Smiles & Volcanoes, from Java to Bali

Airport pick-up at Yogyakarta (or Jogjakarta) by your guide and transfer to your hotel.

The rest of the day is free.

The morning is dedicated to visiting Yogyakarta (or Jogjakarta), the cultural capital of Java, and particularly the surroundings of the @[Sultan's Palace](kraton), built in 1756, where life is pleasant. Your city stroll takes you to Taman Sari, known during the Dutch colonial empire as the "Water Palace", then towards puppet and batik workshops.

Late in the morning, you head towards Ratu Boko temple, perched on the hills of Gunung Kidul overlooking the Prambanan plain. You then begin a short hike to the Hindu temple of Prambanan, through forest, traditional villages and rice fields. You then visit the Prambanan temple complex and particularly Loro Jonggrang, a magnificent 47-meter-high temple dedicated to the goddess Siva. It is considered the most elegant and stunning Hindu temple on the island of Java. Option to attend the Ramayana performance.

Return to the hotel in early or mid-evening.

Early in the morning, transfer to the banks of the Kulon Progo river, where you will enjoy a pleasant warm-up walk in a small Javanese village, from which you will discover the surrounding nature by bike (Dutch style).
You will indeed discover the Javanese countryside at a gentle pace, and you will make a few stops in the surrounding villages, where you will notably have the opportunity to observe local artisanal work.

In the mid-afternoon, transfer to the Borobudur temple.

Return to the hotel early in the evening.

Morning transfer to the Sukuh Temple, the last stronghold of Hinduism in central Java facing the spread of Islam. This temple features original iconography, such as phallic figures and large turtle-shaped tables, which would reveal the existence of initiatory, even orgiastic rituals.

Then you begin a walk towards the village of Tawangmangu, on the slopes of the Lawu volcano. This walk is an opportunity to discover certain plant species present in this region as well as to admire superb panoramas of the pine forest and the surrounding high-altitude plantations. You end your walk by crossing through Tawangmangu park. Our first steps in the park lead us to a superb waterfall (Grojogan Sewu) in the middle of a tropical forest inhabited by a large community of monkeys.

4 hours of walking – Positive elevation gain: 400m / Negative elevation gain: 300m

In the afternoon, transfer to Tumpang, around Malang, at the western foot of the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru massif

Early morning departure to the Lumajang region, skirting the southern slopes of the majestic Semeru volcano. You then reach the "Tumpak Sewu" waterfall; in Javanese).

As you descend into the gorge (via a slippery and sometimes steep path), you will indeed feel the force of these hundreds of streams that rush dramatically as they "plunge" over 100m. Viewed from above, the beauty of this waterfall seems ephemeral, with fine mist permeating everything in its path. It's no wonder that a photo of Tumpak Sewu with Mt Semeru in the background was awarded "best aerial shot" in 2019. And, if you also bring your camera equipment, remember to protect it against humidity.

Return to Tumpang in the late afternoon.

Early in the morning, 4x4s take you to the Tengger region, where the famous Mt Bromo (2329 m) billows its plumes, and the caldera surrounding it forms a gigantic sea of sand. During this journey, you cross the amazing forest of the Tengger-Bromo-Semeru National Park, also skirting part of the ridge of the Bromo volcano's caldera, before descending towards the sea of sand to reach the village of Cemorolawang (located on one of the opposite ridges). Mt Bromo is the most revered by the Hindu Tengger people who live in the region. Climbing of the Bromo volcano in the afternoon.

You can thus admire its crater resembling a smoking cauldron. It is then easy to understand why the Javanese once considered this place as the entrance to purgatory. Then you reach the summit of the Mont pananjakan (penanjakan) (2.775m) in order to witness a fabulous spectacle. We witness the sunset in a lunar setting, with an unobstructed view of Mt Bromo, its sea of sand, and the Semeru volcano, both releasing thick fumaroles. Unique!

Return to the hotel early in the evening.

Early morning transfer to the surroundings of Kawah Ijen. After checking in at the hotel, your guide takes you to spectacular terraced rice fields from which you begin a pleasant walk through traditional villages and other plantations (fruits, spices, etc.).

Return to the hotel in late afternoon.

Early in the morning, you head back in a 4x4 towards the slopes of Kawah Ijen.

Early in the morning, walk towards the edges of Kawah Ijen (meaning the "green crater") where men extract sulfur at the edge of the world's largest acidic lake. These true sulfur laborers carry nearly 100 kg of ore on their backs over approximately 15 km to the processing plant!

You then witness the weighing and various work contracts.

A very striking and moving image from our journey.

Early in the morning, you take the road to the highlands of Bali. Visit along the way to Pulaki Temple, located at the foot of a cliff and inhabited by a large community of monkeys.

The road that turns towards the mountains is magnificent. Your destination, the small village of Belimbing, is surrounded by some of the most breathtaking rice terraces on the island.

The afternoon is then devoted to an extraordinary walk discovering the surrounding nature.

This morning you head towards the southern slopes of Mt Batukaru (2,270m). Visit the Luhur Batukaru temple, which emerges in a setting of lush greenery and where several "meru" with multiple roofs stand, some dating back to the 17th century, dedicated to the ancestors of the Tabanan dynasty and to local protective deities.

Transfer to Jatiluwih, a small village located in the heart of Bali's most beautiful rice fields, in the center-west part of the island.

You then begin, in the early afternoon, a superb hike through this veritable ocean represented by the terraced rice fields surrounding you.

You head back to the road towards Bedugul to visit the famous Hindu-Buddhist temple Pura Ulun Danau. This temple, seemingly floating on the waters of the lake, is one of the most famous in Bali. A sacred place surrounded by lush gardens dedicated to the Goddess Dewi Danau.
Then, you make a short stop at the local market.

Finally, you head to Ubud, the cultural capital of the Island of the Gods, and settle into your hotel.

Free morning until the transfer to the airport.