We are recently retired and instead of our usual annual holiday in Bali we are on a 3 month trek around Indonesia and Malaysia. So this is not a JBR but a JLBR. Of course Bali is still the start point and we have just spent a month in our usual haunts before arriving in Yogya this week.
We had 2 weeks at the Swastika in Sanur and found it an excellent place for our budget. We booked from home by email for 5 nights but extended because we liked it so much. Ask for room 54 if you want a double on the first floor looking over the pool. It was fairly quiet for the first week and we often had the pool to ourselves during the day, especially the small one. We found all the restaurants good value and delicious food but the standout meals were the Gado Gado at the Sunday morning market at Cafe Batujimbar and lunch at a place called Nasi Ayam Kedewatan Ibu Mangku in Jl Tukad Badung, Renon.
We met up with friends and stayed at Lumbung Sari in Ubud which is a great location in MF Rd but not such good value these days. We checked out Sagitarius just down the street and it offered much better rooms and cheaper. Best meal was at Warung Aja just down from soccer field and opposite side of the road. Real Javan tastes and very cheap.
We did a bike tour with Eco (Budaya Tours) which was excellent. The guide was very energetic and took great trouble to explain the cultural aspects, and the scenery for the ride was quite good. Breakfast and lunch were included and also delicious.
We also ran into and recognised a driver we had 11 years ago and he took us out again for a days drive. Wayan Purya is his name and he is a very happy man and good fun to be with. He also knows some great spots out of the way along back roads. (Ph 0828 3532551).
Back to the beach at Amarta Beach Inn in Sengkidu a few k's south of Candi Dasa. Basic rooms for 170,000Rp a night but a beautiful place right on the seafront. Small white sand beach at mid-low tide and good snorkelling (coral and plenty of fish) right out the front. We had dinner a couple of times at Le48 in Candi Dasa (super value for french chic) and happy hour beers next door at Friends (10,000Rp small Bintang).
We then moved to Kuta for 3 nights to stay at Un's Hotel with friends who were about to head home. Kuta is not usually my favourite place (it was nice in 1979 when we first went there), but this time we liked the old style feel of the hotel verandas and having sunset beers on the beach. There are also plenty of choices for dinner and for our 3 nights we ended up at Zanzibar, the Pantai and a small Japanese place in Jl Benasari all of which were excellent. We got picked up in a blue cab by a guy from Flores and he gave me a card that advertised 5 hours driving for 150,000Rp, so we went out the next day to GWK at Uluwatu and back to Sanur for lunch on the beach at Kami Sama. The driver's name is Eugene Pacelli and his number is 08179734143.
And today we saw the sun rise next to Mount Merapi from the top of Borobodur, which was one of the best experiences of my life. Truly awe inspiring and very beautiful. Yogya is full of energy and a big contrast to our favourite sleepy Balinese seaside towns. We are staying at Duta Guesthouse in Jl Prawirotaman and recommend this hotel and the area. Very friendly local people have provided us with advice and help to get around the amazing markets and alley ways.
We are in Yogya until Saturday and then 1 week in Solo and surrounding areas before coming back here and flying Yogya - Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia for a month exploring a new place for us. There are some photos and more stories on my blog at pokingabout dot blog spot dot com.