Month: November 2019

Hostel Of The Day: MAD MONKEY HOSTEL BORACAY – Paradise Island's Hidden Party Hostel Gem

UPDATE: Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay has ceased operations. I am keeping this Hostel of the Day feature to give tribute to such amazing accommodation and also to keep the wonderful Mad Monkey memories alive.

Last September 2019, I flew to Boracay with friends for a short weekend break. My buddy Rick & I stayed in Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay in Bulabog Road for 3 nights & we had an awesome time. I’ve stayed in this hostel back in July 2016, when this blog is non-existent. I want to share with you more about this hostel thus featuring it as today’s Hostel Of The Day.

Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay is part of the Mad Monkey Hostels Group, a famous party hostel chain in Southeast Asia (plus one branch in Australia) which gives people from all over the world the best hostel parties in each of its branches. The hostel group is known for its beach or pool parties at the same time its hourly free shots at the bar. The hostel group employs the locals & actively participates in environmental activities.

The group’s first hostel in the Philippines is Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay, opened in June 2016. Since then, they’ve already opened branches in Nacpan Beach in El Nido, Cebu City & Siargao. They also have hostel branches in Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia & Laos. I started this Hostel Of The Day blog series last year with a feature about Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach.

Let me clarify with you that this post is not in any way sponsored / commissioned by the hostel group. My friend & I paid for our stay. The goal of this post is to share with you the details of this hostel & how our stay went. Allow me to give you some snippets about the hostel

In case you missed it, I posted a blog about our Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) flight with Cebu Pacific Air. Check out this post to read that flight report.

location & access

Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay is located in Zone 5, Bulabog Beach Rd, Balabag in Boracay Island. It is not located by the beach, but it is located in the quiet neighborhood of Balabag. It is about 10 minutes walk from the White Beach, 10 minutes by foot to D’Mall & about 3-5 minutes from Bulabog Beach, where all water activities are conducted. The hostel is located in the heart of the island, literally minutes away by foot to the main areas.

From Caticlan (Boracay) Airport, one needs to take a tricycle to Caticlan Jetty Port, buy a ferry ticket, pay the environmental fees & then hop on a boat that will take you to Boracay Island. From Boracay Port, one needs to take a tricycle to Mad Monkey Hostel. Alternatively, you can book your hassle-free island transfers with Southwest Tours or Island Star Express. Journey from the airport to the hostel can take about an hour per way, depending on passenger load & weather.

My friend & I booked our island transfers with Klook for a discounted price which turned out to be with Island Star Express. The transfers were fast, well-taken care off & hassle free.

dormitory & private rooms

Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay offers both dormitories & private rooms to its guests. The hostel has 3 choices for the dormitory rooms – 8-bed mixed dormitory room, 4-bed mixed dormitory room & 4-bed female dormitory room. Each dormitory bed comes with a large sized mattress with sheets, personal reading light & fan, power outlet & a locker. Each dormitory room comes with a private bathroom with hot shower & air conditioning. If you are lucky enough, your dormitory room might be located by the hostel swimming pool.

As of today, 30 November 2019, a night in the 8-bed dormitory room costs ₱550 (for mid-December 2019 stay) while the nightly rate in the 4-bed dormitory room is at ₱700 (for mid-December 2019 stay). Rates per night vary depending on season.

We got this air-conditioned twin room with private shower for around ₱1,400 per night. Not bad!

The hostel also has private rooms for guests who are travelling in groups or who want some privacy. They have twin rooms, double rooms, triple rooms, quad rooms & a suite room. Nightly rates depend on the room configuration, toilet access (some have shared toilet), privacy level & season. Some of these rooms come with private bathrooms with hot water, cable television, bath towels, air conditioning, dark curtains & shelves. Rooms tend to be cheaper on lean seasons.

If you want to know more about these room choices & see the actual photos, feel free to head to the hostel’s accommodation page.

Hostel Facilities & Perks

It’s time for my favorite part of every Hostel Of The Day feature; it’s the list of hostel facilities & amenities. Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay provides a long list of facilities & perks every guest can enjoy.

