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    

Royal Safari Garden - Puncak and Club Bali @Kota Bunga - Cipanas

Christmas decoration on the lobby of Royal Safari Garden

Merry Christmas everyone \(>.<)/ So…tell me…did u get lotsa presents? Me? Nah…I was the one who gave the presents wkwkwk and received none (!T_T) But at least, my girls were happy…opening presents from me and ‘Santa’ (btw, we aren’t Christian but we enjoy the celebration). How was your Christmas’ eve? I hope all of us are having a blast and a blessed holiday. So…where do you go for the holiday? We just came back from our holiday, nowhere farther…only the outskirt of the city like Puncak and Bandung. We always go for year-end holiday prior the peak seasons. Why? There are lots of reasons, ie pricey hotel rate, overcrowded point of interests, long lines on amusement rides and even on McD (yes…been there and done that), not to mention a very long queue during the check in/out…and waiting too long ruins the holiday mood don’t you think so?

The putty golf arena

Leopard' lobby

So here on this post, I will write a review of 2 hotels that we stayed during our holiday around Puncak area. The first will be Royal Safari Garden, a very big complex about 5mins of drive from Taman Safari. The complex includes aquariums, splash waterpark, mini bird park, and few rides such as camels/elephants/ponies ride, choo-choo-train, and many more. Bike for rent, basketball field, spa/reflexology and fish spa, kids room, fishing and vast garden are available too. For the accommodation, they have rooms and bungalows for rent. The newest rooms will be the Leopard building one (they have several building and named it after the animal) while for bungalow, they have a 2bedroom to 3bedroom bungalows for you to choose.

Our room

 

Since we got the Leopard room, the building was quite new (compared to the aging other building ie Komodo building). The room was clean with twin bed and a single extra bed on the floor. Basic amenities were available includes complimentary mineral water and cokes. Small fridge, SDB, flat TV and coffee/tea maker were available as well for your comfort. Breakfast was good too (each building has their own resto for your convenient). Free wifi was available and there are lotsa food/souvenirs stalls inside and outside the hotel. Another benefit for staying here is you got IDR40k off for Taman Safari entrance ticket per pax…perfect!

Simple yet tasty breakfast on the rooftop with awesome view

The kids club

The next one will be Club Bali @Kota Bunga, Cipanas. A bit farther from Taman Safari (about 30mins of drive), the location of Club Bali is quite strategic as well, inside Kota Bunga Villa estate with at least 4 attractions spots nearby (The Little Venice as the closest one, Arena Fantasi, Taman Bunga Nusantara and Cibodas Botanical Garden) and many other attractions around the area as well. Club Bali is sort of serviced apartment, which is normally rented by its members, however some vacant rooms are rented for non-member as well. We took the 2bedroom deluxe room which had 2 queen beds and 1 extra bed on each room. Since it is a serviced apartment, they furnish the room with kitchen and its utensil for your convenient if you prefer cooking on your own, dining table and living room, and 2 bathrooms with another extra toilet. The blueprint from Club Bali said that the sleep capacity of the room is 16 though I counted 10 persons (5 in each room) for extra comfort.

View from our balcony

fireplace on the lobby

Our bakiak competition and we lost wkwkwk

The facilities provided are quite complete with badminton field, swimming pool, big lawn for hosted activities, kids room, billiard, resto and lounge, as well as karaoke room. During the peak season and weekend, the hotel organizes a competition among the guests (it is not compulsory but taking part was very fun) by paying IDR 50k per room (and they provide prizes as well). Shuttle to the nearest attraction spots and free wifi are available as well. Overall, our stay here was FUN!

Both rooms have the same layout

the bathroom

dining table

The sofa bed in the living room - across the kitchen

Melrimba Garden - Puncak

The main facade

Indoor seating

Open kitchen

It is exam weeks (the school normally has 1week of practical subjects and 2weeks of theoritical subjects) and me and the girls are having hard days. So it's sort of our routine to have a short break during the weekend where my girls can study in leisure. This time, we chose Puncak as our destination and my hubby had a perfect destination for this time 'study picnic' - at Melrimba Garden (Puncak Pas - before Rindu Alam Restaurant - on your left if you are going up).

