Symphony of Indonesia, Private Tour

Meet with your guide upon arrival to Jakarta International Airport and then transfer to your hotel. Jakarta is the capital of the massive archipelago of Indonesia, the centre of the country’s economy and one of the busiest cities in the world. On arrival to your hotel, check in and have the remainder of the day free at leisure. 

Overnight in Jakarta. 

Breakfast at your hotel. Depart from the hotel to visit Jakarta’s Old Town where you will discover the biggest metropolitan area of Indonesia. Pass by Merdeka Square (Liberty Square), National Monument (Monas) and the Presidential Palace. The first visit will be made at Istiqlal Mosque, the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, as it can accommodate up to 120,000 people at a time. As a testament that two important religions can live in harmony in Indonesia, standing across the street is the Catholic Jarkata Cathedral, built in the Gothic Revival style at the beginning of the 20th century, a common architectural style of the time. Continue to the National Museum, whose collection covers all of Indonesia’s territories and represents the country’s history. The archaeological, ethnological, historical and geographical museum keeps the largest collection of Hindu-Buddhist ancient art of Indonesia. Continue to Monas (National Monument), 132-meter-high tower located in the centre of Merdeka Square representing the country’s independence.

After, drive to Sunda Kelapa Harbour, a 500-year-old harbour that was a vital link to the markets of the outside world in the 15th-century kingdom of Pajajaran and was formerly a harbour town where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu kingdom in the early 16th century. Since then, the port has belonged to the Portuguese and Dutch. Lunch at a local restaurant followed by your return to the hotel with the afternoon free at leisure. 

Overnight in Jakarta. Lunch included. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Depart Jakarta with a morning flight to Yogyakarta. Upon arrival in Yogyakarta, meet with our local reps and then directly transfer to the Sultan’s Palace, also known as the ‘Kraton’, located in the heart of the old city. The huge palace of the sultans of Yogyakarta was effectively the centre of a small walled city within a city. As you walk through the various rooms and chambers, learn more about this aspect of Javanese heritage and culture. At the exit point, a pedicab known as a becak awaits for your short transfer to the famous Taman Sari Water Castle, dating to the mid-18th century. This palatial bathing pool was built by the sultan as a dedicated space for his harem. 

Lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is dedicated to exploring the arts and handicrafts of Yogyakarta. Visit a traditional batik workshop and then the historic district of Kotagede. Located around 10 kilometres from the city centre, this 16th century area was the seat of the once mighty Mataram Kingdom. Nowadays it is famous for being the centre of a thriving silversmith industry and its charming Javanese-Dutch colonial homes. After, transfer to the outskirts of Yogyakarta to explore the ancient Hindu temples at Prambanan, located just 17 kilometres from Yogyakarta. Built in the ninth century, this UNESCO Heritage Site features three main inner shrines dedicated to the Hindu trinity – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Your knowledgeable guide will explain the history and symbolism of the temples during the tour.

At Prambanan, enjoy a traditional Ramayana dance performance. Ramayana ballet is an art performance that is beautiful, admirable and difficult to compare to other artistic performances as it combines Javanese dance, drama and music all on one stage, representing the Ramayana story, a legendary saga originally written in Sanskrit. After the performance, return to your hotel. 

Overnight in Yogyakarta  Lunch included.

Breakfast at the hotel. Just under an hour’s drive northwest of Yogyakarta is the vast and brilliant Borobudur Buddhist temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Standing majestically and serenely on a hillock overlooking lush green fields and distant hills, the shrine is without doubt one of the world’s most complete collections of Buddhist bas relief carvings. Comprised of thousands of volcanic and river stone blocks, the temple was assembled entirely by human labour and took more than 75 years to complete. At the temple exit point, your bicycle awaits for you to start peddling through the Javanese rural countryside to a nearby peaceful and charming village. See typical houses and discover village activities along small lanes. Enjoy a coconut as a refreshment in the middle of a plantation. Then, continue by vehicle to visit the ninth-century Mendut temple. Older than Borobudur, this Buddhist temple houses three impressive stone statues. Then visit Pawon temple, located in between Mendut and Borobudur. 