Free WiFi Access
Guests can connect to the hostel’s WiFi connection free of charge. The WiFi password can be obtained in reception or in the restaurant. It’s not the best WiFi connection you can get in the island, but it helps you with basic internet & social media use.

Swimming Pool Access
The hostel has a decent-sized swimming pool which all guests can enjoy. Non-hostel guests can also use the pool for a minimal fee.

Daily Hostel Activities
Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay hosts daily activities. The hostel is famous for the Booze Cruise happening every Tuesday & Saturday where guests go on a boat party & cliff diving with unlimited drinks. They also host themed events like boodle fight dinners, paint parties, quiz nights, beer pong tournaments & pool parties. The hostel also hosts beach cleanup activities once in a while. These activities are announced daily in the hostel boards near reception or in the events page in their Facebook page.

We were there on a Sunday & there was a scheduled Sunday Session & BBQ Day + DJ ’til midnight

Pool-side Restaurant & Bar
Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay has an in-house restaurant & bar by the swimming pool. The bar & restaurant offers a wide range of dishes & drinks that caters to all nationalities. Food & drinks are reasonably-priced, pretty much the same with the other restaurants in the island. Food serving sizes are generous & worth the price. They also have daily food deals & happy hour promotions for alcoholic drinks.

Ordered from the Sunday BBQ menu – got a Pork BBQ Stick & Grilled Chicken with Greek Salad. 🙂

Every Mad Monkey Hostel branch has its own signature drink. If Mad Monkey Hostel Nacpan Beach has a Pacquiao Punch, Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay has their Boracay Bomb. I don’t know what it’s made of but it’s surely worth trying. It’s sold for ₱200 per drink.

The Boracay Bomb – Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay’s signature drink offered for ₱200 per glass.

Free Shots At The Bar
Mad Monkey Hostels are known for giving free alcohol shots. The Boracay branch also gives these free shots every day.

Awesome Hostel Parties
Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay turns into an awesome party place every night. The hostel guests & visitors have a good time in the hostel premises until 12 midnight every day. After 12, those who want to continue the party go out & party in other places.

Free Luggage Storage
The hostel offers free luggage storage to all incoming & outgoing guests. There is an open storage space by the reception where guests can put their bags & luggage before check in & after check out.

24-Hour Front Desk
Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay has a 24-hour reception / front desk. No matter what time you arrive or leave the hostel, there will always be someone who is there to man the reception area.

Cozy Lounge Area
The hostel has a cozy lounge area by the reception where guests can chill or relax while waiting for check in, airport transfer or whatever they have planned for the day. The lounge area offers a relaxing view of the swimming pool.

Cheerful, Accommodating & Friendly Staff
Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay has one of the most cheerful & friendliest staff ever. The staff always greets you whenever they come across you outside your rooms or in the common areas. They also speak good English & are responsive to questions & requests.

Tour Desk
The hostel has an in-house tour desk where you can book your Boracay tours or activities. Feel free to ask the person in reception on what activities or bookings they offer.

Secured Hostel Stay
The hostel swimming pool, bar & restaurant may be open to everyone, but the rooms & guest areas are still secured. Guests are given room keys to access their respective rooms. Private rooms also have a secured storage box where valuables can be kept safe. At night when parties turn fun & crazy, the hostel has security guards & bouncers who monitor everyone’s well-being.

hostel experience

Rick & I booked our stay directly with Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay’s platform. We took advantage of a random promotion & paid only ₱4,185 for 3 nights for a Superior Twin Room. The room came with 2 comfortable single beds, private bathroom with hot shower, air conditioning & dark curtain for privacy. The room was spacious & the bathroom was alright. Water pressure wasn’t that great during our stay; but that was because the authorities are upgrading the water supply facility nearby. WiFi worked well in our room. The staff were superb. We paid roughly ₱700 per person per night on a private room so not bad at all.

