Changes in international travel costs from Indonesia

At the start of the 2009, a few changes were made to costs associated with international travel for Indonesian citizens and residents.
Prior to January 2009, every adult resident or citizen had to pay 1 million Rupiah (about $140 AU) Fiscal tax every time they left the country, as well as 50 000RP ($7) departure tax. For a family of 5, it was just too expensive to leave often.

The new regulations waives this charge if you are a tax payer.

As we are tax payers in Indonesia we don't have to pay!

The departure tax has now risen though to 150 000RP per person, so we still have to pay this 5 times if we all leave (just over $100 AU).

Tiger air, a budget Singaporean airline, have started to fly routes out of Jakarta, which is great news as they have made trips to Singapore within our budget. Twice this year we have picked up $US6 flights.


(small print...once you add all seat and luggage charges plus tax's it does work out to be quite a bit more than $6, but nothing like the $1000+ it would be on Singapore air or Garuda Air)

The global banking crisis has had an extreme effect on the price of accommodation in Singapore, the cost of a room has dropped back to the affordable levels of 2006 and early 2007. Just about all hotels will not let you have a family of 5 in one room, you need 2 rooms, which is why we always try and get an apartment. Apartments have the advantage of kitchens and laundries which are very budget friendly. We recommend Le Grove apartments .

These 3 factors (fiscal, tiger air and accommodation costs) all mean we can do some more exploring in SE Asia. I have never been to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam or Cambodia, I'm hoping that will change as soon as possible!

Manly to Circular Quay ferry

We took the kids for a ferry ride across Sydney Harbour. I think it was their first trip across Sydney Harbour! It was a perfect day for it.
I grew up close to Manly and a favourite teenage activity was to catch the ferry across the harbour during rough swells.....
We had lunch at the The Harbour View Hotel

I got to love all over this gorgeous 12 month old boy!


Ben refused to co-operate for any family photos, as usual lol.


We then got to walk through the great weekend markets at The Rocks.


A wonderful day was had by all!

Frequent flyer points

Frequent flyer points...are they worth anything?

I saved up all my Ansett point for years and lost them all when they went under in 2002.

I went to use some of my Qantas points a few months ago and they had all expired.

So why book a mum traveling alone with three kids to the southern hemisphere from the southern hemisphere via the northern hemisphere???????
Especially when there is a direct flight at roughly the same price.

The answer is so she can get a few FF points.
What the...

So my schedule:

leave home to get to airport 2 hours @3.30pm

wait at airport for 2 hours

Jakarta to Singapore 1.5 hours flight (cross the equator) 7.35 pm

arrive Singapore

wait for 5+ hours until 12.30AM and fly to Sydney

let me repeat...

wait for 5+ hours until 12.30AM and fly to Sydney

and again for effect

wait for 5+ hours until 12.30AM and fly to Sydney

arrive Sydney 11.50 am

clear customs (nearly as bad as Jakarta), wait for shuttle bus and arrive home at 2pm

A total of 19 hours traveling with kids with out a pack mule/disciplinarian.

There is another option

Leave home at 5pm fly directly to Sydney and arrive at 7.20 am, and get there nearly six hours earlier.
But get no frequent flyer points.

Guess who made this decision....no not the office
No, the jackass who is not flying with his wife and his three kids.

I feel so much better now I have vented to the world LOL.

The journey home

I had one of those trips home, the days that make you want to scream like a banshee and drop to the floor and have a full blown tantrum.
I probably would have but it was Jakarta International airport and dropping to the floor could of meant instant death from the pox......

I love books...I really LOVE books and always stock up on trips abroad. Bookshops are not that plentiful or well stocked in Jakarta and are very expensive.
Books are heavy, especially if you have over 10 big ones hidden in a back pack. I was trying to stand up straight so no one would notice and ask to weigh my bag, but this was getting very hard after 75 minutes in a queue to check in at Sydney airport. I can not imagine how much excess baggage fee I would of been charged for my stash!

After putting away half a bookstore and relieving my back of burning agony I was less than thrilled to be on an older plane filled to capacity, stuck behind an arsehole for 8 hours. The type of arsehole that reclines his seat before the plane even takes off. I think his seat might of gone back slightly more but only if both my knees were removed....The seat was so close to my face that I could not even see the TV screen, luckily I had quite a few books to keep me amused and non violent.
After my wine was spilled over me the second time I was incensed enough reach forward, tug his arm and loudly (but still politely and completely lady like) ask him to keep his seat upright until my lunch tray was removed. I then spent the rest of the flight wondering how much trouble I would get into tipping ice and drinks over his head as well as how much it would cost to bribe the hostesses to do the same......