A late lunch will be served at a local restaurant facing a rice paddy. After lunch, return to Yogyakarta. In the late afternoon, make a short visit to Alun-alun Kidul (Southern City Square). This site has attracted many visitors to try a local game called Masangin. The aim of the game is very simple – try to walk between the two banyan trees in the plaza, blindfolded. Local legend has it that if you can successfully do this then you will have good luck in your future. In the evening, enjoy dinner at Dalem Joyokusumo. This dalem was inhabited by a cousin of Sultan Hamengku Buwono VII. Here you will be offered an array of delicious dishes and special royal culinary treats to whet your appetite. Return to your hotel after dinner. 

Overnight in Yogyakarta . Breakfast, lunch and dinner Included

In the morning, transfer to Yogyakarta train station, boarding the Sancaka morning train  to Mojokerto where you will enjoy a scenic train ride to East Java. The train departs early in the morning and arrives mid morning (schedule subject to change without notice). Upon arrival to Mojokerto, your driver awaits for your transfer to Tosari village (approx. four hours), located on the outskirts of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The climate here is cool all year round as the village is perched at an altitude of around 1,700 metres above sea level. Before heading to Pasuruan and reaching Tosari, visit Trowulan, which was the capital of the Majapahit Empire centuries ago. The Majapahit ruled from the late 13th century to the early 16th century and stretched from Sumatra to New Guinea, consisting of present day Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, southern Thailand, the Sulu Archipelago and East Timor. Stop at Pasuruan harbour for lunch. In this charming fishing village you can observe traditional wooden boats and the daily activities of local fisherman. After lunch, head directly to Tosari village, checking in at your hotel, followed by dinner.

Overnight in Bromo. Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

Awake early this morning for a sunrise tour of Mount Bromo from Penanjakan. Depart the hotel very early in the morning  by 4x4 Jeep  to reach the first stopping point at Penanjakan (2,770 m) approximately 40 minutes from the hotel, passing over a sandy terrain. From this vantage point, prepare your eyes to feast on the stunning views of Bromo volcano and surrounds as the sun rises from behind the volcano. After, continue by Jeep down to the volcano caldera, which is usually still covered by mist early in the morning. Then take a 25-minute horseback ride to the first set of stairs which will lead you to the rim of still active Bromo crater (2,329 m). 

Return to the hotel for breakfast.  Check out of the hotel and continue the trip to Kalibaru, located on a quiet hillside with views of Mrawan Mountain and the beautiful Gumitir Valley, surrounded by nature and plantations. Lunch is served at a local restaurant along the way. After lunch, transfer to your hotel, check in and enjoy the rest of the day at leisure. Dinner is served at your hotel. 

Overnight in Kalibaru . Breakfast, lunch and dinner included

In the morning, visit a Kalibaru plantation to see the cultivation of Indonesian plantation commodities, such as coffee, cocoa, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, vanilla and pepper, as well as many tropical fruits. Enjoy the cool morning breeze in the middle of a plantation field where your feet step through the morning dew. See the process of making coconut sugar, taken from palm flower to packet. Lunch at the hotel. Continue your journey to the eastern tip of Java, reaching Ketapang. Check in to your hotel with the remainder of the day free. 

Overnight in Ketapang . Breakfast and lunch included.

The morning begins with an early rise  to witness a spectacular sunrise over a caldera. The fabled Ijen plateau is a vast volcanic region dominated by the three cones of Ijen (2,368 metres), Merapi (2,800 metres) and Raung (3,332 metres). After driving through a landscape of rice paddies and pine forests of around 1.5 hours, reach Paltuding, a beautiful wooded alpine area. These thinly populated highlands host coffee plantations and a few isolated settlements – Gunung Ijen is Javanese for ‘Lonely Mountain’. Once you have reached the edge of Ijen crater after about 90 minutes walking on a good pathway, you can rest while admiring the fantastic landscape of the caldera, the magnificent jade-coloured lake, and the deep yellow of the continuously sprouting sulphur springs. Meet the sulphur workers mining this type of ‘yellow gold’. Box breakfast included.

Afterwards, return to your hotel to rest before lunch at a local restaurant, then head to Bali by ferry via Pemuteran. Drop off at your hotel located in the heart of Bali, Ubud. 

Optional: Breakfast at the hotel. Take a morning transfer to Baluran National Park, an easily accessible park with rich wildlife covering around 25,000 hectares of savannah, including 40 kilometres of coastline with mangroves, beaches and coral reefs. Although the park is relatively small in size, it holds an array of ecosystems with a wide variety of animals and plant life, such as Javanese wild ox (banteng), deer, feral water buffalo and more than 100 bird species.  

