Java, Bali & Lombok: Self-Launched 22-Day Indonesia Route

Land at Soekarno-Hatta (CGK), complete the free All-Indonesia Arrival Card online before you fly and have your e-VOA sorted. Take the Damri bus or the airport rail link into the city centre (~£2-3) rather than a taxi. Settle into a hostel in the Jalan Jaksa or Menteng area, sort a local SIM (Telkomsel ~£5 for a data package) and grab your first nasi goreng from a warung. Rest up — tomorrow is a full day.

🚌Airport bus/rail link ~£2-3

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse, Jalan Jaksa area (~£10/night)

• →Arrival admin: SIM card, cash from ATM
• →Evening wander around Jalan Jaksa

Do your own walking loop of the former Batavia quarter: Taman Fatahillah square, the Jakarta History Museum and the old Dutch-era warehouses, then walk 10 minutes to Sunda Kelapa harbour to see the wooden pinisi schooners being loaded. In the afternoon take a train from Gambir or Pasar Senen to Bandung (2.5-3 hrs, ~£8-12). Bandung sits in a bowl of volcanic peaks and tea plantations — evening is good for the Braga Street strip and a plate of Sundanese food. Optional: book an angklung (bamboo orchestra) performance at Saung Angklung Udjo directly (~£5).

🚌City walk + train Jakarta–Bandung ~£10

🛏Guesthouse near Braga Street, Bandung (~£10/night)

• →Self-guided Kota Tua/Batavia walk
• →Sunda Kelapa harbour
• →Optional Angklung performance at Saung Angklung Udjo

Take a morning train east to Yogyakarta — the Argo Wilis or Lodaya services run through some genuinely beautiful Javanese scenery (7-8 hrs, ~£12-18 in economy/executive). Book on the Traveloka or KAI Access app a day or two ahead. Arrive in Yogya, base yourself in the Sosrowijayan or Prawirotaman area, and in the evening either rent a bike for a village ride or catch a Ramayana ballet performance at the Prambanan open-air theatre (Tue/Thu/Sat shows, tickets ~£10-20 booked direct or via Klook).

🚌Train Bandung–Yogyakarta ~£15

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Sosrowijayan (~£10/night)

• →Optional Ramayana ballet at Prambanan
• →Optional cycling tour of surrounding villages

Take local bus 1A or a Grab/Gojek (~£2) out to Prambanan, the UNESCO-listed Hindu complex of some 244 temples with the towering Shiva temple at its heart. Arrive early to beat the heat and the coaches; entry is ~£17 for foreigners. Spend the afternoon back in the city — explore the Water Castle (Taman Sari) and the Sultan's Palace, or just eat your way down Jalan Malioboro. Tip: the Prambanan ticket often bundles with Borobudur if bought together, so check at the counter.

🚌Local bus/Grab to Prambanan ~£3 return

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Sosrowijayan (~£10/night)

• →Prambanan UNESCO temple complex (paid entry ~£17)
• →Taman Sari Water Castle
• →Malioboro street food

Either catch the 5am public bus or share a Grab with other hostel guests out to Borobudur, the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world. Sunrise entry with the structure climb is ~£25-30 (book the official sunrise ticket online in advance); a standard daytime ticket is ~£17. Allow 2-3 hours to walk the galleries and decode the carved reliefs — a small-group guided tour via GetYourGuide (~£10 extra) is worth it if you want the stories. Head back to Yogya for a free afternoon: coffee, batik shopping, or the excellent Sonobudoyo museum.

🚌Shared Grab to Borobudur ~£6 return

🛏Hostel or guesthouse, Sosrowijayan (~£10/night)

• →Borobudur sunrise entry (~£25-30)
• →Optional guided Borobudur tour via GetYourGuide

Take a morning train Yogyakarta to Malang (7-8 hrs, ~£12-16), then a local bus or shared angkot up to Ngadas, a Tengger village on the edge of the Bromo caldera. Book a homestay directly through a local operator or via a platform like Airbnb/Booking — expect a simple family room and home cooking (~£12-15 including dinner). Spend the evening with your host family learning about Tengger Hindu traditions; this is the region where locals still leave offerings on the crater rim.

🚌Train Yogyakarta–Malang ~£14 + local bus to Ngadas ~£2

🛏Tengger family homestay, Ngadas (~£13 incl. dinner)

• →Tengger village homestay
• →Evening village walk

Up at ~2:30am for the classic Bromo pre-dawn run. Your homestay can arrange a shared 4WD jeep to the Penanjakan viewpoint (~£15-20 per person shared, including the Sea of Sand crossing) — or join a small-group sunrise tour via Klook/GetYourGuide. Watch the sun come up over the smoking cone, then hike the 250 steps to the crater rim of Bromo itself. Back to Ngadas for lunch and a walk through the village, then a shared van or bus down to Malang for the night. Malang's colonial Ijen Boulevard is lovely at dusk.

