A trip out of town is uncomfortable for most people, who usually have to take a regular bus with cramped seats and less than ideal air-conditioning.

But this scenario does not apply to presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto and his running mate, Hatta Rajasa, who have been hitting the campaign trail in a VIP bus with a minibar.

The bus only has 12 seats and is used by the candidates to travel inside and outside Jakarta. Hatta, for example, took the bus from Jakarta to Serang in Banten province on Thursday.

At first glance, the bus does not seem that different from others.

Apart from the large image of Prabowo and Hatta with the slogan '€œIndonesia Bangkit'€ (Indonesia Rises) plastered on the side, there is nothing about the bus from the outside that screams luxury.

But step inside the bus and you are greeted with red crimson carpet as well as a wooden cupboard right behind the driver'€™s seat. On top of the cupboard, bottles of mineral water are ready to quench your thirst.

Then take a look around and your eyes will be spoiled by a lavish interior '€” wooden paneling, large reclining seats and plenty of leg room.

'€œThere'€™s also a bedroom here for someone to sleep in,'€ said Jaringan Muda Nusantara (JMN) secretary-general Adi Kurnia Setiadi. JMN is an organization that supports Prabowo'€“Hatta. The group is paying for the buses and lending them to the pair'€™s campaign team.

Adi was referring to a room in the middle of the bus, which has two sofas facing each other that can be extended to form a makeshift bed.

The room also has an electric socket, although it was not working when The Jakarta Post wanted to try it. Right behind the room is a minibar, where one can make a light refreshment, such as coffee or tea.

For those looking to smoke, you can go to the back of the bus, where there is a special compartment equipped with an exhaust fan. The bus also has a toilet.

But all these facilities do not come cheap. Adi revealed that the organization had to spend Rp 3 billion (US$252,951) for the rental and the operational costs of the buses.

The buses themselves were actually being rented by JMN, he said, adding that the son of the bus company'€™s owner was a member of the organization.

According to JMN coordinator Muhlis Ali, a total of three buses were being used by the Prabowo-Hatta campaign. One is the VIP bus and the other two are executive buses used to transport journalists on the campaign trail. One of the two executive buses is only used when the other one does not work.

Besides the buses, JMN has also provided 30 cars adorned with Prabowo and Hatta'€™s image. '€œWe have provided the cars to accommodate the campaign'€™s needs. Besides that, we have also prepared a team tasked to scout locations before a campaign event is held,'€ Muhlis said.

The buses would be used for campaigning around Jakarta province, such as in Banten and West Java, according to Adi.

But Prabowo or Hatta might use other means of transportation to campaign in those areas if time was restricted, he added.

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