Back from Bali & Java (and Bangkok)
Jun 19th, 2007, 11:18 AM
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Back from Bali & Java (and Bangkok)
I returned last weekend from two weeks in Bali and Java, my first time in Indonesia. Had an amazing and wonderful trip (although still recovering from some major jet lag)!
My flight was an award ticket on Thai, with a stopover in Bangkok. The flight was very comfortable and flying time from L.A. was only 15 hours instead of the usual 17, so we were on the ground in Bangkok well before 5:00 am.
BANGKOK
Stayed two nights at the Shangri-La in a balcony room, which seemed a little older and more worn out than the deluxe room I had (and loved) last time. But the location and service at this hotel really can't be beat. Rate was $160 per night. They let me check in at 7:00 am without batting an eye.
I spent some time with a friend from New York who was in Bangkok. Mainly, we ate! Tongue Thai & Harmonique, both near the hotel, were both just okay, and after several meals at both of these places over the past 2 years, I think they're a bit overrated. It also feels odd that every time I've been to either restaurant, ALL their customers are western.
I also went back to Chote Chitr. FYI, Mrs. Tim now has a website in English: http://www.chotechitr.com/index.html (although the map is in Thai), and leads a daily "Market Breakfast Tour." I tried her new special: prawns in dry yellow curry, which were delicious. Also ordered Tom Yum soup, but was just too full and couldn't finish it . She was so proud when she brought the soup to the table, and sat across from me watching to see if I liked it. I felt like I was at my grandmothers house! And also really guilty that I couldn't finish it all!
BALI
I stayed in Ubud first, for 6 nights. Had planned to stay the entire time at Alam Jiwa, but I only stayed there three nights, then moved to Komaneka Hotel on Monkey Forest Road for the remaining three nights. I knew Alam Jiwa was outside of Ubud, but was under the impression it was just a 10 minute walk away. It was more like a 15 minute walk either through or around the Monkey Forest (loved it!) to the start of Ubud's main shopping/dining area. Then, another 20-30 minutes walk to the center of Ubud. I am an active person and love walking, but that was way too much to be doing every day, even for me, in heat and humidity.
Basically, for me Alam Jiwa was a bit too isolated. The location was pretty, but not spectacular. The room was traditionally decorated, with a very large covered private balcony. A nice room, but not great. Lighting was terrible - if you like to read at night, bring a flashlight! The air conditioning (which I felt was needed) wasn't quite strong enough. I knew to expect geckos in the room, but I didn't expect to see the foot-long lizard on my bathroom wall the first night!! Sorry, but that just freaked me out... especially when it started MAKING NOISES!!!
Service was very good and I especially liked having breakfast delivered to my room every morning. There's a small pool that I didn't use. Rate was $85 per night. Overall it was a charming place with helpful and pleasant staff, and certainly worth the price. It just wasn't right for me.
On the other hand, I couldn't have been happier at Komaneka, which I absolutely loved. Actually, it's one of the finest hotel experiences I have ever had. It's very centrally located, but once you step inside, it's an absolute oasis of serenity and completely removed from the street noise of central Ubud. I walked in off the street to ask about availability and rates and was quoted $150 deluxe /$200 suite including breakfast and all taxes. This was quite a bit more than I had planned to spend, but once I saw the suite room, there was just no turning back. Really stunning - modern but warm, with Balinese accents. Large patio with daybed. Room-length windows with built-in window seat overlooking a beautiful rice field. Lots of nice amenities including a collection of Bali photo and design books, and a jar of homemade cookies.
There's a small restaurant, spa, gallery and very lovely infinity pool. Free wireless internet in the restaurant and lobby. The grounds were beautiful during the daytime, but at night they became magical, with hanging white paper lanterns and torches lit along the walkways.
The hotel is small - I believe only 24 rooms, but has a high staff-to-guest ratio. The staff - from checkin to housekeeping to restaurant - were consistently excellent. The GM stopped by my room on the first day to make sure I was happy with everything. I really can't recommend this hotel highly enough and would stay there again in a heartbeat!
I loved Ubud and am very glad I chose to spend most of my time in Bali there. I loved wandering the streets, stopping in galleries and shops. People were always friendly (even the relentless "taxi" drivers). Food was very good, especially Cafe Wayan (across from Komaneka) and Lamak (stunning interior, but pricey).