A part of our last 2 days in Boracay were spent in the hostel. We enjoyed the swimming pool, we took advantage of the bar’s happy hour promotions & enjoyed the hostel’s Sunday BBQ meal offering. The food servings were of decent size. We stayed for the Sunday night party, met cool people, played beer pong with the other guests & had a great time. We also tried the Boracay Bomb signature drink. To be honest, I don’t remember how it tasted. I was a bit drunk that night.

Overall, we had a memorable stay with Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay. How I wish my other friends also stayed in this hostel. Will I stay in this hostel again? Y-E-S! Man, I’m a fan of this hostel & I already want to go back. I need to go back to try their booze cruise party & to have a good time. This hostel is indeed a hidden gem in Boracay!

In any case you have questions you want to address the hostel directly, feel free to contact them in the details below:

Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay
Address: Zone 5, Bulabog Beach Rd, Balabag, Boracay, Aklan Philippines 5608
Contact number: +63-966-308-1834
Email address: boracay@madmonkeyhostels.com
Website: www.madmonkeyhostels.com/boracay
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/MadMonkeyBoracay
Instagram: www.instagram.com/madmonkeyhostels

Have you been to Mad Monkey Hostel Boracay? How about Nacpan Beach or in any other location? How was your stay? Did you like the hostel & its amenities? Share your hostel experiences in the comment section below. If you have any question about the hostel & want to remain anonymous to everyone, you can throw it via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll surely have a look at ’em. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thanks for joining me today. See you in next Hostel Of The Day feature!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Tuesday Tip: 6 WAYS To SAVE MONEY In MELBOURNE

I’ve been to Australia twice (August 2018 to Sydney & Brisbane & April 2019 to Melbourne) in the last 2 years & I can tell you it’s not a cheap country to visit. Everything, including drinking water, has a price tag – not just an affordable price, but an expensive tag on it. A cheapo meal will cost you AU$10 (₱350-ish in our currency) & this meal will probably be a bland or a simple one. A normal meal in a restaurant will cost you about AU$15 – AU$25, drinks not included. A private room in a 2 or 3 star hotel can cost you about AU$100 per night while a room in a branded hotel can cost you double or even triple that price just for a night.

Australia has a high cost of living, this is also supplemented by the high wages & better government services. Filipino tourists like us, with the current cost of living here in the Philippines, will have a hard time coping with the daily expenses when travelling around this country.

Interested to know how I got my Australian tourist visa in 8 working days? Check out this post to know more.

Having been to different expensive countries in the past, I still believe that there are ways on how one can survive & save some money while travelling around these costly places. Today’s Tuesday Tip will be all about ways on how to save some money in Melbourne, Australia. Last April, my friends & I went & explored the city for 8 days & 7 nights. It was not a cheap trip but we managed to save some cash by doing the following:

stay & cook in hostels

Staying in hostels in one way of saving some cash while in Melbourne. Nightly rates range from AU$25 – AU$50, depending on the dormitory room configuration of choice. The more people in one dormitory room, the cheaper it gets. These hostels also provide kitchen & food storage facilities. Guests are allowed to store & cook their own food at any given time the kitchen is open. It is another way of saving money instead of eating outside.

My dormitory bed in Flinders Backpackers Melbourne.. Very basic but I have everything I need! 🙂

Unsure if staying in a hostel is something for you? Check out this article & know the ups & downs of staying in hostels. It might just help you decide.

Staying in hostels is also a perfect time to meet other people travelling around. If you are up for free accommodation & have the courage to stay in a stranger’s place, check out CouchSurfing. It is an application where travelers can find people to host them in their own pads in their city of destination.

Flinders Backpackers provides cook-your-own pancake breakfast, bread & cereals to all its guests!

Now back to staying in hostels.. Last April, we stayed in Flinders Backpackers Melbourne. It is an affordable hostel with a large kitchen suitable for preparing meals & cooking. The hostel also provided free cook-your-own pancake breakfast, including cereals & bread. I actually made a separate post about our stay in this hostel. Check out the Hostel of the Day feature here.

Go For A Supermarket Haul

Supermarkets such as Coles, Woolworths & Aldi have wide variety of food & drinks one can enjoy. My friends & I always drop by these supermarkets before going back to our hostel to buy something that we’ll bring in our tour the following day. It helped us save some money, instead of buying expensive snacks in tour stopovers.

