to be up and running in the morning. The breakfast consisted of coffee, hard-boiled eggs, couple of sandwiches and a piece of fruit. All of which was much too heavy for 3AM.

In the next few minutes, we were loaded into a back of a Jeep in numbers of four. Then we were literally "spirited away" to Pananjakan. The drive was fun, I would say if it were not for my breakfast. I was nauseous and almost ready to puke. We were driving fast, bumping up and down, then at some points I could have sworn we were doing the "choku dori" drift.

Mount Pananjakan (or Penanjakan) is the viewpoint where everyone comes to see the sunrise.

Pananjakan stands at 2700 metres higher than Mount Bromo itself. It was cold and you need something warm to wear up here.

Our drifting Jeep arrived at the viewpoint parking. It was dark but we could see lights of other approaching Jeeps and motorcycles. The motorcycles are actually taxis bringing tourists called "ojek". As we walked towards the viewpoint, there were coffee shops to our right and there were hawkers/ touts loaning cold weather gears. It was needless to say, the place was crowded.

The viewpoint was also crowded. Shutterbugs of every level tried to stand at the very edge of the cliff to get a snap of the sunrise. Some risking life and limb by climbing over the safety barrier.

The sun does not rise in the direction of Mount Bromo but Mount Semeru. There are several mountains visible from this viewpoint including Mount Batok. The mist clears away and you will get full view of the plains down below and the next location we have to go.

Here are some photos of the sunrise. These are not my best photos in the dark.

Sea of Sands, Ponies and Staircase to Heaven

As the sun rises and mist clears, the crowd also dispersed. We spent a good an hour and half here. It is time to go to our next point. We walked back to our Jeep in fours and this time we drove slowly. In 5 minutes or so, we assembled on the sea of black sands of Bromo. The sand is black because it is made of volcanic sand. On a hot day, you can feel the heat of the earth underneath your feet.

The first thing I noticed (besides the obvious black sand, of course) are the ponies. I suddenly had the feeling that I am in some mountain range of South America. The ponies, to be exact, all had Spanish, names including names like Pablo, Alberto etc.

The jockeys will give you a ticket for a small price of IDR 30,000 to 50,000 for a return trip to the staircase leading to the peak of Bromo. It is advisable not to loose that ticket. The jockeys get annoyed if you do. This was my first time on a horse and I keep getting that weird feeling I am going fall off. This is quite normal especially if the ride is steep.

The pony ride stopped at the foot of Bromo's crater. The jockey and pony will wait for you here to take you back. The staircase will bring you to the rim of the crater. Remember your ticket.

On the rim of the crater, there are many tourists standing really close to the edge. This is unnecessary. The site or view of the crater itself is not really something you write home.

Smoke constantly comes from the crater. If you observe carefully, a lot of offerings rice and flowers lay scattered in the crater. Legend has it a queen who was childless started the tradition. Offerings rice and flowers were thrown into the mountain to improve fertility.

Smoke on water

Mount Batok has a unique terrain. It has terraces that start from the top all the way to the foot of the mountain. Batok is non-active volcano peak covered in Casuarina trees.

DON'T PANIC

Breakfast

There are times when you think you may run out of energy and you decide that eating 3AM in the morning would be a good idea. Trust me when I say it is not. I found this out the hard way.

Advice: Try something light like coffee and a snack bar. Take your breakfast during your usual hours to avoid nausea.

Pananjakan Viewpoint

There is a long queue at the toilet and do go before you come here. There are many coffee shops the way up here. Food choices are limited though. They can provide cup of hot coffee or some noodles.

It is cold here. Although there are, hawkers/touts that rent out warm clothing, you do not know where it has been. Bring some warm clothing. You will not need it for long especially if you are hiking.

THINGS I MISSED THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

Malang Route

There are two ways of getting to Mount Bromo. The first route was through Surabaya, which I took. There is another route to check out is through Malang.

Various tour groups recommend Malang as there is a beach, theme park and it costs a lot less than staying on top of Mount Bromo.

Pony Rides

Touts handle the ponies and like anywhere else in Indonesia, very aggressive salespersons.

A jockey will follow you guiding the pony but you can choose not to take the pony and just slowly walk. The hike itself is quite easy but I see most tourist struggle at the staircase.

Warm Clothing

Most part of this entire trip did not require for warm clothing. You could bring a sweater, pair of disposable gloves and do the clothes layering technique to keep warm. A face mask and a broad rim hat helps.

