MRS. A TRAVELS | JAKARTA TO YOGYAKARTA VIA TRAIN

By Athina Angliongto - 10:09:00 PM


Last year, my sister, aunt, uncle and I went to Yogyakarta (Jogjakarta). We rode a train going there and boy, was it an experience that was unforgettable. Not that something super unbelievable or breathtaking happened to us along the way but because it was something new for me since it was my first very long train ride. The ride usually takes 8 hours to and from Jakarta and Yogyakarta.

So from Jakarta, we went to Stasiun Gambir since that's the starting point of the trip. Our tickets were booked online by our uncle's staff. The porter helped us and told us that we need our tickets printed first (since we only had soft copies of our tickets).

Stasiun Gambir




Here's a copy of my ticket. It cost us Rp 342,500 each from Jakarta to Yogyakarta (around Php 1,400)


We arrived at the Station around 8 in the morning. We still had time to kill so my family and I ate breakfast upstairs at HOKBEN. There were lots of stores and restaurants inside the station so buying food won't be a problem there.


my breakfast at HOKBEN
When it was already okay to go inside the waiting area for the train, the porter came back and assisted us with our bags. We had to go through ticket checking first just like immigration. My uncle and aunt were already residents in Indonesia so they showed their Ids, while my sister and I showed our passports together with the tickets.

By the way, the porter that helped us (I forgot his name) was really nice and he really did well while assisting us with our check in and all. Although I'm not sure if he spoke English well because my Uncle and Aunt did all the talking. But nevertheless he was really helpful. All porters should be like him. Kudos!

The train we rode, according to my aunt, was one of the older trains that's why the restroom toilet is to be used in squatting position. I think newer trains have the traditional toilets that I am used to.



GENEROUS LEG ROOM




We left Jakarta on time at 9 in the morning. The ride was smooth and thank God we didn't encounter any problems along the way. There were a few stops on different stations along the way to drop off passengers and accept other passengers who were on the way to Yogyakarta as well. Apparently this wasn't a non-stop ride.

A female attendant went seat to seat and handed out a menu for lunch. I'm not entirely sure if the lunch was included in the ticket but I did, however, see my aunt pay the attendant after we ate our lunch.


My lunch. Nasi Goreng Ayam (chicken with rice). It also had a bit of krupuk. Food tasted well. It wasn't the best but it was good.
There was also a male train attendant who came back and forth with a cart full of drinks and chips asking us if we would like to buy some. He also had hot noodles on hand too. My sister and I each got a drink from him. One thing that was funny was that after he left, he would come back again just a few minutes later to offer us food and drinks. He kept on doing this during the whole trip. Not that it was annoying but I guess that was his marketing scheme to sell more food and drinks.

During the trip, I was really amazed with the view. I admired the rural parts of Indonesia. I saw different types of houses, transportation, kids with big smiles and more. That made the trip more interesting. There wasn't any wifi inside the train but the view was more than enough to ease boredom. Too bad I wasn't able to take fabulous photos though.



Because it was an 8-hour trip, I expected that we would arrive at 5 in the afternoon. To our surprise, we arrived at Jogjakarta station at 4:30 pm. That was 30 minutes earlier than expected.


The guy in orange was our porter. He was a bit old, already showed some age. Okay so this time we got a not-so-nice porter because he was a bit rude to my aunt and he didn't really give any care in handling our bags which was really disappointing. I hope the management does something about porters like him.


facade outside the station



Finally arrived at JAVA Region. Hello YOGYAKARTA =)
TIPS:

For those who want to visit Yogyakarta and wanna see a few rural sights along the way and don't mind sitting for 8 hours, this is a good option to consider. 

Though I would, however, advise to take a pee at the station before riding the train. Squatting restrooms are just so not for me. I actually had a hard time holding on to the bars while the train was in motion. But if you could handle it then why not. 
I would also like to point out that the distance of the Airport and Jogjakarta Train station is a bit far from each other. The Jogjakarta Station is much near Malioboro area.
 
NOPE! SQUATTING IS NOT FOR ME


It is also good if you bought snacks to bring along the trip. The food on board might be a tad bit pricier but I'm not really sure since my uncle and aunt paid for the food and drinks that we got. Speaking of drinks, again, minimal water intake is advisable if you get the train with a squat for a toilet.

Bring a camera! Don't be like me who failed to take nice pictures of the views along the way.


Would I ride the train again going to Yogyakarta? YES! Definitely =)
I miss my Uncle and Aunt. Can't wait to visit them in Jakarta hopefully soon.

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