Jogyakarta & - Bali?
 

Hi there, I am planning to go to Yogyakarta next August. It looks like most flights go through Jakarta or Bali. As I am not really interested in Jakarta, I thought we'd combine some time in Bali. My question is - what area would compliment Yogyakarta? Or is there enough to do there that we could stay the whole time? This is not a long trip for us, so two weeks or so is all the time we have.

We have points with Marriott and Starwood and I'd like to use those, so that keeps us in more touristy areas, I know. We don't care about nightlife. I like the beach, but it's not a requirement for this trip. We like to shop, visit temples, and eat good local food.

Any advice would be great! Thanks.

Hi Sealstep. I asked the mods to delete one of your posts so you will get all your replies in one place.

Two weeks would work for a central Java/Bali trip. You could also opt for an all - Java trip. You might find my trip report from an all-Java trip helpful: http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...n-to-jogja.cfm

I don't believe there are any Marriott or Starwood properties near Jogjakarta, though there is a Hyatt. We stayed at the Phoenix, which was lovely. Hotels are very reasonably priced on Java. We opted for suites everywhere!

There are both Marriott and Starwood properties on Bali. Generally, I recommend staying in or near Ubud for the cultural aspects of Bali, but you won't find those hotels there. The Marriott and Starwood properties are likely on or near Nusa Dua which is my least favorite part of Bali, but it does have nice beaches.

Let me know if there is more information I can provide about our Java trip.

If I recall correctly. I arrived in Yogyakarta on a direct Garuda flight from Singapore. If that would add possibilities to your itinerary, you might check it out. If I had to choose between Bali & Jakarta, Bali would certainly win, but if you'd prefer Singapore you might throw it into the mix.

AirAsia serves the Singapore to Yogya route too.

I'm in Bali at the moment, and fly to Yogyakarta tomorrow morning with Air Asia for a week.

How you get to Yogya depends on where you're coming from. As noted, Air Asia from Singapore or Bali is a good option. SilkAir, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also flies from Singapore to Surakarta/Solo which is quite close to Yogya.

There is a Sheraton in Yogya. I haven't been there for years, but as I remember it was somewhat old style (not in a good way.)

Both Starwood and Marriot have several properties in the beach areas of Bali -- Nusa Dua, Jimbaran, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak-- and one in Lombok in Senggigi. None of them jumps out at me as a great place to stay. By location I'd go with the W in Seminyak, but the ambience is quite flashy.

I'd agree that a week in Central Java (Yogya, Borobudur and the surrounding countryside) plus a week in Bali would be a good combination. In Bali, I'd concentrate on the Ubud area, even though you won't be able to use your hotel points.

We were in Bali and Lombok for 2 weeks last month.

We love alam shanti in Ubud, and in fact would only consider stays in Ubud in the future--we have been to bali 4 times...

We loved our days on Lombok at qunci villas... Perhaps the best overall hotel we have ever stayed at. Lombok offers little or nothing to the tourist, IMO.

We stayed at the stones hotel in legian, a marriott property.. We hated the location, hotel was ok itself.

Another time I would consider the new marriott courtyard in seminyak, although we did not see it.

Bob. Why did you choose Stones? What was wrong with it?
By stating it wasn't the right choice offers little comfort for anyone looking for a firm recommendation!
So why should the Marriott Courtyard be any better?
Me and the cook are in a 2* close to the airport at the moment, and it's perfect [for us].

The location of the Stones in busy Kuta is not relaxing at all. traffic is horrid, and usually a lengthy taxi ride to any decent place to eat because of it. Pool and beach were both over populated. If people think Kuta is what Bali is all about they are missing " the real Bali".

LL, Bob said that what was wrong with the Stones was the location. Since it is located in Kuta, I totally understand. I always recommend that people actively avoid Kuta.

We got dropped off our Perama shuttle from Ubud on Jl Legian. I thought we'd landed on another planet. Crude's a bit of understatement. Was glad to get a bit further south to Tuban, which was nice and quiet.

That said, we walked along the excellent paved beachfront path a couple of times as far as Poppies 1, along it, on to Jl Legian as far as the Bomb Monument. Quite enjoyed it, but it was during daylight. A lot of the crap on display in the shops is v.crude, but amusing at the same time.

