Despite having travelled a lot before Indonesia, planning for this trip felt like entering a very uncertain but exciting task. With somewhere between 17,000-18,000 islands, it was inevitable to be overwhelmed but also to stick to a central and accessible route for a first visit. 

I travelled with my partner and his sister in August 2025. Overall I am so satisfied with the route we took. It looks packed but I felt in no rush and the trains in Java made travel time a pleasure – it was an experience in itself and provided a comfortable space to read, plan activities, chat and mind-wander looking out of the window. In this guide I share the route we took and detailed anecdotes of the main activities we did in each place.

JAKARTA

We flew into Jakarta from London as it was the most convenient and cheapest way for us to get to Indonesia. We spent almost no time there as we arrived in the evening and got an early-ish train to Bandung. I’d like to explore it another time, but I typically prefer smaller cities and rural areas when travelling so it wasn’t a priority for this two week trip. It was an ideal place to fly into as it has lots of direct options by train through Java and flies direct to many other islands. 

BANDUNG

We chose to stay in Bandung because it is a short train journey from Jakarta, has frequent, direct trains to Yogyakarta, is a base to visit Kawah Putih and a culinary hub of Indonesia.

We took the 08:30 train from Jakarta to Bandung arriving promptly at 11:43 and spent the midday getting our bearings around the city, mainly around Jalan Braga and Jalan Merdeka. In the afternoon we went to the Saung Angklung Udjo show. Saung Angklung Udjo is a culture and education centre that hosts a Sudanese traditional bamboo musical concert, with daily performances. The show was really fun and interactive, and a lovely introduction to this part of Indonesian culture. The venue is North East of the city centre so we got a Grab there and back. 

The next day we did a full day tour to Kawah Putih (White Crater) and Rengganis Hot Springs. Lucky enough to be the only people on our tour, we first stopped at a coffee shop overlooking a spectacular view of farms and homes before continuing the drive to Kawah Putih. Here we started with a short hike to a less busy viewpoint overlooking the crater. I vividly remember approaching the crater and stopping just before the peak in awe of the view beneath me, it was moody yet magnificent. We revelled in the view from above, and then continued the walk down to the main viewpoint that is level with the crater. Again, this was awesome and surreal to think about the aliveness of this setting. I had read before and was a little concerned about the smell, but we didn’t linger too long and the wind was blowing the fumes away from where we stood so I didn’t really notice it. 

Next we drove to Rengganis Hot Springs. As we began the short walk down to the springs it started raining and feeling stormy, so we decided against a ride on the slightly scary looking hanging chairs and went straight to the thermal pools. The changing area was well kept, and we were told to take off jewellery, etc. as it could get damaged by the minerals. In light rain, we walked the short path to the pools and lowered ourselves in to relax. After some time warming up and chatting in the pool, we were taken to the mud and covered as much of ourselves as we wanted. Lastly, as the rain picked up we were guided to a waterfall to wash off. The path to the waterfall was forested and very slippery, and we were only in flip flops and swimwear, so we asked to turn back and wash off in the thermal pools instead as we were also told the waterfall was pretty cold. We didn’t regret this as the rain started really pouring. We then got changed and waited for the rain to settle a little. Our guide gave us ponchos for the final bit of the tour which was a walk around the pools and over Rengganis suspension bridge. It was still raining and really foggy, which made it a little scary but added to the adventure and atmosphere. We were given some hot tea on the other side, and then travelled back to Bandung. 

YOGYAKARTA 

We took the 07:35 train from Bandung to Yogyakarta, arriving at 13:24. Again, the train was prompt and easy to navigate. For all trains I booked the mid-level (‘executive’) option as they were still relatively cheap within our budget and had comfortable, clean and spacious seats that slightly reclined. We checked into our hostel and explored Yogyakarta around the Jalan Malioboro area, browsing markets and taking in the busier atmosphere. 

On our first full day we went to Borobudur and Prambanan temples. Borobudur is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, and Prambanan a 9th century Hindu temple compound. We booked a driver to take us to both sites and wait for us, and took their advice on what times to book our visit slots for. First, we went to Borobudur. Upon arriving we scanned our e-tickets and waited a short time to get a golf buggy to the another waiting area. Here, we were given a group number and brand new slippers to wear to protect the temple grounds, as well as a bag to carry our own shoes in. We waited maybe 10 minutes before our group number was called and started the tour. We first stopped on the path leading to the temple for some introductory information, then were guided to the temple. We walked around several layers of it to the top, stopping at different points to take in the views and listen to our guide. I found the tour well paced and informative, and both the architecture and surrounding scenery were so beautiful. I would suggest wearing airy clothes or bringing an umbrella for shade as there is understandably none on the site and it gets very hot! To get back to the car park you either pay for a golf buggy ride or walk. We chose to walk to admire the grounds, which, taking our time, took about 20 minutes. We then got picked up by our driver and continued to Prambanan. The drive is about 1.5-2 hours depending on traffic, but the car was comfortable and I enjoyed looking out the window and dozing. Prambanan is self guided, with clear signs and maps to direct you to each area. The site was spacious and well kept, making it feel not too crowded outside and really highlighting the scale and intricacies of the architecture, which was much grander than I had expected. We could also walk through some of the temples which was quite cramped and hot but still worthwhile to admire the sculptures and artistry within them. We managed to see all of the worship sites in time, and then met our driver for the ~1hr drive back. 

The following day we had a slow morning before taking a Batik class with Leksa Ganesha. I really, really enjoyed this class. They are based South of the centre so we took a Grab to get there. Batik is an art form that has been practiced for centuries using wax-resistant dyes to create patterned textiles. To start, we were instructed on how to use the batik pen (traditionally called a canting), and given a chance to practice some lines as it is quite delicate. We then got to choose a design to trace and sat peacefully and comfortably drawing. The atmosphere was very relaxing and the activity absorbing, which was a nice change from the bustle of Yogyakarta. We then learnt how to paint our designs and got to choose our own colours to do this. I admit, I took some extra help and the teachers ended up doing my background which gave it a really nice tie-dye design. Afterward we got some food at Lotus Cafe next door, which was also a very peaceful location with delicious food and a lily pond with lots of cute frogs. 

MT. BROMO TOUR 

The Mt Bromo Tour started and ended in Surabaya. We took the 06:45 train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, arriving at 10:45. A driver picked us up from the station, and again we were the only people booked on the tour so had a private car kindly stocked with some snacks, water and a beer.

I included an add-on of an earlier pick up to stop at Madakaripura Waterfall on the way. Madakaripura Waterfall is the second highest in Indonesia at over 200m tall. Stopping here was great fun and a way to add something into what would have otherwise been a long travel day to get to Bromo. We were driven to the waterfall and met a guide who organised moped drivers to take us to the falls as the road is too narrow for cars. I was a little nervous about this but the ride takes less than 10 minutes. The walk to the waterfalls starts on soft mud path, turning rocky at end as you get soaked under the edges of the waterfall. We were given helmets for safety where water was falling over us in case of rockfall. The pre-trip information said that we could swim in the waterfall, but the site specific guide advised against for safety and the water was pretty cold anyway! So we walked underneath the falls, taking in its scale and power. Overall I’d say it was a worthwhile add-on as the waterfall was spectacular, it was fun getting soaked and close up underneath it, and it broke up a travel day with something active. 

The next day was the highlight of the trip for me: sunrise hike looking over Tengger Caldera and walking to and around the crater of Mt Bromo. We woke up at 03:00 with a knock on our door from our guide. We were advised to dress in layers as it was cold at night but heated up quickly during the day. We were then taken in the back of a Jeep to drive to the start of the trail. As this is such a popular activity, the Jeeps all leave early as traffic on the only road up can get heavy. The start of the trail lies where the most common viewpoint overlooking Bromo is. It was really, really busy, with shops and cafes crammed with fellow tourists buying hot drinks, noodles, etc. to get through the wait to sunrise. As we got there early, we also waited here for about an hour so got some noodles and a hot chocolate to stay warm. 

A couple of hours before sunrise we started the walk to our viewpoint, leaving the crowds behind. I usually find people really smug and a bit annoying when they say they found a hidden spot with no other tourists, so apologies that I am going to do that here, but we really did do well with this one as it was only us and some people in a tent that we hardly noticed at the viewpoint. We did the walk in the dark with our phone torches (as we forgot to pack head torches), which was plenty with the guides light as well. The trail was stable and pretty flat the whole way, taking about 50 minutes in total. It hadn’t rained much recently so the path was dry, but if it had it would be a bit more tricky to walk on and you’d get very muddy. It was cold and a little windy at the viewpoint, so we spent the hour or so waiting for sunrise crouching together under the shelter of a low bricked wall, pacing around and doing some star jumps. We all packed really light for this trip so were definitely colder due to not having the right clothing as opposed to it being really cold. 

Then, sunrise came and wow… I’ll let the pictures summarise because it would be wrong to try use my limited writing skills to describe the experience of this view. We relished it for the full sunrise period and a little more, being lucky enough to witness mini eruptions from Mount Semeru as the sun came up, before walking back to the Jeep. In the light, the walk back kept giving as the trail edged around overlooking the crater. 

When we got back to the starting point, we did the short walk to the main viewpoint. This again was amazing and much less crowded now the sun had risen. After we took our final moments with the view, we went back to the Jeep and to our next stop: Bromo crater. We parked up in the caldera and walked for around 15 minutes to the bottom of the crater, where there was a one-way queue up some stairs to get to the edge. Similar to Kawah Putih, the first look over and into the crater really did take my breath away (cliché, but it did). I was also surprised at how close I felt to it. The path is narrow but wide enough for 2-3 people, which made it fine to walk around and find a clear spot to take it all in. This was a really surreal experience for me that again I don’t think words can do justice to describe. After some time here, we headed back down to the Jeep, and drove back to our hotel for some breakfast before being taken back to Surabaya. We spent the evening in Surabaya and caught an early flight over to Lombok the next day. 

SECRET GILIS TOUR 

We booked onto a ‘Secret Gili’ Camping trip with snorkelling from Lombok. I’ll front this part by saying this was a mixed experience, with some negativity here. Arriving early from Surabaya, we were picked up by the tour company from the airport. As we were there early, on the way they took us to a textiles community to see their traditional weaving technique and lifestyle. I’m not really a fan of tours like this as I find them a bit uncomfortable, but the women were charming and it was nice to see the process. Next we went to a local village homestay where we met some of our group. Here we were given a filling, tasty lunch sat on a shaded porch next to some rice fields, and then did a coconut oil making class. It was interesting to find out how coconut oil is made but the class was not very interactive. We then stayed on the veranda as more of the group joined. Most of the group was made up of travelling volunteers who stayed at the homestay and were teaching at the local school, so they all took a more casual approach to time-keeping. We were taken in a car to the boat pickup point and by the shore, we again waited a while for the boat as the group all arrived staggered, people went to the shop and generally there was a continued relaxed attitude to getting on with the trip. If we were slow travelling I wouldn’t have minded this as much but given we only had two weeks on this trip the day felt pretty wasted with a lot of waiting around, and in hindsight I would have preferred to do our own thing during the day and meet the group at the boat, although even then we may have been told to come early and still waited.  

Eventually, we did get on the boat and took the short journey to our island home for the night. The island was tiny and beautiful, picking up my excitement for this trip again and easing some of my earlier frustrations. There were a few groups of people there for day trips but we were the only group camping overnight. We all quickly got into our swimwear, and with a cold beer went for a swim and relax on the shore. For dinner, we were taken to another island and shared a varied dinner with lots of seafood, rice and vegetables. We then went back to our island where we had a bonfire with karaoke. Just before bed, our tour leader showed us that we could swim in the sea with bioluminescence. We woke up at our own leisure to the peaceful surroundings in the morning and had a dip in what felt like our private sea. We were made pancakes for breakfast and relaxed on the beach and in the water for a few hours in the morning. This core part of the trip, when we finally got to it, was a pleasure. 

Next we went snorkelling and this wasn’t great, being honest. The reef was small and really, really busy. We also weren’t given flippers and there were little waves and the coral shallow and sharp, so we briefly went in but chose to relax on the beach instead. Most of the group did the same, so it felt like more waiting again. We had also planned to go to Gili Air later this day and understood that we would be back in Lombok in plenty of time to get the public boats but noticed at this point that the timings were off. We let the tour leader know and he said we would be fine, but we weren’t very reassured with lunch also to come. Lunch was at a different beach, which was a really pretty spot near a more marshy-looking area with lots of starfish. Here, we were getting pretty edgy on time as we needed to get back to Lombok and then to the port where the boats go to Gili Air. Eventually, the tour leader showed a bit more urgency for us realising we wouldn’t make it, and arranged our pick up and taking to a port where he had also sorted us a cheap enough boat to Gili Air. We got there in the end! 

