Best of Java Sulawesi and Bali

📍 Adi Sucipto International Airport Yogyakarta – Yogyakarta hotel (8 km): 20 minutes

Arrive at Yogyakarta International Airport

Recommended flights (Airfares are not included and quoted separately. Schedules are subject to change without prior notice): Silk Air from Singapore to Yogyakarta MI152, departing at 08:10 and arriving at 09:30 on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday or MI154, departing at 15:40 and arriving at 17:05 on Sunday.

Be met with guide and private car and transfer to hotel in Yogyakarta and enjoying a lunch at the hotel restaurant before hotel check in. After checking in and getting settled, the rest of the day is free to spend at leisure either exploring independently or relaxing at the hotel.

Note: Legal check in time is 14:00.

Despite the official spelling of ‘Yogyakarta’ this town is usually pronounced and often written Jogjakarta or simply Jogja. It is the most popular tourist destination on Java, largely thanks to its proximity to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan. Jogja is a center of art and education and the cradle of traditional Javanese culture.

Dinner at leisure.

Overnight in Yogyakarta.

Inclusions:

🥘 Lunch

📍 Yogyakarta – Prambanan Temple (19 km): 40 minutes

Today you will have the chance to learn more about Yogyakarta’s historic and cultural traditions with a city tour.

Start with a visit to the Sultan’s Palace, also known as Kraton. Built between 1756 –1790, is a fine example of traditional Javanese sultanate architecture. As you walk through the various rooms and chambers, you will learn more about this aspect of Javanese heritage and culture.

You’ll also visit the adjacent Taman Sari, water palace and garden. This addition to the royal complex was built over 200 years ago by the first Sultan with bathing pools for his harem.

A local cyclo, becak, will then transfer you through the streets of Yogyakarta for a view of the local life of this vibrant yet laidback city.

Lunch in a local restaurant in Yogyakarta.

This afternoon will be spent exploring the ancient Hindu temples at Prambanan, located 17 kilometres from Yogyakarta. Built in the 9th century, this collection of sharp, jagged temples features three main inner shrines dedicated to the Hindu trinity: Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. UNESCO named Prambanan a Heritage Site in 1991. Your guide will explain the history and symbolism of the temples as you walk around.

Following your visit to Prambanan, continue to the twin temples of Plaosan. Located just 1 kilometer from Prambanan, this temple combines Buddhist and Hindu elements and has over 100 domes and dozens of intricate carvings. You’ll then proceed to Sewu, a Buddhist temple located 800 meters from Prambanan. Here, you will explore the 257 buildings that fill the grassy, rectangular complex.

Return to Yogyakarta later this afternoon. After freshening up at your hotel, you’ll be treated to a performance of traditional Ramayana Dances while dining at a local restaurant.

Overnight in Yogyakarta.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Yogyakarta – Borobudur area (42 km): 1 hour 30 minutes

This morning, drive to Borobudur located 42 kilometers west of Yogyakarta. With your guide, explore this massive Buddhist Temple- the largest in the world- and discover the incredible history behind its construction. Comprised of thousands of volcanic and river stone blocks, the temple was assembled entirely by human labor and took more than 75 years to complete. These days, the UNESCO Heritage site is still visible in its full glory- with magnificent carvings and an unusual, yet surprisingly beautiful bulk structure.

Continue with a visit to nearby Mendut temple. Older than Borobudur, this pyramid-shaped temple houses three impressively carved stone statues; You’ll also visit Pawon temple, a simple but beautiful monument known for its precise symmetry.

Following the temple touring, stop for lunch at a local restaurant.

In the afternoon, you’ll get a taste for local life with a horse cart ride through Candirejo village. Known as a dokar, the local horse cart will take you through this peaceful, charming village. You’ll travel along small lanes lined with traditional houses and stop to see village activities such as making cassava crackers, playing the gamelan and harvesting local crops. Following the dokar ride, return to Yogyakarta

Dinner is at leisure this evening in Yogyakarta.

Important note: This evening you need to bring down you main luggage to the reception before 22:00 with clear name identification. Main luggage will be transferred during the night with the driver and vehicle that will pick you up the next morning on arrival at Mojokerto Railway station in East Java. It is advisable to bring a small bag with a change and toiletry and a jersey as air conditioner in the train can be quite chilly.

