I found my soul in Seoul

The Ramadhan month is just like Christmas for Indonesians. It's a time of holiday, fun and travel! Since my family is in the travel business, we never travel during Ramadhan just because we know how crowded it can be. However, this year I went to Korea.

Yes Indonesia is currently having a major Korean fever. From K-POP, cosmetics, and fashion. Even I was a little shocked at how K-crazy they can get. Anyways, this was my second time going to Korea. I had forgotten most of how it looked in Korea, but I was armed with 1 information: shop as much cosmetics and makeup when I am there =)

First impression when I arrived in Incheon: this place is well organized. Oh yeah, I forgot 1 more major thing. EVERYTHING IS KOREAN! European, American, Chinese and most of all Japanese brands are  very unappealing here. I have never seen so many Lotte, Daewoo, Hyundai, Kia and Samsung in my entire life before. Almost everything (including the ginseng packages) are backed by either Lotte or Samsung! My tour guide and friend named Richard very quickly took my new Samsung S3 and installed a bunch of apps only Koreans know. Needless to say, I was extremely impressed by how strong the Korean patriotism is.

So the touristy spots are places that I have seen before. They are not as impressive or overbearing as the palaces in China (but again China goes overboard for their emperor).

Jeju Island

I was excited to check out the Jeju island after I was told that the Seoul-Jeju air route is the busiest in the world. I mean, what can this little island contain that it attracts thousands of flights weekly? This is even more than the Beijing Shanghai route, LAX-SFO route and Jakarta-Singapore route!! Apparently, after I visited the island, I understand the charm. The Korean Tourist Organization promotes Korea as an entire package. Almost all tourists that visited Korea will fly to the Jeju Island. After the K-POP wave hit the world, flocks of tourists from all over the world come to see Seoul and makes their stop in Jeju as well. There is just something about this island charm that even I still fail to see. I thought that Bali was at least 3 times more beautiful than Jeju.

Still, even though that there are no magnificent historical buildings or majestic natural sceneries, I was very impressed with Korea. I went back home to Jakarta slight Korea-fied (I still am!) I bought a bunch of cosmetics which I still swear by its beautification power. I came back as a Samsung advocate. Korea, I will be back. And I will be back for many more times =)

Nami Island

BANGKOK - makan makan dan shopping !

 Sering saya bepergian ke Bangkok baik dalam tugas maupun jalan jalan, tapi yang membuat Bangkok selalu menarik adalah tempat nya aneka makanan yang enak enak, sebut saja tom yam sup yang kesohor, pedas yang sedap itu

goreng kweetiauw Pad Thai seafood di campur bubuk sambel yang bikin keringatan makan nya,

selain itu makanan aneka pencuci mulut  yang lucu sekaligus menarik di pandang mata.


mangga dan nasi ketan yang gurih



miniatur buah buah yang isi nya kacang

pokok nya soal makan makan kuliner, bangkok sih sangat cocok buat lidah kita kita

dan soal shopping nya ini juga salah satu jago nya, barang barang nya bagus kreatif berdesign khas dan harga nya murah murah, sehingga banyak pemilik toko di tanah abang dan mangga dua juga membeli barang barang nya dari Bangkok ini, sebut saja salah satu pusat grosir fashion adalah " Platinum Fashion Mall " dengan 1300 toko toko nya dan di lantai 6 ada food court yang lengkap dengan aneka makanan khas



MBK pusat belanja



akhir nya kalo soal makan makan dan belanja memang Bangkok paling seru, saya pasti ke bangkok lagi

Travel Back in Time in Vietnam and Cambodia

Perhaps not one of the most popular destinations for Indonesians, Vietnam and Cambodia offer travelers a unique chance to experience a country still in development. 