Loved the Monkey Forest, the daily market, the temples - especially Pura Taman Saraswati behind the lotus pond. The main Ubud Museum, Puri Lukisan, has some amazing original Balinese painting. However, many paintings are in poor condition and the overhead flourescent lighting makes it difficult to see the art. The museum clearly needs support - it would be horrible to see these works of art disappear due to neglect.
Saw both a Kecak dance and shadow puppet performance. I pre-arranged a driver, Herry (an affiliate of Dean) for two days. First day we traveled around Eastern Bali. It was very scenic, but quite a lot of driving, and in retrospect I would prefer to do less driving and instead include a long walk somewhere in the rice fields... or even spend 2 nights somewhere in eastern Bali instead of Seminyak (more on that later). We stopped at Tirta Ganga Water Palace, Bat Cave Temple, and Semara Pura. All were well worth seeing and very interesting. Lunch at the Water Garden Hotel in Candidasa, which was deserted.
Our second day was to Lake Batur and the temple there. We also stopped for shopping along the endless strip of craft shops north of Ubud. On the way back, Herry took me to a "coffee plantation" for coffee tasting that turned out to be sort of a bogus tourist trap, the only negative experience I had with him as a driver. All in all I enjoyed spending time with him. We maybe talked more than some of his other clients do as I was traveling alone. He's very interested in American culture, especially music and sports (he's a Lakers and Yankees fan). He's young (27 I think) but patient, adaptable and very knowledgeable about when and where to go to best avoid crowds and tour busses. His rate was $40 per day. His e-mail is [email protected]
I also spent a half day rafting on the Ayung River. It was fun, but the water level wasn't high so it wasn't as exciting as previous rafting trips I've done. We stopped a few times to swim, including once under an enormous waterfall. Cost was very reasonable: $55 including a boring lunch and hotel pickup and drop-off.
more to come...
My flight was an award ticket on Thai, with a stopover in Bangkok. The flight was very comfortable and flying time from L.A. was only 15 hours instead of the usual 17, so we were on the ground in Bangkok well before 5:00 am.
BANGKOK
Stayed two nights at the Shangri-La in a balcony room, which seemed a little older and more worn out than the deluxe room I had (and loved) last time. But the location and service at this hotel really can't be beat. Rate was $160 per night. They let me check in at 7:00 am without batting an eye.
I spent some time with a friend from New York who was in Bangkok. Mainly, we ate! Tongue Thai & Harmonique, both near the hotel, were both just okay, and after several meals at both of these places over the past 2 years, I think they're a bit overrated. It also feels odd that every time I've been to either restaurant, ALL their customers are western.
I also went back to Chote Chitr. FYI, Mrs. Tim now has a website in English: http://www.chotechitr.com/index.html (although the map is in Thai), and leads a daily "Market Breakfast Tour." I tried her new special: prawns in dry yellow curry, which were delicious. Also ordered Tom Yum soup, but was just too full and couldn't finish it . She was so proud when she brought the soup to the table, and sat across from me watching to see if I liked it. I felt like I was at my grandmothers house! And also really guilty that I couldn't finish it all!
BALI
I stayed in Ubud first, for 6 nights. Had planned to stay the entire time at Alam Jiwa, but I only stayed there three nights, then moved to Komaneka Hotel on Monkey Forest Road for the remaining three nights. I knew Alam Jiwa was outside of Ubud, but was under the impression it was just a 10 minute walk away. It was more like a 15 minute walk either through or around the Monkey Forest (loved it!) to the start of Ubud's main shopping/dining area. Then, another 20-30 minutes walk to the center of Ubud. I am an active person and love walking, but that was way too much to be doing every day, even for me, in heat and humidity.
Basically, for me Alam Jiwa was a bit too isolated. The location was pretty, but not spectacular. The room was traditionally decorated, with a very large covered private balcony. A nice room, but not great. Lighting was terrible - if you like to read at night, bring a flashlight! The air conditioning (which I felt was needed) wasn't quite strong enough. I knew to expect geckos in the room, but I didn't expect to see the foot-long lizard on my bathroom wall the first night!! Sorry, but that just freaked me out... especially when it started MAKING NOISES!!!
