bali cliff resort

hello! i am going to bali and east java, all alone, with almost no money, with no film crew, no make up, or friends exception for the ones i met.

bali cliff resort, i’ll be visiting the amazing temples and to purify myself, climbing the famous ijen crater, hanging out at the beach, and trying out surfing not to mention lots of off the beaten path attractions,

trying out amazing street food and fine tuning my bargaining skills. all done safely, inexpensively and easily. anything i can do, you can do… diy destinations – bali & east java and you are invited! we are so fortunate to live in a small world with so many cultures so much beauty so much diversity

the world waits for no one it's up to all of us to discover its magnificent destinations i want to make travel accessible to all of us by showing how it can be done safely and inexpensively bali and east java is two of the most beautiful region in indonesia. despite only being separated by a short ferry, bali is home to the minority hindu population with its own language, unique culture and filled with unspoiled nature. in contrast east java is second-most-populous province being home to a population of 39 million

and heart of industrial center of indonesia. i am here to take in both side and discover the spirits that unites indonesians. it’s nature, its hospitality, its culture and the amazing foods we’ll start our journey from bali, an island province of indonesia. it’s home to 4 million balinese.

today, its one of the world most popular tourist attractions for its renowned beaches, biodiversity, nature, hindu temples and highly developed arts. good news!!! visitors from most countries enjoy visa on arrival or free 30 day’s exemption there are buses available from major cities in java with a ferry connection running 24 hours a day

from the bali’s denpasar international airport, fixed fare taxi and uber are both available. so, if you are going with these two option, partner up with some fellow backpacker and share the fare however, the most inexpensive option is the public bus near the round about but lucky me, my couch surfing buddy and co-host is coming to pick me up on a motorcycle and please ignore the safety laws… i did it at my own risk. by the way, thanks bram! next morning, we begin our day from the home base here in kuta,

but i am not going anywhere until i get my local indonesian breakfast gado-gado, also known as lotek, is an indonesian salad consist of slightly boiled, steamed vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, fried tofu and tempeh, served with a peanut sauce dressing and i can't wait to give that a shot! the best way to get around bali is a scooter, but make sure you have international driving permit

along with your actual drivers license issued from your home country or else, you can get a temporary balinese tourist driver's license available from the police station in denpasar we’ll begin our journey by exploring the south bali unexpectedly, we came across the first off the beaten path attraction we came across this usual sence a boeing 737 abandoned by its owners here in the middle of the city the kind of the off the beaten path things that is not on the tourist map and its pretty magnificent by the way

between october to april is the wet season for bali and therefore you may get complimentary, 100% organic shower anytime especially the morning the upside, popular attractions won’t be crowded with tourists our first destination is the uluwatu temple, built in the 11th century and dedicated to the supreme god of indonesian hinduism it is regarded are the sixth holiest places of worship on bali there is no better way to show off this beautiful temple than my local co-host bram an indonesian

we are in uluwatu, its a balinese sea temple this temple is significant to balinese people its very important tourist destination in bali because of the magnificent view as you can see uluwatu in local language is edge of cliffs, as the name implies the temple is build on the edge of the cliff and pointing to the sea and inhabited by monkeys who are notorious for snatching visitors' belongings so watch out… just few minutes away we arrived at one of the most beautiful beach in bali

the blue point beach the layout this beach is hidden at the base of the cliff the main part of the beach has a width of approximately 15 meters and is also the entrance to the sea the surfer considered this beach paradise as get the best waves additionally, the beach itself is surrounded by rock that always acts as an umbrella shielding the excessively hot sun during midday just few minutes away is another surfers’ favorite beach the padang padang beach the admission is free and beach is also very famous in the surf community due to the size and quality of the waves

another nearby beach is a also off the beaten path attraction and rarely visited by tourists pandawa beach is not spoiled by tourists and considered bali’s hidden and secret beach that was very difficult to access due to located in the deep valley and surrounded by the white stone cliff i am in the one of the best beach in south kuta it's called pandawa and what's so interesting about this beach is you have come down along that road and see many of the deities carved into the mountain on the side of the cliff are statues portraying the five brothers in the story of mahabrata