Vietnam

Having endured the American invasion (of course the Americans call it Democratic Liberation), Vietnam today is still a socialist country. The Americans left so much war ammunition in the country that Vietnam became one of the top 10 countries for the amount of weapons they possess. Despite the million tonnes of bombs dropped by America, Vietnam still won the war overall. Their secret? Their petite body frame and their will to survive. Visitors to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) are usually brought to the Cuchi Tunnels, an immense network of connecting underground tunnels located about an hour drive away from Saigon. These tunnels housed almost 50,000 Vietnamese soldiers and their families, and are dug at least 3 meters underground. The tunnels are also shaped according to a Vietnamese body frame, making it almost impossible for the typical big American soldiers to even squeeze past the entrance. 

Cuchi Tunnel, where the Viet Cong soldiers lived during the Vietnam war. 

 Another big tourist attraction to Saigon is the Ben Thanh market. It is a series of shops selling hand-made products, local delicacies and souvenirs. Prices are always negotiable except in government marked stores, making it a very affordable shopping location in the heart of Ho Chi Minh city. 

Cambodia

The Cambodian royal palace

This is the only country in the world that had the monarchy system eliminated and then returned in modern days. This is also the country that proclaimed itself free of war just as recent as 1998. Going to Cambodia is literally like traveling back in time and witnessing a country's growth after war and independence. Every person you see on the street is friendly and helpful, the roads and buildings are all newly built, the monuments have just been erected. Religion is a very important aspect in the country, and Cambodian monarchs have dedicated their wealth and palaces in honor of the Buddhist gods they revere. 

Our group in the Lara Croft Temple Complex

However, Cambodia is most well known to the world for the grand architectural conquest of Angkor Wat in Siem Reap. Named the largest hindu temple complex in the world,  the temple is at the top of the high classical style of Khmer architecture. Angkor Wat has become a symbol of Cambodia, appearing on its national flag, and it is the country's prime attraction for visitors. Every person who visits walks in reverence as they take countless pictures to store whatever they could of the majestic structures. Besides the glaring heat, I have nothing else but awe and wonder for the great structures that represents the peak of Khmer architecture. 


For any information about our Vietnam/Cambodia package, please visit the closest TX Travel. See you in our next trip!

Angkor Wat in the Background

Jiu Zhai Gou the Switzerland of China

China dikenal dengan pemandangan alam yang sangat indah, selain sejarah kebudayaan dan kesenian serta kerajaan yang sudah berumur 10 ribuan tahun.
Ada satu lokasi yang saya sangat suka yaitu Jiu Zhai Gou the Switzerland of China
Lembah lembah yang pohan pohan yang hijau bersatu dengan danau danau yang biru, di kombinasikan dengan air terjun dilengkapi dengan suhu udara yang sejuk, lengkaplah sudah lukisan alam yang dikagumi ribuan pengunjung per hari nya.......

Jiu Zhai Gou yang arti nya adalah " lembah sembilan desa " berada di ketinggian antara 2000 m sampai dengan 4000 m diatas permukaan laut, membuat suhu udara sub tropis yang sejuk walaupun di musim panas.
Di tahun 1992 di resmi kan oleh UNESCO sebagai warisan dunia yang harus di lindungi

salah satu highlight adalah di daerah Huanglong terdapat sekitar 3500 kolam kecil yang bersatu seperti sirip ikan bersatu padu membuat untaian pemandangan yang sangat berbeda dan indah sekali, warna air dengan pantulan refleksi awan yang bitu bercampur aduk dengan pepohonan yang hijau, sungguh indah dan fenomena !

Terletak di propinsi Sichuan yang terkenal dengan populasi Panda raksasa yang terbanyak di dunia, ingat film Kungfu Panda yang lucu itu, ide setting cerita nya memang dibuat di daerah Sichuan ini , memang daerah yang banyak panda nya dan di Gunung Emei terkenal dengan puluhan kuil yang masih aktif mengajarkan kungfu sebagai olah raga dan ilmu bela diri, ciaaaat jadilah sang kungfu panda itu

TX Travel punya program Fantastik Jiu Zhai Gou, 7 malam via kota Chengdu - kota ke 4 terbesar di China, kota awal dari jalan sutera yang terkenal itu, kota bersejarah yang sudah menjadi kota penting dalam perdagangan dunia. program tour nya termasuk ke Leshan - patung Buddha terbesar di dunia dan gunung Emei - salah satu dari 4 gunung suci di China.

