Central Java Trip 2009

[Just a note to self, which perhaps can also be helpful for others]
We have booked all accommodations beforehand from Bandung, based on Internet search and (friends/family) recommendations. One of our kids just got back from a camping trip; he was still exhausted and didn't feel well along the way. Both kids are very particular about food; therefore we could only make meal stops at places that meet their 'requirements'.        

DAY 1 | Wednesday, July 1st | Bandung – Baturraden

Departing around 10:30 from home, Bandung (with a rented car & driver).
Stopped for lunch at RM Gentong (nearby Tasikmalaya), spending 149,250 IDR for oxtail soup, fried rice, beef satay, fries, milkshakes, fruit punch, orange juice and iced tea. It’s a nice, spacious place plus a small playground.
Arriving in Baturraden at about 18:00, spent the night at Rosenda Cottage (300,000 IDR per night, incl. breakfast). Nice view to the mountains from the balcony, a nice and clean establishment, quite near to the Baturraden Park. Recommendable.
Had a ‘room service’ dinner (Restaurant Warung Gunung): 219,000 IDR for cream soups, sweet and sour chicken, chicken in butter sauce, spaghetti bolognese, white rice, orange juice, ice lemon tea and beer.

RM Gentong
Jl. Raya Gentong no. 16
T 0265 455572
Ciawi Tasikmalaya

Rosenda Hotel & Cottages (3 stars)
Jl. Pariwisata, Baturraden, Indonesia
T 0281 681570 (3 lines)
F 0281 681571
W http://hotelrosenda.blogspot.com/


DAY 2 | Thursday, July 2nd | Baturraden – Temanggung

Breakfast came in three choices: toast, porridge or fried rice. I shouldn’t have taken the sad porridge (it was just like eating wet rice, very undefined) and had the toast instead. Taking a walk at the Park (entrance fee: 5,000 IDR per person) after breakfast, then departed at about 09:00 from the cottage.
Had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, Murni Rasa. in Wonosobo. Everything was delicious, but the winner (in taste and price) was gurami asam manis. Other dishes were corn-crab soup, beef kangkung, white rice, ice lemon tea, lemon juice and orange juice. Total damage: 144,000 IDR. The restaurant also sells local specialties: carica (slices of young papaya brimming in sweet syrup), kacang dieng, dried fried mushrooms, etc.
Proceeded to Temanggung, arrived at Indraloka Hotel at about 16:00. We stayed in a room with twin beds for 200,000 IDR/night, plus an extra bed (70,000 IDR) and a driver’s room (100,000 IDR). The room is clean, but a ‘semi-indoor garden’ adjacent to the toilet/shower room looks a bit weird because it’s empty (only cement floor and artificial stone walls) and dark (no lamp).
Dinner was at the hotel’s restaurant, Daunmas: 117,000 IDR for fries, salad, sandwich, chicken cordon bleu, es kopyor, ice tea, lychee juice, coffee and beer.  

Wr. Makan Murni Rasa
Jl. A. Yani no. 122A, Wonosobo
T 0286 321659

Hotel Indraloka
Jl. Suwandi Suwardi no.3
Temanggung
T 0293 491392, 491710


DAY 3 | Friday, July 3rd | Temanggung – Salatiga

After a buffet breakfast, we walked to an old playground adjacent to the hotel, which turns out to have a swimming pool as well. Kids spent a while playing here during the morning, before we left the hotel at about 09:30.
Visiting Mas Singgih at his workshop Piranti Works, where he and his team produce Magno wooden radio. http://www.wooden-radio.com/
Had an exquisite lunch at Kampung Sawah, sitting in a bamboo hut next to a rice field, facing Sindoro mountain: grilled ribs, crispy-fried gurame, iced drinks, etc.  Courtesy of Mas Singgih and family ☺  

After lunch, we continued our trip to Salatiga, arriving at LeBeringin Hotel at about 16:00. Our room was in the new part of the hotel. Located at the city center, noises couldn’t be avoided. Especially since our balcony faced the parking space towards the entrance/exit gate, and there’s only one wall between balconies and we happened to have noisy next-door neighbors (kids). 460,000 IDR/night, but we had Internet connection in the room.
Dinner was at the hotel’s restaurant, Senjoyo, located at the highest floor along with the swimming pool. The setting is a bit strange. The service is still amateurish: only two tables were occupied, yet they were very slow in responding to our requests. We had cream soups, steak, grilled snapper, fish and chips, ice creams, hot tea (‘teh poci’) and iced lemon tea for a total of 211,000 IDR.

