We love Lovina Beach House - Lovina, North Bali, Indonesia

View of Lovina Beach House from the beach

The plunge pool in the garden - very clean and private

We took a ferry from Ketapang, Banyuwangi to Port Gilimanuk in the northern part of Bali. This is our second time in Bali and we booked again with Eddy for a private tour but as usual Eddy always does more than he should. The journey by ferry took about 40 minutes and as soon as we got through the exit gate, the cheerful Eddy has been waiting for us.  We told Eddy we were really hungry and he took us to a restaurant for lunch and after that we were heading to Lovina Beach House.

Very relaxing and the maid came in the morning to serve us fruits

I booked Lovina Beach House through Booking.com about a month ago, after reading positive reviews on the accommodation at TripAdvisor and thanks to the reviewers for giving precise information about this place. Upon arrival, Made was waiting for us and we sorted the payment and he showed us around the house. The house is very spacious, clean and the furnishing gives it the Balinese feel.  Our house has two bedrooms, a huge bedroom with a huge balcony facing the sea upstairs and another bedroom downstairs leading to the pool in the garden.  

All the bedrooms are air-conditioned while the open living room and open kitchen concept give the house a good ventilation and airy. The only disadvantage which was not a problem for us is the location of the house which is about a hundred meter away from the main road. You can hire a motorbike for IDR 50,000 (about USD $5) per day or you can hire a private vehicle with a driver. For us, we asked Eddy to stay with us so that he could drive us to the town and at night when we feel like dining outside.

This place is ideal if you intend to go for the dolphin trip in the early morning. Eddy arranged for the boat to come and pick us at the beach in front of the house.  And I saw some people went snorkeling from the balcony of the house but I never tried so I have no idea of the underwater. But overall, we had the a perfectly relaxing stay after climbing Ijen and Bromo. 

Note:  People have been asking about our contact in Bali. Our agent cum faithful guide in Bali is Eddy Santoso. His number is +6287861274094 and he's also available at Whatsapp. 

The bedroom down stairs

The open space bathroom

We had dinner here

The door to the bedroom

The open living room facing the garden in the yard

Entrance path

There's a small door connecting us to the house next door

In the morning, we had breakfast at the little table

The view from the bedroom

I love the furniture 

At the entrance gate

The black sand beach in front of the house

Some people went snorkeling/diving

View of the house from the beach

Few boats near the house

I love every aspect of Dar el Menia - Fes Medina, Morocco

Dark, tiny alleys to Dar el Menia....but wait until you're inside the house

The bathroom on second floor

This 250 years old Dar el Menia (Moroccan Traditional House) is one of the most interesting accommodation I have ever stayed. We arrived in the walled old city of Medina in the evening. From one man, we were transferred to another and finally, we trotted behind the man pushing our luggage in a small cart, like a wheel barrow. Not a word was spoken. I began to wonder, "Where am I?" The ambience was weird, nothing I have seen before in my life. Stealing a glance at my surrounding, I began to worry about the accommodation I've booked! Must be scruffy!

As we got deeper into the Medina, the alleys were getting smaller and darker...it was scary. The man suddenly stopped in front of a huge, heavy iron door and began banging it.  As soon as the door opened, a tall, lean English man appeared in front of us. I felt relief, it must be none other than Graham, the owner of Dar el Menia whom I've been corresponding through emails. He greeted and invited us into his charming Dar. Graham took time to explain about the house and the Medina. I was utterly impressed by every detail of the interior and obviously, he has done an impressive pain staking job to preserve the house. It is an amazing Dar (house).

Narrow bedroom Moroccan style

This is a place I would recommend to anyone who loves to experience the rustic and authentic Moroccan living in the Medina. The house can actually sleep 11 but the four of us rented the whole house for privacy. It has 4 bedrooms over the three floors, all with attached bathrooms, a communal salon and 2 kitchens; one on the ground floor and the other at the roof top. In the morning Um Kalthum and her husband, Mustpha came to prepare us breakfast and kept the house immaculately clean. They only speak French and Arabic but the sign language works pretty well for us.

Dar el Menia has been featured in Lonely Planet, Sunday Times Travel Magazine and it has been fully restored by the owner, Graham Coules. It is a wonderful place that we wish to stay when we visit Morocco again.
website: www.medinafes.com

In another bedroom at level 2

Cozy day bed

The bathroom on the third level

Interesting ceramic piece

The kitchen

The wash basin

The shower head

A room with a view - Banding Lake Side Inn, Temenggor, Perak, Malaysia

A view from the balcony - the bridge to Banding Island

Banding Lake Side Inn

Although the drive from Kuala Lumpur to Pulau Banding is estimated to take 5 ½ hours, it can actually drag longer depending on the traffic. This is Eid and even the expressway can get congested. From the North-South Expressway we exited Kuala Kangsar and drove further up the East-West Highway. The next 39km after the town of Gerik is very winding with sharp bends all over.  

