Day-to-day schedule
Day 1: Bogor
Welcome to Indonesia!
Your tour starts in Bogor, where you can use your hotel room from check in time (12.00 hrs at noon) on day 1. Your travel companions will also arrive at the hotel today. You will meet your tour leader at 18:00 hours in the lobby of your hotel. It is easy to reach Bogor from Jakarta airport. There are buses operating this route that take 1-2 hours (depending on traffic). Once you arrive in Bogor you can take a taxi to your hotel.
Day 2: Bogor
Today you will have more than enough time to visit the world famous Kebun Raya Botanical Gardens. This beautiful 200 acre garden is home to 15,000 species of tree, including 400 different palms, and surrounds the ex-presidential palace. A walk through this park takes you along rivers and past lotus ponds and at the highest part of the park there is a charming colonial tea and coffee house. You can take an excursion to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, about an hour’s drive from Bogor. As an amusement park it is great fun but also portrays the 27 different provinces in Indonesia and their traditions, houses and clothes.
Day 3: Bogor – Puncak Pass - Cipanas/Garut
Today we travel through the stunning Javanese landscape visiting tea plantations and a tea factory in Gunung Mas, journey through the breathtaking Puncak Pass before arriving in Cipanas at the end of the day. Cipanas lies at the foot of the Gunung Masigit, close to Garut, an area famous for its hot springs which supply naturally heated water to all of the hotels in the region.
Day 4: Cipanas/Garut - Naga - Pangandaran
You can visit the still-active but infrequently visited Papandayan volcano today (optional), accompanied by a local guide. We then continue to Pangandaran a fishing village on Java’s southern coast. Stopping on the way at Naga, a traditional Sundanese village. Once we arrive why not go for a dip in the sea, be careful of the apes that sometimes appear on the beach and run off with food and sunglasses!
Day 5: Pangandaran
Kick back and relax on the beach at Pangandaran take a dip in the Indian Ocean and watch the fishermen fish in the traditional manner. A walk through the exotic Prenanjun Nature Reserve is not to be missed due to its luxuriant tropical vegetation and rich wildlife. You can see many species of bird, apes, deer and maybe even bantengs, however, the Indonesian government closes the reserve from time to time, to give the flora and fauna a rest. If that is the case during this trip, walks will be restricted to certain areas.
Day 6: Pangandaran – Cilacap – Wonosobo
Today we travel by chartered boat through glistening inland rivers to Cilacap before going on to the lively town of Wonosobo, on the edge of the 1.4-mile high Dieng Plateau ( in the event of a small group less than 6 passengers, travel will be by car from Pangadaran to Wonosobo) . The nights can be cold here, so a warm jumper is advised.
Day 7: Wonosobo – Borobudur – Yogyakarta
In the morning take a walk through the mysterious landscape where the oldest Hindu temples in Java appear out of the mist. We also recommend seeing the three multi-coloured lakes and taking a walk along the deserted but spectacularly scenic mountain paths to the highest village in Java. In the afternoon, we will visit one of the largest Buddhist monuments in the world, the Borobudur. This popular pilgrim site, dating back to the 9th century, boasts many terraces on ascending levels, adorned with 15,000 Buddhist relief panels and 400 bell-shaped stupas (Buddhist sculptures/monuments). Pilgrims walk clockwise around it to reach the top, which represents nirvana. It is possible to visit this huge stupa with a local guide who can explain its mystical history and point out the best things to see. In the late afternoon we arrive in Yogyakarta, the cultural heart of Java.
Day 8: Yogyakarta
The Kraton (Sultan of Yogya’s palace), has many batik-studios, silversmiths, the Wayang puppeteers, leather-tanning shops, the famous shopping street of Jalan Malioboro, alleyways and narrow streets with markets you can explore for hours: Yogya is a city which completely enraptures visitors. All forms of artistic expression and crafts make this the perfect place for souvenir hunting. You may wish to attend a performance by the classical Ramayana ballet or a gamelan concert. Enjoy decadent rice dishes in the old garden pavilion belonging to the section of the Ambarukmo Palace that has been converted into a hotel. In Yogya, you will never run out of experiences.
Day 9: Yogyakarta - Prambanan - Solo - Tawangmangu
We set out from Yogya and pay an optional visit to the renowned Prambanan temples. This Hindu temple complex, built in 850 AD, is an imposing architectural wonder, devoted to the gods Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. We will also stop in Solo, also known as Surakarta where you can visit the Mangkunegara palace.
We drive along tobacco and sugar cane fields to the mysterious and exotic Sukuhtempel or Candi Suku. From here you can make a nice walk of about three hours through this pristine and little visited mountain to Tawangmangu.
Day 10: Tawangmangu - Malang
A steep drive, using a local bus (chartered) will take you to the beautiful mountain village of Sarangan at an altitude of 1287 meters with views of Gunung Luwu. This is one of the most beautiful routes through the interior of Central to East Java.
Then we travel on to the ex-colonial city of Malang. We’ll stay the night in a charming guesthouse just outside the centre of Malang.
Day 11: Malang - Bromo
In the early afternoon we travel on to the Bromo volcano via Probolinggo and stay the night in Bromo, where the climb to the crater of the mountain is one of the highlights of the whole trip.
Day 12: Bromo - Kalibaru
At 4am we head up the Bromo volcano in jeeps to experience the amazing sunrise before we descend to a horizontal plateau which we must cross to get to the inner crater. The rocky, rugged terrain resembles a lunar landscape and on arriving at the foot of the inner crater, we will climb 246 steps to the top of the crater wall. In the morning light you can witness the flames and the smoke emanating from the crater, an amazing spectacle, particularly when the rising sun bathes the area in a pink-red glow. We then travel on to Kalibaru, where we can join an optional guided walking trip through the coffee, clove, rubber and cacao plantations. You will also see how tempe (moulded soya bean) and tahu (bean curd) are made in the small home-factories.
