[Northern]

(07-18-2013 11:35 PM)sloopjohn Wrote:  

This past November I took the train from Jkt to bali, having stays in Yogya, Surubaya and Malang along the way. It's very easy, the station agents are very helpful. Also a very good website for train travel in Indonesia and all over the world is 'the man in seat sixty one' (just google it).

The train across Java is very comfortable and the scenery is ruggedly beautiful. Loved Yogya, it is magic, and I will return to stay for a long while. I stayed a few days in Surubaya, known as a business and shopping destination for Indonesians. Stayed at the old Majapahit Hotel, which was built by the same family that built the Raffles in Singapore and the Strand in Rangoon. Lovely atmospheric old hotel. Very much a taste of old colonial Java.

I also stayed at hotel Tugu in Malang, as Prosal said a wonderful hotel and town. the town has an early morning bird market close to the hotel, and an old mosque which was a glowing green at night and reminded me of the wizard of oz. While staying there they held a Wayang in the square in front of the hotel. full Gamelan band, managed to stick with it well past midnight. The hotel desk man said that it was sung in old Javanese.

The train from Surubaya to Denpassar in Bali leaves at 9 am, winds through volcanoes and coffee plantations, beautiful scenery. Gets to the ferry crossing to Bali before 4 pm. 30 minute crossing and then another 4 hours by bus. comfortable enough though and an adventure.

Prosal's advice is like a rain of gold, you lads should listen if you have interest in this beautiful place.

So, you got to the ferry crossing by train and then did you get to Denpassar by bus or by train?