The Hindu Temple

Before reaching the foot of Bromo, there is a Hindu temple Pura Luhur Poten. I don't have much information about this temple except that it was built for the purpose of worshipping the mountain god. The practice of throwing flower and rice (which you will find hawkers selling at Bromo) started here.

Pura Luhur Poten Temple viewed from Bromo

Madakaripura Waterfall

Located at Kecamatan Lumbang, Probolinggo, Madakaripura is one of the waterfalls in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. It takes about 1 hour or more to hike from Tongas.

The view is said to be amazing.

Seruni Point Hike

There is hiking option, which you could take from Seruni Village. Start as early as 2.45AM depending on the sunrise time. The trail advised by many is quite hard.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Don't put Bromo on your bucket list. Personally, I think the Ijen crater had more to offer and the sunrise in Borobudur was much more beautiful.

Java Pt4: Staring at the Sun in Borubudur

INTRODUCTION

After visiting the infamous Malioboro Street, it was time to turn in and get some rest before the next day's adventure, Borubudur Temple. Little that we knew, this would include waking up before the break of dawn.

THE JOURNEY

Point A is Malioboro Street and Point B is Manohara Princess

Point A is Malioboro Street and Point B is Manohara Princess

Manohara Princess is the first of many hotels; we would visit on our trip to Indonesia.

The distance was about 50km away from Malioboro Street. By car, it would take almost 1-hour journey. Again, the journey was much longer. It took us approximately an hour and a half to reach there.

The roads were in complete darkness, so we could hardly see where we were going. At one point, we were in hustle and bustle of the town area and the next we were quiet and sometime eerie village roads again.

On occasions, we could see signs for hotel and while other saying Borobudur. Finally, with one right turn and we reached the Manohara Princess Hotel.

THE STAY

Manohara Princess Hotel is this hotel in the middle of nowhere. It brings that classic Eagles' tune "Hotel California" to mind. It was dark by the time we reached there. The lobby was just this simple counter and some ornamented table and chairs.

Lobby

Chairs are beautiful isn't it?

There were two statues of Ganesha (Hindu God) as we approach the hotel lobby. The faces were broken but you could still guess based on the shape. There was no Internet connection in the rooms. They could not give a second key to the room. This made it difficult for my roommate and I. Somebody always had to be in the room. There was no wet towel or welcome drink served to us, another minus point for this hotel.

Now, for some good points about this hotel. This place seems like a research centre of some sort and I guess someone decided to turn it into a hotel. l like the architecture of the place and at night it seemed very serene. The beds and rooms were very comfortable. If you are bored (or decided not watch the limited cable TV provided in the room) do read the photo book that they have in each room. It should give you something to look forward when you visit Borubudur temple.

The room and bathroom are decent. The mess was courtesy from my roommate and I.

The room and bathroom are decent.

The mess was courtesy from my roommate and I.

Just to make sure you got to the right place.

Hotel Reception and Information Counter

Other things I found on the hotel premise.

Nearing Wesak Day, there was a free clinic for the villagers.

Any guess what I am looking at?

Any guess what I am looking at?

Further details of the hotel can be found here on this website.

http://manoharaborobudur.com

I was in twin bed room, which costs between IDR 900, 000 to 1, 000, 000 per night.

THE PLACE

The bed was comfortable and before I knew it, I was fast asleep for the 3.30AM hike. It was midnight by the time I fell asleep.

Come 2.30 AM my roommate and I woke up to wash. We were supposed to have a light breakfast but it was not there. I found out later that the kitchen does not open that early. So keeping some simple bread or energy bar would be useful. I drank the instant coffee provided in the room and walked out to the lobby. The rest of our tour group and other tourists who were also staying at the hotel greeted me.

We were introduced to our tour guide and wore the sarong they provided. They passed us a complimentary torchlight and an insect repellent patch.

The Borubudur temple is a single complex building. It takes only 5 minutes to walk from the hotel. The entire area is fenced off and there is a security check prior to entry. Paying to stay in this hotel apparently has its benefits. You get first dibs on the sunrise watch spots and a tour guide can be arranged. The tour guide gives some history lesson as we carefully made our way through the darkness. Next stop heaven and nirvana.

It was pretty hard to see anything in the darkness

It was pretty hard to see anything in the darkness

Sunrise and Nirvana

Finally, we were seated at level 6 and 7 facing east towards the sunrise. The whole place seems to be in darkness. However, from a far the General Electric light illuminates the horizon. This alone was a remarkable sight.

Illumination brought to you by GE

It is going to take awhile before the sun rises but we were assured of the best available seats. Waiting for the sun to rise can be really boring, so here is a list of things you can do while waiting:-

- sit back and enjoy the view.

