Aventuras De Viaje's Blog, page 17

25 Day Central Java Itinerary, Indonesia

This post is a summary of my 25 day Central Java itinerary.

This 25 day Central Java itinerary also includes a costs summary with the total expenditure and daily average in local currency and USD.

Initially I had a bunch of stuff on my bucket list to see all over Indonesia. I bought internal flights and everything. Then two days into my Palawan itinerary I scrapped the majority of my bucket list. I canceled all internal flights (at a 25% loss) and bought one from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, since my departure was from Yogyakarta.

My initial idea was to just stay in Yogyakarta for the whole time but that didn’t happen either. What I should have done was just slowly travel overland from Jakarta to Yogyakarta. Instead I just slowly traveled around the general area.

25 Day Central Java Itinerary. Indonesia

Links will direct you to item specific posts or other useful websites.

Day One

Arrive Yogyakarta from Palawan.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Tahu Campur. One of the many amazing dishes in Java.

Day Two

Malioboro Street.

Puppet show.

Alun Alun.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Javanese puppet show.

Day Three

Keraton Sultan Palace.

Tama Sari Water Castle.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Inside Keraton Sultan Palace.

Day Four

Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

The ruins at Taman Sari.

Day Five

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Gunung Api Purba.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Amazing view from Guning Api Purba.

Day Six

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Demonstration of using moxibustion in the Javanese Healing Massage Course.

Day Seven

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Disco cars at Alun Alun.

Day Eight

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Bath-house.

Beach.

Bird Market.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Parangkusumo Beach.

Day Nine

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

At Perand Wedang. One of our teaching just giving some guy a quick massage while waiting.

Day Ten

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Awesome view at Kalibiru National Park.

Day Eleven

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Gumuk Pasir.

Day Twelve

Javanese Wisdom and Healing course.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Inside the bird market. Looks fine so far, but the cruelty factor goes up as you go further in.

Day Thirteen

Chill/Work.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

A small tofu “factory”.

Day Fourteen

Chill/Work.

Sleep Villa Sambal.

Making Jamu. I’m under the impression that all that sugar would almost completely negate the health benefits.

Day Fifteen

Go to Solo.

Batik Museum.

Pasar Klewer.

Slamet Riyadi Food Sreet.

Human puppet show.

Sleep Laksana Inn.

Hand making batik. This lady has 30+ years experience. She does it free hand. The others are using a template.

Day Sixteen

Candi Cetho.

Jumog Waterfall.

Sleep Laksana Inn.

Candi Cetho. Can you see the symbols of fertility? I thought the whom was a turtle at first.

Day Seventeen

Pura Mangkunegaran.

Pasar Gede.

Sleep Trio Hotel.

Traditional music in Pura Mangkunegaran.

Day Eighteen

Go to Semarang.

Sleep Omah Pelem.

Walking through Pasar Klewer.

Day Nineteen

Lawang Sewu.

Sam Po Kong Temple.

Sleep Omah Pelem.

Stained glass window from the outside of Lawang Sewu.

Day Twenty

Masjid Agung Jawa Tengah.

Kota Lama (Old Town).

Sleep Omah Pelem.

Masjid Agung Jawa Tenga.

Day Twenty One

Simpang Lima.

Sleep Omah Pelem.

One of the many food stalls around Simpang Lima.

Day Twenty Two

Go to Yogyakarta.

Sleep Satya Graha.

Human puppet show in Solo.

Day Twenty Three

XT Square.

Malioboro Street.

Sleep Satya Graha.

Jumog Waterfall in Solo.

Day Twenty Four

Sam Po Kong Temple, Semarang.

Day Twenty Five

Fly to Perth (via KL).

Tea fields near Candi Cetho (Solo).

Here’s a video slideshow of the photos I took during this 25 day Central Java itinerary.

Central Java Itinerary Costs Summary

This summary of costs for my 25 day Central Java itinerary includes all expenses involved except for outbound flights. Outbound flights are included in the next itinerary as inbound flights.

Total Expenditure: 7,120,000IDR = 550USD

Average Expenditure: 284,800local = 22USD

What places would you add to your Central Java itinerary? Let us know or say anything else you want to say in the comments

17 Delicious Javanese Foods, Indonesia

Discover 17 delicious Central Javanese foods.

Java is a region of Indonesia.

This list of delicious Javanese foods includes pictures, costs and other useful information.

Featured Picture: Making Es Dawet in Solo market (#14)

Originally I hadn’t planned to do a foods post for my Central Java itinerary because I had already done one for Indonesian foods whilst in Bali. On the night of day one I changed my mind. Turns out, although similar, every region in Indonesia has their little twist on foods. Actually, I should have known this since it is true almost everywhere in the world.

17 Delicious Javanese Foods

Some of these items on this list are not strictly Javanese foods, but they are all things I ate during my Central Java itinerary.

1. Nasi Goreng Jawa

Its not a spelling mistake. It’s meant to be Jawa.

This is not the first local fare I tried whilst in Central Java (I had eaten Soto Daging for lunch), but it was the first meal I took a picture of. Fried rice is all over Asia, and most of the world, but everywhere does it with their own little twist. I really liked this Javanese version. It had a nice variety of ingredients and was vegetarian.

I ate this at one of little stalls out the front of the Sonobudoyo Musesum whilst waiting for the puppet show to start. It cost 18,000INR including a 500ml bottle of water, which is actually a bit on the steep side since it was near a tourist attraction.

Nasi Goreng Jawa (Javanese Fired Rice).

2. Tahu Campur

I nearly lost my sh*t when I first tasted this, in a good way. I stumbled across a small alleyway eatery on my way back to Villa Sambal from the Water Castle and nearly walked straight past it. I’m so glad I didn’t.

Tahu campur reminded me of gado-gado which I had tried in Bali (and is also in Java), but better. Tahu is tofu, and campur means mixed. Essentially it is a cold tofu dish with a sweet sauce and a bunch of other stuff. If you are not a fan of spice, be sure to ask the cook to go easy on the chili.

This one cost me 7,000IDR.

Throughout my stay I had other tahu dishes which where slight variations of this such as kotak tahu and lotak.

Tahu Campur.