the legend of these five great warriors and symbol of goodness on our way to the peninsula island, we bump into something familiar… yes another abandoned plane another abandoned plane in the middle of nowhere it's pretty strange, but fascinating... this is not something you find on the tourist map you can enjoy the vantage point from here or you can go around it

and pay 5,000 rupiah or 50 cent to enjoy the view from up there the last places we visited in the south bali is the nusa dua meaning two islands consisting on the north side nusa dharma island and southern side peninsula island this is an enclave of large 5-star resorts, but its park is open to the public free of charge the park also has a large statue of krishna & arjun the two great mythical figures found inside the great indian epic mahabharat one of the interesting places within the park is the water below

as you can see there are natural rock formation caused by the tidal wave during the season when the waves are big the water will literally splash in your face that is why this place is called water below what you see here is called tempeh it's a traditional indonesian food made from fermented soy bean

this is normal fried tofu before heading to our magnificent sunset let’s dive into my weakness… inexpensive local food lots of veggies i definitely need to have some proteins, so i picked a egg and yes, we just kept eating, including the indonesian style meatballs this is called bakso

it's indonesian meatballs consist of... this thing as you can see... meatballs tofu and... white noodles there... and the drink i have is es jeruk this is a lemon drink

bali has some of the most breathtaking sunsets and we recommend you end your day at tanah lot temple the name means “land sea” in balinese language and the temple sits on a large offshore rock which has been shaped continuously over the years by the ocean tide so, this is the temple of tanah lot i guess today we are lucky, because the tide is low we are able to get into the main temple without getting wet this is truly the best time to visit this place

tanah lot temple it's really nice to see sunset here... i am going to go in have my face washed in the holy water and be blessed! i guess! i just got blessed with rice on my head i think it’s one of most popular tourist and cultural icon for photography in bali

the temple has been a part of balinese mythology for centuries however it is significantly influenced by hinduism at the base of the rocky island the venomous sea snakes are believed to guard the temple from evil spirits and intruders we went to sleep early after a long exhausting day… next day our usual routine mmmmm..... mmmm… eat, and eat some more this time, authentic indonesian congee

we are eating something called burbur ayam it's traditional indonesian congee so as you can see we have rice porridge what are those right there? this is quail eggs quail eggs! really? today, we’ll be riding our scooter to north bali around the city of ubud it’s the cultural centre of the island

despite being only 40 km away, it is a quite contrast to kuta. this is a village of only 30,000 surrounded with small farms, rice paddies, and dense forest. this is we recommend you stay if prefer peace and quiet. ubud is pretty compact most attractions is can be access on foot and here is one of them that won’t cost you single penny so, on the way to the next temple we drove by the city center and unintentionally bumped into the ubud palace the palace is the official residence of the royal family of ubud

as consider a focal landmark located main road. the compound was built during the lordship of the late ida tjokorda putu kandel and mostly after the 1917 earthquake. the local royal family still lives here and is well kept by his successive heirs to the opposite side of the palace on the main road is the ubud art market known for its high quality traditional and handmade clothing, figurines and housewares and was featured in the movie eat pray love if you are going to buy something… you need to bargain!

50,000 is too steep! okay, 40,000! 40,000??? 30,000! no!!! more, little bit more! 31,000!!! 31,100!!! okay, okay, 35!

