Ada Apa Dengan Yogyakarta?

From the misty sunrise at Panguk Hill to the majestic heigh of Merapi... from the charm of Mangunan Pines Forests to the iconic Borobudur Temple, Yogyakarta has been pure magic.

The adventure begins once we set our foot in Yogya. What we did not expected was the amount of jeep rides we need to handle. Not once or twice, but thrice! Every day, in every attraction, we need to experience different jeep rides with different kind of tracks.

Warning: Yeap, this off-road tour is definitely NOT for any pregnant ladies, family with babies or small kids, senior citizen or those with backpain. NOT for those who acrophobia (fear of height), and NOT for those indoor person. because there's a lot of walking and climbing the (steep) stairs.

To be honest, that’s not what we expected at all when we planned for our ladies’ trip. 

Since there’s NO safety features at most photo-spot (especially at the Panguk Hill, Tembelan Cliff and Timang Beach), it’s best to purchase a Travel Insurance. 

And don’t forget to check the weather forecast. Apart from the weather was scorching (seriously, it was too hot to handle) for the whole 4-days trip, but there was one time.. it wasn't. It was the day we woke up at 3am and went to Panguk Hill for the sunrise. but unfortunately.. it was slight rain and cloudy that morning. Better luck next time!

Bukit Panguk at 5:12am (local time), 26th October 2024

Mineral water, hat and sunglasses are the must items to bring.. anywhere.. anytime. Actually, we brought few raincoats and shoes covers from Malaysia, just in case we get soak while riding the gondola at Timang Beach. But it was a low tide season with no big waves. 

However, little that we know, the Merapi Tour is the one can caused us wet splash. We forgot to bring the raincoat with us that day and luckily there’s a local lady selling raincoat for 10,000 rupiah only (cheaper than the one I bought at Caring Pharmacy). Very much appreciated it as we didn’t bring any extra clothes. We travel light this time. Those who loves water-based kind of adventure, you may try tubing at Pindul Cave. 

Apart from all the adrenaline rush and body sweating tours, we also amazed with the Yogyakarta new big clean modern airport, Kulon Progo (YIA) Airport that located by the sea. 

And not to forget the newly opened complex with new system at the Borobudur Temple. It surely looks organise and cozy. As the world's largest Buddhist temple, the Borobudur area is very huge.. synonym to it’s “symbol of Power”. From the parking area, we need to walk a bit, passing thru the souvenir shops to get to the tram stop. From there, the tram brought us to the ticketing centre. Surprisingly the ticketing centre itself is air-conditioned, using the displayed numbering system, and have the body scanning machine.

We took the one-hour guided tour for 455,000 rupiah. The rate includes a pair of slippers, mineral water, and a non-woven bag to keep our shoes. After collecting the ‘door gift’, we need to wait for our group turn at the designated (seated) area. The guided tour is available every hour for maximum 30 pax only per group. Ours is at 2:30pm.

 

Although the rate is quite expensive, but it’s totally worth and it was an eye-opening tour. We glad that we booked the guided tours at most places we went.

In Merapi, our jeep driver took us to the Bunker & the Merapi Museum. His services (as a driver, cum as a guide and photographer) already included in the package, just pay him some tips for courtesy. While in Tamansari, we added the guide services for 50,000 rupiah. 

The guide is mentioning the King's name in one single breath

It’s good to have the local guides to explain the history of those places. Else, you only see an old building just an old building without knowing the story behind it. 

In total, I’ve spent RM 2,500 only. Our package price is at RM 1,880 with return flight ticket on Air Asia. The rest is for the meals, shopping, entrance tickets, guide services, photographer services, tips, 1-hour local massage, roaming, and travel insurance.

Gondola Pantai Timang          200,000 rupiah

Candi Borobudur + guide       455,000 rupiah

Gereja Ayam + tuk tuk ride       40,000 rupiah

We didn't get a chance to shopping at the famous and bustling Malioboro Street. However, we found that shopping at the souvenir store at Rhema Hill (Gereja Ayam) is quite interesting, with up-to-date design, and affordable. The store is called Daun Bukit - Oleh Oleh Burubudur. The fridge magnet here is cheaper than the one sold at the Borobudur Temple. 