You can also get sandwiches, cookies & even cooked meals in these supermarkets for a very low price. You can never go wrong with these supermarkets. Just a tip, I believe Aldi & Coles are cheaper than Woolworths in most items.

Join Free Walking Tours

The best way to explore & know more about Melbourne is by joining free walking tours. The walking tours are conducted by freelance guides who know about the history of Melbourne & Australia in general. The guides will bring you to different interesting locations & spots that have connection to the history of the city.

Currently, there are 3 companies running these walking tours in Melbourne – I’m Free Walking Tours, Walks 101 & Strawberry Tours. These walking tours operate on a tip-based program, where the guests are not required to pay for the tour, but rather give tips on what they think the worth of the tour is at the end of it. From experience, the usual tip is about AU$10 per person.

We took a walking tour with I’m Free Tours in August 2018 & only gave a tip at the end of the tour.

We joined the I’m Free Walking Tour in Sydney back in August 2018 & decided to skip the Melbourne one. We found out that most (not all) of the tour information / details are the same as that of Sydney’s – basically about Australia’s history & how everything started in the country. I recommend that you take these walking tours. You will know a lot about Australia.

Hop On & Hop Off The Free city Trams

Tram rides within the Melbourne Free Tram Zone do not incur any charge. These includes the city circle trams & all trams that operated within the Spring St, Flinders St, La Trobe St, Victoria St, William St, Elizabeth St & part of Docklands. Anyone can just hop on & hop off in these trams at any time of the day for free as long as you don’t go beyond the free tram zone.

My friends & I used these city trams a lot. We got tired of walking around at some point during the day & decided to just take the trams around the central business district. They’re free of charge anyway.

Explore Places For Free

Melbourne has a long list of places where you can go & explore for free. You can go & walk around Federation Square & continue to the famous mural street of Hosier Lane. You can also walk towards the State Library of Victoria & view the main hall from the topmost floor. You can also go to Queen Victoria Market, Shrine Gallery of Remembrance, Royal Botanic Gardens, Yarra River & Chinatown all for free.

These places found around Melbourne can be visited for free. Yes, no fees & absolutely for free!! 🙂

We walked to & through these places several times without even spending a dollar. They were all for free & these buildings, streets / lane ways pretty much make up most of the major places to visit in the city. I recommend going back to these places after the free walking tour to take your time in exploring.

Take Advantage of Lunch Sets & Happy Hours

Restaurants & bars around Melbourne have regular promotions on lunch sets & happy hours (for alcoholic drinks). They offer the meals & drinks for cheaper prices at specific times of the day. Make sure to always ask the waiter or bartender before ordering your food / drink.

Bonus Tip – Share Meals With Friends

Most of the meal size servings in Melbourne are big enough to stuff 2 people. These sizes come with the price – they’re expensive that’s why they’re served big. We, Filipinos, were used to regularly sized meals & we were shocked by the amount of food served to us in some restaurants.

We ordered these dishes in 3 different restaurants. Too much for one person; they’re all for sharing!

I ordered a chicken parmigiana meal worth AU$ 14 that was as bigger than by hand. It came with some chips (we call these fries) & salad. I was not able to finish the whole meal. It looks like a normal meal for the locals but I see it as something I can share with my friends.

If you’re travelling with friends, it pays to share these kinds of meals with them. You save some cash, you can even try more dishes in the menu!

