The trip was fantastic. Virtually all of the ...
Indonesia
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Jun 25 - Jul 6, 2025
The trip was fantastic. Virtually all of the accomplishments exceeded expectations. The guides and drivers were fantastic. Felt like we got an excellent feel for Indonesia.
Regarding all of the above Yuqqa did a terrific job. There were a couple of areas she fell short in. She arranged two hikes for us, only one of which we did. That was the Mt Batur hike. She did not adequately explain what the hike was. The first ninety minutes or so were on a road going up the mountain with cars passing us. I don't understand why we weren't dropped off further up the mountain. On the way down we were. It was poorly planned or executed.
The second hike was supposed to be to the Wae Bae village. My son looked it up on All Trails and the reports were daunting. We have hiked all over the world, but were not prepared for anything serious. We received virtually no explanation from Yuqqa about the hike. She actually tried down playing the trail report. Even asked to see it. Once we had decided not to do the hike she continued to press us to do it. In fairness maybe she just thought it would be an amazing experience, but regardless it was way too much. She was very inconsistent with her descriptions of the hikes, at one point even countering what she had said in the itinerary. She asked me the same question a few times when she was pushing the hike. She wasn't even communicating with the guide who did a terrific job of making alternative plans. She sounded angry and unaware of what was going on.
My other criticism of her regarded her availability. She wanted to arrange for a call, but when I went on the website her open times were at 3 and 4 am of my local time zone. Not acceptable. At times I didn't receive a response on the WhatsApp chat for an overly long time, sometimes not until the next day. Fortunately our guides or drivers were always available to help.
I really enjoy working with Kimkim. I would not do another trip with Yuqqa.
Hotel Reviews
Hotel was basic. We arrived into terminal 3 at Jakarta. Yuqqa had selected a hotel in terminal 2, but we flew out of terminal 1 the next morning. Why so much movement. Spending the night at the terminal we arrived at would have been much easier and better.
Absolutely fantastic. Was our favorite hotel of the trip. Grounds were magnificent and the staff was great.
A beautiful resort right on the ocean
VERY basic, but we expected that. We were only there to access the hike, which we never did.
Gorgeous views of the harbor
The highlight of the trip was the MonaLisa 3. The crew was great. Boat was lacking only one small thing, places to sit. There were no chairs. A couple of benches but nothing else. Everything else was great. Our guide Robert was absolutely sensational. By the end of the trip it felt like we were hanging out with a friend who was a local. When we had the problem with the Wae Rebo hike Robert saved the day. He was amazing looking for Komodo Dragons. He made up for all of Yuqqa's mistakes. One of the best guides I have ever had.
Activity Reviews
Ten stars. Best day of the trip. We saw eight Komodo Dragons! Two terrific snorkeling experiences. We will remember this day for the rest of our lives.
A little bit touristy and poorly scheduled as mentioned previously. View was magnificent.
Fantastic
Very authentic. Loved the hike through the rice fields
