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We combined Yogyakarta with Solo (Surakarta) as they’re close to each other. Lots to do in Jogja – will you go to Prambanan as well as Borobudur? Don’t forget to see the Ramayana ballet.
+1 for both temples and the ramayana ballet. Borobudur – go for sunrise if possible. Gets hot quickly in the morning.
At Prambanan, we had school children asking us to teach or write English and taking photos with us 🙂Swap BVromo for Merapi and just do a longer, more relaxed stay in Jogja?
Swap BVromo for Merapi and just do a longer, more relaxed stay in Jogja?
Similarly, no evening flights to Yogyakarta from Kuala Lumpur.
But point taken about spending the whole time there. Maybe possible to do a day trip to Bromo? (In addition to Merapi where we intend to take a jeep tour to the base and back).We didn’t go to Surabaya on our trip to Java as we didn’t fancy getting up in the middle of the night to hike up Mt Bromo to see the sunrise! It was 1980 though so even if we had gone the info might be out of date!
We combined Yogyakarta with Solo (Surakarta) as they’re close to each other. Lots to do in Jogja – will you go to Prambanan as well as Borobudur? Don’t forget to see the Ramayana ballet.
Thanks QC.
I suspect there have been one or two changes in the past 45 years!
Yeah we’ll be doing both temples on separate days when in Jogja.I’m struggling with trying to get a flight into Surabaya the same night as we arrive into Kuala Lumpur.
It seems a waste of the evening to stay in an airport hotel at KUL and fly out the next morning. The BA and the MAS flights (still deciding between them) get into KUL around 17:00 – 17:30 so I guess it will be 19:00 by the time we’ve checked into the airport hotel, dumped our bags and are ready to head into Kuala Lumpur to grab a meal – not sure it’s do’able given the 1.5 hours journey time each way.Alternative is Turkish Airlines LHR > IST > SIN > SUB which gets us there on one ticket, but it isn’t cheap: around £2.5kpp in business class one-way. Economy is about £700pp one way, but I don’t think this is the kind of journey I’d want to spend in economy.
I’ve remembered another reason we didn’t visit Mt Bromo – it was erupting!
If you are choosing between MH and BA definitely choose the former! BA cancelled our flights to KUL and we managed to get the flights rearranged on MH. Very good flight.
You wouldn’t go in to KUL for dinner – better to stay near the airport and head off early in the morning.
Thought it was all organised and everything was booked, but this morning Citilink cancelled our flight from Lombok to Bali.
It’s at the end of April
The options now seem to be Wings Air or boat. Wings Air – i know nothing about and worried it might not have the best record. Boat – was trying to avoid as heard some scary stories about the ride.
Anyone has any suggestions? Maybe recommendations of a good boat company?
Thanks
@cat , would you recommend the Madani antique villas in Ubud?
Hi @Bervios, I’m so sorry, I stopped checking back in on this thread!
In the unlikely eventuality that you haven’t already booked a hotel, I would absolutely recommend Madani Antique Villas – I absolutely loved it. I got the villa with the big kidney shaped pool, as I loved the views the best from that pool. It’s worth reading the reviews and emailing them to check when the rice harvest is, as the views from the pool will be considerably less glorious if the rice terraces are just brown, muddy ditches after harvest!
Sorry again for taking so long to reply.
Cat
Thought it was all organised and everything was booked, but this morning Citilink cancelled our flight from Lombok to Bali.
It’s at the end of April
The options now seem to be Wings Air or boat. Wings Air – i know nothing about and worried it might not have the best record. Boat – was trying to avoid as heard some scary stories about the ride.
Anyone has any suggestions? Maybe recommendations of a good boat company?
Thanks
The ferries from Lombok to Bali are fine, it’ll take just over an hour. I’ve never had a problem with them.
Similarly, no evening flights to Yogyakarta from Kuala Lumpur.
But point taken about spending the whole time there. Maybe possible to do a day trip to Bromo? (In addition to Merapi where we intend to take a jeep tour to the base and back).I’d stay closer to Bromo NP (which, BTW, don’t miss it, it’s absolutely *STUNNING*), and just deal with staying for one night in less salubrious accommodation. It’s absolutely worth slumming it for a night, for the views across the caldera. We aimed to hike up to the viewpoint for dawn, but then arrived later than planned (due to walking at a glacial pace), and as a result we missed the crowds! Result!
