Travel Diary: Sydney

On May 2017, I went to Australia for the first time (and haven’t got to revisit since then). I visited Melbourne and Sydney, two big cities in Australia. Previously, I shared my Melbourne travel diary and with this post, I finally pay my debt for this Australia trip series. I know it took five years, but it’s better late than never.

Sydney was a special place for me because many of my high school friends stayed in Sydney for studying back then. And I do enjoy the sea-city vibes. I flew from Melbourne with Jetstar Airlines. We took a morning flight and while waiting for the boarding time, I enjoyed some hot chocolate and cheesecake.

1,5 hours later, my brother and I arrived in Sydney. We took Hyatt Regency's shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. Thanks to my friend, we got a special rate at this newly opened hotel. It was my first time staying at this hotel chain. Since it was newly opened, everything was brand new and I had a great experience. I got to get early check-in thanks to my friend and then my brother and I went outside to finally explore the city.

Queen Victoria Building

Hands down the best-repurposed building in Australia. Out of all shopping malls that I’ve visited, this mall has the grandest feature. The building itself was built in the 19th century and used as a Municipal Market. After some restoration, the building was reopened to the public as a shopping center in 1986. This beautiful and iconic building was designed by a Scottish architect, George MacRae. This shopping mall has more than 180 shops inside ranging from fashion, jewelry, and home decor, to restaurants and cafes. I didn’t do any shopping here because it will be such a nuisance to bring the things back to Melbourne and after all, I can still find the things back in Melbourne.

The highlight of this shopping center is located on the highest floor. It’s where you can see authentic European-style antiques and architecture. It feels like you are inside a European palace. Well, Australia was many influenced by Europe, but it feels different inside this building. I have some interest in history and that’s why I visited this building. I truly recommend for you visit Queen Victoria Building when you visit Sydney.

The more in-depth history behind this building can be read here.

Darling Harbour

After walking around the majestic Queen Victoria Building, we went to stroll around the Darling Harbour. This harbor is located just nearby our hotel. They even have an exit door connected to a bridge that connected to Darling Harbour. There is a SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium located on the front side of Pier 26. We didn’t get to visit the aquarium, but to kill the time, I took some photos there. After the photoshoot (?), we walk along the Darling harbor toward the Sydney Harbour Marina. I really love the waterfront scenery there. I visited and passed through Darling Harbour 3 times while I was there.

The harbor has several entry points, so make sure to check out all of them. My favorite spot was the King Street Wharf. On the opposite, you can see Macquire University. I think I would be very diligent if I see this kind of view from the university. I just love how they organized the harbor. You can see the Darling Harbour area as V-shaped. There are lots of restaurants and cafes, and even shopping centers along the harbor. It was really a fascinating place I've ever visited. Check out the map before you visit here. Not checking out thoroughly the map before visiting was one of the bad mistakes I made during this trip.

By the way, they held the Vivid Sydney festival again starting this year. During the festival, you can see fireworks show at Darling Harbour and some other light shows. So if you happen to be in Sydney from around the end of May to the middle of June, make sure to check out the Vivid Sydney Festival. More information regarding the festival can be seen here.

https://www.darlingharbour.com

Three Sisters of Blue Mountains

First road trip in my entire Australia trip. We rented a car and went to the Blue Mountains after breakfast. As far as I live with my brother, I know that my brother was not an adventure seeker or a nature-type of person, that’s why I’m not sure if he really likes going to this kind of place. But since it doesn’t need much effort to see this famous spot, he agreed to go. After 1,5 hour ride from Sydney, we finally arrived. The weather was so nice that day. It was bright, but not hot. We were not in a good condition that day, but seeing that marvelous scenery made all that sickness go away.

The Blue Mountains are a complex of different mountains. The famous mountain top is the Three Sisters. It was called “Three Sisters” because the mountain’s form is like a triplet. More depth information about this mountain can be read here.

Since it’s a quite famous tourist spot in Sydney, the infrastructure has been neatly installed. There are paved roads for the trail. It was a very convenient track for all ages. Make sure to visit here if you come to Sydney.

Sydney Fish Market

I am not a big fan of raw seafood, but visiting Sydney Fish Market, changes my perspective on it. I slowly start to find the goodness in eating raw seafood. The fish market is pretty spacious, neat, and clean. I hardly could smell a fishy smell. 

After some research, this fish market has been operated for more than 70 years! Well, they did some remodeling and currently, they are reconstructing to be a very sophisticated fish market in the world. Look at the developer site here and you will be very excited to visit here later on.

Read the complete history of this mega fish market here. And the complete progress of the redevelopment here.

CIRCULAR QUAY

After a fulfilling brunch, I went to meet my friend at the Circular Quay, and then we took the ferry to Taronga Zoo. I am not a very animal person, but I like going to the zoo. Going to the zoo by ferry was very fun and it was a unique experience. I got to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge on the way to the zoo. It was killing two birds with one stone.