Service was very good and I especially liked having breakfast delivered to my room every morning. There's a small pool that I didn't use. Rate was $85 per night. Overall it was a charming place with helpful and pleasant staff, and certainly worth the price. It just wasn't right for me.
On the other hand, I couldn't have been happier at Komaneka, which I absolutely loved. Actually, it's one of the finest hotel experiences I have ever had. It's very centrally located, but once you step inside, it's an absolute oasis of serenity and completely removed from the street noise of central Ubud. I walked in off the street to ask about availability and rates and was quoted $150 deluxe /$200 suite including breakfast and all taxes. This was quite a bit more than I had planned to spend, but once I saw the suite room, there was just no turning back. Really stunning - modern but warm, with Balinese accents. Large patio with daybed. Room-length windows with built-in window seat overlooking a beautiful rice field. Lots of nice amenities including a collection of Bali photo and design books, and a jar of homemade cookies.
There's a small restaurant, spa, gallery and very lovely infinity pool. Free wireless internet in the restaurant and lobby. The grounds were beautiful during the daytime, but at night they became magical, with hanging white paper lanterns and torches lit along the walkways.
The hotel is small - I believe only 24 rooms, but has a high staff-to-guest ratio. The staff - from checkin to housekeeping to restaurant - were consistently excellent. The GM stopped by my room on the first day to make sure I was happy with everything. I really can't recommend this hotel highly enough and would stay there again in a heartbeat!
I loved Ubud and am very glad I chose to spend most of my time in Bali there. I loved wandering the streets, stopping in galleries and shops. People were always friendly (even the relentless "taxi" drivers). Food was very good, especially Cafe Wayan (across from Komaneka) and Lamak (stunning interior, but pricey).
Loved the Monkey Forest, the daily market, the temples - especially Pura Taman Saraswati behind the lotus pond. The main Ubud Museum, Puri Lukisan, has some amazing original Balinese painting. However, many paintings are in poor condition and the overhead flourescent lighting makes it difficult to see the art. The museum clearly needs support - it would be horrible to see these works of art disappear due to neglect.
Saw both a Kecak dance and shadow puppet performance. I pre-arranged a driver, Herry (an affiliate of Dean) for two days. First day we traveled around Eastern Bali. It was very scenic, but quite a lot of driving, and in retrospect I would prefer to do less driving and instead include a long walk somewhere in the rice fields... or even spend 2 nights somewhere in eastern Bali instead of Seminyak (more on that later). We stopped at Tirta Ganga Water Palace, Bat Cave Temple, and Semara Pura. All were well worth seeing and very interesting. Lunch at the Water Garden Hotel in Candidasa, which was deserted.
Our second day was to Lake Batur and the temple there. We also stopped for shopping along the endless strip of craft shops north of Ubud. On the way back, Herry took me to a "coffee plantation" for coffee tasting that turned out to be sort of a bogus tourist trap, the only negative experience I had with him as a driver. All in all I enjoyed spending time with him. We maybe talked more than some of his other clients do as I was traveling alone. He's very interested in American culture, especially music and sports (he's a Lakers and Yankees fan). He's young (27 I think) but patient, adaptable and very knowledgeable about when and where to go to best avoid crowds and tour busses. His rate was $40 per day. His e-mail is [email protected]
I also spent a half day rafting on the Ayung River. It was fun, but the water level wasn't high so it wasn't as exciting as previous rafting trips I've done. We stopped a few times to swim, including once under an enormous waterfall. Cost was very reasonable: $55 including a boring lunch and hotel pickup and drop-off.
more to come...
Jun 19th, 2007, 11:47 AM
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Loving your report! We will be returning to Chote Chitr in November... great to hear about the prawns in dry yellow curry!
I also very much appreciated your description of the hotels in Ubud. I'm looking forward to your report on Java.
I also very much appreciated your description of the hotels in Ubud. I'm looking forward to your report on Java.
Jun 19th, 2007, 12:04 PM
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Oh, did I have to laugh hysterically when I read about the footlong lizard on your bathroom wall. I have a severe reptile phobia. If I even see a baby gecko I kind of temporarily stop breathing and go into mini hyperventilation. Travel with lots of brown paper bags.
