While in Surakarta, aka, Solo, we went $2.82 over our daily budget and…at the same time, stayed in our first FIVE-star hotel. There was no travel hacking, free stays, or craftiness involved. It’s simply what it cost with our Agoda “VIP Platinum” status (which anyone can get simply by using the app regularly). Needless to say, life can be very good…

Continue ReadingBudget Travelers Meet a Five Star Stay in Surakarta, Indonesia

Getting to Malang from Surakarta (Solo) Despite its swarming roads and bustling cities, the miles between them can be a simply ravishing and serene journey while traversing Java, which we did in August 2024. And perhaps there’s no better way to see it than on the rails. Our longest train journey would take us six-hours from Solo to Malang through…

Continue ReadingExploring Cats, Colors, Coffee and Kindness in Malang, Indonesia

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia>>>>>Surabaya, Indonesia After a month of much needed kitty, kitchen and komfort (oh yes, I did spell it like that!) time in KL, it was finally the day to repack the freshly bathed non-jungle-smelling backpacks and hit the jetway again. This time we were bound for the most populous island nation on earth on our maiden voyage. We were…

Continue ReadingTouching Down in Java’s Second City of Surabaya, Indonesia

One Night in Semarang Semarang is a steamy port city on Java’s north coast of 1.3 million people, which most travelers don’t make it to, unless they’re on their way to or from Karimunjawa. This is a bit of a shame because its Old Quarter, or Kota Lama, currently being renovated, is dripping with Dutch colonial charm blended with a…

Continue ReadingLittle Dutch Wonders in Steamy Semarang, Indonesia

Getting to Karimunjawa Many of the best places we’ve been have also been a bit arduous to get to, and arriving to Java’s off-the-beaten path northern isle of Karimunjawa was certainly no exception. But, after five hours by train, three hours by bus, and two hours by ferry, we arrived to find a glittering aquamarine paradise awaiting us in the middle…

Continue ReadingA Little Known Paradise on Java’s Karimunjawa, Indonesia