Java Bali Overland, tailor-made tours

This travel story is about Java Bali Overland Tour with family of tourists from the Netherlands. His father’s is Anton, and his mother’s name is Marlou with 2 sons, Hidde and Thijme. This tour started from Yogyakarta on July 26, 2023 and I used Toyota Innova. That afternoon with a happy feeling because I could work and could support for my family. I immediately went to the airport according to the arrival schedule that had been previously informed. As usual, I arrived early so as not to be late and drove the car leisurely.

That day I was picked up at 11 am and planned to go straight to the Sarasvati Hotel in Magelang. The location of the Sarasvati Hotel is very close to Borobudur Temple. After the plane landed, I approached the arrival gate, carrying a paper that said Welcome Mr. Anton so that it would be easy to recognize. And finally the awaited time arrived, they came out of the airport arrival gate. After greetings then we headed to the car to go to the hotel immediately. During the trip in the car I talked about culture, family ties and culinary in Java and Bali.

They happy listened to all the stories that I told mixed with jokes, so the atmosphere in the car became lively. Coincidentally they also told about their families and unexpectedly it turned out that Mr. Anton was a national athlete from the Netherlands. How surprised and happy I was to be able to meet a great person from the Netherlands, although a little nervous. Because the trip was at lunch time, I offered him to stop at a local restaurant. With a view of the vast expanse of rice fields and the beautiful view of the Menoreh mountains.

Coffee Time with Java Bali Overland

We as java bali overland stopped at Ingkar Janji coffee shop and they started to order some snacks and coffee. According to them, this was the first time they tried fried cassava and they really liked it. So they ordered cassava twice. Not only trying local coffee, they also ordered various regional foods from Kulon Progo, including geblek, fried tempeh and ginger tea. I was lucky because the guest I brought was kind-hearted. He bought me a cup of coffee and we joined 1 table together while joking.

After finishing enjoying Menoreh coffee, we immediately headed to the Sarasvati Magelang hotel. During the trip, Mr. Anton saw local residents harvesting rice in the fields, without thinking anything, I immediately stopped and started explaining how the rice process was, from seeding, planting to the harvest stage. They also liked this story and experience. After finishing seeing the rice harvest process, we immediately headed to the hotel. It was about a 45-minute trip from the coffee shop to the hotel. Along the way, their son taught me Dutch and they sing Dutch songs in the car. Finally after a long journey we arrived at the hotel. after checking in at the hotel and all the suitcases were in, I said goodbye to go home to Bantul Yogyakarta. Java bali overland tour for today is finish and continue on the next day.

Borobudur and Prambanan

Day 2 of the Java Bali Overland Tour began with a visit to Borobudur Temple. Java Temple Trip is superior tour packages that can be explored on the Island of java Indonesia. Luckily they got tickets to go up to Borobudur Temple session 3 at 10:30 am. So we don’t need to rush to drive to Prambanan temple. Starting in 2023, Borobudur has new regulations regarding the temple entry process. There are 8 ticket sessions starting from the first session at 8:30 am and the last at 3:30 pm and there is a visitor limit every day.

Except for those who do not go up to the temple structure, only in the temple yard can come at any time and there is no visitor limit. Well the time to enter Borobudur Temple arrived, we started walking towards the temple entrance ticket. After finishing taking care of the ticket I walked back to the hotel and waited for them at the Saravati Hotel. About 2 hours of waiting, they came out of the temple and went to the hotel to check out and continued the tour to Prambanan Temple.

This time, the Java Bali Overland Tour only visited tourist attractions in the city of Jogja. After about 2 hours of travel, we arrived at Prambanan Temple and immediately headed to the entrance. They are spend time about 1.5 hours of visiting Prambanan Temple. Java Temple Tour is super tour packages that can be explored on the Java Island. We immediately headed to the Phoenix Hotel in Jogja. Today’s Java Bali Overland Tour is finished, I asked permission to go home and continue the tour the next day.

Yogyakarta City Tour

Java bali overland tour on the third day. We plan to visit the palace of Yogyakarta, Taman sari, Pasty bird market, bicycle tour and turtle conservation at goa cemara beach bantul. We started the tour that morning around 8 am and headed to the palace of jogja. Only about 10 minutes drive from the phoenix hotel to the palace of jogja. Inside the palace there is usually a local guide who will accompany visitors around the palace complex. If we are lucky, we can see a javanese dance performance or a wayang kulit performance inside the palace. after a while visiting the palace we immediately headed to the next place, namely taman sari.

Yogyakarta palace and Tamansari are in the same complex, so it doesn’t take long to get there. Along the way from the palace to Taman Sari, there are many shops selling Yogyakarta batik. They wanted to go to Tamansari immediately and continue the tour to another place so they could go home early to swim at the hotel. Finally, after a few minutes visiting Tamansari, we moved to the Pasty bird market. They didn’t stay too long at the bird market and we immediately drove to my house to do a bicycle tour. The distance from my house to the market must be approximately 10 km. After about 30 minutes of travel, we arrived home and before doing the bicycle tour, they rested at my house.

