Mistaken Names & Towns I’ve wanted to experience a temple stay program for a very long time. So, last year, I was very excited when my Korean friend gifted us a couples’ stay at a temple of our choice. We chose Woljeongsa Temple (월정사 전나무숲) in Gangwon Province. Woljeongsa Temple lies in Odaesan National Park (오대산국립공원) — a popular fall viewing…
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Bromo to Madakaripura Spirits were high after our morning adventure (previous post). We left Lava View Lodge soon after breakfast and got a look at the other side of the mountain village on the drive to Madakaripura. The sun was out now and brought life to the sky and fields. I wished we could have stayed…
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Getting there We reached Gupabal Station (subway line 3) at 7:00 a.m. in the morning. There’s a bus stop, on the same side of the road, around 5 minutes from exit 1. Most websites recommend Bus No. 704 (on the opposite side) or Bus No. 34. A taxi driver figured we were confused and suggested Bus…
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Early Morning Train Ride Our hotel in Yogyakarta was about 15 minutes away from the railway station. The entrance to the station was buzzing with foreign tourists, their guides, and few locals. There’s a ticket and passport check at the entrance, but surprisingly the security check isn’t very strict. It’s preferable to carry only a…
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“Life is like the river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along and sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere.” ― Emma Smith Life prospers around rivers. And when a river cuts across a densely packed urban city — it literally brings in a breath of fresh air. We’re incredibly lucky to have the River Hangang (한강)…
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Graharu Boutique Hotel Our boutique hotel, in Borobudur, was pretty charming in daylight. It had looked very different on the previous night and the wee hours of the morning — before our sunrise visit to Borobudur Temple. The manager was disappointed that we were rushing to Yogyakarta after spending only a couple hours in the hotel.…
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We woke up at 3:00 a.m. to the sounds of the alarm and crickets. I was tempted to skip sunrise because of the tiring day at Prambanam. But once I was up, I couldn’t contain my excitement and was all set to go. Eko, our guide, was waiting at the lobby of our boutique hotel.…
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We woke up at 4 a.m. to leave Bogor before rush hour. Our taxi picked us at 5 a.m. and we reached Jakarta Airport within an hour. After 4 long days in Indonesia, our trip had finally begun. Given the distances and time constraints, we opted for a private tour (Backyard Travel) of Java —…
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Getting our visa extension (in Seoul) before our Indonesian trip was going to be a tight finish. Fortunately, we got our cards renewed on Tuesday and left for Indonesia on Saturday morning. The minute we boarded the flight to Jakarta from Hong Kong, I was amazed by the cultural diversity of the people onboard and felt welcome by…
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