When I was in Bali...Ubud...I had a real lizard/gecko problem. A few hours after having arrived, late at night, I went to shower and there was a lizard on my shower wall. So much for showering. I went to bed only to wake up, jetlagged and in the middle of the night and a bit disoriented, to find that the lizard was right above my head on the wall above my bed. The bathroom door wouldn't close all the way so it slithered out. Then it ended up on the ceiling above the ceiling fan that was on. I know how they poop so I figured I'd better get out of the way in case the shit really hit the fan. So, I got up and put on my canvas/khaki hat and tried going back to sleep. I pulled the covers over my head and slept that way until 6AM when the staff came back to work and shortly afterwards went to get someone. The staff member was scared to enter my bungalow to look for the lizard. He said to me as we walked back to my bungalow ,"You first, Madam".
I travel alone so have to deal with these situations. I ended up leaving Bali early because I just wasn't getting any sleep and I even moved to another hotel in my price range, but that didn't solve the problem. I can't sleep with critters running around. I also had monster-size cockroaches, but I could deal with that. Happy Travels!
When I was in Bali...Ubud...I had a real lizard/gecko problem. A few hours after having arrived, late at night, I went to shower and there was a lizard on my shower wall. So much for showering. I went to bed only to wake up, jetlagged and in the middle of the night and a bit disoriented, to find that the lizard was right above my head on the wall above my bed. The bathroom door wouldn't close all the way so it slithered out. Then it ended up on the ceiling above the ceiling fan that was on. I know how they poop so I figured I'd better get out of the way in case the shit really hit the fan. So, I got up and put on my canvas/khaki hat and tried going back to sleep. I pulled the covers over my head and slept that way until 6AM when the staff came back to work and shortly afterwards went to get someone. The staff member was scared to enter my bungalow to look for the lizard. He said to me as we walked back to my bungalow ,"You first, Madam".
I travel alone so have to deal with these situations. I ended up leaving Bali early because I just wasn't getting any sleep and I even moved to another hotel in my price range, but that didn't solve the problem. I can't sleep with critters running around. I also had monster-size cockroaches, but I could deal with that. Happy Travels!
Jun 19th, 2007, 08:18 PM
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John -- loved your lizard story -- good dramatic use of CAPS 
We had a lizard in/on our roof and he/she was very chatty. Yours and Guen's story reminds me of a climb to the top of the Uxmal pyramid in Mexico (so steep, it's more like a ladder, so your eyes clear the top well ahead of the rest of you). Two feet away from mine was a good 3 foot iguana -- I don't know who was more startled him or me !
Looking forward to more of your report !
We had a lizard in/on our roof and he/she was very chatty. Yours and Guen's story reminds me of a climb to the top of the Uxmal pyramid in Mexico (so steep, it's more like a ladder, so your eyes clear the top well ahead of the rest of you). Two feet away from mine was a good 3 foot iguana -- I don't know who was more startled him or me !Looking forward to more of your report !
Jun 20th, 2007, 02:29 AM
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John, Great report on Ubud. I haven't stayed at Komeneka myself but I have friends who swear by it. The family that owns it also run the Neka Art Museum and are very well connected in the Bali arts scene.
I'm okay with reptiles and amphibians (though I once had a bathroom full of hundreds of frogs and a looonngg snake in the bathtub. The worst part was that by the time I roused housekeeping the snake had disappeared.) It's the spiders and large insects that get my heart beating.
The little lizards that scoot from painting to painting or jump out of the drawers we call Cicak (cheechak). I must have 200 of them in my house. The big guys with the distinctive voice are the geckos. They don't like us either and are usually quite reclusive. If you hear them call 7 times it's lucky.
I probably shouldn't scare those who are lizard adverse any further but there are also VERY large lizards in Bali -- up to 6 feet long. I've seen them swimming in the lotus ponds at some very upscale resorts. They are not dangerous but can sure take your breath away.
Look forward to your continued saga.
I'm okay with reptiles and amphibians (though I once had a bathroom full of hundreds of frogs and a looonngg snake in the bathtub. The worst part was that by the time I roused housekeeping the snake had disappeared.) It's the spiders and large insects that get my heart beating.
The little lizards that scoot from painting to painting or jump out of the drawers we call Cicak (cheechak). I must have 200 of them in my house. The big guys with the distinctive voice are the geckos. They don't like us either and are usually quite reclusive. If you hear them call 7 times it's lucky.
