Arriving late at night into the airport of Jogjakarta it is easy to feel like you’ve stepped back in time. This airport was never intended to be serviced by commercial aircraft, rather it is operated and used by the Indonesian military… and it shows. Walking across the tarmac you enter a terminal that is dimly lit, with off white (almost pale green) walls, fluorescent lighting, decorations from the 80s, and a charming sense of chaos. The single room arrivals hall is swarming with people around a single baggage belt. It's muggy, there are a few money exchange vendors touting for business at the sides of the halls, and the overall people watching is entertaining to say the least. There is no doubt I have arrived in Asia and am now on the road!
My first stop is a two hour drive from ‘Jogja’, an old dutch coffee plantation that now operates as an wellness retreat called Mesa Stila. The perfect start of a trip in Indonesia complete with colonial buildings and traditional villas. The building that house the suites are all historical buildings that have been moved on site from around Java. The presidential suite for instance is the former residence of a Javanese prince — with the master bedroom of the prince in the main building, and an additional 5 smaller residences where his wives once lived surround this. The main club house is the original dutch plantation residence, and is filled with interesting artefacts and decorations. The check in and main reception is housed in an old railway station house. All of these give the feeling that you are uncovering something very special.
At 4.15am the Call To Prayer starts to bellow from the mosques in the surrounding villages. There is no mistaking that my last night arrival was not a dream, but rather I am getting a taste of Javanese life. A little while later the sun rises to reveal a beautiful valley below starting to come alive, the smoke and mist start to lift, and you get your first glimpse of the stunning volcanic mountains that lay on the over side. The location is stunning.
My day starts with yoga an open air pavilion looking across the gardens and parts of the valley. I then head to breakfast to rehydrate (after losing a few kilos in sweat at yoga). I try the traditional Jamu (Indonesian Herbal Drinks) that served with breakfast while I overlook the pool with the same stunning mountain backdrop. Not all of these drinks are as pleasant as the surrounds, but I am assured they are good for you. Day to day my schedule changes, with guided walks of the coffee plantation, to Jungle Gym classes that are literally boot camp style classes in the jungle leaping through tyres and jumping around bamboo poles a la Rambo. I am getting stuck in as much as I can.
I can’t think of a better place to have started my trip, and am very pleased I skipped the overdevelopment in Bali, and opted for the real Indonesia instead!
