37 Comments on “Jakarta OverPopulation?”
-
retarders says:
October 21st, 2010 at 6:25 amIf you can smell other people’s ketiak while you travel or having dengkul to dengkul contact when you go to WC, then yes… it’s overcrowded….
-
rustyprince says:
October 16th, 2011 at 7:42 amJust completed a most enjoyable 10days motorbiking around East Java. Scenery absolutely awesome, the beaches are far better than Bali and easily rival Lombok’s Kuta. People absolutely great, hospitable with personality and I am truely convinced that centuries of Javanese endeavor etching out those rice-terraces and garden plantations has resulted in a landscape more aspiring than what nature untouched would have delivered.
On the reliability of the census – can’t believe there’s a million in Lumajang and Bondowoso or 2million in Jember. I arrived expecting the major arterial routes to be dangerouly congested but only found this in the immediate environs of Surabaya and Jember. Side roads – rustic java is alive and well, especially pleasing are the graceful way the school girls cycle nonchlantly.
Reccomendations, Pacet, Selecta/Batu, BaleKambang and Punama Pantai, Durian in Lumajang and arriving by M’bike at Bromo from Lumajang and seeing the – a bule cheated us – look on those punkish touristguides spoiling that piece of heaven.
East Java – Thumbs Up
-
David says:
October 16th, 2011 at 8:37 amAh Rusty, I’m pseudo planning my ‘Easy Rider’ tour of Java presently, my original vague idea was to head from surabaya down to Pacitan, and thence westwards, but I really have little clue.
-
October 16th, 2011 at 10:36 amThe south coast from Blitar to Jember was a big hit with me. I missed out on Selingdan Biru – spelling! – but Pantai Balekambang and Punama were real gems and well worth bringing the family. There’s also the hidden gem of Konde Merah, gorgeous, near the former. Its 20mins down a very rough track, watch the limbs, and there’s an interesting character Eddie hiding out there from his ex wifes. Your ensured of a great laugh with him.
Pacitan and Mere Beri – I think its called – the area south of Banyuwangi are the two districts I’ve missed out on but given how laid back the rest of the south coast is I’m definitely getting there soon. I think Pacitan has the added bonus of having the fiesty-est ladies on Java – Jupe?
Coming out of Surabaya I found the countryside side of Mojokerto very picturesque. Pacet to the hot springs at Cangger is the quietest road in Java and the best Bakso is to be found a little further where the orchards begin. Stay in Selecta,near Batu with the enchanting outdoor-pool. Batu to Wringli very picture-esque. Loved all the side roads, DonoMulyo, Bantur, Kencong, Sendurno. The former is the idyllic road one takes out of Lumajang for Bromo. Love Ijen to.
I was having such a good time and rang the m’bike owner for another 5 days rent, no go even when I said I’d pay more. I think it was unfathomable to this Surabaya honcho that anyone could be having such a awsome experience in Java and he thought I must have absconded with his motor to kuta, sanur or some mirror image of holiday hell.
Enjoy -
timdog says:
October 17th, 2011 at 12:15 pmAh, a man after my own heart!
Rusty – that Batu-Pacet road is, I think, my favourite in all Java – there’s a magnificent spot about two-thirds of the way down from Canggar where the road runs along a very narrow saddle, and there’s often a fantastic view across to Gunung Penanggungan to the east (which also happens to be my favourite mountain)…
Mr David, if you’re heading out from Surabaya to Pacitan, I’d suggest not using the main highway (beyond Jombang it’s actually quite a nice road, but there are better options…
A great road is the one from Batu past Selorejo, and then along the byways through the pineapple fields to Blitar – that’s Java at its finest, and great biking country.
Pacitan is nice, and there’s a wonderful network of somewhat bumpy roads through the coastal hills south of the main Ponorogo-Trenggalek-Blitar road, which you can pick your way east along.
Further east the main road passes through some awesome country between Malang and Lumajang, and you can branch south anywhere along the whole route to find beaches…
At the far end of the island, if your bike’s got a healthy engine, a traverse of Ijen is great fun (though the road up from Banyuwagi is seriously rough and steep.
The only genuinely drab and dreary bit of road in the whole province is the main north coast highway, but if you come in from the south, from Bondowoso, for example, on your way back to Surabaya you only need to spend a few hours on it. Might be making a bike trip somewhere in the province myself next week…
-
October 17th, 2011 at 1:55 pmRight-on Tim,inspirational vistas along that route to rival Tuscany and the best of Europe. Hey, I included that mention of Bakso mindful of your in-delicious opinions on Java’s staple diet which I usually share, but in this instance second servings were in order. Enakkk!
-
October 18th, 2011 at 8:06 amI’ll keep an eye out for that bakso next time, rusty. I’m not completely averse to the stuff, and though I generally only eat it in an emergency (when it’s a toss-up between grimly grey bakso, or very old looking nasi padang, in some one-goat backwoods village), I retain open to the possibility of there being good bakso out there somewhere!
When I take that road I generally eat somewhere further downhill. North of Pacet on the Surbaya/Krian road, where the land starts to level out, there’s this awesome warung lesehan, the name of which I’ve forgotten. It’s a very simple little place, made of bamboo, off the road to the left (heading north), but it does huge portions of everything, really fresh and tasty, and a good place to while away an hour before throwing yourself back into the maelstrom of Surabaya traffic…
Your view on “Jakarta OverPopulation?” :
-
Login
Related Stories
Copyright Indonesia Matters 2006-12
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | Contact