TravelingDreamDuo

Dear Fodor's Forum Members:
Please help me plan our dream first-time to Asia trip!  I am going on a dream trip to Hong Kong and Indonesia in about a month.  

We are experienced travelers to other continents, but have never been to Asia. We have some sophisticated tastes being that we live in downtown NYC and are fond of luxurious elements; however, we always try to stay at the most unique and exotic place possible for the least amount of money (caviar tastes at tunafish prices).  We prefer to stay at some cool hip unique antique-filled palace for a dime.  I wish we could afford $300/night hotels, but we cannot.  

We are hoping to stay some night very cheap but great places for Under $100 and other nights between $100-$200.  We may splurge slightly higher for a few nights here and there, but prefer stylish at low cost..

And we love nature and wild places, adventure, cultural experiences, historical structures and architecture, hip laid back bars, fabulous food, cool fashion, and cool village markets where you can buy unique items at a bargain.  

Here is my tentative itinerary.

Sept 25 Leave New York  - Cathay Pacific Business Class

Sept 26 Arrive in Hong Kong at 5am
--- is it a pain with luggage to take the train from the airport?
--- we would like nice hotel suggestions. I am looking at Intercontinental in Kowloon because I thought it might be nice to lounge at their famous pool before checkin because we might be tired.  It is slightly out of my budget. I also thought to inquire at the YMCA because it has a good reputation as an unusual budget lodging.  
---  We like old authentic building, architecture and natural beauty
---  We are kind of foodies but will eat inexpensively too. 

Sept 27 Hong Kong
---  I think there is a boat Star Ferry to see Victoria Mountain, but I need suggestions.  What should we do?
---  We may want to get clothing made or shop in old exotic markets.

Sept 28 Hong Kong
---  Need suggestions

Sept 29 Fly to Singapore at 8am.  Change Cathay Pacific plane to Singapore Airlines/Silk Air to fly to Bandung, Indonesia.  Do we need to collect our luggage and go through customs if we are just changing planes? We bought 2 separate tickets. Will the airlines allow us to go through? Do we need a visa for this? Our flight is 3 hours later.
--- Pickup in Bandung by car and drive 2 hours to West Garut to Kampung Sampireun Resort and Spa.  We saw this hotel on the Travel Channel with Anthony Bourdain.

Sept 30 Kampung Sampireun Resort relaxation and tour village.

Oct 1 - Travel to Yogyakarta
-- How to best get there?  Is the train worth it for the scenic ride?  Is the executive or business train faster?  Ir should we fly?
-- Where should we sleep?  High end is possible because I think hotels are much cheaper here.  If we want to see Borobudur, should we stay there to arrive early in the morning? Or should we stay in Yogyakarta?  How far away is Borobudur?

Oct 2 - We want to see Borobudur, Prambanan, some palaces, musicians, puppets, crafts, and whatever else is recommended.  Suggestions?  How much can you see in a day?

Oct 3 - Yogyakarta - need suggestions

Oct 4 - Fly to Denpassar, Bali in the morning.

We have from October 4th to Oct 17th to figure out.  We fly out of Bali on Oct 17 at 4:00pm.  Please factor in travel time to different locations.  How do we hire a driver and guide?  
(13 nights total)

Here are the things we think we would like to do:

Ubud (4nights) - I always dreamed of Ubud Hanging Gardens, but I do not think we can afford it.  We have NO IDEA what to do.  All I have heard about is some Monkey Forest, a volcano where you can have lunch, rice fields, some Hindu temple for a ceremony at night on the water, and shopping.  Please advise.

Komodo Dragons - preferably upscale liveaboard cruise (3 days/2nights) where I believe we fly into Labuan Bajo..  Komodo and Rincon.  We need recommendations on the best equipment and safest boat with private cabins, good facilities, service and good food.

Maybe Gili Islands or Lombok? (3 nights).  Is this worth it?  We may be interested for a change in pace. Concerned about travel time.

Some other town in the Bali, South (3 nights in this location) I guess, but not crazy city or big box hotels.  We like nature and maybe beach.  No high-rises or packed in like sardines.  Being that we live in NYC, we would like something completely exotic and unusual.  I think someone might have mentioned Canggu or Sanur?  We do not want to be in a non-stop party Miami or Vegas zone.  We want authentic experiences and access to cool unique shopping and beach or nature relaxation. Need place to stay.