After a pleasant 1 hour in Singapore airport (oh how I love thee Singapore...) it was time to face the madness of the flight to Jakarta. Luckily this was not so bad, but the airport was horrific.
I had my 16 kg backpack strapped on my back and made the frenzied dash to immigration and got through in great time to then have to wait for 1 hour for my luggage.
Of course there was no trolleys.....
After being knocked down, run over and shoved about a hundred million times I started to get a bit snarky.......when men pushed in front of me I would shove them back and tell them to apologize to me in my limited Bahasa Indonesian. The expression on their faces was very comical....

It is very hard to get use to a culture of no queuing....it is survival of the pushiest!

The kids and GJ were waiting just behind the door, in the heat and crowds for 1.5 hours nearly asleep on their feet.

I made it...at last!
It is good to be home.

Jakarta International airport

I have found something good about Jakarta International airport........I know, what a shock!

There is a great little hole in the the wall shop that does reflexology.........

45 minutes of excruciating bliss for about $8.

It is just as well as I had a great experience as I have had a bad one at Singapore......

I was supposed to have a 1 hour stop here BUT I have been here for 3 hours already and still have another 2.5 hours before my flight. My flight got canceled.

I was scheduled to sitting just behind business class; but I have been bumped back to the very last row.........

A direct flight from Jakarta to Sydney is about 7.5 hours if you go Qantas.......this little jaunt will be 24 hours door to door. OMG. Usually Singapore Airlines is so good.

Nobody had better upset me, because I will be/am very tired and cranky.

Taronga Zoo

The Zoo's animals

my animals.....

I was fortunate to grow up on Sydney's northern beaches, about a 20 minute drive from the world famous Taronga Zoo. The zoo is like a comfortable old friend; but even with all the familiarity I still think it is one of the best in the world! (Singapore and San Diego are my other favorites).

The view over the city is amazing!The zoo is built into the side of a hill going right down to the harbour. We alway wind our way down the hill and then catch the sky rail back to the top.

This has been a great addition to the zoo over the years as I am usually pushing a stroller and or carrying a child as well as drinks and bags which is VERY heavy going up hill.
This year I forgot all about Tanya's and mums' fear of heights........

The girls thought it was hilarious that they didn't like the view and ride......but Tanya was HORRIFIED when the girls channeled their father and started to rock the cabin.....
It was hard work not to laugh out loud while telling the girls off, reassuring Mum and Tan, as well as taking photos!

Sydney, Singapore and Jakarta International airports.

On our trip over to Australia I had made a few notes on my laptop about airports......unfortunately I could not connect my laptop to the internet to post them.

(Don't loose your wireless password...you will regret it!)

Jakarta international airport, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport

In the weeks prior to our departure there was a lot of mentions of the state of CGK's restrooms in the media....... well here is my two cents worth......

unusable
indescribable
disgusting

In my 32++ years I have been to quiet a few public restrooms around the world. This would come in the top 5 worst ever.

It is an absolute disgrace for the capital's airport.

The airport itself is not too good.
Very inefficient!
I try not to ever say a bad word about the country that is our present home, we truly love living here but honestly ...the airport sucks big time!

EVERY time a citizen or resident leaves the country you have to pay a fiscal tax of 1 million rupiah ($125) per person as well as 100 000RP departure tax ($12.50). So it costs us three hundred dollars to leave the country, kids are free of fiscal but pay Dept. tax. Apparently claiming it back on your tax return triggers an audit....now who would want the Indonesian tax department going through their finances???????

Not much was open, for some reason we were not allowed in for 10 minutes....I think the guard was waiting for us to pay him. At 4 am in the morning I need nice hot coffee and a clean spot to sit and be able to sniff Bens warm snuggly body. None of this can happen at CGK.

We have got some great tips after a few visits through...when you get off your flight RUN to immigration. Knock over all in your way, just get there ASAP. It will save at least an hour of ridiculous queues.

A new tip is to take a wet wipe and rub off all chalk marks on your luggage surreptitiously as the come off the carousel. It will stop the annoying spot checks at customs. Unfortunately I did not have a wipe handy and the wise guy wanted to check the bag on the bottom of my trolley which was piled high as a volcano threatening imminent eruption. GJ and Yadi were no more 20 metres away behind the screen but I still had to unload and then reload my mountainous pile of luggage......

Unless you speak way more Bahasa Indonesian than I do, don't bother with the porters. I know the going rate, can negotiate the price but still get surrounded in the carpark and hit up for more. Same as the creepy men in the terminal who walk past and hiss in your ear "statues, etc", I loudly say no. My sweet bloggy buddy has taught me how to say no like a local..."ngat" (i think that is how you spell it...) lots of guttural emphasis and none of the soft formal word "tidak'.



