After coming back to Bali from my Lombok trip, I decided to visit Jogjakarta (aka Jogja) on my way to Jakarta to catch my flight. I had an option to fly from Bali to Jogjakarta and then fly again to Jakarta, but I decided to take the express bus (there was no sleeper bus) and then transfer to a train to get to Jogjakarta and arrived in Jakarta after taking another train from Jogja. It was a long journey but it was nice to see the beautiful view out the window and was worth the trip. Would I do it again? Probably not, since it took a very long time but I think it was worth taking the long way once to get to know the transportation systems that connect Bali with Java.
Itinerary
1. Express Bus pick up nearby Ubung Bus Terminal in Bali
2. 7.5hr bus ride from Bali to Guilimanuk (the port city in Bali that connects Java)
3. Took the ferry (while bus onboard) to cross the sea to get to Ketapang (a port city in East Java
4. Homestay in Ketapang for one night
5. Took train the next day from Ketapang to Rogojampi to catch the train to Jogja
6. 11 hour train ride from Rogojampi station to Jogja station
Some tips:
(Bus)
- Buy bus tickets from Bali to Ketapang through the 12GO website (lots of routes from Ubung station ex. Malang, and Surabaya)
- There is a public bus that departs from Bali and gets to Ubung. You can purchase a bus card for local Bali bus from one of the convenience stores to pay the bus fare
(Train)
- Book train tickets in advance (saves you money) on the KAI Official Website (click here) or from 12GO.
- Train ticket fare differs based on which class you want to are in
Taking the bus, the ferry, and the train to get to Jogja
Prambanan Temple
This temple was my favorite! Instead of booking a tour, I took Gojek from my hostel in Jogja in the afternoon to catch the sunset at the temple. Prambanan is the second largest Hindu temple after Angkor Wat and has several temples inside the complex. Many people were praying to the God of Shiva, the most popular out of all the other gods. The sunset was around 5:38 pm and the sunset at the temple.
Entrance fee: Foreigners (adult) IDR 375,000*
*Slightly cheaper to buy the ticket in Klook.
Hours: 6:30 am- 5 pm (Walking around the complex until 5:30 pm is allowed/Garden is open until 6 pm)
Sunset was so nice. It wasn't crowded at all.
Borobudur Temple
I didn’t book a tour for this temple as well and I took the minivan, called Damri in the morning to get to the temple. Catching sunrise at Borobudur is very popular among travelers and many people hire a guide to catch the sunrise. I was happy with the sunset from Prambanan the day before, so I wasn’t too interested in waking up early to see the sunrise (the tour starts at 4:30 am). If you want to climb up to the top of the temple, you need to make a reservation in advance on the official website and buy tickets. I made a last-minute decision to visit, so I wasn’t able to get the ticket to climb up to the top. (It seemed like you would need to book at least 2-3 months in advance to reserve a spot.)
I was able to walk around the temple by the lower complex. I still had to pay the entrance fee to just walk around the temple but it was NOT worth the money at all. I was only able to see things at a surface level and was not able to really appreciate the temple. If you cannot secure a spot to climb up to the top of the temple, do not go there. I think it’s just too expensive to walk outside of the temple. It took me 3hrs round trip from Jogja but only 30 minutes to explore.
Entrance fee: {Ground: IDR 387.500} {Structure: IDR 455.000- climbing to the top}
*Buy tickets to climb up to the top from the official website! Mondays are closed for climbing up to the top.
How to get there: I took the Damri Bus (minivan) at Malioboro. For inquiries, WhatsApp: +62 811-2110-0825
Damri Bus costs IDR 20K one way.
I loved the details!
Damri bus and the latest schedule (Sep. 2024)
Independence Day Event in Malioboro
August 17th, 2024 was Indonesia's Independence Day, so I attended the event going on at Main Street in Malioboro! See below for a sneak peek of what it looked like!
what parade looked like in Malioboro
Taman Sari
Located in the center of Jogja, this is a water palace with beautiful views. The palace was built in 1758 for recreational purposes for Sultan Hamengkubuwono I and his family. There is a big artificial lake and a bathing pool once you walk inside the water palace. The entrance fee is only IDR 15K.
It was nice to visit Jogja on my way to Jakarta and check out the famous temples (both Prambanan & Borobudur). I met awesome people in Jogja which made my travels memorable. If you are interested in learning about the history, the culture and the religion, Jogja is where you should be headed next!
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