3. Bakso

On the day I went to the Kalibiru National Park I kept seeing little food stalls advertising bakso and mie ayam. Well repeat advertising clearly has an effect on me, and it probably helps that I hadn’t tried either before, so I decided I’d have one of them for lunch. As soon as I had that deciding thought there was a sign with the words “Bakso Jumbo”.

Bakso is basically meatball soup. Bakso Jumbo is the same but with on huge meatball as opposed to several normal sized ones. At the place I got this one it cost 10,000IDR for the jumbo and 8,000IDR for the normal version.

Bakso is everywhere in Java and a good cheap meal. This is Bakso Jumbo.

4. Bakmi Goreng

This is basically fried noodles. I had a feeling it would be but wasn’t 100% sure. It was pretty good. I got if from a larger restaurant but it still only cost 13,000IDR including an iced lemon tea.

Later that evening the owner of Villa Sambal gave me some Bakmi also. What an awesome host!

Bakmi Goreng. Basically fried noodles.

5. Mie Ayam

Almost every-time I saw a sign for bakso it was accompanied with mie ayam. Mie is noodles, and ayam is chicken. The dish is a noodle soup with some chicken and vegetables. It’s pretty nice and only about 8,000IDR.

Mie Ayam.

6. Nasi Jinggo

Rice, bits of meat, some vegetables, peanuts, and some chili sauce on the side. Just the perfect amount for me. Delicious and only 7,000IDR.

Nasi Jingo.

7. Gula Jawa

Javanese sugar is used in many things. I’m almost 100% sure that it is palm sugar and sometimes coconut sugar. Here is just one of the many things I tasted which featured Gula Jawa. It is sticky rice. I think it was actually kupat (a type of rice) with palm sugar.

The owner of Villa Sambal (Ibu Herni) gave it to me one afternoon. Actually, Ibu Herni seemed to give me afternoon tea almost every other day. And every time it some a different type of Javanese specialty. It was a really good place to stay.

Just one of the many snack foods containing Gula Jawa (Javanese sugar).

8. Kuey Tiao Kuah

Kuey Tiao is flat rice noodles (known as He Fen in Chinese). Kuah means broth. It is pretty much noodle soup. It seems that there are many foods in Java (and most likely the rest of Indonesia) that you can have either fried (goreng) or in a broth (kuah).

This particular one cost under 18,000IDR (from an eatery with an English menu – so more expensive) and included a mixture of meats and prawns with some vegetables.

Kuey teow kuah. There’s a few different ways I’ve seen this dish spelled.

9. Chap Chai

Chap chai is mixed stir fried vegetables. It is actually one of my favorite dishes out of these delicious Javanese foods. This one cost me 8,000IDR.

Simple, delicious, and healthy. Chap chai (stir fried vegetables.)

10. Selat Daging

My first meal in Solo was recommended to me by “my guide” (a friend I met online before arriving). Selat daging is a Solo specialty and is a meatball, a boiled egg, and some vegetables in what tasted like a tomato based sauce. It was pretty delicious and cost 9500IDR.

Selat Daging – my first taste of Solo food.

11. Nasi Lewat

Another Solo dish which Ria (my friend) introduced to me was Nasi Lewat. It is rice, chicken, egg, some vegetable which I don’t know, in a coconut sauce. This one is the plain version (nasi lewat kosong) but there are many different types. The plain version is the cheapest at 9,000IDR, but the others were only a couple of thousand IDR more, if that.

Nasi Lewat – a Solo speciality.

12. Mie Rebus

After visiting Candi Cetho Ria took me to a tea house and I chose to eat Mie Rebus. It was kind of just like 2 minute noodles (ramen) but I was assured it wasn’t. It had an egg and some vegetables inside also.

Since is was from a “fancy” restaurant it cost 20,000IDR. You can get it on the street for under 10,000IDR.

I also had lychee tea which was pretty good. Ria had a kiwi fruit tea. It was also good.

Mie Rebus.

13. Nasi Timlo

My last lunch meal with Ria and she took me back to where we had Selat, but this time we ate Nasi Timlo. It was like a noodle soup (with egg, vegetables, and a little bit of chicken) but also had some rice in it – more rice than noodles. Nasi means rice so this did not surprise me. I liked Selat Dagin better, but this was still pretty good. Cost only 7500IDR.

Nasi Timlo. Rice and noodle soup.

14. Es Dawet

After our Nasi Timlo we went to Pasar Gede and ate es dawet. Acoording to Ria it would usually come in a glass as a drink, but essentially it was the same thing. Coconut milk, and a bunch of stuff of which I have no idea. I think one was bean curd, another was mungbean. The whole thing was sweet. It was good.

This one cost 8,000IDR.

Es Dewat. I was a bit worried about the hygiene factor of the market but it tasted really good.

15. Nasi Penyet

I walked into some random restaurant and got one of their “paket” deals. Penyet + Tohu + Tempe + Es Tea (iced tea) all for only 15,000IDR.

I think Penyet is basically just a piece of fried chicken with rice and some different sauces. It was simple and delicious.

Nasi Penyet.

16. Tahu Gimbal

My first taste of local Semarang food. It was along the same lines of tahu campur (#2 on this list of deliscious Javanese foods). A little spicy but pretty good. 15,000IDR from a mall food-court.

Tahu Gimbal.

17. Gado Gado

I had eaten Gado Gado once before in Bali and really liked it, so when I saw it again in Yogyakarta I was pretty happy. Similiar to Tahu Campur but includes an egg, some different vegetables and kind of sweet satay sauce.

I got this one from XT Square for 15,000IDR. It’s cheaper on the street, probably under 10,000IDR.

Gado Gado.

Well that’s it for this list of 17 delicious Javanese foods. There were a few other delicious Javanese foods that I wanted to try but I wasn’t feeling very well for my last week or so in Java so I decided to play it safe a bit.

Do you know of any other delicious Javanese foods that should be on this list? We’d love to hear about them or anything else you want to say in the comments

5 Amazing Things to do in Semarang, Java, Indonesia

Discover 5 amazing things to do in Semarang.

Semarang is a fairly big city in the northern part of Central Java in Indonesia.