Overnight in Yogyakarta.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Yogyakarta – Mojokerto (250 km): 4 hours by train Mojokerto – Sukapura – Ngadisari, Bromo (124 km): 4 hours Mojokerto – Pasuruan – Puspo – Tosari, Bromo (102 km): 3 hours 30 minutes

Early morning wakeup call at 05:30.

A breakfast box will be provided by your hotel (to be eaten on board the train).

At 06:00 or 06:15 this morning you will be transferred to Yogyakarta Railway station for a scenic train ride to Mojokerto in East Java  

Your guide will accompany on the journey.

Note: Planned route is aboard Sancaka Morning Train on executive air conditioned class, departing at 06:45 and arriving in Mojokerto in East Java at 10:58. Train Schedule is subject to change without notice.

Important note: Full name and Passport details are required to book train ticket and must be provided at the time of reservation

Travelling by train in Java is a wonderful opportunity to meet local people and is also the best way to enjoy the volcanic landscapes of central and East Java.

Upon arrival in Mojokerto, drive with your local driver and guide and stop for lunch in a local restaurant.

The final leg of today’s journey is a 4 hour drive to the village of Ngadisari on the edge of Tengger Caldera. This spectacular village is one of the gateways to Mount Bromo.

Check-in to your hotel and freshen up before dinner at the lodge.

Overnight in Ngadisari or Tosari.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Tosari – Surabaya city via Pasuruan (100 km): 4 hours Ngadisari – Surabaya city (120 km): 4 hours and 30 minutes

Awake early this morning for a sunrise tour of Mount Bromo. You’ll travel by 4WD jeep to a viewing spot with stunning views of the Bromo volcano and surroundings. Watch the sun rise up from behind the volcano in Penanjakan.

Continue by jeep down to the volcano caldera, often still covered by mist in the early morning. The mist, combined with the grey ashen-covered ground form to create an unusual atmosphere, often compared to the surface of the moon.

A 20-minute ride on horseback will take you to a set of stairs which lead to the rim of the still-active Bromo crater.

Return by horse and jeep to your hotel in the town of Tosari for breakfast and proceed for a four hour drive to Surabaya, Indonesia’s second largest city.

Almost in Surabaya we will stop by for a visit at the Sampoerna factory where the famous Indonesian kretek cigarettes are produced after which we will have lunch.

After lunch, drive the final one hour to Surabaya arriving mid-afternoon.

Check in to your hotel in Surabaya for the remainder of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Surabaya.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Surabaya city – Surabaya Juanda Airport (12 km): 45 minutes Makassar Hasanudin international Airport – Makassar Hotel (20 km): 50 minutes

Spend the morning at leisure.

In the afternoon, you will be brought to the airport for your ongoing flight from Surabaya to Makassar.

Recommended flights (Not included and quoted separately– Tariffs and schedule subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Surabaya to Makasar GA671, departing at 13:45 and arriving at 16:15.

Check in to your hotel in Makassar and the remainder of the day at leisure.

Overnight in Makassar.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast

📍 Makassar – Sengkang (190 km): approximately 6 hours

After breakfast, around 09:30 meet your local driver and guide for a half day tour of the city. Start with a visit to the bustling fish market where locals come to buy their fish for the day – straight from the boat to the market. Take a walk through local streets to arrive at Paotere harbor to learn about the famed Bugis Phinisi Schooner shipbuilders of the region.

Return to the vehicle for a short drive to the city’s most iconic landmark, Fort Rotterdam. Recently refurbished it is perhaps one of the best preserved Dutch forts in all of Indonesia; learn more about the diversity of Sulawesi at the La Galigo Museum.

Stroll along the Somba Opu street lined with the craft shops.

An early lunch is served at Surya Restaurant – enjoy the freshest of seafood, Sulawesi style in this popular local dining restaurant.

After lunch, we depart to the village of Sengkang, a former capital of the Bugis kingdom which overlooks Lake Tempe, the largest in Sulawesi.  

Enjoy a Local Bugis style feast dinner.

