ITINERARY

What to expect

Java – also spelled Jawa – is the heartland of Indonesia. Lying southeast of Malaysia and Sumatera, south of Kalimantan and west of Bali; it is the fifth largest island in Indonesia, yet the most densely populated; especially in the nation’s capital, Jakarta (formerly Batavia) on the northernmost tip of the island. Home to over 140 million people, the island of 127,569 sq. km is Indonesia’s most complex and culturally compelling island flanked by limestone ridges and lowlands with a longitudinal mountain chain surmounted by 121 volcanoes. Java is the historical epicentre of Indonesia; a magical and storied island, steeped in culture and shrouded in mysticism. A powerhouse on the modern stage, Java traces its influence back through the centuries in its artistry, traditions, and architecture. This is a land of fire, stone, and spices; home to volcanoes, palaces and Hindu-Buddhist relics that have witnessed the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, sultanates, and empires. Heritage of Java takes you deep into the historical heartland of Indonesia, linking each of the major heritage hotspots that tell Java’s story. You will stay in hotels that have been specifically chosen for their historical significance, their architectural design and their proximity to areas of interest. This tour puts you in the centre of the action; a tactile and evocative journey back through the ages in the footsteps of sultans, pirates, and pilgrims; into the heart of Java.

Highlights

• Discover the legacy of Old Batavia • Stroll around Bogor Botanical Garden and sample a local dish while taking in the atmosphere at the garden
• Take in the scenery from the crater at Tangkuban Perahu
• Observe a musical performance using traditional instruments made of bamboo
• Travel from West Java to Central Java to East Java on scenic train rides passing rural villages
• Visit the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia at Prambanan
• Make your very own piece of batik using traditional techniques
• Enjoy the mystical panoramic sunrise view around Borobudur
• Join in with a traditional musical gamelan orchestra
• Be mesmerized by lunar like landscapes and stunning sunrise atop a caldera in Bromo Due to the heavy weekend traffic congestion, we do not recommend to start this programme on Thursday and Friday.

D1: London - Jakarta

ARRIVAL JAKARTA (-/-/D)

Meet your assigned guide upon arrival at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, then direct transfer to your hotel; a beautifully restored historic landmark building and a former Dutch Telecommunications office dating back to 1923. Check-in then spends the afternoon at leisure. In the evening, transfer for your special Rijsttafel dining experience using a chauffeured vehicle.
Inspired by the traditional social feast held by the Dutch plantation lords when hosting honourable guests, your elaborate dinner displays the richness of spices that grow in Indonesia, with a menu consisting of different flavours mainly from the island of Java. Overnight at Hermitage hotel in Jakarta.

JAKARTA – BOGOR – BANDUNG (B/L/-)

Breakfast at the hotel then checks out. Pick-up at your hotel lobby at 08:30 AM for a short tour of Old Jakarta (Batavia). Drive towards Old Town Of Batavia with a photo stop at the iconic National Monument. Visit Fatahillah Square and Sunda Kelapa Harbour for insights about Old Batavia. The journey continues to Bogor city with a visit to Kebun Raya Bogor (Bogor Botanical Garden). Founded in 1817 by the Dutch colonial government, this botanic garden covers an area of 87 hectares. Lunch is served at a local restaurant located in the garden. The tour continues with driving towards the capital city of West Java province Bandung via the highway with the final destination in Lembang. Check in at a resort and enjoy an evening at leisure.
Dinner will be served at Kampung Daun restaurant or similar.
Overnight at Adarapura Resort & Spa Lembang.

D4: BANDUNG HIGHLANDS & CITY TOUR (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the hotel then checks out. Your excursion today takes you to Tangkuban Perahu and Ciater Hot spring. Arrive at the active volcanic mountain of Tangkuban Perahu, hike to the edge of the crater to view the hot water springs and boiling mud. Accompanied by the local guide, proceed to walk through the tropical rainforest approximately 900 meters towards Kawah Domas, a smaller crater of Tangkuban Perahu volcano.
The excursion continues as you drive towards the city centre for a photo stop at the iconic Gedung Sate, a neoclassic-style government office built in the 1920s. In the afternoon, observe an angklung performance by an orchestra of children at Saung Angklung Udjo and learn how to play this traditional bamboo musical instrument. Check-in at a hotel in the city centre and dinner will be served at the hotel. Spend the evening at leisure.
Overnight at Prama Grand Preanger Bandung.