This list of 5 amazing things to do in Semarang gives a short review of each of the things to do in Semarang as well as links to more detailed reviews (where applicable).

It also has other useful information about Semarang such as accommodation in Semarang and how to get to Semarang.

Featured Picture: Masjid Agung Jawa Tengah.

5 Amazing Things to do in Semarang

The reason I chose to visit Semarang was because it was close to Solo and hence, not too far from Yogyakarta, which is where I had to fly out from. I’m not a fan of traveling for long periods of time these days (four hours max) and also like to stay in a place for at least a few nights before moving on.

1. Lawang Sewu

A few people (couchsurfing members) had given me some tips on things to do in Semarang and the main one in the city was Lawang Sewu. Actually, I’m not exactly sure what Lawang Sewu is. I’m guessing some Dutch building that had something to do with trains.

Tugu Muda (the most prominent monument in Semarang) is also across the road from Lawang Sewu.

Stained glass window from the outside of Lawang Sewu.

2. Sam Po Kong Temple

My plan was to walk to all the places I wanted to see in the city. I split them up over a few days and the logical one to go to after Lawang Sewu was Sam Po Kong Temple. This was the first Chinese Temple I had visited in a while. Actually, it is a Chinese/Indonesian temple.

Guarding the temple.

3. Masid Agung Jawa Tengah

Masid Agung Jawa is a pretty impressive mosque. I didn’t actually go in it – and I’m not even sure if I could have if I wanted to.

Masjid Agung Jawa Tenga.

4. Kota Lama (Old Town)

After a long hot walk to the mosque, for some crazy reason I decided to walk to Old Town. It was a really hot day and I still wasn’t feeling very well, but on the way I found a street tailor who took up my t-shirt for less then a buck.

I was not impressed with Old Town. Maybe because I was dehydrated. It was nicer than the rest of the city though, much less traffic.

A building in Old Town.

5. Simpang Lima

The last thing on this list of amazing things to do in Semarang is to go to Simpang Lima. There’s lots of food stalls around at night.

One of the many food stalls around Simpang Lima.

Actually, there were a few other things to do in Semarang but I wasn’t feeling too well while I was there. I didn’t even go for a ride in the countryside

Sam Po Kong Temple Review, Semarang, Indonesia

This post is a Sam Po Kong Temple review. Sam Po Kong Temple is found in the South-West of Semarang City in Java, Indonesia. This Sam Po Kong temple review also contains costs, directions, pictures and other useful information.

After visiting Lawang Sewu I decided to go to Sam Po Kong Temple because geographically it was isolated from everything I wanted to see, i.e., I could see other things as a group on other days.

Featured Picture: Taken from the courtyard in Sam Po Kong Temple.

Right Picture: Temple guards.

Sam Po Kong Temple Review, Semarang

Cost(s): 5,000 IDR

Address: Klenteng Sam Po Kong, Bongsari, Semarang Bar., Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.

Sam Po Kong Temple is the first Chinese Temple I have visited in quite a while. The last one I can recall well was a few years ago in Malaysia, although I am sure I must have been to a few when I lived in China.

Looking out from the main temple.

Actually, the Sam Po Kong Temple isn’t even 100% Chinese. According to the information sign it is a hybrid of Chinese and Indonesian, which makes sense seeing as it is in Indonesia.

There are a number of structures but you can only go into the main one.

The only temple you can enter.

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I think Sam Po Kong temple was built in honor of some guy, but I didn’t really read the sign fully.

Showing the statue of the guy whom the temple was built for (I think).

The courtyard area was quite large. I could imagine Shaolin Kung Fu training going on in there back in the day.

A little garden area.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Sam Po Kong Temple in Semarang? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

How to Get to Sam Po Kong Temple in Semarang

I walked to Sam Po Kong temple from Lawang Sewu. It’s manageable but the roads are a bit iffy, i.e., dangerous.

Taking a GoJek is a good option. From Lawang Sewu (or anywher ein teh city) the fare should not cost more than 10,000IDR. Use the app.

Sam Po Kong Temple is item number three under the heading Semarang on this Central Java itinerary map.

Do you agree with this Sam Po Kong Temple review? Feel free to leave your own Sam Po Kong Temple review (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

Lawang Sewu Review, Semarang, Indonesia

This post is a Lawang Sewu review. Lawang Sewu is found in the city of Semarang in Java, Indonesia. This Lawang Sewu review also contains costs, directions, pictures and other useful information.

I wasn’t feeling 100% on my first day in Semarang. I am guessing it is the increased pollution levels and the all day of travel the day before. In any case, I decided to walk to all the sites around the city, doing a couple each day. The first place I went to was Lawang Sewu.

Featured Picture: Lawang Sewu from the courtyard.

Right Picture: On the walk to Lawang Sewu.

Lawang Sewu Review, Semarang

Cost(s): 10,000IDR for adults.

Address: Lawang Sewu, Sekayu, Semarang Tengah, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah, Indonesia.

I didn’t really do any research into what Lawang Sewu was. I had just been recommended to go see it so I put it in my GPS and trekked there.

Stained glass window from the outside.

Actually, I am still not sure what it is because there were no English signs.

I am guessing it is from Dutch Colonial times and had something to do with trains.

There was lots of stuff on trains.

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There was this stain glassed window which I rather enjoyed.

Stained glass window.

The rest of the place was either empty rooms or something to do with trains or the restoration process of Lawang Sewu and other buildings around Semarang (mostly train stations).

The main building from the courtyard.

There is also the Tugu Muda monument. I didn’t bother trying to cross the ridiculously busy street to get a closer look but felt the need to at least take a (very bad) picture.

Tugu Muda in the distance.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Semarang in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

How to Get to Lawang Sewu in Semarang

I walked there from Omah Pelem (my accommodation). It didn’t take too long, maybe 3km.

If you don’t want to walk I advise using the GoJek app. The fare will probably be 8,000 – 10,000 IDR depending on where exactly you are in the city.

I am sure there are buses going there but I didn’t bother with buses in the city since I like to walk.

Lawang Sewu is item number one under the heading Semarang on this Central Java itinerary map. Tugu Muda is number two.