Thank you everyone. How far is Ubud from Nusa Dua or Seminyak?

Kathie, I have read your great trip report. How many nights for Yogyakarta - 5? 6?

This is the Sheraton in Yogyakarta.

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sherat...?propertyID=20

I think that where you stay in Yogyakarta depends on what you want to, and how you want to do it.

The Sheraton is out near the airport, and if you plan on spending a lot of your time in the city, then you'll soon get tired of the traffic, it's horrendous.

On the other hand if seeing the sights outside the city are what you'll be doing, then staying on the outskirts is a good idea.

How long you stay depends on your intended programme.

We're in our last couple of hours here, and will be happy to leave. Our 7 nights could easily have just been 3.

I couldn't make your link work, but I searched for it on the Sheraton website and found it. I can't really tell where it is in town, despite fiddling with the map for a while. I haven't seen the place, so can't comment on it. Hotels are quite inexpensive in this area - we had a huge suite for under $150 and it included an incredible breakfast.

I'd say 5 or 6 nights would be good. Must-see places: Borobudur and a couple of nearby temples, Dieng Plateau, Prambanam, The Ramayana Ballet at Prambanam, Suhka Temple. There is some excellent crafts shopping in the area as well. Some people want to visit Merapi as well. Do you have the Lonely Planet Guide to Indonesia? They have an extensive write-up on this area.

I agree that the length of time you devote to Yogya depends on what you like to do. I would say 3-4 nights if you're not a big temple person, 5-6 if you are.

It really doesn't matter where you stay as Yogya's not a great walking city and the main attractions are spread out in all directions. If I remember correctly the Sheraton is near Prambanan. As hotels go it's just okay, but there's nothing objectionable about it.

I would also recommend that you spend one or two nights near Borobudur. The Manohara is bare bones (and quite inexpensive), but acceptable. It's right on the grounds of the monument. The scenery is beautiful and staying nearby allows you to visit Borobudur at different times of day.

Yogya is a real Asian city. It has a lot of interesting sights, but can be congested and irritating too. The country side around Borobudur, Merapi, the Dieng Plateau is really magmificent.

"Ubud" is used for both the town and the area surrounding the town so travel time depends on where you're going. Roughly from Nusa Dua or Seminyak it's about 1.5 hours, can be 2.0 if you run into traffic pockets.

Just wanted to add that August 17 is Indonesian Independence Day and a long weekend on August 15-17. The temples and palaces will be mobbed with holiday makers and Javanese school children. Avoid this weekend in Central Java if you can.

The Sheraton is near the airport, on the perimeter of town.

I'm at Yogyakarta airport now. A sea of humanity, but Air Asia check-in was very good, unlike some of the chaos around us!

Thanks everyone, this is really great advice. Now for the planning!

I'm now looking at flying into Singapore instead, which seems pretty easy both from the states and with flights to Jogya. So,if we wanted to just stay in central Bali, are there any beach resorts near Yogjyakarta that we could get to by car where we could wind down? We might not have enough time to do both Bali and Java, so I could save Bali for a different trip. I feel like I'm going to drag my husband around Jogya sightseeing and shopping and I would love to have a few nights to just relax. We could also spend a couple of nights in Singapore and concentrate on getting really good spicy food. Thoughts?

"So,if we wanted to just stay in central Bali,..."

Do you mean central Java?

Neither the beaches nor the resorts on the Java coast are particularly inviting. Java is a relatively small island with a massive population -- 140 million! -- and the public places can be overrun.

If it's in your budget (not in mine anymore!) Amanjiwo at Borobudur is a wonderful escape. I've also heard good things about MesaStila and Plataran which are in the countryside north of Borobudur. I've not been to either one, though.

I also like the looks of the Kura Kura Resort, which is on an island off the north coast. (I haven't been there either.) It's not so easy to get to though.

The AirAsia flights from Yogya to Bali are fairly low-aggravation. I'd choose Bali over Java for relaxation, even if just for a few days.

I agree with Marmot that Bali would be a far nicer relaxation option - what I was thinking when you wrote Bali instead of Java.

