After looking into the train and bus options it turned out cheaper to hire a car and driver to take us the 8 hours to Yogyakarta (affectionately known os jogja). Our driver picked us up just before 8.40 and before we left Batu Karas he showed us the bamboo suspension bridge which is option to pedestrians, bikes and motorbikes. We stopped for lunch in a roadside cafe. The kids weren't interested in the noodles and rice we bought them, instead they were occupied by a magician who had a little stall in the corner and also did balloon models. We arrived at Alamanda Villas around 5.00pm which is in the green zone around Jogja. We had our own villa which was a large freestanding room in the middle of paddy fields and was planted with lemon ... read more

Today was the day for a surf lesson and Ed and Hat were really excited. Our instructors picked us up at 12.00 and starter with some beach practice of the movement to get up onto the board. The waves were excellent, lots of 3 and 4 footers, with the occasional monster 5 footer. Ed and Hat took to it very quickly and were up on there boards and riding waves into shore on there second attempts. The instructors took them to the point break and I hung back about twenty feet to collect them. Often they'd go sailing right past me. There were a few wipe-outs, but they took it in there stride and merrily climbed back on their boards. After the one hour lesson it was time for food and s cool down. We tried ... read more

We hired four boogie boards for the day for £2.00 and we hit the waves just after nine. Then again around 11.30 and 3.00. The waves changed significantly with the tides. Ed and Hat were amazing and rode loads all the way to the beach. After the last lot of surfing, the kids made friends with a group of five Australian girls and it was great to see them all playing and learning some new games. The Bayview Seafood restaurant was recommended and it was only ten mins walk down the road. We were the only people there and they cooked the dishes fresh and they were so so delicious. The moon was big and yellow as we walked home in the dark. As it was only 7.00 we went up to the pool and took ... read more

We got to a proper Indonesian breakfast this morning given that the guests are all locals. There were versions of Turkish delight, fried bananas, salted fish dishes, sweet and dry soya dishes and lots of Indonesian veg curries. It was all very tasty. The owner was a very eccentric Indonesian who kept making 'pop' ousts in his throat. He introduced the dishes and was keen for us to try the range and when we left he gave us a bag of plantain chips, bananas and bottles of water. Clearly, he's looking for a good review and more westerners. We booked a car to transfer us to Batu Karas, our home for the next 4 nights and place that has a great reputation for excellent surfing. It was only 20 miles, however the journey took 75 mins ... read more

In both Banjur and Pangadaren we had to use Becaks to get from the train station to the bus station and from the bus station to the hotel. Becaks are peddle powered rickshaws where the driver sits behind. They are well known for driving a hard bargain and we did our best not to be ripped off to a ludicrous level. It was a long day of travelling and we were all relieved to arrive at hotel Nyiur Beach. We are the only westerners here and it's at the cheaper end of accommodation. The room is cold which is lovely. The kids immediately went in the pool and were revived.... read more