There you go! I hope these tips will help you save some money in your upcoming Melbourne trip. Melbourne or Australia in general may be expensive to explore, but there are ways on how you can get away with these high costs. In case you are wondering about the details of my previous trips o Sydney, Brisbane & Melbourne, I have compiled all posts into a list below:

SYDNEY

N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 1 – Heritage Sites Within The City
N9 In Straya Series: Exploring SYDNEY By Foot Part 2 – City Icons, Alleys & Harbours
N9 In Straya Series – BONDI BEACH & COOGEE BEACH – A Short Trip To Two of Sydney’s Suburban Beaches + BOUNCE SYDNEY HOSTEL Tribute
N9 in Straya Series: HUNTER VALLEY Day Tour – Australian Wine Tasting At Its Finest
N9 in Straya Series: SCENIC WORLD BLUE MOUNTAINS – Nature & Adventure In One Place
Hostel Of The Day: THE POD SYDNEY – Minimalist & Contemporary Hostel In The Middle Of A Busy City

BRISBANE

N9 In Straya Series: BRISBANE Weekend – Quality Family Time In QLD

MELBOURNE

N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 1 – Parks, Gardens & Heritage Sites
N9 In Straya Series: Walking Around MELBOURNE Part 2 – Hipster Laneways, Communal Spaces & Modern Areas
N9 In Straya Series: BRIGHTON BATHING BOXES – Iconic & Photogenic Bathing Boxes Found In A Coastal Melbourne Suburb
N9 in Straya Series: GREAT OCEAN ROAD – A Day Trip To The World’s Largest War Memorial
N9 In Straya Series: PHILLIP ISLAND – A Perfect Day Out With Nature & Australian Wildlife
N9 In Straya Series: PUFFING BILLY RAILWAY & YARRA VALLEY WINE TOUR – Victoria’s Heritage Steam Railway & Wine Region In A Day
Hostel Of The Day: FLINDERS BACKPACKERS MELBOURNE – Budget-Friendly & Extremely Popular Hostel In The Heart Of The City

Can you think of other money-saving tips in Melbourne? Feel free to share your suggestions & experiences in the comments section below. You can also send them via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll surely have a look at ’em. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you very much for joining me in today’s set of Tuesday Tips! Until the next one.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

Flight Report: CEBU PACIFIC AIR 5J 905 – Manila to Caticlan (Boracay) – Short & Relatively Empty Flight To Paradise Island

Hello & welcome to another flight report. I’ve been away for a while, but fret not, I am now back & ready to share more with you. I have close to 10 flight reports (from Cebu Pacific Air, Singapore Airlines, Brussels Airlines & Czech Airlines) coming up; so stay tuned for these reviews & posts.

Look at that beautiful wing tip of the Airbus A320 sharklet that flew us from Manila to Boracay.

In the last flight reports, I shared with you details about by Indonesia Air Asia flights from Jakarta to Yogyakarta & back, from Yogyakarta to Jakarta. I also gave some details about my Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare flight from Manila to Jakarta which was booked just 2 months before the trip. Today, we’ll go back to my most-used local airline – Cebu Pacific Air. This time, I’ll take you with me from Manila to Caticlan (Boracay).

Check out the post below as I share with you some information about this short flight to the paradise island of Boracay.

cebu pacific air

As mentioned in my previous flight reports (Legazpi to Manila & Manila to Jakarta), Cebu Pacific Air is the Philippines’ largest low-cost airline that flies to various destinations within the country, across the Asia Pacific & the Middle East. It is wholly-owned by JG Summit Holdings, led by the Gokongweis. Including its subsidiary Cebgo, the airline operates a fleet of 70+ Airbus & ATR commercial & cargo aircraft with a number of new generation aircraft orders in place.

The airline has opened the opportunity for every Filipino to fly domestic & international at extremely low prices compared to its industry rivals. It is known for its ₱1-base fare promotions offered a few times a year. It has its own loyalty program called GetGo & is a founding member of Value Alliance, the world’s largest alliance of low-cost carriers.

airfare

Early this year, my friends booked a September Boracay trip for about ₱4,500 per person. A few weeks after they secured their tickets, I decided to secretly join them & booked my return ticket for ₱1,147.72 & 100 GetGo points. Yes, I paid about 1/4 of what my friends paid & even got better flight times.