For me, the best buy is the massage rock we purchased at Mount Merapi. From 20,000 rupiah, I managed to get 15,000 rupiah each. 

As for the F&B, in total we (a small group of 4) have spent 2M rupiah for 4 days trip. Average of RM 20 only per meal. Soooo cheap! It's almost unbelievable.

The most expensive one was at the Pak Sis Timang Lobster Restaurant at Timang Beach. We took the 1kg lobster with one plate of fried squid, some vegetables and drinks for 700,000 rupiah. But it's a great value for the price. And 1kg is more than enough for 4 ladies.

In Jogja city, the best restaurant we went is the Zona Seafood Jogja, Jl. Abu Bakar Ali No.2, Gowongan, Kec. Gondokusuman, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55224, Indonesia.
Love the deco and the rooftop ambience. All of this, only at 260,000 rupiah.

There are 2 good restaurants I can recommend you are travelling between Yogya Airport & Yogya city:

- Pondok Makan Bu Hartin, Jl. Ki Josuto No.18, Area Sawah, Wates, Kec. Wates, Kabupaten Kulon Progo, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55651, Indonesia. Love the paddy/ corn field view. 270,000 rupiah.

 

- Special Sambal “SS” Waroeng. There’s a lot of “SS” outlets in Yogya and more than 100 outlets in Malaysia. They have more than 10 types of "sambal". 180,000 rupiah.

Near to Borobudur Temple, we had our lunch at Rumah Makan Padang Uni Yani, No, Jl. Balaputradewa No.3, Dusun 1, Wanurejo, Kec. Borobudur, Kabupaten Magelang, Jawa Tengah 56553, Indonesia. Unfortunately, no 'dendeng'. 225,000 rupiah.

But in case you are on a tight budget, you can try Bakso Balungan, Jl. Suryowijayan No.28, Gedongkiwo, Kec. Mantrijeron, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55142, Indonesia. 101,000 rupiah.

Or Raja Sate & Soto, Jl. Perintis Kemerdekaan No.61a, Pandeyan, Kec. Umbulharjo, Kota Yogyakarta, Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta 55161, Indonesia. 116,000 rupiah.

Last but not least, you can redeem and enjoy your free "Ubi Rebus" at Kedai Bukit Rhema. And if you come early and if you are lucky, you can see the Borobudur Temple and the tip of Mount Merapi.

Throwback A-Z

Let’s see how many cities or places I’ve been in these 11 years

A Agra 🇮🇳

B Bangkok 🇹🇭 Bali Bandung Bukittinggi Brastagi 🇮🇩 Boracay 🇵🇭 Bicester 🇬🇧

C Chiangmai Chiangrai 🇹🇭 Colombo 🇱🇰 Changi🇸🇬

D Delhi 🇮🇳 Donxao 🇱🇦

E England 🇬🇧

F Fuji-san 🇯🇵 Fremantle 🇦🇺

G Gold Coast 🇦🇺 Gili 🇮🇩 Guangzhou 🇨🇳 Gapyeong 🇰🇷 Gotemba 🇯🇵

H Hangzhou 🇨🇳 Ho Chi Minh Hanoi Halong 🇻🇳Hong Kong 🇭🇰 Hatyai 🇹🇭

I Incheon 🇰🇷

J Jakarta 🇮🇩 Jeju 🇰🇷 Jaipur 🇮🇳

K Krabi 🇹🇭 Kandy 🇱🇰 Kalibo 🇵🇭

L London 🇬🇧 Lancelin 🇦🇺 Lampang 🇹🇭

M Medan 🇮🇩 Macau 🇲🇴 Mekong 🇻🇳 Mekah Madinah 🇸🇦

N Negombo Nuwaraeliya 🇱🇰 Nambung 🇦🇺 Narita 🇯🇵

O Oxford 🇬🇧

P Perth 🇦🇺 Padang Puncak Parapat 🇮🇩 Phuket 🇹🇭

S Surabaya 🇮🇩 Shenzhen Shanghai 🇨🇳 Seoul Seoraksan 🇰🇷 Songkhla 🇹🇭 Salisbury 🇬🇧Singapore Sentosa 🇸🇬

T Taipei 🇹🇼 Tokyo 🇯🇵

W Windsor 🇬🇧

Y Yala 🇱🇰 Yehliu 🇹🇼

Z Zhuhai 🇨🇳

Seoul 2024

It’s been almost 5 years since the last time I travelled overseas. And the final destination I've been before the Covid-19 hit was Jeju Island, South Korea, and that was in December 2019. my first trip to Seoul, South Korea, was 10 years ago and it was end of winter/ early spring. Yeap, I know it’s been a while...

