If you haven’t noticed, Indonesia is a huge archipelago made up of thousands and thousands of islands. Here’s a geography quiz for you. What island is Jakarta (Indonesia’s capital) in? If you answered Java, then give yourself a pat on the back. That is one out of a reported 17,508 islands. The capital is also where you will begin your journey on the Sunda Express.
Just a couple geography pointers before we detail this journey. The Sunda Islands make up the lower section of the Malay Archipelago. The Sunda Islands themselves are then divided into two distinct sections, The Greater Sundas and the Lesser Sundas. The island of Java constitutes a part of the Greater Sunda Islands and that’s where we the action will take place on the Sunda Express tour.
Your first stop is of course at Jakarta. As with any big Southeast Asian capital, this is the perfect opportunity for you to do some shopping and site seeing. Some of the sites you will be seeing include the Presidential Palace and Istiqlal Mosque as well as Kota, Jakarta’s old colonial town. It was once dubbed “The Jewel of Asia” and “Queen of the East” in the 1700’s by European sailors. You might just agree with these old guys.
Leave the tall skyscrapers and city streets behind for the green trees and budding flowers of Bogor’s beautiful and lush Botanical Gardens. You may think you are in the middle of a wild jungle until signs indicating plant name and species reassures you that you are not lost in Java’s rainforests. The world’s largest unbrached flower cluster can be seen here. Be wary though, this thing smells like raw meat that has been left out of the fridge for weeks! This odor attracts flies and beetles which love the ‘fragrance’ and are attracted to come and pollinate it. Well, at least the flower looks good.
You will then make your way to Bandung, Indonesia’s third largest city. It is a relief to get here because the weather is noticeably cooler, thanks in large part to it being 770 meters above sea level. The city is also a hub for Sundanese culture and a traditional dance performance serves as a great way to familiarize yourself with Indonesia’s second largest ethnic group.
From here it is time to explore Tangkuban Perahu, one of Indonesia’s many active volcanoes. Here you can easily hike to its numerous craters and hot springs and get a firsthand look at some of Earth’s most powerful creations. If you are feeling hungry, feel free to purchase an egg and cook it on the mountain’s hot surface.
Transfer to Bandung’s railway station and hop on the morning express executive train to Jogjakarta. The trip is amazing and colorful. Scenes of bright green rice terraces fringed by a mountainous back drop constitute the general scenery as you make your way to one of Indonesia’s oldest and most artistic cities.
To say that Indonesia is huge is a massive understatement. This is the region’s largest country by the way and it is easy to get lost in all of its beautiful attractions and finding the best destination for you. Exotissimo’s Indonesia tours page can help ease things and give you some ideas on where to go. If you would like to tweak one of our tours, then contact us. We would work with you to build the perfect itinerary for your dream holiday.
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