🚌Shared 4WD jeep ~£17 + shared van to Malang ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Malang (~£11/night)

• →Mt Bromo sunrise viewpoint (Penanjakan)
• →Bromo crater rim climb
• →Ngadas village walk

Bus or train from Malang to Surabaya's Juanda airport (~2 hrs, ~£4), then a short flight to Denpasar (1 hr, ~£30-45 booked a few weeks ahead on Citilink/Lion Air/Batik Air). Pay the Bali Tourist Levy (150,000 IDR / ~£8) online via the Love Bali system before you land. From DPS take the Grab or a metered Bluebird taxi to Sanur (~£6-8). Check into a guesthouse a few streets back from the beach, then walk the beachfront promenade and watch the sunset with a Bintang.

🚌Bus to Surabaya ~£4, flight ~£40, airport transfer ~£7

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Sanur (~£15/night)

• →Bali Tourist Levy payment
• →Sanur beachfront sunset walk

A proper slow day. Sanur's reef-protected lagoon is calm and great for a swim or a cheap kayak; the beachfront path is ideal for walking or renting a bicycle (~£3). Book yourself a Balinese massage (~£8-12 at a local spa), eat at a warung on Jalan Danau Tamblingan, or take a boat trip out to Lembongan if you want more. This is your buffer day for laundry, planning and recharging before the road miles.

🚌Walking / bicycle rental ~£3

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Sanur (~£15/night)

• →Beach day
• →Balinese massage
• →Optional day trip to Nusa Lembongan

Head north into the highlands. The cheapest route is a public bemo/bus combo via Denpasar and Bedugul, but honestly a shared shuttle or private driver split between hostel mates (most drivers are on WhatsApp and quote ~£35-45 for the whole day) is more practical if you have two or three travel companions. Stop at Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, the temple sitting on the lake (~£4 entry), then walk the UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih rice terraces (~£3) with a guide from the visitor centre. Arrive in cool, misty Munduk for the night — a homestay or guesthouse among the clove and coffee plantations (~£12).

🚌Shared shuttle/private car split ~£15 pp

🛏Guesthouse in Munduk (~£12/night)

• →Lake Bratan temple (Ulun Danu Beratan)
• →Jatiluwih rice terraces walk

Take a walk to a nearby waterfall in the morning (Munduk's trails are free or a token donation), then head east through winding rice-field roads towards Kintamani. A private car or shared shuttle split is the sensible option (~£15 pp, 3 hrs). In Kintamani, check into a guesthouse with a volcano view, then soak in the local hot springs (~£5) with Lake Batur and Mt Batur steaming across the water. Cool nights up here — bring a jumper.

🚌Shared car/shuttle ~£15

🛏Guesthouse in Kintamani (~£14/night)

• →Munduk waterfall walk
• →Kintamani hot springs (~£5)
• →Mt Batur viewpoint

Optional (but brilliant): the 2am start for the Mt Batur sunrise hike — book a local guide in advance (~650,000 IDR / ~£30, includes headtorch and breakfast cooked in the steam vents). The view from the summit over the caldera and Lombok's Rinjani on a clear day is the payoff. If you skip it, a gentle walk around the village works. Midday, transfer down to Ubud (~£7 shared shuttle); stop at a community training lunch programme if you can find one locally supporting Balinese hospitality students, then do a self-guided orientation walk through the Monkey Forest Road, the palace and the Campuhan Ridge. Optional: the Monkey Forest itself (~£6), and the Kecak dance at Ubud Palace (~£10).

🚌Shared shuttle Kintamani–Ubud ~£7

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Ubud (~£15/night)

• →Mt Batur sunrise hike (~£30, optional)
• →Ubud orientation walk
• →Optional Monkey Forest
• →Optional Kecak dance at Ubud Palace

Rent a scooter (~£4/day) or use Grab to reach the Tegallalang rice terraces early before the crowds, then loop back via Tirta Empul at Tampaksiring (~£5) — the temple of the holy springs. Afternoon options: a Balinese cooking class (~£20-25 booked through GetYourGuide or direct), a yoga class (~£7), or whitewater rafting on the Ayung (~£25). Evening: Gianyar night market for cheap, excellent street food (~£3-5). Kuta surf lessons (~£35) are an easy day trip if you're craving waves.

🚌Scooter rental ~£4

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in central Ubud (~£15/night)

• →Tegallalang rice terraces
• →Tirta Empul holy springs (~£5)
• →Optional cooking class / yoga / rafting
• →Gianyar night market

Free morning in Ubud, then the slow-but-cheap route to Lombok: a bemo or Grab to Padang Bai (~£6), the public ferry across the Lombok Strait to Lembar (4-5 hrs, ~£4), then a shared car or bus to Tetebatu in the foothills of Rinjani (~£8). This is a long travel day — leave early. Alternatively, fast boats from Padang Bai to Bangsal run ~£25 and cut hours off the crossing if you'd rather buy time than save money. Arrive in Tetebatu in the evening for a village homestay among tobacco and rice fields (~£12, usually with home-cooked meals).

