After a lot of soul searching we eventually decided that our annual holiday to the north of Georgia, USA was not going to happen this year – what with the political regime and a general feeling of unease about safety, this led us back to the familiarity and friendliness of Asia. So, after some discussion we chose Indonesia as it looked easy to get around independently and looked unspoiled by tourism; in the process of finding flights we discovered that a short stop-over in Hong Kong would give us cheaper prices rather than flying straight to Jakarta! So our 10 days in Indonesia instantly became a 2 week holiday with 3 day stop-over in Hong Kong.
Mrs Y had lost some of her travel mojo after our recent India trip so we were both hoping that this trip would reinvigorate her. Our flight, BA31, left London bang on time and we settled back for the 13 hour ‘trek ‘hop’ to HK. We arrived an hour early and fully expected that the airport would be chaos but the efficiency of the system (all automated) meant we hit the ground at 3:15pm and were on the bus into the city by 4:15pm. The airport bus A21 delivered us to Nathan Road, just 100m from our hotel the Nathan Hotel. Despite being right on the busy Nathan Road, our room was on the 10th floor and as we booked direct with the hotel we were upgraded to a balcony room, there was no noticeable noise inside. We made the decision before arriving that our arrival day would simply be cleaning up and resting; we only had a few days and didn’t want to be too exhausted to enjoy the city. Having spent the last 13 hours being fed by British Airways we chose not to go out for food but instead picked up a Starbucks sandwich and coffee from the lobby and planned our next day, settling in for an early night.
After a great night’s sleep and a good breakfast looking out over the city, we decided to head out to explore. On leaving the lobby we noticed a typhoon warning signal 3 was posted in the lobby but, as everybody was continuing with their business, we headed on out into the city. Top of our agenda for the visit was to go to The Peak so we decided to walk down Nathan Rd towards the Star Ferry terminal; it was busy but not overwhelmingly so and as we walked through Kowloon the city was beginning to come alive.
We were expecting a delay getting the ferry across the bay but were surprised that we were able to walk straight on – maybe due to the impending bad weather! We had investigated transport options for the city before arriving and, as suggested, picked up a tourist Octopus Card through the app which we could use on all transport throughout the city. Having already used it, albeit nervously, when catching the airport bus on our arrival we knew exactly what to do. It felt surreal finally seeing the infamous Hong Kong skyline and approaching it on that famous ferry!
We knew that there was a tram to the top of the Peak but that the most picturesque (if slow) route was the No 15 bus that wound it’s way through the city giving incredible views of the Chinese cemetery clinging to the steep hillside and also Happy Valley racecourse. The journey was about 50 minutes and cost just £1.25, probably the best value of anything we did in Hong Kong. As we got closer to the Peak, the weather became more grey and rain showers came and went in short bursts. At the top we chose not to pay for the viewing platform as it felt like a tourist trap (part of the building was shopping mall and Madame Tussauds!) but instead followed a footpath to the left of the plaza. This was Lugard Road, a footpath that swept away from the shops etc and followed the curve of the harbour with spectacular views not just over Hong Kong and Kowloon but over Lantau Island and beyond. The path was tree covered along it’s entirety which was great when the showers came but once they stopped the rain continued to drip from the trees! The advantage to the passing showers was that there was no low cloud so the view was perfect.
We had discussed returning on the bus, as we had enjoyed the ride up, but felt we should try out the tram so we made our way to the stop. We managed to get seats in the front carriage but all the seats with views were taken. The constant Disney promotion songs drove us insane as we sat waiting for the tram to move and the rain meant the carriage soon became steamy. We had high expectations as the journey was significantly more expensive than the bus (£7.30) but it was definitely not worth it as most of the journey was through tall buildings and bridges that obscured any view! We put it down to experience but will know next time.
Once we were back in the city, we made our way to Admiralty MTR station through Hong Kong Park and an unplanned detour which uncovered an Anthony Gormley statue on the roof of the Hong Kong Jockey Club. With only 2 stops to travel, we popped out at Nathan Road MTR just as the heavens opened; Luckily, we had packed our waterproofs but we still would have got drenched! It was instantly obvious that in Hong Kong nobody bothers with coats but they all carry umbrellas – not as hazardous as it sounds and much more comfortable in the humid conditions. As soon as the deluge slowed we made our way to the nearest stall and picked up an umbrella – if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em – and scurried back to the hotel.