Do you agree with this Lawang Sewu review? Feel free to leave your own Lawang Sewu review (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

8 Cool Things to do in Solo, Java, Indonesia

Discover 8 cool things to do in Solo. Solo (a.k.a. Surakarta) is a city in Central Java, Indonesia. It is about a 90 minute train ride north of Yogyakarta.

This list of 8 cool things to do in Solo gives a short review of each of the things to do in Solo as well as links to more detailed reviews (where applicable). It also has other useful information about Solo such as accommodation in Solo and how to get to Solo.

Featured Picture: Taken from the platform of the tea-house where we ate lunch whilst visiting Candi Cetho.

Right Picture: The sign at Pasar Klewer that Ria wanted to show me.

8 Cool Things to do in Solo

While I was in Yogyakarta I met a girl online from Solo whom offered to show me around her home town, so after finishing my Javanese Healing Massage course that’s where I went.

I arrived in Solo via train at about 1230 and after checking into my hotel (Laksana Inn) I met up with Ria (my friend). She picked me up on her motorcycle.

1. Batik Museum

The first place we went was the batik museum. This was actually much better than I though it would be and if I had taken more than one photo I would have written a review post about it.

In any case, it costs 35,000IDR to visit and you get a free guide. The guide was very nice with excellent English. He showed/told us (really just me because apparently Ria goes there often – she knew everyone there) all stages of making batik, the history of it, and we even got to see them making some.

I was guessing that tipping the guide was the done thing so I gave him 20,000IDR.

Hand making batik. This lady has 30+ years experience. She does it free hand. The others are using a template.

2. Pasar Klewer

After the batik museum Ria suggested the antique market and then quickly changed her mind saying that it wasn’t very good, so instead we went to Pasar Klewer which is basically a clothes market. She walked me through until we finished at a poster of a man holding a bra, which she was happy to show me. In fact, I think this was the whole reason we came there, because after that we left.

Walking through Pasar Klewer.

3. Slamet Riyadi

Slamet Riyadi is a street named after the man whose statue is located at the end of it. It looks as though the man was a revolutionary. In any case, it is a food street and also has a market across the road.

Solo has many of it’s own foods. We had already eaten lunch but in the evening we returned to Slamet Riyadi to eat nasi lewat.

Nasi lewat which we got from Slamet Riyadi.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Solo in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

4. Human Puppets

After dinner we went to what Ria called a human puppet show. It was the same idea as the puppet show in Yogyakarta but with real people. They had dancing (which I thought was pretty good), singing, music, and comedy (which I couldn’t understand because it was in Javanese, but others were laughing).

At the end of the second act they did a little dance representing a fight scene which I really enjoyed. We left after that, I figured to leave it on a high note.

Human puppet show.

5. Candi Cetho

The next morning we took a 1+ hour drive to Candi Cetho, a Hindu temple. While in Yogyakarta I neglected to go to any of the temples. My plan was to see them on my last day before I flew out, but after seeing Candi Cetho I was content with not needing to see any more.

Can you see the symbols of fertility? I thought the whom was a turtle at first.

6. Jumog Waterfall

Another thing I was going to do once back in Yogyakarta was to go see a waterfall, but Jumog was conveniently located close to Candi Cetho. Chances are I’ll still still a another waterfall or two before leaving Java, and probably another temple also, but if I don’t I won’t be upset.

Jumog waterfall up close.

7. Pura Mangkunegaran

The next day we went to Pura Mangkunegaran. I was going to write a full post about this but essentially it was the same deal as the Keraton Sultan Palace in Yogyakarta. Perhaps a little smaller and much less tourists. It was good to have Ria there as she told me a lot of stuff about the place. The prince of Solo actually lives there. No-one seems to know where the king is.

Entry is 20,000IDR.

Traditional music in Pura Mangkunegaran.

8. Pasar Gede

The last thing on this list of cool things to do in Solo is Pasar Gede. I had moved hotels that day and Pasar Gede was just down the road. It is probably the better known market in Solo as it is in the city center. Lots of fresh food and also some clothes and stuff. Mainly fresh food.

The front of Pasar Gede.

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Getting To Solo (Surakarta)

From Yogyakarta== you can catch a train.

0530, 0735, 0815, 0910, 0957, 1105, 1215, 1445, 1800

There’s more but the picture the owner of Villa Sambal sent me only went that far.

I just rocked up one hour earlier and bought a ticket on the spot (8,000 IDR). No assigned seats, just sit if there is space. The journey is about 1hour and 15 minutes.

The train from Yogyakarta goes to Solobalapan station but train to/from most other popular places will go to Purwosari station.

Solo has an an airport.

When I continued onto Semarang I took a bus from Terminal Tirtonadi.

Accommodation in Solo

Whilst doing all the cool things to do in Solo I stayed at two different places.

Laksana Inn

Cost: Double bed is 200,000IDR / night if booked on-line (costs more for walk-ins). Weekly and monthly rates available.

Address: Jl. Teratai 2 No. 11, Mangkubumen, 53171 Solo, Indonesia

The first place I stayed in was the Laksana Inn. It was fine. Clean, and adequate. Location was a bit far from the city but walking distance to the mall. It had a good restaurant right across the road. Cheap and nice food. I got woken up at about 5am every morning because of what sounded like a sermon (it was in Indonesian). The staff was nice. Cable TV, internet, small desk, air-conditioner and hot water shower. Room was a bit small for my liking. Only had just enough room to do yoga.

Hotel Trio

Cost: Cheapest room is 200,000IDR / night including a simple Indonesian breakfast (noodles or rice and tea or coffee).

Address: Jl. Urip Sumoharjo No.25, 57129 Solo, Indonesia. Phone: +62271632847

After two nights in the Laksana Inn I swapped to Hotel Trio. It was the same price as the Laksana Inn (200,000IDR/night) but much better. Large room, seat on the balcony, air-conditioner, TV (local), hot water (Indonesian style shower), clean, nice staff, free drinking water (hot and cold), excellent location, internet (temperamental), study desk, etc.

Maybe some people won’t like the non-cable TV or the Indonesian shower. These things are not important to me so the fact it was a much bigger room with a study desk makes me rate Hotel Trio much higher than Laksana Inn. Also, the TV has English movies at night.