you happy, me happy! by the way, this is a tourist trap and you’ll need to bargain harder than me by luck our filming was delay to witness a rare event the cremation ceremony of the village's first ordained hindu high priest passed away at the age of 96 that had carried out his priestly duties for more than 50 years so i was puzzled when the street is jammed up while we are heading toward monkey forest

i found out that this is actually a cremation ceremony for a high priest here in bali the high status is reflected by the bull-shaped wooden sarcophagus and lotus-shaped tower in a traditional balinese ceremony called ngaben it's the balinese word for the cremation of the dead in which the soul is released entirely from the body to ascend to heaven and to be reincarnated this is considered last and most important ceremony of every balinese life there are three stages the funeral and the cremation

they just finish the food offering inside the casket and they are prepared to burn the body along with the food from the offering now, as you can see around no one is actually crying because balinese believe in reincarnation so, this is just a passage to another life the final stage is the purification which can happen 12 days after the cremation

where the ashes that was placed in white and yellow cloth transported on a beautiful construction to the sea the ashes are placed in the water with the purpose of the soul is released to a higher level from there the soul can follow the final stage of reincarnation we didn’t stay for the entire ceremony but by luck just few minutes walking distance from the cremation site is sacred monkey forest sanctuary it lies within the village of padangtegal which owns it the sanctuary serves as a important spiritual, economic, educational, and conservation centre so, this is the monkey forest

there is at least three temple inside here and don't be scared if you see them around but please don't touch it! they can be aggressive especially when mom involved and there is litters lying around it's also not worth the risk of being bitten as it will require to take anti-rabies shot and few other rules to be safe one of my favour is... okay... mmm...

don't look at the monkey in the eyes do not panic if the monkey jump on you just drop your food and walk away slowly ubud monkey forest describes its mission as conservation of the area within its boundaries according to the hindu principle of tri hata karana or "three ways to reach spiritual and physical well-being" in addition, has a philosophical goal of creating peace and harmony between nature and the people the last destination of the day is 16 km away in the village of tampak siring

and also the site of the hindu holy water temple tirta empul meaning holy spring in balinese it was founded around a large water spring in 962 a.d. it is dedicated to vishnu, another hindu god name for the supreme consciousness narayana this is tirta empul the balinese water temple this temple has being around for at least a thousand years as you can see there is a bathing area with spring water balinese use this area for purification ritual

but before you jump in, make sure to follow the local custom well, its not everyday i get to come to this temple i need to experience the holy bath and to get in, you need one of these that's 10,000 rupiah or about a dollar or so with that being said... and hopefully i look good in these... see you soon! i think its mine turn

oh my goodness!!! it's... it's really cold!!! it's cold... the balinese hindus believe the sacred cool springs offers wellness and have magical curative properties the worshipers will first make an offering at the main temple and then proceed to the 15 fountains and wash over them four to thirteen times and yes, the holy water is freezing!!!

also, i realized i have to restart from the beginning i actually found out that i cheated on my first run because i went to the fountain number three to do it properly, i need to go through one, two and all the way to the end so, cut two please!!! according to the legend contained on an inscription at sakenan tempe the springs rising from the earth is the god’s creation arranged to be a purification pond however, don’t wash at the second last two fountains, for a special reason…

could you tell us why we shouldn't be using those because its for someone who is already dead okay! i don't think i am dead yet so i'll avoid them... thank you very much!!! you are welcome! before you get too excited on meeting some new fishy friends a reminder to always tighten yourself to avoid any embarrassing x-rated accidents

and that concludes my visit to the water temple by the way.... that was not part of the script along the way back to kuta regardless of which route you take you’ll come across lots, and lots of varieties of street food tonight, we’ll try some traditional balinese bbq we are going to eat sate ayam sate ayam is chicken bbq with some peanut sauce and this wonton is made out of rice basically

if you want to catch the most breathtaking sunrise you’ll need to wakeup early and leave around 3 am if you are staying in kuta we’ll be scooting to bedugul highlands of bali but don’t worry… there is many morning market along the way for coffee and breakfast we settled at the market at the penelokan village for those of you who are complaining having to wake up early having to go to work guess what??? some of the market here open as early as three in the morning

which is great!!! because honestly... we need to catch a sunrise at one of the temples and i think its time to fuel up with some of those local food actually, i wanted to try something more local than a simple cup of coffee now, i am actually really curious about those cup noodles and i decide to try them out it's actually pretty good, really, really good!!! and another thing i have was this right here

it's called energen, a mix of milk and cereals along the slope up, we stopped briefly to take in the breathtaking view of mount agung and batur sometime, its okay pause and just enjoy the moment… the pura ulun danu or the floating temple, is one of the most beautiful temples in bal and situated on lake bratan it’s a off the beaten path despite a favorite among local tourist but relatively still unknown to foreigners also unknown is, if you arrived early... there is no one to collect tickets so your admission is free!!!