We knew the weather was getting worse so we found a local restaurant – Sino Vegetarian Restaurant – that happened to be about 5 minutes across the road from the hotel. The staff were very friendly and the food was superb with a set menu that enabled us to try a variety of dishes together; this was topped off by the owner bringing us a complimentary traditional sweet red bean soup.
Our first day in Hong Kong had been great and we had hoped to finish off with Temple Street Night Market but the weather had made it impossible so we briefly wandered through it, in the pouring rain, on our way back to the hotel.
Day 3
We had big plans today – for starters, a visit to the Big Buddha on Lantau Island. However, the weather had other ideas and with the typhoon signal now up to 8 it seemed like the whole of Hong Kong was shutdown and we were now going nowhere. The MTR was still running but we knew better than to mess with extreme weather so, taking a lead from the locals we headed out on foot with just an umbrella! We had checked out the weather forecast before leaving the hotel so knew the storm was abating and we were not being foolish. Despite the storm, it was a real experience to see Hong Kong empty of traffic and people. We were able to stop in the middle of the main road to take photos without any worry about being hit by traffic!
We wandered towards Mong Kok as we knew there was a shopping mall and we could also see the traditional neighbours around Reclamation Street. Mrs Y was also hoping to pick up a cheap pair of sneakers in Sneaker Street but she forgot that the average shoe size of women in Asia is impossibly tiny and size 5 is the largest they stock for women. The biggest surprise was that only a handful of shops were open (that included inside the huge mall) – turned out that people are told to stay home until the signal drops from 8 to 3 (there is no 4, 5, 6 or 7!) and then they should resume their daily business. My thoughts were that if this rule applied at home and the signal reduced after 12:00, a large proportion of people would just stay home for the day taking large areas into complete shutdown. Not in Hong Kong though, on our walk back we noticed more people appearing on the street and shops beginning to sort things out for opening up – the signal was expected to reduce imminently. By the time we got back to Nathan Road we spotted a coffee shop (Syphon Coffee) with a massive selection of coffee and ducked in for refreshment. Knowing that the weather was improving we decided to return to our hotel and sort bags out ready to move on tomorrow and then venture our again later in the afternoon.
We knew that the typhoon signal, even at 3, would mean that the harbour light show would be cancelled but as we hadn’t seen the city after dark we set off armed with our now trusty umbrella. Finally everything was open and the streets were once again full of people. We decided to walk to the waterfront rather than pick up the MTR and it was lovely to be part of the swelling crowds making their way to the waterfront. It was clear that a lot of people were still expecting the light show but at 7:50 an announcement was made that it would not be happening (our tip is to research your destination thoroughly to avoid unnecessary disappointment and wasting precious time). Sitting on the waterfront watching the Star Ferry going back and forth, we made a sudden decision to hop on one to Wan Chai to fully appreciate both sides of the harbour. We fully expected to have to queue for the best harbour view but there were less than 20 people on the ferry so we could pick our seat for the best experience. Although we had planned to walk back to the hotel, we were now on the wrong side of the water so we wandered along the beautiful waterfront towards Admiralty MTR that linked us directly to the nearest station to the hotel.
As it was our last evening we ventured to the rooftop bar for a beer and cheese plate.
Our 2 day stopover help us settle our body clocks and reduce our flight price had been so much more than we’d expected and despite the poor weather we had really enjoyed our time in Hong Kong. We were leaving, knowing for sure that we would be coming back again.
Day 4
Knowing that we were travelling to Jakarta on our jetlag day meant we had booked an early afternoon flight. We had a leisurely breakfast and chilled in the room until checkout time. With the airport bus leaving from directly opposite the hotel, it was a stress free connection and within the hour we were dropping off bags and navigating the simplest immigration clearance we’d ever encountered – no face-to-face checks just an automated biometric passport scan! Despite being one of the busiest airports in the world, it felt friendly and very provincial. Both the lounge and the flight were good although airlines need to get their act together regarding vegetarian food as we yet again had a bland pasta dish – 3 flights and 3 pasta meals!
