It was my plan, as always, to have a family recreation. As written in EGW writings that a family recreation should not filled with artificial amusement only and a time-wasting as well as a money-wasting activities.
That was my fundamental when planning a family recreation. Where could i bring my family to see the creation of God? How should i bring them there? Where is the economic place to stay? First, i have to ask my husband to save the date for this plan as he is the ‘busiest’ employee i know lol. Second, choose the destination. Third, book the accomodation and transportation.
My husband agreed to block 1 week (22-26 june 2015) for this plan. East Java has a new educative park called Jatim Park. It has an exotic zoo, museums, lotsa greeny area, close with sky, animals, trees, and mountains. PERFECT!!
Then I started browsing the net to find the perfect accomodation. I choosed a homestay, affordable, clean, and close to the park. The pediatrician of my children recommended BATU PATADISE HOTEL. I checked it right away, and YES, it is awesome for a price cheaper than a homestay. But then i was attracted to the nearby hotel named BATU WONDERLAND HOTEL with similar price (with paradise) but more fascinating modern water park and playground. It must be a heaven for children. But hey….WAIT!! Did i say ‘heaven’? I must be crazy if i want to direct their minds to an earthly heaven.
I was tempted to choose the wonderland for us to stay but then o realize that my children will not be interested to go to the park, garden, zoo, and museums if we stay there. They will choose to stay in the hotel, and i close that page right away and transfer the booking fee for Batu Paradise Hotel.
How will we go there? I choose economy train back and forth. Not only for its affordable price (IDR 595K back and forth) but also 24hrs trip back and forth will teach my kids how to have a long-suffering, simplicity, besides they never ride a train before. So this gonna be their first trip. The first is always the best, i believe it! For this first trip by train, we choosed JAYABAYA train from Pasar Senen (Jakarta) to Malang. The trip duration was 13hrs (the fastest among all executives and economy class). This is a brand new train, economy class but super clean and.comfort. Ticket fares from IDR 245k to IDR 370k depends on the carriage. The more expensive the ticket is, the more foremost your carriage is. But based on my experience, 5th and 6th carriage are better than 1st to 4th. More spacious for toilet, less passengers content, and best sits are 1a-1d if you need more room for your legs.
If you noticed the blue carpet under the seat, we brought it from home for the kids so they can use it for lying down or sleep with bed cover and blanket. They like it! We bought the carpet 2m with price IDR 9k/mtr. It is easy to folde and didnt need mire space in our bag, waterproof and cheap. We just leave it in the train when arrived in jkt. The train is cheaper and more comfortable. Train ticket for back and forth costs the same with one way plane ticket. There are some trains which are more comfortable than JAYABAYA, executives train with.TV, carpets, reclining seat, foot and arm rests, head pillow, curtain, but trip duration is 16-18hrs and costs as much as plane ticket.
ARRIVAL
We arrived in Malang train station and welcomed by its morning breeze, it was 1am in the morning. Cool fresh air, so different with our city. Kids slept, and i strted to walk out to find a taxi while my husband and mum waited in tha station hall. I actually did call Taxi Citra (0341-404040), 2hrs before our arrival, but they said that their vehicles are 24hrs ready in the station. And yes, there are some Taxi Citra parked in their shuttle. We jumped in immediately and our lugages fit the cabin very well except the baby stroller, so we must put it under our feet. The driver was nice but didn’t know the hotel that we were heading. I was astonished by the cleanliness and tidiness of Malang City, my husband and i was dreaming while the driver brought us away from.Malang city to Batu city. When i realized that the driver was confused, i grabbed my phone and asked help from Mr.googlemap, then started directing the driver, and TADAAA…we reached the hotel in 15mins.
We checked in the hotel, but the check-on time is still in 12hrs and the room that we booked is not available until then, my husband agree with me to rent another room for us to stay until our booked room is available. The problem is the only available room is in a higher class, super deluxe, with more expensive price (IDR 499k/night) compare to the superior one (IDR 399k/night) that we booked. I looked at my husband, and he gave a YES sign, then i signed the form. But the receiptionist said that i only need to pay IDR 200k for it was considered as a transit only. WOW…praise God!!
As we stepped into the room, we were satisfied by its look, two double king size beds, shower room, and a terrace with big sofa and a pool and mountain view.
DAY 1
In the morning, after morning worship, we had a breakfast buffet in the resto, free for two adults and all children below 11 years old. Yippi!!! So i only need 1 additional breakfas for my mum cost only IDR 35k. Menu: Plain rice, vegetarian fried rice, vegetable soup, vegetarian dish, chicken dish (saute, grilled, roasted, chilli, etc), chips, and watermelon. Free coffee and tea, which we didn’t choose, and mineral water (our favorite).
After breakfast, we got ready for the park trip. I asked the front desk to reserve a taxi. Taxi Citra (again) come in an MPV car size (new avanza) and we can drop the baby stroller in without folding it (less effort)…hehhe.. The taxi minimum payment is IDR 30K, and as our destination was just less than 3km away from each place, so we only need to pay the minimum payment.