I probably shouldn't scare those who are lizard adverse any further but there are also VERY large lizards in Bali -- up to 6 feet long. I've seen them swimming in the lotus ponds at some very upscale resorts. They are not dangerous but can sure take your breath away.
Look forward to your continued saga.
Jun 20th, 2007, 04:40 AM
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I'm LOL at the lizard stories! I've seen many of the little ones. There was one inside of an open weave "top" that I wanted to try on... it scurried out when I took the top off the hanger (in Chiang Mai). Also in CM, at the Sheraton, we had a little lizard living in our bathtub, behind the faucet. Cute... but I also have to say that I don't like to be surprised by them.
If Bali has BIG lizards, I might not make it there...
John, keep the report coming. DS (bradinbangkok) has often said that some of the favorite Thai restaurants listed on this forum are too westernized... you only see falongs there. He (we) much prefer to visit real Thai places.
Carol
If Bali has BIG lizards, I might not make it there...
John, keep the report coming. DS (bradinbangkok) has often said that some of the favorite Thai restaurants listed on this forum are too westernized... you only see falongs there. He (we) much prefer to visit real Thai places.
Carol
Jun 20th, 2007, 07:48 AM
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Had no idea the lizard would get everyone so worked up!! Yes he was as scared to see me as I was him.
I know I could have, but I didn't go running to the office to ask them to get rid of it... not wanting to seem like a wimp I guess, combined with the fact that I had a discussion earlier that day with the staff about Alam Jiwa meaning 'Soul of Nature' and how naturally beautful the surrounding were.
I know I could have, but I didn't go running to the office to ask them to get rid of it... not wanting to seem like a wimp I guess, combined with the fact that I had a discussion earlier that day with the staff about Alam Jiwa meaning 'Soul of Nature' and how naturally beautful the surrounding were.
Jun 20th, 2007, 08:05 AM
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I'm still laughing over the lizard stories. Although it's not funny when I'm experiencing it. I have to plan my accomodations around lizards/geckos...although I know that there's always a possibility of them getting in no matter how well I've planned.
I travel with my retractable pointer and pull it out and wave it under beds, behind dressers and cabinets and just about everywhere else before I get comfortable in a place. I have the bellhop wait until I've done my inspection. I don't want to have to come eye-to-eye with some reptile monster on my own.
The worse was in Ghana although I never had one in my room there, but after returning home, I found out from a Ghanaian that one of the places that I stayed at was built on a lizard reserve. He said that when he and his siblings were young,many years ago...he's in his 60s... that they weren't even allowed to play on the land that the resort/hotel is now built on because of lizards and cobras. A Ghanaian family that I met there have a business right across from the hotel/resort and said they walked up on a cobra, slithering next to their business. They killed it with a stick.
Well, for two of the many days I was on that property I couldn't even come out of my room. I had never seen so many different types of lizards and different sizes. It was like being on Fear Factor without a chance of winning any money. One red-colored lizard even stood up on its back legs and ran across my terrace. I didn't even know that lizards could do such. They were huge.
In order to get to the dining hall, I had to cross the property. It's good they had room service because some days I just couldn't deal with it...especially the huge, black, slimy, wet-looking ones that were climbing up the outer wall daily and the huge, scaley ones with very long tails that would run across my feet. I'm calm in these situations though although I don't like being in them.
I ended up moving to the Novatel, an architectually western-style hotel across town where I didn't have to deal with it anymore except when I went outside in the city where they were running around. At the Novatel, at least I was able to get to the diningroom to eat since it was inside of the main building. The previous hotel/resort had what they call chalets which were spread out all over the beach-front property. I never saw the beach...at that hotel/resort because I refused to walk through the lizard zones to get there. Those lizards were live-in ones. They were like pets. They would line up on the lawn each morning at around 5AM, heads erect, shoulders back and march across it. I started calling them the little Generals. Smiles. Happy Travels!
I travel with my retractable pointer and pull it out and wave it under beds, behind dressers and cabinets and just about everywhere else before I get comfortable in a place. I have the bellhop wait until I've done my inspection. I don't want to have to come eye-to-eye with some reptile monster on my own.
