My Time Capsule: Oceania

Christmas has always been my favourite holiday!
Wait a minute, I should say it's not just my favourite holiday but my favourite time of year.
It is time when family and friends get together.
It is time when Christmas music is played everywhere.
It is time when the air even smell delicious from Christmas tree, cinnamon and freshly baked goodie.
It is time when decoration looks so pretty and colourful.
It is time when I can wear my winter clothes and of course snow makes it perfect.
I also notice that during Christmas season, people tend to be more kind and smile a lot.

As far as I remember, Christmas means travelling together with my family, preferably to beautiful snow destinations. Not this year though. Since my grandmother has been in and out the ICU, we thought it's not wise to leave her for travelling abroad. Thus it's the first time spending my Christmas holiday at home which is actually nice too because I can share the joy with my 11 furry friends. Love!

I was just lazying at home today and flicking through my old pictures to recall where I had been during Christmas holiday. I didn't think it would be this fun! So I decide to make it into a blog post. I couldn't find any holiday pictures before the year of 2000 in my laptop. Those years are only in printed photos so next time I'll have to scan them and upload it here.
So here's my Christmas holiday from 2000 to 2014 :)

2000 during my one year lived in Switzerland

2001 in Japan

2002 in Hong Kong

2003 in Japan

2004 study and work for a year in London

2005 in Japan

2006 in New Zealand

2007 in Hong Kong

2008 in USA

2009 in Spain

2010 in South Africa

2011 in Beijing

2012 was when my Dad got a stroke and admitted to hospital in Singapore :(

2013 in Taiwan

2014 in Switzerland

2015 Merry Christmas from us! Love, the Leksonos

How about you, where is you favourite Christmas holiday destination?

As the year comes to an end, I'm going to share with you pictures of the most favorite destination 2013. Not only mine but I also ask some of my fellow Indonesian travel bloggers to share theirs.
They are a bunch of travel bloggers that I've been following for quite some time. I love their beautiful travel stories and I'm sure you will too, so please do check their blog.

Oh! by the way, Merry Christmas! May you be blessed with love, peace and joy :)

Dina & Ryan - Dua Ransel

"Your hair is such a mess" I guess that's what has been said by the lady in pink Saree
Because after that, she unravel my braided hair, combed my hair through until it's smooth and re-braided it.That's the thrill dressed in Saree and mingle with the local people in India. I often being stopped to have a chat with them. Hehehe. @DuaRansel

Marischka Prudence - Life Is An Absurd Journey

Maratua Paradise is indeed a paradise. A moment I arrived I just stunned by its beauty. Crystal clear water with white sands at the bottom stretching far away from the coastline, Maratua Paradise is just at the perfect location. Turquoise water is a daily sight during stay on top of this watery paradise. A place I would come back again and again. @marischkaprue

Adam & Susan - Pergi Dulu

Georgia, not the one in the States, is surprisingly our favorite destination in 2013. With lots of old churches dotting its fantastic mountainous landscape, Georgia has to be one of the most beautiful countries on earth. The people, despite generally not being able to speak English, display genuine warmth and hospitality that we didn't experience anywhere else in Europe. Because Georgia is a relatively a poor country, it's also cheap to travel around, making it a perfect destination for budget travelers. @PergiDulu

Fabiola - Jalan2Liburan

In 2013, i had a pleasant and safe trips to: Norway, (revisit) Paris, Portugal, Indonesia (Wakatobi, Flores Overland, Makassar, Bau Bau), Pisa, Cinque Terre, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Greece. From all of those destinations mentioned, it s hard to choose which one is my favourite as every journey has a different story, however the trip to Norway in winter has a great memories i can't forget.

A good friend referred my name to join the media trip to Norway with Norwegian Seafood Council, it s not only for enjoying the marvellous panorama around Norway, but to see & experience the life of a happy salmons in Hardangervidda - one of Europe's largest vast mountain plateau , and in this trip i had an opportunity to meet a new friends that i consider them now as my new family. @jalan2liburan

Aggy - DEW Traveller

My favourite destination this year has got to be Warsaw in Poland. Although this was the second time I've been there, Warsaw didn't lose its charm. The city is still as vibrant as I remembered it and it was still full of legends and stories that took my breath away. I love the food, the atmosphere and the welcoming smile of the Polish in this town. @dewtraveller

Mumun & Vira - Indohoy

My favorite travel destination in 2013 was the Kei Islands, Maluku, at Ohoililir Beach to be exact. It's not only the fact that the beach was perfect with the softest sand I've encountered to date, but it was also other elements of the trip that made if my fav destination this year. The companions were awesome, the food was great, it was so relaxing, and yet we were actually getting paid to do it. It's hard to describe how good the trip was, wait.. it was kinda heavenly! @indohoy - Mumun

One of my most memorable experiences in 2013 was watching the Pacu Jawi (cow race) in Batusangkar, West Sumatra. It's exciting and a bit tense to see whether the cow couples reach the end point of the muddy arena or burst out to the viewers! Any possibility could happen in just split seconds, and much of it depends on how obedient the cows are to the rider, who gets them start running by biting one of their tails! To me, the excitement of watching Pacu Jawi is not far off from watching a professional Muay Thai fight! @indohoy - Vira

Bama - What An Amazing World!