I supposed to join my husband on his business trip to Seoul last Autumn but something came up. When he told me that he’s going to Seoul again this Summer… alright, no more excuses, Az! Just book your ticket, pack your bag and let’s go! We make it happen this time #semangatnakberjalan although I am fully aware.. it’s Summer!

Actually last June, my husband went to many places. All around the world. So it’s either Istanbul or Jakarta or Seoul. And of course, I choose Seoul for #seoulsearching

Since I’ve been to Seoul before, this time around I decided to make my own plan. There’s no proper itinerary, no tour guide, just Free & Easy and whenever with my husband – we play by ear. As long as we are covering the main attractions i.e Namsan Tower, Nami Island, Gyeongbokgung Palace and few shopping places.

Few highlights of the trip…

-          The ticket price for the NANTA show at Myeongdong starts from 50,000 won but we took the VIP ticket at 70,000 won per ticket for better seating. The 1.5hrs show is totally worth-watching. The performers are very entertaining, funny, energetic and well-engaging. It was pack with live-action and humor from the beginning. With simple storyline, yet they are super multi-talented.

-          Seems like Summer season is more greenery and aesthetic in Nami Island. Better than my previous visit during end winter/early spring. The ticketing machine is available at Nami Island Immigration Ticket Office. The ‘entry visa’ and the return boat ride is at 16,000 per adult. Apparently, there’s no couple rate as mentioned on the internet.

-          Last time I took a bus ride to Namsan Tower or also known as N-Seoul TV Tower. This time, I decided to experience the Namsan Cable Car. Bear in mind that there’s lot of walking uphill (from Myeongdong Station to the tram station) and climbing the staircase. Make sure you are physically prepared! The 1-min tram is FREE. But the 5-mins cable car ride is at 15,000 won per adult for 2-ways. We went there around 4-5pm. We didn't stay long, but I do believe that the night view from the peak must be magnificent. We didn’t take the elevator up to the Observatory and I think the rate is around 15,000 won per pax.

-          Entering Gyeongbokgung Palace with Hanbok is FREE! Seriously, you can save 3,000 won of the entrance ticket if you are wearing the full-set of Hanbok. Just go to any rental shops outside the palace (across the street around 30m away), and the Hanbok is available for you to rent around 15,000 won per person up for 2hrs. And luckily, they have a big size of Hanbok for my husband. We went there close to 9am and apparently, we were the 1^st person who entered the palace. I'm so blessed we did that because we managed to have good pictures and selfies with less people around and no queue. 

And this time, I managed to watch the morning session of Palace Royal Guard Changing Ceremony. The ceremony starts at 10am. 

Then, we walked a bit to King Sejong statue and Museum in front of the palace – The Story of King Sejong and Admiral Yi Sunshin. And it’s FREE! If you are K-drama fan and you watched “The Great King, Sejong”, you can understand more on the Creation of Hangeul. The museum is very big, cozy, and pack with interactive games & simulation. And there’s a replica of Turtle Ship too.

-          Near to Seoul City Hall, there’s Deoksugung Palace. I was so lucky; it was FREE admission due to Culture Day (last Wednesday of every month) on the day I came. If I’m not mistaken, the admission is around 1,000 won only. The palace is not as big as Gyeongbokgung, but the palace has 9 areas in total. My favorite area is the Junghwajeon area. When I was there, I can feel like I am in Iljimae; my favourite historical K-Drama TV series. Unfortunately, I've missed the guard changing ceremony at 10am that day. 

