Round trip 28 days classical and cultural Sumatra, Java en Bali

Garuda Indonesia flies non-stop from Amsterdam to Jakarta with its new Boeing 777-300 ER. Experience the hospitality of Indonesian culture on board at Garuda Indonesia, the national airline of Indonesia. With more than 65 domestic destinations Garuda takes you to Jakarta, Bali, Lombok, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Ambon and many remote destinations. The direct connection will take you from Amsterdam to Jakarta in just 13.5 hours. Departure from Amsterdam around midday, arrival in Jakarta early in the morning. Your connecting flight departs about 2 hours later and takes about 2.5 hours.

Selamat datang, welcome to Medan! Upon arrival in Medan you walk straight to the immigration booth to get your visa free stamp in your passport. It is valid for 30 days maximum, calculated from the first day you arrive in Indonesia regardless of the time of arrival or departure. In Medan your driver is waiting for you with a piece of board with your name on it. He will drive you to Hotel Deli River, a little family hotel just outside the big city Medan. The hotel is surrounded by a beautiful tropical garden and has a swimming-pool. Depending on the time of your arrival you can make a short city tour or acclimatise at your hotel.

After breakfast we leave for Brastagi, a fairly cool place on the flank of the volcano Sinabung. You have time enough to visit the flower and fruit market and you can have lunch here. We then continue the scenic route through the Karo Highland past pineapple, clove and ginger plantations. Along the way stops at the King’s House of the Batak Simalungun tribe in Pematang Purba and the Sipisopiso waterfall. In the afternoon you arrive in Prapat on Lake Toba from where you cross over to the island of Samosir, in the middle of Lake Toba.

We visit several authentic Batak villages with their typical saddle back roof houses. The Batak people were among the first people that settled in Indonesia. They came by boat from Indo China. The houses are still built in the shape of a boat – saddle back roof. The population here is Christian and the Batak people are known for their beautiful voices and music. Today you can visit the characteristic Toba Batak villages Tomok, with the King’s Tomb, Ambarita with its execution tables and Simanindo for traditional Toba dances. Dinner in the cosy restaurant Marysca's with Rony’s vocalgroup.

Samosir - Padang. You drive along the south side of Lake Toba with beautiful rice fields and high Batak King Tombs. Along the way you will pass the hot sulfur springs at Sipoholon. At the place Tarutung, centre of the Protestant Batak Church, you’ll turn into the direction of Padang Sidempuan. Overnight stay in Padang Sidempuan. (about 8 hours)

The route to Bukittinggi in the Minangkabau highlands takes you today again through the mountain range Bukit Barisan of Sumatra. It is an impressive trip where you enter the highlands of the Minangkabau through a “wall” of tropical rainforest. Along the way you will cross the equator in the town of Bonjol and the Jambi nature reserve. In the afternoon arrival in the cool and pleasant town of Bukittinggi. 2 nights in Bukittinggi. (about 9 hours)

Bukittinggi - excursion to Pagaruyung, Batusangkar, the Harau nature reserve and Lake Singkarak. In the palace in Pagaruyung you can see the different aspects of the matriarchal community pattern of the Minangkabau. The Harau nature reserve is famous for its large rock formations and beautiful butterflies. At Batusangkar are historical rock inscriptions in Sanskrit. On the way back to Bukittinggi you will pass the lake of Singkarak. Overnight in Bukittinggi.

During the city tour you first visit the former Fort de Kock located on a strategic position where you have a beautiful view over the surrounding landscape. Then you can visit the Minangkabau museum, the colourful market and the famous Karbouwengat (Ngarai Sianok). The sportive hiker can take a walk of about an hour through the Karbouwengat to the silver town of Kota Gadang where the car will be waiting for you. From Kota Gadang departure for the mysterious Maninja Lake, descending along the road with forty-four curves. Overnight stay at Bukittinggi.

After breakfast we leave for Padang via the beautiful Anai valley and Anai waterfall. Through the beautiful 44 hairpins we approach Padang, the largest port city of West Sumatra and an important economic centre. Here we make another city tour and then you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Jakarta. At the exit of the airport in Jakarta your driver or guide is waiting for you and will take you to your hotel.

