Immersive Indonesia

An Immersive Indonesian Experience - 13 days

The following is a suggested itinerary if you have never been to Indonesia. You wil cover a lot of ground in 14 days, from jungles to temples and mountain tops to beaches. This is easily customizable if you see some areas where you would prefer to stay longer or bypass altogether. It is easiest to fly in and out of Jakarta, with either stops in Hong Kong or Dubai. My suggestion for effortless transfers and transportation, guides etc, use MyTripology.

Day 1 Jakarta - Arrival Day

Arrival Day - Jakarta. Today you arrive at Soekarno Hatta International Airport and really just want to freshen up before your very early flight to Borneo. I suggest just staying at the airport hotel for convenience. Grab some local food to eat, right there in the airport, exchange your money at an airport ATM, and head off to the hotel.

Anara Airport Hotel is right there and quite nice. If you want to venture away from the airport, I suggest the 101 Jakarta Airport CBC hotel. Be mindful, the only way to Borneo is by plane, and it is an early flight.

TIP: You will want local currency, several places you encounter will not take credit cards nor USD.

Day 2 Off to Borneo

Have a transfer arranged to pick you up at 03:30 for the flight from Soekarno Hatta International Airport to Pangkalan Bun. Get picked up, then immediately check-in at Rimba EcoLodge where you will be served breakfast. This was a planning decision point. I chose the lodge and took the boat every day into the jungle for the orangutans. You can choose to stay on the boat at all times. This depends on your budget as well as desire for creature comforts of a warm shower and/or air conditioning. Be aware, both are rustic but comfortable. Make sure you plan your stay as you like. You are in the jungle and very remote. Note: Make sure to pack and dress appropriately for the jungle with high humidity, heat, leeches and mosquitos.

At around 07:30, begin your journey. Head out, on the boat, with your guide, to Tanjung Puting National Park. This is famous for its orangutan conservation. The Tanjung Puting National Park's orangutan feedings contribute to an ongoing rehabilitation program while giving visitors a guaranteed chance to witness the large primates in semi-wild settings

Boat to Tanjung Puting

Borneo Orangutan

Day 3 Orangutans

After breakfast at the lodge, board your boat and head off to PondokTanggui where you can feed orangutans. Within this lush jungle, you will also see other monkeys, all types of birds and various other animals. After lunch on the boat, continue on to Camp Leakey. Again, this is a wildlife conservation area where you can watch the feeding of the orangutan up close and personal.

Borneo Orangutan

Day 4 Leaving Orangutans and off again...

Today is another early start, and off to another Indonesian adventure. It is time for the sunrise event on Mount Bromo. You will check out and head to the airport to fly to Surubaya. Once you arrive, you will be transferred to your hotel. We chose Plataran Bromo and I highly recommend it. I wish I had planned more days at this beautiful resort! Note: Thousands flock to Mount Bromo at sunrise to catch this fantastic event. You need to be aware of how early you will need to depart to get to the volcano and find a spectator spot. We left at 3am.

TIP: It is cold on the crater, so bring a heavy jacket or you can rent one there (this is what I did, it is about 20k IDR)

Day 5 Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo is the most famous volcano in Indonesia. You will be taken by jeep to the crater. All jeeps line up, so you get dropped off with your guide as close as they can get you. From here, you hike a small amount to find your spot to wait for sunrise. You will pass shops that will offer the coat rental as well as hot drinks. At sunrise, be sure to take in all the beauty over the hills, mountains and the crater. Be sure to pay attention to the crater as it is active. After sunrise, and once you have taken all your pictures, you will be escorted back to the jeep to go back to the hotel. At the hotel, you have time for a quick shower and check-out. You now have a 3 hour journey to get to Juanda Airport for your next flight to your next adventure in Denpasar.

TIP: We had the hotel prepare us "breakfast in a box" to take to the crater.

This is one of the areas where you can adjust the itinerary, you can bypass Bromo altogether if you desire.

Mt Bromo Crater

Day 6 Denpasar

Here in Ubud, it is now time for some culture and another completely different environment. You start the day with breakfast and then take in a cultural highlight, the Barong Dance. This is one of Bali's original dances and is rooted in traditional Balinese mythology. The dance tells the tale of good and evil.

Barong Dance

After the show, head off to the Tegallalong Rice Terrace, which is breathtakingly beautiful. This rice terrace showcases the use of "subak" irrigation technology.

Rice Field

Ask your tourguide for a unique place to stop for lunch, there are several very traditional places on this route. Afterwards, head towards Kintamani, the town on the western face of the main caldera wall. Great spot for pictures.

From here, off to the Besakih Temple. This is Bali's largest Hindu temple, with pretty panoramic views of the ocean.

End your day at Tirta Empul temple, an opportunity to cleanse your soul in the holy springs. This is one of the five most sacred temples in Bali and one of the holiest water sources. Here you can pay to be a part of the water cleanse if you so desire.

NOTE: All visitors MUST wear a sarong in the temples. If you bring one, be prepared. If not, they will allow you to borrow/rent them. I chose to do this as they were so beautiful.

Bali Temple

Tirta Empul

Day 7 More Bali

Today is all about Bali traditions. In the morning, go to Tenganan Traditional Village. This is one of the oldest Balinese villages. A timescale, if you will, of a villager's lifestyle. This is still a working populated village.

Tenganan Village

After that, go on to the Tirto Gangga Water Palace. This is amazingly beautiful! Water everywhere, lots of koi fish and just an abundance of tiered fountains and gardens. Don't forget to make a donation and get your packet of fish food.

Tirta Gangga Water Palace

Grab a lunch nearby and then move on to one of the oldest sacred temples, Lempuyang Temple. This temple is located on Mount Lempuyang, over 1000 meters above sea level.

Lempuyang Temple

End your day with a tour of one of the most picturesque temples, Goa Lawah, also called the "Bat Cave." It dates back to the 11th century. It is lovely and historical. The temple is an extension of a bat cave, where thousands of bats reside.

Goa Lawah

Day 8 Bali and Monkeys

This is the last day for history and temples. Enjoy the beauty of Bali today. After breakfast, head over to the Tegenungan Waterfall. It is small, but mighty. A great opportunity to embrace the nature of Bali.

Tegenungan Waterfall

I am sure you have been tempted by all the wood carved trinkets you have seen for sale everywhere. I recommend visiting the Dewa Malen woodcarving studio. They use traditional skills handed down from generations for their woodcarving. Once you see what they have to offer, you will not be tempted by any other item.

Now, off to one last visit with the monkeys! On the way to Ubud Monkey Forest, stop by the Ubud Palace and take a tour of the royal residence. The Monkey Forest is a nature reserve and temple complex. It is home to over 1000 macaques. Be careful with your belongings, because these monkeys are not afraid of visitors and are very interested in what you might be carrying. When I was there, I saw a bagged lunch get snatched and one of my traveling friends almost lost her camera bag.

Monkey Forest

Monkey Forest

Day 9 Spa Day

This is an optional experience, so can easily be moved around in your agenda or removed. We opted to take a day and relax after the last 3 days of sightseeing! We completely indulged in the spa services offered by the hotel and just lazed around being pampered all day.

Day 10 – Labuan Bajo

Today we leave Ubud. It is time to see the beautiful water of Indonesia. Again, this portion can be kept in your itinerary or removed. We have explored all traditions and land-based beauty, now off to the water! After breakfast, get picked up and transported to Nigurah Rai Airport for your flight to Labuan Bajo. After arriving, head to the beautiful hotel Sudamala Resort Komodo. Enjoy this tranquil resort, the water and the restaurant onsite.

Sudamala Resort Komodo

Day 11 – Whirlwind tour of islands and Komodo Dragons

After breakfast, head to the marina to board your boat for the day. The first stop is Padar Island, which is beautiful!

Padar

From there, you head of to Pink Beach (yes, abundantly pink!) with wild deer roaming the sands. Honestly, here I just gathered a few seashells and swam in the tranquil water! It was amazing!

Pink Beach

Now, off to Komodo to see the infamous dragons! This is also a sanctuary. A park ranger will escort you along the dragon's walking paths and point out the Komodo Dragons and other wildlife that resides here. We were there in June, and they were somewhat reclusive as it was mating season. But, we did see several and it was well worth the visit!

Komodo Dragon

There should be time for a last vist to a nearby island before you return to the resort. We visited Manta Point for some snorkeling. The water is just absolutely blue and clear. Then we stopped at this sandbar, just outside Taka Makassar. Phenomenal!!

Day 12 – Returning Home

Today is an early day as you need to get to Komodo Airport and take the flight back to Denpasar. From there, it is another flight to Jakarta. Once at the airport, I again suggest spending the night at the airport hotel so you can be fresh for your international flight home tomorrow. As stated, both the 101 and Anara are convenient and nice. For a different experience, stay at the one you did not stay at upon arrival to Indonesia. There really isn't a better way to time the flights from the remote islands back to Jakarta to make an international flight, so this day is all about transit. This is the end of your journey.

Tips:

Tourism Tips

  • Hire guides, or have the travel agency plan this all out for you
  • For temples and major tourist attractions, you need tickets in advance.
  • At the airport grab some Indonesian currency (IDR), you will need cash on this trip
  • Use your right hand for receiving and giving things, or passing food. The use of the left hand is considered rude.
  • Some public toilets charge 2,000 IDR
  • Have patience, service can be slow and that is the norm
  • Bring your own washcloth if that is a bathing preference / bring a small travel fan as hotels do not have A/C like you are used to in the USA

Tipping

TIPPING: 20-25k IDR per day, 40-50k IDR per day. Tipping is restaurants is not a custom in Indonesia.