Get the very best deal available at Hotel Trio or any accommodation you choose in Solo.

To get to either of these hotels I suggest using the GoJek app. The things to do in Yogyakarta post has more details on this app.

Got anything to add to this list of cool things to do in Solo? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

Jumog Waterfall Review, Solo, Java, Indonesia

This post is a Jumog Waterfall review. Jumog Waterfall is found about an hour drive from the city of Solo (Surakarta) in Java, Indonesia. It is close to Candi Certho. This Jumog Waterfall review also contains costs, directions, pictures and other useful information.

Since we had driven all the way to Candi Certho we decided it was a good idea go check out a close-by waterfall.

Featured Picture: Jumog Waterfall.

Right Picture: Approaching the waterfall.

Jumog Waterfall Review, Solo

Cost(s): 5000IDR for Indonesians, 10,000 for foreigners.

Address: Unnamed Road, Berjo, Ngargoyoso, Kabupaten Karanganyar, Jawa Tengah 57793.

Between going from Candi Certho to Jumog Waterfall we stopped at a tea-house for lunch. It had a little platform so you could get a good shot of their tea plantations.

Taken from the platform of the tea-house where we ate lunch.

I thought Ria might take me to a “secret waterfall” but I had no such luck. When we got to Jumog there was a school group there as well as many other tourists. It wasn’t too crowded though and was still nice to see.

Waterfalls up close.

Ria said that you are allowed to swim near the waterfall but no-one was. Like me, they probably thought it was too cold. Man, I must be getting old. Ten years ago I was swimming across 4 degree Celsius rivers with my back-pack wrapped in a garbage bag, and now I won’t even go in a waterfall if the weather is cloudy!

Want to know more awesome things to do in Solo? Get all the information on Solo and the rest of Indonesia that you need with arguably the best travel guide books on the planet.

Jumog Waterfall in all its glory.

This is the first waterfall I have ever been to where they have built a pool for the kids to swim in.

There’s even a water-slide.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Solo in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

How to Get to Jumog Waterfall in Solo

Just like getting to Candi Certho, to get to Jumog Waterfall you need personal transport.

Jumog Waterfall is the 8th item under the heading Solo (Surakarta) on this Central Java itinerary map.

Do you agree with this Jumog Waterfall review? Feel free to leave your own Jumog Waterfall review (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

Candi Cetho Review, Solo, Java, Indonesia

This post is a Candi Cetho review. Candi Setho is a Hindu Temple found about an hours drive out of the city of Solo (Surakarta) in Java, Indonesia. This Candi Catho review also contains costs, directions, pictures and other useful information.

I really didn’t plan anything I did in Solo. I had made friends with a local girl online so I just let her (Ria) show me around places. It was great because she picked me up everyday so I didn’t even need to hire a motorcycle or anything.

Featured Picture: Looking down from the top of Candi Cetho.

Right Picture: One of the first statues you see when entering Candi Cetho.

Candi Cetho Review, Solo

Cost(s): 35,000IDR for foreigners plus donation (5,000-10,000IDR). 2000IDR to park the motorbike.

Address: Dusun Ceto, Gumeng, Jenawi, Kabupaten Karanganyar, Jawa Tengah 57794, Indonesia.

Ria picked me up from the Laksana Inn at 0930 and we rode straight to Candi Cetho. Candi Cetho is on the top of a mountain so the scenery was amazing on the way up.

Rice and vegetable fields.

I guess she must bring tourists there semi-often because she seemed to know some of the staff. It was good because she explained some of the things to me, such as this being symbols of fertility.

Can you see the symbols of fertility? I thought the whom was a turtle at first.

There’s a few stairs to climb but once you’re at the top you get a good view looking back down, although this is a bad photo.

Looking down from the top of Candi Certho.

Want to know more awesome things to do in Solo? Get all the information on Solo and the rest of Indonesia that you need with arguably the best travel guide books on the planet.

At the top Ria pointed out to me that one of the statues of worship was a penis. Some guy was praying to it but when he finished I checked it out for myself.

Cock worship.

Afterwards we went to eat at a tea house down the road. The food was just okay but the tea was amazing (as it should be at a tea house!). The atmosphere was very nice.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Solo in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

How to Get to Candi Cetho in Solo

You need to acquire personal transport. No buses go there.

Candi Cetho is the 7th item under the heading Solo (Surakarta) on this Central Java itinerary map.

Do you agree with this Candi Cetho review? Feel free to leave your own Candi Certho review (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

14 Awesome Things to do in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Discover 14 Awesome things to do in Yogyakarta.

Yogyakarta is a fairly well known tourist city in the region of Central Java in Indonesia.

This list of 14 awesome things to do in Yogyakarta gives a short review of each of the things to do in Yogyakarta as well as links to more detailed reviews (where applicable) which include directions, pictures, and other useful information.

Featured Picture: Street art in Yogyakarta.

14 Awesome Things to do in Yogyakarta

I arrived in Yogyakarta without much of a plan of what to do. I had booked two nights in Villa Sambal and by the next morning decided to stay a full week. Partly because the accommodation was awesome (review at the end of this post) and partly because after a little research I discovered quite a few awesome things to do in Yogyakarta.

Like I had done during my trip to Palawan I decided to announce my travel plans on couch-surfing again. Within a day I got some messages about things to do. This is where most of these things come from. Also wikitravel.org and lonely planet.

1. Jalan Malioboro

The first item on this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta is to go to Jalan Malioboro.

On my first full day in Yogyakarta I made use of the free push-bike from Villa Sambal and rode to the Sultan Palace (a.k.a. Kertaton). First I rode for 3km in the wrong direction, then, when I finally got there, there was a parade on. I waited for the parade to finish only to discover that it closed for the day, so I went to Jalan Malioboro instead.

Jalan Malioboro is basically a shopping street. There are markets and proper shops/shopping centers. You can take a horse and carriage ride around. I was surprised that with all the horses there was no horse sh*t around. I just rode the bike up and back down again. There are food stalls as-well.

Malioboro Street.

2. Central Java Foods

Later than same evening I decided to go to a puppet show. On the way I stopped in at one of the (very) common street-food stalls and got an easy favorite of fried rice. During my Central Java itinerary I got to try a few really delicious local dishes.

