I kept a record of my spending for one week in Ubud and thought it might be useful for other travellers who haven't yet been to Indonesia but are trying to work out a budget.
This is a detailed budget - so, sorry if it gets tedious...I really broken it town for the first few days, then lumped all my food costs in together...
My average per day for the week was AU$21 a day.
Day 1
internet 3,000
lunch 18,000 (I eat the cheaper foods at your average tourist restaurants...you could do cheaper by eating at food stalls...)
dinner 30,000
massage 70,000
room 60,000 (basic room at homestay - with hot water and breakfast),
water 3,000
soap 3,000
toilet paper 1,000
TOTAL: 187,000
Day 2
Birthday card 12
Postage 41
Breakfast 11
Lunch 13
DInner 25
Motorbike hire 35 (for one day)
scissors/batteries/porridge 90
internet 6
room 60
TOTAL: 293,000
Day 3
Internet 5
food 57
water 4
room 60
washing powder 3
TOTAL:129,000
Day 4
INternet 15
food 60
water 3
room 60
Total: 138,000
Day 5
Internet 10
food 39
motorbike hire 55
visit to local healer 25
credit for phone 100
room 60
Total: 290,000
Day 6
Internet 6
Food 37
toilet paper and toothbrush 7
room 60
Total: 110,000
Day 7
Room 60
food 55
Internet 12
Total: 127,000
I don't do trips or drink alcohol...so these would have to be added to your budget if you wanted them.
Hope this list is of use to someone!!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Monday, October 13, 2008
Lombok - Gili Air
I just happened to be in Padangbai, saw the Perama boat about to leave for Gili Air, and thought I’d try it out for a few days. I ended up staying there 6 weeks! This photo probably give you a hint as to why it was sooooo hard to leave...
After hearing lots about the Gili’s on the Thorn Tree forum, I expected it to be like an island Kuta, and that I wouldn’t like it very much. But, I loved Gili Air. I wasn’t there in peak season, when it might be much busier, but I found it such a relaxing place to stay, with very friendly locals and not too much touting from salespeople. Gili Trawangan is much busier and more built up so that's really the party island. Gili Air and Meno are much quieter.
The boat trip to the Gili's was beautiful. We spent around 4 hours just crusing up the east coast of Bali, saw dolphins, got fed and then approached the Gili's as the sun set. It's a long trip, usually taking around 6 hours, but I really enjoyed it. I can't remember exactly how much it cost, maybe around 200,000 rupiah. There are Perama buses from Kuta and Ubud that come to Padangbai to connect with the boat.
I stayed one night at Luckys, which is on the West Coast. They had 50,000 bungalows, and air-conditioned ones which were 100,000. I stayed in a 50,000 bungalow which was basic, but OK. (The bathroom had a shell-shaped sink that hadn’t been moulded properly and looked like something out of Alien. I nearly screamed the first time I saw it, it looked like it was going to jump up and eat me!!)
The food at Luckys is really lovely – some good Lombok dishes, cooked very well. The problem with Luckys was that it was a little bit too far, for me, from other restaurants and the few shops on Gili Air – a good 20 minute walk. So, I moved to Gili Air Santay Bungalows. They are on the east cost, looking directly over to Lombok. The views from the restaurant are fantastic – I spent many an hour lazing in the cushion or the hammocks just looking over at the mountains of Lombok. This is a photo of a section of the restaurant.
The bungalows range in price from 50,000 to 120,000 – but that’s low season prices. They go up a fair bit in high season. The bungalows are basic but clean and well-maintained. They have hammocks and mosquito net and a shower. Here is a photo of one of the bungalows.
The internet on Gili Air is terrible. Really, really slow – if it’s working at all. So, if you have any serious internetting to do, or airline tickets to book etc – do it before going to Gili Air!!
After hearing lots about the Gili’s on the Thorn Tree forum, I expected it to be like an island Kuta, and that I wouldn’t like it very much. But, I loved Gili Air. I wasn’t there in peak season, when it might be much busier, but I found it such a relaxing place to stay, with very friendly locals and not too much touting from salespeople. Gili Trawangan is much busier and more built up so that's really the party island. Gili Air and Meno are much quieter.
The boat trip to the Gili's was beautiful. We spent around 4 hours just crusing up the east coast of Bali, saw dolphins, got fed and then approached the Gili's as the sun set. It's a long trip, usually taking around 6 hours, but I really enjoyed it. I can't remember exactly how much it cost, maybe around 200,000 rupiah. There are Perama buses from Kuta and Ubud that come to Padangbai to connect with the boat.