Overall, my reflections on this trip are frustratingly mixed. The experience of camping overnight with the small island to ourselves, the bonfire, bioluminescence and morning and evening swims were all really fun and different to the rest of the trip. However, given we were only travelling for two weeks it did feel like there was a lot of wasted time on this tour and the snorkelling was the worst of the trip. If you had lots of time travelling, like the idea of camping and a bonfire, and wanted to meet some other travellers then this is a great way to do that, but I can’t confidently say I recommend, unfortunately. 

GILI AIR 

I loved Gili Air. It’s a small, mostly tourist island with no cars, offering calm and ease for a few days of travel. I can see why it is a popular spot and where slow travel backpackers stay a while. Here we mostly relaxed, explored the island, enjoyed the food and went snorkelling. The island is small with a distance of around only 5km around the edge, so we enjoyed wandering all of its streets stopping off at jewellery, craft and clothing shops and cafes and bars for a coconut or beer. You can also snorkel directly off many beaches on the island and see plenty of beautiful fish, coral, and we were lucky enough to see a few turtles too! The places we snorkelled from were on the east of the island marked on maps as turtle spots. I brought my own snorkel because I have a eyesight prescription, but my partner and his sister rented them from the side of the beach. 

We also booked a snorkelling boat trip for one day via WhatsApp, and ended up booking a private tour for the three of us as it was still very affordable and gave us some space and freedom with timings. The tour stopped at three spots to snorkel off the boat: “The Nest” Underwater Statues, Turtle Point, and Blue Coral garden, and then took us to Gili Meno for lunch which was a really pretty and peaceful spot. The snorkel spots were all pretty busy, especially around the underwater statues, but were still really beautiful with lots to see and plenty of time to enjoy. I’m very glad we did this to get further out on the reefs. 

KUTA LOMBOK 

Our last base was Kuta Lombok. We got there from Gili Air in the afternoon, settled into our accommodation, and set out walking down Jala Raya to the busier beachfront area. After being in Gili Air, the road traffic and noise was a bit overwhelming at first, but I soon settled into it. We walked to the beach and then to the Treehouse Bar to have a drink and play some games, and for dinner had a lovely Chinese meal at Jiang Nan. 

On our only full day here we booked a boat trip covering a few snorkelling spots, a pink beach and a sandbank. Our luck continued yet again as the only people on this tour. I really enjoyed this one as the snorkelling spots were much less busy than Gili Air. We were often the only people there at the start and joined by just a few groups as we went on. The coral was also really beautiful, colourful and alive. After snorkelling we went to a pink beach, which wasn’t so pink on this day (as it is led by nature), but that didn’t matter as it was still gorgeous. We relaxed and swam here for a little while, and then were taken to another pristine beach for some lunch and a coconut. Lastly, we were taken to a sandbank which we walked around and spotted some pretty starfish. We relaxed on our boat back to the port, and then spent our last evening in Kuta in Mama Pizza! 

Other areas I considered visiting but ruled out for this trip were Raja Ampat, Karimunjawa, and of course Bali. 

Raja Ampat looks amazing, particularly for someone like me who loves to snorkel, and I think we could have done it in the time after Java instead of Lombok and Gili Air, but unfortunately August is not a recommended time of year to go there and given this was a short trip I didn’t want to risk things being cancelled or missed from bad weather. 

Karimunjawa also looks beautiful but I concluded that in the two weeks we had it would take up too much travel time. It would require getting to Semarang or Yogyakarta and then taking a further bus (~3 to 6 hours respectively) to Jepara, and then a boat from there. If I was travelling for a more substantial amount of time it seems worthwhile but not for a two week trip. 

I did also think about Bali, but heard and read that it gets so busy which isn’t for me and didn’t make sense when Indonesia is so rich in options. And going in August I would imagine it would be at its busiest. I can’t vouch for it but I did read that Lombok, being next to Bali, gives a similar experience with things to do and landscapes, but is less busy. Given I did find Lombok a bit overstimulating, I think I made the right call for me!