Prior to leaving the UK we had sorted out our entry visa to avoid queues for Visa on Arrival but we needn’t have worried as there we no queue at all and the distance from the arrival gate to the main terminal was so long that there was only a trickle of people needing the service. We had also completed our customs declaration online following advice from various traveller sites – this must be done within 72 hours pre-arrival. We were nervous as customs restrictions are tight, especially regarding medication, and we had to investigate our prescription medicines to ensure they were not banned in Indonesia. Completing online meant the barcode we were sent could be scanned at the desk and our records scrutinised before being allowed to enter; we expected to have to show prescriptions but once our details were scanned we were waved straight through. It was a bit of a pain completing the customs form sat in our hotel in Hong Kong (easier to navigate in the comfort of your own home) but definitely eliminated any delays at the airport. Our tip would be not to complete these at the airport on your arrival and to be extra vigilant when completing both visa and customs documentation online; as we were directed to a pay site for the customs form but knew from research that there was no fee and we also heard somebody had been asked to provide bank/personal details to apply for their visa online. The official sites are:
Visa – The Official eVisa website for Indonesia
Customs – Indonesia Electronic Custom Declaration
With a sense of relief we made our way to the taxi pick-up area as we had already booked a taxi. By the time we arrived it was dark and Jakarta looked like any other Asian city but we were excited to explore more. The hotel was also a residential block so, due to political unrest in the capital, the car had to be security checked before we could be dropped at reception. Check-in was simple and we were given a quick introduction to the available facilities before being taken to our room. The room was large, clean and perfect for a couple of nights but it lacked natural light and felt a little like a cave! Having only had a bland airplane meal we decided to order room service (we never do this but the entire hotel advertised discounts for residents and myriad offers for using the service) and sort out clothes/shower etc. An hour later, nothing had arrived and we were becoming tired so Mr Y made a phone call asking if it was on it’s way; they clearly had not even taken the order but promised it would be with us in 10 minutes! 20+ minutes later there was a knock at the door and our food arrived but was only handed over once we had paid (no option to add to room as they had charged us for our entire stay when we arrived). The food was good but nothing special and we were now too tired to really enjoy it. We also realised that the offers were lost leaders as there was no discount and the food & beverage discount given at check-in was ignored!
Day 5
We woke up feeling slightly boggled and decided to have a lazy breakfast in the hotel (a little expensive, but a huge choice of food on the buffet) before considering our plans for the day. Our original idea had been to walk to the National Monument and enjoy the surrounding park but at the last minute, over my second coffee, we decided to take a Grab down to Old Jakarta. This turned out to be a good option, as the recent civil unrest meant that there was a large military encampment in the park and on our return we saw a large protest taking place exactly where we had planned to visit.
We had been warned that Jakarta wasn’t really worth our time, but were pleasantly surprised. It was no different to any other Asian city – busy and hot! Old Jakarta was totally different – pedestrianised, pretty and full of energy. We were dropped at the edge of the main square and strolled around in the heat watching the huge groups of excited students visiting the Jakarta History Museum. We couldn’t have asked for a better first experience of Indonesia.
We chose to avoid the Batavia Café, that was recommended in so many tourist guides, as it was clearly not used by locals and had signs on the outside tables warning that they were only for paid patrons. Instead we made our way to the river to see the street art; when we noticed a coffee shop, Babba Koffie by Kawisari on the other side and decided it was time for a break. We had already spotted the building because the entire front wall was a living garden but entering it was like stepping into another period in time. A maze of small sections were filled with cozy tables and beautifully decorated from floor to ceiling with Asian artefacts of all kinds; the staff were so friendly and attentive that we were instantly curious about the adjacent hotel. We had already booked a hotel for our return journey (our 43rd wedding anniversary) but had been disappointed with their lack of help, or interest, in booking one of their restaurants! We knew that this hotel would definitely be our sort of place, so with little expectation that they would have a room available we checked online over our drinks. Not only did they have rooms, but they also had 56% reduction for that night!!! In less than 10 minutes we had cancelled our other hotel and booked a fancy room at the House of Tugu for our return. Staff then encouraged us to have a wander around the restaurant (not knowing we were returning) and that confirmed we had made the right decision. We left Babba Koffie and wandered along the river and back through the square to the railway station where we picked up a Grab back to the hotel.
