My end-of-year drama list

Hello everyone…It’s been a while (^.^)

December is around the corner already … so have u got any plan to fill the coming holiday? For us, nothing…no plan at all. We hardly have time to have a short escape lately since the girls are having their extra piano classes on Saturday…and it’s in the afternoon (geez…trust me…I have tried my best to arrange the schedule but no luck). At least, this way, I have plenty of me-time at home which I pour it all on the serial drama (yep…once hooked…it’s a lifetime one). So…if any of you also doesn’t have any special plan to fill your holiday, maybe you could binge-watch the following ones

On my top list is…(*drumroll*)…”Love In The Moonlight” aka “Moonlight Drawn By Clouds”

The story revolves around the growth of the crown prince Lee Yeong into a wise king while he falls in love with a pretend-eunuch, Hong Ra-On. Due to her status as a rebel’s daughter, Hong Ra-On has been living her life as a boy/man. Due to her mounted debt, she was sold as a eunuch to serve the lazy and moody crown prince. These 18 episodes (completed already) show how the carefree crown prince learnt and matured not only as a wise and thoughtful king, but as a man who is willing to do his best to protect the one he loves 

My thought: There are plenty of reason to like this kdrama…first…it’s Park Bo-Gum…second…it’s Park Bo-Gum…third is also because of Park Bo-Gum. Anything with Park Bo-Gum would be on my top list wkwkwkw. Nah...beside the charm of Park Bo-Gum, I always have a soft spot for gender-bender and sageuk  genre. The story itself was pretty common but the plots were interesting without too much dragging. The love story between the crown prince and the eunuch was sweet and sometimes heart-wrenching. Definitely one of the best kdrama in this year 

Next, I have” 1% of Something” aka “Something about 1%”

It is a remake kdrama with 16 episodes (will be completed by this week – at the time of writing) about Lee Jae-In, the chaebol’s heir which is handsome, smart and workaholic. Coming from a wealthy family, he is “entitled to be” arrogant and thought that nothing comes first except money. Desperately wanting his grandson to change into a better person, the grandpa comes up with a matchmaking plan and changed his will. Jae-In has to wed Kim Da-Hyun, a humble and generous school teacher, in order to access the inheritance. However Jae-In managed to persuade his grandpa to change the will’s clause into 6months dating contract with Da-Hyun instead. Will 6 months enough…since we all could predict, Jae-In slowly but sure, falls for Da-Hyun.

My thought: I love this drama…it’s sweet and short (only 16 episodes with running time around half an hour each except the last few episodes which runs around 45mins) but very funny and witty…there is always something within an episode that made me laugh. No flower-boy nor awesomely-pretty-girl on this movie but I found myself tune in every Wednesday and Thursday to catch up with the latest episode and I guarantee you, this drama has lots of mouth-lock on screen ha ha ha

Yes...I purposely chose this one since K2 looks pretty cool here

Then ”The K2” follows closely

K2 is a code name of Kim Je-Ha, a mercenary hired as a bodyguard by Choi Yoo-Jin, the wife of a presidential candidate who appears to be sharp in business and quite ruthless. Not only by sibling rivalry, her business’ competitor or other presidential candidate, Choi Yoo-Jin is sometimes troubled by Ko An-Na, her stepchild, the illegitimate daughter of the presidential candidate who always thought that Choi Yoo-Jin is the killer of her mom. K2 then is assigned to guard Ko An-Na in which during these time (16 completed episodes), they both grow closer   

My thought: This is the first movie/drama of Ji Chang-Wook that I’ve ever set my eyes on and omo…he is handsome…in a different way than Park Bo-Gum (quickly browse all of his drama and binge-watch wkwkwk). I like the story, the fighting scene, however at the beginning, I thought this story is about K2 and Choi Yoo-Jin, not K2 and Ko An-Na which made the storyline become predictable (BTW, I think Yoona’s acting here is suck). If this story is about K2 and Choi Yoo-Jin, there were plenty issues to explore, between the big gap in age, the value differences, the choice between living a hell life as the presidential candidate wife or abandon all for K2…and many more which would make this movie become much more interesting (…again…just letting my wild thought run)