Also, how do we lug around 2 large suitcases?  Do we need a backpack only to go on a boat or Gili Islands?  Where do we leave our suitcases?

Do we need cash everywhere?  Do we need malaria pills and shots?

Thank you so very much in advance.  I am a little overwhelmed and this is in one month.

tansmets

A few thoughts:
- In Hong Kong the Intercon will be out of budget. I'd suggest staying on Hong Kong Island rather than Kowloon, The Ovolo has some boutique hotels that are more like serviced apartments, more space but with out a concierge, etc.
- You can take the Star Ferry from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. From there you can get the #15 bus to the Peak. It will pick you up right by the ferry. There is pretty good signage all over Hong Kong. If you can't find the bus near the pier, follow the signs to "exchange square bus terminal" where you can pick up a variety of buses. Alternatively you can take the Peak Tram, but it's expensive for a short and crowded ride. Taking the bus gives you a good little tour and introduction to Wanchai and HK island.
- "Old exotic markets"....try Mongkok. There's a jade market, a bird market, and some other markets. As for getting clothing made, if you want mens suits I can send the details for a person who makes the shirts of most of the bankers in central. $500HKD for a very high quality mens' shirt.
- Food - be more specific...you can get great high end food in HK and if you like Cantonese food you can get cheap dim sum and HK food at street cafes.
- If you like natural scenery, Hong Kong has plenty. You can take the #6 bus to Stanley and see the beautiful south side of HK island, you can take one of a variety of hikes, you can take the cable car (or hike) to the Big Buddah on the very green lantau island.

Bali

We stayed in the Hanging Gardens. I liked it a lot, but it's almost 30 mins from Ubud, which I found a little annoying. There are plenty of great properties closer to the center of Ubud that might be cheaper. I didn't have lunch at a volcano, but I climbed one to watch the sunrise. Highly recommended, but beware that we were picked up at 2am and then climbed in the dark for maybe 2 hours. It was rocky and slippery - certainly not a easy hike. But it was a great experience and I do recommend it if you like hiking.

- I despise monkeys so I can't comment on the Monkey Forest
- No need for malaria pills

Kathie

You need to start with some guidebooks. Get one for Hong Kong, one for Indonesia.

Hong Kong is among the most expensive cities in the world for travelers, as hotel prices are so high. If you have points with a hotel chain, this is a good place to use them.

Yes, you will want to ride the Star ferry from Kowloon to Honk Kong Island and take the tram up to the peak. There is much more to do in Hong Kong than you have time for, but you will have to do some reading to decide what interests you. There are some wonderful posts here from Cicerone, an ex-pat who lives in Hong Kong. Take a look at some of those.

I love the parks in Hong Kong. Go early in the morning, as the locals are doing Tai Chi. The parks (especially Hong Kong Park) are beautiful and well-used.

If you have a lot of money burning a hole in your pocket, you can have clothing custom-made. It's been decades since Hong Kong was a bargain for custom-made clothing. Prices are high but quality is high as well. However, it takes time to get clothing made, as you will need multiple fittings. You have a very short time in Hong Kong, so it will be cutting it close to get something made. Avoid the places that say they can make a suit in 24 hours - they can, but not one you want to wear. If you decide to have clothing made, e-mail the tailor and set up an appointment for as soon as you get there.

We were in central and eastern Java in November. Here is my trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-to-jogja.cfm As you can tell from my report, you could spend lots more time in central Java. I'd stay in Yogyakarta, it's an hour drive to Borobudur early in the morning. We stayed in a suite at the Phoenix - a lovely old hotel. Do go out to Prambanam to see the Ramayana ballet while you are there. Don't bother with a performance in town.

Get a copy of the Lonely Planet Indonesia. Read all of the sections on central Java, Bali and Lombok. If the only thing you know about on Bali is the Monkey Forest, you have a lot of reading to do. the Monkey Forest is on many people's list of things to avoid. You will want to visit temples, see local ceremonies, visit craft villages, etc. There is gorgeous scenery both in the verdant mountains and by the ocean.

I like Lombok. If you go, stay at Qunci Villas, inexpensive and lovely. You can take a day trip to the Gillis.

In south Bali, I like Sanur, as it has a small town feel. Avoid Nusa Dua like the plague - a sterile tourist zone, I think of it as being for people who don't want to be in Indonesia.