Customer Testimonial: Thank you TX

Emang sih ada kepuasan yg kudapat saat ikut tour ke Guilin China 2012.3.8 kmrn.Servis memuaskan gitu`loh..Aku bs bb~an setiap saat berkat adanya WIFI yg disediakan oleh pihak TX Travel,dan aku bs mkn dgn lahap mskan di cina itu berkat adanya saus sambal yg slalu dibagi bagi saat km mkn,krn walau masakan disana sangat lezat,namun blm klop rasanya lidah ini kalau tdk mkn sambal sambal buatan negri sendiri(lidah Indonesia gitu`loh,hehehee).

Oh yaa ada lg yg bt ku terkesan pdhl sangat sepele,yaitu tour guide km yg dr Jkrt itu slalu membagi bagikan km permen saat km akan memulai perjalanan km di bus menuju tmpt tmpt wisata yg akan km tuju.Permen yg disediakan pihak TX travel itupun rasanya suatu servis dan kebaikan BOS TX Trevel dlm memanjakan pelangganya.

Hal yg kecil tp bs bsr manfaatnya.Mungkin agar km tak mengantuk saat akan melewati pemandangan pemandangan indah di spnjng jln yg akan bus km lalui..,atau hny sekedar penghilang bau jiggong(bau tak sedap dr nafas mulut kt)yg mngkn bs mengganggu konsentrasi pak supir bus saat mengendarai bus itu,hahahaaa..By the way..,salut dan sangat berkesan deh aku ini atas pelayananya.Thanks bt TX travel..,smoga ttp jaya dan dpt dicontoh servis bt pelanggan yg sangat bermanfaat itu..GBU.

Aku Siti Rosmery,si pelanggan yg puas akan layanan TX Travel saat ke Guilin China 2012.3.8

TX Travel dan Pameran Travel

The past few months have been extremely busy for the TX Travel team even though it is the low season period in the travel industry. Besides launching a variety of new products, we also participated in several expo and conventions that were soaring successes!

Here are some highlights the new products that we have just launched:

JiuZhaiGou

- Fantastic JiuZhaiGou : The national park that has been often likened to the views in Switzerland is finally open to the public again after the winter period. There is a saying in China "The most beautiful mountain scenery is HuangShan and the most breathtaking water scenery is in JiuZhaiGou" Our package offers 4 and 5 star hotels with comfortable bus transportation to the national park as well as sightseeing around the Chengdu area. Places visited: JiuZhaiGou, HuangLong, Chengdu, LeShan, EmeiShan. 

Tokyo Disneyland

- Japan Golden Route: Seems like that we have been blogging about Japan alot these few weeks. That's because it's one of the best time of the year to visit Japan! The Golden Route is the most popular cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji and Osaka. On top of all that, the package includes entrance fees to Disneyland and Universal Studios!





During the expo, we also invited 2 celebrities to our booth. Teddy Tamasya and Dea Imut came over to give their support, and they will also join our tour on the 27th of April. What's even more cool is that this particular departure date (27th April) will be shown on a TV spot and shared with a wider television audience.

TX Travel participated in the following conventions in the month of February and March: Astindo Travel Fair, Garuda Travel Fair, BNI Travel Fair. During these expo period, special tour prices and ticket promotions are sold like hotcakes to all of our supporters. We would like to say a special thank you for everyone who had supported all of our products since our inception, and we are here because of all of your support. As the year 2012 continues to roll on, we strive to be an innovative and value-sensitive travel company that delivers premium experiences at a fraction of premium price =)

See you in our next trip!

A Culinary Trip to Japan

I just completed a small yet fulfilling trip with my dad and brother in Japan. We were in Tokyo, Hakone (Mt Fuji area), Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka. Besides all of the interesting cultures and attractions, one of the lasting impressions I had is the food. This was one of those trips, where food was one of the main attractions. We came to Japan already knowing that we are going to sample some of the best food in the country and also local specialties.