I stayed one night at Luckys, which is on the West Coast. They had 50,000 bungalows, and air-conditioned ones which were 100,000. I stayed in a 50,000 bungalow which was basic, but OK. (The bathroom had a shell-shaped sink that hadn’t been moulded properly and looked like something out of Alien. I nearly screamed the first time I saw it, it looked like it was going to jump up and eat me!!)
The food at Luckys is really lovely – some good Lombok dishes, cooked very well. The problem with Luckys was that it was a little bit too far, for me, from other restaurants and the few shops on Gili Air – a good 20 minute walk. So, I moved to Gili Air Santay Bungalows. They are on the east cost, looking directly over to Lombok. The views from the restaurant are fantastic – I spent many an hour lazing in the cushion or the hammocks just looking over at the mountains of Lombok. This is a photo of a section of the restaurant.
The bungalows range in price from 50,000 to 120,000 – but that’s low season prices. They go up a fair bit in high season. The bungalows are basic but clean and well-maintained. They have hammocks and mosquito net and a shower. Here is a photo of one of the bungalows.
The internet on Gili Air is terrible. Really, really slow – if it’s working at all. So, if you have any serious internetting to do, or airline tickets to book etc – do it before going to Gili Air!!
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Flores - Kelimutu - April 2008
I flew from Kupang to Ende and then went up to Kelimutu. It's almost hard to believe how different Flores is from Timor. The lush greeness of the place just smacked me in the face as soon as I got off the plane – gorgeous. The drive up to Kelimutu was beautiful – mountains, rice paddies, waterfalls, rural villages…it doesn’t get much better than that! This photo was taken along the way.
Kelimutu isa very scenic, serene place, situated in a valley, overlooked by Kelimutu moutain. I stayed one night at a guesthouse along the highway, but it was bloody noisy, because trucks come along there and whine their way up the hill. So, the next two nights I stayed at a beautiful place 1km off the highway. It was called Palm Bungalows (e-mail robertid@plasa.com, phone 085292858791).
To get there from the main Kelimutu village walk down along the valley until you get to the hotel that looks like a construction site (can’t miss it, an eye-sore), turn right and walk along this road, go over a river, then up a small incline. Palm Bungalows is on the left hand side. Three lovely, large bungalows with a good size bathroom and little balcony. The owners are very friendly and the views wonderful (but lots of roosters crowing in the morning!) 50,000 per night.
Here is a photo of the bungalows.
I was planning to stay for three weeks but disaster struck – I got sick and had to leave and go to Bali. I was so sad, because I just loved Flores, and I didn’t even get to go up Kelimutu!
I caught a bus to Maumere, a three hour ride that was full of twists and turns, mountains, rivers, little village churches.
From there, I bought a ticket to Denpasar. The flight was great, because the plane flew fairly low along the coast-line up to Bali and I had a lot of fun trying to work out what I was looking at.
Kelimutu isa very scenic, serene place, situated in a valley, overlooked by Kelimutu moutain. I stayed one night at a guesthouse along the highway, but it was bloody noisy, because trucks come along there and whine their way up the hill. So, the next two nights I stayed at a beautiful place 1km off the highway. It was called Palm Bungalows (e-mail robertid@plasa.com, phone 085292858791).
To get there from the main Kelimutu village walk down along the valley until you get to the hotel that looks like a construction site (can’t miss it, an eye-sore), turn right and walk along this road, go over a river, then up a small incline. Palm Bungalows is on the left hand side. Three lovely, large bungalows with a good size bathroom and little balcony. The owners are very friendly and the views wonderful (but lots of roosters crowing in the morning!) 50,000 per night.
Here is a photo of the bungalows.
I was planning to stay for three weeks but disaster struck – I got sick and had to leave and go to Bali. I was so sad, because I just loved Flores, and I didn’t even get to go up Kelimutu!
I caught a bus to Maumere, a three hour ride that was full of twists and turns, mountains, rivers, little village churches.
From there, I bought a ticket to Denpasar. The flight was great, because the plane flew fairly low along the coast-line up to Bali and I had a lot of fun trying to work out what I was looking at.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
West Timor - Kupang and Soe - March 2008
Getting there:
I flew into West Timor from Darwin (Australia) to Kupang (West Timor) using Air North. It's an excellent air-line, and a good option for Australian’s wanting to get to eastern Indonesia, or other people who want to travel along Indonesia then have a quick 1.5 hour flight down into Australia. The flight cost around AU$270.