Coming up is “The Princess Wei-Young”

The only c-drama on my list (I don’t really like Chinese drama, not because of the story nor the actor but c-drama is famous for dragging too much. I dropped Ice Fantasy from my watching list since I was tired seeing Ka-Suo is self-pitying for several episodes after he lost his power, despite all those pretty make up and CGI). However, the story of these 54 episodes (yes – that longggg) cdrama is very interesting. A common revenge plot with romance mixed into it, but since it airs 2 episodes per day, I am willing to invest my time for this one. It is about Feng Xin-Er, the sole survivor from Northern Liang’s royal family, who takes upon her savior’ name, Li Wei Yang, an illegitimate daughter from Li family (with footbath maid mother) who was sent to live in the country side from small. Assuming the live as Li Wei Yang, Xin-Er steps forward to have revenge for her family as well as for Li Wei Yang, who was murdered by the order of her step mother. Her unexpected meetings with Tuoba Jun (the grandson of the current king) torn her between her affection toward Tuoba Jun and her need for revenge

My thought: a very common plot for cdrama but I like the on-screen chemistry between Li Wei Yang/Xin-Er and Tuoba Jun (did u notice how sweet his smile with dimples…*heatbeat*).  The dresses…the scenery…all are awesome, especially with Vanness Wu tossed in as another suitor for Li Wei-Yang. Since this drama is still on-air, I am hoping for a happy-ending, though I have a hunch that this one will be sad-ending (*start to stock up my tissue)

Next will be “Moon Lover: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”

This one is the remake of cdrama, Bu Bu Jin Xin (Scarlet Heart) which basically retells the story of Go Ha-Jin, a beauty consultant from present time which is transported back to Goryeo Dynasty due to a total eclipse. She woke up inside the body of Hae-Soo, a niece of Lady Hae, the wife of 8^th prince. Unexpectedly, her life got tangled up romantically with the princes and indirectly involved in the fight for the throne between the princes. 

My thought: ehm…I have a very conflicting emotion with this kdrama. I had been looking forward to this drama since the beginning of the year (geez…could you relate to me…I guess if you are a fans, then you could)…all because of Lee Joon-Gi. I have a very high expectation on this one due to its extensive publicity and tid-bit trailer but at the end, I was disappointed. This drama has it all, the time-traveller, the harem-style (in which many princes fall for a single lady), the line of flower-boy cast…there are plenty of plus factors on this movie but it was poorly executed. It jumped from a scene to another and the depth of relationship between each character wasn’t explored further, but the one which upset me so much was the ending. I have a feeling that the ending is somewhat hanging loose, without proper closure between Wang So and Hae-Soo, despite Wang so did said that he was going to search for her no matter of the time different between them. I felt cheated…I demand a return of my 20 episodes time spent on this one (*quickly rewatch Bu Bu Jin Xin to cure my broken heart*).

The last one will be “The Legend of The Blue Sea”

There are only 2 episodes available right now (at the time of my writing) so I couldn’t tell you much about the story. Anyway, I still put this up onto my list since (1) this kdrama is considered highly anticipated by the fans of Lee Min-Ho since this is his newest drama after few years … (2) the story is unique, about a mermaid and a con-man (yes, Lee Min-Ho is the con-man…not the mermaid though on second thought, I think he could pull it thru wkwkwk) and lastly, it is funny (I had a good laugh with the girls, watching this)

So…which one would be your favourite?