The worse was in Ghana although I never had one in my room there, but after returning home, I found out from a Ghanaian that one of the places that I stayed at was built on a lizard reserve. He said that when he and his siblings were young,many years ago...he's in his 60s... that they weren't even allowed to play on the land that the resort/hotel is now built on because of lizards and cobras. A Ghanaian family that I met there have a business right across from the hotel/resort and said they walked up on a cobra, slithering next to their business. They killed it with a stick.
Well, for two of the many days I was on that property I couldn't even come out of my room. I had never seen so many different types of lizards and different sizes. It was like being on Fear Factor without a chance of winning any money. One red-colored lizard even stood up on its back legs and ran across my terrace. I didn't even know that lizards could do such. They were huge.
In order to get to the dining hall, I had to cross the property. It's good they had room service because some days I just couldn't deal with it...especially the huge, black, slimy, wet-looking ones that were climbing up the outer wall daily and the huge, scaley ones with very long tails that would run across my feet. I'm calm in these situations though although I don't like being in them.
I ended up moving to the Novatel, an architectually western-style hotel across town where I didn't have to deal with it anymore except when I went outside in the city where they were running around. At the Novatel, at least I was able to get to the diningroom to eat since it was inside of the main building. The previous hotel/resort had what they call chalets which were spread out all over the beach-front property. I never saw the beach...at that hotel/resort because I refused to walk through the lizard zones to get there. Those lizards were live-in ones. They were like pets. They would line up on the lawn each morning at around 5AM, heads erect, shoulders back and march across it. I started calling them the little Generals. Smiles. Happy Travels!
Jun 20th, 2007, 08:44 AM
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CENTRAL JAVA
I took the advice of marmot and others here and stayed one night at Manohara Hotel so I could go to Borobudor for the sunrise. The remaining two nights were at the Hyatt in Yogyakarta.
Getting a taxi from Jogja airport to Manohara couldn't have been easier - the system was very organized. Cost was about $16 for the 1-hour ride.
From the outside Manohara seems nice enough - grounds are nicely landscaped and the lowrise buildings blend nicely into the surroundings and have a Javanese feel. Inside, however, the tiny room made my college dorm look like the Four Seasons... I would describe the decor as prison-like. There were nasty stains on the chair and carpet.
What made this place bearable was that I could walk outside and see Borobudor temple up on the hill. Also, all of the staff were extremely pleasant, kind and helpful. Room rate was $48. Borobudor sunrise was an additional amount - $10-$15 (sorry I don't remember exactly).
I went to Borobudor twice - first, on the afternoon I arrived. I later found out this day was a national school holiday, which explains why virtually every student in Indonesia was at Borobudor with me that afternoon. I mean THOUSANDS of kids... It wasn't at all the experience I expected or wanted to have, but turned out to be very interesting in a totally unexpected way.
Kids (who were all staring at me as I was one of maybe only half a dozen westerners there), started approaching me asking, "Hello mister, take photo?" At first I thought they meant, would I take a photo of them...
But no... They all wanted to have their pictures taken with ME. This went on all afternoon, and I must now be in over 100 Indonesian schoolchildrens' photo collections.
So an experience I thought was going to be about a place wound up being about people instead...which ultimately is more interesting anyway, isn't it?
Sunrise the next morning was completely different, as I was one of only 6 people there. The hotel provided a shuttle and flashlight (needed for the first 20 minutes as it was very dark). Hard to put the experience into words... the sun rose in a crystal clear sky right behind smoking Mount Merapi.
Later that morning a rented a bike from the hotel to ride around the town. I had planned to go out to Mendut Temple (about 3 km away) but never made it. I stopped in one of those local cell phone hole-in-the-wall stops to buy an Indonesian SIM card and spent the next 45 minutes there talking with a group of guys at the store (who thought I had biked there all the way from Jogja!).
Later moved to the Hyatt in Jogja. That afternoon I went to the Kraton, and luckily caught the end of a dance and gamelan concert. I was curious about this place (Kraton is the Sultan's Palace) as photos I had seen didn't look all that interesting. Ultimately, it wasn't all that interesting to me... lots of historical material on the Sultan of Jogja and architecturally sort of bland. The "Water Castle" was also a bit disappointing, made worse by the relentless "guides" who wouldn't take no for an answer.