TARONGA ZOO SYDNEY

After getting off the ferry, we took the free shuttle bus to the zoo entrance. The front gate was very grand and classical, not a very “zoo” kind-of entrance. My friend bought the tickets beforehand so as soon as we arrived there, we went directly to the entrance. I forgot how much was the entrance fee because my friend bought it. Check the rates here for the updated one.

What makes Taronga Zoo different from other zoos that I’ve visited is they let visitors volunteer at the zoo. Also, they are really concerned about conservation and sustainability instead of showcasing the animals. Reading what are their focus and vision will help you have a greater experience when you visit here. Read it here.

I got to see the indigenous animals of Australia, koalas for the first time at their real home. I thought I’ll see sleeping Koalas, but instead, I saw active Koalas. I’ve seen Kangaroo somewhere before, but seeing it at their hometown was a totally different experience. The best spot might probably go to the Giraffes. They were located right at the center and had a Bayfront view. If it’s compared to real estate, it will have the most expensive neighborhood.

I think this zoo has a good layout and a variety of animals. Not only wildlife animals but also a mini farm and a variety of pets. I’m not sure now, but when I went there all the animals there were well-fed, unlike some zoos that I’ve visited. Well, as far as I saw it, Taronga zoo has a very well-managed system. In summary, I have had a great experience with this zoo.

BONUS!

The Grounds of Alexandria

I went to the Grounds of Alexandria after Sunday service for brunch with my high school friends. I really loved this place! I wish there are lots of this kind of place in Indonesia. The Grounds of Alexandria is an open space with a wide selection of restaurants and shops that are located in Alexandria area. It was first opened in 2012. Even after 5 years, it was still pretty and neat. The place is very instagramable and the ambiance was what I’d been dreaming of.

I took the advantage of the good weather by taking lots of pictures. I looked like I have a very natural blush thanks to the great lightning that day. I really liked the photos I took here.

I really recommended you to visit here. They also opened in the Sydney city center too, but it has different vibes from the one in Alexandria. I haven’t visited there personally, but seeing from the photos, I still love The Grounds of Alexandria more than The Grounds of City Center Sydney.

Bondi Beach

After brunch with my high school friends, I went to Bondi Beach. I have been wanting to see the Bondi Icebergs Club, but since it’s fall and I don’t bring any swimming wear, so I just got to see it from afar.

It was bright and warm in the morning, but suddenly it became quite cold. Even so, I still enjoyed walking the down the sidewalks with my Boost smoothies. After some people-and-dog-watching and taking some photos, my friend and I become quite hungry. We stopped by a burger shop nearby Bondi Beach and have a quick bite. Then, we went back to the city center by bus. In Sydney, every Sunday, people can use any kind of public transport for a $2.80 flat rate all day long. Now the regulations have changed and you can see them here to help you do some budgeting before visiting Sydney.

I have a tremendous experience in Sydney even though it was just a short time. I think both Sydney and Melbourne have their own charm and I don’t mind living in either of the two cities. Australia is surely a good idea. I will definitely back to this continent and explore the other cities next time.

How about you? Have you been to Australia before? Which city have you visited and what’s great about it? Leave it in the comment box below.

Stay tuned for the food frenzy part next time. 

Thank you and have a great day, mate!

Travel Diary: Tokyo || Episode 2: You’ve Got a Friend in Me

I grew up watching Disney shows and being able to visit all Disney Theme Parks was my long-time wishlist. Up until now, I’ve only visited two out of twelve in this world. The first was Hongkong Disneyland and the recent one I visited was Tokyo DisneySea, which I’m going to feature in this post.

I visited the Tokyo DisneySea on my second day in Japan. Since I’m going to Universal Studios in Osaka too, I’ll have to choose between DisneySea and Disneyland. My friends who have been to both of them recommended me to visit DisneySea. So, I went there and had a blast experience even though the weather was not helping. I bought the tickets from the Traveloka apps, so we can directly go inside the park. As soon as we exited the JR Line Disney Resort Station, the kid inside me made me jump like Goofy.

I visited DisneySea in September when they are ready for Halloween. Many of the visitors wear Disney Characters’ costumes for the season. It was fascinating to see many Disney fanatics there. They were pretty all out. I bumped into Princess Aurora and Ariel on the train to the DisneySea entrance.

Before we get to the DisneySea entrance, we had our brunch to fill in the energy before we conquer the park. We decided to eat at the Disney Resort Cafeteria. I ate Omurice and it cost pretty expensive. It cost around 853 JPY. But, it tasted pretty good for a cafeteria menu.

