Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

[ronb]

We are planning another trip to East Java, and already have some maps that we have found in Periplus and Gramedia. They are sheet maps and not very detailed. It would be great to get more detailed maps for some of the areas - maybe that we can find as we go in towns like Banyuwangi or Jember. We would appreaciate any hints on where to look. Thanks.

[BaliLife]

In Surabaya, Malang, etc, people usually sell them at traffic lights for the area in which you are in. They're usually not more than 4000 / piece. I'm not sure about the smaller cities, but I've bought them in Surabaya and Malang.

ct

[ronb]

Thanks Balilife, I guess I often ignore what's on sale at traffic lights, but this time I will watch more carefully.

[pPamela]

Hi Ronb,
Where are you planning on going?
Make sure you get to visit Gunung Bromo, Kawah Ijen, Jember, Bondowoso, Malang.
I visited Gunung Bromo via train from Surabaya at 9am to Probolinngo and local bus up to Cemoro Lawang.
From Bromo I bussed it to Malang- loved it there,cool, pleasant town and from there I needed to get to Ambulu in far East Java.
Had no idea how to get there ( except a huge detailed email from my Dutch internet friend who suggested via Jember which would have been super expensive).
I have a great detailed map from Malang and on seeing Lumajang as a big town on the map got a bus to there, and from there some 2 hrs later got a bus to Ambulu.
What a wonderful journey with the most beautiful scenery and two buses cost me about $5AUD.
AFter spending only one night in the village with my friend near Ambulu I got an ojek to jember and stayed here for 3 days- wonderful friendly town- one of my favourite places in East Java.
From here I left my back pack at Hotel Anda and got a mini bus to Bondowoso feeling quite sick. The wonderful bus driver ( could speak a little English) dropped me off in the middle of the town instructing me to get a becak to Hotel Anugerrah and how much it would cost.
All so I did not have to make the 7km trip back into the towmn from the bus terminal.

In Bondowoso after sleeping off my sickness I could not find anyone who knew how to get me to see Kawah Ijen in an official way.
So took matters into my own hands and found a young Indonesian man to take the 90 kms on his motor bike the next day.
Will never know how I managed that with the language barrier on both sides but we did it.
Got to Kawah Ijen a little late- suggest you get there the day before and maybe stay at Pol Truding( not very comfortable) or maybe a little further away at
Then start walking the 3 kms in the dark with head torches and arrive at the crater edge at dawn so maybe you have the chance to venture down to the lake's edge before the sulhur fumes take over and the mist obscures your views.
I never got to go down- that is on my list for next time.
Pamela.

[ronb]

Hi Pamela, Thanks for your feedback on East Java. Our plans are changing and the East Java trip delayed - for now we are aiming for Kupang. One of our objectives in East Java was to spend time in the National Park at the south-east corner of Java (Alas Purwo). This is the National Park where Bobbies Surf Camp (G-land) is located - but that is only one tiny spot in a very large park. We have on other trips gone to the National Park on the north-east corner (Baluran) and thoroughly enjoyed it. I agree that Kawah Ijen is a great destination - we have been twice now and I am sure we will take other visitors there as it is so accessible from Lovina. We drove from Banyuwangi to the carpark where the sulphur carriers come down, then walked to 3.5 Km climbing 500 metres. Like you,we have not followed the path down into the crater, and I would hesitate to do that because even when on the rim I find the sulphur fumes very irritating when they blow in your direction. Down in the crater you would be more of a captive. The weather is always a gamble and it would be entirely possible to climb up there and not see very much - but we were lucky both times to get views of the lake, albeit briefly.

We haven't got to Bromo or Malang yet - there is always plenty more to do. On one trip we took our friend to the train at Kalibaru - heading for Surabaya, and that got us thinking that we must do some train trips.

[goldminer]

Train trips are fun Ronb, albiet that the trips i did were in the early 80's. From Surabya to Yjogja, and Jakarta to Yjogja. Very crowded but fun, and certainly not punctual., some time we would stop in the middle of nowwhere, move 100 metres, stop and start like this for wot seemed like hours. Plenty of sellers on the stops, maybe thats why they stopped. . I also travelled on a train from Jakarta to Bandung quite recently, very fast and modern, and punctual. I think train travel is a great way to get around and meet the people. have fun..

[pPamela]

Hi,
I agree train travel in Java is fun and very comfortable, seats are a lot better than the buses and there is a whole lot more room to move around.
In 1997 I did the Jakarta to Semarang trip- loved it. My first trip to Indonesia and that train trip was magic- I ha da gfreat window seat and got to see so much scenery in particular the harvesting of the rice fields along the way.
In 2006 I travelled from Bandung to Yogja through the day and that was a great trip.
I have also down the Yogja to Solo and got to stand in the drivers compartment from about Klaten to Solo- now that was an experience- just loved it.
I also did Yogja to Surabaya and Surabaya to Probolinggo and Jember to Surabaya and Surabaya to Jakarta. The trip to Jakarta was overnight and arrived in about 2 hrs late.
However, my recent trip from Bandung to Jakarta at 7.30am on May 6th was on time and a most pleasant trip.
Pamela.