We booked a hotel on a hilly spot just before the bridge across Pulau Banding – Banding Lake Side Inn. Across the bridge is the Belum Rainforest Resort which is much more expensive but with better facilities. Apart from these two hotels, there are no other hotels in the vicinity except for few boat houses on the lake, which is much cheaper than the hotels ranging $12 to $30 USD but I’m not sure about the quality of the boat houses though. I think one should not expect much out of these boat houses but perhaps more for the experience of staying in it.    

King Size Bed

Banding Lake Side Inn is a simple hotel with all the basic features; mini bar, sofa, ironing board and the normal furniture a hotel would have. We had a deluxe room – clean and spacious. But what bothers me most about this hotel is the poor service. We arrived quite late after a long drive and were surprise that there was no one to take our stacks of luggage to the rooms. We loaded our things on the hotel trolley and started distributing them to our respective rooms. I’m not sure if that is the normal practice in this hotel or is it just they are terribly under staff during Eid. “Crappy!” I whispered to myself. 

The breakfast was even more disappointing with just bread, butter and jam. If you’re going for jungle trekking, water rafting and other activities you probably need to load yourself a little bit more to boost your energy. Luckily we brought our own fruits, nuts, biscuits and cereals. Except for a small petty shop and a local stall near the second bridge, this place has no grocery store or fast food restaurant. The hotel has a small shop selling ice cream and junk food but it is very expensive.  The nearest town is Gerik, 39km away. Those are some of the setback of Banding Lake Side Inn. 

The balcony facing the lake

But on a positive note, as soon as I got into my room (401), all my complaints vanished. I was mesmerized by the breathtaking view from my balcony, facing the jade green lake set against Banding Island and the other small Islands. I wake up in the morning watching the sunrise over the shimmering lake. Other families of mine on the second and third floor complained of the bad smell from the toilet, the small insects raided their room but I’m utterly contented with the magnificent view. Couldn't ask for more! 

Huge bathroom

Banding Island at sunset from the balcony

Green tropical rainforest

21/3 Hanover Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2DL

The living and dining area

The flight from Paris to Edinburgh was slightly delayed and we arrived almost midnight. But we were glad that we had made prior arrangement with Susan, the owner, to deliver the apartment keys to our hotel in London about a week ago. So it was a long journey from London to Amsterdam then to Paris and finally the last leg of our journey, Edinburgh.

Hanover apartment is a self-catering apartment right in the center of the town and everything is just a few steps away. The location is very convenient that there is no need for public transportation.  All shopping stores on Princess Street, George Street and Queens Street is easily accessible on foot.  Mark and Spencer is less than 100 meters from the apartment and we run back and forth to do grocery shopping.  The apartment is immaculately clean and the one we rented has a reading room with a view of the Edinburgh castle. Although the owner stays in London, the caretaker in Edinburgh is available all the time in case of emergency. I highly recommend this apartment for its location, service and the quality of the interior. http://www.21hanoverstreet.co.uk/

The living room

The kitchen

The kitchen 

Riad Mur Akush - Marakech

We arrived at the riad in the evening and the moment we entered the house we could feel the warm ambiance of the house and the hospitality of the staff. Vases full of fresh white and red roses decorated every table in the patio. We were served tea and sweet delicacies to cool us down after such a long journey from the desert.

Riad Mur Akush has 6 rooms; each tastefully decorated to its own theme and character. I must say something about the lovely bathrooms. The beautiful vibrant colors of the zellige (Moroccan tiles) give a unique finishing to the bathrooms. 

We took suite Yassine and room Salam after failing to book Suite Grand Amel. The riad is very popular and they’re taken real fast. You need to book way in advance. The fact that the house is able to serve very limited number of people at one time, the service is very personal and excellent. The staff in particular Rachid is very helpful and accommodating to our needs and all we got to do is just ask!

Sweet delicacies to welcome us

Suite Yassine

Yassine Bathroom

Room Salaam

Salaam Bathroom

The Salon

Dinning Area

Malawi (Roti Canai), Buns and Banana for Breakfast

Moucharabieh (Arab Grill)

Key to the room

White and Red Roses all over