We prepared everything for moving on and made our way to the rooftop pool with our books for an afternoon of relaxation.
Late afternoon we took a short walk to the main road and Kawasari Coffee in search of our dinner. The café sat on the main road with an open front so you could sit on the balcony and watch the world rush by as you relaxed; we wanted to try some traditional Indonesian food so ordered Nasi Besek. It was so good and a great introduction to local cuisine – crispy peanut crackers were something to look out for from now on!
For now, that’s Jakarta all done! But we’ll be back again at the end of the holiday.
DAY 6
Picked up a GRAB and headed to the station for our journey down to Yogyakarta. Indonesian trains require you to ‘check-in’ scanning a barcode on the TIKET app and getting a real paper ticket. We were led to believe that this was confusing and we should allow a lot of time for this but in reality it was simple and took only a couple of minutes. Grabbing drinks and a light breakfast, we passed through a very friendly security gate by scanning our ticket, found the platform and waited for our train. This was a very different experience to Indian trains with their grubby, crowded platform; here the station was spotless and the platform quiet and with only ticketed passengers allowed. The platform grew busier as the departure time approached – the train was stopping for only a few minutes – but the platform labelling was clear so we were able to board quickly and find our seats, departing on time to a smart line of saluting railworkers!
Our journey was going to be long (6 hours) but there were only 3 stops, allowing us to settle in and enjoy the ever changing scenery. The view was more beautiful than we expected looking like the pictures you imagine of the Far East when you are a child – rice fields stepped as far as the eye can see with individual farmers tending their crop by hand in traditional ‘caping’ hats. Approximately 30 minutes from Yogyakarta, there was a bang and a cloud of dust at the front of the train followed by us coming to a halt. Passengers continued with whatever they were doing but a small crowd of locals, mainly children, gathered at the edge of the track. With very little English spoken we were completely in the dark about what had happened and time passed. Eventually, Mr Y wandered to the connecting doors to take a look out and was able to find out that the train had hit something at the rural level crossing about 100 metres back. All staff were opening doors/windows or on the track clearing debris from the engine. After 2 hours, we limped to the next station where the driver hopped out to file his report and an engineer continued to inspect the damage and send us on our way again. It was clear that the engine was still not able to reach any real speed so we stopped at the next stop where the engine was switched so we could complete our journey. It had meant that our 6 hour journey had now taken 8 hours and we were arriving in the dark but we were so impressed with passengers reactions to the delay – nobody got angry or demanded anything, they politely asked the staff what was going on and accepted the response without complaint. We had arranged a pick up at the station, as our hotel was remote, and contacted them as soon as we knew there was a delay, they were not worried and just asked him to wait!
Finally, we arrived at Yogyakarta station and our driver met us at the exit with a smile and immediately asked if we would like a meal when we arrived at the hotel. We jumped at the chance and settled in for the drive.
We arrived at the Rumah Dharma Villas, dropped off our cases and sat straight down to dinner. The meal was traditional Indonesian cuisine and exactly what we needed after such a long journey. Once we had eaten, we checked out the journey to Borobudur Temple and collected a couple of bikes ready for our 3:00am wake up to see sunrise at the temple.
Day 7
We expected to wake up with difficulty at 3:00am but this was pretty much the sole reason for our trip and we were up and ready in minutes. Arriving so late meant that we had been unable to familiarize ourselves with the route to the temple so we knew that we needed to allow ourselves time. The remoteness of the village meant there were no street lights so we picked our way along the uneven road in total darkness! Although the temple complex is huge it is not visible from the road, so we hovered near a large closed gate in the hope it was the entrance. A security guard spotted us and opened the gate, guiding us to a bike park and into the visitor centre entrance. We checked-in and received a wristband, torch and small boxed gift; we also had to sway our shoes for a pair of locally made bamboo flip-flops that apparently guarantee that no damage is done to the temple, however, they were not really sensible footwear for the climb!
