Yogyakarta Travel Forum

Will be going to Yogyakarta this coming 27th Febuary till 5th March. Do you think I can make a trip to Bali by land from Yogyakarta and back to Yogyakarta again? Bought a return flight ticket from Kuala Lumpur to Yogyakarta. PLan to visit some Hindu temples like Borubudur and Prabanam in Yogya and some temples in Bali..and also Mount Bromo in Surubaya..do you think I can manage to travel to all these places by land..please help to arrange my trip..thank you.

Hi Irene,

I had a similar question here on VT as I am planning to do about the same trip (but no responses about Bali yet..).
I checked the travel times by bus: From Yogyakarta to Denpasar it's 16 hours, from Mt. Bromo about 9 hrs. I think I will decide once I am there... btw, I am going at about the same time as you do! :)

Ianchen

All that in one week is too much. Even if the busses run overnight, you will be tired the next day; maybe if you find evening flights that do not make you waste part of the day to and from airports.
I would either stick to Java or to Bali.

Yes you can. Once you get to Yogyakarta try to find a travel agent which can arrange trip to Bromo and Bali. I dont know about the price of that tour right now, but you can find the cheap travel agent in Jalan Sosromenduran, near Jalan Malioboro.
If you want to do that trip by yourself, you can take bus or mini van to Surabaya, then continue to Bromo and Bali.
But, like the other poster said, if you only have a week you will be in a rush, and can not enjoy that trip.
I suggest to take flight to Bali, and do the overland trip on the way back to Yogyakarta, so you still can visit Mt Bromo.
Happy holiday!

A long time ago (>30 years) I did the reverse trip. Flew Den Pasar to Surabaya then train to Jogja. This was before Unesco had funded rescue of Borobudur, which I understand is now something worth seeing.

By the way, Garuda is one of the airlines not allowed to fly into USA or Europe. In fact all Indonesian airlines are banned.
http://ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/pdf/list_en.pdf

Hi,
I found travelling by train in Java far better than buses. I have travelled from Yogjakarta to Surabaya leavng at 7.30 am and arriving about 3.30pm. Then to get to Bromo I have caught a 9am train out of Surabaya and been in Probolinggo at noon. Have then caught a local bus to the bus terminal and then got a local bus up to Cemoro Lawang where I have stayed at the Lava Hostel for about 60,000- heard it is now about 75,000. One can book a jeep ride the next moring at 5am to go to near the viewing platform- you have a five minute walk up to the viewing platform. Be aware it is freezing cold at that time of the morning- you can hire a jacket but must return it when yuo leave in the jeep to travel across the moon like surface to Gunung Bromo.
The train to Probolinggo is the same train that takes you onto Banguwangi where you can get a bus from somewhere there to Denpasar bus terminal.
Pamela.

I'm Back !! Mount Bromo was amazing !! TRavel around Indonesia is best to do with train...the bus conductors in Indonesia are not honest, overcharge foreigners...no fix price..can overcharge you by 100% of the actual fare...in Yogyakarta, travel within the town , use Trans Yogya..flat rate 3,000 rupiah..even to Prabanam also 3,000rupiah, aircon bus.

Irene,
Thank you so much for your report. Yes, you are so..so... right about the trains- so much more comfortable and the prices are correct at the station.
I found the guys at Yogjakarta railway station so wonderful when I needed to change my ticket in July 2006. Actually a guy who ran the lockers at the station who could speak English wrote me a letter in Indonesian to give to the station master once he learned of what I wanted to do. The station master looked after me and I was only charged 6,000 rupiah to change my ticket to the next day and that is what was written on the back of the ticket. So honest and straight forward.
And the seats on the trains are so much more comfortable than on the bus and one has room to move.
I love train travel in Java, just wish there was more trains in Sumatra- my favourite island.
Pamela.

Yogyakarta is a nice place to go....have u been here already? i have just found you here....