Do get appropriate immunizations for travel - all the ones you should have to stay at home like tetanus and Hep A, but also typhoid, measles mumps, rubella booster. If you opt to go to Lombok and Komodo, you may want to take anti-malarials, as both of these places have moderate risk of malaria. I don't know the area where you are staying first on Java, but it may also have some risk. Look it up at www.cdc.gov/travel Also, look at the malarial risk maps at the UK's fitfortravel site.

marmot

Do you have to fly HK-Singapore-Bandung? It would be easier to fly non-stop from Hong Kong to Jakarta and drive to Garut. If you're committed to going through Singapore, then your baggage can be checked through from Hong Kong to Bandung. You don't need a visa for Singapore. You will need a visa for Indonesia but I believe you can get a visa on arrival in Bandung. (Check this, though.)

I'm not familiar with Kampung Sampireun Resort and Spa. I couldn't tell from their website if it would be serene or overrun with Javanese honeymooners. The area (West Java) has great natural beauty, but tourism is undeveloped.

There's no easy way to get from Garut to Yogyakarta. If you fly you have to go back to Bandung. You could probably get someone to drive you, which would be more flexible than the train. Trains are not Indonesia's finest point. They are run down and often delayed. Executive is a step up from Business.

I prefer to stay near Borobudur because it's nice to be able to visit the monument more than once and the surrounding area is phenomenally scenic. I'd recommend the Manohara; bare bones but steps from the monument. Have lunch or a drink at the nearby Amanjiwo. Borobudur is about an hour from the town of Yogyakarta or the airport.

I'd allot one day for Borobudur and one day for Yogya. You can see Prambanan and the Kraton (palace) in one day with some time leftover for shopping. The Hyatt is nice. Everyone like the Phoenix, but I haven't stayed there myself.

You won't need to hire a car and driver for your whole time in Bali. On arrival you can either take a taxi from the airport (set rate) or you can arrange for your resort to pick you up. Often airport transfer is included in your room rate package.

Bear in mind that Bali will be hosting a huge APEC meeting the first week in October. It's mostly centered in Nusa Dua (where you won't want to be anyway) but there will be spill over to other parts. Because several heads of state (including President Obama) will attend, the airport will be closed off and on and traffic will be a nightmare.

The second week of October is the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival which is something you may want to take advantage of. Resorts in the town and surrounding area will be full to overloaded so book soon.

I'd suggest that you pick a resort -- either in town or outside -- and let your resort help you plan activities. I like the Alam Sari, the Komen group and the Alila, but there are many other choices. Take a look at Alam Sari's village stay program too.

There are lots and lots of activities -- nature and culture. Many temple ceremonies, dances, arts and crafts, spas and wellness. Concentrate first on selecting your resort, the it will be easy to plan day to day activities. There's plenty of information available.

I don't have recommendations for Komodo or live aboards, but check your transportation time carefully. You may need more than 3 days. I'm not up to date on the Gilis, but there are lots of nice beach-y places in Lombok. Again, plan your travel time. Getting from Bali to Lombok takes up most of a day. You can take your luggage on the ferry (or you can fly).

South Bali offers a lot in the way of sophisticated beach resorts. The area is highly developed, even Sanur, but it is not highrise.

I personally like Seminyak. It's not Miami (or Vegas) but don't expect pristine, desert island type beaches. The big surf sunset beaches are great for walking and playing in the waves. Lots of restaurants, spas and shopping in the area.

I like The Colony resort which is near Petitenget temple and beach.

Canggu is a mostly expat community north of Seminyak. There are many villas in the area and a few resorts. Desa Seni is very nice, espcially if you're interested in yoga. Canggu beaches are not recommended (unless you intend to surf).

You don't need malaria preventatives for Java, Bali or Lombok. I'm not sure about Komodo/Rincin. As Kathie says, make sure your general vaccines are up to date. I would add polio to the check list. It's a very good idea to take out emergency medical evacuation insurance. Stay away from monkeys.

Credit cards and ATMs are widely used in Java and Bali.

My general advice would be to forget the liveaboard/Komodo trip this time. Spend more time in the Ubud area. You can scuba in East and North Bali, so you might want to consider Amed or Pemuteran.

TravelingDreamDuo

This is all great advice! I had no idea about APEC conference.