D5: BANDUNG – YOGYAKARTA BY TRAIN (B/-/-)

An early breakfast today then check out to continue your journey to the countryside in the centre of Java. Pick-up at the hotel lobby and transfer to the train station. Embark on a scenic 8-hour train ride in a fully air-conditioned compartment. Arrive in Yogyakarta - dubbed as the heart of Javanese culture, transfer directly to Prambanan Temple, built in the 9th century AD. After visiting the largest Hindu Temple compound in Indonesia, drive to a hotel located in the city centre. Check-in and dinner at the hotel. The evening is at leisure.
Overnight at The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta.

D6: YOGYAKARTA CITY TOUR – MAGELANG (B/-/-)

Breakfast at the restaurant then embarks on an excursion to unfold the history and culture of the city. Visit the 18th-century Keraton Sultanate’s palace and the former royal garden of the Sultanate Tamansari Water Castle. Proceed to visit a Batik Workshop to see the manual making process of this famous fabric and to try your skill in making your own piece of batik. In the afternoon, visit Kotagede which is the centre of silversmith then it is a one hour drive to Magelang regency. Check-in and the remainder of the day are free at leisure. Dinner at hotel.
Overnight at Plataran Heritage Borobudur Hotel.

D7: BOROBUDUR SUNRISE & CANDIREJO VILLAGE (B/-/-)

Wake up before the break of dawn and you will be transferred to the biggest Buddhist monument in the world, Borobudur. Situated in Magelang regency and nestled between the Progo and Elo Rivers, this sacred 8th-century monument is protected by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. A short, leisurely walk from the entrance and the steep narrow stone stairway will get you to the top deck of the monument. Surrounding the mother stupa, the top deck is the best spot to catch the sunrise, promising a breathtaking panoramic view of the surroundings, serene ambiance and near-mythical experience on a clear day. A short drive will get you to a local village of Candirejo. Using transportation dominantly used by the locals, a delman or andong horse carriage – the village tour is part of Natural Resources Management for Local Community Empowerment project and it will provide you with insight into local customs and traditions, art and handicrafts and an agricultural system of intercropping. Experience the daily life of the villagers; see Javanese traditional houses, and learn how to play a traditional musical instrument. In the afternoon, drive back to city centre. Check in at the hotel and then the afternoon is free at leisure, giving you the opportunity to stroll along the iconic Malioboro Street (own arrangement). Dinner at hotel.
Overnight at The Phoenix Hotel Yogyakarta.

D8: YOGYAKARTA – SURABAYA BY TRAIN (B/-/-)

Check out early morning with breakfast packed in the box. Transfer to the train station for morning train Sancaka to Surabaya. The five-hour scenic train ride unfolds scenic rice fields and lush greenery as you sit back on a reclining seat in a fully air-conditioned compartment. A port city on the island of Java, Surabaya is the vibrant capital of East Java province. A sprawling metropolis where modern skyscrapers mix with canals and buildings from its Dutch colonial past, Surabaya is the second-most condensed city after Jakarta. It is known as the ‘city of heroes’ due to the importance of a battle fought in the city for Indonesian independence in 1945. Your chauffeured vehicle will be waiting when you arrive in Surabaya. Transfer directly to a historic hotel in Surabaya and the remainder of the afternoon is free at your own leisure. Dinner at hotel. Overnight at Majapahit Hotel Surabaya.

D9: SURABAYA CITY TOUR – PROBOLINGGO – CEMORO LAWANG (B/L/-)

