From Jakarta to Jepara: A Journey Through Rice Fields

After leaving the urban jungle of Jakarta, we boarded a beautiful train from KAI, bound for Semarang. And believe us—this was the most comfortable train we’ve ever traveled on, even compared to Belgium! Honestly, we weren’t expecting such luxury: spacious seats, smooth ride, and air-conditioning that made the nearly five-hour journey an absolute pleasure. Throughout the trip, endless rice fields stretched out before us, lush and peaceful, occasionally interrupted by charming little towns. The children quickly found their rhythm, and we even managed to squeeze in a refreshing nap.

Once we arrived in Semarang, our first stop was for food. Then, we booked a vehicle through Gojek, an app that’s quickly becoming essential here in Indonesia. With Gojek, you can order almost anything, but this time, we used it to get a car for the two-hour drive to Jepara. Our driver, Roy, was fantastic—he even introduced us to his French brother-in-law, who has settled in Jepara as an exporter of Balinese furniture.

Finally, we arrived at our hotel, The Gecho Inn Country, and it was... pure paradise in the middle of the rice fields, surrounded by small workshops crafting wooden furniture. The shrubs were in full bloom, the pool was an absolute delight for the kids, and we had a house all to ourselves. And, of course, there were geckos absolutely everywhere (shoutout to Maultess!). The staff were incredibly kind and even helped us book our boat to Karimun Jawa. A fresh mojito for Anaïs, a local beer for Julien, and fresh orange juice for the kids—pure bliss after a long day of travel.

Tomorrow, we set sail for Karimun Jawa on the slow boat, since the fast one is unfortunately under maintenance. It’ll be a journey of over four hours across the Java Sea, but the adventure continues!

For the kids who want to follow P’tit Loup’s adventures, don’t hesitate to send us a message on our website, and we’ll share the password with you.

See you soon for more of our adventures!