it can be traced back to the rise of the mengwi kingdom the name is taken from the lake where the temple is built at beratan lake the name of beratan lake is inseparable with the beratan mount as deity and goddess of fertility and prosperity the temple is dedicated to the goddess of the lake on the edge of a huge crater it’s dominant shrines are dedicated to the lake goddess and the gods of mount batur and mount gunung agung the largest volcano in bali on my way to the island’s twin lake i’ll like to remind everyone, one last time...

once again... keep your distance... earlier i was right here one of the adult males with their babies was about to leap at me i don't think anyone want their eye balls to be part of their souvenir especially the moms they are very protective parents so, keep your distance... and enjoy them!

as much i believe supporting the local economies i also urge all of you to be responsible traveller by not paying for taking photos with caged wild animals for the sake of entertainment i consider it cruel and constitute abuse but if you really want to support the local economy… it can be done everywhere here like this… i am not sure about the safety regulations or the health codes but there is flies all over my durian but i don't think i will get that sick

yeah, its my durian... i paid for it i pay for this... let's give it a shot it's actually fresher than the one that was imported to canada on the way to one of the waterfalls here in north bali we stumble upon these two lakes the smaller lake is called lake buyan the other one is tamblingan

surrounded by lots of greeneries it's such as beautiful view you'll find this lake if you go to munduk village from denpasar the lake tamblingan and lake buyan are considered twin lakes as they are located side by side the two pristine lakes are surrounded with dense rainforest and archaeological remnants of the 10th-century civilization the lake and the surrounding settlements and ancient temples are designated as a spiritual tourism area protected from modern development after 45 minutes ride, we arrived at the last, but most stunning place in bali the sekumpul waterfalls

but be extremely caution of sharp turns and slippery slops so, slow down… you see the back, its sekumpul waterfalls it took me two hours to get here from denpasar this is truly one of the most beautiful waterfalls in bali you have to pay 15,000 entrance fee to get in but if you speak indonesian and talk to the man at the ticket booth you may able to get in for free so, learn some indonesian

the sekumpul waterfalls measures 80 meters high therefore make sure you are reasonable fit for the thirty minutes trek down don’t forget to bring a pair of hiking shoes as along the way, you will encounter slippery roads in case of rain and sheep slops while enjoying the view of the rice terraces verdant hills and amazing waterfall from a distance this is a large, spectacular double waterfall in a quiet and un-spoilt fores just two of the 7 hidden waterfalls situated in the tranquility of valley in singaraja the others can not be visited… we made it!

also, please bring a bathing suit…. or else, well…. you’ll see what i mean! haha!!! i can almost guaranteed you that she is more civilized than i am so... but i am only going to be here once in a long time! so, can't resist... don't blame me guys! i guess we’ll stop here before this show becomes x-rated.

as mention before... bali can be hot and humid so make sure you stay hydrated i’ll go with bottled water as tap water is not suitable for drinking local soda and ice-cream is also available for fifty cents to a dollar but what bram and i really need is a nice local lunch with some pork so, this is rice with pork also this is pork soup as well to top it up, i'll have a heineken

wait!!! sorry... heineken temulawak edition now, i am not too sure what it is i don't know if it is made by real heineken but... here it is... oh my god!!! it's orange juice

with probably some ginger i am going to try to finish this we are about to have our dinner it's nasi goreng one of the most popular indonesian dishes as you can see its in the making behind me but if you asked what is the best inexpensive things i eaten costing less than a dollar hand down! their fried rice or nasi goreng

