Jakarta to Lombok- November 2019. 12 day Journey.

Jakarta to Lombok overland through Java was an easy sounding, no brainer journey I had on my to-do list for a few years.  Loads of travelers have paved the way on this route.

I'm a keen train enthusiast when it comes to getting around whilst travelling internationally and I knew Java is criss crossed with train tracks leading to towns and cities I have never heard of. 

Game on.

The opportunity popped up after working on a remote cattle station in the middle-of-nowhere Pilbara region of Western Australia. 

I figured I could grab a cheap flight from Perth on the way home to Tasmania and play a while in an easily accessible part of South East Asia... This plan was hatched and what resulted was a safe, touristy and yet somewhat diverse experience, heading East from the crazy concrete strewn metropolis of Jakarta to the sleepy green volcanic isle of Lombok over 12 easy days.

Image sourced from: Google Maps.

Jakarta to Yogyakarta (Red) Train

Yogyakarta to Surabaya (Gold) Train

Surabaya to Lombok (Green) Flight

Lombok to Bali (Purple) Ferry

FLIGHTS FROM AUSTRALIA TO INDONESIA AND BACK AGAIN:

Perth to Jakarta direct with Garuda Indonesia. 5 hours duration. I paid $300 AUD one way via the Traveloka website.
Free Visa on Arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for Australians and citizens of 168 other nations.

Denpasar to Perth direct with Air Asia. 3 hours, 45 minutes duration.  I paid $150 AUD one way via the Air Asia website.

JAKARTA.

We slammed down into the steamy, gritty city of Jakarta on a rainy Sunday evening.
I somehow, inadvertently, chose the most expensive taxi service possible to get to our lodgings which involved a brand new Tesla and a kamikaze driver hellbent on reaching the afterlife that very night.

After a long ride of stop start, stop start and being in the crush of 20 million other cars and scooters flying around, we were thrown out in the Cikini Raya area outside 6 Degrees Hostel.  website
I totally recommend 6 Degrees- it's been around for yonks, there's plenty of eateries scattered nearby and the rooftop bar gets you up, out of the chaotic craziness with some good city views and very cool, helpful staff.

It was the first time in a long time I have stayed at a hostel but for $30 AUD a night for a self contained, air con room the price was right and breakfast was tasty and filling.  It seems most of the other travellers buried themselves in their mobile devices at all times so socialising was minimal but that's the way it is these days.
We stayed 2 nights and hopped on the train from the nearby station to check out the Old City.

To be honest there isn't much to do in Jakarta apart from revel in the traffic jams and seek respite in the shiny air con shopping malls but it was a solid starting point to scoot off on a train East to Yogyakarta.
You can change money, get orientated and learn a bit of Bahasa.

At the time $1 AUD was about  9,500 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
At the time $1 USD was about 13,700 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)

Grab is the default crowd sourced transport go to option, similar to Uber but you just order a motorbike or car and there's no prepay.
Cash after the ride concludes.
Super cheap and these guys work their arses off for very little, I urge you to tip as well. 

Grab app here

YOGYAKARTA.

We shimmied onboard the train to Yogyakarta at the Gambir Station which is a kilometre or 2 from the 6 degrees hostel. Although we shared a Grab ride costing $1.70 AUD with an American backpacker it is easily walkable and once there you scan in your pre bought tickets (we used the Traveloka app and had it approved to take an Australian credit card, website here)

2 seats in Executive Class cost $60 AUD, the trip takes around 8 hours.  

It's not the lightning fast Japanese/ Chinese/ Taiwanese train service but reliable, with air con, an eatery carriage and the scenery across rural Java is fantastic.

We stayed at the Hotel Neo Malioboro opposite the train station for $30 AUD a night. New decor, friendly staff and kick ass buffet breakfast.  Recommended.

I have to admit I dragged us down to Yogyakarta for the express purpose of visiting Borobudur Temple.
I first heard of legendary Borobudur 20+ years ago and always meant to make the effort to swing by...however when I got to Yogyakarta (which is an expensive yet fun city chock full of things to do) I couldn't be bothered ponying up crazy money to join a crowd of dickhead tourists in maddening heat to see yet another jam packed temple (yes I've seen quite a few in the preceding 20 years since hearing about Borobudur) so we slunk out of town on a cool little village bicycle trip and Ree had an eye opening afternoon during a one on one cooking class.

