East Java Volcanoes

Welcome at Yogyakarta airport by your guide and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free.

In the evening, welcome dinner. The opportunity to get to know your support team.

Night at the hotel

The morning is devoted to visiting Yogyakarta the cultural capital of Java, and particularly the surroundings of the Sultan's Palace built in 1756, where life is good.

Our city stroll takes us to Taman Sari, known during the Dutch colonial empire as the “Aquatic Palace”, then to the puppet and batik workshops.

We are going to visit the Prambanan temple complex and more particularly Loro Jonggrang, a sumptuous 47 meter high temple dedicated to the goddess Siva. It is considered the most elegant and stunning Hindu temple on the island of Java.

Return to Yogyakarta at the end of the afternoon, where we spend the rest of our time strolling along Malioboro Avenue, Yogya's main shopping street.

This morning we reach the southern slopes of the Merapi volcano, where we begin a walk of 2 to 3 hours. This walk allows us to get as close as possible to Mount Merapi, and to see the devastating effects of the eruption of October-November 2010. The region was indeed hit hard by the eruption, and is indeed suffering from it. the after-effects.

From the top of a viewpoint located at an altitude of 1200m, we admire an idyllic and grandiose panorama in front of Merapi, but nevertheless marked by the destructive effects of the eruption, resulting from a chain of catastrophic factors. We then approach the Gendol river, where the fiery clouds rushed in during the eruption, hurtling down the slopes of Merapi at nearly 200km/h, before reaching the surrounding villages. At the end of our walk, we have a picnic on the slopes of the mountain.

Then, we head to the fascinating Merapi Museum, where we learn a lot about volcanology in general and that of the region in particular, notably through an interesting documentary.

Return to Yogyakarta and night in the same hotel.

Early this morning we leave for the Menoreh Hills, located about 25 km west of Yogyakarta and overlooking the Borobudur plain.

We then begin an original walk through superb landscapes, also along some ridges, which offer us an extraordinary panorama of green rice fields below and the volcanoes that rise on the horizon (Mt Sumbing, Mt Merapi and Mt Merbabu)…

Then, in the middle of the valley, the imposing sanctuary of @Borobudur emerges, which we visit at the end of our walk.

At the end of the visit to this monumental Buddhist sanctuary, short transfer to the slopes of the Sumbing volcano, and check-in at the hotel.

In the morning we begin a hike through superb rice terraces towards the lost temple of @Selogryo, discovered late by the natives (1835) in the middle of lush nature. The panorama of rice terraces that awaits us is proof that Bali is not the only island to offer such idyllic landscapes. We continue our walk through a thin high altitude forest, during which we also cross traditional villages and plantations then we return to our starting point on foot, through the rice fields.
Return to the villa, rest of the day at leisure.

In the middle of the night, short transfer to Babadan on the western flanks of Merapi volcano (2911 m), where we will begin our ascent. This unprecedented ascent, via the western flanks, is carried out during the day in order to be able to observe the 1998 flows, which we follow in complete safety. security. From the top, we enjoy a fantastic view of the volcanoes of Java, the Indian Ocean, Yogyakarta.

After having a picnic, we begin the descent via the northern slopes to reach Selo.

Then transfer to your hotel near the Sukuh temple, on the slopes of Mount Lawu, near Solo.

Morning transfer to the Sukuh temple, the last bastion of Hinduism in central Java in the face of the spread of Islam. This temple presents an original iconography, such as the phallic figures and the large tables in the shape of turtles, which would reveal the existence of initiatory, even orgiastic, rituals.

Then we begin a walk towards the village of Tawangmangu, on the slopes of lawu volcano. This walk is an opportunity to discover certain plant species present in this region but also to admire superb panoramas of the pine forest and the surrounding high-altitude plantations. We will end our walk by crossing the 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: 400m / Negative elevation: 300m

In the afternoon, transfer to Tumpang, near Malang, at the western foot of the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru massif. Night in a homestay.

Early in the morning, 4x4s take us to the Tengger region, where the famous Mt Bromo (2,329 m) lies. Our route runs through the forests of the Tengger-Bromo-Semeru National Park, along the crests of the caldera before going up to Ranupani, the last inhabited bastion, on the edge of the Semeru volcano massif.

From Ranupani, we begin our approach walk. We cross hills and forests to arrive on the banks of the Ranu Kumbolo lake (where we take the opportunity to have a pleasant picnic). In the afternoon, we continue our hike towards the Kalimati plateau, located at the foot of Semeru, the highest volcano in Java (3676 m). A very active volcano, it is not uncommon for the eruptions of Semeru to line its sides with lava flows, which then reach the ocean, covering the beaches with black sand and sparkling crystals.

Night in a tent.

Positive elevation gain = 600 m

At night, we adjust our headlamps to climb the steep slopes of Semeru. We first cross a relatively dense forest. Around 3,000 meters the greenery gives way to a Spartan decor of volcanic rocks: we let's begin the final ascent of the highest volcano in Java. At the summit, a grandiose spectacle of sunrise and successive eruptions… About a hundred meters from us, the Semeru crater releases its volutes of ash and dust from time to time. Depending on the intensity of volcanic activity, a plume of ash may actually be thrown into the air, accompanied by a rumbling sound from the crater. This sensation of witnessing live the manifestations of the bowels of the earth will remain as one of the highlights of our tour…

Positive elevation = 1000 m

With images in our heads, we then go back down towards the camp, and let's take the path to Ranupani.

Night in dormitories.

Negative altitude difference: 1600 m

Morning transfer by 4x4 to Cemorolawang, a village located on the edge of the caldera of the famous Bromo volcano (2329 m). Mt Bromo is the most revered by the Hindu Tengger people who live in the region.

Ascent of the Bromo volcano in the afternoon, with the possibility of hiking around the crater. We 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.

In 4x4, we reach the summit of Mt very early Pananjakan (2,775m) to witness a fabulous show. We are indeed witnesses of waking up the world in a lunar setting, with a breathtaking view of Mount Bromo, its sea of sand, and the Semeru volcano, both letting out fumaroles. Unique!

2 hours of walking approximately

Late morning transfer to Ketapang at the eastern foot of Kawah Ijen.

At the end of the night, we leave in 4x4 towards the slopes of Kawah Ijen. In the early morning, walk towards the edges of Kawah Ijen (meaning the “green crater”) where men extract sulfur on the edge of the largest acidic lake in the world. These real sulfur convicts transport nearly 100 kg of ore on their backs approximately 15 km to the processing plant! We then attend the weighing and the various employment contracts. Very strong and striking image of our trip.

At the end of the morning, transfer to Bali, by car and ferry. Night at the hotel.

In the evening, farewell dinner by the sea.