Natural Scenery at the Santerra de Laponte, Batu.

If it’s not for nature, places like this aren't really my cup of tea.

Crowded touristy spots and extreme amusement rides, all of these are, in fact, the complete opposite of what I consider "healing". However, some people do choose those kinds of activities for their vacations. Perhaps for some, break means resting, while for others, it means stress-free?

I went to Santerra with all of the people from my workplace. My boss chose this destination—likely because she also invited us to visit her house in the countryside, which is located not far from the area. As I mentioned, I wasn't really excited because I never like crowded places.

But of course, I had no other choice but to go, anyway. At the time, all I could think about was the cool air that Batu had to offer. Compared to the city where I live, the atmosphere in Batu is much cooler—and honestly, that was what I was looking forward to even more than the rides and attractions at Santerra itself haha

I can’t really remember what time we arrived at this place. We went by car–or like a mini bus (I don’t know what to call it in English). To be honest, I slept through almost the entire journey which was a bit of a shame because the view must have been stunning, but I just missed it all.

We gathered while waiting for my boss to buy the tickets. Funnily enough, I actually felt hot while in Batu that day. Many people say that Malang and Batu are much hotter now than they used to be, and now I believe that. Even so, the heat still nothing compared to the temperatures back in my hometown.

Santerra is described as a "floral attraction”, so even from the entrance, you are greeted by an abundance of flowers and lush greenery. Even the ceilings are adorned with plants with plants. I couldn’t even shoot it beautifully–that should give you an idea of just how busy it was.

There are plenty of rides to try here. My boss bought us all-access passes, so we could hop on almost any ride without worrying about paying more. Spoiler: the pass was actually a waste for me, but I’ll save that story for another post. Because here, I just want to share something I admire: nature.

While waiting in line for the rides, I took the chance to capture and soak in these breathtaking view. They have that long, expansive bridge stretches across several parts of Santerra. With such a stunning natural view as a background, I felt like I could just sit there immersing myself in its beauty. But it would be a bit awkward to ask my friends lol since we were there mostly for the rides

This photo below might be one of my favorites–I mean, just look at it! They’ve incorporated a stone wall feature complete with mini waterfalls. I'm pretty sure it’s a swimming pool, but the way they’ve styled it makes it feel incredibly authentic—almost as if you’re out in the middle of the ocean or something (well, not exactly haha)

The water is a striking shade of blue (whether that’s due to the color of the pool floor or something else, who knows and the appearance of a rainbow, made it looked even more stunning, especially because I captured it from above. And again, the natural view as a background–this specific spot even accompanied by mountains around it. What a beauty.

Actually, after that, we had gathered for lunch and some break. I thought we’d be leaving Santerra right after, but unfortunately, there was still some time for us to to wander around explore the place. That might sound like I was disappointed, but honestly, not at all!😂

We headed further up again and somehow stumbled upon the spot we hadn’t found before: this.. well how to call it lol, a little garden or like a mini juggle if you will?😅 I really loved walking through this spot as we were surrounded by so much greenery.

From that bridge, we also could see the wide view of Santerra, which offered a different point of view. There were even a few dinosaur replicas replicas scattered, but this one somehow made me felt a bit eerie because we were looking at it from above, so it felt like we had stepped into a different kind of world.

Lastly, the cafes in the top area also have amazing backgrounds. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to sit down and enjoy the breeze. To be honest, I’d much rather relax like that than explore the various amusement rides.

Regardless, the trip was quite lovely because I got to see these beautiful scenery and (at least) breath in some cooler air, a welcome relief after feeling like I’d been roasting in my own city for so long😂 that’s all for today’s blog. Thanks for reading!

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