Day 13: Kalibaru - Lovina
We drive today to Banyuwangi along the northern coast of East Java, to board the boat for Bali, the Island of Gods and Demons, where daily life is shaped by a constant struggle between the forces of good and evil. Balinese see evil as being necessary to give the forces of good the chance to flow. The contrasts are not as black and white as we may sometimes think.
Bali is a crowded island, but the majority of it is unknown. In Bali, can you also visit the most beautiful rice fields in the world. The ride ends in Lovina on the rarely visited north coast of Bali. The next two nights you will stay in a hotel with a pool near the beach with a beautiful sunset that you have only to walk 200 meters to see! Lovina beach is beautifully black in colour, that is because of its volcanic origin.
Today is 156 km by bus and ferry stops you with a total of six hours on the road).
Day 14: Lovina
During your free days in Lovina, you can relax on the beach, but you can also in the early morning take a boat trip in search of dolphins. Close to shore is a coral reef that you can reach by boat and then go snorkelling with your own/rented equipment. You can also dive (if you are in possession of a diving certification) in the beautiful underwater nature reserve at the island of Menjangan, Lovina or dive the wreck that is northwest, off the coast of Tulamben. You can also rent a moped and take excursions to the (for example) former capital of Bali, Singaraja or a Buddhist monastery. Lovina has a wide choice of restaurants where, amongst other things, you can try the delicious, freshly caught fish.
Day 15: Lovina - Bratan Lake - Bedugul - Ubud
Today is a beautiful trip through the heart of Bali. The ride takes you to the mountain lake of Bratan at 1240 meters. You can visit the beautiful Ulan Danu temple on the shore of Lake Bratan and visit the botanical gardens near Bedugul, where you can enjoy walking around.
During the afternoon we arrive in Ubud, center of the island. Ubud is the cultural center of Bali, famous for its' paintings. The traditional Balinese culture is honored here. There are also many religious ceremonies, dances and parties. Almost certainly will you find at least one of these colourful festivities and it will be a memorable experience.
Day 16: Ubud
Explore the artists’ village, in this lush tropical region and walk or cycle through the rice fields and lively villages. You can also walk down Monkey Forest Road to Monkey Forest where you can watch the makaks play and practise your photography. Another option is to stroll through the green rice fields and get a taste of village life, which is delightfully coloured by the island’s religious culture. Rafting on the Ayun River is possible for the adventurous at heart and in the evening, you can see the traditional Barong or Kecak dances, and enjoy delicious Balinese food in one of the many restaurants.
Day 17: Ubud - Padangbai - Senggigi
In the morning we drive for 30 minutes to Padangbai where you take the ferry to the island of Lombok before travelling to the coastal town of Senggigi. Senggigi stretches several kilometres along the island’s west coast and boasts some of Lombok’s finest white sand beaches.
Day 18: Senggigi
Take your time to explore Senggigi’s divine, white beaches, hire a moped, enjoy the peace and quiet or swim in the sea. Whilst this area is not great for diving or snorkelling, it’s a paradise for surfers. Relax and enjoy the incredibly chilled out vibe and magical sunsets.
Day 19: Senggigi
Make the most of your final full day in Senggigi .
Day 20: Senggigi - Bandara (airport) - Denpasar
The last day of your tour. Your hotel room will usually be available until around 12 noon. You will be transferred (1 ½ hours by bus) to the airport at Bandara, for your flight to Denpasar (Bali) where you tour will then conclude. We wish you a comfortable journey home and are sure you will take with you some wonderful memories of Indonesia.
Your personal ‘my.shoestring’ page on our website is the perfect way to make contact with other travellers before and after your trip. You can read and create journals from trips and upload your photos onto the photo gallery. Visit my shoestring today.
When booking your tour, please check to see whether you need any post-tour nights, bearing in mind that accommodation for the night of the final day of the tour (day 20) is not included.
Please note that when the group size is between 2 and 7 you will have one guide for Java and Bali (Day 1 - 16) and another for Lombok (Day 17 - 20). When the group is 8 and above, then it will be one guide staying with you throughout.
Difficulty Information
This holiday is classified as Category B
The difficulty of our travels varies greatly. Added to this is the fact that difficulty is a very personal perception. To give an impression of the difficulty of a particular holiday we have developed a classification system.
Category A: Light travel for everyone to do. Short distances, good hotels, travel at a slow pace.
Category B: For everyone to do as well. Sometimes long distances. Good hotels and camping facilities, sometimes an adventurous overnight experience, travel at a normal pace.
Category C: Good to do for anyone who prepares themself well and is flexible. There are tougher parts of the journey, such as longer distances or walking tours. Several nights can be spent in basic accommodation.
Category D: A relatively difficult journey, travelling long distances, often primitive accommodation or tents, and challenging walking tours.
The Indonesia adventure is a Category B holiday. It can be made by any reasonably healthy individual. In the summer the trip is considerably more difficult than during the rest of the year. Although in the cities we stay in simple medium-priced hotels, remember that you are travelling in a developing country with much lower living standards than you are used to at home. Also, roads may be temporarily blocked because of the weather or owing to their state of repair, in which case a detour is unavoidable. A flexible and positive attitude is just as important as a good physical condition.
Nature of the Trip
During this varied tour of Java and Bali you will encounter smoking volcanoes, tropical vegetation and pearl-white beaches. You will experience Asian city life, the impressive temples and palaces, local dance and music, friendly colourful people and delicious Indonesian cuisine. You can choose to extend the trip with a weeklong holiday on the paradise island of Lombok.