Embark on an immersive journey through the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali: vast temples, volcanic dawns, meals in family homes and rice terraces carved into the hillsides. Guided by an expert local tour leader, we begin at the vast Buddhist monument of Borobudur, cycle past rice fields and village homes, share lunch with Javanese hosts and visit Prambanan’s soaring Hindu temples. We then cross East Java by train to watch the sun rise over Bromo’s caldera, before taking the ferry to Bali for a family meal and blessing in Pinge and time among the rice terraces near Ubud.
Activity Areas
Culture
Region & Country & City
Asia: Indonesia
Included in the Price
All accommodation: 11 Comfort nights (hotels and resorts), 2 Simple nights (lodges) - All breakfasts, three lunches, one dinner - Immersive itinerary with all transport and listed activities - Expert tour leader to enhance your adventure - Group arrival and departure transfers available
Not Included In The Price
You’ll also find Thriving Nature, Thriving People moments across our trips. These experiences are often a highlight of your adventure, while also benefiting the natural world or local communities.On this trip, we: - Share home-cooked meals with local communities in Karangrejek Village, Kotagede Village and Pinge Village, learning about Javanese and Balinese food traditions, culture and daily life through meaningful connections with your hosts. - Meet Riza, the local changemaker of Karangrejek village, as you explore a community library transforming opportunities through education and learn about traditional Javanese herbal medicine while hearing stories of village life and resilience. - Opt to learn how local communities are helping protect the endangered Bali Starling, explore traditional rice farming practices, and enjoy a farm-to-table meal. - Request a single room if required, purchase travel insurance and arrange any visas and vaccinations. On this trip, local taxes (approximately US$8) are not included.
Map
Itinerary
Day 1 Adventure begins in Borobudur
Begin your adventure in Borobudur, a settlement in Central Java named for the vast Buddhist temple that we visit tomorrow.
Around 6pm, say halo to your tour leader and fellow travellers, when we gather as a group for the first time to get to know each other and learn more about the adventures ahead.
Your tour leader then ensures a big Indonesian welcome by arranging a group dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Want more time in Borobudur? Secure pre-tour hotel nights through your sales representative.
Day 2 Marvel at the vast Borobudur Temple • Cycle through rural Java
Our first full day begins at Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist monument on the planet. Constructed in the eighth and ninth centuries, this World Heritage site was designed to reflect the Buddhist path towards enlightenment, while the astounding scale of the complex reveals the ambitions of Java’s early Buddhist builders.
We then swap temple stones for village lanes, taking to bicycles for a ride (approximately two hours) through the surrounding countryside. Passing rice fields and rural homes, we see the landscape beyond the monument and gain a closer view of everyday life around Borobudur.
Our day ends with a transfer (1hr 30min) to the royal city of Yogyakarta, our base for the next three nights.
Day 3 Meet the community behind Karangrejek village • Visit Prambanan’s Hindu temples
We’re off to Karangrejek village today to meet local changemaker M. Riza Perdana Kusuma. Leaving a successful corporate career, he returned to the region to found the Narapuspitan Library & Public Space, a community literacy and learning hub that promotes reading, education and community engagement in an area traditionally known for its dry, challenging agricultural conditions.
A local guide then leads us through the neighbouring village, sharing stories of daily life and the residents involved in the project. Along the way, we learn about jamu (traditional herbal preparations) and taste freshly fried tempeh, made from fermented soybeans. We finish our visit over lunch in a traditional Javanese home, sharing dishes prepared by our hosts.
Later, we drive (approximately one hour) to Prambanan, the largest Hindu complex in Indonesia. Dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, and with a 154ft (47m) central tower plus exquisite carvings, it reflects the pinnacle of ancient Javanese architecture.
Day 4 Enter Yogyakarta’s royal world • Cook in a Javanese home
Begin today at the Kraton, the Sultan’s Palace, for an introduction to the royal traditions of Yogyakarta. Courtyards, pavilions and historic collections help us understand the role of the court in Javanese culture, with a cultural performance possible depending on the programme that day.
Continuing on foot, we visit Taman Sari, the former royal pleasure gardens and bathing complex. Its pools and gateways reveal a more private side of palace life, away from the formal spaces of the Kraton.
We then transfer (20 minutes) to the historic district of Kotagede for a hands-on cooking class in a local home. Guided by our host, we learn about the herbs, spices and techniques used in Indonesian cooking, while gaining an insight into everyday life in a traditional Indonesian household. Once the dishes are prepared, sit down together to enjoy lunch.
After returning to the city centre, we watch artisans working on batik and silver handicrafts, gaining an appreciation of the patience behind both crafts. This evening, there may be the option to attend a Ramayana Ballet performance at Purawisata.
Day 5 Ride the rails across Java • To the city of Batu
Rise early this morning (5.30am) to catch the train to Mojokerto in East Java, a journey of approximately 4hr 15min. Travelling in air-conditioned executive class, we watch Java unfold beyond the windows as we head east.
Our driver meets us in Mojokerto, where we reunite with our main luggage and continue to Trowulan. Here, surviving monuments recall the Majapahit kingdom. We visit Bajang Ratu, an elaborately decorated gateway, and Candi Tikus, a sunken bathing complex, for a different perspective on Java’s architectural heritage.
Following a stop for lunch in Jombang, we continue via Pare towards Batu city, taking the mountain road around the western slopes of Mount Arjuna.
Arriving in Batu, we settle into our hotel with the evening free.
Day 6 Walk through Malang’s rainbow neighbourhood • Journey into Bromo’s highlands
There is time to relax this morning or join our tour leader for an optional walk around Batu before we transfer (20 minutes) to the city of Malang.
