Great Trip, Great Service, Excellent Planning
Indonesia
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Feb 18 - Mar 4, 2026
Priscilla and the team at MyTripology created an excellent two week end-to-end visit to Indonesia, handling every in-country arrangement with private cars, drivers, and guides. She added things I did not even know about. The cultural diversity in the experiences was wonderful. The attention to detail was perfect. Every airport arrival, hotel transfer, guide pickup, etc. was seamless. She even secured a complimentary couples spa package in Bali and and an upgrade to a suite in Labuan Bajo. Items like the Raffles LiveAboard boat stay and Ceci dancing were unknown to me at the start of planning. The guides were all very good an a couple were excellent.
An important part of the success was having a constant WhatsApp contact "handler" named Deta. Deta sent updates, photos of pickup assistants, flight check-in links, and answered all tour questions. When there was a port closure threatening our ship sailing she created alternate plans, sending updates as needed (but the weather improved just in time to go back to original plan!). When our flight home (which they had not booked) was cancelled I asked the Indonesia team to find us alternate flights as I was having difficulty working 12 hours away from my home agency. They booked us avoiding the closed airports and got us home under difficult circumstances. Much appreciated.
I look forward to exploring another tour in the future with MyTripology.
Hotel Reviews
We had a nice stay at this hotel. Our agency upgraded us to a junior suite which was fantastic. The hotel pool was pleasant and right by the beach. We were there in the off season and it was rather dead and the breakfast experience was initially disappointing. By the time we left there were many more guests and a full breakfast buffet--a welcome change. The staff was uniformly courteous and helpful. The location was OK. You could walk into the town center in 25 minutes if you wanted to. A few mini marts and a nice coffee/ice cream shop were within 10 minutes walk. They arranged taxi rides for a modest fee. There were no free shuttles. My only compliant: the exercise room was the poorest condition I have ever seen in any hotel--even small hotels. Broken equipment, uninviting ambience. no towels or water. Really embarrassing for someone who looks for this amenity.
Amazing and visually appealing hotel. Great buffet. Welcoming spa with well equipped gym and sauna. Pleasant outdoor pool. Lots of artistic flourishes to keep your interest and attention. Helpful and courteous staff.
Activity Reviews
The Caci Dance Performance was a big surprise and a pleasant one at that. We initially thought it would just be another tribal dance, but it turned out to be an intimate cultural experience. Being the only duo on the tour, hosted by someone perhaps from the tribe, we were introduced to customs in an engaging way, even being welcomed into the community with a white rooster. The ceremony, the dances including the delightful rice harvest dance, and participating in some of the routines were fascinating. Sharing stories and drinks afterwards made it feel warm and personal. This is perfect for someone interested in true cultural immersion.
The Visit to Tegallalang Rice Terrace was visually beautiful initially, but turned into more of a tourist enclave with zip lines, swings, and numerous photo ops which overshadowed the natural beauty of the terraces. Our guide seemed to think we wanted to indulge in the amusement park-like activities rather than immerse in the natural environment. We would have preferred to walk in the rice paddies. I'd suggest that guides inquire about clients' preferences beforehand. It certainly had its fun moments, though.
Visiting the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud was quite fun. The monkeys were lively and jumped on us, keen on grabbing anything they thought was food, even stealing water bottles. It was amusing watching their antics, especially with the cute baby monkeys around.