The bikes were rough, the lunch at a genuine local warung was delicious and our guides were rock stars!
Touristy yet fun riding around rural villages just outside Yogyakarta bopping into markets and various businesses.
Bicycle tour website

The cycling morning is recommended, however Ree's cookery afternoon was so so.  So I won't elaborate.  In her words: 'Don't look behind the curtain'.  Wise words!

Eating in Yogyakarta: there are loads of great eateries in the city.  We had a blast stuffing ourselves silly.
We sampled everything from pub food to grab and go off the street but mostly family run cheap and cheerful backpacker restaurants/ guesthouses/ tour agencies whose menus reminded me of travelling Thailand circa 2001.

Takeaway booze isn't easy to get in Yogyakarta due to draconian government restrictions but most hotels have a bar and there are a few pubs and clubs scattered around.

SURABAYA.

For this leg of the journey we opted for 'Business Class' train tickets which to be honest were a bit of a disappointment.  Cheaper, similar shabby carriage and seating but absolutely no air flow or air conditioning.  Super stuffy and difficult to relax.  Maybe it was just the carriage we were in but we were elated to run out into the frenetic madness that is Indonesia's second city and check into the Max One Hotel at Tidar.  $30 a night and scrumptious breakfast.  Outside dance floor and bar on the roof if that's your thing.

We grabbed a cab to the airport next day and I crossed my fingers and clenched my arse muscles as Lion Air swung us up up up into the sky for the 50 minute flight to Lombok.

LOMBOK.

We prearranged a transfer with our accommodation and after prayers (yes, I kid you not) and a quick dash through the main town, Mantaram, it was 3 days of bliss exploring the Western side of the island and hooking into fried fish and cold beer.

Absolutely recommend Cozy Cottages in sleepy Mangsit.  

Situated around 5km North of Senggigi where most travellers stay and party, the beach is black and shaded by palm trees.  Lots of eateries and bars nearby serving Indonesian and Western stuff.  Cozy Cottages is owned and run by a British guy, there are only 5 stand alone villas and the swimming pool is lush.
Website here

I rented a newish Honda Vario scooter from a local outfit via Cozy Cottages for 60,000 IDR a day and we hopped on and blitzed around the coastal roads.  Fantastic fun!  It was off season so few if any other tourists and little traffic on the surprisingly very well maintained roads.  

The highlight for me- and if I'm being honest, the underlying reason for visiting Lombok- was the incredible seafood on offer.
Loads of beachside dive bars serving up cheap rice plates.  Ree found eating vegetarian fairly easy throughout Java and Lombok too.

So few travellers mooching around meant there were some desperate bracelet sellers and empty beaches.  Rubbish abounds on the coastal sands fringing Lombok and the interior roads are worth a fang on the scooter if you feel adventurous.  

However the locals are friendly and we never once encountered the slippery scam.

BALI.

Ah, Bali.  Bogan shithole of the South Pacific.  Yet cheap and accessible port of entry to explore Indonesia.  

We ran the gauntlet of  wanna be con -men and touts at the wharf North of Senggigi at Bangsal and took the speedboat direct to Padang Bai on Bali's East coast. You can also head to the Gili Islands on a similiar route.

There we ran the gauntlet hustlers and touts to crawl stop start in a crowded van and experience grid lock traffic for 2 hours before being dropped off in Legian, backpacker central.  

The journey was arranged via Cozy Cottages on Golden Queen and it was actually quite well run.
Price includes pickup from Lombok accommodation, ferry service and transfer to Bali hotel.   

$30 AUD per person.

website

2 nights at Grandma's Plus Legian scoffing a scrumptious buffet breakfast (yes, breakfast is massively important to me) and utilising the free bicycles for a ride along the beachfront was enough for us. 

Day trips around the island are expensive and many travellers rent a scooter and have a pants browning experience escaping the built up congested Kuta area. 

