Jogja Adventure Trip

Every year my company always holds a business plan meeting on December. Where’s our destination this year? Yogyakarta. I’m so excited to prepare my meeting and post tour. It wouldn’t be me if I am not stay for traveling. I always love to see local culture, people and adventure. I went to Jogja on Tuesday, 6 December 2011. I should go to Surabaya first because there’s no direct flight to Jogja from Malang. Me and my colleagues departed from Juanda, Surabaya via Wings Air. It took only 45 minutes to reach Jogja. Welcome to Jogja!

Sheraton Mustika Yogyakarta is place where we stayed for four days, it’s a five stars resort in Yogyakarta. A fancy hotel with Javanese classic ornament. I usually stay in bungalow, motel or cheap hotel for traveling. I tried to enjoy our business meeting as if I’m in a real holiday.  Don’t tell my boss! :)

Friday, 9 December 2011 at noon, we finished our business plan meeting. I ran to Friday pray then checked out to start our post tour. I went post tour with a bunch of friends. It would be great if we could spend time to travel, laugh and adventure together. The Jakarta are Fano, Fitri, Berry, Juju, Mas Bedjo, Daniel, Upay and The Denpasar is Wahyu.

Welcome to Ullen Sentalu

Le-Ri: Juju, Fitri, Daniel, Berru, Upay, and Wahyu

First Destination of the day was Ullen Sentalu Museum in Kali Urang, Yogyakarta. Ullen Sentalu Museum is a private museum that was initiated by Haryono family and now is managed by Ulating Blencong Foundation. It was established in 1994 and officially inaugurated on March 1, 1997, coinciding with the date commemorated every year as a historical day for Yogyakarta.

Ullen Sentalu

That was my second time to visit Ullen Sentalu. I bet you will never get bored to hear about royal history of Yogyakarta. We found memorabilia, paintings, pictures, statues, and beautiful architecture in Ullen Sentalu. A guide would help us to explain about a royal history to Javanese famous cloth, batik. If you want to enjoy Ullen Sentalu, I suggest you to come in the morning. You will have a lot of time to explore and take a photograph outside museum because we’re not allowed to take a photograph inside of museum. Ullen Sentalu opens from 8.35 am to 5 pm. It only cost IDR 25.000.

Borobudur was our next destination to catch a beautiful sunset. It took an hour to reach Borobudur from Ullen Sentalu. Unluckily, we couldn’t enter Borobudur because it was already close. We decided to have snack break by enjoying gorengan – goreangan is a fried snack and mingle with local people. It feels so good when we talk with local people, sometimes give us an inspiration. We had a dinner in front of Borobudur before we headed back to Jogja. Me, Wahyu, Fitri, and Juju had a Sate Madura Cak Badar, nice food and cheap price. The rest ate Padang food next to Sate Cak Badar.

Sate Cak Badar

We arrived in Jogja around 8.30 pm, and checked –in in Merbabu Hotel. Merbabu located in Malioboro, right in central of Jogja. I recommend you to stay in Merbabu Hotel, it cost cheap price - IDR100.000 per night and clean room. You don’t need to worry about safety, it safe to leave you stuff in your room while you travel. I left my laptop in my room for a day and still there.

My eyes couldn’t stand anymore, I couldn’t join with my friend to enjoy night view of Jogja.

Day Two. We woke up so early in the morning to catch up sunrise in Mount Merapi. Mount Merapi is an active stratovolcano located on the border between Central Java and Yogyakarta. Me and Fitri enjoyed beautiful sunrise and breathtaking view in Mount Merapi. Fitri is one of my close friend, she’s like my older sister and friend in the same time. It always be fun spending time with her.

Mount Merapi

Caving in Goa Pindul and Extreme Adventure in Goa Si Oyot. It took two hours to reach Wira Wisata Gelaran Beji Harjo, Karang Mojo, Gunung Kidul from Merapi. Goa Pidul is one of the caves in the Gunung Kidul flowed underground river. The total length of 300 meters and average width of 5-6 meters, ceilinged cave about 4.5 m, it took approximately  40 minutes to explore Goa Pindul. The flow of water in the cave is quiet, it doesn’t need a high skill to follow it and suitable for all ages.

After we finished caving in Goa Pindul, we continued an extreme adventure in Goa Si Oyot. Only five of us who dare to join this extreme adventure. The length of Goa Si Oyot approximately 1000 -1500 meters deep underground, it can be reached with a duration of 1 until 2 hours. Do not enter if you are not brave enough, because we have to squat over 5 meters in the dark cave, before we can walk. We walked over mud and puddles. Extreme adventure in Goa Si Oyot really pumping my adrenaline. You must complete this adventure until the exit of the cave, it takes your energy to finish this extreme adventure. I’m so glad i could make it until the end. It was amazing challenge, you have to try it if you travel in Jogja.

Wira Wisata Gelaran Beji Harjo, Karang Mojo, Gunung Kidul

Tubing Goa Pindul

An Extreme Goa Si Oyot adventure

Dark Cave

Le-Ri: Juju, Me, and Fano

Caving tour packages in Goa Pindul along the 300 meters within 45 minutes cost IDR 25.000 and an extreme adventure in Goa Si Oyot for two hours, it cost IDR 25.000. Very affordable!

the exit of the cave

Night in Yogyakarta. Me and Fitri spent the rest of the night together to find hand gift in Malioboro. I didn’t have shopping mood by that time so I just bought a t shirt for my sister and bakpia - bakpia is famous snack from Jogja. A becak took us to Bakpia 99, it was fun riding a becak in evening.You should try while you in Jogja. It cost only IDR10.000 for round trip. CHEAP!

me and fitri

Bakpia 99

Malioboro street

Last day in Yogyakarta, to be continued…

Taman Sari, Yogyakarta