the nasi goreng we are going to eat is fried rice mix with some chicken and egg with some seasoning to make it more delicious and if you want an authentic local experience trying eating it on a wax paper also for a extra dime, i topped mine up with an egg finally, our last stop is the home base kuta where bali’s tourist industry began as the traffic jams are a constant hassle here and especially when it is raining

once again we recommend you rent a scooter to get around if you are taking a taxi, always insist on metered over fixed rate the jalan raya legian is its main street filled with western style shopping malls, pubs, restaurants, and market stalls here is another bargaining advice during souvenirs hunting with the locals start negotiating at 50% of their asking price we also caution our audience to be extremely mindful of their surrounding including women always keep a eye out on their drinks located in the heart of city also stands a memorial for the victims of the 2002 bombing killing 202 people, with 88 being australians

kuta is famous for the golden white coastline that curves and no visit is complete without a visit to the kuta beach also known as sunset beach we come here for some surfing experiences for myself a newbie it’s one of bali's first tourist developments it's best known for its indian ocean surfing and party-centric atmosphere i am here at kuta beach

the most popular beach in bali now... to rent one of these surfing board is easy there is so many rental stalls here, its really competitive so... always negotiate!!! please!!! another strategy is to walk down... pretend you are not interested and let them make you a offer to rent a board

that way you got more negotiation power but before i jump in, i think i need to get few hints from my great friend who are going to teach me in and out of surfing kuta is one of the best places if you want to try to surf but before you get into the water make sure you wear proper surfing vest rash guards and board shorts even if you don't have any of those just wear normal clothing it's better than surfing without anything

because the friction might hurt your skin well, my first surfing experience… let’s lot challenging than i thought, filled with lots of falls and setback but i am determine and keep going back, over, over, over and over again.... until i almost succeeded!!! i might not succeed today, but i will be back! i'll try again and again until i master it!

i ended my bali journey with some souvenirs hunting in the mall tailor for the locals here you’ll definitely gets you the best price without bargaining now, before you pick up a souvenirs for anyone you got to come here this mall has the largest selection of souvenirs at super low prices and prices are fixed so no bargaining required so before i buy everyone else a souvenir i am getting a nice treat for myself

this is... a beautiful traditional scarf so, i'll make sure that will be the most expensive souvenir that i will be taking home and i hope i look cute in this! i am bramantya and you are welcome to join us in our adventure across this beautiful island sadly, its time to say goodbye to my friend and my co-host bram and head back to the airport the same way on his motorcycle if you are taking the uber or taxi

make sure to leave at least three hours before your flight as traffic jam is a persistent problem in kuta given my time constraint for filming i had to fly for approximately $30 usd on one of the budget airlines by the way, don’t worry about the smoking coming out from the cabinet it’s just air conditioning the most inexpensive ways to reach east java from bali is by bus with a ferry connection to see the ijen carter and mount bromo however, given most travellers’ point of entry is surabaya we’ll start from there as well the train is the most reliable ways to get to kawah ijen crater

so the first stop is getting to surabaya bus station bungurasih ignore all the taxi drivers who tries to hustles you just exit departure terminal to find the public bus going to the station now, either you can buy the ticket inside the airport terminal or what i recommend is just hop on to a bus and pay the driver directly the reason is what happen if you buy the ticket and there is no seat on the bus as you can see its pretty packed if you already get the ticket inside there

just give it to him and he'll issue a receipt to you look like i got a lot of fans around me because everyone is watching me as i am recording this anyways, i am here at the bus station the central bus station in surabaya the next thing is transfer on to the guberg train station bus so wish me luck! i am inside a non-air condition bus i am sweating like crazy

the reason is the air condition bus leaves less frequently so, i am basically travel the local travel but be patient… very, very patient! oh yeah, don’t surprise something like this happens just treat it as part of a journey okay, let me tell you what happen... the public bus actually didn't drop me off here at the train station they drop me off about 5 kilometres away at a square where i needed to transfer to a shared taxi or a small mini-bus

