Tours in Java

We have booked a cruise with HAL which includes calls into Tanjung Priok,Semarang, Probolinggo and Surabaya. Does anyone have any recommendations for tours and/or guides from any of these ports please. As yet HAL hasn't released much detail of their proposed excursions. Thanks

In Tanjung Priok (Jakarta) and Semarang we booked a full day tour through HAL. In Tanjung to Bogor gardens and Puncak teagardens. Due to extremely much traffic we came back to the ship 3 (!) hours late.

In Semarang we had the HAL tour to Burobudur, here we arrived back 30 minutes late. So if you plan tours like that, maybe you better book a shipstour.

In Probolinggo we prebooked a car with driver, this was through a dutchman living there part of the year. You can contact him at: jooosting@hotmail.com This driver spoke dutch, but I know the owner also has an english speaking driver. Be aware that in Probolinggo there were no cabs available, only becaks or a shuttlebus into the small town.

We had a nice tour to the vicinity of Mt. Bromo.

We had the same driver and car again in Surabaya, we had sent him information before about what we wanted to see and do as my DH was born and raised there in his youth. We saw plenty of cabs in Surabaya close to the port however.

In Tanjung Priok (Jakarta) and Semarang we booked a full day tour through HAL. In Tanjung to Bogor gardens and Puncak teagardens. Due to extremely much traffic we came back to the ship 3 (!) hours late.

In Semarang we had the HAL tour to Burobudur, here we arrived back 30 minutes late. So if you plan tours like that, maybe you better book a shipstour.

In Probolinggo we prebooked a car with driver, this was through a dutchman living there part of the year. You can contact him at: jooosting@hotmail.com This driver spoke dutch, but I know the owner also has an english speaking driver. Be aware that in Probolinggo there were no cabs available, only becaks or a shuttlebus into the small town.

We had a nice tour to the vicinity of Mt. Bromo.

We had the same driver and car again in Surabaya, we had sent him information before about what we wanted to see and do as my DH was born and raised there in his youth. We saw plenty of cabs in Surabaya close to the port however.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.You seem to have done a cruise similar top the 1 we are doing next February. Ther info is very useful I will check out the website you gave me. I aasume that you enjoyed the tours you did. We are particulary interested to see Borobudur & Mt Bromo. I wonder what you did from Surabaya? Hope you enjoyed the cruise its a different area & I assume quite new to most cruise lines.

Hi

Thanks for your reply.You seem to have done a cruise similar top the 1 we are doing next February. Ther info is very useful I will check out the website you gave me. I aasume that you enjoyed the tours you did. We are particulary interested to see Borobudur & Mt Bromo. I wonder what you did from Surabaya? Hope you enjoyed the cruise its a different area & I assume quite new to most cruise lines.

The link I gave you is of the guy that has a car with driver in Probolinggo.

Yes we enjoyed this cruise (ms Rotterdam) very much. We also stopped in Bali (2 days), Komodo, Lombok and Sulawesi. Apart from Jakarta, Semarang and the shipstour in Komodo we had arranged private drivers in all other ports before. It worked great.

The tour to Bromo was not going to the Bromo itself, but we stopped at a viewpoint with view over the Bromo. Getting to the Bromo is more complicated. From a certain point you need a 4WD, then a ride on a horse and after that over 200 steps. This a a altitude of about 2500m.

In Surabaya we drove around town, looking for and stopped at the places of my DH (and his parents) past. Had a nice icecream in Zagrandi's, which was there also over 60 years ago. Visited a local market etc. We had just a few hours in Surabaya, but we left as early as possible (6.30 am.).

This worked great. If you are interestred in visiting the Zoo, we have heard it is not that great anymore.

The link I gave you is of the guy that has a car with driver in Probolinggo.

Yes we enjoyed this cruise (ms Rotterdam) very much. We also stopped in Bali (2 days), Komodo, Lombok and Sulawesi. Apart from Jakarta, Semarang and the shipstour in Komodo we had arranged private drivers in all other ports before. It worked great.

The tour to Bromo was not going to the Bromo itself, but we stopped at a viewpoint with view over the Bromo. Getting to the Bromo is more complicated. From a certain point you need a 4WD, then a ride on a horse and after that over 200 steps. This a a altitude of about 2500m.

In Surabaya we drove around town, looking for and stopped at the places of my DH (and his parents) past. Had a nice icecream in Zagrandi's, which was there also over 60 years ago. Visited a local market etc. We had just a few hours in Surabaya, but we left as early as possible (6.30 am.).

This worked great. If you are interestred in visiting the Zoo, we have heard it is not that great anymore.