Food stall where I got nasi goreng jawa (Javanese fried rice).

3. Puppet Show

I learned about the nightly puppet show via WikiTravel.org. It is from 2000 to 2200pm every night (except public holidays) in the Museum Sonobudoyo (close to and just North of Keraton) and costs only 20INR to enter. From the pamphlet they give you I discovered that it is like a series, with 10 or so “episodes”. You could go back every night and watch a different one to get the full story, although you wouldn’t understand any of it (unless you speak Javanese or whatever language they are using). It was nice to experience but I couldn’t stay for the full two hours.

Javanese puppet show.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Yogyakarta in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

4. Alun-Alun

Whilst waiting for the puppet show to start I got talking to a couple from Belgium (I think) who showed me some pictures of them riding in a fluro car. They pointed it out to me on their map so I walked there after bailing on the puppet show. Apart from the neon lighted, disco, peddle cars there are some food stores and some kind of game where they blindfold you and you have to walk between a couple of trees.

Disco cars at Alun Alun.

5. Castle Walls

On my walk back to Villa Sambal I came across one of the castle gate entrances. There are a couple around the city. You can go on top and even walk along the wall for a bit. It seems to be a kind of hang-out spot for couples and groups of youths. Actually, I found it really nice and just sat there playing on my phone and people watching for a good thirty or so minutes.

On top of the castle walls.

6. Keraton

The next day I went back to Keraton. After approaching it from the south I was told I had to walk all the way around to the main entrance. I probably spent about an hour or so inside and didn’t find it particularly fantastic but due to the easy accessibility (walking distance from my accommodation) and cheap entry fee (12,500INR) I would say it is a must see if you are in Yogyakarta.

Inside the Taman Sari Water Castle.

7. Taman Sari Water Castle

I was told of the Water Castle but hadn’t planned on visiting it. Luckily I stumbled upon it after Keraton, and I’m glad I did. Walking through the ruins and along the streets of Taman Sari inside was easily the best thing I saw in the city of Yogyakarta.

Inside the Taman Sari Water Castle.

8. Kalibiru National Park

The next day I hired a motorbike from Villa Sambal (60,000IDR/day) and went to see some of the things on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. The first place I went was Kalibiru National Park. It was not what I expected but still very nice and had some fantastic views.

Awesome view at Kalibiru National Park.

9. Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo

After Kalibiru I rode to Gumuk Pasir and Parangkusumo beach. Actually, I almost missed Gumuk Pasir but luckily I stumbled across it on the way out.

View from the top of an abandoned tower at Parangkusumo beach.

10. Learn Javanese Healing Techniques

For some reason I decided that it was a good time to do either a yoga or reflexology course. After a google session I came across this Javanese Wisdom and Healing website. The next morning I went to scope it out and within an hour I had signed up for a 20 hour course.

This was by far the best thing I done on this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta, as well as during my whole trip in Central Java. It even inspired me to add a healing module in Survival Fitness Plan.

On our last day they gave all of us a full body massage. It was amazing.

11. Gunung Api Purba

After the morning at the Javanese healing course I decided to go to Ratu Boko but when I got there I discovered the entry fee was a ridiculous amount in comparison to what I had read online (over 160,000IDR). I literally did not have enough money in my pocket to enter, and even if I did I wouldn’t have.

After riding through the countryside for a while I ended up at Gunung Api Purba, which turned out to be just my thing. A peaceful mountain.

Amazing view from Guning Api Purba.

12. Perang Wedang

On one of the days during the Javanese Healing Course they took us to have a hot spring bath at Perang Wedang. Essentially it is a hot bath in natural, hot, mineral water. It was pretty nice. Cost was 4000IDR for the bath + whatever food and drink you have (if any).

At Perand Wedang. One of our teaching just giving some guy a quick massage while waiting.

13. Bird Market

The last thing on this list of things to do in Yogyakarta is to go to the bird market.

After the mineral bath we went to Parangkusumo beach (#10 in this list of things to do in Yogyakarta) and then they took us to eat lotak. After that we went to the bird market. I hate cruelty to animals so for me this was pretty horrible. They are not hitting them or anything, just that they are caged up and generally look in a bad way. There’s some exotic species too such as owls, bats, etc., as well as non-bird animals such as dogs, lizards, fish, etc.

Inside the bird market. Looks fine so far, but the cruelty factor goes up as you go further in.

14. XT Square

After traveling some more of Central Java (Solo and Semarang) I returned to Yogyakarta. The only thing I did worth mentioning is go to XT Square, and I really only did that because it was close to the Satya Graha, the hotel I stayed in.

XT Square has food stalls (more expensive than the street but less than upper-class restaurants), some souvenir shops, a couple of museums, and family karaoke. I thought about going into the trick-eye museum but I decided to spend my spare cash on small gifts instead.

Family Karaoke at XT Square.

Can you believe that after two weeks of being in Yogyakarta I didn’t see one temple or go to a single waterfall. My plan was to do a temple and a waterfall before flying out but I saw some in Solo so i wasn’t too fussed about it by the time I got back to Yogyakarta.

Getting To Yogyakarta

You can catch a train from Jakarta or Solo. Buses will probably run from most Javanese cities.

Details on getting a bus from Semarang to Yogyakarta can be found in this Semarang post.

You can fly in.

Accommodation in Yogyakarta

I came to Yogyakarta twice so I stayed in two different places. i was pretty happy with both of them.

Villa Sambal

When I first arrived to Yogyakarta I stayed at Villa Sambal.

Cost: 175000IDR single bed. 1,000,000/week, 3,800,000/month.

Address: Ngadinegara, Mantrijeron III No. 110, Mantrijeron, 55141 Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Villa Sambal is a bit tucked away and is a few km from the center of town, but I definitely recommend to stay here. For me it was (almost) perfect and one of the best accommodations I have stayed at in a long time.

The owner is a lovely multi-lingual Indonesian lady. Upon arrival she gave me tea and local snacks whilst waiting for my room (I arrived very early).