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and a short excursion in the city using the chauffeured vehicle to follow. Drive past the Monument Of Surabaya the symbol of the city as you drive towards House of Sampoerna. It is believed that the name of the city was inspired by the tales of the white Sura fish and the crocodile. En-route you will also see the iconic Monument Of Heroes with its 41-meter tall obelisk, commemorating the Battle of Surabaya on 10th November 1945.
At House Of Sampoerna, which was founded in 1932; you can discover the story of the founding family and the development of Sampoerna's business, and observe a real hand-rolled production facility with more than 400 women hand-rolling cigarettes at a speed of more than 325 cigarettes per hour. Situated in ‘old’ Surabaya, the Dutch colonial-style building compound was built in 1862 as an orphanage. Serving as Sampoerna’s first major cigarette production facility, today the compound still functions as a production plant for Indonesia’s most prestigious cigarette Dji Sam Soe, equipped with a museum, a shop, a café and an art gallery.
After lunch, proceed to drive towards the town of Probolinggo and arrive at Cemoro Lawang – the major access point to Mount Bromo, where you will stay overnight prior to your journey early the next morning. Check in at a resort that used to be called Java Banana Lodge, where the rest of the evening is free at leisure. Dinner at hotel. Overnight at Jiwa Jawa Resort Bromo.

D10: BROMO SUNRISE – DEPARTURE SURABAYA (B/-/-)

Rising from the ancient Tengger caldera, the volcanic trio of Mount Bromo (2,392m), Mount Kursi (2,581m) and Mount Batok (2,440m) emerge from a vast crater that stretches 10km across. The smouldering cone of Bromo stands in a sea of ashen, volcanic sand, surrounded by the towering cliffs of the crater’s edge – giving it a lunarlike landscape with epic proportions and breathtaking views.
Rising from the ancient Tengger caldera, the volcanic trio of Mount Bromo (2,392m), Mount Kursi (2,581m) and Mount Batok (2,440m) emerge from a vast crater that stretches 10km across. The smouldering cone of Bromo stands in a sea of ashen, volcanic sand, surrounded by the towering cliffs of the crater’s edge – giving it a lunar-like landscape with epic proportions and breath-taking views. Situated in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park to the southeast of Surabaya, it is the only conservation area in Indonesia that has a sand sea with total area of 5,250 hectares at an altitude of about 1,200m which also contains the highest mountain in Java, Mount Semeru (3,676m) in the south, along with four lakes and 50 rivers. Wake up when it is still dark for a journey to catch the majestic view of sunrise. Mount Bromo provides the backdrop for one of the most stunning sunrise views on earth. Depart from your resort at 04:00hrs in a 4Wheel-Drive vehicle (jeep) and make your way to Penanjakan Viewpoint to witness the awe-inducing Tengger Caldera before your eyes as the night turns into day. Your 4WD vehicle will then take you closer to Mount Bromo. Arrive at the parking area, then from here, you can ride a pony to the foot of Mount Bromo. The hike up to the rim of the crater (253-stone steps) is worth the view from the top. Afterwards, your 4WD vehicle drives over Pasir Berbisik, a landscape of volcanic sand that is reminiscent of an arid desert, then a couple of hundred meters away feeling as if you have been transported into yet another different world of the savannah.
Return to the resort for breakfast and check out afterward to continue on with your journey towards SURABAYA in a chauffeured vehicle. You will be transferred directly to Surabaya’s Juanda International Airport for the onward flight to your next destination.

- END OF PROGRAMME -

TOUR PRICE: 1 JAN 2020 – 31 Dec 2020

Rates Might Be Changed In Case of Any Changes in Governmental Taxes Or Fuel Surcharges.

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:

• International Flight London - Jakarta and Surabaya Juanda - London.
• 8-night accommodation based on the twin-sharing basis (2 persons per room)
• Meals mentioned in the itinerary as specified (B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner)
• Private transportation in a chauffeur-driven, air-conditioned vehicle
• Bottled drinking water during transfers
• One-way train ticket from Bandung to Yogyakarta including lunch on board
• One-way train ticket from Yogyakarta to Surabaya
• Bromo Sunrise tour using a local 4WD vehicle and pony back-riding
• Tours and activities as indicated in the itinerary
• Professional and licensed English-speaking or Italian-speaking guide
• All entrance fees, donations and parking fees as per itinerary
• Public Liability Insurance
• 11% local government tax and 10% service charge

TOUR PRICE EXCLUDES:

• Visa fee/arrangements if applicable
• Any alcoholic beverages
• Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone call, room service, mini bar, etc
• Personal health and travel insurance
• Gratuities/ tipping for driver and/or guide and porterage
• Any High Season and Peak /festive season surcharge (to be advised)
• Any additional excursion/optional tours/activities that are not mentioned in the itinerary