Indonesia - Java, Bali and Togean islands

Price

€1985

Days

Tour description

We will explore the main shrines of Indonesia, conquer volcanoes, swim in the clear water, and escape civilization on the paradise islands lost in the ocean.

Explore the world famous complexes of Borobodur and Prambanan on the island of Java;
Feel like on another planet among the Martian landscapes of the Bromo and Ijen volcanoes;
Watch traditional fire dancing in Bali;
Discover the most diverse underwater world on Togean islands;
Relax on the beaches with white sand and clear water, where we will be the only visitors!
Visit settlements of Sama-Bajau people, known as the last sea nomads.

Tour departures

21 July 2023 - 04 August 2023

€1985

Book

The price of the tour includes

Price of the trip includes:

Five domestic flights: Jakarta - Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta - Surabaya, Bali - Makassar, Makassar - Luwuk/Palu, Gorontalo - Jakarta;
Accommodation in twin and triple rooms of hotels and guesthouses during the entire trip;
All transportation, including buses, hired vehicles, a ferry and airport transfers;
Rafting on Bali;
Professional guiding services.

What is NOT included

To be paid separately:

Flight to Jakarta and back home;
Medical insurance (mandatory);
Entrance tickets to temples, parks and other places of interest ($100-120) and additional excursions on Togean islands ($45);
Snorkeling equipment ($7-10 per day);
Meals ($8-15 per person per day).

Tour map

Tour itinerary

Day 1-2

Cultural Capital Yogyakarta, Keraton Palace, 9th-Century Prambanan Temple

We arrive in Jakarta and immediately transfer to a domestic flight to Yogyakarta - the meeting place of our group (about an hour's flight).

We begin our group ttrip to Indonesia in this most vivid city, which is known as the cultural capital of the country. Lovers of Asian food will be delighted with the abundance of local dishes. And those who are not very familiar with the cuisine of Asia will surely become its lovers! Let's begin with the famous gudeg - an unusual dish of jackfruit boiled in coconut milk and palm sugar, with duck eggs and chicken. For dessert, try sweet beans and the famous smoothie made from ripe avocado.

Next morning we head to the Kraton Palace, where the Sultans of Yogyakarta have been living for more than two centuries. Even now part of the palace is closed to visitors, and the family of the ruler still lives there.

Next, we visit Prambanan - the world famous complex of 9th-century Hindu temples. Yes, most people in Indonesia have become Muslims relatively recently, and before that they professed many religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism. We will explore the most famous temples, and enter small ones, where tourists rarely go.

In the evening, we head to an endless beach to feel the power of the ocean and admire the unforgettable sunset. Here, powerful waves roll onto the black volcanic beach, and Nyi Roro Kidul, the mythical Queen of the Southern Sea, rules her realm deep under the water.

Day 3

9th-Century Borobudur Stupa, Muslim Quarters of Yogyakarta, Javanese Houses and Medicinal Plants Market

After breakfast we go to Borobudur where we will continue our guided tour around Indonesia. This 9th-century Buddhist stupa is considered one of the largest in the world. It consists of nine platforms with 504 statues of Buddha, each about a different period in the life of the founder of Buddhism. Birth in the royal family and leaving home, years of wandering and spiritual practices, the achievement of enlightenment and preaching - all this we learn while walking along Borobudur and enjoying the views of two neighboring volcanoes.

Neighborhood with the volcanoes played almost fatal joke with the shrine. In the 14th century, Merapi volcano completely covered this stupa with ashes. The jungle quickly grew on top of it and locals completely forgot this place. Borobudur was rediscovered only in the 19th century. The shrine was literally dug up, and assembled in another place!

In the evening we go for a walk in the Muslim quarters of Yogyakarta. People here still lead a very authentic life and live in traditional wooden houses with courtyards. Interestingly, the roof here is an indicator of the social status of the owners of the house. We will learn more when we enter one of such houses for a dinner of traditional Javanese dishes. We will also discover an unusual market of medicinal plants and spices.

Day 4-5

Bromo Crater, Mount Penanjakan Viewpoint, Madakaripura Waterfall

In the morning we fly to Surabaya (1 hour) and go to the village of Chemoro Lawang (3.5 hours). As soon as the bustle of the 9-million-strong metropolis gives way to calm landscapes of rice fields, the gigantic silhouettes of the Arjuno-Welirang and Bromo-Semeru volcanic complexes appear in the distance. We turn from the new highway to a local road and climb the serpentines in a minivan until we reach more than two thousand meters above sea level. We leave our bags in a hotel on the very edge of the grand Bromo caldera and cross the dead "Sea of Sand" to reach the Bromo crater at an altitude of 2329 meters above sea level. Here, as nowhere else, you can feel how alive our planet is - a continuous roars comes from under the ground, and the air is filled with the smell of volcanic fumes. Local residents consider the volcano a deity and worship it by throwing food and flowers into its mouth.

The next morning, still in the dark, we leave for Mount Penanjakan - some visitors pitch their tents here the night before to see one of the most beautiful views in all of Asia at dawn (yes, it's the one you have probably seen on postcards and the covers of most Indonesia travel guides).

After breakfast, we drive further east to the town of Bondovoso (6 hours). On the way, we will stop at Madakaripura waterfalls. The highest of them is around 200-meter high, and to get to it, we will have to pass under the streams of falling water.

Finally, we reach Bondovoso, check into a hotel and prepare for a night trip to the Ijen Volcano.

Tour leaders

Oleksandr Levytskyi

tour leader

Is this trip for you?

Is this trip for you?

This trip is of average difficulty. We will walk in cities and do easy 1-2 hours climbes of two volcanoes. This trip involves three domestic flights, one night ferry trip, as well as several relatively short trips up to 5-6 hours. We will stay in bungalows and hotels with hot water, air conditioning or fans, and wi fi internet.