so what happen was... there is so many motorbike around i negotiated to bring me here from there, the motorbike is fast about five minutes or so now, its actually really luck that the public bus didn't stop here the reason is the traffic got so bad i mean, it will take forever... and the train is about to leave so once i got here, got in and brought the ticket

and i am now ready to go! by the way... don’t worry about the long lineup typically there is dedicated booth for foreigners or vips and ride takes approximately six hours although the same train will pass by mount bromo first by the time it arrives there it will be dark therefore, the smart way is to visit ijen first given the long train ride allows you to rest properly for the midnight climb

now, as more station approaches... more and more people are getting off now i got more room to work with so i turn this into a mini-office sort off... so, check this out!!! i mean this is four and half hour into my train ride but there is still a lot of people as you can see here i will need all the fuel all the rest i can

because its going to really exhausting tonight to climb ijen we are doing it in the midnight to see the blue flames you should arrived at the karangasem train station just before 9 pm if you taking afternoon train once arrived the station, most hostel operator will be waiting to pick you up if you made a reservation with them i like to special thanks to ganda, the owner of kampung osing inn a off the beaten path family-run budget hostel they have generously offered their assistance in planning, providing logistics, transportation and accommodation for the filming of this episode segment now just want to let you know the last time i had a proper meal is 24 hours ago

and after that... went to bed took a flight took a really long train ride to get here so, this is my first proper meal let me tell you what i chosen very traditional indonesian food there is rice, lots of that... also tofu and chicken

and also some veggies so, with that being said, i have to eat really, really quick! head back because our team are hiking up long night ahead, so time to fuel up see you guys... shortly after midnight, we started our journey on a motorcycle like me, you can arrange a ride through your hostel our first stop is a convenience store to pick up some water, you’ll need it! other things you’ll definitely need is a flashlight or headlamp and off course

a sense of adventurer once arrived at the base, i strongly recommend you hire a knowledgeable local guide here it only approximately $15 and they assist you climbing ijen safely as it can dark and many roads are unmarked and slippery… i really mean it! they provide some water and snacks and everything you need for the hike and please do support the local people its amazing how these small business can operate under constant smell and the danger associated with the toxic sulphuric gas

lucky, your guide should have a gas mask for your or you can rent on site also it’s a good time to go to the toilet before beginning your hike lastly there is also a admission fee unless someone is sleep on the job! however, if you insist coming alone, then make some friends so you won’t get lost and able to help each other in event of emergency the hike definitely required you to be fit it’s approximately a hours and half the first hour being the most steepest and last 30 minutes being easiest as it mostly flat

when they take the basket of sulphur they get paid here? they get a ticket to the parking area they will change the ticket for money kawah ijen crater is still a working mine and a dangerous one the miners spending up to 12 hours at a time surrounded by rasping smoke just yards from a lake filled with acid despite carry baskets of hardened yellow sulphur weighing 70 to 90kg up a steep rocky path from the crater floor

up to ten times a shift they often take home less than $10 a day such physically demanding and hazardous work means miners’ average life expectancy barely reaches 50 years more than 70 people have died in work-related accidents at kawah ijen in the past four decades many due to the toxic fumes that billow suddenly from the rock’s fissures on the mid-way, there is rest stop where you can grab snacks and drinks it is overpriced but remember its not easy setting up shop here and you are supporting the local people who relied on tourists to make a living

this is also a good point to start wearing your gas mask given the tick smell and high level of sulphur are beginning to fill the air and please do not litter finally, we reached the mouth of kawah ijen but we still need to head down to the center of the crater however... however, this is not always possible given nature is unpredictable and if there is excessive sulphur clouds, it will be too dangerous to go down on that day after 45 minutes of downhill, we finally reached the crater’s caldera