Restaurants we went…

In Myeongdong area

-          The best restaurant we went is Mutton BBQ Restaurant – highly recommended. It was too delicious and I was too hungry, then I forgot to snap the photo of the menu and the meals. haha

-          There are there (3) Busanjib restaurants at the very same aisle. Which one you prefer? Chicken or Seafood or KBBQ (Beef)? I tried the Busanjib Chicken on 1^st day of arrival. I highly recommend the Garlic Chicken at 30,000 won per set, and it is suitable for 2-3 pax. We also tried Busanjib Seafood on the 2^nd last day in Seoul. Must try the Squid Chili (35,000 won) and the seafood chive pancake (20,000 won). The restaurants are opens from 12noon to 9pm.

-          We also tried Kampungku Restaurant, near to Mutton BBQ Restaurant. Quite cheap compared to another restaurant. The Bulgogi with rice at 10,000 won only. And the restaurant has a Surau for prayer. 

-          We heard that Kimseri belongs to Malaysian. Yeap, they served Halal Malaysian cuisine but not something we are looking for. We prefer local delicacies, but we still want to support Malaysia people in Seoul. So, we tried their popiah (spring rolls) at 6,000 won. The restaurant is near to Myeongdong Station – exit #1. You can try their Ayam Masak Merah with plain rice at 12,900 won.

In Itaewon area

-          My husband was craving for the Fried Chicken, so we went to Korean Halal Restaurant for the best and cheap Halal Chicken – most recommended! We also tried their Bulgogi Hansang.

-          Another best Bulgogi is at EID Restaurant. The restaurant is on the same road to Seoul Central Mosque. And they also have the best topokki ever (for me) because it is a fried topokki. A lot of other Halal restaurants near to EID, such as Itaewon Kitchen and Kervan Cafe. 

-          There’s a lot of Kebab restaurants in Itaewon. I went to Taksim Kebab, because it is just in front of the hotel we stayed. The mix (chicken & lamb) kebab is at 8,900 won.

As in Nami Island, we went to Asian Family Restaurant Dongmoon for the 13,000 won Fried Chicken Karaage, 15,000 won Bulgogi and 15,000 won Spicy Stir-fried small octopus. The restaurant is quite big, with nice set-up and nice view, and what I love most is they served free-flow kimchi (no need to ask the server each time you want to refill, just have it on your own).

 

Some tips that might be useful for you…

-          Apply for k-ETA before travelling to South Korea for 10,000 won and it’s valid for 3 years

-          Public trains are very punctual, safe, reliable, and cheap. Way cheaper if you are using Tmoney card – the card is available for 3,000 won at most convenience store (especially CU or GS25, and you can use the balance credit for shopping at CU or GS25 too), plus the Tmoney has no expiry date. Tmoney card can be use to all train services including A’REX (Airport Express), Seoul Metro, KORAIL etc.. For better travel planning, please download the Seoul Subway apps. It helps you to save time, to use which train line (the interconnection), how far you need to walk, it shows the train fares (so that you can plan in advance how much you want to topup the Tmoney), it shows how many station before you reach your destination and the estimate time arrival. And the best part is the “Realtime” feature. There are lot of English signages at the train stations and inside the coach. Trust me, you won’t get lost.

-          At first, we got confused with the location of the NANTA show. We went to Myeongdong Theatre, but the actual location is actually at the UNESCO building opposite of the Myeongdong Theatre.

-          It’s been 10 years since my previous visit, right. So, I barely remember which shopping area for which product. Here’s for my future reference:

o   Myeongdong Street – for skincare and cosmetic products. I noticed that Olive Young offer cheaper prices that other shops. We can get some K-pop or K-drama stuff too such as the album, poster, light stick and the best shop for these items is K-Mecca. This street is more happening at night with more people and hawker stalls – including some halal stalls such as kebab.

o   Namdaemun Market – The place is really huge, so look for 2^nd floor Daedo Jewelry Wholesale Market for high quality brooch and women’s accessories. We also bought a high-quality bedsheet set for my husband’s friend for 200,000 won. And souvenirs also cheaper here; for example, Korean spoon (5pcs) here at 4,500 won only, whereas at Myeongdong sells at 10,000 won and Dongdaemon Street sells at 8,000 won. You do the calculation.

o   Plenty of Underground Shopping Center (similar in Jeju) and it’s everywhere. To name a few - Myeongdong Underground Shopping Center, Sogong Underground Shopping Center, Dongdaemun Underground Shopping Center etc etc etc. I bought some idol’s poster, sticker & calendar for my beloved sister at Myeongdong subway station.

