Toyota Soluna Going For Trip

So the days before we spend our Lebaran holiday, we went to Pasuruan. Of course by using our Toyota Soluna. But this time, the baggage is very full pack with our trip's equipments. We bring food and water suppy. Also cooking utensils. See how full the back of our car .... This car is so great. Even with full baggage, full of fuel tank and also 4 person inside the car, its 1500cc DOHC engine still can give power in mountain road, the place we will go.

Selorejo... A Damn Beautifully Dam ....

I am happy to find this hotel & resort for our Lebaran 2012 holiday. We visit Selorejo Hotel&Resort just one day prior Idul Fitri/Moslem Holiday and stay for 2 night. We choose this hotel just because its interesting location. It’s on Ngantang, Kabupaten Malang, situated on Selorejo Lake (Dam). Actuall hotel have 2 kind of room to stay, a cottage (small villa) facing the lake and bedroom on hotel. We book Cottage Mawar, 1 small house with 2 bedrooms each with bathroom inside, and small living room.-4nn4- Cottage have very nice layout with high roof so let’s the cool breeze of lake/mountain fresh air. From the back of the cottage directly facing the lake scenery. This hotel/resort is operated by private government company, Sahid Jasa Tirta, who operates tourism over this Selorejo Dam (Lake). Lucky for us, we start from Surabaya and Pasuruan in the morning and street is not too crowded, especially in Lawang and Singosari. Usuallythey have bad traffic jam, but now street is empty. so we can reach Selorejo for only 3 hours.

1. The Room

Rooms is clean and spacious. 1 room with kingsize bed and other with twinsize bed. No Air conditioner provided, but it’s not necesarry cold due mountain temperature between 18 Deg C (in the night)-22 Deg C (mid day). Each have bathroom with hot/cold water (shower only), a wash basin and toilet. But water pressure is not good, so sometime hot water is not working. Be prepare if suddenly water turn to be cool. -4nn4- And sometime it becomes too hot just because independent water heater didn’t get enough water pressure. Small living room with cable TV, a refrigerator and hot water boiler with tea/cofee and water complimentary from hotel. For traveller who bring its own car, small garage is avalaible just beware when park the car because the steep entrance.

2.  The Service

Again, we get what we pay. For only USD 75 (Rp.750.000) during peak time to get 2 rooms is quite average price. But do not expect many staff around resort/hotel to help you. -4nn4- Reception is far away in the entrance gate of the lake area ! So we bring our own water and little food supply, although hotel provided 4 small water bottle by their own production. But on 2^nd day, a friendly staff change our towel and refill our complimentary.

3. The restaurant

Restaurant is avalaible near  the entrance of the hotel area. Breakfast is avalaible bufee with standart Indonesia food like, fried rice, fried noodle, fried chicken, chicken soup and fruits. Also cofee and tea (already taste sweet with sugar), so there is no sugar available for us to add as we like. Taste is average enough to satisfy our morning hunger.  For lunch or dinner, visitor can order to this restaurant. But in the other side of the lake, there are many small warung owned by local people which is sell food speciality in fish, shrimp which they harvest from the lake. Price is more cheap than the restaurant,  but taste is delicious with traditional spices (bumbu lombok). You can get their menu and phone number then request the food to be delivered to your cottage

4 The Facility

For sure the scenery is magnificent, especially in the morning and afternoon when sunset. In  the morning, the lake water is so calm with fresh air and bird’s song. So peaceful there. In afternoon, we can see sunset, also the view of the other side of the lake which many visitor take a boat ride around the lake. We must go to other side of the lake in order to take a boat ride (it’s different area from hotel/resort area), too bad a little far away because the shortcut by hanging bridge is damage (hope the owner can fix it later).  1 big motorized boat for 10 person cost USD 5 (Rp.50.000) to travel circleling around the lake. Where we can see the big water door (dam), the mountian scenery and feel the chilly wind. -4nn4- On hotel area, swimming pool is avalaible with cold fresh mountain water. But facility is not good there, many dead leaves on the surface. Even water is fresh and clean on big size pool, but seem they rarely clean the pool’s wall/floor.But kiddy pool is equipped with many water slide so kids can enjoy it. Playground area is avalaible but some of the tools already broken/damage so beware and choose the good one when children play on it.  But many open spacious park which family can take a walk in the morning/evening.

5. The Security

This is important because hotel let’s some pickers enter the hotel area to pick of what left on the outside trash, like water bottles etc. There is a security post avalaible but we didn’t many office standby there. We have bad experience on the last day when we found 1 pairs of our shoe dissapear. -4nn4- Seem someone has seen & stole the shoe when left outside the door in early morning while we not aware it. So BEWARE just put all your belonging inside the cottage and ALWAYS LOCK the doors. We have complain this incident to receptionist but they only say sorry without any follow up.

6. Conclusion

This hotel&resort is good for traveller who want to feel the back to the nature sensation with lake,mountain and fresh air scenery, away from crowded. Especially for family gathering which want to have good quality time with family’s member. Price is not expensive but average facility is avalaible there but do not expect to much to get even 3 star amenities from this cottage. -4nn4- A minor security issue may happen just keep secure your belonging there. If you want to get more good facilty, try to stay  at Hotel room instead of rent Cottage room