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12–17 September 2026, star from Surabaya to Jakarta. There are many ways to travel around Java. Some people choose a short trip, some prefer to stay in one city, and some want to see as much of Java as possible. This time, I had the chance to accompany Mr. Clive, a traveler from London, England, on a long journey across Java. Our journey started in Surabaya, then continued to Bromo, Malang, Trowulan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Cirebon, and finally Jakarta.
Six days, many kilometers, historical places, local food, coffee, temples, palaces, and of course, some funny little moments that made this trip more than just a tour. It became a story that I will remember.
The journey stars from Surabaya to Malang
Day 1 – 12 September: Surabaya – Bromo – Malang.
On 12 September, I was still taking care of another guest, so I could not personally meet Mr. Clive at the beginning of his trip. Luckily, I have a work partner in Malang who could help me. I asked my partner to pick up Mr. Clive and take him to Bromo, then continue to Malang and drop him at his hotel.
Meanwhile, I finished my tour with my other guest. From 13 September, I took over the trip and continued with Mr. Clive until the end. So, in a way, our journey started with a small driver relay system. One driver started the journey, and another driver continued it. The important thing was that Mr. Clive could enjoy his trip without any problem.
Day 2 – 13 September: Trowulan and the Majapahit Kingdom
In the morning, we left Malang and continued to Trowulan, Mojokerto, an important area in the history of the Majapahit Kingdom. Our main destination was the Majapahit Museum. But when we arrived, there was a local government event taking place. There were many people and guests around the museum. The museum was still open, but some parts could not be visited because of the event.
At that time, I was sitting outside and enjoying the simple lunch I had bought in Malang. It was a fruit salad. I had only been eating for about 10 minutes, and my salad was still not finished. Suddenly, Mr. Clive came out of the museum.
I asked him, “Why so fast?”
He explained that some parts of the museum could not be visited because of the event. So, we decided to find another place to visit. Luckily, Trowulan has many historical sites nearby.
We visited:
• Candi Kedaton
• Candi Bajang Ratu
• Candi Tikus
The places were only a few kilometers from each other, so it was easy to continue our visit. There was also a funny moment at Candi Kedaton. Next to the temple, we saw some local children playing Kuda Lumping, a traditional Javanese performance using horse-shaped figures. While waiting for Mr. Clive, I enjoyed the show. And I also continued eating my unfinished fruit salad. The wind was very strong that day. Maybe it was because the season was changing from the dry season to the rainy season.
So, that morning we had everything: History, temples, Kuda Lumping, strong wind, and my unfinished salad. Java always has something unexpected.
From Trowulan to Solo
After exploring Trowulan, we continued to Solo. In Solo, we visited Mangkunegaran Palace. After the visit, we stayed one night in Solo. It had been quite a long day. At this point, I started to realize that this trip was not only about visiting tourist places. It was also about the small stories that happened along the way.
Day 3 – 14 September: Prambanan, Sambisari, Plaosan and Yogyakarta
The next morning, we continued towards Yogyakarta. During the day, we visited Prambanan Temple, Sambisari Temple, and Plaosan Temple. One of my favorite moments happened at Sambisari. After visiting the temple, we stopped for a short break at a small local food place. This kind of place is called an angkringan. We ordered iced tea and enjoyed some simple local food. There was nasi kucing, different kinds of fried snacks, and other small foods.
The prices were cheap, the food was simple, but the atmosphere was very local and authentic. Mr. Clive really enjoyed it. He also liked talking with some local people who happened to be there. For me, these are sometimes the best parts of travelling. It is not always about visiting famous places. Sometimes it is simply sitting at a small local food stall, drinking iced tea, eating nasi kucing, and having a chat with local people.
After that, we continued to Yogyakarta. Mr. Clive had already booked The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta, near the famous Tugu Yogyakarta area. Another day was finished.
Funny local guide
Day 4 – 15 September: Borobudur and Semarang. In the morning, we left Yogyakarta and headed to Borobudur Temple. Mr. Clive chose the second session, around 9:30 in the morning. After following the procedures to enter the temple area and going up to the temple, we went to the local guide office. Mr. Clive wanted to have a private guide for Borobudur.
Luckily, I have a good contact there, so I introduced him to Mr. Budi, a local official guide at Borobudur Temple. Mr. Budi is a very interesting person. He is funny, likes to make jokes, but at the same time he has a lot of knowledge about Borobudur and its history. So, the tour with Mr. Budi was like learning history while having a few laughs.