10 Instagrammable Places in Ujung Kulon

Hi there...upon my return from our trip to Ujung Kulon (click here if you wanted to read the full version of it), on our long drive back home (it was terrible traffic), my hubby challenged me to write up 10 most instagrammable places in Ujung Kulon...and here there are...^^

1. On my top list, was the crystal clear sea water on Peucang Island' beach (you had to walk a bit further to the left side of the docking deck). Here, you could take any pic and that pic would turn up awesome. I like this pic so much that i made it my mobile's wallpaper. And pls, for those who was wondering...my toes are perfectly normal...oh nooo...don't zoom in ^^

2. Still at Peucang Island, but this one was the right side of the docking deck. Sunrise here could totally brighten up your day - even if you had less sleep a nite before - even when you were wondering when the breakfast would be served

3. On top of the fisherman boat yay...with any background that you wanted...any pose definitely would notch up your adventurous level

4. Another fav beach of mine recently (after been here - other beaches seemed less attractive wkwkwk), the Daplangu Beach (on par with beaches in Bali or Langkawi or Phi2). It was clean...clear...calm and blue. Stretched for miles so any angle that you take will surely come out as a great pic

5. Sunset at Daplangu Beach. As you can see, the sand texture and color were a bit rougher here compared to the pic #4 above. This was the farthest left side of the beach.

6. Sunset at Ciputih Beach. The beach's characteristic itself wasn't my fav. It features darker golden sand with coral and strong wave, a wilder version of Daplangu but sunset here was truly a sight to behold

7. Underwater pic while you were swimming among the fish or just a pic with Badul Island as the background. This island was eye-catching, a small shrub in the middle with white sand ring. And you have to swim to reach the island...cool isn't it ^^

8. Tanjung Layar, though a bit difficult to reach but the rocky formation here was so natural. If you aren't too tired for some hiking, stand on to the rock and wait until the whitecaps crash onto the rock. It will be a perfect background for your pic

9. Ciganter river where we could leisurely canoeing while spotting some wild-life

10. The broken tree on the Handeleum Island' beach

 

PS. All pics are taken by me, unless specified otherwise and all have been posted on my instagram

Our Adventure Trip at Ujung Kulon

Morning at Peucang Island' beach

Hello everyone...how was your holiday? Must be awesome and fun...just like ours \(>.<)/ We just got back from Ujung Kulon...yup...at first, I was kinda like "what...Ujung Kulon...what's so fun bout having a trip there?" and I tried to come up with alternative plan, like trip to Pulau Ayer (which was cancelled coz the sea apparently is dirty) or to Dieng or Karimun Jawa (which were vetoed as well coz of the expected mudik traffic). My sis even came up with a plan to Puncak and I was kinda ..."Puncak again...???"

OTW to Sumur

Long story short...we confirmed our Peucang Island trip just about a week before the holiday started. I frequently checked the BMKG (the weather prediction) to see the possibility of the storm on the dates that we chose. I have every reason to worry, (1) it had been raining lately with strong wind and thunder, (2) the boat trip will be around 2-3hours...it was a long journey for me and (3) we will be using the motored fisherman boat, not a speed boat (yes, speed boat is available but the package price will be doubled than what was offered to us). We even started to take Kina (a pill for malaria) as precaution since my husband who had been there twice, told us that the mosquito were fierce (!-.-). I even bought leggings (though I hate wearing it) and long sleeves top, hoping to cover as much as my skin from the mosquito's attack

Welcome to Wisma Sarang Badak

So, here was the run-down of our trip
Day 1 - Sumur
We left at 6.30AM from Jakarta and drove for 4hours nonstop to Sumur - Ujung Kulon. Our first stop was Wisma Sarang Badak (WSB), in which the organizer of this open trip. When we arrived, it was empty - considering the Muslim who might still have their Ied praying. We waited for a while until Huddan and later Pak Edi (the father) came and prepare our room. WSB was an eco-lodge with various humble rooms with fan only (no air-con nor TV in the room) and basic toilet inside. Mainly used bamboo, wood and roof made from rumphii, which all were friendly to the mother's nature. No fret, the night was cool (a lil bit cold for me since I didn't have blanket) but just make sure you use insect repellent before your sleep. Another thing to add if you wanted to stay here, (1) a cable extension since there was only 1 power outlet in the room and you must have plenty gadget to charge; (2) your own bedsheet would be perfect (>.<) especially if you have a sensitive skin like mine - along with the your own pillow and bolster ha ha ha; (3) towel and toiletries please.