Today you make a city tour through the former Batavia. You will visit the old harbor Sunda Kelapa where the beautiful proud Buginze ships are still loaded by hand. You will also walk through the old part of the city, the historical surroundings of Fatahillah Square and Café Batavia where we can find the fertility cannon and the Historical Museum. You will also visit the Monas with its gold leaf dome and the National Museum. After the city tour, your driver will set course for Bogor. The road from Jakarta to Bogor is not far, but due to the bustle of traffic, you will soon be 2 hours on the way before arriving in Bogor. Bogor, the former Buitenzorg, is the main attraction of the large botanical garden Kebun Raya. You will find flora from all over the archipelago. The complex also houses the Presidential outer palace of the President of Indonesia. It is the palace of the former Governor General of the Dutch East Indies. Overnight in hotel center Bogor.

After breakfast you will leave for Bandung. The ride goes through the Puncakpas with its many tea plantations. At the tea plantation Gunung Mas you have the opportunity to visit the plantation. From the tea plantation it is another 3 hours drive before you reach Bandung. Bandung, also called the Paris of Java, is a bit cooler than, for example, Jakarta. The city is located about 800 meters above sea level. The city still radiates much of the colonial past, many houses are built in Art Deco or Jugendstil. Note: It is advisable not to drive over the Puncak Pass on weekends and public holidays, due to the crowds. In normal traffic, the journey takes at least 4 hours, often double on weekends. 2 nights in Bandung.

A whole day to discover Bandung and surroundings. In the morning you will make a tour through Bandung where you can still find many buildings from the Dutch East Indies. Then visit the Geology Museum, Mandala Museum and Villa Isola to the higher town of Lembang. Then take a brisk walk at the drive-in volcano Tangkuban Perahu, which literally means the inverted boat. Back to Bandung, you will stop at the Dago tea house and your driver will be back in town at half past three. You can enjoy the Sundanese culture at Saung Angklung Udjo. Led by the descendants of the late Pak Udjo, a large group of enthusiastic children gives a dazzling show with a wayang performance, angklung music and dance. Overnight in Bandung.

An early wake-up for a beautiful journey by train from Bandung to Yogyakarta, a good 7-hour train ride.You travel comfortably seated in the air conditioned Kelas Eksekutif conditioning through the Preanger mountain area to Yogyakarta. There your driver is waiting for you to bring you to your hotel close to the Borobudur. 1 overnight in Borobudur area.

You have to get up early for a sunrise... Between 4 and 4.30 am your driver will be waiting and will take you to a mountain with a beautiful view of Borobudur. Once the sun has risen, enjoy breakfast before heading to the temple complex. The Borobudur is the world famous and largest Buddhist temple complex in the world. A walk along the more than 1400 reliefs will take you to the highest terrace of the temple complex where the Buddhas sit under a stupa. After the visit to Borobudur we drive on to Yogyakarta. We will visit the old Sultans palace the Kraton, the water palace and the bird market Pasar Burung. Yogyakarta is known for its beautiful batik industry and fine silverware. You also have the opportunity to stroll through the famous shopping street Jalan Malioboro and shop in one of the many shopping malls. 2 nights in Yogyakarta.

One more day to enjoy Yogyakarta There are lots of things to do in this nice and busy former homestead. Have a bicycle taxi ride (becak) or a ride with the Andong, a horse-drawn carriage. Haggle over the price before getting in. Be sure to determine whether the price is for a one-way or return trip. You can also assist to one of the dance performances of the Ramayana ballet in Yogya in the evening. Also very special: make a cycling excursion in de surroundings of Yogyakarta. You cycle along rice fields, villages, temples and see the local people busy with their daily occupations like weaving and making sandals. Overnight in Yogyakarta. NB: all these are optional excursions

After breakfast departure to the tobacco town of Kediri. You drive along the volcano Merapi and via the Sultansstad Solo, the former Surakarta. In Solo you can visit the old Mangkunegaran Palace and the famous antique market. The route continues this day along beautiful views with many rice fields, forests and plantations. Surrounded by many plantations, Kediri has the largest cigarette factory in Indonesia. Here hundreds of women roll the famous Kretek (clove) cigarettes by hand. The cigarette factory can no longer be visited today. Overnight in Kediri.