There was a limit of 100 people on the temple for the sunrise so people began arriving slowly along with a group of guides. Visitors were split into groups by language and then into groups of no more than 10. Our guide was great, understanding the exact timing of the sunrise so that he could share detailed information throughout our climb but be in the best spot to see the sunrise. With only one day for this visit we knew that we would be at the mercy of the weather but we were so blessed – the moment of sunrise was clear and we could see for miles across the surrounding farmland and jungle. We then watched an early morning mist roll in creating a mystical landscape, stunning!
Our visit included breakfast with the temple as our backdrop (we also had breakfast waiting back at the hotel!) so we picked our way back down – a much more hazardous pursuit than climbing up, especially in flip flops! By now the main gate was open so a few visitors were waiting at the bottom, sunrise visitors need to be off of the temple before others are allowed up. By now it was fully daylight and we could see the full beauty of the temple that had been cloaked in darkness when we arrived. We found a seat in the garden directly in front of the temple and grabbed a drink and some fruit (we’d expected just a pastry but were surprised to find 2 rooms filled with hot buffet) before collecting our shoes and bikes.
The ride back was a little busier, but not much, mainly with people and chickens! We arrived just a little early for breakfast so sorted out our stuff and enjoyed the peace for a moment. Breakfast at Rumer Dharma was as good as the previous night’s dinner, local specialities and a choice of hot food cooked to order. Having been up since 3:00am we decided to take a nap after breakfast so we could enjoy the rest of the day.
Following a short break we headed back out on our bikes to explore the local village and look for a coffee shop. This was more difficult than we thought as there was nothing around that was open so we ended up in a hotel almost directly opposite our hotel across the rice fields. As the entire village seemed to be shutting up for the afternoon we picked our way back through the street to our hotel, spending the rest of the day swimming and enjoying the total peace that surrounded us.
Day 8
This was to be the last busy day of our holiday but we had decided to have a lazy morning before being picked up by a driver at 1:00pm for the drive to Prambanan temple. Our journey took us back along the route we had arrived on but this time it was daylight so we could see our surroundings. Although the traffic was easier than Jakarta, it was still very busy and the 47km journey took almost 2 hours!
We were surprised at the location of the temple complex as it was right in the centre of a busy area situated in a large well-manicured park. There were 4 temples inside the complex and all were visible from the main road! Our driver had pre-warned us that the temples had been severely damaged in the 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake and despite continued renovation it was still a bit of a building site. The main temple was spectacular but felt very sterile compared to both Angkor Wat and Borobudur, it was surrounded by the remnants of the 224 smaller temples that surrounded it pre-earthquake. This was beyond a work in progress. Some of the smaller temples allowed you to climb higher but the crowds of local visitors meant that there was little to view; we climbed up the main temple but chose not to climb the others. The other temples were scattered throughout the park and for just a few rupiah we climbed aboard an electric car that took us to the furthest one. It was obvious that these smaller temples were not of much interest to the locals so we had it pretty much to ourselves. This was a lovely experience and we savoured the unrestricted views as well as the peace. The cart took us back dropping us at the exit so we back tracked on foot to a small café overlooking the main temple and grabbed a cold drink. We were so glad that we had decided to visit Prambanan and as a feat of engineering it was mind-blowing but it didn’t excite us so we were back with our driver in 2 hours.
We had asked our driver to recommend a restaurant so he took us round the back of the temple complex, through narrow roads to a restaurant that overlooked the river – from the front it looked like somebody’s house but was enormous and stretched through corridors leading to a huge dining space. For a while we were the only people in the cavernous space but a bus load of diners arrived, obviously with the same idea as us!
Before leaving the UK, we had seen that there was a performance of the Ramayana Ballet during our visit. Tickets were already sold out for the early performance so we booked for the 7:30 performance (not really knowing what we would be seeing), taking the cheap seats as all VIP seats were already sold out. Our driver parked up in the parking lot and escorted us to the main gate to make sure we got in safely. The entrance was buzzing with a small group of music performers, food stalls and a small array of souvenirs. We made our way to our area and picked seats at the very top with a perfect view of the stage. The main reason for booking the tickets was that Prambanan temple was the backdrop of the performance, illuminated throughout and definitely the most stunning natural scenery. Mrs Y was very familiar with the story of Rama and Sita, having taught it many times over the years but it was unknown to me which added to the experience. It was truly spectacular with fireworks, on stage fire, traditional Indonesian dance and of course Prambanan. We were a little baffled by the interval which happened after 55 minutes and was 9 minutes long (it was exactly to the minute!) followed by a second half of 12 minutes!! We presumed it was to clear up the fire debris on the stage.