But things go much more exciting later when I met up with a local friend who took me for traditional Padang-style food. (Padang is a city in Sumatra known for its spicy food). All of the restaurant's available dishes are stacked precariously on top of each other in the window. Immediately after sitting at a table, two waiters brought us essentially one dish of everything the restaurant had to offer that day. The food is prepared in the morning, and sometimes again in the afternoon. I was a bit nervous about eating food that had been sitting in a bowl in a restaurant window for several hours, but was assured that it was safe (it was).
You eat only what you want, and when you're done the waiter calculates the bill according to which dishes are empty. The rest go back for the next customer.
Two bowls of warm water were placed in front of us, to be used for washing our right hands, which is what we'd be eating with. No spoons or forks here! Just pick it all up with your hand - a 5 year old's dream come true!
It was all really good. The only item I'd tried before was beef rendang, which was the specialty here, and delicious too.
We then went for the requisite ride in an 'andang' (horse-drawn carriage) around Jl Malioboro, the main street of Jogja. It was (of course) very touristy, but local people were waving to me, and not in a "hi you stupid tourist" sort of way... just sort of waving to say hello. It was sweet.
Spent some time exploring this street, which was not all that different from every other tourist-oriented souvenir shopping strip in every other Asian city I've been to. There is a GREAT store here however (I'm sure some of you have already been there): Mirota Batik. It's two levels of higher quality traditional Indonesian craft items and batik at VERY reasonable prices (fixed prices, no haggling). I loved this place!! I bought gifts for everyone on my list and didn't spend more than $40.
more to come...
I took the advice of marmot and others here and stayed one night at Manohara Hotel so I could go to Borobudor for the sunrise. The remaining two nights were at the Hyatt in Yogyakarta.
Getting a taxi from Jogja airport to Manohara couldn't have been easier - the system was very organized. Cost was about $16 for the 1-hour ride.
From the outside Manohara seems nice enough - grounds are nicely landscaped and the lowrise buildings blend nicely into the surroundings and have a Javanese feel. Inside, however, the tiny room made my college dorm look like the Four Seasons... I would describe the decor as prison-like. There were nasty stains on the chair and carpet.
What made this place bearable was that I could walk outside and see Borobudor temple up on the hill. Also, all of the staff were extremely pleasant, kind and helpful. Room rate was $48. Borobudor sunrise was an additional amount - $10-$15 (sorry I don't remember exactly).
I went to Borobudor twice - first, on the afternoon I arrived. I later found out this day was a national school holiday, which explains why virtually every student in Indonesia was at Borobudor with me that afternoon. I mean THOUSANDS of kids... It wasn't at all the experience I expected or wanted to have, but turned out to be very interesting in a totally unexpected way.
Kids (who were all staring at me as I was one of maybe only half a dozen westerners there), started approaching me asking, "Hello mister, take photo?" At first I thought they meant, would I take a photo of them...
But no... They all wanted to have their pictures taken with ME. This went on all afternoon, and I must now be in over 100 Indonesian schoolchildrens' photo collections.
So an experience I thought was going to be about a place wound up being about people instead...which ultimately is more interesting anyway, isn't it?
Sunrise the next morning was completely different, as I was one of only 6 people there. The hotel provided a shuttle and flashlight (needed for the first 20 minutes as it was very dark). Hard to put the experience into words... the sun rose in a crystal clear sky right behind smoking Mount Merapi.
Later that morning a rented a bike from the hotel to ride around the town. I had planned to go out to Mendut Temple (about 3 km away) but never made it. I stopped in one of those local cell phone hole-in-the-wall stops to buy an Indonesian SIM card and spent the next 45 minutes there talking with a group of guys at the store (who thought I had biked there all the way from Jogja!).
Later moved to the Hyatt in Jogja. That afternoon I went to the Kraton, and luckily caught the end of a dance and gamelan concert. I was curious about this place (Kraton is the Sultan's Palace) as photos I had seen didn't look all that interesting. Ultimately, it wasn't all that interesting to me... lots of historical material on the Sultan of Jogja and architecturally sort of bland. The "Water Castle" was also a bit disappointing, made worse by the relentless "guides" who wouldn't take no for an answer.
