This trip offers you the highlights of Java, Bali and Lombok but you will also go off the beaten track to experience local life in the magnificent countryside. Some amazing walks are included in the trip. Dive under the surface of fascinating cultures, but do not forget to take time to relax and relive new impressions. Because of the slow pace of traveling this tour is perfect for this!
Practical information:
We offer our tours in 2 classifications: standard and comfort class. In standard class we use simple hotels with basic, clean rooms mostly private shower/toilet, sometimes a fan. Traveling comfort class means we offer more luxurious rooms with air conditioning (if available) and where possible hotels with swimming pool.
Transport:
You travel in an air-conditioned car. An English speaking driver/guide will accompany you, except during transfers.
If you are more than average interested in e.g. culture we can organize an extra guide accompanying the driver (additional costs).
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Malang: After arrival in Jakarta you will be transfered to Abdurrahman Saleh Airport Malang.
Day 2
Malang: We continue towards Malang, where we arrive late afternoon. Malang used to be a popular destination for the Dutch in colonial times. You can still experience the colonial atmosphere in town.
Day 3
Bromo: We drive by car to a village located at the south of Bromo. Here we transfer to an open jeep to drive through magnificent scenery. We visit a scenic waterfall and eventually we end up in the ‘sand-sea’ surrounding Bromo. We take a spectacular route to the north side of the volcano to show you Bromo. A unique and adventurous experience!
Day 4
Kalibaru: An early start in order to catch a spectacular sunrise at Bromo’s crater-rim. If the first sunrays break through the sky you will have the feeling you are standing on the moon! We return for breakfast and drive to Kalibaru. Here you can relax in the swimming-pool and process your impressions of this morning. For the ones with plenty of energy there is a possibility to wander around the plantations that belong to the hotel.
Day 5
Kalibaru free day: A free day in this wonderful place… It is possible to participate in excursions organized by the hotel, for example a tour to cacao-, rubber and coffee plantations. Or just relax and laze by the pool.
Day 6
Ubud: The ferry will bring us from Java to Bali. A 4-hour drive brings us to Ubud. Along the way we visit the Sea Temple Pura Tanah Lot.
Day 7-8
Ubud free days: Ubud is an interesting village of artists and the cultural heart of Bali, situated amongst luscious green rice-fields. It has many art shops and galleries and a number of museums that showcase collections of Indonesian art. Besides that there are often ceremonies, dances and temple-festivities that you can attend to. Close to Ubud is the Monkey Forest, a stretch of tropical forest that houses cheeky monkeys. On the edge of this forest you can find the mysterious Pura Dalem Agung temple (temple of the dead). It is also possible to do a rafting-trip on the Ayung river. Or how about a good massage? Last but not least Ubud is thé place to eat well, there is a number of very good restaurants. In all: you won’t get bored here!
Day 9
Ubud: Ubud is a very good place for hiking or cycling. Today we drive with minibuses to Kintamani. We stop for a snack here and mount our bicycles. Following small secondary roads we cycle back to Ubud. A guide explains about local plants and customs during regular stops. The cycling is almost only downhill and if you are tired you just take the minibus that follows us during the whole trip. A delicious Balinese lunch in a small restaurant amongst rice-fields concludes this interesting trip.
Day 10-11
Kuta (or other place of interest) free days: Transfer from Ubud to Kuta, Sanur, Legian or Seminyak. You can stroll along the beach and enjoy breathtaking sun sets and plenty of restaurants and bars.
Day 12-13
Senggigi (Lombok): You fly to Lombok. You stay in a hotel in Senggigi. On day 18 you can visit small traditonal Sasak villages with ancient weaving traditions in the east of Lombok. We visit small workshops where bamboo products and the famous Lombok pottery is made the traditional way. A delicious traditional Sasak lunch will be prepared for you. After lunch you can walk through the village and you will see how they weave by hand. In the afternoon you see a traditional dance performance. Don’t be surprised to see the entire village leave their homes to welcome you! It’s a 2- hours drive back to Senggigi.
Day 14
Departure: Transfer to airport.
Environment
During this tour you will see the highlights of Java, Bali and Lombok. You will clearly see the differences between the culture and nature of the three islands. This will be very interesting to notice.
Where possible we use hotels that fit into the landscape and which are built with local materials. This way the materials aren’t imported from other countries, which makes the hotels more sustainable. For example the Margo Utomo hotel is situated at a plantation. This creates a beautiful garden and atmosphere for the guests and the rooms look like they belong to the landscape.
During some trips guides will accompany you to explain about the local nature and culture, but also to inform you about appropriate behavior towards animals, nature and locals. They provide you with guidelines for garbage handling and minimal distance you need to keep from animals you might see.
On all three islands the car is facilitated with a water dispenser. At the beginning of your tour you will get a free plastic water bottle and this bottle can be refilled for free in the car. This way you do not have to buy new bottles of water all the time and there will be less garbage.
Community
In Lembang we visit the local fruit market. The guides will stimulate you to try the typical fruits of Indonesia. For you this is a nice experience and for the locals a good way to generate income.
The meals that are included; for example the lunch in Pringgasela, the dinner during the ballet and the lunch during the bike trip in Ubud, are all prepared by local people. For them it is a good opportunity to generate an income from the tourists and for you it is an opportunity to taste the Indonesian food.
Furthermore a guide is hired in Pringgasela and the rest of the tour the driver will be your guide as well. This makes it easy to gain more insight about the local culture. Besides, the guide can help you to get in contact with the locals and can help translating in case something is not clear when talking to the local people. The guide will also provide you with information about the appropriate behavior and clothing to visit local villages. This way you can show your respect towards the locals and your visit will not influence the local culture.