Volcanoes & Temples of Indonesia

Today we drive to Magelang 1.5hrs away where we visit one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, Borobudur. Scholars disagree on exactly when it was constructed but many speculate it dates back to between the 7th and 8th centuries. They do agree, however, that a huge workforce must have laboured to move and carve the 55,000 cubic metres of stone and that construction took about one hundred years. The temple was abandoned, probably when the population converted to Islam in the 15th century, and over time it was blanketed by volcanic ash from nearby Mt. Merapi, and then covered in thick jungle growth, until the British rediscovered it in the 1800s.

Continuing to the village of Candirejo, we get to experience local life with a horse cart ride. Known as dokar, the horse cart takes us through this peaceful, charming village with its small lanes lined with traditional houses. We stop to see local activities such as making cassava crackers, playing the gamelan (traditional instrument) and harvesting and drying vanilla and chili.

We then return to Yogya late afternoon.
Duta Garden Hotel or similar

Today is a long day. We get up very early this morning in order to catch our train for a 4 hour train journey past Central Java’s volcanic scenery to Mojokerto. From here we visit nearby Trowulan, site of the former capital of the Majapahit Kingdom who ruled Java for centuries. We visit the archaeology museum and the temples of Candi Bajang Ratu and Candi Tikus. Continue to Jombang for a late lunch before transferring (approx. 4 hours) to the Hill Station of Batu along a scenic mountain road around the western slopes of Mt. Arjuna via Pare.
Kampung Lumbung Hotel or similar

An early rise (3.00 am) will ensure we have enough time for the jeep ride to the sunrise viewpoint. The view of Bromo and the Semeru volcano in the back is fantastic (despite the crowds), made even better when the slowly rising sun reveals an amazing moon-like landscape. After sunrise we cross the Sea of Sand and climb 246 steps up to the cone of Mt Bromo where you can see smoke rising from the crater.

Once back at the jeep, we drive back to the hotel for breakfast. We rejoin our bus in Sukapura for the 6 hour drive along the north coast to Kalibaru. We stop along the way for a late lunch near Jember and the final leg of the journey takes us through forests and mountains. Kalibaru, on the eastern tip of Java, is beautifully surrounded by coffee, cacao and rubber plantations.
Margo Utomo Hotel or similar

The drive to the harbour takes about 2 hours and is followed by a crossing of about 45 minutes to Bali (though depending on schedules we may be waiting 30 minutes-1 hour for the ferry to depart). As Bali is one hour ahead we should arriving at Gilimanuk harbour late morning. Our destination for today is only a short drive away but we first visit the Pulaki Temple. This Hindu shrine is situated in front of a hill overlooking a beautiful beach. The temple is guarded by a troop of Longtailed macaques who, according to local lore, protect the temple from bad influences.

From here we continue to our beach-front hotel in Pemuteran on Bali’s north coast. The rest of the day is free to relax, enjoy the beach, snorkel amongst the Bio-Rock garden in the waters just off the beach (a series of cement and wire sculptures and formations placed in the bay to encourage the growth of coral), or make use of the spa.
Adi Assri Cottages or similar

Ubud gets its name from the Balinese word ubad (medicine); the town was originally important as a source of medicinal herbs and plants, but these days is known for its artistic community, awash with artists' workshops and art galleries. Ubud's history can be traced back to the 8th century, when a Buddhist priest came to Bali from Java, he meditated at the confluence of the two Wos rivers at Campuan, just west of the modern day town centre. A shrine was established and later expanded by Nirartha, a Javanese priest who is regarded as the founder of Bali's religious practices and rituals as we know them today. When Ubud became a Dutch protectorate at its own request, the colonialists interfered little, allowing the traditional arts and culture of the area to remain relatively unchanged.

From the 1930s onwards, western artists and intellectuals arrived furthering the local art scene, amongst them Charlie Chaplin and H.G. Wells. Ubud is still a haven for literati, glitterati and art collectors.

Today is a free day to explore Ubud, wander around Monkey Forest, take in some of the museums, visit some of the temples, do a spot of shopping or sit in cafes and watch the world go by.
Sahadewa Resort or similar

For those who wish to do the optional sunrise hike to the top of Mt. Batur (see money section for prices), the day starts at around 4am for the short transfer to the start of the trail. After meeting the local guides and getting a safety briefing we start the hike to the summit. The 2km hike takes about 2 hours and goes through jungle before reaching a windswept rocky pathway devoid of almost all vegetation. Whilst not too challenging the walk is a sustained 2 hours+ uphill along mostly fairly steep trails and a reasonable physical condition is needed.

Reaching the summit (1717m) a hot drink and simple breakfast keeps us occupied as we wait for the sun to rise over Mt. Rinjani on neighbouring Lombok (which can be seen on clear days).

After the sunrise, head back down via a small steep path on the western slope of Mt. Batur and stop off at a 2nd crater from the 2001 eruption. Lower down the trail is the youngest 1999 crater with a smoking cone. We observe the lava field surrounding the volcano and trek across a black lava sea of sand to the finishing point from where we return to the hotel to rest. The whole excursion normally takes 5-6 hours.

Those not wanting to do the optional Mt. Batur hike still get to experience the volcano as we head on a 2-3 hour walk starting from the rim of the Batur Caldera and descending through black lava fields. We learn more about the Batur Geopark and take in some of the region’s panoramic views. We depart the hotel for this walk around 7:30am and are back by about 10:00am for breakfast (having had a small refreshment along the way).

After lunch, we check out and make our way to the southern Bali beach resort town of Sanur stopping at Goa Lawah Temple on the way.

Taksu Sanur Hotel or similar

For land only passengers the trip ends this morning after breakfast. Those on the group flights will be taken the short distance to Denpasar Airport in time for their flight home and anyone doing the Gili extension will be taken to the harbour in time for the boat across.