I could have picked pristine beaches of Lombok, idyllic small villages of Orchid Island in Taiwan, or magnificent historical monuments in Istanbul as my favorite travel destination this year. However I pick Mount Rinjani instead, not because I had a nice and easy time there but quite the contrary it was the toughest and most challenging thing – both physically and mentally – that I’ve ever done in my life, so far. Beauty can be unforgiving sometimes, and Rinjani proved that just right. A long and arduous 3-day hike was paid off by the breathtaking view of Bali and Sumbawa from the summit of Indonesia’s second highest volcano. @harindabama

Timothy - Mixed Up Already

My favourite destination in 2013 would be Melbourne where I watched the Australian Open. It was the first time I watched a Grand Slam, and it's in Rod Laver Arena! Who can imagine that I could watch Novak Djokovic played live in front of my eyes? ;-) @timothywpawiro

Firsta - Discover Your Indonesia

My favourite destination in 2013 is Ubud, Bali, because I got the chance to witness the royal cremation of Puri Agung, from the Ubud royal family. It is so amazing to know that culture is still such a strong part of the local society in Bali. @discoverurindo

Ariev Rahman - Backpackstory

A couple of elderly were smiling in front of man's greatest erection for a woman, Taj Mahal. With its resources, I nominated India as my fave destination in 2013. In India you can see great building such as Taj Mahal, feel dirty environment in Varanasi, and meet many people including cheater, cheater, and cheater. Magically, the combination of those, had made want to visit India again, and again, and again. @arievrahman

Tesya - Tesyasblog

Travel begins with a dream.

We made our kiddos dream come true by visiting Hongkong Disneyland in February 2013. The Disney Parade was really amazing that kiddos had requested to see it twice. I still remember kiddos' happy face when they met their favorite Disney's character during the parade, they were so excited! Now we are ready to make our other travel dreams come true in 2014. @tesyasblog

Cumilebay - Perjalanan Tak Berujung

After been waiting for 5 years, I did a trip to Tinabo Island in Takabonerate in 2013. it became my toughest trip with my friends because to reach this place, it took about 15 hours from Makassar (5 hours by car then 2 hours by ship, then 3 hours by car then continue 5 hours by ship).
Takabonerate is the third largest area with cluster of coral reefs. white clean beach with a lot of baby shark, stingray, turtles in the edge of the beach in Tinabo Island and it become an attraction itself. @Cumi_MzToro

Nursastri - Sastri

There are tens thousand temple in Thailand but rarely people know, where was it originally come from? Sukhothai Historical Park in Sukhothai City, 8 hours bus ride from the capital Bangkok, has the answer. This park consist 193 ruins of the first kingdom in Thailand: Sukhothai. Renting a bycycle is the best way exploring the park. The temples lay in greeny landscape dotted by lotus ponds. @saastrii

Anida - Nona Ransel

Laos is indeed one of the poorest country in Southeast Asia, but its beauty lies in its simplicity. No Starbucks, McDonald's or any other franchise network in sight, which for me that is refreshing. Nature lovers will be thrilled with abundant of unspoiled landscapes from rows of hills, caves and mountains to blue lagoon and turquoise waterfalls. Back in the cities, you'll get this unique vibe as a result of Southeast Asian culture mixed with French influence. Don't forget to ride on the right side of the road. @nidnod

Wira - Wira Nurmansyah

I love the crystal clear water, powder-white sand, azure bays, world-class diverse coral beauty, endless rain forest, and adorable local people of Raja ampat. This photo is a kid trying to catch a fish with just a string. As she fished in the homeland of fish, she got a lot! @wiranurmansyah

Fahmi Anhar - Destination Anywhere

My favorite destinations for 2013 were the beaches south coast of the island of Bali. Why? Because the trip was not just travelling for fun, but in order to run the project team Save Sharks Indonesia which is observation shark fishing along the beaches on the southern coast of the island of Bali. We aim to collect data for shark rescue project in Indonesia. Let's # SaveSharks!!

More info about Save Sharks, please visit www.savesharksindonesia.org @fahmianhar

Last but not least.....my fave destination

I had zero expectation before my trip to Bosnia & Herzegovina. But as soon as I walked into the old town of Mostar, I was charmed by its beauty. The crystal clear river, buildings made of stone, colourful Turkish ornaments and friendly people - just blew me away. I've made myself promise to come back here again, one day.

So how about you? Where's your favorite destination in 2013?

My Time Capsule

25.12.15

Photo Essay Of My Christmas Holidays

25.12.13

My (Our) Favorite Destination 2013

26.9.11

New Zealand: Does Heaven Look Like This ?

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