Indonesia Encompassed: Self-Launched Sumatra, Java, Bali & Lombok

Fly into Kualanamu International Airport (KNO). Take the Damri airport bus or a Blue Bird metered taxi (use the Grab app for a fixed price) to your guesthouse near Jalan Jenderal Sudirman. Settle in, grab a mie goreng and a Bintang, and rest up for an early start.

🚌Airport bus ~£2.50 or taxi ~£7

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Medan (private double or dorm from ~£10)

• →Airport transfer to city centre
• →Evening food stalls on Jalan Selat Panjang

See Maimoon Palace (the ornate 1888 sultan's palace, free/£1 entry) and the Tjong A Fie Mansion, then walk through Kesawan old town for coffee and a roti canai. In the afternoon take a shared tourist minibus (or a bus to Binjai then a local angkot) up to Bukit Lawang on the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park, the base for the orangutan sanctuary.

🚌Shared minibus Medan–Bukit Lawang ~£7

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (from ~£10)

• →Maimoon Palace visit
• →Tjong A Fie Mansion
• →Old town walk

Book a half-day guided jungle trek directly at your guesthouse or with the local guides' association (not a group tour). You'll walk the forest edges of Gunung Leuser National Park spotting wild and semi-wild Sumatran orangutans, Thomas leaf monkeys and hornbills. Keep a respectful distance, don't feed wildlife, and never touch the animals. Afternoon back in the village.

🚌Walking; local angkot ~£2

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang

• →Guided jungle trek (half-day)
• →Orangutan spotting
• →Tubing the river (optional)

Travel back through Medan and up into the cool Karo Highlands to Berastagi, a market town sitting between two active volcanoes. Allow most of the day for the journey. Evening: try the famous local passion fruit and markisa syrup at the produce market, and pick up fruit for the volcano hike tomorrow.

🚌Local bus/shared minibus ~£9

🛏Guesthouse in Berastagi (~£12)

• →Scenic mountain drive
• →Berastagi produce market

Join a local guide at 4am for the 2–3 hour climb to Gunung Sibayak's steaming crater rim for sunrise over the highlands (guide fee ~£10, or go with other travellers via your guesthouse). Spend the afternoon at the nearby hot springs (~£4) or simply wander the Karo villages.

🚌Walking / ojeg motorbike taxi ~£2

🛏Guesthouse in Berastagi

• →Gunung Sibayak sunrise hike
• →Local hot springs
• →Karo Highlands village walk

Head down toward Lake Toba with a stop at a Sumatra coffee plantation near Sidikalang/Pematang Siantar — many small farms offer free tastings and a short tour, and you can buy beans direct. Then catch a ferry across to Samosir Island in the middle of the world's largest volcanic lake. Most guesthouses have lakeside views and free canoes.

🚌Bus/shared minibus ~£8 + ferry ~£1.50

🛏Guesthouse on Samosir Island, Tuk Tuk (~£10)

• →Sumatra coffee plantation visit
• →Lake Toba ferry crossing
• →Lakeside sunset

A free day on the island formed by a supervolcano eruption. Rent a scooter (~£6/day) and ride to Tomok village to see the tomb of King Sidabutar, explore traditional Batak houses in Ambarita, cycle through rice fields, and swim or kayak in the clean water. Sunset from a lakeside café is the perfect end to the day.

🚌Scooter hire ~£6

🛏Guesthouse on Samosir Island

• →Scooter ride around Samosir
• →Tomok village and Batak houses
• →Lake swimming or kayaking

Ferry back to the mainland and drive back to Medan. Use the afternoon to sort a SIM card and prepare for the flight to Java tomorrow. Farewell dinner at a local Padang or Tek Tek restaurant.

🚌Ferry ~£1.50 + shared minibus ~£8

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse, Medan

• →Ferry and road transfer
• →Medan old town evening

Catch a morning or midday low-cost flight (Citilink, Lion Air or Batik Air — book ahead for ~£30–50) to Soekarno–Hatta Airport. Take the SkyTrain/train or a Grab into the city. Spend the evening in Kota Tua, where street performers and coffee shops fill the old Dutch colonial square.

🚌Flight ~£40; airport rail ~£2

🛏Hostel in Kota Tua or Menteng (~£12)

• →Domestic flight
• →Kota Tua old town evening

Explore the former Batavia district on foot with Kota Tua's Fatahillah Square and museum (~£2), then see the Sunda Kelapa Harbour with its traditional wooden pinisi boats (free). In the afternoon take the train to Bandung — the Argo Parahyangan (or the faster Whoosh high-speed rail) takes 1–3 hours and leaves the mountains of West Java outside your window.