In Hong Kong, I am hoping for a nice pool/spa. We would love Dim Sum and is it a touristy thing to have tea at The Penninsula? We would like to try at least one foodie fantastic restaurant. I want to see a giant Buddha.

I am thinking my husband might be interested in having a couple of custom shirts made from your tailor. Is it possible in only 2-3 days? How do we find him/her?

We are connecting through Singapore because flying into Jakarta and being stuck in a car in traffic for 7 hours seemed worse. Also, the direct flights are at an inconvenient time and would have us arriving very late at night. This way we can use AA miles through Cathay Pacific to get to Singapore and have a much shorter drive when we areive.

I am unclear about Malaria pills. Many references say that you need them on Lombok. We are unsure if we are going there as of yet.

I am trying to book a flight on Lion Air between Bandung and Yogyakarta. It does not take any of my credit cards. How does an American book domestic Lion Air flights?

Thank you all so much.

I really appreciate the hotel suggestions!!

In Yogyakarta, if we arrive in the late afternoon, should we go immediately to Borobudur area to sleep? And then spend the next two days in Yogyakarta? Or spend 2 days in Borobudur and 1 in Jogya? Or 1 in Yog, 1 in Boro, 1 in Yog?

Thank you all very much.

Kathie

I have not been able to book flights on Indonesian airlines from the US. This is a time when using a local agent can be helpful. The person I used was also able to book hotels at better prices than I could. His contact info is in my report. You can ask him to book all of your hotels and you'll save a significant amount.

As I said earlier, I'd just stay in Yogyakarta all three nights. If you want to spend the night at the Manohara next to Borobudur, go from the airport to the Manohara, then spend the next two nights in Yogyakarta.

marmot

An Indonesian travel agent can book flights for you. You can find Smailings or Bayu Buana on the internet. Most likely Kampung Sampireun would also make the flight reservation for you.

Cathay also has a morning flight from Hong Kong to Jakarta. You're not going to run into any more traffic from Jakarta getting out of Jakarta than you would getting out of Bandung.

I agree start with one night at Borobudur. Stay as long as you like in the area then head to Yogya.

Everyone has tea at the Peninsula -- including locals.

tansmets

There are some other high tea options I'd recommend over the Peninsula if the weather is nice - the Chocolate Library at the Ritz Carlton is on the 100 something floor with stunning views IF the weather is clear. In Hong Kong, that's a pretty big if. The Veranda at the Repulse Bay hotel is also lovely and a nice way to see the more scenic side of Hong Kong island. Friends of mine also like the Hullet House, though I have not been as I'm not a fan of high tea.

I can't personally vouch for dim sum since I don't eat fish or pork, but one of the most popular places for dim sum is Tim Ho Wan. There are a few branches, including one in the IFC. It's the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world I think.

I personally prefer Crystal Jade, but this is a Singapore owned chain that serves Shanghainese style food. It's really popular in Shanghai as well. I've had decent dim sum in Wanchai as well but these places are much more local and might not have English menus.

Regarding the shirts, not sure if you need 2 fittings. You do for a suit. What worked well when I had shirts made for someone in the US is to just take along a shirt that fits really well, they will copy the measurements exactly.

Kathie

Of course, if you take along a shirt and have them copy it, you do not have a custom-tailored shirt. You have a copy of a mass-produced shirt.

Decide if tailoring is important enough to give up a couple of hours choosing fabric and getting fitted.

tansmets

Of course, but if the OP doesn't have enough time to get something tailored, or enough interest, they can pick up a copy of a well fitting shirt in a variety of fabrics. As a female this would never work for me, but for my husband and many men who don't care too much about fashion, this is useful to replace the fitted shirts they need to wear 5 days a week. The shirt I had copied was actually a copy of a custom fitted shirt which I think ran around $200 USD, vs $500 HKD.

rhkkmk

plan on atm's for your cash needs. also have a back up plan.

look at alam shanti and it's sister properties around ubud.

I prefer to always have a/c.

I use putu as my driver in bali. he is reasonable and accommodating. google: my bali friend.

TravelingDreamDuo

Thank you.

We booked at the Hotel Icon in Hong Kong. It has very good reviews on Conde Nast Hot List etc. and we decided that this would be a splurge.

We also took Marmot's advice and booked one night at Borobudur at Manohara and then 2 nights at The Phoenix Hotel in Yogyakarta.