🚌Padang Bai ferry ~£4 + shared car to Tetebatu ~£8 + local transfer ~£6

🛏Village homestay in Tetebatu (~£12/night)

• →Lombok Strait ferry crossing
• →Arrival in Tetebatu

Do the classic Tetebatu trek with a local guide arranged by your homestay (~£12-15 for a half day, which doubles as income for the village): a couple of hours easy walking past rice terraces, tobacco plots, local homes and monkey forest, with Rinjani looming above. Ask your host to arrange lunch with a family — the Sasak kitchen here is distinctive and excellent. Afternoon: nothing but a hammock and the view. Optional massage with a village practitioner (~£8).

🚌Walking

🛏Village homestay in Tetebatu (~£12/night)

• →Guided Tetebatu countryside trek (~£13)
• →Sasak village visit
• →Optional massage

Hire a driver for the day or take a shared car north to Senaru (~£15) to swim at Sendang Gile waterfall — a cool, powerful cascade at the foot of Rinjani, entry ~£2. Optional detour to the Tiu Kelep falls beyond it (30 mins extra walking). Then head to Bangsal harbour (~£5) and take the public boat to Gili Trawangan (~£3, or ~£12 for a fast boat). Check into a bungalow on the quieter north end of Gili T (~£15), and watch the sunset from the west beach with the whole of Bali on the horizon.

🚌Shared car to Senaru ~£15 + Bangsal public boat ~£3 + local transfers ~£8

🛏Bungalow on Gili Trawangan (~£15/night)

• →Sendang Gile waterfall swim
• →Sunset on Gili Trawangan

Book the three-island snorkelling trip direct from a dive shop on the beachfront or via Klook (~£15-20 including gear and boat, half a day). You'll hit the turtle points off Gili Meno and the underwater statues off Gili Meno, plus the reefs around Gili Air — turtles are genuinely common. Afternoon: wander Gili T's car-free lanes (bikes and horse carts only), grab a smoothie bowl, optional yoga class in the evening (~£8).

🚌Walking / bicycle rental ~£3

🛏Bungalow on Gili Trawangan (~£15/night)

• →Three-island snorkelling trip with turtles (~£17)
• →Optional yoga class

Slow morning — snorkel straight off the beach at Gili T (free, gear rental ~£4) or hop the public boat to Gili Air for lunch. Midday boat back to Bangsal (~£3) and a shared car south to Kuta Lombok (~£10, about 2 hrs), the laid-back surf town with the postcard bays. Check into a guesthouse near the main strip (~£13). Optional: catch the sunset at Bukit Merese viewpoint or Tanjung Aan beach.

🚌Boat to Bangsal ~£3 + shared car to Kuta Lombok ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£13/night)

• →Beach snorkelling
• →Kuta Lombok sunset viewpoint

A day to use how you like: a surf lesson on the beginner-friendly waves (~£20-25 direct with a local school), a scooter loop down the coast to Mawun and Selong Belanak beaches (~£4 rental), or a boat trip to the pink beach with a local fisherman (~£15). Eat at the night market — sate bulayak and Lombok's famous spicy chicken are unmissable — for around £3.

🚌Scooter rental ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£13/night)

• →Optional surf lesson
• →Optional coastal scooter loop
• →Kuta night market

Short hop from Lombok's Praya airport to Denpasar (40 mins, ~£30-40 on Lion Air or Wings Air booked ahead), or the long-haul option back via Lembar ferry if you're watching pennies. Land at DPS and take a Grab to Sanur (~£7). The final stretch of the trip is intentionally gentle — settle into a guesthouse, get laundry done, do your souvenir shopping at the Sindhu night market and have a proper sit-down dinner.

🚌Airport transfer to Praya ~£6 + flight ~£35 + DPS transfer ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Sanur (~£15/night)

• →Sindhu night market
• →Beach walk

Last full day. Swim off Sanur beach, hire a bicycle along the promenade, take an optional day trip to Nusa Penida if you want one more big-hitter (~£40 with a tour booked via GetYourGuide), or simply return to your favourite warung. Use the afternoon to organise flights home, double-check the departure airport transfer and treat yourself to a spa afternoon — you've covered a lot of ground.

🚌Bicycle rental ~£3

🛏Guesthouse in Sanur (~£15/night)

• →Beach day
• →Optional Nusa Penida day trip
• →Spa afternoon

Check out and take a Grab or metered taxi to I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (~£7, 30-40 mins from Sanur, longer in traffic — leave 3 hrs before your international flight). If you're staying on for more Indonesia, this is your natural springboard to Flores or the Nusa islands.

🚌Airport transfer ~£7

🛏N/A

• →Departure