but given the weather condition, we didn’t get to see the blue flames but its pretty amazing to see the flames and smokes rising from the earth we stayed for a bite for the daylight to come in order to get a better view of the center of the crater this crater i could say has the most acid lake in the world so, not a good idea for you guys to go for a swim it's really bad idea what give this a green colour? it's getting from the sulphur because this volcano is very active

it's really dangerous if you do it on your own but still possible how much do you think actual guide will cost? it's not that expensive... it's not really expensive most of them charges about 150,000 to 200,000 but they give you a proper gas mask that is for your safety because sometimes the sulphur smoke here are really, really terrible they are originally here

so they always work here everyday so they know the path they know the path, they know the safety so do yourself a favour by making your life easier hire a guide they know a thing or two you are also supporting them and their family the local economy that is the idea

well, thanks for bring me here after an hour, it was time for us to hike back up the crater for the final photo coming down the mountain also be challenging so take lots of break if necessary and enjoy the morning view of the magnificent surroundings after rushing back to the kampung osing inn, like all other climbers i smell like sulphur but there is no time for a shower i had to get a ride back to karagasem station for my train ride to probolinggo i just woke up and they were serving lunch

and i thought it will be interesting to see what kind of overpriced train food available here it's basically chicken with a little of fresh veggies and some spicy sauce probolinggo is the closest city near mount bromo and has population of 225,000 like most of northern east java the city has a large madurese population in addition to many ethnically javanese people right across from the probolinggo train station there is a large public park, with lots of trees and shaded area to save money, i preferred to take public bus

or shared a taxi with a group of backpackers to the bus station in probloinggo you can take a public mini bus called bemo to probloinggo bus station for about $0.35 these are painted yellow and look like one of these there will be people who tries to sell you tours… just smile and say no some scam buses will try drop you off at the middle of the town near a travel agency the bus driver do get a commission on any tours you buy sadly, for the first time ever while travel, i fell for this scam the worst part is... after being dropped at the travel agency, there there is not enough tourists to occupy all 15 seats inside the private tour bus

the passengers were taken hostage by the weather and we all end up paying three times the fare in order for the bus to leave we were finally drop off at the very small hamlet north-east of mount bromo call cemoro lawang the town is principally a base for early morning climbs of mount bromo therefore... is really nothing to do except for rest many travel shows are staged but ours is not unfortunately, much to my disappointment i was not able to climb mount bromo due to volcanic eruption the authorities extended a 1 km exclusion zone

i was thinking about heading up to bromo as you can see the weather doesn't want to cooperate so i went into the viewpoint to how it is i wish i got a better shot for you guys but... as you can see, i barely want to step out it rain so bad and so foggy so, i guess we have to do that next time but my issue is not over yet;

the volcanic eruption also means few tourist so right now this bus suppose to leave at 9:30 and it's already 9:30 so what happen was they are still waiting for more people if no one comes, the bus is not leaving and we are trapped inside here because the driver is gone but the door is locked and my partner actually had to jump out of this bus window to get out

because there is another bus nearby which we can't do that without being uncivilized hello? anyone here? once we are finally freed, i desperately look for help what i am doing right now is knock on few doors to see if there is any cars that is willing to take us to probloinggo honestly, i hate to be late! and i really want to check into surabaya because i just don't want to stay here

honestly, i don't want to stay in the middle of nowhere so apparently none of the is going to probloinggo this is like driving me insane absolutely insane and we probably going to miss our train and have to buy another train ticket i think one of my last resource is to see if i can hitchhike so what's happen right now is we negotiated with the driver initially he asked for 400,000 so i offered him 300,000, just get us to the station

after all the mishaps i am really glad to arrived in probolinggo public bus station and transferred on the yellow public minivan and the... we are heading to the train station right now and it's hope we make it in one piece and anything happening now this time around, we learnt our lesson we will pay the driver after we get there