My room was very spacious. It had a desk, private bathroom, fan, and excellent wifi. There was a western toilet but an Indonesian shower, i.e., use a bucket of water, however, the design was amazing and it had hot water! Also, there were stones on the floor of the shower space so you can have a bit of a foot massage at the same time. I’ll be using that idea my house one day.

There is also some nice communal areas. TV room with books also, fully equipped kitchen (including fridge), dining area, tea, coffee, hot and cold drinking water, push-bike, etc. You can purchase soft drinks and beer which uses an honor system because for most of the time the owner is not around.

Negatives

You can hear everything. I mean, the girl across the hall makes a skype call and I can clearly hear everything she says.

There is also the sound of the mosque which wakes you up nice and early, which I like but others may not, although I have a feeling that happens in most places around the city.

How to Get to Villa Sambal

From the airport you will need to take some kind of private transport. Maybe you can do public transport but it will be too much of a mission if you are not familiar with the public transport in Yogyakarta and would not be worth the savings.

Villa Sambal itself offers an airport transfer for 10,000IDR. I used the official airport taxi (from the booth at the airport) and paid 80,000. You can probably get it cheaper from a metered taxi, which I did try to find but all the taxi drivers wanted to charge me 100,000+ .

GoJek would be cheaper (see below).

Satya Graha Hotel

Before flying out I returned to Yogyakarta and although I loved Villa Sambal I decided to stay at the Satya Graha.

Cost: 126,000IDR/night including breakfast.

Address: Jalan Veteran No. 147, Umbulharjo, Pandeyan, Umbulharjo, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55164, Indonesia.

The Satya Graha was actually great value for money. A good sized private room with free breakfast, air-conditioner, TV (English movies at night on Trna TV and Global TV), and one of the best showers I have had in a long time. One of those big shower heads with awesome pressure and hot water. There was also free drinking water and even a pool. Wifi was only available in the lobby/dining hall but it was very good.

To get to the Satya Graha Hotel you can catch any Transyogya bus that goes to XT Mall. The location shown on booking.com is incorrect. Use the location given on googlemaps. I think Transyogya bus fair is 3,500IDR throughout the city.

Other Information About Yogyakarta

There is an app called GoJek (check the play store, or whatever the iphone equivalent is). Basically you use it and can get anything you want (within reason) delivered to or from you via motorbike, including humans. So if you want a massage or food delivered, or if you wan to go somewhere get them to pick you up. It’s like Uber, but more. I only used it for motorbike rides, and I found the rates cheaper than the street price.

I bought a telkomsel simcard with 4gb of internet (3g, 4g, and LTE compatable) for 70,000INR. It lasts one month, unless you use all the data. It does not give you any phonecalls or txt messages, only internet. Ask whoever sells it to you to help set it up as it’s all in Indonesian. You need an Indonesian sim to use GoJek.

Got anything to add to this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments

13 Awesome Things to do in Yogyakarta, Central Java, Indonesia

Discover 13 Awesome things to do in Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta is a faily well known tourist city in the region of Central Java in Indonesia.

This list of 13 awesome things to do in Yogyakarta gives a short review of each of the things to do in Yogyakarta as well as links to more detailed reviews (where applicable) which include directions, pictures, and other useful information.

Featured Picture: Street art in Yogyakarta.

Right Picture: Just chilling on the castle walls at night.

13 Awesome Things to do in Yogyakarta

I arrived in Yogyakarta without much of a plan of what to do. I had booked two nights in Villa Sambal and by the next morning decided to stay a full week. Partly because the accommodation was awesome (review at the end of this post) and partly because after a little research I discovered quite a few awesome things to do in Yogyakarta.

Like I had done during my trip to Palawan I decided to announce my travel plans on couch-surfing again. Within a day I got some messages about things to do. This is where most of these things come from. Also wikitravel.org and lonely planet.

1. Jalan Malioboro

The first item on this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta is to go to Jalan Malioboro.

On my first full day in Yogyakarta I made use of the free push-bike from Villa Sambal and rode to the Sultan Palace (a.k.a. Kertaton). First I rode for 3km in the wrong direction, then, when I finally got there, there was a parade on. I waited for the parade to finish only to discover that it closed for the day, so I went to Jalan Malioboro instead.

Jalan Malioboro is basically a shopping street. There are markets and proper shops/shopping centers. You can take a horse and carriage ride around. I was surprised that with all the horses there was no horse sh*t around. I just rode the bike up and back down again. There are food stalls as-well.

Malioboro Street.

2. Central Java Foods

Later than same evening I decided to go to a puppet show. On the way I stopped in at one of the (very) common street-food stalls and got an easy favorite of fried rice. During my Central Java itinerary I got to try a few really delicious local dishes.

Food stall where I got nasi goreng jawa (Javanese fried rice).

3. Puppet Show

I learned about the nightly puppet show via WikiTravel.org. It is from 2000 to 2200pm every night (except public holidays) in the Museum Sonobudoyo (close to and just North of Keraton) and costs only 20INR to enter. From the pamphlet they give you I discovered that it is like a series, with 10 or so “episodes”. You could go back every night and watch a different one to get the full story, although you wouldn’t understand any of it (unless you speak Javanese or whatever language they are using). It was nice to experience but I couldn’t stay for the full two hours.

Javanese puppet show.

Need somewhere to sleep while visiting Yogyakarta in Indonesia? Find your perfect accommodation no matter what your budget.

4. Alun-Alun

Whilst waiting for the puppet show to start I got talking to a couple from Belgium (I think) who showed me some pictures of them riding in a fluro car. They pointed it out to me on their map so I walked there after bailing on the puppet show. Apart from the neon lighted, disco, peddle cars there are some food stores and some kind of game where they blindfold you and you have to walk between a couple of trees.

Disco cars at Alun Alun.

5. Castle Walls

On my walk back to Villa Sambal I came across one of the castle gate entrances. There are a couple around the city. You can go on top and even walk along the wall for a bit. It seems to be a kind of hang-out spot for couples and groups of youths. Actually, I found it really nice and just sat there playing on my phone and people watching for a good thirty or so minutes.

On top of the castle walls.

6. Keraton

The next day I went back to Keraton. After approaching it from the south I was told I had to walk all the way around to the main entrance. I probably spent about an hour or so inside and didn’t find it particularly fantastic but due to the easy accessibility (walking distance from my accommodation) and cheap entry fee (12,500INR) I would say it is a must see if you are in Yogyakarta.