🚌Train Jakarta–Bandung ~£8

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Bandung (~£12)

• →Jakarta old town walk
• →Sunda Kelapa Harbour
• →Gedung Sate or Angklung performance (optional)

Bandung has a distinctly European feel from its Dutch-era architecture. Visit the Angklung Udjo performance (traditional bamboo instruments, ~£7 ticket), soak up the cool climate, and eat at one of the many Sundanese warungs. Optional afternoon trip to the Tangkuban Perahu crater or tea plantations at Lembang by ojeg or minibus.

🚌Local ojeg/minibus ~£4

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Bandung

• →Bandung city walk
• →Angklung Udjo performance
• →Sundanese food

Take the morning Rengganis express train from Bandung to Yogyakarta (7–8 hours, ~£12–18) — a slow but scenic ride through central Java. Arrive in Yogyakarta, the cultural heart of Java, and settle into a guesthouse in the Prawirotaman area. Optional: a Ramayana dance performance at the Prambanan open-air theatre in the evening (seasonal, ~£15).

🚌Train Bandung–Yogyakarta ~£15

🛏Guesthouse in Yogyakarta/Prawirotaman (~£12)

• →Scenic train journey
• →Ramayana dance performance (optional)

Take the city bus or a Grab to Prambanan (entry ~£18), the UNESCO-listed Hindu complex of 240 temples with soaring spires. Book an audio guide or hire a local guide at the gate (~£5). Spend the afternoon cycling through the countryside to nearby Plaosan Temple or simply relax back in Yogyakarta with a gudeg dinner.

🚌City bus / Grab ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Yogyakarta/Prawirotaman

• →Prambanan temple complex
• →Countryside cycling

Book a direct sunrise ticket (Manohara or the official sunrise entry, ~£25–30, or the cheaper standard entry ~£18) and take an early Grab to the world's largest Buddhist temple. Wander the terraces and 2,600 relief panels as the light comes up. Eat breakfast at a village warung, then head back to Yogyakarta for a free afternoon — possibly a cooking class or a batik workshop (~£15).

🚌Grab car ~£10 return

🛏Guesthouse in Yogyakarta/Prawirotaman

• →Borobudur sunrise visit
• →Village breakfast
• →Batik or cooking workshop (optional)

Travel by train to Probolinggo (or Surabaya and onward) — the train to Probolinggo from Yogyakarta is roughly 7–8 hours (~£10). From Probolinggo take the green local angkot up to Cemoro Lawang on the edge of the Tengger caldera (~£5). Check in to a simple homestay and go to bed early for a 3am start.

🚌Train + angkot ~£15

🛏Homestay in Cemoro Lawang (~£15)

• →Train and angkot journey
• →Tengger caldera village walk

Walk (or take a 4x4 for ~£10 shared) to the King Kong or Penanjakan viewpoint to watch the sun rise over Bromo's smoking cone. After breakfast, descend and travel to Surabaya or Probolinggo for a flight to Denpasar (Bali), then a Grab or Perama bus up to Ubud. Arrive late evening.

🚌4x4 ~£10; flight to Bali ~£45; transfer ~£10

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud (~£12)

• →Mt Bromo sunrise viewpoint
• →Tengger caldera crossing
• →Fly to Bali

Do a free self-guided walk around Ubud — the Monkey Forest (~£5, hold your valuables), Ubud Palace, the art market and the Campuhan Ridge Walk. Book a small-group cooking class (~£18) or an early-morning yoga session (~£8) direct. Most nights you can catch a Kecak dance or Legong performance at Ubud Palace for around £7–10.

🚌Walking / scooter ~£5

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud

• →Monkey Forest
• →Campuhan Ridge walk
• →Ubud art market
• →Kecak/Legong dance performance

Rent a scooter (~£6) or hire a driver (~£35 split 3–4 ways) to see Bali's UNESCO-protected Jatiluwih rice terraces (~£3 entry) and the lakeside temple of Pura Ulun Danu Bratan (~£3). Overnight in the quiet mountain village of Munduk for the cooler air and mountain views.

