Ultimate Indonesia

• Day 1:

  Upon arrival in Soekarno-Hatta Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel near the airport where you can enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

• Day 2:

  Depart Jakarta and fly to Pangkalan Bun. Upon arrival at Pangkalan Bun Airport in Central Kalimantan, you will be met by the local guide and transferred to the nearby port of Kumai. Here you will board your traditional riverboat called a Klotok and journey for approximately two hours along the Sekonyer River into Tanjung Puting National Park. Established as a national park in 1982 and composed of more than 400,000 hectares of mangrove swamp, rain forest and dense jungle, the park is home to primates, leopards, lizards and more than 600 species of birds. Tanjung Puting is notable for both its ecological and biological diversity as well as its orangutan conservation. This afternoon’s excursion with a local guide will have you searching for orangutans and proboscis monkeys as well as other species of animals and birds that all call the surrounding rain forest their home. Your accommodation during the trip to Tanjung Puting National Park will be on a klotok, a traditional wooden river boat designed to navigate the waters of Indonesia and named after the noise the engine makes - ‘klok tok tok tok’.

• Day 3:

  Wake up early this morning and head up stream to the Sekonyer River and travel along a tributary known locally as ‘Crocodile River’ which, as the name suggests, is home to a number of these aquatic reptiles. Enjoying yet more superb scenery and a fresh lunch prepared by the crew en route, you will arrive at Camp Leakey (Post 3) in approximately two to three hours. Established in 1971, Camp Leakey is a renowned orangutan research and rehabilitation center located in the heart of Tanjung Putting National Park.

• Day 4:

  After breakfast, you will take a boat to the orangutan feeding station at Pondok Tanggui (Post 2). A journey of little over an hour, the jungle becomes more dense as you slowly make your way north and there are good opportunities for wildlife spotting from the deck of the boat along the way. The arrival time at Pondok Tanggui is scheduled to coincide with the morning feeding of the orangutans at 9 AM. Accompanied by your guide and a local park ranger, you will disembark the boat and hike along small tracks deep into the jungle where the feeding area is located. Then head to Pesalat Reforestation Camp. This combined Government and NGO sponsored project focuses on the huge task of rehabilitating parts of the national park that have been destroyed over the years by illegal loggers and forest fires.

• Day 5:

  After breakfast, return directly to Kumai from where you will be transferred to the airport in order catch your flight to Semarang. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to Gedong Songo temple. Discovered by Sir Stanford Raffles in 1804, Gedong Songo is a Hindu temple complex built during the 8th and 9th centuries at a time when the Medang Kingdom controlled Central Java. As with Dieng Plateau, Gedong Songo was constructed out of volcanic stone and is one of the oldest Hindu structures in Java.

• Day 6:

  Setting out before sunrise, visit the stunning temple complex at Borobudur, one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive sites and the largest single Buddhist monument in the world. After lunch (own account), continue to Grabag, taking the slightly longer scenic route through attractive villages and fertile countryside. Arriving in Grabag in the afternoon, take a tour of MesaStila’s 11 hectare coffee plantation. Begin the one-hour tour with an introduction to the history of the plantation before taking a gentle stroll through the coffee plants. Overnight at MesaStila.

• Day 7:

  Start your day with a visit to a traditional Kris-Maker on the way to Jogjakarta. Listed by the UNESCO as a “Masterpiece of Intangible Heritage of Humanity”, the Kris is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron, which can take up to one month to forge a single piece. Afterwards we will take you to explore the local village life and some of the lesser-known temples of the region. Begin with a visit at the Plaoson Temple, built in the 9th century and located in the traditional Bugisan Village just 2 km from the famous Hindu Temples of Prambanan. Plaosan complex is an ensemble of two Buddhist temples separated by a small road, considered to be originally one complex. An Ox-cart will be ready for a ride to the neighbouring Bugisan Village, where you will be invited into a traditional home for a welcome drink and some light snacks before you begin exploring the village by oxcart. You will visit a local home-industry and learn how the traditional Javanese cracker “Emping” is made. Feel free to try some of these local snacks before you continue to the house of the Jamu maker. Continue to Prambanan Temple complex, which is the largest and one of the most beautiful Hindu temple complexes in Indonesia.