I usually avoid these types of over developed party places in Asia.  Saying that it WAS my 3rd visit to Bali over 20 years so seeing the crowds and crazy pricing for drinks and activities first hand- since my last time there many years ago, I used it as an entry point to travel to the Komodo Islands around 2005?- reinforced why it was important to experience Lombok NOW before it is quickly turned into another Bali.

Food is good!  Can recommend any of the cheap Warung's in the side streets around Legian, just keep an eye out for the fat drunk Aussie's staggering around.  

3 on a tiny scooter each clutching a Bintang was the most we saw one hairy night complete with burgers and warm beer, but people watching is always good value when you're seeing your fellow country men and women fighting each other and puking up in the gutter.

That's it.  

Java; fun and shambolic.  Just the dose of craziness and noise and urban landscapes I wanted after 4 months in the Great Sandy Desert. 

Lombok; gorgeous, laidback and green.  Worth a journey and on the cusp of big changes.

Bali;  Because there is an airport with budget direct flights many times a day to Australian cities.  Not my cup of joe but I'm in the minority.

Mexico City & Surrounds. March 2019.

Mexico City:  one crazy dangerous destination right?  Nah.

Try fun, very loud, pulsating and as for the chow- extremely tasty.

Map sourced from Google Maps.

I travelled around the Mexico City local region in March 2019 with my girlfriend Ree.  

We speak around 4 words of Spanish between us.

We utilised public transport and Uber share rides and walked as often as possible. 

I ate many delicious tacos and drunk copious quantities of good, cheap beer.

At the time I travelled the region 1 Australian dollar (AUD) was around 14 Mexican pesos (MXN) or 1 United States Dollar (USD) to 19 MXN.

Our cruisey sightseeing journey took us on a triangular circuit starting in Mexico City to the pyramids of Teotihuacan then onto Puebla and Cholula and back to Mexico City.

Map sourced from Google Maps.

I dropped into Mexico city via Honolulu and Houston after 10 hours in the air and quickly cleared customs before jumping in a pre paid cab.

Fill out the form the flight attendants give you on the plane and hang onto the bottom bit that is handed back to you by the customs officer- you'll need it on the way out of the country and there is a bit of a fine and finger wagging if you can't produce it pronto.

There are loads of booths selling pre paid taxi vouchers to any destination after clearing customs and collection of baggage.  Cash is king here.  The cost was 220 pesos- around $16 AUD- for a 'saydan' (sedan).

I stayed a couple of nights at the budget and centrally located One Ciudad de Mexico Alameda in the historic district.
Cost was around $90 AUD per night including a good buffet breakfast.

Right slap bang in the action and crazy noisy during the wee hours- try a super loud mariachi band rarking up at 1am right under your street facing window with 20 million partying punters and the authentic Mexico experience is a reality.

Regardless of whether you wish to sleep... 😉

Ree had already rolled into Mexico a week earlier while I was plodding around the hills of Oahu and had sussed out the sights, what was where and how things worked.

We decided to play lazy travelers and joined an Intrepid 'Hidden Mexico City' tour.  Around $65 AUD, 6 hours long.

I don't ever usually pay someone to show me stuff I can see perfectly well myself but in this instance I am mighty happy I did.  We actually had a blast and I got much insight into the cultural history and workings of one of the planet's largest metropolis.

6 of us dorky tourists were under the charge of Julio, a really cool guy in a red Intrepid t-shirt who lead us all over the historic centre and treated us to a diverse variety of architecture, freaky eateries, and local markets.
All the greatest hits. Great lunch at a taqueria too.

The day finished up with a chill time at a gallery dedicated exclusively to one mural by Frida Kahlo's husband Diego Rivera; 'Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in the Alameda Central'.   30 MXN ($2.25 AUD) included in the tour for us.  Diego Rivera Museum.

Recommended and remembered.

Time to get out of town and go for a wander- next stop was the nearby temple pyramids of Teotihuacan, around an hour away and 50km from Mexico City.

These heavily touristed stone monuments are easily reached via the Aerobuses del Norte bus terminal.
You can take the metro train there but I just ordered an Uber on my phone for a few dollars, got there quickly and purchased tickets at a booth near gate 8 that said 'Pyramides'.

One way per adult was 52 pesos ($4 AUD) and buses leave every 20 minutes or so.