Thanks for your last reply. The destinations are the same as the ones on our cruise The info you have given me will be good for when we plan trips. Don't think we will be rinding a horse to Mt Bromo!! but the rest sounds inrteresting. Also look forward to seeing what ytours the ship offers --as yet little is available but its early days.

I am still considering whether to book a private tour from Semarang port to Borobudur Temple. After much research I have found a few tour operators which look promising and can offer police escorts. Reviews on CC and Trip Advisor are few & far between. Can anyone who may have used a particular company for this tour on a previous cruise give me any input--good or bad please to enable me to make my decision.

Did you try your roll call? That is usually a wealth of information.

Did you try your roll call? That is usually a wealth of information.

Hi thanks for your reply.

There is no indication on our roll call yet to suggest that anyone is considering booking a private tour for this port. The main purpose of my post on this thread was to try & get recommendations of any suitable ( or otherwise) tour operators from anyone who has done private tours on previous cruises.

I have found a number of companies who offer tours for cruise ship passengers but can find little or no reviews for any of them.

Thanks again for your response. Should anyone who has already done such a tour have any input I would appreciate this.

I am still considering whether to book a private tour from Semarang port to Borobudur Temple. After much research I have found a few tour operators which look promising and can offer police escorts. Reviews on CC and Trip Advisor are few & far between. Can anyone who may have used a particular company for this tour on a previous cruise give me any input--good or bad please to enable me to make my decision.

Three yaers ago I booked the tour from Semarang to Borobudur. The whole way up and down we where escorted y the police to give us a free ride wether on the left of the road or on the right or on the shoulder without stopping at one of the 100 traficlights. I still have that trip on video. The trafic is more than hectic and the trip without police takes some 4 hours one way. When they did not construct a highway with 6 lanes I don't think it can be done quicker now. I thought of it to do it in private as well but just for a second......... Good luck. I think I do the HAL tour... Are we on the same cruise?? I think so....

Three yaers ago I booked the tour from Semarang to Borobudur. The whole way up and down we where escorted y the police to give us a free ride wether on the left of the road or on the right or on the shoulder without stopping at one of the 100 traficlights. I still have that trip on video. The trafic is more than hectic and the trip without police takes some 4 hours one way. When they did not construct a highway with 6 lanes I don't think it can be done quicker now. I thought of it to do it in private as well but just for a second......... Good luck. I think I do the HAL tour... Are we on the same cruise?? I think so....

Hi Donald

Sorry for this late reply--we have just returned home after 4 weeks away. We are on the HAL cruise leaving Singapore Feb 28th 2014. Is this the one you are on? If so I will be happy to send you a current update re the Borobudur tour etc.

Hi Donald

Sorry for this late reply--we have just returned home after 4 weeks away. We are on the HAL cruise leaving Singapore Feb 28th 2014. Is this the one you are on? If so I will be happy to send you a current update re the Borobudur tour etc.

Hello Busybean, thanks for the reply! Actually we leave on the 8th of January and get off the ship when you get on the ship the 28 th of February!! But I am interested when you have more i fo on the Borunudur tour. It is an amazibg view and a great story written on the stones. Have a nice day, Donald

Is anyone willing to share your info for private guide in these places, for March 2015.

 

Is anyone willing to share your info for private guide in these places, for March 2015.

Hi I see that you have picked up from on thread I started prior to our cruise earlier this year. We used a driver sent to us by "Jooosting" --details as supplied by " Ine" on post no 3 of this thread. I understand that Joosting no longer drives himself & spends much time in Europe due to health issues. The driver he sent gave us a good day out around Surabaya-- we were told that it was too risky to visit Mt Bromo during our restricted time ashore. The driver was obliging & pleasant-- he had made a long journey to Surabaya from his home village to fulfill our booking but had only limited English. We were lucky that we shared with a Dutch couple who could converse with him & give us more info on the places we visited. Based on the experiences of other passengers you should have no difficulty in obtaining a taxi close to ther port area for local sights. This may fulfill your requirements.

Can anyone give any updated info re private tours to Probolinggo / Mt Bromo please? Or another tour / driver that you enjoyed (or did not)?

We have booked a cruise with HAL which includes calls into Tanjung Priok,Semarang, Probolinggo and Surabaya. Does anyone have any recommendations for tours and/or guides from any of these ports please. As yet HAL hasn't released much detail of their proposed excursions. Thanks

Book a private tour with Bersukaria Tour, they are top notch! We spent a day with them while in Semarang port on Seabourn. Contact Dimas at bersukariatour@gmail.com, they will take great care of you. Lynne