zainib

Our son's spring break is the last week of March/first week of April and we're trying to put together a last-minute trip to SE Asia. We have exactly two weeks including travel time from Los Angeles. The plan is to fly to Bali via Hong Kong stopping off in HK for a couple of days since our 14-year has never been there. We'll spend the bulk of the time in Bali, probably based in Ubud. We're not really interested in spending time at the beach and so will concentrate on Ubud and the surroundings and any day trips we can make from there. The question is whether to also make our way to Java for a couple of days to see Borobudur and Prambanan. Doing so would entail a pretty brutal flight home (Yogya to Jakarta to HK to LAX). But, we do want to see those sights and will be so close. The itinerary would be something like this:

Day 1: Fly LAX to HK
Day 2: Arrive HK
Day 3-4: HK
Day 5: Fly to Denpasar
Day 6-11 Bali
Day 12: Fly to Yogyakarta
Day 13: AM at Borobudur; PM at Prambanan
Day 14: Fly home

Still working on logistics but it might be possible to reverse things and go HK to Java and then a week in Bali and fly home from there.

Any thoughts on whether to carve out some time for the Java temples? I know there is a lot to do in Bali, but without beach time it seems that we could spare the days. Or will we be shortchanging Bali?

rhkkmk

how about starting in java and then going to bali?

Kathie

I'd give Java more than one day out of your 14. It's definitely well worth the trip!

zainib

Kathie--To spend more time at the two temple sites or to do other things?

marmot

I think it would be worthwhile to spend a little more time in Java. I'm not a great fan of the town of Yogya, but since you're there you may as well have a look at the main sights, like the Kraton (palace) and do some arts and crafts shopping.

You can see Prambanan to or from the airport. Plan on about two hours.

Try to spend the night in the Borobudur area. Amanjiwo if you can afford it. Otherwise, Manohara, which is backpackerish. There's not much in between. Borobudur deserves two visits -- one at dawn, one later in the day.

Also, it's a good idea to have a little wriggle room in your travel itinerary as flights within Indonesia can be delayed. Garuda is much improved, but still. . .

merckxxx

A lot depends on how many temples you have seen. One does get temple fatigue after a while. The Borodudur temple is interesting in that it is not a ruin, but unintersting that it is just another stupa - altho a large stupa. I have covered all of Asia now and I know that for personal and commercial reasons locals promote the breathtaking wonder of their local temples, but it gets old. If you have treavelled little, the surrounding area might be interesting, but if you have travelled a lot, it is not significantly different than Bali. There are more interesting things to do near Bali.

Kathie

Well, Merck and I often see things differently. I'm a glass more than half-full type, and his glass is not only half-empty, but the water is tainted.

Bali and Java are very different culturally. I spent a week or 10 days in Java many years ago and really loved it. Borobudor, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, has extensive life of the Buddha carvings at each level. I agree with marmot that it's worth making two visits.

In addition to seeing Prambanam, do spend a little time in Jogja, as it has some of the best arts and crafts in Asia. Also consider a trip to Dieng Plateau and you might want to take in some of the more distant temples such as the fertility temple, Candi Sukah, past Solo.

You might also want to see part of the Ramayana ballet at the open air theatre near Prambanam.

StanKase

I would agree you should spend 2 days in Yogya.I think 1 day less in Bali will be made up by what you can see in Java. In Yogya you can stay at the Hyatt Regency for less than $150/$160 and it is lovely with large rooms. It is less than 10 minutes fro town and a taxi into town would cost $3 USD.
I have consistently recommended a special guide that I used and am using again in Sept. With a guide you can maximize your time seeing the two main Temples, Sultans Palace, Kraton Temple and if it's on and not too hot the ballet at night. You could actually do that and visit some small very interesting villages in a 10 hour day (not including the balletp-add 2.5 hours at night)with the guide and the other day go to onre of the most magnificant scenic areas in Java, Dieng Plateau. It is a 2.5 hour trip each way but much of the trip traveling is interesting and the area near the plateau is spectacular. I might do that the first day and the Yogya touring the second day. The guide you want is Rachmad if he is available. He is exceptional as is his partner Wiedy. Because Rachmad works as the lead guide at the Aman resort he takes a day off to do private tours but needs as much notice as possible. The same/day for Wiedy. Be cause they are well paid they charge $85 USD, at least that's what I paid in March 2010, for one of them including their comfortable van, with A/C, bottled water, chilled towels and up to 10-11 hours. We gave thewm a $10 USD tip for each day but they showed us little villages around Borobudur that where a throw-back to life as it was 50-60 yeards ago.
You can contact them if interested at: [email protected] You will not be sorry.If ypou use them they can get you on the Club Floor of the Hyatt for the same price you would pay for a standard room and you get a full breakfast and appetizers and cocktails from 5-7 at night as a Club Floor resident.
They are spending 5 days with us in East and West Java on our return trip in Sept.