Indoor 2nd floor seating

Front porch seating on 2nd floor

Human sized ladder and snake board game

The traffic was light from Jkt (we left at 9am) however near the Ciawi highway exit, the cars were lined up - bumper to bumper. We arrived at 11.30am (‎​=.=! pheω...‎​⊙﹏⊙ ) and almost missed the place but luckily we could turn from the exit roadway. The parking lot was limited but I like the openness. You can see the foggy lazuli sky everywhere...with tea plantation patches here and there in between the dense trees. The air was perfect, mountain fresh and cool breeze but wasn't freeze your lung and limbs :-). Beside the wheather was quite perfect too...a bit cloudy with occasional light shower which didn't deter us to play outdoor.

Lesehan seating

Human sized chess

Mini outbound area

Camping ground

There are so many pics but i gotta choose the best of it for this post   :-)

Right in the middle of the parking lot, there is small pond which at the time we went there...was empty (probably they were doing some maintenance on it). Across on the right side (from the entrance roadway) is the playground area while the main building is on our left side. The building was only 2storeys high with open facade as well (the upper floor was a bit country style). Yucca and palm trees soften the rigid minimalist outer outlook. They put 'lesehan' area in front where you can sit on the floor while dining (or power napping after your meal 【ツ】ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²²【ツ】). They provide thin cushion for your comfort here. Each lesehan area was separated with low wall (about 40cm)...so our view to the surrounding (including the inside of the building) isn't obstructed. While on the inside, wooden planks are mainly used either for flooring, pilar, partition or dining table.

Trees' stumps games

In front of the garden

Pretty sight isnt it?

Playground inside the garden

Fishing pond inside the garden

Apparently openness is one of the key concept here beside natural garden, since they have open kitchen at far right of the building and open bar at another left of the building. I like the way they decorate the kitchen with rows of herbs potted plants...effortless beauty :-) To cater the needs of baby and toddler, they have indoor playground right in front of the bar. On the 1st floor, plush marron sofas dominate the seating arrangement. On the side, there are wooden seating furniture with shredded cloth partition. Totally comfy with one drawback, the light is too dimmed. The second floor was constructed on the same concept with high wooden ceiling and large squarish holes serve as the windows. Indoor hanging plants decorate the upper ceiling patio. I noticed Petunia, Geranium and Begonia among others that I didn't know.

Thai pineapple fried rice with cute shape

Pasta

Iga iga lasem

But Melrimba isn't only about the building and the cozyness of it. The food was superb too. We ordered Thai pineapple fried rice, Iga iga lasem, and Spaghetti to share for my girls. The Iga iga lasem was fantastic (an eye opener that can wipe out your tiredness after a long drive). It was basically ribs soup with green tomatoes and herbs (more or less like Tom yum soup but this one was fresher in term of the taste). Beside the main course, we also had Fried tofu (with pan smeared garlic and chilli sauce) which was absolutely yummy. While for dessert, we chose fried banana with caramel sauce and cute round poffertjes with caster sugar topping. All of them only costed us around IDR250k including beverages too...pretty cheap wasn't it?
After eating and study, it was time to explore the whole area of Melrimba Garden. They are building a hotel right now and currently offer a camping ground (tents and its equippment are provided). They also have mini outbound area, 3on3 basketball field, nursery with lots of baby plant to choose from minimum IDR10k. They provide tea plantation walk, bike rental, ATV, fishing and trampolin too. All required extra charges from the lowest of IDR 5k (they sometime differentiate the charge for adult and child). Inside the garden (IDR 7.5k per adult or IDR5k per child), there are mini playground too. I simply Ŀ♡√Ɛ the garden, Azlea, Chrissan, Bell flower, Gardenia, and many more. Absolutely breathtaking natural beauty...I could spend hours inside the garden 【ツ】ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²² ƗƗє²²【ツ】

Fried banana with caramel sauce

Poffertjes

Various flowers inside the garden

In short...Melrimba Garden is a perfect place for short family city escape
*thinking where we are going to have our another study picnic (^.^)