The rooms/villas at WSB

No resto but they have canteen ^^

Ok, maybe WSB isn't your cup of tea. Actually, there were plenty homestays around Sumur but as far as I know, there was only 1 hotel nearby (15mins drive with very terrible road condition). The hotel is called Ciputih Resort which offered you the comfort of air-con, TV, fridge, hot water, and swimming pool. A reason why we chose to stay at WSB was because we needed to get ready so early in the next day for the trip so staying there was very convenient but after we returned from Peucang, we stayed at Ciputih

Rooms at Ciputih Beach Resort

The terrace of the rooms

The pool

The lustful greenery at Ciputih Beach Resort

Nah after checked-in, we drove to Daplangu Beach, about 5mins drive from WSB, a golden sand beach with calm sea - perfect for the girls to play. A lil bit further, on another side of Daplangu Beach, the beach was rougher with coral and strong current with a dark-brown sand as its characteristic. Here, it was perfect for sunset spotting ^^Since we still had time, we headed to Ciputih Beach Resort for another sunset viewing. If you weren't stay in the hotel, you gotta pay IDR 20k/pax for entrance. Here, the wave was strong and the beach was full of coral - so be extra careful if you let your children play here

Daplangu Beach

Ciputih Beach

Day 2 - Island Hopping
According to the schedule, we had to be ready by 6AM for breakfast however, it dragged on until 7.30 and we departed around 8.30 (walked around 1km to the nearest traditional market to board a small boat which would take us to the bigger fisherman boat). If there was a high tide, you might be needed to walk to the middle of the sea (about the thigh-height, so no fancy dress please), to reach the small boat. The fisherman boat was quite big, enough for 30pax but if you wanted comfort, then 20pax was the perfect number. There were sitting place at the front deck and at the back, and a sleeping quarter in the middle. Small toilet was available at the back with sea water. Life jackets were available too and what caught my attention was the solar panel above the boat to supply the required electricity. Overall, one nice boat and it was quite new ^^

The small boat ride which could accommodate up to 10pax

The sleeping quarter inside the fisherman boat

Smooth and nice ride

Our first destination (about 1hour or so boat ride) was Handeleum Island, where we would be canoeing, crossing the Cigenter river. According to the guide, on specific season, we could spot python, crocodile, monkey, snake and on rare occasion, we might be lucky to see tiger or other wild-life. Lucky for us, we only spotted a lil green snake which tilted the canoe to the right due to the surprise. Can't image what would happen if we spotted a crocodile (>.<). The canoe ride was about 30mins (actually depended on how far you wanted to go) and afterward we moved to another island for trekking. Please remember to put on the mosquito repellent before canoeing and trekking

The beach of Handeleum Island

The canoe

Cigenter river

A simple lunch was served on boat, cooked by Huddan and his staff, and after refilling the energy during another 1hour or so of boat ride, we arrived at Cibom, a place where the Dutch had planned to build a port but cancelled it due to several reasons. Here we spent half an hour (1,5km) trekking the jungle trail to Tanjung Layar. The trail might be easy on dry season but it was muddy when we were there. It was difficult to step firmly on the cakey trail. There were 2 destinations, the first was the lighthouse which was skipped since we were all too tired to go up the lighthouse and according to Huddan and the ranger who accompanied us, the view wasn't as good as our second destination, the Tanjung Layar.