Begin the day with breakfast at the hotel, followed by a morning departure to visit Gunung Kawi temple located at Tampak Siring village, an archaeological complex hewn from the living rock, dating back to 11th century. The temple is surrounded by lush, verdant scenery and the footpath leads down approximately 315 stone steps to reach the temple, passing through a picturesque rice terrace. Continue to the Tirta Empul temple, famous for its holy water where Balinese worshipers have been drawn to for more than 1,000 years. Here you find a natural spring water bathing pool with old style Balinese designs.

From here, ascend to Kintamani to enjoy spectacular views over Lake Batur and its volcano, Mount Batur. Although Mount Batur, reaching up 1,412 metres, is not the highest volcano in Bali, it is the most active and is surrounded by an impressive caldera. Lunch is served looking out at this beautiful panorama. Afterwards, descend to the black lava at the slope of the active volcano on board to your classic Land Cruiser 4x4 vehicle to start this crater adventure. A unique trail will take you across the lava eruptions dating from 1834 and 1964 with a pure countryside view in the Batur caldera, and before returning back to the vehicle, visit a cave inside a lava flow. Return to Ubud. 

Overnight in Ubud. Breakfast and lunch included.

Breakfast at the hotel. In the morning, drive to the west of Bali, exploring the Tabanan Regency, known for its stunning natural beauty. Before the crowds arrive, arrive at Jatiluwih, an expansive rice terrace in Bali. Due to the unique subak irrigation system, a method of sustainable farming, UNESCO has named the area a World Heritage Site. Here take a short walk through the rice paddies to take in the fresh morning air. Then head to Bedugul to admire the beautiful water temple. Then make a stop at Candikuning, a colourful local market full of fresh fruit, vegetables, spices and exotic flowers. 

Lunch is served at a local restaurant facing the rice terraces and green mountains off in the distance. Next, return to your vehicle to visit the Alas Kedaton monkey forest. Locals believe that these monkeys are the guardian of the small, well-preserved temple located inside the forest. Continue on to visit an iconic Balinese landmark, the sea temple of Tanah Lot. Located on a rock islet in the ocean, the temple is subjected to the tide’s pounding waves making for an extraordinary setting. At the end of the day, transfer back to your hotel in Ubud.

Overnight in Ubud. Breakfast and lunch included.

In the morning, meet with your guide and transfer to Guliang Kawan Village located in central Bali. Receive a warm greeting by the villagers and savour a simple Balinese breakfast served with tea or coffee. Then stop at a traditional local market to purchase the ingredients for today’s cooking class, including spices and vegetables. Enjoy the culinary class which offers a tasty introduction to the exotic ingredients of Balinese food. Gain valuable insight into the preparation and cooking techniques used on a daily basis on the island. After lunch served in a hut facing the rice field, join in a rural activity that allows you to experience how farmers work the rice fields. Learn how to plant, transplant or harvest rice (depending on season) and at the same time, have the opportunity to learn more about the subak irrigation system.

Proceed to Pengelipuran, a traditional village that preserves its traditional Balinese house architecture to this day. The typical Balinese entrances stand in a row on both sides of the village road. Afterward, transfer to your next hotel in Nusa Dua, a truly tranquil beachside of Bali, a relaxing and laid-back atmosphere to experience world-class hospitality. Check in to your hotel with rest of the day free. 

Overnight in Nusa Dua. Breakfast and lunch included.

Breakfast at the hotel. Have the day at leisure to enjoy the hotel facilities, relax by the pool reading a good book or feel the soft sand between your toes at one of the spectacular beaches. 

Overnight in Nusa Dua. 

Enjoy the morning at leisure after breakfast. In the afternoon, head to one of Bali’s most impressive temples, Uluwatu temple, a sea temple perched atop a cliff above the sea at the westernmost tip of the peninsula. After, enjoy your day here at a villa on the cliff offering amazing views of the ocean. Feel free to take a dip in the infinity pool while sipping on a beer, awaiting the sunset when the blue horizon morphs into a golden glow. (Note: One bottle of beer per person, peanuts/crackers and towel included. This activity can be changed into an Uluwatu temple visit with Kecak dance performance without surcharge.) Transfer back to your hotel. 

Overnight in Nusa Dua. 

Breakfast at the hotel. Meet with your guide and then transfer to the Denpasar airport for your flight back home. 

Breakfast included.