By the way, the ticket only included a seat in both flights & a carry-on baggage up to 7 kilograms. Nothing more, nothing less. It only takes about an hour to fly to Boracay & it was only a weekend trip; there was no need to bring a lot of stuff. Check out the screenshot of my ticket below.

flight information

The flight was operated by a 6.4-year old Airbus A320-214 twin jet aircraft sporting the new Cebu Pacific Air livery. The plane was built & delivered from Toulouse, France last July 2013. It operates an all economy class configuration with 180 seats in total. The flight, including taxiing, took about 1 hour & 7 minutes. The plane was only airborne for 42 minutes.

We pushed back a few minutes behind schedule, but we were able to land at Caticlan Airport earlier than the scheduled arrival time. The flight was alright, with a few turbulence experienced.

Check In, Baggage & Boarding

Cebu Pacific Air offers counter, mobile & web check in for all their domestic flights. Since I was travelling light (no check in baggage), I immediately went to the boarding gate with my mobile boarding pass. There was no need to drop by the check in counters for check in.

Here’s a screenshot of my mobile boarding pass for 5J 905 from Manila to Caticlan (Boracay).

The airline offers prepaid baggage for all its flights. Guests have the option to travel light (7 kilogram carry on baggage only) or to purchase baggage for their flights. The baggage rates depend on when the allocation was purchased. See the updated baggage rates to & from Caticlan (from Manila) from the Cebu Pacific Air Fees Summary page as of 24 November 2019.

The boarding process was fast & efficient. It didn’t take long because the flight was not full. There were many empty seats & available cabin storage space. Take note that the ground staff checks your identification card when you are boarding with your mobile boarding pass. They make sure that the passenger on the ticket & boarding pass is the one taking the flight.

There were many empty seats in this domestic flight to MPH. Seats 16D, 16E & 16F were vacant!!

Seat, In-Flight Meals & Entertainment

Cebu Pacific Air, being a low-cost carrier, offers everything for a fee. Preferred seats are available for purchase up to 4 hours before the flight. If no seat is purchased, the airline’s system automatically assigns seats to all passengers a week before the flight. Each seat has a standard 28-inch pitch & has a basic recline. The seat pitch & recline doesn’t really matter for short flights like this. My friend & I were seated one row apart; it kinda sucks because we had 2 separate booking reference numbers. He eventually moved in the seat beside me since it was not occupied.

Snacks & meals are available for pre-purchase up to 24 hours before the flight. If you missed out booking your meal, you can always buy from the snack trays being rolled out by the cabin crew during the flight. The prices of in-flight snacks are expensive. It’s best to just bring your own snack, which the airline allows by the way.

The airline doesn’t offer in-flight entertainment. The back of the seats in front of each passenger has nothing. Each passenger has a seat pocket in front; the seat pocket contains the aircraft safety card & in-flight magazine.

The crew held a fun game during this flight. They asked 3 questions under a category & gave airline merchandise to the passengers who gave the correct answers. It’s this small touch that gives some passengers something to look forward to flying with the airline.

lavatory

We were only airborne for 42 minutes & I didn’t have the chance to visit the lavatory. I always go to the toilet before boarding because I want to avoid the hassle of asking my seat neighbor to stand up & make way for me going to the toilet.

cabin crew service

Cabin crew service in this flight has been just alright – it was not outstanding or special. They greeted each passenger entering the aircraft during boarding. One thing I noticed is they finished the meal / snack service just a few minutes after the seat belt sign was turned off. I suppose there were not many people who bought snacks during the flight.

verdict

Overall, it was a usual Cebu Pacific Air flight. I really did not expect so much considering I only paid ₱1,147.72 return; that’s half of that fare for this flight. What I particularly liked about this flight is it being on schedule. We were able to arrive Caticlan Airport earlier than expected & managed to surprise our friends who were already in Boracay that day.

I have a few upcoming Cebu Pacific Air flights on their Airbus A330 & Airbus A321 aircrafts. I wonder if the experience will be different from this flights, but I am already looking forward to that. In case you are wondering about the specifics of this flight & the aircraft used, check out the details listed below.