oh yea we did end up missing our initial train as they are extremely punctual if don’t know if you can be on time, don’t buy the ticket as they are not refundable or exchange for next train here we go, we made it here the mistake we made yesterday is that girl in my group accepted the ride too eagerly and too quickly from a bus we do not know if it is a private or public or one of those scam buses that take us to a travel agency rather than a bus station number two is that... we did not check out right across the street the tourist information centre

now, this is the official government run tourist information centre it's saturday today, so it's not open and by luck we have a example of a yellow buses look like i hope you learn from my mistake and not make the mistake we made with that being said i think its time to go back in to catch my train to surabaya if you wanted to take a public bemo to surabaya city centre

then do not do not exit the economy side of station but go to the opposite direction on the east by cross the train tracks this will lead you to business train side where you can exit the gubeng masjid street and across the street for t2 minivan the cost is 5,000 idr or $0.35 located on northeastern java island and along the edge of the madura strait surabaya is the second-largest-city in indonesia with a population of three million and nine million in the metropolitan area the city is highly urbanized, with many centralized industries but its also home to many slum areas

as the main education centre, surabaya is a home for many students from around indonesia i recommend you stay in the city centre in the business district of darmo and diponegoro as it is walking distance away from many of attractions local market, and shopping centers, along bus stations, cheap eateries, and convenience stores this is where i’ll be staying and location of krowi inn my generous host who offered me accommodation for the night before heading off to see the sight and sound of this vibrant cit i like to show you one of chain stores i visit often

so right now i am in surabaya i happened to come across a store that i shop really often all across indonesia it's a chain store called indomaret sometimes i just don't have a choice i don't trust the local businesses given amount of expired food being sold or... charging me foreigner prices and different prices for locals if you don't feel comfortable buying from a local store

this is probably your best option because you get the best prices i honestly think that is the case our first stop is off the beaten path visit to the narrow alleyway of city centre on-route the surabaya zoo the 10 minutes walk through the lane is a good opportunity to see the real ordinary life of the local population the surabaya zoo consist a area of 15-hectare established by decree of the governor general of the netherlands east indies on august 31, 1916 today, there are 3500 animals with 200 species in captivity including 16 endangered bali starlings, found only in the western part of bali islan

and 70 komodo dragons if you are thinking of j walking? think again! now, one of the thing here in surabaya is i can not find a pedestrian walkway and traffic here as you can see if pretty busy but one thing i will not risk and i encourage all of you not to risk is your life and being hit by one of the those cars

there is a path that goes on top and go across perhaps that will take us to the other side right across the street is a small park with a memorial honoring those who fought during the indonesian national revolution the city is known as kota pahlawan "city of heroes" due to the importance of the battle of surabaya in galvanizing indonesian and international support for the country’s independence during the filming of this episode i have showcase many indonesian street food… so i encourage everyone to support the local economy by eating at them some even come with complimentary in house music at no extra charge

but i missed the taste of america so i decided to change it up bite at the local kfc its not exactly what i expected and here in indonesia we have... spaghetti and soups and.. and their combo doesn't come with fries

actually comes with rice my last stop is a department store next door to stock up some snacks for my early morning flight out tomorrow so, here is peak inside and how the local population shop for christmas the best way to get back to the airport is using a shuttle operated by damri the same company operated in bali and jakarta airport at cost of 20,000 idr or $1.75 however, my flight is early and taxi is the best optio i recommend the blue bird group taxi they used meter and cost approximately 90,000 or $7.00 from the city centre

and this is how i ended by magnificent indonesian journey for the island of bali and east java bali and east java is truly a land of adventure it is impossible to appreciate the breathtaking and unspoiled nature without experiencing first hand the peaceful co-existence and acceptance of indonesia’s large distinctive cultures and religions should serve as model in world of civil conflicts despite most having little i witness the hard working and resilience of its people by how they transform a rice fields to urban cities along with their desire to protect and yet showcase its treasures with all of us

bali and east java is truly a magnificent destinations wait for you to experience and to discover! thank you for watching and selamat tinggal!