Day 3
As we were able to cover most of the tourist spots on Day 2, we decided to spend Day 3 solely on shopping and relaxing. Having seen how cheap things could be in Jogjakarta, we were really excited about the possibility of finding some good deals in Malioboro.
But first, we wanted to do like what holiday makers should do – waking up late and lazing around. We decided to have our breakfast in the garden, enjoy a bit of the morning sunshine and chill out by the pool, before we raid Malioboro with full force.
Rumah Mertua Boutique Hotel is definitely nice to look at and comfortable to stay in. The garden is so beautiful in the morning. Having breakfast in the garden was such a pleasant experience.
As we were able to cover most of the tourist spots on Day 2, we decided to spend Day 3 solely on shopping and relaxing. Having seen how cheap things could be in Jogjakarta, we were really excited about the possibility of finding some good deals in Malioboro.
But first, we wanted to do like what holiday makers should do – waking up late and lazing around. We decided to have our breakfast in the garden, enjoy a bit of the morning sunshine and chill out by the pool, before we raid Malioboro with full force.
Rumah Mertua Boutique Hotel is definitely nice to look at and comfortable to stay in. The garden is so beautiful in the morning. Having breakfast in the garden was such a pleasant experience.
I was very impressed with the breakfast and I will continue to say that in this article. It’s so nicely prepared and presented, unlike most of the other hotels where you only get scrambled egg with some starchy baked beans for complimentary breakfast.
You first get fruit juice and “kuih” as “starter”. See, it’s like a proper 3-course meal!
Then, piece de resistance…
Mee Goreng (Fried Noodle)
Bee Hoon Goreng (Fried Rice Vermicelli)
Last but not least, dessert!
Pineapple Pancake
And mind you, these are all very tasty food!
This is Rumah Mertua Boutique Hotel, taken from the entrance (and while waiting for our taxi to Malioboro).
As I mentioned, this is a hotel located deep inside a Javanese village. There’s hardly anything in the surrounding areas.
Malioboro
Malioboro is the main business and administrative district of Jogjakarta. It’s a busy city but it’s definitely not one full of skyscrapers and modern buildings. It looks pretty much like Hatyai in Sounthern Thailand.
Like Hatyai, there are also street vendors along the sidewalks selling local handicrafts and produce. This is where you get the bargains if you’re looking for some souvenirs to bring home. Remember, haggle the best you can!
Jogjakarta is famous for its batik. It’s apparently the “home of batik” in Indonesia. There’s an indoor market that sells batik clothing and fabrics. The place looks a bit déjà vu – it’s Hatyai that it reminds me of.
We wanted to try some of the local food and so we went to this really “old fashioned” looking coffee shop called Cirebon Restaurant.
We tried their Vegetable Boiled Noodle which is a bit tasteless and insipid – ok, wrong choice of food…
We tried their Vegetable Boiled Noodle which is a bit tasteless and insipid – ok, wrong choice of food…
Ayam Betutu
Some chicken cooked with spices thingy – another wrong choice of food!
Chicken Satay
Somehow they call it chicken kebab – this is at least better than the other 2 dishes mentioned above.
There’s this extremely friendly waiter in the restaurant who kept talking to us the entire time we were in there and offered to take us to the shop that sells “oleh-oleh” (local cookies).
We ended up buying a few boxes of “Bakpia”. Don’t ask me why it’s called “Bakpia” when I know it should actually be called “tao sar pia” (or “tambun pia”) as they taste 99% like Penang’s “tao sar pia”. The only difference is that the filling of “Bakpia” is not necessarily made of “tao sar” (bean paste), but also cheese and chocolate paste.
Apparently, Bakpia is very popular among tourists and there are some who queue up and buy them in big boxes .
I was pleased that they also sell wajik. I had it on the first day at the hotel as part of the welcome refreshment and fell in love with it since….
A word of advice, don’t go too crazy buying too many boxes of them as they have a short life span. It’d probably expire even before you leave Jogja (i.e. the expiry date is only 2 days from the manufacturing date).
There are 2 decent shopping malls in Jogja. One is Malioboro Mall right in the middle of Malioboro and the other (better one) called Amplaza which is near the airport. I got myself an Adidas top for gym for only RM60 and my friends bought themselves 2 pairs of Nike respectively, only for RM 130 each pair. What a shopping paradise!
I also bought a cardigan and a vest, averaging only RM20 each! I’ll wear them in my upcoming trip to Perth.
There are 2 decent shopping malls in Jogja. One is Malioboro Mall right in the middle of Malioboro and the other (better one) called Amplaza which is near the airport. I got myself an Adidas top for gym for only RM60 and my friends bought themselves 2 pairs of Nike respectively, only for RM 130 each pair. What a shopping paradise!
I also bought a cardigan and a vest, averaging only RM20 each! I’ll wear them in my upcoming trip to Perth.
Having spent the 1st half of the day walking around and shopping in the city centre, we decided to pamper ourselves at a spa not far away from where we stayed.
It’s Java Garden Spa (Jl. Damai, Sleman).
The stepping stones that lead to the main entrance..
The spa is facing a green padi field
I had the foot massage for Rp107,000 (RM35).
My shorts but not my slippers J
Once done, it’s time to pamper our stomach at a newly opened Thai restaurant – Congkrak restaurant just opposite the spa.
Mango Salad (Rp 22,500 / RM 7.5)
Black Pepper Crabs (Rp 82,500 / RM27.5) – we had 2 of this for only RM27.5!!!
Lemon Sauce Grouper (Rp 33,000 / RM11) – can you believe how cheap it is??
Hot Plate Tofu (Rp 32,500 / RM10.8) – I love this place!!
As if that was not cheap enough, the restaurant gave us a 25% discount of the total bill!
No comments:
Post a Comment