After finishing the Borobudur tour, we continued to Semarang Old Town. Mr. Clive wanted to see an old church that is still standing beautifully in the area. Unfortunately, there was some renovation work going on, so visitors were not allowed to enter.
No problem. When travelling, not every door is always open. Sometimes we just have to enjoy what we can see from outside. After that, we went to his hotel. A Night in Semarang: A Free Stay from an Old Friend. After dropping Mr. Clive at his hotel, I had my own little plan.
I had already arranged to meet an old school friend who now works for one of the well-known banks in Indonesia and lives in Semarang.
His name is Catur. That night, I stayed at his house.
Well… Free accommodation, free conversation, and even free dinner. Hahaha. Not a bad deal for a driver. We went out at night, walked around Semarang and looked for some dinner. After several days on the road, it was nice to meet an old friend again. Sometimes, when travelling, the driver also gets his own little travel story.
From Semarang to Cirebon
Day 5 – 16 September: Semarang – Cirebon
The next morning, Catur went to work, and I continued my job. Before meeting Mr. Clive, I had some famous chicken soto in Semarang. I also bought some onde-onde that I thought were very good. But this time, they were not only for me.
I thought: “Mr. Clive should try some Indonesian local food too.” So I brought the onde-onde with me. After meeting Mr. Clive at his hotel, we continued towards Cirebon. After about three hours on the road, we arrived at Kasepuhan Palace. Mr. Clive entered the palace area with a local guide. I waited at a simple coffee stall near the entrance. I thought I could enjoy my coffee quietly.
About 30 minutes later, Mr. Clive came out. Instead of going straight back to the car, he joined me for a coffee. We talked about Kasepuhan Palace and what he had seen inside. Then came another funny moment. Mr. Clive showed me some photos he had taken with his phone. I looked at one of the photos and started laughing. When he took the photo, his finger was covering part of the camera lens.
So it seems Mr. Clive also brought home some special photos from Indonesia. Photos with a free finger effect. We laughed about it while finishing our coffee. After that, we went to the hotel.
Looking for Nasi Jamblang
Because it was still not too late in the afternoon, I did not want to miss the chance to try some local food in Cirebon. I went looking for Nasi Jamblang. I chose Nasi Jamblang Bu Nur, one of the well-known places for this local Cirebon food. Nasi Jamblang is one of the foods that I think visitors should try when they come to Cirebon. After enjoying my meal, I looked for a simple place to stay for myself.
Another day was finished.
Day 6 – 17 September: Cirebon – Jakarta. Suddenly, it was already the last day. At around 9:00 in the morning, we started our journey towards Jakarta. Our final destination was Mr. Clive’s hotel on Gajah Mada Street in Jakarta. As we got closer to Jakarta, the traffic became busier and busier. Well, Jakarta welcomed us in the usual way — with lots of traffic. But luckily, everything went smoothly. We finally arrived in Jakarta safely, and this was the end of Mr. Clive’s long journey across Java. After dropping him at the hotel, my job with Mr. Clive was finished. But my journey was not finished yet. I still had to drive all the way back to Yogyakarta.
Six Days, Many Cities, Many Stories
The journey with Mr. Clive was not only about Surabaya, Bromo, Malang, Trowulan, Solo, Yogyakarta, Semarang, Cirebon and Jakarta. It was also about many small stories along the way.
The museum that could not be fully visited.
The unfinished fruit salad when Mr. Clive came out of the museum.
The Kuda Lumping performance and strong wind in Trowulan.
The iced tea and nasi kucing at a local angkringan.
Mr. Budi at Borobudur, explaining history while making jokes.
My old school friend Catur, who gave me the “free hotel and free dinner package.”
The onde-onde that I brought for Mr. Clive to try.
The simple coffee stall in Cirebon.
And, of course, the famous photo with the finger covering the camera lens.
For me, this is what makes working as a driver and tour organizer interesting. Every guest comes with their own story, and sometimes, without realizing it, we become part of their travel story too.
Thank You, Mr. Clive
Thank you very much, Mr. Clive from London, England, for trusting us with your transportation and travel arrangements from Surabaya all the way to Jakarta. I hope your journey in Indonesia gave you many good memories. Not only memories of temples, palaces and cities, but also of local people, local food, coffee, and the small funny moments that made the journey more special. I hope we can meet again and travel together another time. Until we meet again, Mr. Clive.
And for me…
After six days on the road from Surabaya to Jakarta, it was time to go back to Yogyakarta.
