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Indonesia & Java travel blog — routes, prices, real costs
Routes, costs, and mistakes described from first-hand journeys and sources used for changing details.
Getting around Java by train: routes, classes, tickets
Jakarta to Yogyakarta by train is 6 h 30 min and 490,000–570,000 IDR in Eksekutif class. KAI routes, classes, and why you book on tiket.com, not the KAI app.
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A month in Java, not a week — what it costs
A day on Java runs 330,000–650,000 IDR (~21–41 USD) for a backpacker, and a VOA covers 30 days for 500,000 IDR. How to set up a longer stay: base, scooter, SIM, visa extension.
ReadIndonesia visa on arrival: VOA, e-VOA, arrival card
Most visitors need a visa: VOA or e-VOA gives 30 days for 500,000 IDR, extendable once to 60 days. Plus the All Indonesia arrival card and Bali's 150,000 IDR tax.
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Mount Bromo Without a Tour — Ticket, Jeep, Scams
Bromo park ticket: 254,000–255,000 IDR (~15.90 USD), shared jeep 150,000–250,000 IDR/person. How to see the Bromo sunrise without a tour and dodge the jeep scam.
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Ijen blue fire — cost, mask and the 2 am start
Ijen entry is 150,000 IDR — the same price on weekdays and weekends — plus a 45,000 mask and a mandatory health certificate. The blue fire dies at dawn, so you start at 2 am.
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East Bali — the corner most tourists skip
The USAT Liberty wreck 40 m off a black beach, 2 dives for 800,000 IDR, Sidemen rice terraces 2 h from the airport. Three spots in East Bali worth the detour.
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What to eat in Yogyakarta without overpaying
Gudeg at 15,000–25,000 IDR (1–1.60 USD), sate klatak 20,000–35,000, nasi goreng 10,000–20,000. Three dishes and one warung rule.
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5 mistakes on Java that cost you money
The five mistakes that cost the most on Java: a 500,000 IDR hotel Borobudur sunrise tour, sleeping on Malioboro, booking trains too late, tap water, and haggling for batik. Each with the real price and the cheaper way.
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