Club Huis - Puncak

The logo

Hammocks between pine trees

Hello again

The food stall

Outdoor area

As I promised on my previous post, this time I would like to write about Club Huis, the charming café near Pesona Alam Resort & Spa. Actually at that time, we didn’t have any plan to drop by but when we drove up the lane to the resort, there was a banner telling us to turn left – and we followed the banner wkwkwk (we arrived earlier than the allowable check in time anyway). The cute café is located in between the pine forest – a little bit hidden from the main road but if you wander around the pine forest, you wouldn’t miss it.

Knickknacks

The seating areas - indoor and outdoor

A barbecue corn stall was the first sight upon the entrance, offering simple traditional delicacies that brings back the old-time. Few old bicycles and wooden ducklings welcome us to the café. Across and on the left side of the cafe, few white-washed-wooden chairs and desks are placed for those who prefer to enjoy the vast greenery of pine forest and basking under the sunlight and cold breeze. Few hammocks that are hanging between the trees lured us to sit and rest our tired bodies from the journey. At far, we saw some workers were doing the pavement job that leads to another road. On the back porch of the café, few patio chairs blend well with tables made from log, some with garden parasols that provide shading. On the other side, there is a rabbit hutch for kids to play with.

The vintage indoor setting

Charming isn't it?

Enough enjoying the sight outdoor, we went in for order. Inside, the small room is only adequate for 3 groups of visitor but the design are charming. Antique stuff with various kinds of knickknacks decorates the room and shelves. Frames in various sizes are filling the walls with big plush sofa ready. I couldn’t hold myself – the place is totally instagrammable. The foods and beverages here are pretty standard with reasonable price tag too. Enjoying the view with a bandrek or ice blossom tea here is the best way to spend the weekend away

The bandrek

Entrance to the club

Love this sign ^.^

Pesona Alam Resort and Spa - Puncak

Welcome to Pesona Alam

The main road

Hello everyone…how is your day? For me, I still feel refreshed after spending a short weekend at Puncak with family. OK, for those who doesn’t know, Puncak is a famous mountainous weekend retreat for Jakartan and its surrounding. It is cold with plenty natural attractions and it has so many restos/cafes scattered around for you to have a taste. It is just 1hour drive away from Jakarta – if no traffic jam (that means you should leave quite early – since the traffic police often opens and blocks the road to and away from Puncak on certain time frame to decrease the traffic congestion around Puncak). Yes – this place is actually a nightmare for driver (especially a new one) despite its charms to many.

The pine forest

The whole complex from the hotel room balcony

So last week we…finally…able to spend a night at Pesona Alam Resort & Spa (it is always fully booked since its opening and getting few rooms without prior reservation – especially on weekend – are impossible). Not only can be considered as a new hotel (yes – I would prefer newly built hotel especially in the cold area – wouldn’t like to sleep on a damp mattress with molding smell in the room), Pesona alam is perfectly located just a drive away from the famous Taman Safari Zoo and it boasts classic chic design that is very much instagrammable. Nah – did I catch your full attention already (> , <)   

The kids pool in the villa

The family pool in the villa

Yeah - beanbag to float

The entrance to the resort is sandwiched by scarce pine forest which is getting thicker the further we go. Not far from the entrance, there is a cute café on the left side of the complex (will write bout this soon) while on the right side, we can see a row of villas. The villas come with 1 to 3 bedrooms, in which each villa has kitchen, dining room, living room, and a small terrace, with a country-type of design. Natural color is dominant with the usage of wood panel and steel plank. It is minimalist but still oozes the coziness.

The hotel room

The bedroom of villa

The facade and inside of the villa

The bedroom comes with hair drier, industrial shelves to put clothes and stuff, comfy bed and linen, air conditioning (Puncak is not as cold as it used to be and I switched on the air-con so I could cuddle up under the blanket), and basic toiletries. The kitchen itself is equipped with rice cooker, microwave, electric stove, electric kettle, fridge (with refreshment that we can have – free of charge), water dispenser (hot and cold), tableware and some cutlery. Unfortunately, they didn’t provide cooking oil, dish washing detergent, knife and seasoning so if you want to have a cooking fiesta, you gotta bring your own stock or run to the nearest convenient store for it (about 5min drive from the villa). Another lacking from the kitchen is they only provide one electrical outlet so we couldn’t have simultaneous cooking (they provide plenty of electrical outlets around the villa – but that means you will need to plug your kettle behind the door, a microwave at the corner of working desk or probably you will need to move the rice cooker to the middle of the living room – at least that was what we do when we stayed there LOL).

The trampoline

Pony ride - with a small fee

Halimun Lounge

For indoor villa entertainment, they provide flat LCD on each room – yay – no more fighting over the remote, plus another one on the living room, all with cable tv subscription too. Outdoor, they have 2 swimming pools, the kids pool and family one. They have a lounge with fireplace where we could sit and chitchatting while sipping the free-flow hot bandrek (a Sudanese traditional beverage that is perfect for cold weather) and nibbling a steam cassava or sweet potatoes. One minus thing is the fake fireplace otherwise it would be cool ^^ Beside all the above, the villas have a beautiful landscape in which you can enjoy while lounging on the purple-beanbag placed outside the villa…ah…heaven (> . <)

Awesome isn't it?