- take some photos. 

- take some more photos.

- listen to the guide while he explains more of the history.

- take a nap

A crowd slowly begins to build. Actually, calling it crowd would be an over statement. I say there were about 20 people and there was plenty of room for everyone.

The fog began to lift as the sun slowly begins to rise in the horizon. It is somehow so majestic to watch as all of it unfolds. Don't believe me? Take a look at the photos below.

After The Sunrise

After that incredible sunrise, our guide took us for a walk around the temple complex. I will not go in detail into the history but just take your time to observe the carvings on the walls. The wall at the bottom level of depicts all of the problems faced by man in his daily life. It takes awhile to get a good look at all of the wall carvings and understand the meaning behind it. Any of the real world problems, which we have in this modern age was already experienced by people in 9th century.

Wall carvings

For a simpleton like me, we resort to taking photos of the Buddha statues, which Borubudur is famous.

That famous Buddha statue facing the east, which you can find on postcards and travel brochures

Tip: Look at his nose, it is broken

Circling 3 Times

After the sunrise photo session, our guide said it is customary to pray. We began somewhere at the north entrance and circled around the temple 3 times. As you circle the temple, you notice there are carvings of old Hindu epics on the walls. After circling the temple 3 times, make a wish. :)

DON'T PANIC

Staring at the sun

Summer stretching on the grass
Summer dresses pass
In the shade of a willow tree
Creeps a crawling over me
Over me and over you
Stuck together with God's glue
It's going to get stickier too

It's been a long hot summer
Let's get under cover
Don't try too hard to think
Don't think at all

I'm not the only one
Staring at the sun... U2

Waking up at 3AM may not be for everyone. Here are some survival tips.

Tip 1: Eat something and grab that morning coffee. Sometimes the hotel cook may screw up the morning breakfast or the coffee. Just remember to pack a piece of bread and your favourite instant coffee or drink. Kind of a hindsight but trust me you will thank me later for it. You are welcome.

Tip 2: Sleep early. This makes absolute sense.

                                                                          
Tip 3: Sunset tours are also available. Check out Manohara Princess Hotel website for latest changes in prices.

Safety

As we waited for the sunrise, we notice more and more tourist started to come in. Although it was not over crowded, it is always good to remember simple safety tips such as keeping an eye of your belongings.

Toilet

I did not notice one, so go before you come up here.

Flash Light

The hotel does give you a complementary flashlight. I, however, recommend you bring a headlamp. Headlamp keeps your hands free while you sometime may struggle with the darkness and your steps. Besides, it is useful to when you fiddle with your camera.

Tour Guide

The guided tour was much more worth the money than the one provided at Prambanan temple.

Some speak in different foreign language including French, Japanese and Korean. Each visiting group is assigned one.

Stay at Manohara Princess Hotel

Manohara Princess is located close to the compound of Borubudur.  If you are on a budget, you may want to look for a cheaper hotel nearby, arrange for a transport and the tour for the sunrise. If sunrise isn't your thing, you can always come when the gates are officially opened to public.

Insects and the Sun

Some would worry about insects and lather themselves crazy with insect repellent but I think it is unnecessary to do that. You should be fine if you wear it sparingly. However, sunscreen is necessary. It might seem like a crazy idea to wear it when it is so dark outside, your skin will thank you later. The morning sun really burns.

Tourist Hunter

This review would not be complete without talking about the tourist hunters in Borubudur. As we walked out of the temple grounds, there was a line of souvenir peddlers. They were waiting in a neat, single file line. As usual, if you are not interested, be polite and walkway.

THINGS WE MISSED THAT YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT

Museums

Called the Karmawibhangga Museum, it is an archaeological museum established in 1983. It has display of photos of the original excavation of the site.

There is another museum called Samudra Raksa Museum located to the west of the first museum. It has the Borubudur ship on display.

Pilgrimage

According to our guide, there is Buddhist pilgrimage to the site every year on Wesak day. Borubudur temple will be lighted up and it is something you should not miss.

Audio and Visual Exhibition

On our tickets, there was free audio and visual exhibition. It starts much later in the day and we had to give it a miss as we were leaving immediately after breakfast.

MY FINAL THOUGHTS

Do not miss this Unesco Heritage when you are in Yogyakarta. The place is a must visit. Do come earlier in the day so you have time to soak up in the atmosphere of the location. If you are on a tight budget, avoid Manohara Princess Hotel and try looking for other hotels nearby.