To get into DisneySea or Disneyland, we had to take the train from the Disney Resort entrance. The train was full of Mickey Mouse and even when the train started to be seen nearby the station, I’m already excited.

After a 10-minute train ride, we finally arrived at the entrance of DisneySea. At the DisneySea main entrance known as DisneySea Plaza, there was a globe water fountain. You might think it’s like Universal Studio’s trademark, but it’s different. We took some pictures there and then we finally entered the magical place. Too bad we arrived pretty late, so we didn’t get any fast pass tickets.

After acquiring DisneySea’s map, we went left to the American Waterfront area. I wanted to take the fast pass for Toy Story Mania, but we came too late so we didn’t get one. 

So, we went to the House of Terror and waited for around 1,5 hours in the rain. I didn’t know what to expect from that attraction, but it was a very thrilling and exciting one. One of my cousins is acrophobic, so she didn’t join the rest of us at the House of Terror (but she queued the line with us though). 

After the 10 minutes ride, we went to the Turtle Talk attraction. Since it was raining, so we find an indoor ride that all of us can join. The Turtle Talk is surely for families with kids because it was so boring and the commentary was in Japanese, so I didn’t really understand what is it all about. But since the queue wasn’t that long and we can sit down inside and it was air-conditioned, so we enjoyed the break time ride.

Then we headed north and moved to Port Discovery. There, we ride the Aquatopia (see it here). It’s basically a whirling boat ride. There were fewer people because it was raining and Aquatopia is an outdoor ride. We were all wearing raincoats anyway, so we don’t really care about getting wet.

After that ride, we went straight to Lost River Delta. The Port Discovery doesn’t really have much attraction, so we went to the other area. Lost River Delta's main attraction is the Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull. But, we didn’t try that ride and we ride the DisneySea Transit Streamer Line instead. It took around 20 minutes from Lost River Delta to Mediterranean Harbor. On our way, we passed by the Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, and Mysterious Island. While riding the streamer line we planned to ride the Flounder’s Flying Fish Coaster and Sindbad’s Storybook Voyage, but it’s only a plan in the end. 

As soon as we get off the boat, it started to rain again, and we were pretty tired. So, we just took photos and see the volcano show from afar. It was around 6PM and then we sat down by the cafe nearby for a while.

After that, I went back to the American Waterfront with one of my cousins to buy the Little Green Men Mochi Ice Cream. Then we took lots of photos at Toyville. They lit up the lights and it feels more magical than the daytime.

Japan is known for its’ seriousness in culinary. And DisneySea is not an exception. They take the in-house snacks game seriously. I didn’t get to try all of their famous snacks, but I got to try the infamous Little Green Men Mochi Ice Cream and I love it very much! It was one of the reasons why I went to Tokyo DisneySea.

DisneySea Tokyo is really beautiful at night. It was one of the most magical night scenes I have ever seen in my life. Well, it will be better if you come there with your partner. The scene will make you feel like you are the main character of the Disney movies. Disney has really made me live in dreamland for a whole day. I really wish I could go back there again and stay in this magical place longer.

The only downside of my DisneySea trip was the weather was gloomy and it rains frequently. Brought my own raincoat was a smart move. The raincoat inside the park was pretty expensive. Well, I can't really show off my Minnie t-shirt, but that's okay. It was not the best outfit anyways. Also, too bad that we only can enjoy indoor attractions. I really wanted to play every ride, but the line was too long and we were not that capable to ride all of it. But, it’s the reason to come back again. Let’s pray that I got a job so I could travel back to DisneySea again before I get too old to enjoy all of the rides. For sure, we really need lots of energy to go to the theme parks. Also, friends that have the same adrenaline rush as you.

After the magical journey at DisneySea, we went back to Shinjuku. While on our transit at Tokyo Station, we discovered a random Gyutan restaurant there. We had our dinner at Date-No-Gyutan Honpo. It was one of the best meals I had in Tokyo. I really love the hotpot rice (see more in my video here). It was a superb dinner. Sometimes, things that are unplanned are better.

My second day in Tokyo was very magical because it really felt like I was taken to another world. I was a big fan of Disney and it might sound like a bias, but it was really magical. The Tokyo DisneySea was beyond my expectation and I was grateful to visit there before the pandemic strikes. Since I stayed at home most of the time lately, I got to reminisce about the old days a lot and am grateful for every moment. I hope you feel the same and since the pandemic situation is getting better, let’s hope that we can go back to travel the world again. Thank you for reading and see you on the next episode.