Upon arrival, we explore a local market before discovering Kampung Warna Warni, nicknamed the Rainbow Village for its brightly coloured properties inspired by the favelas of Rio. A walk through the streets gives us a closer look at this community, with time for a refreshment.
We then travel north through Pasuruan and Probolinggo before climbing towards Sukapura. Here, we change to local shuttle transport for the final leg to our lodge in the Bromo area. Settle in and prepare for tomorrow’s early start.
Our main luggage stays on the bus in Sukapura, so we take an overnight bag with toiletries, a change of clothes and warm layers for the sunrise excursion.
Day 7 Watch dawn break over Bromo • Cross East Java to Kalibaru
Rise (very!) early this morning, around 3.30am, for a special start to the day. Travelling in 4x4s, we journey to the Penanjakan 2 viewpoint, where, as daylight hits, the shapes of Bromo volcano and the surrounding mountains emerge above the vast caldera.
Descending by 4×4, we cross the Sea of Sand to approach Bromo itself. We continue on foot and climb the staircase to the crater rim, subject to local access restrictions. Our tour leader helps us understand the significance of this volcano to the Tengger people who live in the surrounding highlands.
We return to the lodge for breakfast, then take the shuttle to Sukapura and rejoin our bus. A long drive takes us east towards Kalibaru. Forested hills accompany the final stretch before we arrive at our accommodation.
Day 8 Follow coffee from plant to cup • To Bali
Head to the village of Kalibaru this morning, where we tour the surrounding plantations. Among cacao, coffee, pepper and rubber, we learn about the local growing and harvesting processes, which use techniques passed through the generations. We’ll finish the tour with a coffee tasting.
We then leave for Ketapang harbour, where we board a local ferry and cross the Bali Strait to Gilimanuk, exchanging Java’s eastern shore for Bali, the next island of our adventure.
On arrival, we continue (45 minutes) to Pemuteran on the northwest coast, where the rest of the day is free.
Day 9 Unwind in Pemuteran • Choose coral reefs, village cycling or hot springs
Today is free to enjoy Pemuteran at your own pace. Spend time by the beach or ask our tour leader to arrange one of the optional activities below, paid locally.
For time on the water, join a shared boat excursion to Menjangan Island in West Bali National Park. Snorkel above coral reefs, then take a short island walk with the possibility of spotting deer. A packed lunch is included.
Alternatively, a village cycling trip introduces daily life in West Bali (approximately 3hr 30min–4hr). The proposed route includes a market, village temple, salt production and an introduction to arak, a locally produced spirit, with agricultural activities varying by season.
For a slower outing, visit Banjar Hot Spring, where warm mineral water feeds bathing pools surrounded by tropical gardens.
Day 10 Share lunch and a blessing in Pinge • Visit Bali’s lakeside temple
Leaving Pemuteran, we travel (approximately three hours) inland to Pinge, a traditional rural village in the Tabanan highlands. Here, Mr Darmawan welcomes us into his family home for an introduction to Balinese life and traditions.
We share lunch with our hosts, with time to talk about the customs that shape family and village life. A blessing from Mr Darmawan’s father at the family temple adds a personal dimension to our visit.
Continuing into the Bedugul highlands, we could visit Ulun Danu Beratan on the shore of Lake Beratan. Dedicated to the lake goddess Danu, the temple highlights the importance of water in Balinese religious life. Its tiered shrines stand beside the lake, appearing separated from the shore when water levels are high.
We then continue (one hour) to Ubud and settle into our accommodation for the next three nights.
Day 11 Enjoy Ubud at leisure • Learn about Bali’s conservation and farming projects
We have a free day in Ubud, the spiritual heart of Bali, with time to pursue our own interests or simply relax.
For a closer look at the relationship between farming, wildlife and village life, join an optional visit to Begawan. The optional experience introduces efforts to conserve the Bali starling alongside regenerative rice farming, with insights into subak, Bali’s community irrigation system.
A guided visit to the fields and gardens helps explain how rice cultivation connects with Balinese culture. Lunch at Begawan Biji rounds off the experience, bringing the farm’s produce to the table.
Day 12 Admire Tegallalang’s rice terraces • Visit Rangreng Waterfall
For those keen on an additional challenge, you may wish to join an optional guided sunrise trek on Mount Batur. Leaving the hotel around 4am and setting off in darkness, we climb towards the crater for views across the volcanic landscape as daylight arrives, with a simple breakfast included.
After reuniting back at the hotel, we head into the countryside to visit Tegallalang, where picturesque rice terraces follow the contours of a steep valley. Our outing also includes a visit to Rangreng Waterfall and a lunch stop at a restaurant overlooking Mount Batur, before we return to Ubud for free time.
An optional Balinese dance performance provides another way to end the day, with expressive gestures and elaborate costumes bringing traditional stories to the stage.
Day 13 Return to the coast • Celebrate our journey in Candidasa
We leave Ubud at approximately 11am and travel (1hr 30min) to Candidasa on Bali’s east coast. With the afternoon free, we have time to settle into our resort and relax by the pool or on the beach.
Around 7pm, we can gather for a farewell dinner – a chance to revisit some of our favourite moments from our adventure together, and perhaps start planning the next!
Day 14 Adventure ends in Candidasa
You’ve explored the vast Buddhist temple of Borobudur, watched dawn break over Bromo and shared meals in Javanese and Balinese homes, but now it’s time to begin your return journey home.
Alternatively, if you’d like to extend your adventure, speak to your sales representative to discuss our large range of extension options.
