Sad truth; sewer systems are not very efficient in Indonesia. Roads were flooded and it took us around 3 hours to get out of the region. Bonus; it was even raining in the bus so we can cool down. Cemoro Lawang is a beautiful place to stay, but accommodation here is basic and expensive when compared to Yogyakarta. I’d recommend staying at one of the hotels that has a direct view of Bromo. My personal favourite is Lava View Lodge, which is one of the better hotels in Cemoro Lawang, has a great breakfast and offers beautiful views of Bromo Volcano. Day 5: Bromo Jeep Tour It’s an amazing route that combines the cultural highlights of central Java with the striking beauty of the landscapes of East Java. This journey through Java takes a minimum of seven days. Three days are spent in Yogyakarta and four days are spent in East Java. Taxis: This is the most expensive way to get around. I’d recommend you insist to use the meter. Most of the drivers will refuse though. To get to Prambanan Temple, you can take a bus (line 1A) from Malioboro Street (next to the tourist information centre). Once you arrived at the bus stop, you can walk or take a bekab ride to reach the temple.

We made our first stop at 1AM and the only other person who could speak English told me we would arrive later; around 2 or 3 PM. Fair enough, there was nothing we could do about it. Also, it features a shoe compartment at the bottom for storing shoes, sleeping bags, soiled clothes, and other handy items for your long trips. From Yogyakarta, book a train to reach Probolinggo. (I had to take a train to Surabaya and then to Probolinggo.) Take a public bus or hire a van to reach the towns around the mountain! You can also sleep in Banyuwangi but you’ll be pretty far from it! Our driver drove us until we could find accommodation. We ended up in a small guest house an hour from the trekking point. I read somewhere that in the first film the Stormtrooper's boots were just cheap Chelsea boots painted white, I can well believe it. On one hand the budget was quite small when it came to costumes and props, on the other the money that they sank into Industrial Light & Magic was well placed as they produced stunning visuals for the time in 1976/77. A distant cousin of mine is named in the credits as a 'Foley Operator', presumably he was something to do with post production.That’s exactly what they are. Im a cleared Stormtrooper with the UKG (501st Legion) and they require screen accuracy. Painting the boots is the way it’s done.The bag was a comic book store exclusive I believe. I don't normally collect Loungefly bags, I have a Grogu one I use on Park because it's easier to carry around, but when I saw this one it really grabbed me. Thrilled to have found it. Happily by the time my daughter got there she was an adult. However, she has paid eye watering sums for accurate princess costumes and would wear them to conventions. She was briefly on the One Show once with her partner as Kristoff and Anna at one Con. Wake up around 00h45AM and go out there around 1h00AM. (You can confirm times with the staff at your hostel/guesthouse depending on your location). My favourite star wars thing was the ice cream maker, carried by Willrow Hood as he ran from cloud city in ESB

You can also take a tour organized by your hostel if you want to experience a sunrise/sunset. The tour might not include the entrance fees, but you won’t have to worry about getting there. If you’re too tired, you can also do Ijen during the day as long as you don’t mind missing out the blue fires. Transfer to Bali Wake up around 2AM and go out there around 2h30AM. (You can confirm times with the staff at your hostel/guesthouse).

Note that you can also do this itinerary starting in Bali and transfer to Java. Transportation in Java To get to Borobodur Temple, you can take a bus (line 2B) to reach Jombur Bus Station. From there, you can take a second bus (Jogja-Borobudur). You can walk to reach the temple.

The ferry takes around an hour and it costs only IDR 6,000. In Gilimanuk, you’ll find many buses to reach your next destination! If you’re heading to Denpasar, you shouldn’t pay more than IDR 50,000. Hike your way up and enjoy. (The staff can provide you with all the information you need to do it without a tour) You won’t have to go all the way up there if you want to avoid the crowds! How do I know all of this? A an aircraft friend of mine had one of said engines in storage and was approached by a replica builder! I had no idea it was still Ramadan. I had no idea Java was mainly Muslim. I had no idea Manila’s traffic wasn’t that bad after all. Ijen Volcano is the highlight of Banyuwangi. The volcano looms over the town. If you haven’t heard of it before, Ijen is a working sulphur mine. The sulphur colours everything inside of the volcano a bright yellow. There is a turquoise crater lake and sulphur smoke billows out of the crater. The combination of these factors gives Ijen a unique appearance, which attracts tourists from all over the world. Yet the most famous thing about Ijen is the blue fire! The sulphur workers at Ijen Volcano, Java.

This turned out to include a lot of early jet engine stuff - the perforated collars at the business end of the lightsabers are a very specific part from a very specific early jet, and are a matched pair - one character's saber has the female side, another has the male side. They didn’t mention anything about cleanliness, but the bus was already a mess when I entered it. I found my seat and I was ready to fall asleep. But… it was raining that night. Take a public bus to Cemoro Lawang or hire a van with your new friends to reach your destination. If there are no public buses available, don’t freak out, you can always find a van. It will take around an hour – an hour and a half to reach Cemoro Lawang.

The third stop was Yogyakarta. Trains were fully booked and I had to take a bus, which is more expensive. Although, I thought I had learned something in the Philippines and decided to take the bus without AC so I can save a few rupees (AC in the Philippines buses was insanely cold!). They said; it’s an overnight bus. It should take around 12 hours and you’ll be there in the morning. There are a lot of things to do and see in Yogyakarta, not least the famous Buddhist temple Borobodur, as well as the Kratan Palace and the Water Castle. You can easily spend three days enjoying the sights andatmosphere of the city. If you have more time you may like to attempt a climb of the active volcano, Mount Merapi. My personal favourite tourist destination in Yogyakarta is the Goa Jomblang Cave. You can see why I recommend it by just looking at the photo below. Jomblang Cave, Yogyakarta. Photo by Thomas Fuhrmann. Day 4: Getting to East Java Ojek – Bekab (whatever they call it): Same concept than a taxi, but on a motorbike. You need to bargain the cost before you get on the bike. Ladies, please, be careful at night. Angkot: In Jakarta and in Bandung, you’ll find some colorful minibusses. This is the cheapest way to travel around these cities. Costs can vary between IDR 3,000 and 10,000. I’d recommend you ask the staff from your hostel what’s the average cost for short distances to make sure drivers are not taking advantage of you.

Once you know this stuff you never unsee it. I know that a lot of the set and props of the original movies was built from a job lot of aviation junk that was obtained cheaply from a breakers near to the location.