Kupang:
I really liked Kupang. It’s a rough and ready place, but very vibrant and beautifully situated next to the sea. The art-work in the bemos is amazing. It must cost them about a year’s salary to decorate their vehicles (and put in the obligatory booming sound system, of course). I did have one confusing ride with American rap music blaring from the sub-woofers, "shake your booty, yeah, yeah, shake your booty..." whilst on the windows a large sticker of the Virgin Mary beamed down at me. It's a good thing all the good Christian ladies of Kupang don't understand English! There might be a boycott of the bemos if they did.
Edwin’s bar, L’Avalon, is a great place to hang out. A few expats go there. It looks like it’s about to fall into the sea (as does a lot of Kupang), but the views and the vibe are great. Free broadband internet too, which is a rare thing in Indonesia. Edwin is very knowledgeable about the local area.
The best food I had was at the Timor Pantai, a big hotel along the beach-front. The restaurant has great views, and cheap, tasty food. However, I wouldn’t recommend staying at the Timor Pantai. The service is crap, and my air-con broke down twice in one night. My room got so hot I thought I’d have a cold shower, only to discover the water wasn’t on either. When I complained the next morning they insisted I pay full price for the room. (I had to wait in line behind all the other guests who were complaining too).
Soe:
I left steamy, humid, Kupang on a bus for Soe, which is three hours into the hills. The bus ride is lovely, taking you slowly into the hills, past traditional villages with the bee-hive shaped huts. On the way back, I caught a 6am bus and the views over the mountains as the night mist was lifting were serenely beautiful.
In Soe I stayed in a very neat little bungalow owned by the former king and queen of the area (at least, that’s how the only English speaker in town, their son, described them). I think it cost 60,000 per night. The family is lovely, and made me feel very welcome. I can’t remember exactly what it was called, but I think it was Nopes Royal Homestay. It’s listed in the LP guide books. There is only one bungalow, with a double bed. Here's a photo of the king and queen's grandchildren in front of the bungalow.
Soe itself is fairly dreary. If you need to use internet while you are there, head to the building connected to the telecom tower on the main street. The area around Soe is very rural, with a landscape fairly similar to Australia’s north – lots of gum trees! The traditional arts and crafts in the area are really interesting.
This is a photo of a local woman at the Soe market.
I flew into West Timor from Darwin (Australia) to Kupang (West Timor) using Air North. It's an excellent air-line, and a good option for Australian’s wanting to get to eastern Indonesia, or other people who want to travel along Indonesia then have a quick 1.5 hour flight down into Australia. The flight cost around AU$270.
Kupang:
I really liked Kupang. It’s a rough and ready place, but very vibrant and beautifully situated next to the sea. The art-work in the bemos is amazing. It must cost them about a year’s salary to decorate their vehicles (and put in the obligatory booming sound system, of course). I did have one confusing ride with American rap music blaring from the sub-woofers, "shake your booty, yeah, yeah, shake your booty..." whilst on the windows a large sticker of the Virgin Mary beamed down at me. It's a good thing all the good Christian ladies of Kupang don't understand English! There might be a boycott of the bemos if they did.
Edwin’s bar, L’Avalon, is a great place to hang out. A few expats go there. It looks like it’s about to fall into the sea (as does a lot of Kupang), but the views and the vibe are great. Free broadband internet too, which is a rare thing in Indonesia. Edwin is very knowledgeable about the local area.
The best food I had was at the Timor Pantai, a big hotel along the beach-front. The restaurant has great views, and cheap, tasty food. However, I wouldn’t recommend staying at the Timor Pantai. The service is crap, and my air-con broke down twice in one night. My room got so hot I thought I’d have a cold shower, only to discover the water wasn’t on either. When I complained the next morning they insisted I pay full price for the room. (I had to wait in line behind all the other guests who were complaining too).
Soe:
I left steamy, humid, Kupang on a bus for Soe, which is three hours into the hills. The bus ride is lovely, taking you slowly into the hills, past traditional villages with the bee-hive shaped huts. On the way back, I caught a 6am bus and the views over the mountains as the night mist was lifting were serenely beautiful.
In Soe I stayed in a very neat little bungalow owned by the former king and queen of the area (at least, that’s how the only English speaker in town, their son, described them). I think it cost 60,000 per night. The family is lovely, and made me feel very welcome. I can’t remember exactly what it was called, but I think it was Nopes Royal Homestay. It’s listed in the LP guide books. There is only one bungalow, with a double bed. Here's a photo of the king and queen's grandchildren in front of the bungalow.
