mrsjono

S1. Da Rifi Hostel @ Jl Duku II /190, Pondok Candra Indah

Da Rifi is located within a quiet residential estate. There's a mosque opposite so it was exceptionally noisy during Ramadan. Bubbly Dyana is able to provide excellent travel information in East Java. Take HQ to Bungasarih (30mins).


WA serves reasonably good Chinese and Indonesian food in big portions. Menu available in Chinese. Look for the pink building along the main road.


Sparkling was not sparkling at all. I wouldn't stay here if not for the unbearable noise at Da Rifi. Worn out rooms, abandoned furniture along the corridor. No key to lock room. Standard+ (Rp 57,500 pp) was so spacious it could easily hold 6 beds. Young chap at the reception has zero travel knowledge. Handy for Gubeng train station and


1 min walk to Plaza Surabaya. Spot me?


Fond childhood memory for Singaporeans who grew up in the 70's and 80's.


Quadrangle design with a garden and dining area in the middle. I like Helios' chalet vibe, clever layout and free wifi. Take AT from Arjosari (30 mins) to get here.


Avoid. Bakso lose!

Indonesia does not have any metro system, yet existing public transport modes are as efficient and convenient as the metro. In the city, any time you need to travel somewhere, just wave your hand and someone will be eagerly offering you their service to take you there. You don't have to wait. In my country, trains travel fast but waiting time is slow and sometimes even break down during peak hours. Hence, I was fascinated with this just-in-time service I discovered when taking public transport in East Java.

Mini van is awesome because you can board and alight anywhere. High frequency. Rp 2,500-3,000 pp regardless of distance.


No wonder no one takes the taxi. I just have to show you what their taxis are called. Blue bird refers to the male genital in Hokkien.


No wonder no one takes the becak either. Slow and expensive. But environment friendly!


Damri bus fare costs Rp 5,500 (no A/C) - 6,500 (A/C) pp. Board and alight at bus stops only. Sometimes the bus will stop and pick up pedlars along the way. I'm surprised, at the same time guilty, that even students drop their coins into the pedlar's bag.


Ojeks are everywhere but it's not cheap and vary quite substantially so you should only take an ojek if you have no other choice.


Public transport in villages and mountainous area is infrequent and timing uncertain. Be sure to stop any vehicle that passes by and ask the driver how much he's willing to take you. Most of the time, they'll jack up the price but this driver didn't.

We met many kind folks like him while taking public transport in East Java. It's difficult to get lost because locals will point you to the right direction. Even if they don't know the way, they will ask around for you and go the extra mile to bring you to the spot where you can continue your journey to your final destination. If they are unable to guide you personally, they will get someone else to take you there. As a result, transfers were seamless. I had an unforgettable experience and a pleasant journey, thanks to the cheap and convenient public transport system and the good people we met. 

Dear Jetstar,

I was pleasantly surprised when the cabin crew started distributing chocolate buns and cups of water to passengers on VF247! On the return flight, we were served the same snacks as well! Was there any special occasion? Will you continue to serve free snacks and drinks in future?

Cheers,

Frequent flyer of Jetstar 

The island of Java forms part of the Ring of Fire. See the topography and the number of burnt cracks on the map below. Anyone interested to climb, peer into or simply admire a volcano puffing smoke from a distance need not venture too far, thanks to our neighbouring country Indonesia which is littered with volcanoes. August is within the dry season but it's also the Ramadan month. Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world where fasting and praying are religiously followed and practised. This means no lunch in more remote areas and mosques blasting prayers for long hours, day and night. Snacks and earplugs are essentials.

LP claims they have the only complete guide to Indonesia in the market. This statement is true in my country. Shame to say, it was not well written. Directions were unclear and some reviews were overrated. In my opinion, Surabaya (with the exception of the House of Sampoerna) and Malang are not worth visiting so you may want to give them a miss. We managed to get around easily with the limited Malay he speaks (we got blank looks when we asked where's the tandas though lol) and of course with the help of the hearty residents of East Java.

Cheetahs don't lay eggs ok.