It was so much fun and delicious, and I can't wait to share all of it with you. Oh by the way, for anyone who wishes to follow our itinerary, please feel free! We travelled all over using the Shinkansen and the subway stations. And everything was very easy to find :)

Here's a sample of what we ate throughout our trip

Grade A5 Kobe

Typical cake shop!!!

Just a quick tip for all the foodies out there, be sure to research on the specialty foods of the area. You definitely want to try it out. For example, we tried out the famed Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki (japanese pancake) and it was very different from the normal Okonomiyaki that we usually have. Also, be sure to have a list of items that you want to try, because you can get lost in the food choices very easily in Japan. You don't want to end up eating only Ramen or Curry throughout your stay =)

 Our itinerary

Shibuya by Night

Tokyo - 3 nights

Hotel: Keio Hotel Plaza, Shibuya Area

Attractions: Tokyo tower, Ginza street, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Asakusa Area (Sensoji Temple, Kaminari Gate) 

Inari Shrine, Kyoto

Hakone - 1 night

Hotel: Kowaki-en Resort

Attractions: Owakudani Valley for a view of Mt Fuji

Osaka Castle

Kyoto - 2 nights

Hotel: Karasuma Kyoto Hotel

Attractions: Kiyomizu-Dera Temple, Sanjusangendo, Heian Jingu Shrine, Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion), wearing a kimono, Inari Shrine

Hiroshima - 1 night

Hotel: Hotel New Hiroden

Attractions: Hiroshima Atomic Peace Center, Miyajima Itsukushima Temple

Osaka - 1 night

Hotel: Capsule hotel, Shinsai Bashi

Attractions: Osaka Castle, Osaka Sky Garden

Looks like alot of fun right? It certainly was a memorable journey, and definitely a gastronomous one!

See you in the next trip!

For our Japanese packages, please check out www.txtravel.com. Prices start from less than $2000USD!! very cheap! Call 021 380 9999 or visit www.txtravel.com

Customer Testimonial: Mengapa TX Travel?

Perkenalan dengan TX Travel secara tak sengaja terjadi pada bulan Oktober 2010. Saat itu kami berenam (saya, kakak perempuan berserta kedua anaknya, dan 2 teman wanita) hendak melakukan perjalanan ke Hongkong dan Macau. Tujuan ke dua kota ini memang bukanlah merupakan kunjungan yang pertama. Namun tergiur oleh harga yang murah serta itinerary yang menarik dan lengkap membuat kami tidak perpikir panjang dan segera mendaftar.

Awalnya sih takut tertipu. Masak sih ke Hongkong dan Macau selama 5 hari 4 malam hanya Rp 4,5 juta all in? Padahal biasanya harga paket tur kesana pastilah di atas USD 1,000. Terus terang, awalnya belum pernah mendengar nama TX Travel. Mulailah saya mencari informasi mengenai agen travel ini di situs internet. Ternyata TX Travel yang didirikan oleh sepasang suami istri yaitu Bapak Anthonius Thedy dan Rita S. Halim ini merupakan agen travel waralaba pertama di Indonesia yang didirikan tahun 2005. Terdapat 150 cabang yang tersebar di 50 kota di Indonesia.

St Paul's Ruins, Macau

Avenue of the Stars, Hong Kong

Pulang dari Hongkong dan Macau mulailah saya mempromosikan ke saudara, teman bahkan orangtua mengenai agen travel low cost carrier ini. Ternyata tur murah meriah namun tidak murahan ini banyak mendapat sambutan dari teman-teman dan saudara. Terbukti banyak di antara mereka yang selalu ikut beserta saya jika menggunakan jasa travel ini dan yang terpenting mereka selalu puas. Hingga saat ini sudah tercatat sebanyak 3 kali saya mengikuti tur murah meriah (foto terlampir).

