Essential Java

Upon arrival at New Yogya International Airport, meet your hotel representative and transfer to your hotel in the city. After checking in, take some time to freshen up and relax.

Today will be spent exploring this fascinating city. Discover the historic Sultan's Palace, also known as Kraton, which is a fine example of Javanese sultunate architecture and a living museum. Take a becak (similar to a cyclo or trishaw) ride through peaceful Kauman village, the heart of the city's Islamic faith, ending at the beautiful Taman Sari Water Palace built over 200 years ago. Return to the hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure. (B)

Wake up early and depart your Yogyakarta hotel by 4:00 AM to drive to Punthuk Setumbu hill. Watch the sunrise with panoramic views of Borobudur temple and Manoreh hill. Return to your hotel for breakfast and check out. At 9:00 AM, explore Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple complex, built in the 9th century. Visit Pawon and Mendut temples to learn about their history and architecture. (B)

Depart Yogyakarta this morning and drive to Solo. En-route you will stop for a visit to the 9th Century Hindu temples of Prambanan, which are dedicated to the Hindu trinity. This is another important UNESCO Heritage site. After lunch, continue to Solo for the remainder of the day at leisure. (B)

Solo is the capital of the Indonesian art of batik and houses some of the most intact Dutch colonial architecture in the country. Visit the 18th Century Mangkunegaran Palace which houses an extensive collection of 14th century jewellery, silverware and Javanese weapons. Enjoy lunch in a traditional Javanese restaurant accompanied by live gamelan music. After lunch head east and ascend to 910 metres above sea level to visit Sukuh Temple and admire the stunning views. Return to Solo for the evening at leisure. (B,L)

Free day at leisure. (B)

This morning enjoy an exciting local train journey through the scenic east Javan countryside to Malang. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet local people and enjoy the volcanic landscape passing by. Arrive into Malang train station late afternoon and transfer to Mt Bromo. (B)

An early start today! Take a 4WD vehicle to a viewing spot with fantastic views of the Bromo volcano and its surroundings. Watch the sun rise up from behind the volcano in Penanjakan. Continue by jeep to the volcano caldera, often misty in the early morning, creating an unusual, moon-like atmosphere on the ashen ground. Walk up the stairs to the rim of the active Bromo crater. Return by jeep to your hotel for breakfast and spend the rest of the day at leisure. (B)

The morning is free at your leisure. Around 12:00 PM, you will be transferred to your next hotel in the Ijen area. Check-in and enjoy the rest of your day at leisure. (B)

 

Wake up early this morning for an excursion to Mount Ijen at 3:30 AM. After a 90-minute drive, you'll reach the Paltuding base camp (1,850m). The trek to the top is 3 kilometres and follows a wide, packed dirt pathway. At the top of Mount Ijen is a large crater lake surrounded by sulfur mines. During your walk, you may encounter men carrying loads of up to 70 kg, often barefooted, down the mountainside. Upon reaching the top (2,385m), take time to enjoy the views of the Crater Lake, which is 200 metres deep and contains about 36 million cubic metres of steaming, acidic water. Witness the agility and strength of the miners as they collect and carry sulphur blocks up to the crater rim. (B)

At 10:00 AM, you will start your drive towards Surabaya City where you'll spend the rest of the day at leisure.

After check-out, you'll be transferred to the airport for your flight back to the UK.