We dropped in on a Sunday which is always super busy apparently as locals take advantage of free entry for Mexican citizens.  There are loads of passable cafes near the various entry gates and opportunities to get out of the baking sun.

The pyramids are fantastic.  As stunning as anything I have had the fortune to visit in Africa or Asia.  Various gates facilitate entry on a ring road around the site.  We jumped off the bus at Puerta 2 (Gate 2).

Entry is 70 pesos ($5 AUD) and the 2000 year old complex takes a while to meander through and explore.  We ducked in to sneak a peek and brave the crowds then checked into a nearby family run guesthouse.
Posada Jatziri. 535 pesos ($40 AUD) got a tidy, clean room with a view of the pyramids.

Dinner was taken in a touristy but unique 'cave restaurant' called 'The Grotto' during a heavy rainstorm.
Pricey and heaving with people but great food and cold drinks. Lagruta.

Next morning we watched hot air balloons drifting over the Teotihuacan area from the room and
re entered the temple complex bang on opening time at 9am.

There were plenty of tour groups and other independent travellers scooting in too but it was relativity simple to find some solitude up on top of the Pyramid of the Sun and the Pyramid of the Moon, the highest and second highest monuments respectively.

Next stop was Puebla.  

We jumped in a taxi to the San Martin de las Pyramids bus terminal which is just outside the main tourist area and caught a bus from there directly to Puebla instead of returning to Mexico City.  

Can't remember how much we paid but it wasn't more than 130 pesos each and took around 2 hours.

Most travellers return to Mexico City so we were the only non Mexicans on the coach.

After a scenic ride to an ADO bus terminal I called an Uber and checked into the swanky Hotel 5 de Mayo.   1970 pesos ($145 AUD) for 2 nights including breakfast.

Puebla is a fun, youthful city with some great eating options and historic sights.  We found our way via a confusing local bus system to nearby Cholula (I have no accurate recollection of how I found the correct bus and managed to get there 😏 but it's totally doable).

Cholula is a tourist city dominated by the massive Great Pyramid of Cholula, widely regarded as the largest pyramid in the world.

While most of the monument is buried in soil and plant life, excavations of ancient stoneworks dating back 1700 years can be easily sighted whilst rambling along the network of paths and tunnels in the site.
The summit view taken beside the bright yellow 'Church of Our Lady of Remedies' which is plonked on top is dominated by the smoking, surly bulk of the active volcano Popocatepetl.  Super cool.

For some reason the adjacent museum had free entry the day I was in town so I nosed around. Although the majority of the interactive exhibits were in Spanish it was well worth while ducking out of the heat for an hour and getting the jist of the place.

Food was a little pricey understandably but still very good and bars and eateries were literally everywhere.

This bit is to help Vegetarians travelling to Mexico.

Ree is vegetarian (I'm definitely not but I choose ethically raised protein where possible and skimp on the processed shit when not thru-hiking) and Mexico is a nation of hard core meat eaters and most meals are centred around a form of dead animal.
Sometimes 2.

Although not difficult to locate vegetarian friendly food providers in Mexico City and the surrounding region it takes a bit of planning and Google and review sites are your mates here.

*Vegetarian cafes recommended by Ree in Mexico City: 

Vegamo  Cosy and friendly little spot North East of Zocalo near where we stayed.

ForeverVegano  The Cauliflower tacos were swiftly destroyed.  Fun waiting staff and there is a good beer & wine selection too. Located in the funky Roma district.

*Vegetarian cafes recommended by Ree in Puebla:

La Zanahoria  Although nothing fancy the buffet is extensive and cheap.  Non touristy and local punters.

Tonico 12.  Great little find down the end of the strip alongside the tourist train station in Cholula.  Fantastic coffee and fun vege food.

Ree recommends learning the phrase "I'm a vegetarian" in Spanish- "Soy Vegetariana" (or "Soy Vegetariano" if your a dude) and a list of things you want in your tacos or meal such as refried beans, cheese, and cactus.

She had a basic list of words and phrases written down too.

Be assertive and specific in your request for meat free food and remember the red salty crust on the lemon slices served with tacos are made from worms.

Supermarkets are abundant, priced cheaply and full of fruit, nuts and veges.