We also took Kathie's advice and booked at the Qunci Villas on Lombok.

Now we have to figure out our hotels on Bali and decide if we should go to do a 3 day/2night liveaboard in Labuan Bajo to see Komodo National Park and snorkel.

Kathie

Congrats on getting this booked. I'm sure it will be a wonderful trip!

TravelingDreamDuo

We are trying to fly between Yogyakarta and Lombok at the beginning of October. There are three options. Direct flights are sold out.

1) Yogyakarta - Bali, Bali - Lombok (Garuda)

$366 US per person. Too expensive. Forget it.

2) Yogyakarta - Surabaya, Surabaya - Lombok (Lion Air)

$134 US per person. Long connection in Surabaya. We leave Jog at 8:45 AM and arrive in Surabaya at 9:55 AM. Leave Surabaya at 2:45 PM and arrive in Lombok at 5:05 PM.

3) Yogyakarta - Bali, Bali - Lombok (AirAsia, Lion Air)

$99 US per person (including up to one 20kg suitcase on AirAsia). Two separate tickets. Shorter connection in Bali. We leave Jog at 6:25 AM and arrive in Bali at 8:35 AM. Leave Bali at 10:55 AM and arrive in Lombok at 11:25 AM.

We are reserved (not booked) on Lion Air for option 2, but now that I found option 3, I am thinking of changing because I would rather arrive at Senggigi Beach to enjoy my day, than spend it in the Surabaya airport.

Please advise me. I am confused about customs and immigration when flying domestically in Indonesia inter-island. The Lion Air customer service person in Singapore told me that I would have to go through customs and immigration at Surabaya or Denpassar - even though I would have been already in Indonesia on Java for a week. This does not make sense to me.

Is it a quicker and smoother process to connect fom domestic to domestic airline in Bali?

Do I really need to go through customs and immigration on a domestic flight?

Is the connection time of 2 hours and 20 minutes on Option 3 enough to switch from Air Asia to to Lion Air flight? We will have one suitcase each and one carry-on each.

Is it in the same Bali air terminal?

What kind of fees would I be expected to pay on Option 2 or Option 3?

I would really appreciate your input on traveling domestically!

Reply

Kathie

No customs and immigration on domestic flights.

There is only one terminal at Bali. Air Asia does not transfer luggage, so you will have to pick up your luggage in Bali and check it with Lion AIr.

Hopefully, Marmot will respond to you, as she will know how efficient/inefficient the transfers are at DPS.

Also, it would make sense for you to contact a local agent. If you are getting these prices from Expedia or similar they will be higher (sometimes much higher) than what an agent can get. Marmot gave you a couple of suggestions for Indonesian agents, and the man I dealt with, Weidy, is another option. If you contact a local agent, have them check hotel prices as well as airfares.

marmot

Kathie is correct that you won't have to go through immigration again once you're in Indonesia; however, there are two terminals in Indonesia -- one for international, one for domestic. I believe that AirAsia and Lion Air are in the same terminal. You should check this.

2h20m should be OK for a transfer, but again, follow the airline's advice. APEC is October 5-7. There will be unusually high security at the airports at that time.

I'd suggest that you ask the Phoenix and the Qunci for help in arranging transport to Lombok (and from Lombok to Bali). Or contact Smailings.

marmot

To clarify: I meant to say there are two terminals at Bali/Denpasar airport.

Kathie

Thanks, marmot, my info was old.

Qunci has booked air for others, and I'm sure the Phoenix would help. Ask them - they might even be able to get you on the non-stop. Qunci will transfer you from the airport to the hotel as part of your room price (at least if you book directly with them).

TravelingDreamDuo

Qunci is not so cheap anymore. I saw online that rooms were $100/night in January. Now the cheapest room is $155 and Oceanfront is $215.

Also, they told me that they would charge me $35 to pick me up from the airport.

Is this right?

Kathie

You are traveling during high season, so prices will be higher. January is low season, so prices are lower and rooms availability is better.

I just looked at their website, and the garden view rooms in October are $155 on the dates when they are available. You are rather late at planning this trip. You may want to pause and reconsider whether to go to Lombok. I enjoy Lombok, it has nice, uncrowded beaches, but Bali is the (much) better cultural destination. Take a look at the prices you'll be paying on Bali.

For some reason, I thought you were traveling in November, which is moving into low season in this area, as it starts to rain then.