Off to Backpacking!

Well, actually last month I took 9 days trip as a solo backpacker to Surabaya (East Java) and Bali. First time traveling without any companion. Hmmm .... I don’t know how to describes my feeling at that time, I was really excited, scared, nervous and also happy at the same time. But I do believe that this trip will be amazing, just like the picture that I take below hehe

I actually really wants  to visit another Southeast Asian countries like Thailand and Myanmar for this year but there were a few things that make it complicated so I decided to go to Surabaya and Bali instead.

I start to make a plan about this trip right after my break semester starting, So for the first I look at how much money that I have on my bank account and then I decide where to go. I’m choosing Surabaya because I just curious about it, my father used to work in Bojonegoro so I kinda want to know more about his work place and also some friends told me that there are a lot of cheap book stores in Surabaya and due to my final project I want to find some cheap engineering books there. I also wants to meet some friends who stay and live in Surabaya, that’s why I think Surabaya is worth to visit.

I’m planning to stay in East Java for about 2 days but then my father asked me to stay in his place for one night (but then I just ended up staying in his place for about 12 hours). It will be cheaper if I’m traveling around Java (there are a lot of things to visit too of course) but then I think “how about visiting Bali?” and in a few minutes I found my self searching a flight to Bali. I want to take a road trip to Bali by bus from Surabaya but realizing that this is my first time traveling alone so I prefer to choose taking a plane (I got a good money for the ticket anyway, it was almost the same price as if I’m taking the bus).

I’m using TripAdvisor mostly to search flights and cheap hostels, I already compared it to another travel planning sites and I think TripAdvisor still give us the best info (this is not an adv anyway).

So this is my itinerary, not that great but enjoy it!

Pre-departure bookings

Category	Sub-category	Vendor	Note
Travel	Air Ticket	Lion Air	BPN-SBY
Travel	Air Ticket	Lion Air	SBY-DPS
Travel	Air Ticket	Citilink	DPS-BPN, it got delayed for about 5 hours (well I learn how to be patient anyway hmm)
Travel	Hostel	Providence Homestay	Surabaya
Travel	Hostel	CX Hostel	Kuta, Legian
Travel	Hostel	M Hostel	Seminyak (I meet a friend from US and we decide to move together to this hostel because it provide a breakfast and the price is only Rp. 5000,00 different form our previous hostel)

Day	Location	Category	Sub-category	Vendor	Note
1	Handil- Balikpapan	Travel	Mini Bus		Handil? My hometown
		Food	Coffee
		Travel	Airport Tax	Angkasa Pura
	Surabaya	Food	Lunch	Kantin Juanda	Right next to Juanda Airport parking lot
	Surabaya-Bojonegoro	Travel	Rental Car
2	Bojonegoro- Surabaya	Travel	Train	PT. KAI
	Surabaya	Food	Lunch		Soto Ayam In front of Pasar Turi Station gate
		Travel	Becak		Visiting Kampoeng Ilmoe, one of a famous place for second hand book stores (they got almost everything here!)
		Travel	Taxi	Blue Bird	Off to hostel
		Food	Dinner	A & W
3	Surabaya	Food	Brunch	Soto Madura?	Darmo Park 2
		Travel	Bemo		Jl.Mayjen Sungkono-Joyoboyo Station
		Travel	Bemo		Joyoboyo Station-WTC Surabaya
		Travel	Bemo		Surabaya Plaza-Tugu Pahlawan ( I’m also visiting House Of Sampoerna with a friend, so that’s why I didn’t spend another travel expenses)
		Food	Dinner	Tunjungan Plaza	Fried Rice with Shrimp
4	Surabaya	Food	Breakfast	Soto Madura? again	Delicious!
		Travel	Bemo		Jl.Mayjen Sungkono-Joyoboyo Station
		Travel	Bemo		Joyoboyo Station-Bungurasih Station
		Travel	Damri Bus		Bungurasih Station- Juanda Airport
		Food	Lunch	Kantin Juanda again!!	Cheap!!!
		Travel	Airport Tax	Angkasa Pura
	Bali	Travel	Taxi		Don’t forget to make a deal with the driver to get a cheap one!! Search the actual price before you come.
		Food	Second Lunch *Peace	@rt Satu Padang	Nasi Padang
		Food	Dinner		Soto Ceker (the most delicious chicken legs soup that I ever had)
5	Bali	Food	Breakfast		Gado-gado (Indonesian traditional food in western style)
		Travel	Motorcycle	Tri Dhatu Motorbike	Rental it for 2 days (Poor me I got the expesive one)
		Travel	Sightseeing		Garuda Wisnu Kencana
		Travel	Sightseeing		Dream Land Beach, before visit it I was in Uluwatu. It was great!!
		Travel	Sightseeing		Pandawa Beach. My favorite one so far.
		Food	Dinner	Warung Made	Rice and Fried Veggies
6	Bali	Food	Breakfast		Nasi Padang
		Travel	Sightseeing		Tanah Lot
		Food	Dinner		Nasi Padang
		Food	Beverages	Presotea	Macha Tea with Red Beans
	Bali	Food	Beverages		A drink?
		Food	Lunch		Nasi Padang
		Food	Beverages	Presotea	Macha Tea with Red Beans
		Travel	Sightseeing		Walking around Kuta Legian
		Food	Dinner	Cucoxx	Bakmie Goreng
8	Bali	Travel	Sightseeing		Walking around Seminyak
		Food	Dinner	Saleko	The most delicious Padang Restaurant in Bali and the cheapest one!!
		Food	Beverages	Presotea	Macha Tea with Red Beans
		Travel	Sightseeing		Walking around Seminyak
		Food	Snacks	Bintang Seminyak	Just some snacks hehehe
9	Bali	Travel	Sightseeing		Seminyak Beach
		Travel	Taxi	Blue Bird
		Food	Lunch		Nasi Padang at Airport
	Balikpapan-Handil	Travel	Rental Car		Going Back Home

This trip is  amazing for me, I’m planning everything by my self and it helps me to know my self better. I meet few new friends. I experiencing a lot of new things. I finally can challenges my fear and insecurities. Just amazing!!!!

I spend the last two days on my trip mostly around Legian and Seminyak. There are a lot of galleries and Craft Shop there, I also visiting two second hand book stores in Bali (I don’t know why I always ended up on a book stores). 

If you have any questions regarding this trip leave a comment below! :)