Expecting a mad exit we hurried towards the exit only to discover that nothing in Indonesia requires hurrying so we took some last minute photos before finding our driver and making our way back to the hotel for our last night.
Day 9
Our last day in Rumah Dharma and we really were sad to be moving on. We were only moving into Yogyakarta so we decided to stay until official check-out time as this would mean arriving at our next hotel at check-in time. Our reluctance to leave enabled us to just sit and watch the locals going about their business. Local boys cycled to the edge of the rice field to help smaller boys fly kites and there was a regular stream of brightly coloured VW jeeps taking local tourists around the village and beyond; passengers, sporting hats colour co-ordinated with their car, waved and called out as they passed by.
Or GRAB picked us up on time and we picked our way back through the traffic into Yogyakarta and the CERIA hotel. The hotel was a renovated Art Deco hotel situated just a short walk from the city centre. We arrived a little early but as our room was ready we were allowed to check-in. Every detail in this hotel had been carefully chosen to remain faithful to the period and it was truly beautiful – Mrs Y was in heaven as it is her favourite period. As we were shown around we were given a gentle reminder that there was available bug repellent in room as they couldn’t guarantee they had managed to keep the hotel bug free. We came to regret that we took the comment lightly as it was the only place that we picked up mosquito bites during our entire holiday – inside the room!!
We dropped of our bags and set out on foot to explore our surroundings. As it was Sunday the streets were packed with people just enjoying life. It became apparent that people used this main street as a meeting point and it was heaving with hawkers selling food and drink – our favourite being the ladies carrying lit barbeques on their heads so they could sell freshly cooked satay. It was incredibly hot and sticky so we decided to explore around the main block to get our bearings then return to the hotel until it cooled down a little.
We were keen to try a local Yogyakarta dish – gudeg and just a 10 minute walk from our hotel was a road that was lined with gudeg restaurants. We found one that was recommended and ordered a portion each without meat; it came to the princely sum of £3 including 2 drinks. We were gifted a portion of krecek which was kind, but, when we discovered they were spicy beef skin crackers, inedible for us. The staff were efficient and lovely, even laughing that we had been given krecek when we didn’t eat meat! The speed of service meant we were soon back exploring the city and scoping out destinations for the next day including a coffee shop and a local craft shop that supported local producers.
With a coffee shop inside the hotel, we made our way back for dessert and a nightcap. Scattered around the coffee shop were huge mancala sets (dakon in Java) so we settled down to teach ourselves how to play.
Day 10
Our only plan today was to explore Yogyakarta, so, following breakfast we hit the streets.
Today was much quieter which made it easier to get around and explore local life. Now we could get about easily, we made our way to Berinharjo Market, a maze of stalls selling everything. Java is famous for batik so it was no surprise that there was plenty of stalls selling it; it would have been a mistake not to buy some and at less than £2 for 2 metres it was a bargain!
We continued exploring picking up souvenirs as we went – a new locally made sarong for Mrs Y, a t-shirt for me and some traditional sweets for later. Having found local food last night, we were keen to find a good vegetarian restaurant as we were hungry. Fortunate coffee was highly recommended but looked to be quite a distance from us so we ordered a GRAB to take us. It was a tiny, independent restaurant in a different part of town and the food was superb and so filling. We were enjoying the fact that tourists are relatively rare in Java (most visitors fly straight to Bali rather than pausing to explore Java) and people were so friendly so decided to walk back through the shops to the hotel. Despite there being very little light, uneven footpaths and groups of people standing around we felt totally safe and comfortable wandering the backstreets.
We made our way back to the hotel coffee shop a drink and Mancala to end our time in Yogyakarta. It was a beautiful city and it was lovely to experience the pride people take in it, turning up after dark just to stand socialising on the corner of Malioboro soaking in the atmosphere.
