Among members, there are a few who are knowledgeable with Indonesia as a destination to spend time relaxing, mixing with the local culture, enjoying the tasty food as well as a possible place to spend valuable retirement time. I was in Surabaya last week for about one week, and I have this to share with you.
I find the city of Surabaya rather homely. If one can speak bahasa Indonesia, or bahasa Melayu, this will definitely help communicate with the local community. I guess for many of us, many of us would have learnt this language in school.
Due to my short period there, I could only see the city. I didn’t get a chance to see the sunrise at Mount Bromo or even Mount Penanjakan. Being a tourist, I could only see the Russian submarine monument, the Sampoerna cigarette factory, Chinatown and reluntantly Tunjungan Plaza, the largest shopping mall in Surabaya. It is good shopping paradize. I remembered there was a Pasar Atum, with loads of local goods.
For men or women who admire the beautiful Surabaya ladies, this is a great city to envy. They just have great charms, smiles and looks. The traditional costumes are very attractive. I believe it’s the Javanese history and culture.
Part of the reason why I was there in Surabaya was to visit an Indonesia plant. But, I also took advantage of the time to visit the city. The mayor of Surabaya provided a fabulous dinner, coupled with live entertainment singing and dance. I was impressed with Indonesian hospitality.
There are direct flights from Singapore to Surabaya, only less than two hours away. I wish some of you especially those with Indonesia connections, or having lived and worked in Indonesia give us more insights into what it is like to consider one of the Indonesian cities as a place to retire or even for a short 3 – 6 months.
What is it like to retire in Surabaya or in any other city in Indonesia?
Terence Seah
Yes, do enjoy your life while you’re still alive, well and kicking even if it means spending all your savings. An inexpensive place to retire will stretch your $ longer. Nice live and retire in Surabaya before you become sudah saya.
He died at the age of 84, survived by a wife, 7 children and a contingent of grandchildren. Into the 2nd day of his wake, his funeral expenses have already crossed the S$10k mark, and counting.
Looking out of the window, it’s quiet where he lies.
Relatives gathered and sat listlessly as visitors are few to drop by in the day. If compassionate leaves are granted for the working children, fine. If not, it eats into annual leave.
Wouldnt the < $10k be more meaningfully spent directly for the deserving man when he was still alive? The money could have bought him time and good memories in Surabaya or lots of papaya for roughage and rid him of constipation.
Wouldnt keeping him company when he could still see and talk make him feel more loved? No amount of chanting will touch his heart now.
Sentosa is nearer, food is aplenty and accommodation is free. So for me, Surabaya can wait.
But of cos if Terence will organise a look-see there, and if the company is right, sure, I will like to see what Surabaya has to offer. At least I think I can shake hands more warmly than the gangly fella is doing in Dalian.
And maybe, I will help make Surabaya another Sentosa?
Hi Terence
I just came back from Bandung last month.
It’s a nice place to retire too especially the place i stayed. it’s called Vila Air (=Water villa) situated in Cisarua among many villas/bungalows. It’s a hill resort. at night very very cold (abt 18 deg celcius). tea plantation, vegetable + strawberry gardens are within walking distance – nice for SHC to go there relax and do some gardening work – surely will always feel young and fresh!
Air asia fly there daily. if u and other members keen i can bring u there or give u details to explore
hi Frisna,
Thanks for your offer to bring us to visit Bandung. I am keen to experience Cisarua and stay at Vila Air. It would be nice to R&R with you and other SHC members at the hill resort.
When can we start? :-)
Hi Yatsing
There are 4-5 other members who showed the interest to go Bandung. Perhaps i can organise the trip next year say feb 2012? (will put up the post once it’s confirmed for sure)
Hi Frisna,
I think Air Asia flies to Bandung, (at least I know there is a budget airline that flies there). And you can break your trip back by taking a bus to Jakarta. There is a new highway, I think about 3 or 4 hrs only. Alternatively you can take a train from Bandung to Jakarta also and see the many padi fields. Very relaxing for your eyes.
In Bandung make sure you have lunch at Cafe Bali, they serve not Balinese food but Padang food. I was there and enjoyed the meal very much. I also remember eating the “guling-guling’, beef tendons, but very soft, melt-in-your-mouth type. After that you can shop for all the ‘branded’ goods around the area or take a public bus to the mountains. Can have dinner with a view overlooking Bandung, book a taxi back.
I had a list of places to eat for all types of food but will only recommend Cafe Bali. For those who like ‘Es Advocat’, they are all over the place.
What to do in Jakarta? Very good food but can be quite expensive. See how much Jakarta has boomed. But be warned, traffic and security very bad in Jakarta. Be prepared to be frisked even when you go back to your own hotel.
But you and Daisy should be very good guides since you speak Indonesian.
Selamat Jalan.
Hi Frisna Tan,
I am looking forward to you being EO for the Bandung trip for SHCians in Feb 2012. Pls. keep us informed asap so that we can do our future planning and which budget flight for us to take so that all of us can go together as a ” group ”
I remember the WONDERFUL and FUN memories that we had at Padang and Bukit Tinggi with the more than 40 pax of the “gila gila ” gang.