merckxxx

Good heavens!If you go, stay at the Phoenix - it is at least as good as the Hyatt for two-thirds less. It is a wondeful hotel with a great restaurant. Fortunately I do not care a whit what Kathie thinks and I have never made a negative comment about her water, so let that speak for itself. I cannot even imagine what "tainted" refers to, but my response could be spelled out in a few letters which I will not illustrate here.

Kathie

I'm sorry you interpreted my comment as insulting, merkxxx, I was trying to joke with you gently about how different our perspectives are. My apologies.

StanKase

I am not sure if merckxxx has actually stayed at the Hyatt Regency or just visited it. I was in one of the Deluxe rooms at the Phoenix that a friend was staying at and it was not nearly as nice as even the standard Hyatt rooms, in my opinjion. Also, the Phoenix is downtown and in the middle of the hustle and bustle. After a 10 hour day of touring it is quite nice to get to the quiet gardens around the Hyatt. I did not mention because it Zainib because I thought you were not 62 years of age but the senior rate for the Club Floor with breakfast and evening lounge my guide secured for $120.

StanKase

I should add that with all the money you are spending on a great trip a guide for $50/day or $85/day is "chump change" in the big scheme of things. I can almost give you a "money back guarantee" on Wiedy or Rachmad if you are not thrilled with them, if either is available.They are taking off from regular guide jobs to do private tours and make more but there regular jobs provide them benefits etc. I am NOT their agent, though.

StanKase

zainib; I just heard from Wiedy and he assured me he will make me proud. I made sure he points out certain villages that were amazing to my wife and I. If your not satisfied come back on the Forum when you return at the end of March and I will refund your fee to Wiedy. He really is great. If you want a great guide that we are usuing in Bali, but I have not used, but many otherts on TripAdvisor have his name is Putu. Just go to TripAdvisor for contact information. He is about $65 USD/day.

glover

We were just in Yogyakarta last month. We loved seeing Borobudur and thought it unique, even though we'd come from Bali. We also loved the Phoenix Hote, one of our favorites on our long trip. True though that is right in the hustle bustle. But once you're on the property it no loner feels that way. And its location is convenient.

zainib

Thank you all. I guess the consensus is "Go to Java!"

We've decided to skip Hong Kong and instead make our way to Singapore for a couple of days to start things off. That makes for a much shorter direct flight to Yogya from Singapore via AirAsia without having to fly through Jakarta.

StanKase--We totally subscribe to the theory that a good guide can make for a great trip and that the cost is relatively minor compared to what you're investing in the whole trip. Thanks for the referral to Wiedy who I intend to contact. And thanks for all your other tips on sights and hotel. (And, yes, you are right--I'm not 62 years old yet!)

StanKase

zainib;When you return write a brief report about your 2 days with Wiedy. I did mean it when I said a "money back" guarantee. By the way for an extra $15 USD he will pick you up on arrival and return you to the airport on your departure. It makes life easier. He is 5'5" tall, about 140 lbs. and is about 35 with a very expressive face.

zainib

Well, a change of plans. We just couldn't get the flights we wanted. So, I've filed away all your tips for a future trip, hopefully later this year or next. Instead, we managed to get flights to Japan, so I'll be shifting my searches here to Japan trip reports. Thanks everyone.

StanKase--I did make contact with Wiedy and will be back in touch with him again when we finally manage to go.