But things go much more exciting later when I met up with a local friend who took me for traditional Padang-style food. (Padang is a city in Sumatra known for its spicy food). All of the restaurant's available dishes are stacked precariously on top of each other in the window. Immediately after sitting at a table, two waiters brought us essentially one dish of everything the restaurant had to offer that day. The food is prepared in the morning, and sometimes again in the afternoon. I was a bit nervous about eating food that had been sitting in a bowl in a restaurant window for several hours, but was assured that it was safe (it was).
You eat only what you want, and when you're done the waiter calculates the bill according to which dishes are empty. The rest go back for the next customer.
Two bowls of warm water were placed in front of us, to be used for washing our right hands, which is what we'd be eating with. No spoons or forks here! Just pick it all up with your hand - a 5 year old's dream come true!
It was all really good. The only item I'd tried before was beef rendang, which was the specialty here, and delicious too.
We then went for the requisite ride in an 'andang' (horse-drawn carriage) around Jl Malioboro, the main street of Jogja. It was (of course) very touristy, but local people were waving to me, and not in a "hi you stupid tourist" sort of way... just sort of waving to say hello. It was sweet.
Spent some time exploring this street, which was not all that different from every other tourist-oriented souvenir shopping strip in every other Asian city I've been to. There is a GREAT store here however (I'm sure some of you have already been there): Mirota Batik. It's two levels of higher quality traditional Indonesian craft items and batik at VERY reasonable prices (fixed prices, no haggling). I loved this place!! I bought gifts for everyone on my list and didn't spend more than $40.
more to come...
Jun 20th, 2007, 09:45 AM
#15
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John, I found the best crafts of anywhere in Asia in Jogja many years ago. Javanese arts are amazing, and I discovered that many of the puppets you buy in Bali are actually from Java. I don't know that the store you refer to was there when I was in Jogja, but we did go to the place that makes the puppets from the kraton, and were able to buy some beautiful things.
Great report!
Great report!
Jun 20th, 2007, 11:14 AM
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Glad to hear that you had an amazing trip John.
Your great experiences with the Javanese people in the Magelang countryside mirror mine. I couldn't agree more that the people of most areas where I travel are ultimately more interesting to me than the sites. I'd be interested to see any photos you have of the sunrise over Merapi with the clear skies from Borobudur. Clouds obscured the mountains during our dawn visit there but still was memorable.
Its too bad that you didn't get to walk through the rice fields as you said. My walks through the hills and countryside near Ubud were something I enjoyed as I love nature. I also talked with some nice people along the way. In Bali, getting out of the car away from the tourist sites in the countryside is something I suggest.
What was your feelings about the Tirta Gangga area and the water palace ?
Your great experiences with the Javanese people in the Magelang countryside mirror mine. I couldn't agree more that the people of most areas where I travel are ultimately more interesting to me than the sites. I'd be interested to see any photos you have of the sunrise over Merapi with the clear skies from Borobudur. Clouds obscured the mountains during our dawn visit there but still was memorable.
Its too bad that you didn't get to walk through the rice fields as you said. My walks through the hills and countryside near Ubud were something I enjoyed as I love nature. I also talked with some nice people along the way. In Bali, getting out of the car away from the tourist sites in the countryside is something I suggest.
What was your feelings about the Tirta Gangga area and the water palace ?
Jun 20th, 2007, 06:33 PM
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Kathie, I remembered you saying you found great crafts in Jogja, so I tried to avoid buying too much in Bali.
Becalm, The water palace at Tirta Gagna was one of the more impressive architectural sights I saw in Bali (along with a couple of temples). I definitely would recommend it, but agree that the trip over there would be more interesting if it included some walks in the rice fields.
I do have some photos online here:
http://homepage.mac.com/john.henness...toAlbum34.html
Becalm, The water palace at Tirta Gagna was one of the more impressive architectural sights I saw in Bali (along with a couple of temples). I definitely would recommend it, but agree that the trip over there would be more interesting if it included some walks in the rice fields.
I do have some photos online here:
http://homepage.mac.com/john.henness...toAlbum34.html
Jun 21st, 2007, 06:28 AM
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Thanks for the great report. It brings back such wonderful memories, especially of Java and the friendly people there.
I love to see the lizards and the snakes. Though I suspect that will all change the day I find one in my bed!
I love to see the lizards and the snakes. Though I suspect that will all change the day I find one in my bed!