Further Readings & Source:

https://www.disneytouristblog.com/tokyo-disneysea-best-theme-park/

https://www.wannabeeverywhere.com/japan/tokyo-disneyland-disneysea/

https://sometimeshome.com/ultimate-first-time-guide-tokyo-disneysea/#Riding_the_Tokyo_Disney_Resort_Monorail

https://inspiredbymaps.com/disney-sea-tokyo/

https://www.mousehacking.com/blog/ranking-every-disney-park

https://wdwnt.com/2019/09/review-teriyaki-chicken-bun-for-disney-halloween-at-tokyo-disneyseas-seaside-snacks/

Empties 2020 - 2021 Top 8 Products

Finally, I’m back with my talking video after a long time. Revealing my 2 years' worth of emptied products here! All of the products are revealed in the video and on this blog, I’ll just feature the top 8 only.

One of my best findings on the internet. I was introduced to this brand thanks to Morgan from My Beauty Breakdown. I bought this product to substitute the Dr. Jart Acne Spot Treatment that I used to use to fight my skin troubles or acnes. I loved the Dr. Jart one, but it has reached the point that it can’t fight my skin troubles. This product still works awesomely even though I’ve used three tubes of it.

The product consists of a series of natural ingredients such as tea tree oil, aloe vera, phellinus linteus (a kind of mushroom), and witch-hazel (a kind of flower). Since the product is gel-type and transparent, it can be used day and night. And that’s what I like the most about this product. Compared to the other spot treatments that I’ve tried, transparency is what I needed the most in the spot treatment product. Depending on how severe is my trouble, the treatment might take some time, but most of the time, it works pretty fast. And it doesn’t really leave scars at most of the time. This product is my must-haves skincare product in my cabinet.

Holy grail products that lived up to its’ name. I really had a pleasant experience with this product. I rarely have redness on my skin and it brightens my skin. After I finished, this product, I used other niacinamide serums and I couldn’t really say I am satisfied enough with the result as I do with The Ordinary one.

The next morning after I use this product, I feel my face brighter and most of all I don’t have serious skin trouble while using the product. After I finished this product, I started to have very severe skin trouble and up until now, the marks are still visible. I understand why people love this product and I still couldn’t find a better version of this serum yet.

Remember my Bath and Body Works haul back in 2015? I finally finished the last bottle of it. Lol. I think the product has expired, but it still smells fine and I don’t have any skin problems, so I guess it’s still valid.

I really love this Cherry Blossom shower gel. It is refreshing yet enough sweet. I don’t really like sweet scents, but this one has a subtle sweetness so I liked it. Definitely my must-have scent in Bath and Body Works. I’m currently finishing the body lotion one, so see it on my next empties later on.

One of the best deodorants that I’ve tried so far. It is unscented, which I really love compared to other deodorant sprays. The other products have good smells, but sometimes it can be burdensome. And after all, perfume is made from alcohol, so it’s not really the best option out there.

I am trying my best to avoid beauty products that contain alcohol and perfume. Even for my hands, I prefer washing my hands with soap rather than using hand sanitizer whenever possible.

Simple’s cleansing tissue was great! The tissue was soft and a bit textured, which wiped-off all the makeup and semi-peel off the skin. It was satisfying while use the product. Compared to my previous fave, the YesTo cleansing wipes, this product is like the upgraded version. I love how they choose to texturize the tissue. As for the formula, I just love that it is simple, like its’ name!

I bought this product back in 2017 when I was visiting my brother in Australia. After a few years, Simple is on sale at drugstores in Indonesia. So, getting my hands on this product is just a reach of hand.

I’ve been using Nair products since I was in senior high school. Out of all the products I’ve used, this one is the most comfortable one to use, except the turner was kinda a bummer. Regarding the formula, I didn’t find any much difference with the Nair products that are sold in the Indonesian drugstores. It’s just I really liked the idea of the glide-on.

I really love Innisfree’s makeup products. One of them is this stick concealer. Finally finishing a makeup product is very satisfying and rewarding. Especially, with thousands of new products every day, it was quite hard to finish off the product. The urge to try a new product was quite big, but I nailed to finish it.

The formula of this stick concealer is more on the creamier side. The coverage is satisfying enough for small acnes and semi-red skin. Since it’s a stick concealer, it is travel friendly and I brought this concealer whenever I travel. The product is also blend-well even with hands, but I didn’t recommend it that way. Well, I really loved this product.

Finally, I finished up one out of three of my 3CE Lip Lacquer set. The first color that I finished is called Bon Bon. I really loved this shade. Ever since I bought this product, I practically use this shade most of the time. Finding the perfect shade for your lip is like finding a soulmate. I really feel confident and joyful whenever I use my favorite shade. One out, two more to go.

I know there are lots of new products launched every day, but keep in mind to finish what you’ve started unless it doesn’t suitable for your skin. The reason I make this post is not to make you buy it too, but just to share a piece of information and review regarding the products. Let’s become a smarter and wiser consumers.

Thank you for reading up on this part. I’ll share more useful information in the future. Please keep your support towards me. Have a wonderful day!