Briefing before trekking

The jungle trail

Tanjung Layar

Moved to our next destination, Cidaon, another 15mins boat ride for animals spotting at savanna (we saw a herd of bull, leisurely eating the grass). This required another 15mins of trekking with easier jungle trail than the previous one. Since it was cloudy, we quickly returned to the boat for our final destination, Peucang Island in 15mins boat ride. Nothing much to see when we arrived since it was dawn. I could only spotted a beautiful beaches on the right and left of the decking dock and some animals around the eco-lodge like deer, monkey, lizard, hog deer, and probably many more which i couldn't identify (I could only hear the jungle's sound). Apparently the lodge only provided electricity from 6pm to 7.30am, with various room types to choose. Again, no TV, no fridge, no air-con (fan only) provided in the rooms but the linen and towels were clean (with firm bed too). No signal as well here, so you couldn't exactly checked-in on your facebook or upload your pic to instagram directly.

Cidaon savanna

Deer in front of our room

Hog deer in front of our room too

The eco-lodge of Peucang

We refreshed ourselves and had dinner in the resto (must be ontime at 7pm - meal time was like a hunger games here, a bit late and you were left with plain rice and crackers only wkwkwk ...seriously, it was a tiring day and all of us were starving). We chose to mingle around in the resto since nothing much could be done in the room anyway. Strolling around the beach at night (terrified by the appearance of wild boar)...chatting at the beach's gazebo for a while before we retreated for the day

Simple but yummy dinner

The front porch of our room

The simple room of eco-lodge at Peucang

Day 3 - Peucang Island
Wake up before 6am if you wanted to see the sunrise here and be there in the resto at 7am for breakfast (won't miss a min for meal ha ha ha). According to the itinerary, we would have another easy trekking into the middle of Peucang Island however we skipped this one and chose to play on the beach. The beach was covered with very fine white sand and crystal clear sea water. Who could resist such temptation, especially if you could spot a school of small fish not far from the beach. 

Humble breakfast

Sunrise at the docking deck

Crystal clear sea water

The left-side beach at Peucang

Afterward, the guide took us to the farther right side of the island for snorkeling. Here, it was coral beach with something in the water that stung and it was hurt and nope - stingray and jelly fish were blameless. After we checked-out, we had 15mins boat ride to another island for snorkeling again. However, rather than the fun of snorkeling, we kinda had fun cheering the swimmers. The wave was strong and those who went down for snorkeling had a difficult time to swim back to the boat. My husband told me, it was like 10steps forward but the wave brought him 7steps backward and he couldn't ditch the life-jacket neither. After all swimmers were brought back with a float, we headed to Badul Island for another snorkeling session (about 1.5hour of ride).

See...it was really crystal clear water

Snorkeling at Peucang

The docking deck

The right-side beach of Peucang

Badul Island was a very tiny island surrounded by white sand and coral and lotsa colorful fish around - in another word, a perfect spot for snorkeling - especially the sea was pretty calm at that time. After spending some time here, then we moved to Oar Island, about 15mins ride from Badul. Oar is a small uninhabited island which is famous for water-sport (mostly cater the visitors from Umang Island - 5mins boat ride). Oar island can be reached from Sumur, about 15mins using small boat, starting from IDR 300k/boat for return trip. Oar Island currently doesn't have any accommodation and only 1 toilet available. No food stall, no pina-colada seller, basically nothing but they provide space for camping (the tour could provide the tent and basic cooking utensil but you have to bring your own sleeping bag).
 

That white sand with greenish island is Badul

Oar Island

After a short visit to Oar, we were back to Sumur where we said goodbyes to our new friends and thanks to Huddan & Pak Edi, the coordinator of the trip. FYI, the 2D1N tour package was IDR 850k/pax includes 2breakfasts, 2lunches, 1dinner, small boat rentals, the fisherman boat rental (which if you wanted a private tour, can be rented at IDR 3.5million/boat for return trip), the entrance fee to each island, the insurance and 1nite stay at Peucang Island. Must bring items: mosquito repellent, sunblock, hat/cap, sunglasses, dry-bag or waterproof bag, camera, cable extension, and power bank. Again, my thanks to Huddan who made an effort to make this trip enjoyable and fun for all of us. See you on our next trip >.<