Singapore Changi airport.

Oh my, immaculate, organized, efficient. You could eat in the restrooms here.

On our return journey we caught the new light rail system between terminals.
Ben was in heaven; a bus, a plane and a train all in one day! You could live in this airport for a week+ free trolleys throughout.



Sydney International Airport.

I must admit getting alot better...

but the extortion of having to pay $4 for a single luggage trolley...and no credit on return.

The shops are interesting, lots of chairs and windows and space, but the rest rooms still smell. It was nice to watch the sun come up over the airport and see all the activity.

Customs and immigrations on arrival are still super slow and tedious.


I was a bit nervous traveling home by my self with the kids......The journey started at 4.45am and finished at 10pm, a looooooong day.

Normally I have GJ as my pack mule...... this time it was just me with 4 large suitcases, 3 cabin luggage bags, 3 backpacks and a handbag and 3 tired kids.

But we survived, intact and sane.

Singapore airlines are great for traveling with kids. Their inflight entertainment system is great and the kids meals have a small portion of healthy well balanced food with heaps of yummy junk. I totally caved for convenience......they ate all junk (well not Ben as he vomited all the junk food over himself and me on landing/arrival in Australia....) and drank COKE!!!!! that is normally SO not allowed.

After having to take Ben to the toilet every 50 minutes on the way over, and being pee'd on TWICE (yes I was in a state when we finally arrived home in Sydney...vomit and pee encrusted as well as hot, sweaty and tired...) I cheated on the way back. When the poor little thing fell asleep I whipped his knickers down and put a nappy on him. When he woke up he felt it and was most impressed that he could just pee away where ever he was.......He didn't want to take it off.....must be a boy thing!

The new airbus was ok...we didn't get to see the cabins though. The girls still can't grasp why we can't travel business class....I can see their point, it does look much better LOL.

Four and a third years later......

Remember these photos......(well only if you knew me as i didn't have a blog when Ben was a newborn....)

These are at my friends house in Australia.

De and I have been friends since we were five years old!

We both managed to have our last pregnancies together and popped out these gorgeous bundles (well A is gorgeous, Ben was an ugly troll...if you don't believe me go look here!) in October 2003.

A and Ben were born three days apart, Oh and C's birthday is in October too; 5 kids all born with in a 20 day span!

Here they all are in November 2003, the babies were about 6 weeks old.

Here they are in March 2008, four and a bit years later!
Same lounge and just as happy to be together!

The most beautiful city in the world

These all taken whilst walking around Taronga Zoo in Sydney Australia.

Still in Sydney

Poor Ben is missing Jakarta!

All he wants to do is go home.

All the kids are being good whilst dragged from one retirement village to another.
They have also discovered the complete DVD set of "Gilligan's Island", they are rapt in the show.

We are having a hugely stressful time dealing with Alzheimers, but are at last moving forward.

Queensland....

We are in Queensland for the week.
Have heaps of photos on my laptop but can't get internet access.
Every one we know that has wireless internet has lost their security code!


I can't even read blogs...

Hiking in west Java, Indonesia

I have no idea of the name of this place, all I know that it is about a 20 minute drive from Sambolo beach....doesn't it look great!

I have another confession....I have not been there!

I only bought flip flops and Crocs to Sambolo and did not want to risk my ankle out in the jungle with inappropriate footwear.
J took all these photos of the kids and downloaded them for me, we both have exactly the same camera (Nikon d40X........love it!)


Everyone had a great time and came back covered in mud. It was decided that with 10 kids it was a bit risky for them all to swim in the water hole (it was right on the edge of a 5+ meter water fall) but if you go take your swim wear as it looks fantastic!

I was watching the latest episode of Lost last night (season 4, episode 4 & 5) and realized how similar the jungle where they film is to here.


I am pretty sure that this was a national park. There was a guide available to take you though the park on different trails.

If your ankle is not up to hiking through the jungle, you an always do what I did.......stay at Sambolo and have yet another massage!

Sunsets over west Java

I have done nothing to these photos, this is really what it looked like!

I don't ever think I have seen a sunset this vivid.

I did grow up on the east coast of Australia.....here we were sitting on the west coast of Java.
I wonder if the air pollution contributes to the magnificence of the sunsets?

We all sat and wondered if we went back 2-3 years would any of us guessed we would be living in Indonesia and living a life of adventure? I know that I would of bet money against it! But here we are and so happy to be here!

