Indonesia, for me, had always meant Bali. Even when I had to go through Jakarta to get there, I only ever stayed at an airport hotel and, apart from the initial foray into Indonesia, I only ventured to the city center one other time to meet a friend for drinks during a particularly long layover.
So when Nicolas got invited to go diving in Iranjaya (now known as Papua) last February, I thought I’d join him before his trip to explore other parts of Indonesia. In the end, what was supposed to be a two-week trip for me, ended up to be an almost-four week (minus a day) trip, mostly due to boats and planes breaking down.
But we had a great time in Indonesia. Here is where we/I went and my recommendations in each place:
Borobudur
Friends who had just been to Borobudor were telling me that it merited no more than a day trip from Yogyakarta (pronounced Jogjakarta). It’s a good thing I didn’t heed their advice, and that I found this wonderful boutique hotel on Agoda called Rumah Dharma.
The hotel arranged for a car to pick us up at the Yogyakarta airport for the 44 km. (approximately 1.5 hours) drive to Rumah Dharma. Along the way, we asked the driver to stop at any place local that he fancied and, upon reaching Mageleng, he stopped at a roadside stall that sold ginger tea and assorted snackage.
We had a great time chatting with the owner whose English name is Joseph. We hung out longer than we expected, sampling almost everything Joseph had in his cart.
Apparently, there are two other newer Rumah Dharmas. We stayed at the original one, and were lucky enough to get a corner room, with a verandah that looked straight out onto the rice fields.
If I could have had every single meal with them, I would have.
Yogyakarta
Jakarta
If you’re only in Jakarta for a layover, I recommend staying at FM7 Resort Hotel Bandara Jakarta Airport. Be warned though that there is a fee for non hotel-owned vehicles that enter the compound, yes, even if you are a guest at the hotel. And that there are dodgy accommodations ’round back. Ones with garage doors. Do not go in there, unless you are engaging in dodgy business yourself, in which case, enjoy! To avoid any hassle, arrange for a free transfer with the hotel. (If there is only one of you to be collected at the airport, fees may apply.)
The main hotel is newly renovated. The rooms, while a lot smaller than when we first started coming here, are more modern and hipper than they used to be. Don’t expect to get much reading done though as the rooms are rather dimly lit.
The hotel has a massive pool area which, unfortunately, reeks of chlorine, unisex sauna/steam rooms, foot massage machines, a gym, and massage rooms. It’s a great place to spend time if you’ve got more than a few hours to kill, and is often quite busy.
Breakfasts are from 4 AM to 10 AM and are pretty much unchanging. You do have to try the bubur ayam (chicken rice porridge) at least once. In itself , it isn’t anything great, but this is the only place where they toast the cakwe (Chinese crullers). It’s a game changer.
If you have to spend time in the city, we loved The Hermitage. In the 1920s, it used to house a telephone company so the layout is a bit odd, but it’s an oasis of a hotel in bustling Jakarta and it’s got a rooftop bar with a great view. The food, unfortunately, was middling, but there are a lot of restaurants walking distance from the hotel.
When Nicolas left for Sorong, I moved to The Morrissey, also in Menteng, which had a more modern, hipster vibe to it. Plus plus points for having a free laundry room. The breakfast buffet had odd choices, but I did like the DIY eggs benny station. And the Italian restaurant, Ocha & Bella, had some pretty good pizzas.
For shopping, head to Alun Alun Indonesia on the 3rd floor on theWest Wing of the Grand Indonesia Mall. It’s the Indonesia equivalent of Kultura in the Philippines. Nicolas and I ended up bringing cartons of stuff back for our house in Siargao.
Bali: Ungasan
Bandung