Jogja: Intro

As Salam

In a retrospective attempt, I will try to put down as much as possible, as I could remember on the accounts during the visit to Jogjakarta. Perhaps, the info here could serve as a reference for future travels to Jogja or any other places worthy of a visit. It should be fun and easy to read (hopefully) and should not tresspass the boundaries of being technical as such in a travel book. Rather, it is sort of a personal travel notes, capturing on the events that was seen, felt, acted upon and what should be acted on as well.

Planning a trip to Jogjakarta was not really a "planned" one. The ticket to Jogjakarta was bought after the no frills airline with red and white stripes made an early bird promotion way back last year. After considering that the total cost of the tickets to Jogja was still safely within the affordable zone, we made the purchase. This surely is one critical step if planning for a shoestring trip - hunting for cheap tickets online.

The departure card will be distributed during the flight.

We left KL departing for Jogja on a Friday morning. The flight took about 2 hours and 20 minutes. Once in the air zone of Jogja, the sight of mountain tops protruding from the blanket of blue morning mist welcomed our eyes. It was very soothing.

The landing was smooth. Adisucipto Airport of Jogja was about the size of the Kota Bharu Airport. Compared to the latter, Adisucipto Airport has a ground floor only, which is odd considering it as an international airport. We first met the immigration officers to clear our pasports. The queue was not that long, but some of us had to stand outside on to the tarmac before seeing the officers. After passing through the imigration, we had to search for our luggages, which were already laid on the floor. The conveyer belt has since, stopped working. There were only one conveyor belt and it really is a small one. We took our bags, and it had to go for another scan through the xray machine again.

AdisuciptoAirport, immediately after alighting from the craft. Notice people starting to queue at the stairs.

Before reaching the facade of the airport, passengers need to pass a small room. The taxi stand is located there. The cost to the main town from the airport should be Rp 50,000 only. I have checked this with the Lonely Planet Planet guide book and our guide while in Jogja. Try haggling for less if they ask for an extra Rp10,000. 

There is another counter right opposite the taxi stand. This counter provide guides who will drive you around visiting places of interest in Jogja for a price. After negotiating on the price, we finally settled for Rp 400,000 per day worth of trip. We further agreed to hire the guide from this company for 3 days. All in all, it will cost Rp 1,200,000. This will cover the important landmarks such as the Borobudur temple, Prambanan Temple, Parangtritis beach in the south and Jogjakarta city tour. However, be forwarned that this cost does not cover all entry tickets to the sites and parking fees. This fee covers only for the guide, petrol and the waiting time in each of the place. Along the way, we can always rearrange with the Pak Supir (guide/ driver) to mix and match the places of interest to meet our wants.

1001 Malam Hotel fits the bil. 

Actually, there is no need to fear for first timers to Jogja. There are many "losmen" or lodging facilities on offer with relatively cheap price with basic amenities. It my be onerous for the real adventurous backpackers when it comes to looking for a losmen. It should be fine as long as there is a place to wash up and sleep. Dirt cheap lodgings may risk you ending in a run down moldy rooms with old smelling bedsheets and separated bathrooms. However, we do want a certain level of comfort at affordable price and safety while travelling. Nothing near the scenes in the survivor series though. The rule of thumb is, borrowing a catch phrase from the red and white striped no frills hotel, we need a "5 star accomodation with a 1 star price", that does not leave a hole in our pockets. May be, it is wiser to book earlier during peak seasons, through AGODA or hostels dot com. Reviews of the accomodation from travellers can be read from TripAdvisor, Lonely Planets and AGODA itself. There are of course, many others if you trust them.

I don't really like to put in brand names when journalising on line. It gives free promotion without perks for me. However, if it is a good place, why not say good things about it? Otherwise, I'll just keep quiet and recommend others. 1001 Hotel is a nice 16 roomed quaint boutique-like hotel. It is simple and clean and the staffs are friendly.  There is an attached bathroom with hot showers. The wifi is stable. The mini garden where the rooms open to is beautiful with palm trees and native decors giving it a tropical ambience. The thing is, the curtains are a bit transluscent  (which is uncomfortable) and  throughout  our stay there, the room is not serviced. If you want to watch tv at night while lazing on the bed, after the day's travel, there is no tv available in the room. TV and some reading materials are in the lobby. 1001 Hotel is located in Sosrowijayan Wetan in Gang (lane) 2. It can be easily googled up. Along Gang 2 itself, or generally in Sosrowijayan, lodgings are aplenty.

Apart from the Sosrowijayan area, another loaction where one can easily find lodgings and hotels is the Prawirotaman area. Both of these places are lively aspecially at night. Halal food are ubiquitous but be sure to ask before ordering. Moneychangers, dobbies, rentals, internet facilities and even batik courses are commonly available in both areas.

To be continued...