LeBeringin Hotel – Restaurant – Spa
Jl. Jenderal Sudirman no. 160, Salatiga
T 0298 326129, 327082
F 0298 316688
E sales@hotelberingin.com
W www.hotelberingin.com


DAY 4 | Saturday, July 4th | Salatiga – Ungaran

They charged 20,000 IDR for each child for the buffet breakfast. Oh well. Anyhoo, we left the hotel at about 09:30, heading to Kalibening village at Tingkir district of Salatiga. We had an appointment with Pak Bahruddin to visit his alternative (junior high level) school, Qaryah Thayyibah. At QT met up with Anna (Sybrand’s friend from The Netherlands), her husband Havedz and their 2 months old baby Ben.  
From QT, we went to Tegalwaton district (very close by Tingkir) to have lunch at Anna and Havedz’ place: Havana Horses. http://www.havanahorses.co.id/

The day is getting late, so we proceeded to Ungaran. Here, we stayed at a place called Villa Joglo, an establishment that has only seven villas, each an old wooden Joglo house, plus offices, a swimming pool and other service areas, surrounded by wide lawns, gardens and rice fields. There’s even a small stream of river going through the premises. At night, we could hear various noises of birds, crickets and geckos, enjoying the cool and fresh air, under a mosquito net, in our blankets. We chose a wooden Joglo hut with two rooms, 650,000 IDR/night (before 15% tax & service). Dinner was at the villa’s restaurant: 289,500 IDR for fries, broccoli cream soup, potato cream soup, fettuccine with chicken, mushroom and cream sauce, grilled ribs, chicken-spinach roll, hot tea, iced tea and beer.


Hills Joglo Villa
Desa Keji RT06, RW01
Mapagan – Ungaran, Semarang
T 024 6926101-03
F 024 6926102
M 081 8291416
W www.villajoglo.com


DAY 5 | Sunday, July 5th | Ungaran – Cirebon

Breakfast was great! Each person had a platter of omelet, fries, fresh tomato and sausages, orange juice, coffee and tea, plus toasts with butter and two kinds of jam. We started for our journey Westward at about 09:30.
Lunchtime came when we were nearby Pekalongan, the most possible town to find ‘desirable‘ food for our picky kids. KFC: 115,000 IDR and the kids didn’t even eat any chicken; they were just in for the fries, Fruit Tea and Transformer toys.
Reaching Cirebon nearing 19:00, after an excruciating traffic jam nearby a bridge. We stayed at Zamrud Hotel (2 stars), spacey twin-bed room, and Internet is available at the lobby: 395,000 IDR/night.
Dinner was the hotel’s room service (nobody has any extra energy after the horrible traffic jam): chicken-asparagus soup, spaghetti bolognese, squid fried in butter sauce, sweet and sour chicken, white rice, mixed juice, milkshake, fruit punch and orange juice for a total of 193,540 IDR.  

Zamrud
Jl. Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo no. 46-A
Cirebon
T 0231 246201 (hunting)
F 0231 246202
W www.zamrud-hotel.com


DAY 6 | Sunday, July 6th | Cirebon – Bandung

Homeward! Stopped for lunch at Jatinangor. Again, ‘safe’ food for kids at Papa Ron’s Pizza:  fettuccine al fredo, pizza cheese napoli, pizza basic cheese, cream soup and garlic bread, ice cream, sundae, peach melba, iced lemon tea, hot tea and coffee for 197,132 IDR.
Arrived in Bandung around 15:30. Paid off the driver and car rent for 5.5 days: 1,850,000 IDR (excluding gas, highway tickets and driver’s meals).
Photos and drawings, coming up…