My wife Rita Marita has prepared lunch for us. They also want to try my favorite Arabica coffee. After lunch, we immediately went on a bicycle tour. First, we visited the blacksmith, tempeh making, tofu making and beef floss making. Java Bali overland tour continue to go to turtle conservation at Goa camera beach.

Turtle Conservation

It is approximately 30 minutes from my house to the turtle conservation at Goa Cemara Beach. There my friend Fajar was already waiting for our arrival. Fajar is an environmental activist who is now dedicated to protecting sea turtles.Fajar had a different passion. He was the guardian of the sea turtles, a silent protector of these ancient creatures that had been visiting the shores of Goa Cemara for centuries.

Goa Cemara, a pristine beach in Bantul, was a nesting ground for several species of sea turtles. But these magnificent creatures were facing threats from pollution, habitat loss, and illegal poaching. Seeing the declining numbers of sea turtles year after year, Fajar felt a deep sense of responsibility. He knew he had to do something.

Java Bali Overland Tour finished at Goa Cemara Beach and will return to the hotel where they stayed. Today’s adventure was perfect, they really enjoyed seeing the activities of the villagers in my village and I as their guide was very satisfied.

Journey to Bromo with Java Bali overland

The next destination is Mount Bromo. But this time it’s a bit different, because I have to drive alone to Mojokerto city station and they take the train. So we will meet at Mojokerto station. at 4:30 am I started my journey to Mojokerto, along the way I passed the toll road, so that I could get there quickly. Before 11 o’clock I had arrived at the station, after waiting for a while the train arrived. And we headed to Mount Bromo. Before arriving at Mount Bromo we stopped for lunch first in the Gempol area of ​​East Java. After finishing eating we headed to Madakaripura waterfall before heading to Mount Bromo.

Madakaripura waterfall has long captivated tourists with its majestic beauty.With a height of around 200 meters, Madakaripura Waterfall has been named the highest waterfall on the island of Java and one of the highest in Indonesia. This waterfall is formed from the flow of the River which falls heavily from steep cliffs, creating a spectacular view that looks like a giant curtain of water.

Satisfied enjoying madakaripura waterfall we continued our java bali overland adventure to mount bromo. Not too long we arrived at the hotel and immediately rested to prepare for the sunrise tour in the morning.

Sunrise at Penanjakan Bromo

At 3 a.m. we set off in a jeep to penanjakan hill to watch the sunrise. The view was breathtaking, with the golden hues of dawn illuminating the landscape. Mr Anton and family marveled at the beauty of bromoand the surroundings mountain. Afterward, we hiked to the crater where the vast sandy expanse and the smoking volcano left them in awe.

satisfied exploring mount Bromo, java bali overland tour back to the hotel. We are getting ready to check out to continue the journey to kalibaru banyuwangi. The distance from bromo to kalibaru is approximately 5 – 6 hours, various variations of the road passed. At the beginning of the journey we pass the toll road and after that pass the regular road, passing through rice fields, mountains and also coffee plantations. Java bali overland tour finally arrived at kalibaru banyuwamgi, because of the long journey and lack of sleep, we decided to go straight to the hotel to rest.

In the evening we promised to meet at the hotel for dinner together. I would invite them to eat chicken and goat satay at a simple roadside stall. When the time came I picked them up at the hotel and immediately headed to the satay stall. They were so greedy enjoying every bite, while chatting and joking we enjoyed the evening in Kalibaru.

Kalibaru with Java Bali Overland

Good morning Mr. Anton and Mrs. Marlou, my greetings to those who meet in the hotel lobby to make the next trip. We will join the plantation tour at Mrs. Harni’s place.

This enchanting destination offers a unique and immersive experience, allowing visitors to connect with nature and witness the fascinating journey of coffee and cocoa from bean to cup. During your visit, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the traditional methods of cultivating and processing coffee and cocoa. Knowledgeable guides will share their expertise, explaining the intricate steps involved in transforming these raw ingredients into the delectable beverages we enjoy.

They were very impressed with the tour they took at Ibu Harni plantation. Various kinds of rare plants and spices are here. They also liked the traditional dance performance of Banyuwangi, which was mostly children dancing. After we finished the tour it was time for us to go to Bali, our next destination was Lovina.

This time, the Java Bali Overland Tour did not visit the Ijen crater, so after finishing the tour in Ibu Harni, we went straight to Bali. The distance traveled from Kalibaru to Lovina Bali is approximately 6 hours, including the crossing from Merak to Gilimanuk.

Finally we arrived in Lovina at night around 7pm Bali time. During the trip from Kalibaru to Lovina, they told me about their impressions of visiting Java with me as their local guide. For those who are new to Java, this is the best tour experience. Friendly people, strong culture, delicious food, all mixed into one. Thank you Mr. Anton and family, I will remember this experience until the end of my life. May you all be given health and happiness always. See you next time. God Bless You !!!