Soe itself is fairly dreary. If you need to use internet while you are there, head to the building connected to the telecom tower on the main street. The area around Soe is very rural, with a landscape fairly similar to Australia’s north – lots of gum trees! The traditional arts and crafts in the area are really interesting.
This is a photo of a local woman at the Soe market.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Bali - Kuta - budget guesthouses
If you’re looking for quiet places to stay in Kuta I’ve got two recommendations. The first is a quiet as a morgue and the rooms (especially those at the back) had a feeling of privacy to them. It is Berlian Inn and costs 60,000 per night for basic budget accommodation with a few nice touches – outdoor bathroom, shower, wardrobes, matching linen on beds. It's located just off Poppies Lane 1 (is in the Lonely Planet guide).
The other place was the best value accommodation I stayed at on Bali – Kedin’s 11, which is in Gang Sorga, also off Poppies Lane 1. The rooms are large, beds have good mattresses, matching linen and there’s a wardrobe, clean bathroom and effective ceiling fan. There’s also a decent sized pool and nice lounging area – all for 70,000 a night. Bargain!
The other place was the best value accommodation I stayed at on Bali – Kedin’s 11, which is in Gang Sorga, also off Poppies Lane 1. The rooms are large, beds have good mattresses, matching linen and there’s a wardrobe, clean bathroom and effective ceiling fan. There’s also a decent sized pool and nice lounging area – all for 70,000 a night. Bargain!
Bali - Nusa Lembongan - June 2007
Nusa Lemgonan was a lovely surprise – such a gorgeous place so close to South Bali with no hawkers, no touristy shops - just accommodation, surfers and a lot of seaweed! The photo above was taken from a hill-top, looking over Nusa Lembongan over to the Bali mainland. If you’re after a fairly quiet place to hang out for a few days, then Nusa Lembongan might fit the bill. It has fantastic views over East Bali and lovely sunsets.
It’s nice to get a motorbike for the day (I rented one for 30,000) and go around the island to a few different beaches.
Getting there:
Ferries go from Nusa; the public ferry is cheapest (40,000) and leaves the earliest (8am, I think!), then there is a Perama boat leaving later which is more expensive (don’t know how much), and, in the afternoon a speedboat which costs around 100,000 rupiah and takes 30 mins (the other boats take 1.5 hours).
The only problem with the public ferry vs Perama is that Perama docks close to the budget accommodation whereas the public ferry docks in the town and it’s a little bit more of a walk (maybe around 400-500 metres?) to the accommodation.
Here is a photo of typical Nusa Lembongan shacks/houses along the beach - with smelly seaweed drying in the sun...
Food:
There is a Thai restaurant which is connected to one of the backpacker places (you’ll see the sign, or ask around). It’s just in someone’s front room and is a really casual place that gives humungous servings of fairly authentic Thai food for 25,000. Good place to meet other people – but all the backpacker places seemed pretty friendly and chilled.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Bali - Tirtagganga - May 2007
Tirtagganga is a very small village in inland east Bali, near Amlapura. It’s surrounded by rice-terraces and has a water palace, where you can swim in a pool with lovely, cool, fresh water. I really like it there and stayed for three weeks. Quite a few tourists come for day tours to the water palace but not many people stay overnight there, so it’s a very quiet place.
Accommodation:
I stayed at Dhangin Taman inn which is right next to the water palace and has a lovely picnic bench that overlooks the palace. The rooms themselves are small and a bit grungy, but the place is quiet and the mattress was pretty good. It cost 40,000 per night or 36,000 if you stayed a week or more.
There are other places to stay on the slopes of the rice-terraces and they are nicer but a bit more expensive.
Food:
I ate at the Good Karma restaurant (which also has accommodation for around 90,000, lovely big rooms in the middle of the rice-fields). The food was great – very well cooked and fresh. They did the best tempe curry I had in Bali!
Another beautiful place to eat is the Japanese restaurant, Roshi, which is a few hundred metres along the road from the village of Tirtagganga. The view from the restaurant is spectacular.
Massage:
There is a guy who in Tirtagganga who does a wonderful Balinese massage. He doesn’t have a shop-front but just comes around the accommodation in Tirtagganga asking if people want a massage. It is a very invigorating massage; he really knows what he’s doing. It costs around 80,000.
This photo is of Balinese children attending a Hindu ceremony at the water palace.
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