After breakfast you drive via Malang to the Bromo volcano, a trip of more than five hours. In Malang you take a city tour through the city and the volcanic neighborhood, where most houses still date from the colonial period. You can (optionally) have lunch at the nostalgic restaurant Toko Oen, where only prices have changed since 1930. For real adventurers, an hour and a half before the Bromo volcano is another wonderful challenge: the Madakaripura waterfall. If you would like to visit, please discuss this with your driver the day before. The waterfall is not easy to reach, from the parking lot you go with an ojek (moped taxi) 4 kilometers into the forest. The trek to the Madakaripura waterfall is heavy and goes through (sometimes strong flowing) rivers, muddy trails, under smaller waterfalls and over slippery rocks. After more than half an hour of scrambling you will reach the magnificent waterfall and you can take a dip in the water. Slippers and a poncho are indispensable for this trek. Also put on shorts because you regularly walk more than knee deep through the water. From the waterfall you drive on to the Bromo volcano. The volcano is located in the Tengger Mountains. There are four peaks and it is one of the most beautiful volcanic landscapes in the world. The area around the Bromo is very fertile. You will stay in a simple hotel in the Bromo area

Around three o'clock you will be awakened to make a trip to the Bromo. With a jeep you will be taken to the viewing area on the edge of the Tengger kaldera. Although you are certainly not alone, in the high season there can be more than 500 visitors, there is a serene tranquility at the viewpoint. Everyone comes for the beautiful and mystical sunrise. From the platform you have a view of the sand sea and its four craters and in the background you can regularly see the Semeru volcano blowing a thrust into the air. Bring your sweater and windbreaker, it is very cold in the early morning! After the sunrise, return by jeep to the sandy sea. Here you can walk or on a horse (about 100,000 rupia) to the foot of the Bromo. Via about 300 steps you climb the Bromo crater to look from the crater rim into the crater of the volcano. After the Bromo, return to the hotel for breakfast. Then continue the journey to our next destination, the rural village of Kalibaru. A drive of about six hours. Overnight in Kalibaru.

We’ve got all day to explore Kalibaru, situated in a rural plantation area, and its surroundings. Around the hotel grows coffee, cacao, mutmeg, vanilla, cloves and cinnamon. The jam you found on your breakfast table could be made of home-grown nutmeg. Kalibaru is a perfect place to get to know the daily life on east Java. You can go to the market for example, or to one of the many plantations around Kalibaru. You can also have a look in one of the numerous little home-industries, like a palm-sugar workshop. Overnight in Kalibaru.

We rijden vandaag naar Ketapang, een havenplaatsje aan de kust, vanwaar we overvaren naar het eiland van de duizend goden Bali. We steken met een ferry in ongeveer een half uur over naar Gilimanuk, gelegen aan de kust van noordwest Bali. De auto uit Java brengt u in ongeveer twee uur naar uw hotel in Lovina, aan de noordkust van Bali. U neemt bij het hotel afscheid van uw Javaanse chauffeur en gids. Het verdere transport op Bali wordt door een andere chauffeur uitgevoerd.

Lovina is the northern beach resort on the Bali sea. Compared to the south of Bali, it is much quieter here, while all amenities are available for a wonderful holiday. The black beach is not directly the attraction of Lovina. Lovina's must-do is an early morning trip to the dolphins. You will then leave around 06:00 in the morning with a boat to the area where the dolphins show early in the morning. Larger schools of dolphins can be spotted in the autumn. Furthermore, the West Bali National Park is a short distance away. A visit to the former capital of Bali, Singgaraja, with its many old buildings is also very worthwhile. Just outside Lovina, in the dessa Banjar you will find the only Buddhist monastery in Bali, the Brahma Vihara Ashrama temple. Close to this serene place are the medicinal hot water springs, beautifully situated in the green. Bring your swimming clothes. There are three beneficial springs that rise in temperature, a wonderful experience. On Sundays and public holidays, these sources are also frequented by locals. Overnight in Lovina.

Overnight in Lovina.

During your transfer from your accommodation in north Bali to the south coast you will experience a day full of beautiful pictures of enchanting Bali: You’ll visit the fruit market of Bedugul, the monkeys around the temple of Alas Kedaton. Beautiful rice fields and waterfalls near Munduk and the Ulun Danu temple. Overnight in Sanur.

There’s nothing on the program today. You can lounge around the swimming-pool or on the beach. Sanur has got a very nice street with lots of little shops and restaurants. In some restaurants performances are given during your dinner. You find the most delicious small fish restaurants along the beach. Overnight in Sanur.

Like yesterday there’s nothing on the programme today. You can relax at the hotel or use the following link for an excursion Bali excursies Maybe a full day snorkeling trip to Nusa Penida?

Well in advance, about 3 hours before the departure of your flight, your driver picks you up for your transfer to the airport.

Flight with Garuda Indonesia with transfer in Jakarta. Departure Denpasar early evening, arrival Amsterdam in the early morning.

In the morning arrival at Schiphol. The end of a beautiful trip...