Overnight in Sengkang.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Sengkang – Enrekang (150 km): around 5 hours Enrekang – Rantepao (75 km): around 2 hours

Rise early this morning at 05:15 to take advantage of the picturesque scene across the Lake Tempe.  The Bugis people have a unique housing style where their traditional houses float on the lake. Take this opportunity to travel on a local longboat to enjoy the Bugis hospitality with a cup of tea or coffee, and maybe some fried banana (a favourite snack in Indonesia). There are about 30 houses that remain on the lake and participate in the old traditions of fishing and fish drying.

Return to your hotel for breakfast. After breakfast and check out you leave Sengkang and drive to Enrekang on the way to Tana Toraja. In Enrekang a late lunch is served in a local restaurant.

Your drive continues through a variety of landscapes. Take a photographic stop at the entrance to the Toraja region and interact with the locals selling vanilla, cinnamon and other locally grown spices. Rantepao is the small capital of Toraja, with an estimated population of around 450,000. The Toraja ethnic group is renowned for their elaborate funeral rites, traditional houses and spectacular carving and dancing. You will spend the next two days exploring the Toraja villages and learning about their unique culture.

Upon arrival in Toraja, visit the unique village of Kete Kesu which has one of the finest ensembles of Tongkonan (Toraja traditional houses) in Sulawesi. These boat-shaped houses have tall roofs made of slender bristles and create strange silhouettes in the sky. The Tongkonan facades boast many carved and painted motifs and a buffalo heads wood adorn the wealthiest homes. Kete Kesu village also has a rice granary of the traditional Toraja country style. Take a short walk around the village and view the bones and ornate coffins that still reside in the rocky outcrops.

Arrive to the hotel late afternoon for an evening at leisure.

Dinner is served at the hotel.

Overnight Rantepao.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

This morning is a full day touring around the Toraja region with many varied villages and funeral traditions.

Start the morning with a visit to Lemo and Suaya. All these villages have very unique burial sites, some in caves, some on cliffs and others have royal tombes. Continuing to the village of Sangala you’ll see graves dug into the trunks of trees, the traditional Toraja burial for babies.You will also stop at Kenbira before continuing to Maruang to see Liong Tongkonan.

Here you will sit and enjoy lunch under the tongkonan.

After lunch, proceed to the village of Londa walking past a cove of verdant rice fields to a series of caves which house wooden coffins that are set amidst the hollows. The last stop this afternoon will be at Marante, a village noted for its Tau-Tau which are located on a cliff and all dressed in white.

Return to the Hotel.

Dinner is served at the hotel.

Overnight Rantepao.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

Take breakfast before visiting Bolu Market in the town centre - a unique experience to witness the influx of surrounding villagers to the market and the trade of live Buffalo & Pigs, that are so important in the lives of the Toraja people.

Note: Bolu Market is upon schedule and only held once every 6 days. In case there is no market on the day you visit, we will replace it by a visit to a local market in Rantepao.

Proceed to Palawa, a typical Toraja village, and on to the highlands of Batutumonga for stunning views across the Toraja valley. Here you will take lunch at Mentirotiku.

Following your lunch we will do a soft trekking.

OPTION: 1 HOUR OR 2 HOUR TREKKING

According to your preference, take a 1 or 2 hour light trek through fascinating Toraja villages.

Perched on the slopes of Mt Sesean, these villages offers beautiful views of rice fields dotted with large black rocks, remains of ancient volcanic eruptions. A 1 hour trek will take you through the village of Lempo and Tinongbayo while the easy two-hour walk takes you through the villages of Bori and Tikala where you will get to meet the locals and observe their traditional lifestyle and customs. These two villages have ancestral stone circles, part of the local lore of the Toraja people, with each stone representing an important noble who has passed away. They also feature impressive Tongkonan houses.

Return to Rantepao with a stop at a Todi weaving factory where the ancient technique and motifs for Torajans textile known as Ikat’s are preserved.

Return to the hotel late afternoon.

Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight in Rantepao.

Note: If during your visit to Toraja you have the opportunity to see a funeral ceremony the guide will advise. This ceremony can be very confronting for people as it involves the slaughter of live buffalo. Please let your guide know before you arrive to the ceremony if you would like to witness this unique cultural experience or not.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Rantepao, Toraja – Makassar (324 km): 9 hours Ngurah Rai International Airport of Bali – Ubud (37 km): 1 hour 30 minutes

After an early breakfast, drive back to Makassar and stopping en route for lunch in a local restaurant in Pare-Pare.