Day 11
Today we were moving on to Bandung, but had booked a lunch time train so there was no rush for breakfast. We paid up our coffee shop tab and ordered a GRAB to take us to the station. As we got into the car, the heavens opened and traffic slowed to a walking pace as the roads became difficult, however, we managed to dodge getting wet! Having now used a couple of trains we didn’t feel the need to arrive an hour early but still arrived with enough time to pick up snack and coffee. The station was lovely with plenty of seats so we found a spot and waited for the train that we now knew would arrive exactly on time.
The train journey was the most spectacular of our trip with views comparable to the Tea train in Sri Lanka. We spent half of the journey up and down to the end of the compartment looking at the view from both sides of the carriage. Again we were overwhelmed by the beauty of Indonesia.
Arriving in to Bandung station was crazy busy but there was an allocated GRAB pick-up area where you were directed to find your driver. The process was unfamiliar to us but was so efficient and within minutes we were in our car and on our way. We had booked an ultra modern hotel, the Janevalla Bandung with a selling point of 24 hour policy – you could check-in anytime and then check-out exactly 24 hours later! This seemed great until we arrived because the lobby had people sitting around waiting for their rooms to be ready. Our luggage was collected at the car and then left unattended at the main door – we had to go and find it when our room was ready as no further assistance was offered. Despite arriving at 6:00ish, our room was not ready even after a very slow check-in. Finally we got a key and made our way to our room; everything here was done electronically so we logged into the TV and ordered an iron but after a long wait nothing arrived. The room was clean and comfortable but it felt very much like style over substance.
We decided to explore locally for food and popped around the corner to a local Mall with a food court, stopping on our way back to the hotel for some cookies in a fancy cake shop next door.
Bandung was only a stop for us because we wanted to use the new high speed train link (Whoosh) to Jakarta and at the moment, it only runs this one route; we had no plans but to explore the centre tomorrow. With this in mind we decided to sort out our suitcases and prepare for a day of exploration.
Day 12
Overnight it became apparent that 24 hour rooms were not such a good idea. The hotel had an open frontage with no windows, so every corridor was filled with road noise that was amplified by the narrowing bare concrete walls; people checking in/out overnight trundling their luggage trollies along the same corridors and cleaners bustling, needing to keep recently vacated rooms clean, pushing their carts around all night!
We decided to grab breakfast and head out before it became too hot. We wanted to explore the old part of town with it’s Dutch colonial buildings and decided that walking was the best option. The area was very green and the buildings became more interesting as we walked further, reminding us of Georgetown, Penang. As we got closer to the centre there was an increase in little coffee shops so, after wandering around, we chose one that was situated on a busy corner and picked a window table to watch the world go by. When we stepped back outside it was becoming too hot to walk much further; we stayed in the shade and made our way back in the direction of the hotel with a pit stop in a local bakery to pick up afternoon treats. Half way back we detoured a little to visit St Peter’s Cathedral, sitting for a while away from the heat and noise of the street before picking our way back to the hotel.
The rooftop pool was our destination for the afternoon and the view was magnificent although there was a military flightpath that went directly over the hotel with regular traffic! We enjoyed just sitting in the pool spotting landmarks we had walked past earlier in the day and reading quietly, giving ourselves some welcome down time before our final couple of days. A late afternoon rain shower sent us back to the room giving us time to plan our last evening.
We are a family of Uniqlo shoppers and in Asia there are always bargains to be had so when we discovered there was a huge UNIQLO Heritage store just 20 minutes’ walk away it was a no brainer, we were going shopping! We planned to walk from Uniqlo to a vegan restaurant we’d found so with shopping in hand we began to pick our way along the pavement. On our walk we talked about how terrible the pavements were and whether it was possible for the elderly/blind to get about safely, it is impossible to look anywhere but at your feet when you are walking. On the last part of our walk to the restaurant and directly opposite the hotel, we stopped at a crossing point, Mrs Y stepped out and her left foot found no solid ground (we later discovered there was an open hole between 2 edging slabs) toppling her face first into the road. Fortunately, she didn’t do any serious damage although she ended up with a black eye, broken glasses and some pretty ugly bruises on both knees. Our walk to the restaurant was instantly abandoned and we returned to the hotel to clean her up.