-          For me, it’s not worth to go to these places:

o   Dongdaemun area is famous for clothing and all kind of textile, material, suits, Korean cotton, Korean silk for hanbok etc. and I guess this area is more suitable for those fashion designer and those who want to do business. From Kwang Jang Market, DFWM – Dongdaemun Fashion Wholesale Market, Dongdaemun Shopping Complex, Pyounghwa Market, Dongmun Market, Dongdaemun Shoes Market, ShinPyungHwa Fashion Town, Nampyeonghwa Market, Jeil Pyeonghwa Market, up to Kwanghee Fashion Mall… market after market.

o   I wasn’t amused with Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), although the building is huge and modern. Or perhaps, my expectation was too high after watching it in someone’s TikTok. To make the things worst, I got lost and confused with the layout and maps. I circled the place for few times (the area is too big to circle for few times) until I finally found the entrance of the Art Hall (it’s quite hidden and we really need to explore the whole building to find the hall). Since I’ve spent a lot of time and walked for thousand steps, I decided to enter the Art Hall for the “Cartier,Crystallization of Time” exhibition for 18,000 won. To make my 'treasure hunting' worth. 

o   No wonder the tour guide didn’t bring us to the Cheonggyecheon Stream 10years ago. The stream looks nice in the K-drama but actually... nothing interesting.

-          Things or places I might be going or doing in future:

o   Seoul City Tour Bus available in front of DDP. 20,000 per pax (day tour) 15,000 (night tour)

o   Gapyeong Tour Bus available in front of Gapyeong Station. Only 8,000 won per day. It includes Petite France and Garden of Morning Calms etc, but not the admission fees. If I'm not mistaken, the entrance fees around 11,000-12,000 won. 

In a nutshell, our total expenses around RM 6,000 only for 2 person. Not bad, huh!

-          Air Asia X very cheap during Summer. I spent only at RM489 per way. But for flight back to KL, I’m taking Malaysia Airlines and it cost me almost RM 1,400 per way. It’s because my husband is taking Economy Flex, he upgraded my seat for 70,000 won. But still, it is a good bargain - very comfortable because the Economy Flex zone is just behind to Business Class.

-          For the first few nights, we stayed at the Lotte City Hotel Myeongdong. The cost was covered by my husband’s company due to his official mission. It's a nice hotel, friendly staff, good breakfast, with self-service laundry at 10,000 won and most importantly - a very strategic location where it's really close to subway station and near to Myeongdong street and Dongdaemun. We stayed the remaining nights at Hamilton Itaewon. We got a good rate at RM 455 per night. Not only the subway station in front of the hotel, but there are also Hamilton Shopping Mall, Olive Young, Kebab, and the police station. Luckily our room is on the 8^th floor, so we can see the Seoul Central Mosque from my room, and less noise pollution from the bar and pub on the street that opens until 4-5am. For that, I love hotel's initiative when they provides the earplug. And they also provide the phone charger for all types of mobile phone and I like the toilet functions too. But I quite surprise when they charging for swimming pool usage – 11,000 won (weekdays) to 14,000 won (weekend) per person. It's OK to charge for Sauna. But swimming pool??? seriously?

-          We spent less than RM 1,000 for meals. However, we do spend a lot for beverages due to hot weather and because we love to try their local coffee and other signature drinks. Most recommended café are A Twosome Place, Paik’s Coffee, Café Deli artisee, and Mega Coffee…

-          Travelling using public transportation is cheap. In total, we spent less than RM 200. I still can’t believe I travelled all the way from the airport to the city on my own, carrying my 10kg luggage. And I noticed that I was the only foreigner who have done that in every coach I've been.

-          Another less than RM 1,000 is for the attractions, admission fees and hanbok rental. The most expensive ones were actually the NANTA show ticket. And the rest are affordable and reasonable.