You will be transferred to the Makassar airport for your onward flight.

Recommended flights(Not included and quoted separately– Tariffs and schedule subject to change without prior notice): Garuda Indonesia from Makassar to Denpasar GA621 departing at 19:45 and arriving at 21:10.

Upon landing, your local Exo Travel guide and private vehicle will be waiting to transfer you to your selected resort in Ubud.

Check in and dinner at hotel.

Overnight in Ubud.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Ubud – Tirta Empul – Pura Gunung Kawi (15 km): 30 minutes

This morning after breakfast your guide and driver will be waiting for you to start your first day with visits on the Hindu Island of Bali.

Begin with the Ubud Monkey Forest where you can admire the cheeky inhabitants. After this, we continue in Ubud centre with a visit to the royal palace where the royal family lives still lives today and then we cross the street to the market where you can watch the locals buying and selling their produce from food to souvenirs to clothing.

Next, visit ARMA Museum for some culture.

Proceed for lunch at a local restaurant with stunning views over the rice terraces in the village of Perkedui.

We continue today’s visits with a stop at the water temple of Tirta Empul and also Gunung Kawi near Tampaksiring. One more stop at plantation and we drive back to Ubud. 

At the end of the afternoon, return to Ubud for dinner at leisure.

Overnight in Ubud.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Ubud – Taman Sari Buwana, Tunjuk (30 km): 1 hour Taman Sari Buwana, Tunjuk – Taman Ayun, Mengwi (13km): 30 minutes Taman Ayun, Mengwi – Tanah Lot (16 km): 30 minutes Tanah Lot – Sanur (30 km): 1 hour

After breakfast and check out from your hotel you will be picked up by your driver and tour guide for today’s visits and activities. You will be transferred to the centre of the island for an amazing sustainable tourism excursion at Taman Sari Buwana farm. During this excursion you will experience local Balinese life while supporting a community-based tourism project in the village of Tunjuk.

Upon reaching Tunjuk village, you will have the opportunity to learn how to make a variety of traditional Balinese temple offerings. Continue through the rest of the compound and learn the animal and vegetable components that are the basics of any Balinese home.

Next meet the older generation of the village as they show you how to weave pandanus leaf and make floral temple offerings.

You’ll then walk with the local farmers to their rice fields, locally referred to as sawah. Alongside the farmers, you will learn how to plant, transplant or harvest rice (depending on the season).

Prepare for farming activities by donning a farmer’s hat, covering up with mosquito repellent and picking up a local mattock (small farm tool) all provided by the farm. We recommend wearing flip-flops or similar as well as bringing sunblock. 

After farming, you’ll visit seasonal vegetable and flower plantations including coconuts where locals will demonstrate their ability to climb up the trees and gather young coconuts for some refreshment for you to enjoy.

Next, return to the home base where you take a snack of boiled cassava with freshly grated coconut in the traditional kitchen before enjoying a delicious lunch at the farm.

Following a late lunch, set off by road to begin the drive towards your beach hotel. Along the way you will stop at the serene Taman Ayun temple near Mengwi. This temple features wide tropical gardens and a large courtyard as well as traditional multi-story roofs.

After this visit we go for an incredible sunset at the famous (and most photographed temple in Bali) Tanah lot Temple.

After your visit, continue the journey to your southern beach hotel for check in.

Dinner is at the hotel.

Overnight in Sanur

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Sanur – Uluwatu (33 km): 1 hour 30 minutes Uluwatu – Jimbaran (15 km): 30 minutes Jimbaran – Sanur (17 km): 40 minutes

Spend the day relaxing on the beaches or indulge in a bit of shopping in the local area.

This evening experience the trance like Kecak dance in a superb location overlooking Uluwatu temple. Originating in the 1930’s this dance is performed only by men and occurs without musical accompaniment as an ode to the Monkey of the Ramayana Ballet. The location for this dance is set on a cliff top, overlooking an Indian Ocean sunset with Pura Uluwatu in the background.

Following this performance, dine under the stars on the freshest of seafood on one of Bali’s more expansive beaches – Jimbaran.

Overnight in Sanur.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Sanur – Ngurah Rai International Airport (15 km): 40 minutes

Your morning is free until your private transfer picks you up from your hotel for your onward flight from Denpasar airport.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast