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  • 21
    Jan 25
  • 0
Lion Air - Central Java & Karimunjawa

Lion Air ✈️ 🦁 🌍 Inflight Experience

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Considering a flight with Lion Air? This Indonesian airline offers budget-friendly options and a range of inflight services, but how about the consistency of the experience? From seat comfort to customer service, it’s worth examining if Lion Air truly meets expectations.

Dive into our personal review to uncover what you can expect from your flight experience.

Highlights

 

Why we Chose Lion Air

Our 3-week trip through Java to Karimunjawa included a short local flight from the Indonesian capital – Jakarta, to Semarang in central Java.

So, on arrival in Jakarta, we were heading straight out again without delay. We had booked a domestic flight with the carrier Lion Air to take us to Semarang. Although Lion Air is a budget airline, we were hoping that our inflight experience would be a painless one.

"Terminal

Who are Lion Air?

Lion Air is the country’s largest privately run airline, the second largest low-cost airline in Southeast Asia (after AirAsia) and the largest airline in Indonesia (including Garuda).

As a key player in the budget airline industry, Lion Air has made its mark by offering affordable flights across Southeast Asia and beyond. Known for its extensive route network and cost-effective fares, this airline has both its pros and cons, which are worth exploring if you’re considering them for your next journey.

All Hotel 0ptions in Jakarta

Lion Air is a popular budget airline. So popular, in fact, that they have a sub-terminal at Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta Airport (Terminal 1C) dedicated to their own flights.

Travelers appreciate the airline’s affordability and route network, making Lion Air a good choice for budget-conscious customers.

Departure Gate, Jakarta

Departure Gate, Jakarta

Their terminal and departure lounge is beautifully laid out and decorated in traditional Indonesian style on the ground floor. On all sides are windows with views over luxuriant, well maintained gardens.

Lion Air includes 2 subsidiaries and regional arms – Batik Air and Wings Air, and as of 2024 serves a total of 47 destinations: 39 domestic and 8 international.

The airline has been criticized for poor operational management in areas such as scheduling and safety, although steps have been taken to improve its safety.

Lion Air Inflight Experience

Gardens surrounding the terminal

The Lion Air Fleet

Lion Air boasts a modern and diverse fleet. The airline primarily operates Boeing 737-900ER aircraft, which are known for their reliability and fuel efficiency.

This fleet allows Lion Air to offer competitive fares while maintaining a high standard of safety.

Route Network

With an extensive route network, Lion Air connects travelers to destinations across Southeast Asia, including popular spots like Bali, Jakarta, and Singapore. The airline’s reach extends to major cities and remote areas, making it a convenient choice for both leisure and business travelers.

Lion Air Inflight Experience

Lion Air Terminal – Plush Interiors

Booking Our Flight

We had booked our flight several weeks previously, using the Indonesian Tiket.com website. We paid a total of IDR 317,000 (€22) per person, and received our eTickets by email. Our flight included a check-in luggage allowance of 20 kg per person, and a carry-on baggage allowance of 7 kg.

Since our backpacks weighed only around 7.5 kg each (we believe in travelling light), we just used our carry-on allowance.

Incidentally, our online booking experience with Tiket.com was smooth and flawless. We also used them later to book our return train tickets from Semarang to Jakarta.

Lion Air Inflight Experience

The leg-room beats many big airlines by a mile

Lion Air Inflight Service

Our short one-hour flight was comfortable and on time, with inflight snacks available for purchase.

Although Lion Air don’t score highly in global domestic airline ratings, our experience was definitely a positive one.

… much more positive than what was about to happen to us shortly after our arrival in Semarang: “Honey, the ATM just ate my card!”

If you like our Lion Air inflight experience, check out our Central Java Travel Plan. You may also like:

 

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  • 06
    Dec 24
  • 0
Hotel Elim - Central Java & Karimunjawa

Hotel Elim ✅ Minibus to Jepara

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Jepara, located on the northern coast of Central Java, Indonesia, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Known for its beautiful beaches, rich history, and renowned woodcarving traditions, Jepara is a destination that caters to a variety of interests. From here you can explore the Karimunjawa Islands, the historic Portuguese Fort, and the Kartini Museum.

For us, Jepara would serve as the gateway to Karimunjawa, a paradise island 88 kms off the central north coast of Java.

Highlights

 

Getting to Jepara

Our 3-week Indonesia travel plan included an 11-night stay in the secluded tropical island of Karimunjawa.

We planned to stay in Semarang long enough to take a shuttle bus onward to Jepara. It is from here that we were hoping to take a boat to the Karimunjawa archipelago.

There are several options for getting over to Karimunjawa island from the mainland, but the boats run most frequently from Jepara. More importantly, there is always a boat leaving Jepara port early on Sunday mornings (weather permitting). It’s for this reason that we chose to stay for one night at the Elim Hotel in Jepara.

Following an unscheduled detour on arrival in Semarang (see Honey, the ATM ate my card), we took a taxi to the Tourist Information Center on Jalan Permudu in the center of the city. We had a good idea of where we were going since we’d printed out a handy little Semarang map.

Minibus from Semarang to Jepara

Minibus from Semarang to Jepara

We arrived at the Tourist Information Center later than planned – it was already getting dark and had started to rain. Behind the building there was a small office where we could purchase our minibus tickets to Jepara. We were still in time to catch the last minibus, leaving at 6 pm.

We paid IDR 17,000 (€1.25) each for our minibus tickets.

The journey to Jepara took 2½ hours, although half of this time was spent driving around Semarang to pick up passengers. They even back-tracked to the airport for the final pickup.

The minibus could take up to around 6 people, including luggage. When we arrived in Jepara, they very kindly dropped us off directly in front of our hotel.

The Hotel Elim

Since we hadn’t paid a lot for our room (€14), we weren’t expecting much from the Elim Hotel.

In fact, the room we were given was perfectly adequate: clean and comfortable.

But we arrived late – around 8:45 pm, and there weren’t many eating options close by.

Our only choice was the Elim Restaurant right next door. The kitchen closes at 9 pm, so we were just in time to place an order. We chose a dinner of soup with a portion of Nasi Goreng and Sate Ayam to share.

Hotel Elim Jepara

Simple but sufficient – Hotel Elim

Together with 2 fruit sodas, our bill came to IDR 137,500 (€10). Quite expensive by local standards.

We ate a similar meal the following day at one of the traditional Indonesian Warungs for just IDR 32,000.

Important to note is that the Elim restaurant is not associated with the Hotel Elim: They are separate businesses.

Hotel Elim Jepara

Elim Restaurant: Not the cheapest

The reception staff at Hotel Elim can be a bit hit-and-miss. On arrival, an (older) receptionist spoke good English and was very helpful. The following morning he had been replaced by a young guy with very little English, and much less enthusiasm to help.

Stay near the Port

Location-wise, Hotel Elim is a long way from the port. For travelers taking a boat to Karimunjawa, this hotel may not be the best option. There are other reasonably-priced hotels much closer to the port, such as the Samudra Hotel.

The next leg of our journey would be to take the fast boat for the 2-hour trip north to Karimunjawa island.

Hotel Deals in Jepara

If you enjoyed Hotel Elim Jepara, check out our Central Java Travel Plan. You may also like:

 

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