After a lot of discussion we decided to eat in the hotel and, despite our reluctance, the food was very good and a calm walk from our room. This was not the end we wanted for our stay but we were grateful that the outcome hadn’t been much worse.
Day 13
Our last full day in Indonesia and our 43rd wedding anniversary.
After breakfast we called a GRAB and made our way back to the station. The high speed Whoosh train has a new dedicated station situated a little way out of the city but it seems like Indonesians think of everything and find a solution! Your ticket price includes a free shuttle train from the main station that takes about 20 minutes, you then walk through to a brand new station with great facilities.
We had arrived a little early for our connection but were so glad when we spotted a food outlet that specialised in toast (Malaya Toast) and were able to pop in for kaya toast!
Once we had finished we made our way to the huge waiting area before being asked to make our way to the platform; as expected the train glided into the station exactly on time. We boarded and settled in for the ride. The smoothness of the ride meant all concept of speed was lost but at it’s fastest it was travelling at 341km/hr and within the hour we were arriving in Jakarta. As in Bandung the station was purpose built and incredibly efficient; yet again there was a GRAB pick up area and within minutes we were on the way to Old Jakarta.
Heavy traffic and a terrible driver (our only bad GRAB experience ever!) meant the drive to our hotel took longer than expected but we were so excited to be staying in House of Tugu (the hotel we booked way back on our first day in Indonesia). The hotel had already been in contact offering to help us during our visit, organising a restaurant reservation so we could just enjoy our anniversary with them. On arrival we were welcomed like family and guided us both around the hotel to our suite.
It is impossible to describe how beautiful the hotel was, a cross between a museum and private home but it was the service that set it apart; we felt like the only guests and nothing was too much trouble. We arrived in time for high tea in the coffee shop featuring a variety of local delicacies and again personalised service.
Once we had finished, we each had a complimentary massage which felt like it had come at the perfect time to restore us before our journey home. Our restaurant table was booked for early evening so we relaxed in our room before cleaning up for dinner.
When we originally visited it was during the day so we were interested to see how different the area was after dark so before dinner we made our way across the river to the square. It was buzzing with life – hawkers selling trinkets, people sat in cafes, sellers in a small night market and colourful hire bikes being ridden around. We spent time just enjoying the ambience before sauntering back to the hotel and our dinner.
The restaurant was spectacular and the food didn’t disappoint, we felt truly spoiled to be spending our anniversary at the House of Tugu. After dinner we took a slow wander through the maze of rooms in the hotel admiring the cornucopia of artefacts on display and feeling a little children in a candy store.
Day 14
Of course, a poor nights sleep can ruin the most wonderful hotel but as with everything else House of Tugu even managed to deliver that. We were reluctant to go to breakfast but eventually made our way to the café, not too early as we didn’t need to leave until 1:00pm. The late time meant we could really enjoy the end of our holiday and feel relaxed. Leaving our room to check-out we were met by the manager who insisted on taking our bags and escorting us to reception. With only an hour between check out and our GRAB arriving we asked reception to hold on to our bags so we could go to the coffee shop which they did, but only after the entire hospitality team had come out to take photographs with us!
We try never to have regrets but we both felt that we should have stayed in House of Tugu at the start of the holiday as well. The one certainty is that we are already planning our return next year!
Our trip to the airport was smooth and uneventful, arriving 15 minutes before check-in opened. The process of check-in was relatively easy made difficult only by other passengers who seem incapable of following clear instructions – queuing in the wrong place, allowing part of their party to leave the queue for coffee, not checking their baggage allowance, not having their documentation ready etc. Once we had dropped off our bags the process was quick and simple, within minutes we had cleared both security and immigration and sat in the lounge. Our flight left on time, landed early in Doha and our connection left early which saw us on the tarmac at Heathrow early too.
This was a holiday with no real agenda and not very positive advice from others but it had turned into the best experience we have ever had. For the first time we are both in agreement that we WILL be returning as everything about this overlooked island has stolen our hearts.
mrandmrsyoung 