Ha! Ha! :)
Hi Members
My choice of a Retirement-home in Bandung is chiefly because of its proximity to Jakarta, three hours away by road, though quite halfway in between the distance is the small quaint town of Bogor-Puncak, a likeable choice too.
Bandung was well-developed by the Dutch from the mid-1800s( main street Jalan Bengoel?? reminiscent of North Bridege Rd and Joo Chiat Rd of the 1970s) and due to its higher ground became a R & R retreat for Dutch colonials. Bandung was a prominent city up to the 1950s where the late President Sukarno officiated the inaugural Conference of Asia/Africa Heads of Govt.
Since 2006/07, the Yudyohono administration has steadily opened up/upgraded dormant towns as choice retirement homes too, like Manado, located at the “north finger” peninsular of Sulawesi Island, riverside homes(bungalows and terraced) of Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan, Indian Ocean-view of Bengkulu(ex Raffles’ Bencoolen)undulated hills-homes(like the Alexandra Rd-Normaton Park-Buona Vista terrain) south-west Sumatera and the latest hotspot of coastal Pangkalpinang, Bangka Island in the south Java Sea and 45minutes via Sriwijaya Air to Jakarta.
My family’s home in Bandar Lampung(flight duration from Batam similar as Spore to Pulau Langkawi, north of Penang, Malaysia) an amalgamation of two towns Tanjung Karang and Teluk Betung is at best second-rated at the moment.
If my family is Thai, then my retirement home is definitely Hua Hin, peninsular Thailand facing the Gulf. If I have a Malaysian family, it is Tanjung Bungah, Penang Island.
Regards
Abel Tan
Hi people, my feeling about anything close to retirement stay or retreat centre or rejuvenation indulgence that dates longer than or close to a month would require SHC to work with someone who is permanently staying in the hosting country.
anything less or short of that, would mean a happy relaxing 2 weeks trip for “personal freedom” or “release from pressure” would not require us to put it up as retirement concept; and it is simple, just one fun chap to organize it/be EO, shortlist the suitable travelers and get the tour going, as per current practice.
I really think retirement thoughts is not possible if there is no one permanent chap at the hosting destination, be it Timbuktu or North Korea or Shangrila.
#5 Hi Charles: yes Air Asia flies to bandung daily at 14.20 and 2x on saturdays. indeed jakarta is only 2 hrs away by car/train. but it’s too hectic to be there just for day trip as the jam is killing (worse than bangkok).
Last month i visited a place called Pondok Daun – it’s a very nice resort like eating place (imagine walking up a hill, listening to water fall and passing many huts where you can sit down enjoy the scenery and makan…)
#6 Hi Steven, surely will include you but 40pax too many i am thinking of around 20 for easy travelling
#7 Hi Abel, get ready in case i need you to be my co EO to bandung…
#8 Hi Feztus (and Terence too) i agree with you abt local chap – but we can find one (paid of course) to take care of SHC Retreat Home. the villas where i stayed many of them are for rent/sale. basically the owners are from Jakarta. guess they figured out after 1-2 years of purchase they dont utilise the property much – better put the $$ in the bank. the villa ranges from S$50.000 to S$200.000 So, Terence if you’re really keen to invest there, you need to first go and see then form a “Retreat Home ommittee” on how to acquire it and run it….
Hi Frisna, Feztus, Abel,
The topic of retirement overseas has always been received with little interest. I suspect that many of us acknowledge the benefits of retiring overseas, but we usually land up as a short “a few days” to a week or two holidays.
For those whom we have seen in the club as having retired overseas, from a few months to a long time, they usually are PRs/citizens overseas, have a long term job or are romantically attracted to the place.
For me, my place is likely to be Thailand> Since 2000, I have only known about 20 people who have retired there. I Peresonally have doubts any club member will consider retiring in Thailand. If they are, they probably are retired there now. Haha, what a thought.
Terence Seah
Hi there Charles,
Just clarifying a misconception. I certainly can’t speak Indonesian. May just manage to be understood with the little Malay I know, that’s all.
Daisy
#4 and #6 Hi Frisna and Steven,
I am very interested in going to Bandung but unfortunately, I can only go during the school holidays. Is it possible to accomodate people like me (teachers or even those who have to take care of their school-going grandchildren)? I can speak Bahasa Indonesia fairly well and can help bargain when SHC member go shopping.
Thank you.
Laura Wee
Hi Laura
of course can lah, that means earliest next year will be march?
Dear Frisna,
I am interested in this trip to Bandung. Been there many moons ago and would like to revisit the place again.
However, like LauraW, I can only go during the school holidays so please keep me in the loop if you are planning the trip then.
Thanks and I look forward to catching up with you again!
I had a house in JB, wanted to retired there is a dream as your friends and roots are here, tell me how to move there? Don’t talk about indonesia and not knowing the language, worst, right?
Hi Frisna, Feztus, Abel and all,
I am also interested to join you all to Bandung. Please organise 2 trips, one in March for the teachers and another in April/May 2012 when itis off peak and children are preparing for exams and hopely, trip will be cheaper too.
Also, A group of SHCians including myself have signed up for the Chiang Mai Flower Festival trip in Feb 2012. I can’t get leave so soon after one leave period.
Thank you.
Geok Suan.