Airline: Cebu Pacific Air
Flight Date: 13 September 2019
Flight Number: 5J 905
Route: Manila (MNL) – Caticlan (Boracay) (MPH)
Duration: 1:07 hours
Seat Number: 16A (changed from 16C)
Aircraft: Airbus A320-214 Sharklet
Aircraft Registration: RP-C3275
Age: 6.4 Years Old
Year Delivered: 2013

Have you used Cebu Pacific Air in your recent flight? How was your experience? Do you plan to fly with them again in your future flights? Let’s engage into a discussion in the comments section below. You can also share your experiences, ideas, comments & suggestions via email to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to turn your notifications on for my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Please also help me promote these pages to your families & friends.

Thank you for joining me in today’s flight report. Watch out for the next one!

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.

The Wonderful Indonesia Series: YOGYAKARTA – A Relaxing Weekend In Indonesia’s Special Monarchy Region

Hello & long time no post! After about a month of being quiet, I am back. I just came back from a big trip somewhere far & I cannot wait to share more details about you guys. For now, it’s time to catch up on some backlogs. Today, I will revive my Wonderful Indonesia Series. In the past, I have shared with you details about my trip to Bali, Nusa Penida & Komodo. Today, I will bring you to another amazing place in Indonesia – YOGYAKARTA.

Borobudur Temple – one of the 2 big temples you will see when you go to Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Last August, my friends & I went on a relaxing weekend trip to Yogyakarta in Indonesia. Yogyakarta, in the local terms Jogjakarta or Jogja, is the capital city of the Special Region of Yogyakarta. It is the only Indonesian royal city still ruled by a monarch. The city has a long history in terms of arts & culture. Nowadays, the city is the center of Indonesian education. Many youngsters move to the city to finish their degrees. To the tourists, it is the home of the world-famous Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

Join me as I share with you the details of this quick but relaxing weekend getaway in one of Indonesia’s most beautiful cities.

Flight Tickets

I didn’t have plans of going to the city & country this year until my Indonesian friend Yudi, whom I met on Its The Ship 2018, invited for a weekend trip in Indonesia. Last June, I managed to book a return Cebu Pacific Air piso-fare ticket to Jakarta for ₱2,471 for an August long weekend. I immediately contacted my friend Yudi & we decided to spend the trip in Yogyakarta. I booked my Jakarta-Yogyakarta-Jakarta ticket with Indonesia Air Asia for only ₱3,155 return.

Overall, I spent ₱5,626 for 4 flights from Manila to Yogyakarta (via Jakarta) & back. Not bad, not bad at all. Actually, I posted reviews about 3 of these 4 flights. Check out the flight reports here: Manila (MNL) to Jakarta (CGK) with Cebu Pacific Air, Jakarta (CGK) to Yogyakarta (JOG) with Indonesia Air Asia & Yogyakarta (JOG) to Jakarta (CGK) with Indonesia Air Asia. I decided not to cover my flight back from Jakarta to Manila as I was asleep most of the time.

last minute joiners

Yudi & I have been in constant communication about the trip & tried to plan where to go or what to do. About 2 weeks into the trip, Dallin & Lord decided to join us for the trip. Dallin is Yudi’s friend while Lord is a Singapore-based good friend of mine who runs the LordAroundTheWorld blog. Lord was responsible for me joining Its The Ship 2018. He also joined us for a few days in Melbourne last April. Lord & I met in Yogyakarta Airport & we eventually met the other 2 guys in our hotel in the city.

Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel

We took a break from the hostel / dormitory life & decided to stay in a hotel in Yogyakarta. It didn’t hurt much cost-wise since accommodation in Indonesia is cheap compared to other cities in Southeast Asia, way cheaper than Manila hotels. We picked Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel & paid IDR 1,736,836 (₱6,511.39 reflected in my statement) for 3 nights in a 28 sq m superior room for 2 people.

This 4-star hotel is centrally located in Jalan Prawirotaman II where nice hotels & restaurants are located. The nearby Jalan Prawirotaman is the hipster street of Yogyakarta. The hotel is fab & well-designed. It has an inhouse fitness center, swimming pool, spa, art gallery, bar & restaurant. The hotel staff was accommodating, helpful & friendly. The hotel WiFi connection was fast & reliable.