🚌Scooter or shared driver ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in Munduk (~£13)

• →Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
• →Pura Ulun Danu Bratan
• →Munduk village walk / waterfall

Drive east through Singaraja and up into the Kintamani highlands — the rim of Mt Batur overlooks a huge caldera. Visit a coffee and spice plantation on the way, then soak at a local hot spring pool (~£5). If you're feeling strong, book the Mt Batur sunrise hike for tomorrow directly with a local guide (~£30–40). Return to Ubud in the evening.

🚌Shared driver/scooter ~£12

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud

• →Kintamani highlands
• →Mt Batur viewpoint
• →Local hot springs
• →Coffee plantation visit

If you booked it, hike Mt Batur for sunrise (pick-up ~3.30am, back by 10am). Otherwise, a slow day: a whitewater rafting trip on the Ayung River (~£25), a spa massage (~£10), or simply café-hopping in Ubud. Evening: the Gianyar night market is cheap and excellent for local food.

🚌Local ~£4

🛏Guesthouse or hostel in Ubud

• →Mt Batur sunrise hike (optional)
• →Ayung rafting or massage (optional)
• →Gianyar night market

Take a Grab to Sanur (~£8) or Canggu/Kuta for the beach. Relax on the sand, try a surf lesson in Kuta (~£20), or explore the Sanur beachfront cycle path on a rented bicycle (~£3/day). Relaxed beach day to recharge.

🚌Grab ~£8

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Sanur (~£14)

• →Beach time
• →Surf lesson (optional)
• →Sanur cycle path

Take a morning fast boat or ferry from Sanur/Padang Bai to Lembar, Lombok (~£20–30, around 4 hours), then a local bemo or shared car to Tetebatu in the shadow of Mt Rinjani (~£10). Tetebatu is a quiet Sasak village area with rice paddies, tobacco fields and waterfalls. Book a homestay in advance through Booking.com.

🚌Ferry/boat + shared car ~£35

🛏Sasak homestay / guesthouse in Tetebatu (~£12)

• →Fast boat to Lombok
• →Scenic drive to Tetebatu

Take an easy half-day guided trek with a local Sasak guide (~£12) through rice fields, coffee and tobacco smallholdings and past traditional hamlets, stopping at Sendang Gila waterfall for a swim (~£3 entry). Learn about the local weaving and farming economy along the way.

🚌Walking; ojeg ~£3

🛏Sasak homestay / guesthouse in Tetebatu

• →Tetebatu village trek
• →Sendang Gila waterfall swim
• →Rice field and tobacco plantation walk

Travel by shared car to Bangsal harbour (~£10) and take the public boat or a fast boat to Gili Trawangan (~£5–12). Check into a hostel or bungalow a few minutes from the beach. The Gilis are car-free — bicycles and horse carts only. Sunset at the west-side beach bars.

🚌Shared car + boat ~£18

🛏Hostel or bungalow on Gili Trawangan (~£15)

• →Transfer to Gili Trawangan
• →Sunset beach walk

Book a three-island snorkelling trip direct from a local operator (~£10–15) — you'll swim with tropical fish and green turtles around Gili Meno and Gili Air. Afternoon free for yoga (~£8), a beach massage (~£8) or a sunset SUP rental (~£6).

🚌Walking / bicycle ~£3

🛏Hostel or bungalow on Gili Trawangan

• →Three-island snorkelling trip
• →Turtle spotting
• →Yoga or SUP (optional)

Take the morning fast boat back to Bali (Padang Bai, ~£20) and a Grab down to Sanur (~£10), the relaxed beach town where the trip ends. Spend the afternoon walking the beach path, eating at a warung, and watching the sun set over the water.

🚌Fast boat + Grab ~£30

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Sanur

• →Boat back to Bali
• →Sanur beach walk

Free day. Option: day trip to Tanah Lot temple for sunset (~£10 Grab ride, ~£4 entry) or Uluwatu. Or spend the day surfing, spa-ing or simply lounging — this is the last proper beach day of the trip.

🚌Grab ~£10

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Sanur

• →Tanah Lot sunset tour (optional)
• →Surfing
• →Spa day

Optional final wander back into Ubud for souvenirs, or relax entirely. Many travellers choose a last cooking class or a massage. Dinner in Sanur at one of the seafood restaurants on the beach.

🚌Grab ~£10

🛏Beach guesthouse or hostel, Sanur

• →Ubud or beach time
• →Farewell dinner

Check out and take a Grab to Ngurah Rai International Airport (~£8–10). Fly home or onward. Total trip duration: 29 days, covering Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok independently.

🚌Grab to airport ~£9

🛏N/A

• →Airport transfer