Blog
Indonesia & Java travel blog — routes, prices, real costs
Routes, costs, and mistakes described from first-hand journeys and sources used for changing details.
East Java, Volume 1 is out: 128 pages, 22 chapters
Volume 1: East Java is out in Polish (7.09.2026) and English (19.09.2026): 22 chapters, 7 and 15-day routes. 69 zł ($17); code PREMIERA takes 10 zł off to 30.09.
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When to go to Java: weather month by month and holidays
Java's dry season runs May to October, driest in July–September. May and September get you rooms 15–30% cheaper. What rain does to Bromo, Ijen and Tumpak Sewu.
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Tumpak Sewu: getting there from Malang, ticket, descent
Tumpak Sewu: viewpoint 50,000 IDR (~3.12 USD), the descent another 50,000 IDR, open 05:00–16:00, closed in rain. Getting there from Malang and how long it takes.
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Ijen closed since 4 Sept 2026: what to do now
Kawah Ijen has been closed since 4 September 2026 after a fire reached the trail. No reopening date. Bromo is open since 20.08. What to do with the Ijen day instead.
ReadBromo after the 2026 fire: what you'll see and won't
Bromo has been open since 20.08.2026: five gates, a 2,752-a-day quota, a 255,000 IDR ticket. The savanna burned (1,121.66 ha) and nobody will promise the crater rim.
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Borobudur and Prambanan: 2026 tickets, sunrise, transport
Borobudur: 455,000 IDR (~28 USD) to climb the temple, sunrise 1,000,000 IDR with a 100-person cap. Prambanan 400,000 IDR, outer courtyards only on Mondays.
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Nusa Penida in one day? The itinerary is the trap
Nusa Penida is worth visiting, but a 1-day tour compresses it into traffic and viewpoints. Stay 1 night to see the island before the vans arrive.
ReadGetting 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.
ReadMount 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.
ReadIjen 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 Borobudur tour without asking what the price includes, sleeping on Malioboro, trains booked too late.
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