We got a spacious superior room with a private balcony & a view of the city. The room has impressive lighting, lots of space & has an ‘office corner’ where guests can do some work. The hotel is clean & well-maintained. Buffet breakfast is included in the room rate. I am happy to say they have a good variety of dishes in the 3 mornings that I had breakfast.

We had a pleasant stay at Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel; we were able to take advantage of the hotel amenities. Food was good, the service was top notch & the location was perfect. I recommend that you consider this hotel when going to Yogyakarta.

Getting Around Yogyakarta

We used my friend’s car to go around the city. There was no need to hire a private car charter or to take public transportation, Grab, Gojek or rickshaws to go from one place to the other. There are multiple options in going around the city, but the best way in my opinion is to rent a motorcycle for a day or two or to rent a car & drive around for the whole duration of stay. The highlights of the city like Mount Merapi, Borobudur & Prambanan Temples are located far from the city & far from each other.

places visited

Let me warn you. All of us went to Yogyakarta with no plans or anything in mind. I didn’t do any research & I asked my friend to plan out our itinerary. Apparently, they also didn’t plan anything. We ended up going to the places we only feel like visiting. Most of the time was spent eating in nice restaurants (wait for the post about this!) & in our hotel. We were there to take a break & relax. Anyway, check out the places we went to.

JALAN MALIOBORO

Jalan Malioboro, commonly known as Malioboro Street, is Yogyakarta’s major shopping street. This street is the best place to go shopping & have the local street food. At night, the long strip transforms into a busy market with all sorts of stuff you can think of. Both locals & tourists flock this street every night. Warning! Prices can be expensive, especially if know that you are tourists.

TAMAN SARI WATER CASTLE

Taman Sari used to be the garden of the Sultanate of Yogyakarta. It used to be the sultanate’s hiding place, also his place of rest & meditation. The water castle is now one of the city’s top attractions with only a few buildings left from the old times. Locals also started to reside in some of the castle buildings / grounds.

MERAPI LAVA TRAIL TOUR

My friends & I drove about 1.5 hours away from Yogyakarta center to Mount Merapi & take the lava trail tour on a 4 x 4 jeep. Mount Merapi is an active volcano located in the border of Yogyakarta & Central Java. It is a popular tourist destination because of its lava & boulder trails brought by the volcanic activities.

There were 3 options for the lava trail tour. We opted for the shortest one. The tour & the bumpy ride around the lava trails took about 1.5 hours. I’m sorry I forgot how much we paid for the whole tour. It wasn’t that much. Was it worth the time & effort going to the volcano grounds? It was alright; not much interesting things to see. I won’t do it again in the future.

BOROBUDUR TEMPLE

My main reason of flying to Yogyakarta is to see the world famous Borobudur Temple. This UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site is the world’s largest Buddhist temple built in the 9th century. The temple is also famous for its round stupas containing a unique Buddha structure inside.

Most tourists go to the temple during sunrise / sunset, but we opted to go there during midday. An entrance ticket is required to enter the temple grounds. Lord & I opted for the US$45 combined entrance ticket for Borobudur & Prambanan Temples.

PRAMBANAN TEMPLE

Prambanan Temple is another UNESCO World Heritage Listed Site found in Yogyakarta. This Hindu temple dedicated to Shiva was built in the 10th century. This, together with Borobudur Temple, are the main attractions for people visiting Yogyakarta.

We got a combined entry ticket worth US$45 per person (for the 2 temples) to access the temple grounds.

This pretty much sums up my Yogyakarta weekend with friends. It felt good seeing them again after a while & spending quality time over good food & drinks & amazing scenery. Nothing much really happened, it was all about taking a break from our daily routines.

Have you been to Yogyakarta? How did you find the city? Is it a place you’d love to go back or maybe a place you’d love to visit? Post your thoughts in the comment section below. Do you have any questions about the information mentioned above? Send them to contact@thewkndtravel.com & I’ll respond as soon as I can. Please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Thank you for taking time to read this post. Watch out for the list of restaurants you shouldn’t miss when in Yogyakarta – that’ll be the next post about this amazing city.

PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.