Part of the villa's garden

The landscape near the villa

If you are looking for something more convenient, you can opt for the hotel rooms instead. Located across the villa (you could use the golf-car as the free shuttle to and forth), they offer 2 types of room to choose. The room size is standard with standard amenities as well such as flat LCD with cable, air conditioning, SDB, electric kettle, hair drier, fridge (no free stuff here ha ha ha) and toiletries. Again, with minimalist interior which is not much different than the villa, the room is comfortable for 3 adults (they have a long sofa-bed in each room). Industrial design can be found on each floor, but the look is softened by - again - wood panels and natural colors around the hotel. The sofas and ornaments placed on the lobby bring out the classy charm too.

Get Bengawan Solo black coffee for free from Club Huis for staying in the villa

Yes - this was what we do...sitting and enjoying the view

Since the hotel is nestled on the top of the hill, the mountain-over-looking lobby (Halimun Lounge) is one place that you definitely can’t miss – especially if you like soc-med. The pool rings-out the lobby gives the perfect view to the mountain, lustful greenery and amazing sunrise – especially if you sit on the round ottomans on top of the pool. The hotel utilized the landscape perfectly by building its hotel few levels down from the lobby. This hotel provides spa, resto, pool and gym, outdoor lounge and for family with kids, no worry since there is plenty to entertain the kids from kids club (they have special performance for kids every weekend), mini football arena, mini outbound and trampoline, bike rental and of course a pony ride.

The small football field

Grand piano in the resto

 I hope you enjoy your stay here – just like us *wanna get back there already    

My Secret Garden - Bandung

The facade of back cottage

A place with view. I guessed this is what everybody is looking for nowadays. Apparently good food with good atmosphere isn’t good enough and that why we were here in My Secret Garden, to have a simple meal with view. The place wow-ed me from the entrance and for a moment, I regretted our timing. We went there for dinner and I had wished we had come in the daylight. Small flower dotted here and there on the green shrub outside the broken-white wooden cottage caught my first sight. On the right, a big wrought iron shaped the main entrance gate to the backyard. The place is lovely (well – I love flower and nature) and this place is full of those – at least full of flowers. And the name is very suitable too, since we can’t see the garden from the entrance and it is sorta hidden at the back.

I felt like being transported to Chocolate Ville, a place that we visited in Thailand few years ago or Kebun Mawar Situhapa in Garut. The style here is a bit similar with those places. With broken-white dominance as the color, wooden-granny style of cottage, scrapbooking papers in pastel frames, plain wooden furniture, wrought iron ornaments in white, all those give off the vintage vibe. Though I felt confused why they put a wooden bird house next to our dining table, but hey, it totally compliments each other.

 

4 cheesy pizza...crispy...tasty and sooo cheesy

finger licking Ayam Buluh

And….the foods were delicious (I tried to find fault here but there were none). You must try the ayam buluh, the baby chicken with spice and herbs, cooked inside a bamboo – the meat was tender and fragrant and juicy and definitely tasty (no worry – it wasn’t spicy at all). If you still have time after your meal, try to wander around the garden. It was beautiful at night so I bet it would look fantastic in the daylight. At the far back, there has kids’ corner with its tree-house (yes – too bad it was dark at night so my girls couldn’t have fun there). There is a patch of poppies too which was just to pretty to be missed out. Wouldn’t it lovely to have a leisure meal while watching your kids play around its garden? Would love to come back sometimes

The tree-house

A patch of poppies

Lawang Wangi Cafe and Art Space - Dago

The viewing dock

Some of you might have wondering on what we are doing here in Bandung? Actually it wasn’t supposed to be a weekend short getaway trip. My youngest was supposed to join the I Am Gifted program (in Bandung) but she fell sick a day before the program started. So this trip was originally her program graduation trip – but we changed it into a father’s day trip yay. For us, there are plenty of occasion to celebrate and this time, we made it into a culinary trip…yep daddy needs some fattening wkkwk…I am gonna have a bigger waistline when I come back wkwkwk. But for now, let’s forget bout the regret to the later day and enjoy the trip 

We started our culinary trip from Lawang Wangi, a café with art gallery. Located in Dago (very easy to find – just google it), it perched high with fantastic overlooking view on the valley. It has become one of the must-visit place nowadays with so many reviews and post go viral on the socmed. It has beautiful garden landscape with its gallery exhibits scattered around (some I enjoyed – while others, I really had no idea what it was all about). Though most of people visit this place for its awesome view, but I found myself enjoying its art gallery (perhaps since I had limited chance to visit gallery so I really took my time strolling not-that-big-gallery there). 

The landscape from viewing dock

Above the gallery, an open style café was crowded with youth and family. Big glass windows blanketed us from the cold breeze but we still were able to enjoy the view from inside. The food served there were quite good, with a standard price range. Since we went there for a coffee break, I would have expected them to have more range of cakes – but the snack like nachos or fried cassava with cheese was good enough – no complain then. 

But the main spectacle here is the sort of hanging wooden dock, which gives you the best spot for picture taking. It was picturesque in the daylight so I am guessing it would be lovelier and romantic during the sunset. However, please be cautious since it is windy and mind your time since it only allows around 10 persons on the dock at the same time.