My experience traveling with Under 30 Experiences
Are you thinking about traveling with Under 30 Experiences?
Welcome to this comprehensive blog about my travel experience with Under 30 Experiences (U30X). This guide will provide a detailed account of my journey across East Java and Bali, covering various aspects such as the group, tour leaders, accommodation, transportation, and itinerary. My aim is to help you decide whether Under 30 Experiences is the right choice for your next travel adventure.
For $1,595 USD, I booked the 10-day Java & Bali, Indonesia trip, which involved exploring roughly 6 cities with a group of 10 people accompanied by 2 group leaders. (*You can get $100 off this trip using this LINK!)
My experience with the group:
My favorite part about traveling with a tour group is making new friends. And this tour group did not disappoint. Although I booked this tour with 2 friends of mine, meeting the rest of the group was such a delight. Since the company is from the US, everyone was American and we all bonded over that. In our group, we had a few couples, a pair of brothers, and a group of awesome girls, including me. 😉
My experience with the group leaders:
Our group leaders were Abraham, an Indonesian guide, and Tim, who works directly for U30X to oversee the tour since it was the first time they provided it. Abraham was the main leader though, and he was just great. Welcoming, knowledgeable, funny, and professional. He has been a tour guide for many years so he knows what he’s doing.
My experience with the accommodations:
I really enjoyed most of the accommodations we stayed at. Most rooms are double occupancy, but you have the option to upgrade to a private room. If you’re traveling solo you get paired up with someone of your same gender. If you’re traveling as a couple you get paired up together. In my case, I got paired up with one of my friends since we both requested to share rooms with each other.
Most places we stayed at were pretty nice hotels with lots of greenery and included free breakfast. Only one of them was more bungalow/big house style and was our least favorite because it had a moldy smell, but that’s probably because it was the most secluded (and near Mount Bromo). It still looked pretty nice and we enjoyed a very beautiful sunset.
But my favorite accommodations were the hotel in Yogyakarta (pictured above) and the hotel we stayed at in Ubud (pictured below).
My experience with transportation:
The tour includes all transportation while in Java and Bali, but you do have to book your own flights to get to Indonesia and fly back home. We mostly traveled around in a bus that fit everyone pretty comfortably. Other forms of transportation we took included bikes, boats, and trains.
For the most part, I enjoyed my experience with the transportation. But I do have to add that the travel time from one place to another took way longer than was anticipated. Although I was ok with that fact, having lived in Indonesia for almost 3 months at that point, most people in the group were upset about this and I understood why. Some days were spent more on the bus than on the actual locations or doing an activity due to traffic and the distances between one city and the other. With that being said, we still managed to make the most out of it. We got to bond with each other, enjoy the scenery, and even drink a few beers (I think it was legal 😆) while on the road.
My experience with the itinerary and activities:
One of the perks of booking a trip with Under 30 Experiences is that all activities are planned and paid for. Some activities included were: walking tours, snorkeling, visiting waterfalls, going to an active volcano, and a lot more. All you have to do is show up at the time they tell you and have fun!
Another thing to note is, the tour leaders listened to the feedback we provided about the itinerary and were flexible to change a few things if the group was in agreement. So much so, that we requested to arrive a day early to Bali and pay for our own accommodations for that night and enjoy a “free day” and they made it possible for us.
As of this writing (June 2023), my original itinerary with Under 30 Experiences (in Nov 2022) has already changed. Probably due to some of our feedback. But nevertheless, here’s a breakdown of our 10-day Java/Bali itinerary.
** For the most recent itinerary, go to www.under30experiences.com.
10-day itinerary in Java & Bali
DAY 1 – Arrive in Yogyakarta, Java
On day 1, everyone arrived in Yogyakarta. I personally had a lot of setbacks because my flight from Bali to Yogyakarta went from departing at 8 am to departing around 4 pm. After finally arriving at Yogyakarta Airport (YIA) I met up with one of the guys who arrived at a similar time. Together we took a taxi to meet up with most of the group that had already arrived. Unfortunately, we missed visiting the Prambanan temple but arrived in time to watch a Kecak dance before heading to the hotel to check-in.
DAY 2 – Explored Yogyakarta
We started the day by taking a tour of the Palace of Yogyakarta and the beautiful Taman Sari Water Castle. Afterward, we rode about an hour away to the impressive Borobudur temple which is the biggest Buddhist temple in the world. On the way back we stopped for a well-deserved body massage.
DAY 3 – Road to Malang
In the morning we took a very scenic ride to our next destination, Malang. It consisted of a 4-hour train ride + a 3-hour car ride to get to Malang. Although we spent most of the day in transit, the views and the bonding time with the group made it totally worth it. Once in Malang, we went out for a very nice dinner at a fancy restaurant.
DAY 4 – Explored Malang
Started the day visiting Coban Rondo Waterfall and hanging out with some hungry monkeys. Afterward, we drove back to Malang and walked through the colorful village of Jodipan. We finished the day by driving to the Grand Wiz hotel, near Mount Bromo, for our VERY early wake-up call the next day.
DAY 5 – Went up a volcano!
Woke up at 2 am to watch the sunrise atop Mount Bromo. Arguably one of the best sunrises I’ve ever seen!! Then we went to an actual active volcano and climbed all the way to the crater edge! The smell was foul as hell but the experience was MAGNIFICENT! After a well-deserved breakfast, we drove 6+ hours to the ferry port, crossed the Java Strait to Bali, and enjoyed a night swim in Bali.
DAY 6 – Relaxed by the pool
After many days of driving around and doing activities, we got to chill by the pool in northern Bali. This was our “free day” – the one I mentioned above when I talked about my experience with the itinerary. Although it wasn’t originally part of the itinerary, we spoke with our group leaders about wanting to get to Bali a day sooner and enjoy a chill day. And they agreed to it after making some arrangements!
DAY 7 – Snorkeled with colorful fish
We started the day with some morning yoga. Then spent the whole late morning/afternoon snorkeling on Menjangan Island in northern Bali. Then at night, we all went out for a delicious Balinese dinner.
DAY 8 – Explored northern Bali
Woke up early to hike to Munduk Waterfall. Then stopped at the beautiful Pura Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. And after a delicious lunch, drove down to Ubud and our unbelievable villa in the jungle!
DAY 9 – Enjoyed Ubud’s charm
Nothing says Bali like starting your morning with a floating basket breakfast. Then we saddled up on bicycles for a 2.5-hour bike ride through the backstreets, villages, and rice fields of Ubud. Afterward, we cleansed ourselves in the famous Tirta Empul holy water. And finished the day with foot massages and the last group dinner.
DAY 10 – Last day in Bali
On the last day of the tour, everyone left for home or their next adventure. A few of us said our goodbyes to the group and headed south to Jimbaran to wait for our late flights. In the meantime, we chilled by the beach and pool in Jimbaran (a little south of the airport) living our best Bali life.
I sincerely hope that sharing my personal experience of traveling with Under 30 Experiences will assist you in making a well-informed decision about whether or not to travel with them. From my experience, I can confidently recommend them as an excellent choice, especially for solo travelers.
The tour costs $1,595 USD with early signup. But you can get $100 off of your first trip by booking it through this LINK.
Learn more about this tour and other tours they offer at https://www.under30experiences.com/
Read more about Java and Bali at these related links:
8 epic things to do in Central & East Java
Heads up: As a way to earn passive income, this post may contain affiliate links. This means that if you buy something through one of those links, I might get a commission at NO extra cost to you. I appreciate your support! 💕
June 29, 2023
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