Jakarta is the biggest city in Southeast Asia, and finding a place to stay here can be an overwhelming experience when confronted with the map of the city. Despite its size and unruly streets, finding where to stay in Jakarta is manageable if you stick to a defined area that is most useful for first-time […]
Jalan Jaksa – The slow demise of Jakarta’s backpacker street
On my first trip to Indonesia in 2009 I travelled from Medan to Bali by ferry, bus, train, and plane. Midway through that trip I arrived in Jakarta with a copy of Lonely Planet Indonesia in hand. The Book directed me to Jalan Jaksa – the backpacker street of Jakarta. I don’t remember where I […]
Jakarta Airport Rail Link – Train details, and which stations are best for visitors
Jakarta is famous for being one of the most congested cities in the world, so the introduction of the airport rail link has been a welcome relief for visitors to the Indonesian capital. The Soekarno–Hatta Airport Rail Link was built with the combination of a new railway connecting to an existing track. As such the […]
Notes on Jakarta – Metros, moto apps, an airport train, and a giant seawall
Jakarta has been making headlines in 2019, and not always in a good way. In August the Indonesian government announced that it was planning to move the capital of Indonesia to a location in the jungles of Borneo. This news, coupled with high-profile reports that the city is sinking, has led news agencies around the […]
A complete guide to train travel in Southeast Asia
A complete guide to Southeast Asia train travel, featuring resources for buying tickets and reviews of rail travel in the region. An introduction to Southeast Asia Railways Travel by train is a great way to experience the landscapes of Southeast Asia, and to meet the people who live here. Personally I think train travel the […]
Yogyakarta Travel Guide
Travel Notes > Indonesia > Yogyakarta Travel Guide Yogyakarta in Central Java makes for a handy base to explore the surrounding region. The city is nearby to the world heritage sites of Borobudur and Prambanan, as well as the perpetually-smoking Gunung Merapi volcano. It’s also a great place to just hang out for a few […]
Kopi Joss – The charcoal coffee of Yogyakarta
When I’m on the road I’m always on the lookout for interesting cafes and new coffee experiences. On my trip to Yogyakarta I found an unusual brew called Jopi Joss: charcoal coffee. [Kopi Joss – it tastes better than it looks.] Kopi Joss preparation starts off in the usual Javanese style, with loose coffee grinds […]
Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, Java – Indonesia
[Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java, Indonesia.] Like most visitors to Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park (more commonly called Bromo) I arrived to my guest house in the evening without having seen the park. The tour begins with a jeep ride in the morning darkness to the crater rim, arriving in time for the sun rise. As […]
Notes on Pangandaran, Indonesia – An alternative beach destination to Bali
[Pangandaran Beach, Java – Indonesia] Up until a few days before I arrived I had never heard of Pangandaran. This fishing village on the south coast of West Java is a popular beach resort (if you can describe it as that) for domestic visitors, but like much of Indonesia beyond Bali, it is not on […]
In Pictures: Kota (Old Jakarta)
Kota (Old Jakarta) is the area around the old port area of Jakarta. [Remnants of Old Jakarta] The remaining heritage buildings here are remnants from the Dutch colonial era when the city was known as Batavia. [Jakarta History Museum] Like seemingly every big colonial city in the region Batavia was an “x of the east” […]