We were waxing lyrically (well as much as you can with a few glasses of champagne....) and came to the realization that we had taken out family "boat" out of dry dock, we have even left the safe harbour!
We might encounter some rough seas, but wow, how fun life is!

This is still my favourite quote of all time

"Twenty years from now you will be more
disappointed by the things you didn't do than
by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbour.
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover."
--Mark Twain

A tropical birthday party

My birthday was the 5th of March and J's was the 10th; we decided to hold a combined party while on holidays at Sambolo on the west coast of Java.

What a GREAT decision!

We decided to make it a toga party as well!

This was J's and my birthday cake.
There is no ovens or shops at Sambolo, and a cake wouldn't stay fresh from Thursday to Saturday evening so we improvised......Tim Tams and Lamingtons (these are Australian icons).

The bottom RHS photo is the table decoration that the girls made for us.
We had a sheet as a table cloth and had covered it in sparkling party confetti when the girls presented us with two half coconuts filled with flowers.

They were stunning...we were all blown away that we were in togas with the sunsetting on a tropical island with volcanoes as a backdrop.............

J is a explosives-mining-thingy-expert and had great delight on putting on the most AMAZING fireworks display( T even had an OHS plan on standby....I have very clever and efficient friends LOL). This would be absolutely, totally illegal in Australia, probably here too, but fireworks are readily available, even on the beach.
Around the cove another group let off a few fireworks before ours...theirs were quite good but ours were the best!


We had a 14 kids at the party......this was the sort of night that makes childhood memories.


How are we going to top this next year?
And when can we do this again????????????????????

Birthdays in paradise

We are just back from our wonderful looong weeknd on the west coast of Java.


When we sort through the many, many, MANY photos I will tell all about

• J's and my all Australian birthday cake...Tim tams and lamingtons.....
• hiking through the Indonesian jungle
• fireworks on the beach
• sunsets so magnificent you will not believe that I have not retouched the photos in any way
• our toga party
• swimming in the ocean looking at Anak Krakatoa......( yes that volcano!)
  

Booked, Bali villa

I am so excited...look what has been booked! (internet photos so only small size).

Six adults and eight kids will have 8 nights in this magnificent place later on in the year.
All three families now have something very exciting to look forward to!

If you get a big enough group renting a villa in Bali is surprisingly affordable.

Chinese New Year in Jakarta

We had our second Chinese New Year in Jakarta. One of GJ's biggest customers had their annual company celebration which we could attend as it was a public holiday here. The kids were very excited to receive red envelopes with money inside. Ben couldn't care less about the cash, he loved the red printed envelopes.

There was a dragon, drums and some DELICIOUS Indonesian food.

Holiday plans

We are in the process of comparing a northern hemisphere school calendar and a southern one to work out some group family getaways. Both T and I were given advise that the key to surviving in Jakarta long term is get aways.

We have Sambolo, on the east coast over looking Anak(child of) Krakatoa booked already, nearly finished planning Bali for Idul Fitri, trying to find time for a weekend safariing in Punjak + we want to go out to the Thousand islands again.

We also have our holiday back to Australia coming up, it will be the first trip home for GJ and the kids in nearly 16 months!

Seminyak Beach Bali

This beach was cleaner than Kuta, the kids loved it.
It was how ever full of dogs. Unfortunately animals (CRITTERS) love me, so all the mangy, smelly mutts came and sat next to me, for the whole visit.
There was not as many hawkers as at Kuta, but they were just as persistent.
This beach has a lot of villas and restaurants on the edge of the dunes and would be a wonderful place to sip a cocktail and watch the sunset...next time for us.

I love this photo, its is like a silver road into the horizon...

I keep hearing the classic Led Zeppelin song, Stair Way to Heaven when I look at this.

I walked past a CD shop yesterday and saw Led Zelpelin greatest ever CD for sale and just had to pick it up....the good thing is it really is Led Zeppelin singing. (I picked up a compilation CD a few months ago and was in hysterics over the strong Asian accents doing songs from Air supply, Eagles etc.)

Kuta Beach Bali, Indonesia

I have been very insistent in the past about our families sun protection policy......don't worry I haven't let it slide. Absolutely no sun damage at all!
This was Kuta beach, looks great but there was an awful lot of rubbish in the water and the sand was full of stuff. We grew up on Australian beaches, they are pretty hard to beat!


I have just picked up a lot of these photos from the Kodak shop as enlargements, oh my they are wonderful.
It makes the risk of taking a good camera to the beach worthwhile.
There is one that I won't put on the blog that is just so glorious, it is like the essence of childhood. Three happy faces frolicking in the surf.