Banyak kok agen-agen travel yang bertebaran di Indonesia khususnya di kota Medan. Tapi mengapa saya memilih TX Travel sebagai salah satu agen travel favorit saya? Inilah beberapa alasannya :

1.  Tersedia beragam destinasi mancanegara dan domestik dengan harga yang terjangkau sesuai dengan motto yaitu : Hadir untuk melayani, kami siap untuk membantu Anda mendapatkan tiket dan tur yang murah. Mantap kan... 
2. Industri travel saat ini berkembang dengan pesat dan sangat kompetitif. Tidak jarang usaha di bidang ini melahirkan agen-agen travel nakal yang tak segan-segan menipu kliennya. Janji manis yang terkadang tidak sesuai dengan kenyataan sering membuat kita kecewa. Padahal maksud hati ingin menghemat waktu, uang, dan mendapat kenyamanan dalam perjalanan malas terkena imbas dari orang-orang yang tidak bertanggung jawab. Atau lebih apesnya, bisa jadi uang kita dibawa kabur begitu saja. Nah loh... 
3. Pelayanan yang ramah, cepat, dan berkualitas dari owner  TX Travel Medan cabang Katamso (Bapak Darwan Tan) berserta staf-stafnya juga merupakan salah satu pemicunya. Saya mengenal dengan baik hampir seluruh karyawan TX Travel cabang Katamso Medan. Pelayanan mereka yang cepat tanggap, seolah-olah mengerti kemauan para klien membuat saya tidak pernah mengalami darting (darah tinggi). 
4.  TX Travel berusaha membangun hubungan jangka panjang dengan para klien, tidak semata mengejar transaksi di saat itu saja. Hal ini terbukti pada saat saya mengikuti perjalanan ke Turki (November 2011) dan ke Guilin (Maret 2012). Pada saat itu terjadi kesalahan informasi yang menyebabkan saya hampir membatalkan perjalanan tersebut. Namun sebagai kompensasinya, saya, suami, dan teman-teman mendapat free visa (Turki) serta travel bag beroda (Guilin) . Padahal seharusnya travel bag yang tersedia tidak beroda dan harus ditenteng. Cihuiiii...
5. Tour Leader yang berpengalaman (kebanyakan owner TX Travel dari cabang-cabang sehingga ada rasa memiliki) serta Local Guide yang sangat fasih berbahasa Indonesia. Jika apes, yaaa dapat Local Guide berbahasa Inggris. Tapi masih bearable lah ketimbang agen-agen travel di Medan yang kebanyakan menyediakan Local Guide berbahasa Mandarin ataupun Hokkian. Ampun deh...Kasihan kan klien yang keturunan Melayu. Dapat dipastikan hampir 90% tidak mengerti bahasa Mandarin atau Hokkian. Kalau bahasa Inggris, kemungkinan masih bisa lah walau hanya pasif. 
6.  TX Travel juga berusaha memperbaiki diri dari waktu ke waktu dan berusaha memberikan service ++ kepada klien. Saya cukup terkesan dengan penyediaan fasilitas wifi yang terus ‘on’ selama 24 jam...free pula selama mengikuti tur ke Guilin. Sungguh membuat perjalanan yang jauh menjadi terasa dekat. Selama dalam perjalanan, kita bisa ber-bbm ria dengan keluarga di tanah air dan yang penting tetap bisa bernarcis-narcis ria di Facebook dengan meng-upload foto-foto menarik dari negara yang kita kunjungi. Thumbs up...
7.  Klien selalu diberi informasi mengenai paket-paket tur murah melalui broadcast  BBM sehingga kita bisa mengatur keuangan dan jadwal keberangkatan.

Lunch di Guilin, China

Jadi maksud hati bukan hendak mempromosikan TX Travel secara berlebihan melalui tulisan ini. Tapi lebih kepada berbagi pengalaman kepada para traveler amatiran seperti diriku. Semoga lebih bijak dalam memilih agen travel yang baik dan berkualitas tapi dengan harga yang terjangkau dan sesuai dengan budget.

Akhir kata, jia you TX Travel....semoga semakin berjaya dan sukses.

Jalan jalan di Turki

Jeny Indrajaya - Peserta Tur TX Travel