Rumah Mertua Boutique Hotel was highly recommended by my good friend (hello shobe!) who travels frequently to Indonesia so I didn’t think twice in choosing to stay here. It is 10 minutes away from Adisutjipto airport by car and a 15-minute drive to the center of Jogja. For temple runners, its 30 minutes away to Prambanan Temple and an hour away to Borobudur Temple.
Rumah Mertua is a quaint boutique hotel with 11 Javanese-inspired rooms within a tropical garden.
(Php 1,783.72/ night) Our spacious family room (fast Internet access in all rooms!)
Outside our room is a beautiful patio with a mini library.
Al fresco dining!
Lounge on the outdoor pool after a long day of temple run. Outlined with sun loungers and beautiful landscape, this area is definitely designed for relaxation. To top off your day, have an authentic Javanese massage at their spa.
The accommodation includes a hearty breakfast. Here are the appetizers: fresh fruits, rice cakes and fruit shakes. For the main course, you may choose from Indonesia’s traditional food – mie goreng, nasi goreng and noodle soup.
The hotel has a car rental service for airport pick-up and drop off (IDR 250,000 = Php 881.16) and tour arrangements as well (IDR 695,000/ 10 hours = Php 2,449.63).
I must say, the staff at Rumah Mertua delivers excellent service! They replied immediately to my questions via email and gave tips on how we can maximize our short stay in Yogyakarta.
Yummiest food finds:
Gudeg is the most popular food in Jogja (IDR 20,000 = Php 70.49). It is a sweet-flavored dish made from unripe jack fruit, boiled in a claypot together with coconut milk and palm sugar. The picture doesn’t do justice to this dish but I swear this is the BEST dish I tasted in Jogja! It is bursting with spices and flavors!
This is the restaurant recommended by the staff of Rumah Mertua, its located in the main road on the way to Adisutjipto airport.
We ordered Rijsttafel at Rumah Mertua – 10 best Indonesian dishes (IDR 145,000/ pax = Php 508.95) Here on our table we have: keropok, fish, chicken and beef sate (skewered meat), acar (pickled veggie), spiced beef, lamb, chicken bbq, fried vegetables, fried coconut, peanuts, tempeh (Indonesian tofu), mixed veggies, noodles and a big bowl of rice. (come to think of it, the meal was more than 10 dishes! )
Mee goreng (spicy fried noodles) is the most popular dish in Indonesia. It has shrimp, pork, chicken, beef, vegetables and egg. In layman’s term – it’s a spicy version of Manila’s pancit canton. =)
Nasi Goreng (special fried rice with omelette and veggies) is Indonesia’s national dish but mie goreng is a close contender =).
Don’t you miss this restaurant? I sure do! So happy we got to dine at A & W Restaurant! =)
Rootbeer float definitely brings back a lot of childhood memories!
Shopping:
Malioboro Road is the most famous shopping spot in Jogja. Here you will find a lot of batik boutiques and souvenir shops. I did my homework and researched for the best all-in-one store in Malioboro and the award goes to….. Hamzah Batik (Mirota Batik)! It’s a three-storey building that sells premium batik products and handicrafts. Score all of these and more at cheap prices!
The store is located far south of Malioboro Road. You won’t miss it – there’s a swarm of people right in front of the store shopping for local shirts, bags and traditional medicines.
Tons of souvenirs in every alley!
Keychains, ref magnets, bookmarks, wallets, bags, name it – Hamzah Batik has it!!
One-of-a-kind keychains, don’t you think?
These paintings by local Jogja artists are my favorite find. I wanted to hoard all of them! The small ones costs around Php 130 each! Who knows, these artists might just be the future Picasso and Van Gogh! =)
Have you visited Yogyakarta? Where did you stay? What is your best purchase, the best food you’ve tasted and your best reason to come back? Let me know! =)
WanderJan is a travel blogger who shares her personal adventures from tips, guides, photos and food reviews down to the must-buy products and must-try activities. Follow her in her quest for once-in-a-lifetime experiences as she gets lost in the most fascinating places in the world.
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