• Day 8:

  Begin today’s excursion with a visit to Taru Martani cigar factory. A little known industry in Indonesia, this factory has been in operation since 1918 and produces no less than fourteen different types of cigars. Continue your tour of Yogyakarta with a visit to the Sultan’s Palace, which is also known as the Kraton. The final stop this morning is the city district of Kota Gede. Famed for its silver crafting, there will be time to witness a demonstration of this ancient skill at a local workshop as well as delve into the backstreets of this historic neighborhood where more craft showrooms and interesting buildings await. Afterwards you will be transferred to Jogjakarta airport in order to catch your flight to Denpasar Bali. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Ubud where you can enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

• Day 9:

  Local Encounters on The Blessing Trail. The Brahmans, members of the caste of the priests, watch over the countless customs, sacrificial rituals, festivals and habits that characterize everyday life on the island of gods. Ida Bagus Suar Udiyana (Gusde) is a Brahman who lives with his family in the village of Mas near the former royal residence and artist town of Ubud. They are all descendants of the holy priests who brought the Hinduism to Bali in the 9th century and they welcome you in their traditional Balinese home, where you have the opportunity to take part in activities that are “uniquely Bali”.

• Day 10:

  Arrive at John Hardy Jewelry factory for a 30-minute introductory session of the jewelry making process continue with the possibility of visiting the boutique for their latest collection.  The entire compound has been constructed such that the land can be returned to rice fields in three months, with the buildings made of low-impact local natural materials such as bamboo, adobe and thatch.  Being a combination of exological conservation and unique architecture it has its own special flair. The John Hardy Factory is cooking lunch for each of their 700 team members every workday. You will have the chance to enjoy the traditional Balinese lunch together with the Management of the factory and can get deeper insights provided by the John Hardy Team. Afterward continue to Subak Guliang, a traditional farming community located east of Ubud. There will be plenty of photo opportunities along the way as you pass scenic vistas and interesting villages and on arrival in Subak Guliang, a warm welcome awaits you.

• Day 11:

  Begin today’s excursion with a visit Ubud Monkey Forest, a lush nature reserve and temple complex on the outskirts of Ubud. The forest is home to more than 100 species of trees, a number of interesting temples and hundreds of crab-eating macaque monkeys. Spend time observing their characteristics and mannerisms before heading back to your island accommodation. Continue to Tirta Empul Temple. Located a little north of Ubud, this revered temple is also known as Tampak Siring temple and famous among Balinese Hindus for its holy waters, which are believed to wash away any bad spirits. Afterwards drive to the Kintamani area to start your volcano cooking experience at the active Mt. Batur. This moderately challenging afternoon walk takes you through the moon-scape of various lava flows and ash-cones created by the more than 12 eruptions of Mount Batur between the periods 1963 to 1999. While you are discovering the craters, the guide will be preparing a meal heated in one of the volcano - ovens (specially prepared steam vents that can be blocked to create pressure to cook your meal). While you wait for your meal to cook, afternoon tea is made available. After your meal, begin the traverse back down the mountain, where your vehicle will be waiting to transferred to your hotel in Nusa Dua where you can enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

• Day 12:

  Enjoy your free day at leisure.

• Day 13:

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

SERVICES INCLUDED

• Accommodation as per itinerary based on twin sharing/double room occupancy
• Return transfer to/from airport/hotel on a private basis in an air-conditioned vehicle
• Meals as specified in the itinerary (drink water but no other beverages are included on the houseboat)
• Sightseeing tours as per itinerary
• Entrance fees, donations and parking fees as per itinerary
• English-speaking guide assistance throughout the program

SERVICES NOT INCLUDED

• International and domestic airfare throughout the program
• Domestic and international airport taxes, airport porter and extra baggage
• Hotel early check-in and late check-out
• Meals other than those specified as included in the itinerary
• Travel insurance or expenses of a personal nature (minibar, phone call, laundry, etc.)
• Tips or gratuities to guides/drivers/porters/hotel, restaurant or boat staff etc
• Drinks or personal expenses or entrance fees for any extra sightseeing or optional activities
• Indonesian visa fee
• Hotel’s surcharges for compulsory holiday dinners (Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve)
• All expenses incurred due to flight cancellations/delays or due to other causes beyond our control (‘Force majeure’)
• Other language speaking guides; these are available at an applicable supplement
• All services which are not mentioned on the program