[BALI] Budget and Itinerary

THURSDAY: January 22, 2015

Air Asia (Kota Kinabalu - Bali - Kota Kinabalu) - 108.00

MYR108.00

Taxi (Airport - Kuta) - 25,000.00

CX Hostel Bali (Capsule Bed/1 Night) - 128,000.00

IDR153,000.00

[BALI] The Half Naked Men Were Chanting

By half-naked, I mean middle-aged men with a red flower on the left ear. I just wanted to make that clear, lest your imagination paints you a different scenario, like that of a portion of Orchard Road when Abercrombie is on sale. No, it was nothing like that. The chanting went something like "Kecak, kecak, cak, cak, cak, cak." I thought they were just prepping for a traditional Balinese version of Let It Go, but they never veered away from the "Kecak, cak, cak" lyrics that they were reciting with conviction.

[BALI] Monkey, Monkey, Tanah Lot

For a while there, I really, really felt very bad for our airport. To say that Ngurah Rai amazed me would be an understatement. Did I mention that I find the special counters for ASEAN nationals very amusing? It makes me feel special somehow. The airport was also replete with Caucasians on a holiday, and since this is Bali, every white person you encounter is Aussie until proven otherwise. With my carry on in tow, I headed towards the exit, right after getting a green brochure for Fabulous Bali Tours.

[JAKARTA] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: November 2, 2012

Bima (Yogyakarta - Jakarta) - 350,000.00

IDR350,000.00

[JAKARTA] The Never Ending Macet

Macet. Traffic. This is probably the answer that you'd get if your question goes something like: "What is there to see in Jakarta"? I thought it was an exaggeration but after contending with what seemed to be half of the city's population just to get on a Transjakarta bus and reeking with the smell of public agony as a result, I realized that I simply cannot love Jakarta.

[YOGYAKARTA] Budget and Itinerary

TUESDAY: October 30, 2012

Turangga (Surabaya - Yogyakarta) - 220,000.00

Refreshments (Convenience Store) - 11,300.00

EDU Hostel Jogja (1 Dorm Bunk/3 Nights) - 210,000.00

IDR441,300.00

[CENTRAL JAVA] Budget and Itinerary

FRIDAY: November 2, 2012

Bus (Jombor Terminal - Borobudur) - 20,000.00
Alfamart (Refreshments) - 6,300.00
Borobudur (Admission) - 30,000.00
Indomaret (Refreshments) - 15,500.00
Bus (Borobudur - Jombor Terminal) - 20,000.00
Prambanan (Admission) - 30,000.00
Eatery (Refreshments) - 11,000.00
IDR132,800.00

TOTAL - PhP597.60
Estimate of IDR1,000 = PhP4.50

[KLATEN] The Temples of Prambanan

If you came on a tour bus, you'd probably be taken straight from Borobudur to Prambanan. If not, you would have to go all the way back to Yogyakarta to catch a bus going there, which is the most logical route since Jogja seems to be sandwiched by the two anyway. Maybe that's why Yogyakarta is synonymous to those two heritage sites, even if they aren't really under Yogyakarta, if we be too technical about it. Moving on, Prambanan has a direct bus connection from Yogyakarta through Transjogja. Rejoice! This means no longer having to go to some far-flung bus terminal. Head to Maliboro road. The Transjogja stop in front of the tourism office is one of the stations of the 1A route to Prambanan. I think it was 1A, but just ask again when you are there, to be sure. Only one of those Transjogja buses go all the way to Prambanan after a short side-trip to the airport.

[MAGELANG] The Stuphas of Borobudur

When one says Borobudur, what is automatically conjured in mind are images of ancient prestige, magnificence, and almost perfection. Synonymous with Yogyakarta although it seems a bit unjustified, this Buddhist temple complex is the more popular of the two UNESCO World Heritage sites in Central Java, the other one being Prambanan, which is Hindu in orientation. Located at the regency of Magelang, Borobudur is around an hour away by bus from Yogyakarta’s Jombor station.

[YOGYAKARTA] Review Your History, Then Shop

Yes, I went to Indonesia with the intention of seeing Yogyakarta. In fact, I was more excited to see Jogja than Jakarta. No, I haven't been to Bali yet. In any case, people always tend to toss in Jogja in the itinerary because of Prambanan and Borobudur, which are both technically under Central Java, but best accessed through Jogja. In terms of Geography, Yogyakarta should also be under Central Java but gained autonomous administrative powers from the rest of the region as a reward for playing the role of Indonesia’s temporary capital during the revolution. I'm so confusing you right now. Enough with the technicalities. First, how is it really spelled?

[EAST JAVA] Budget and Itinerary

MONDAY: October 29, 2012

Air Asia (Kuala Lumpur - Surabaya) - 74.00
MYR74.00

Taxi (Airport - Donwtown) - 90,000.00

Sparkling Backpacker Hostel (Twin Room/1 Night) - 105,000.00

KFC (1 pc Chicken w/Rice & Coke) - 25,500.00

Dunkin Donuts (2 pcs Donuts w/Iced Choco) - 38,500.00
Malay Comics (Tunjungan Plaza) - 158,000.00

IDR417,000.00

[SURABAYA] Malling Here, Malling There

I don't really know why I ended up booking a ticket to Surabaya. All I know is that I was supposed to let that ticket go to waste because I was supposed to go back to Manila for a quick return trip for an exam before heading to Indonesia. The exam, however, did not push through, and instead of going back to Manila and then to Jakarta and paying the travel tax again, I just chose to save the KL-Surabaya flight instead of the Manila-Jakarta one. And so there. I ended up in Surabaya which is the capital of East Java. I think I read how Wikitravel compared it to Paris or something. I haven't been to Paris, but I don't really see anything that merits the comparison, at least from what I know about Paris. Surabaya is one of those cities that you'd gladly live in, especially for Filipinos as the atmosphere of the place is pretty much similar to Metro Manila’s, not to mention that they are also addicted to malls, like, there is one in every other block. However, as a touristy place, Surabaya doesn't have that much to offer. That probably explains why tourist attendance is kind of low.