We started with Jatim Park 2, Batu Secreat Zoo, Eco park and Animal Museum. It is so true that the zoo was exotic. Lots of animals that we never seen. I finally saw the animals that i always curious at during my childhood. I only saw them in the book, but now i see them all!!! Ecopark was amazing indeed. So educating yet full with fun, exactly the best place for fun learning.
We had lunch at 3pm (laaattee), but the kids didn’t feel hungry, except my hunger baby, joshema, who always feels hungry. Jordan and Joeva were busy in the park until i forced them to sit down and eat their lunch. There were not so many choices for my children to eat as all food are non-vegetarian food. So they eat only plain rice and tempe/tahu (soy cake/bean curd). Only prayer keeps them healthy!
Jordan had fun in the waterpark (as always), joeva was to tired to play after lunch, joshema was attracted with the baby zoo. My husband and i tried bumper cars, as the time flies so fast and we spent to much time in the zoo and the kiddos were too tired to try the bumper cars, jet coaster, etc. We missed the Animals Museum as we ran out of time and energy.
We went back to hotel and planned to have dinner in the hotel as we ran out of energy and appetite for dining out.
Unexpectedly, the hotel provided free dinner buffet ….Yeeeyy! The appetite came back and the energy boosted up again. So, we have free lunch and diner during our staying.
I can say that Eco green park was the best place to visit
DAY 2
We woke up earlier, had breakfast and ready to go to Jatim Park 1 and Human Body Museum. This time, we didnt want to be late. We paid the entrance fee IDR 90k/pax, free ticket for children under 85cm (Joshema). The museum was excellent. We could see the huge size of tongue, ears, nose, teeth, lungs, hearts, blood veins, kidneys, all the organs of human body with its unique sounds and colors. They also had plasticined human body, the real ones, not only one, but FIVE!! Amazing! Jatim park 1 is not as interesting as Jatim park 2. More on games only few educative facilities. 
Day 3
Museum of transportation (Museum angkut) and Museum of Mask (Museum Topeng) plus Floating Market (pasar apung) for souvenir and meals. Entry ticket IDR 70k/pax for all three places. museum angkut is fabulous. It has theme/category for each vehicle, from country,super hero, year of manufacture, person who used it, history, type, from 1913 Ford, England empire’s vehicle, Porsche, Limousine Hummer, Batman’s car to Mr.Bean Mini Cooper, from Pedicab, Italian Vespa to Harley Davidson. They also have a replika of NASA rocket!
Museum of mask was not too interesting. I told the kids that these masks were initially used to worship devil. Besides, the kids were scared of the masks.
We had lunch in floating market while the kids rode a small wooden boat around the market with IDR 10k/pax and of course free ticket for joshema.
We met a travel guide who offered us a one night tour to the famous Mount Bromo. The travel agent named SENAPATI.NET (082232620004). They offered a price of IDR 245k/pax woth min 6 person. Since we were only 5, then we paid IDR 290k/pax. Booking fee 20% was transferred to their account and the remaining cash was paid after the trip. Travel agent is the safest way to go to bromo since there were various price of jeep rental.
We were picked up from the hotel at 12am (midnight) by minivan and went to Pasuruan, we stopped at one place to change the vehicle since the road condition require a 4×4 jeep to pass the way. Then we were transferred to a 4×4 land cruiser jeep model 1979 at 2.30am. The jeep can contain 6-7passangers. It took us 1hr to reach the top view for sunrise.
It was terribly cold for me. The best way to cover our body from such an extreme weather is to wear 4 layers clothes + a coat + a scarf + a hat + double gloves + double socks + shoes.
Some people might not be requiring all these stuffs, but for a new comer like me, i would prefer the safe way to travel with kids and baby.
From this dessert we have to walk for another 2km to reach that smoking crater (Bromo). Another option is horse-riding IDR 100k – 140k/pax for back and forth. We decided not to go the the crater because the jeep driver said that the crater is now too deep since the last eruption and you can not see anything in that crater.
The temperature is around 19 deg on the dessert. The kiddos don’t need jacket, scarf and hat anymore.
We didnt spend too much time in the dessert. By 9am, we went down.
DAY 4
We arrived in the hotel at 11am and did nothing but went straight to bed. We were super exhausted. Especially me who carried joshema all the way up and down from the mountain. Woke up at 2pm since the kiddos created a lot of noise. We got ready for BNS (Batu Night S
p
e
ctaculer) opens from 3pm till midnight. Entry ticket IDR 20k/pa
x or package of IDR 65k/pax for
all rides. We didnt feel like enjoying the rides especially the adrenalin boosters. So we didnt take the package. BNS was disappointing, only filled with amusements. We were
glad we didnt buy the package. Since we arrived too early (3pm) and the lights were not on yet
. So we went to kids playground and bought the entry ticket IDR 15k/kid with one parent. There is no time limit for this one. So we let the kids explored the place and all the toys and game.machines in it.
Among tried the Gokart for 2 laps costs IDR 40k. We went to the lampion garden which is the maskot of BNS. Lampion.Garden was awesome! Makr sure that your camera is equipped with a feature to take picture in a night scene with light background or else the pictures will be awful like some of mine.
imalifethatwassaved 