Hotel Grabag dengan Gim

We booked a tour of Indonesia through Turquoise Holidays who suggested, and arranged, a fantastic itinerary for us. The first stop on our tour was the MesaStila. We were picked up at Yogyakarta airport by our Destination Asia guides (arranged through Turquoise) and it was a couple of hours drive north to the hotel (the traffic was extremely busy!) The hotel is set in a fairly remote jungle area north of Magelang and has fantastic views of the nearby volcanoes and jungle. We were welcomed at the Club House with a cold drink and told about all the facilities on offer. There is a spa and gym (and even an outdoor “jungle gym”) a restaurant, sunset lounge bar, tennis courts. There are complimentary activities including yoga, a tour of their own coffee plantation, batik, Javanese dance and a guided village walk. The villas are set in large grounds on the side of the hill and are all very private with stunning views. Our agent at Turquoise had mentioned that we were celebrating our 30th anniversary and we were upgraded to an Arum villa. Staff had also prepared a lovely cake for us! The villa was very spacious and had a large “double bath” as well as double sinks and a shower. We had a covered terrace with a view of the volcanoes and an indoor dining area. Each day we had breakfast at their Java Red restaurant which included western as well as Indonesian specialities. They also served a “shot” of jamu (an Indonesian health drink) with a range to choose from – very interesting!! We went on day trips to the Borobudur and Prambanan temples (with Destination Asia) which are both withing striking distance. We also enjoyed a tour of the hotels coffee plantation, saw how they process and roast the coffee they harvest and had a taste in their coffee shop. We bought some beans to bring home. We even managed some pool time when the weather allowed. Dinner was a mix of western and Indonesian food with amazing cocktails (Java Spice was my favourite) and some decent wines. All the food was excellent. The staff were all extremely helpful and friendly. It was quite quiet at the hotel (we only saw two or three other couples) but this gave it a peaceful and relaxing vibe. A great place to stay and explore central Java.