Ha, I did mean central Java. Sorry about that. But maybe even if we flew through Singapore we could do a few nights in Bali. I am just thinking of how to minimize travel time. Marmot, I am going to look at your suggestions too!

Saving this for future planning!

Allright, this is coming together in my mind. Due to work issues we don't have as many days as I had hoped.

We will fly in and out of Singapore. After doing more research I think I'd like to save Bali for when we have more time in a year or so, maybe combined with Australia.

Marmot, I love the looks of Kura Kura Resort, but it doesn't fit my timing as much. However, Plataran looks fabulous and would be a nice few nights after the Sheraton in Jogya. Private pools - who needs the beach. And right near Borobudur.

My other thought is possibly Bintan Island from Singapore for a few nights. But that seems like more trouble just for the beach and not quite as nice in the end. Singapore has never been high on my list but the attraction there is the food. Stay at the Marriott and have as much spicy delicious food as possible.

So many places, so little time.

Our trip is now two months away! I can't wait. We ended up flying into Singapore and will have two nights there to start before flying to Jogja. We will spend 4 nights at the Sheraton, three nights at Plataran, and then back to the Sheraton for a night before a fairly early flight back to Singapore for one last day.

A few more questions. Are there any specific restaurant recommendations in Jogja?

We don't need a guide, but will most likely need a driver every day. Do we need to book something in advance or can we just use a taxi the hotel can help us book?

We will go to Borobudur while we're staying at Plataran. My other ideas are the Candis of the Prambanan Plain, a day shopping and seeing the Sultan's Palace and wandering around the city, and maybe a day driving into the countryside, possibly out to Merapi. We wouldn't climb it, is it worth heading out there to get out of the city and see some of the scenery?

Thanks as always!

It is worth seeing some countryside. I'd opt for the Dieng Plateau rather than Merapi, but either way you will see some countryside. I'd opt to take the Dieng Plateau drive while you are staying at Plataran.

Do visit the temples at Prambanan and do go to the Ramayana Ballet at the open-air pavilion near Prambanan.

As far as restaurants are concerned, everywhere we ate was good and I have to admit I don't even know the names of the places.

Your hotel can arrange a car and driver for you easily.

Have a wonderful trip.

BTW, did you notice Ms Go's trip report? Excellent report and nice photos!

If you aren't going to hike up Merapi, I'm not sure it would be worth it. My friend and I stayed a couple of nights, not much of a village, but then I like wandering around in such places more than most people, it seems. My friend did the hike up, I hung out, then back to Yogya. Given most here aren't very keen on the things I happen to like, I'd say don't bother.

We just came back from that area earlier this week. We stayed at a different hotel, The Phoenix. We kept our plans fluid and decided in the morning what we wanted to do for the day, and the hotel was easily able to arrange drivers for our needs. I'd be surprised if the Sheraton couldn't do the same.

Our trip report is just a few posts down from yours, in case it is helpful. We spent a week in Central Java, with four days in Yogyakarta and three near Borobudur.

We considered Merapi (just the viewing area) but didn't end up doing that. We were there in the transition between rainy and dry season, and there was a lot of haze and some clouds (but fortunately little rain).

It is all fantastic. You'll have a wonderful time.

Thanks to both of you! I will check out the Dieng Plateau now. I am not sure I can talk my husband into the Ballet, but we will see.

You won't have any problem arranging drivers when you are there.
Merapi is interesting because of its volcanic activity, like lava flows, hot gas, ash and evidence of devastation. The local guides will know which areas are safe to visit.

But I would give the Dieng Plateau priority. As mentioned, it would be best to visit Dieng from Plataran.

Calling the Ramayana show a ballet may call a different picture to mind. Cheryl put together a batch of her still photos to give you a sense of it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Av0s4ojDeE
and
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn8lfI6lWTo

Take a look at it and see what your husband thinks. I think it is an amazing show!

We tried to to the Dieng Plateau from Borobodur a few days ago but didn't go as the bridge, allegedly, was out of action and the journey time would have been more like 5 hours each way rather than the usual 3.

Excellent, and I will check out your report ms_go!

Very helpful information here - thanks all!