Yogya is wonderful – I especially loved Borobudur.
Enjoy!
Similarly, no evening flights to Yogyakarta from Kuala Lumpur.
But point taken about spending the whole time there. Maybe possible to do a day trip to Bromo? (In addition to Merapi where we intend to take a jeep tour to the base and back).I’d stay closer to Bromo NP (which, BTW, don’t miss it, it’s absolutely *STUNNING*), and just deal with staying for one night in less salubrious accommodation. It’s absolutely worth slumming it for a night, for the views across the caldera. We aimed to hike up to the viewpoint for dawn, but then arrived later than planned (due to walking at a glacial pace), and as a result we missed the crowds! Result!
Yogya is wonderful – I especially loved Borobudur.
Enjoy!
Thanks but I’ve changed my plan slightly as I absolutely CBA to go up the volcano and stay a few hours in a tent waiting for dawn and then having the rest of that next day ruined from being knackered.
Was talking to a relative who did this before Covid and he didn’t think it was worth the inconvenience and consequential loss of time that could have been spent on other stuff (but he didn’t specify what other stuff).So firstly, Air Asia have out of the blue restored the late evening flight from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya.
I have booked it.
I found a tour guide who is prepared to take us on a daytime trip to a waterfall and then to Bromo for *sunset*.
We will miss the last train to Yogyakarta so will stay an additional night in Surabaya.Thanks for your info though.
Thanks but I’ve changed my plan slightly as I absolutely CBA to go up the volcano and stay a few hours in a tent waiting for dawn and then having the rest of that next day ruined from being knackered.
Was talking to a relative who did this before Covid and he didn’t think it was worth the inconvenience and consequential loss of time that could have been spent on other stuff (but he didn’t specify what other stuff).So firstly, Air Asia have out of the blue restored the late evening flight from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya.
I have booked it.
I found a tour guide who is prepared to take us on a daytime trip to a waterfall and then to Bromo for *sunset*.
We will miss the last train to Yogyakarta so will stay an additional night in Surabaya.Thanks for your info though.
Bromo at sunset will be absolutely incredible too, and probably less crowded. Report back!
@cat , would you recommend the Madani antique villas in Ubud?
Hi @Bervios, I’m so sorry, I stopped checking back in on this thread!
In the unlikely eventuality that you haven’t already booked a hotel, I would absolutely recommend Madani Antique Villas – I absolutely loved it. I got the villa with the big kidney shaped pool, as I loved the views the best from that pool. It’s worth reading the reviews and emailing them to check when the rice harvest is, as the views from the pool will be considerably less glorious if the rice terraces are just brown, muddy ditches after harvest!
Sorry again for taking so long to reply.
Cat
I decided to look at Madani based on your recommendation and the only villa they have for our dates is described as ‘Family Wooden Private Pol Villa’ – do you know how that would compare to the villa you stayed in?
Also any good restaurants to walk out to or will we have to use a Grab?
@Aston100 maybe your friend wasn’t interested in culture – there was an article in the New York Times which says that Yogyakarta is a place of cultural and intellectual ferment, run by a revered royal family https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/20/travel/yogyakarta-indonesia.html which is behind a paywall but you can create a free login.
I decided to look at Madani based on your recommendation and the only villa they have for our dates is described as ‘Family Wooden Private Pol Villa’ – do you know how that would compare to the villa you stayed in?
Also any good restaurants to walk out to or will we have to use a Grab?
That looks lovely, but it looks like there isn’t much in the way of views from the pool area. A big part of what I loved about my villa were the incredible rice terrace views. I was in one of the one bedroom (with private pool) villas, and I specifically asked for the villa that had the kidney shaped pool, because I liked the combination of rice terrace and forest view, as it was the last villa in the row, right next to the start of the forest.
There is a restaurant – Nuandari Cafe, it was nice for the times I couldn’t be bothered to get a grab into Ubud, but mostly I got a grab to get food! BTW, note that the private pool villas are by Nusandari cafe on Google maps, at a slightly different location to the pool access villas.
Hi anyone has a recommendation for a driver in Lombok?
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