Inside the Taman Sari Water Castle.

7. Taman Sari Water Castle

I was told of the Water Castle but hadn’t planned on visiting it. Luckily I stumbled upon it after Keraton, and I’m glad I did. Walking through the ruins and along the streets of Taman Sari inside was easily the best thing I saw in the city of Yogyakarta.

Inside the Taman Sari Water Castle.

8. Kalibiru National Park

The next day I hired a motorbike from Villa Sambal (60,000IDR/day) and went to see some of the things on the outskirts of Yogyakarta. The first place I went was Kalibiru National Park. It was not what I expected but still very nice and had some fantastic views.

Awesome view at Kalibiru National Park.

9. Gumuk Pasir Parangkusumo

After Kalibiru I rode to Gumuk Pasir and Parangkusumo beach. Actually, I almost missed Gumuk Pasir but luckily I stumbled across it on the way out.

View from the top of an abandoned tower at Parangkusumo beach.

10. Learn Javanese Healing Techniques

For some reason I decided that it was a good time to do either a yoga or reflexology course. After a google session I came across this Javanese Wisdom and Healing website. The next morning I went to scope it out and within an hour I had signed up for a 20 hour course.

This was by far the best thing I done on this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta, as well as during my whole trip in Central Java. It even inspired me to add a healing module in Survival Fitness Plan.

On our last day they gave all of us a full body massage. It was amazing.

11. Gunung Api Purba

After the morning at the Javanese healing course I decided to go to Ratu Boko but when I got there I discovered the entry fee was a ridiculous amount in comparison to what I had read online (over 160,000IDR). I literally did not have enough money in my pocket to enter, and even if I did I wouldn’t have.

After riding through the countryside for a while I ended up at Gunung Api Purba, which turned out to be just my thing. A peaceful mountain.

Amazing view from Guning Api Purba.

12. Perang Wedang

On one of the days during the Javanese Healing Course they took us to have a hot spring bath at Perang Wedang. Essentially it is a hot bath in natural, hot, mineral water. It was pretty nice. Cost was 4000IDR for the bath + whatever food and drink you have (if any).

At Perand Wedang. One of our teaching just giving some guy a quick massage while waiting.

13. Bird Market

The last thing on this list of things to do in Yogyakarta is to go to the bird market.

After the mineral bath we went to Parangkusumo beach (#10 in this list of things to do in Yogyakarta) and then they took us to eat lotak. After that we went to the bird market. I hate cruelty to animals so for me this was pretty horrible. They are not hitting them or anything, just that they are caged up and generally look in a bad way. There’s some exotic species too such as owls, bats, etc., as well as non-bird animals such as dogs, lizards, fish, etc.

Inside the bird market. Looks fine so far, but the cruelty factor goes up as you go further in.

Can you believe that after two weeks of being in Yogyakarta I didn’t see one temple or go to a single waterfall. My plan was to do a temple and a waterfall before flying out but I saw some in Solo so i wasn’t too fussed about it by the time I got back to Yogyakarta.

Want more things to do during your visit to Yogyakarta? Get all the information on Yogyakarta and the rest of Indonesia you need with arguably the best guide-books on the planet.

Getting To Yogyakarta

You can catch a train from Jakarta or Solo. Buses will probably run from most Javanese cities.

You can fly in.

Accommodation in Yogyakarta

Whilst in Yogyakarta I stayed at Villa Sambal.

Cost: 175000IDR single bed. 1,000,000/week, 3,800,000/month.

Address: Ngadinegara, Mantrijeron III No. 110, Mantrijeron, 55141 Yogyakarta, Indonesia

Villa Sambal is a bit tucked away and is a few km from the center of town, but I definitely recommend to stay here. For me it was (almost) perfect and one of the best accommodations I have stayed at in a long time.

The owner is a lovely multi-lingual Indonesian lady. Upon arrival she gave me tea and local snacks whilst waiting for my room (I arrived very early).

My room was very spacious. It had a desk, private bathroom, fan, and excellent wifi. There was a western toilet but an Indonesian shower, i.e., use a bucket of water, however, the design was amazing and it had hot water! Also, there were stones on the floor of the shower space so you can have a bit of a foot massage at the same time. I’ll be using that idea my house one day.

There is also some nice communal areas. TV room with books also, fully equipped kitchen (including fridge), dining area, tea, coffee, hot and cold drinking water, push-bike, etc. You can purchase soft drinks and beer which uses an honor system because for most of the time the owner is not around.

Negatives

You can hear everything. I mean, the girl across the hall makes a skype call and I can clearly hear everything she says.

There is also the sound of the mosque which wakes you up nice and early, which I like but others may not, although I have a feeling that happens in most places around the city.

Get the very best deal available at the Villa Sambal or any accommodation you choose in Yogyakarta.

How to Get to Villa Sambal

From the airport you will need to take some kind of private transport. Maybe you can do public transport but it will be too much of a mission if you are not familiar with the public transport in Yogyakarta and would not be worth the savings.

Villa Sambal itself offers an airport transfer for 10,000 INR. I used the official airport taxi (from the booth at the airport) and paid 80,000. You can probably get it cheaper from a metered taxi, which I did try to find but all the taxi drivers wanted to charge me 100,000+ .

GoJek would be cheaper (see below).

Other Information About Yogyakarta

There is an app called GoJek (check the play store, or whatever the iphone equivalent is). Basically you use it and can get anything you want (within reason) delivered to or from you via motorbike, including humans. So if you want a massage or food delivered, or if you wan to go somewhere get them to pick you up. It’s like Uber, but more. I only used it for motorbike rides, and I found the rates cheaper than the street price.

I bought a telkomsel simcard with 4gb of internet (3g, 4g, and LTE compatable) for 70,000INR. It lasts one month, unless you use all the data. It does not give you any phonecalls or txt messages, only internet. Ask whoever sells it to you to help set it up as it’s all in Indonesian. You need an Indonesian sim to use GoJek.

Got anything to add to this list of awesome things to do in Yogyakarta? Let us know them (or anything else you want to say) in the comments