Between temples and volcanoes, from Java to Bali

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Arrival on the island of Java

  

  Upon your arrival, you will be greeted by your driver-guide who will take you to your hotel. We invite you to take advantage of this day to rest from the long flight and prepare yourself for the coming days, which promise to be full of discoveries.

• day 2

  Discovery of Yogyakarta

  

  This morning, you will discover the cultural capital of Java, including the Sultan's Palace. This city walk will lead you to Taman Sari, known during the Dutch colonial era as the "Water Palace". At the end of the morning, you will head towards the Boko temple, perched on the hills of Gunung Kidul overlooking the Prambanan plain. You will then undertake a short hike to the Hindu temple of Prambanan, through forest, traditional villages, and rice fields. You will return to Yogyakarta at the end of the afternoon.

• day 3

  Hiking in the south of Mount Merapi.

  

  You will start the day on the southern slopes of Mount Merapi with a 2 to 3 hour walk. This walk will allow you to get as close as possible to Mount Merapi and to witness the devastating effects of the October-November 2010 eruption. The region was indeed severely affected by the eruption and still bears the scars. From a viewpoint located at 1200 m altitude, you will have the chance to admire an idyllic and grandiose panorama in front of Merapi, yet marked by the destructive effects of the eruption, resulting from a series of catastrophic factors. You will then approach the Gendol river, where the pyroclastic flows rushed during the eruption, racing down the slopes of Merapi at nearly 200 km/h, before reaching the surrounding villages. At the end of this excursion, you will have a picnic on the mountainside before heading to the fascinating Merapi museum. You will return to Yogyakarta in the middle of the afternoon.

• day 4

  Heading to the Suroloyo peak

  

  This morning, you will head towards the Suroloyo peak, located in the Menoreh hill range overlooking the Borobudur valley. At sunrise, you will have the opportunity to observe, in the distance and in clear weather, the Buddhist sanctuary surrounded by four volcanoes: Sumbing and Sundoro to the west, Merbabu and Merapi to the east. You will then continue with a lovely downhill hike, through high-altitude plantations, traditional villages, ending at the famous Borobudur temple. After visiting this monumental Buddhist sanctuary, you will take the road towards the slopes of Mount Sumbing.

• day 5

  In the heart of the terraced rice fields

  

  After a good early breakfast, you will start a hike through beautiful terraced rice fields towards the lost temple of Selogryo, discovered late by the locals (1835), in the midst of lush nature. The panorama of terraced rice fields before you is proof that Bali is not the only island to offer such idyllic landscapes. You will continue your walk through a sparse high-altitude forest, during which you will pass through traditional villages and plantations, then you will return to your starting point on foot, through the rice fields. In the afternoon, you will head towards Wonosobo, near the Dieng plateau.

• day 6

  Discovery of Wonosobo

  

  Located on the slopes of the extinct Perahu volcano, Wonosobo is a small high-altitude town, surrounded by numerous plantations, including tea plantations. The surrounding lands are indeed very fertile, which is why Wonosobo is one of the richest agricultural regions in Indonesia. The morning will be devoted to a lovely walk through the tea and tobacco plantations, starting from the shores of the volcanic lake Menjer (1200 m above sea level), where you will discover, among other things, the activities of the locals. Then, after visiting the main sites of the Dieng plateau (Arjuna temples, Sikidang crater), you will head towards Bandungan, a high-altitude resort located on the slopes of Mount Ungaran.

• day 7

  Visit to the temples of Gedong Songo

  

  You will start the morning with a very beautiful walk around the temples of Gedong Songo, which are later than those of Dieng and dedicated to Siva. They are scattered on the slopes of the ancient volcano at 1,300 m altitude and offer a superb panorama of the surrounding region. At the beginning of the afternoon, you will head to the valley and board a traditional canoe for a magical tour of the marshy lake of Rawapening, lasting about an hour, where many fishermen are active. You will also make a stop at Ambarawa to visit the train museum, set up in a disused station and where about fifteen steam locomotives from the 19th century are on display. At the end of the afternoon, you will head towards Solo.

• day 8

  Excursion to the village of Tawangmangu

  

  On this new day, you will visit the Sukuh temple, the last bastion of Hinduism in central Java in the face of the spread of Islam. This temple features original iconography, such as phallic figures and large turtle-shaped tables, which would reveal the existence of initiatory, even orgiastic, rituals. Then, you will walk towards the village of Tawangmangu, on the slopes of Mount Lawu. This will be an opportunity to discover some plant species present in this region, but also to admire superb panoramas of the pine forest and the surrounding high-altitude plantations. You will end your pleasant walk by crossing the Tawangmangu park. Your first steps in the park will lead you to a superb waterfall (Grojogan Sewu) in the middle of a tropical forest inhabited by a large community of monkeys. Finally, your driver will take you to Tumpang, near Malang, at the western foot of the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru massif.

• day 9

  Ascent of Mount Bromo

  

  In the early morning, you will discover the Tengger region, where the famous Mount Bromo (2,329 m) is located. On the way, you will cross the forests of the Tengger-Bromo-Semeru National Park, follow the ridges of the caldera before descending towards the sea of sand and reaching the village of Cemorolawang, located on the opposite ridges. In the very early afternoon, you will set off again for the ascent of Mount Bromo, the most revered by the Hindu Tengger people. You will spend the night in Cemorolawang.

• day 10

  Hiking at Mount Pananjakan

  

  Early this morning, you will start the day by driving to the summit of Mt Seruni (2,400 m), before continuing on foot to the summit of Mt Pananjakan (2,775 m), where you can witness a fabulous spectacle: the sunrise over the caldera (2 h 30 walk). This high point indeed offers a breathtaking panorama of the entire surrounding region of the Bromo volcano, with Semeru spewing its ashes in the background. You will also have the opportunity to redo the short ascent of Bromo in the vivid morning colors before returning to the hotel. At the end of the day, you will head towards Ketapang, at the foot of Kawah Ijen.

• day 11

  Direction Kawah Ijen

  

  In the early morning, you can walk quietly along the edges of the Kawah Ijen (meaning the "green crater"), where men extract sulfur at the edge of the largest acid lake in the world. These true sulfur laborers carry nearly 100 kg of ore on their backs for about 15 km to the processing plant! You will then witness the weighing and the various work contracts. A very strong and striking image of your trip. At the end of the afternoon, you will be transferred to Bali.

• day 12

  Return flight

  

  After this journey discovering the temples and volcanoes of Java and Bali, unfortunately it is time to return home. We hope that this stay has allowed you to create memorable memories and to experience incredible moments, each as amazing as the next. You will have some free time before heading to the airport for your return flight.