Self-Launched Indonesia: Java, Bali & Komodo Island (21 Days)

Land at Yogyakarta (JOG) or take the train from Jakarta. Airport taxis to the centre run about 80,000-120,000 IDR (~£5-6); a Grab/Gojek car is cheaper. Settle into a hostel or guesthouse in the Prawirotaman or Sosrowijayan area, then wander Malioboro street at dusk for street food — try gudeg (jackfruit curry) or ayam geprek. Sort out a local SIM (Telkomsel/Tourist SIM ~100,000 IDR) if you need data.

🚌Airport taxi or Grab ~£5; no transport needed otherwise

🛏Hostel dorm or budget guesthouse in Prawirotaman/Sosrowijayan (~£10-14/night)

• →Malioboro street evening wander
• →Street food dinner (gudeg)
• →Buy local SIM card

Hire a becak (cycle rickshaw) for a couple of hours (~50,000-80,000 IDR) to explore Taman Sari Water Castle, the old city lanes and the batik workshops. Later, take a Grab bike or local bus to Prambanan temple (entry ~400,000 IDR / ~£19) for sunset — arguably the most dramatic Hindu temple complex in Java. Book tickets direct at the gate or via Klook. Note: the operator's Day 2 becak tour is an optional extra there too, so you're saving straight away.

🚌Becak ~£3, Grab/bus to Prambanan ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm or guesthouse (~£10-14)

• →Becak & Taman Sari tour
• →Prambanan temple sunset

Take a local bus or shared car from Yogyakarta's Jombor terminal toward Borobudur/Magelang (~2 hours, 30,000-50,000 IDR). En route, stop at Candirejo Village near Borobudur — you can arrange a village walk or cycling tour directly with the village cooperative for ~100,000-150,000 IDR, which is exactly the community tourism project the tour includes. Overnight in Magelang or, better value, in the homestay cluster around Borobudur village.

🚌Local bus or shared car Yogyakarta-Magelang ~£3

🛏Guesthouse/homestay near Borobudur (~£12-16)

• →Candirejo Village walk with local guide
• →Village lunch

Walk or Grab bike to Setumbu Hill for a 5am sunrise looking out over misty jungle and Borobudur (small entry fee ~50,000 IDR). Then cycle the lanes between Wanurejo and Borobudur village and visit Borobudur itself (entry ~450,000 IDR / ~£21). In the afternoon, take a train or bus east to Solo (Surakarta) — trains from Yogyakarta take ~1 hour, ~100,000-200,000 IDR, or buses from Magelang take ~3-4 hours.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£2; bus/train to Solo ~£5-10

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Solo (~£10-15)

• →Setumbu Hill sunrise hike
• →Borobudur village cycling tour
• →Borobudur temple visit

Solo is Java's beating cultural heart. Visit Mangkunegaran Palace (entry ~50,000 IDR) for its Javanese-European architecture, then wander Triwindhu Market and Laweyan batik village, where you can take a short batik-making workshop directly with a workshop for ~100,000-200,000 IDR. Walk through the old town to the river, and finish with a plate of sate buntel or nasi liwet from a street stall.

🚌Becak or Grab bike around town ~£2

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Solo (~£10-15)

• →Mangkunegaran Palace
• →Triwindhu Market
• →Laweyan batik workshop

Take a bus or train east toward Malang (train ~4-5 hours, ~150,000-250,000 IDR). En route stop at Malang's Alun-Alun Tugu square and the rainbow Jodipan Village (free/voluntary donation). In the afternoon, arrange onward transport to Ngadas Village in the Bromo foothills — a shared minibus from Malang's Arjosari terminal takes ~1.5-2 hours (~50,000-100,000 IDR). Homestays here are simple and cheap.

🚌Train/bus Solo-Malang ~£10; shared minibus to Ngadas ~£5

🛏Village homestay in Ngadas, shared bathroom (~£10-14)

• →Alun-Alun Malang square
• →Jodipan Coloured Village

Book a jeep + guide for the Bromo sunrise directly with your homestay or in Ngadas the night before (~350,000-500,000 IDR per person or ~£25 for a shared jeep setup). Leave at ~3am for Penanjakan Hill viewpoint, then follow the Sea of Sands through the volcanic caldera to the Bromo crater rim. Pack breakfast to eat on Teletubbies Hill. Back in Ngadas by midday, rest and walk the village temples and forest with a local guide.

🚌Shared jeep for Bromo sunrise ~£22

🛏Village homestay in Ngadas (~£10-14)

• →Mount Bromo sunrise jeep excursion
• →Penanjakan Hill viewpoint
• →Bromo crater rim hike
• →Ngadas village walk

Transfer from Ngadas to Surabaya (shared car/minibus ~3-4 hours, ~£10) and fly Surabaya to Denpasar (DPS) on Lion Air/Citilink/Batik Air — book ~1-2 weeks ahead for fares as low as £25-40 one way. From DPS, a Grab or Gojek car to Seminyak is ~£5. Pay the Bali tourist levy (150,000 IDR) online in advance via the Love Bali site. Spend the evening on Seminyak beach, watching the sunset with a Es Daluman or a Bintang.

🚌Shared car to Surabaya ~£10; domestic flight SUB-DPS ~£35; Grab to Seminyak ~£5

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Seminyak/Canggu border (~£12-18)

• →Seminyak Beach sunset

Hire a scooter (~70,000-100,000 IDR/day) or book a private driver for the day (~600,000-800,000 IDR — split with a couple of hostel friends to bring it to ~£20 each). Head north to the UNESCO Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (entry ~50,000 IDR), stop at Baturiti fruit market, then Ulun Danu Beratan lake temple (entry ~75,000 IDR) and the Twin Lakes viewpoint. Arrive in Munduk in the evening — it's cooler and quieter in the hills.

🚌Day driver or scooter hire ~£20-25

🛏Guesthouse or homestay in Munduk (~£12-18)

• →Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
• →Baturiti fruit market
• →Ulun Danu Beratan temple
• →Twin Lakes viewpoint

Continue north with your driver or bus to Banjar Hot Springs (entry ~50,000 IDR) — sulphur pools in the jungle, bliss after days of trekking. Then explore Pasar Anyar Singaraja, the busy traditional market, and Beji Temple nearby. In the afternoon, head to Bulian village and book a community-run guesthouse or village homestay on arrival (or via a local guesthouse on booking.com). Join a village walk and try making a canang sari offering with your host.

🚌Driver/bus Munduk-Singaraja-Bulian ~£12-15

🛏Village guesthouse/homestay in Bulian, shared bathroom (~£10-14)

• →Banjar Hot Springs
• →Pasar Anyar Singaraja market
• →Beji Temple
• →Village walk and offering workshop

Hire a local guide in Lemukih village for the waterfall trek (~150,000-250,000 IDR) — you'll walk through rice paddies, coffee and durian plantations, down a natural rock waterslide, and to two jungle waterfalls where you can swim. Lunch at a local warung. In the afternoon continue to Kintamani, the highland region on the rim of the Batur caldera — guesthouses here have huge views of the volcano and lake.

🚌Local driver/ojek between villages ~£10

🛏Guesthouse in Kintamani (~£12-18)

• →Lemukih waterfall trek
• →Natural waterslide
• →Warung lunch

Trek Mount Batur for sunrise — book a guide through your guesthouse or GetYourGuide (~350,000-500,000 IDR / ~£18-25), starting around 3.30am and back by 9am. Breakfast in Kintamani, then visit the immaculate Penglipuran Village (entry ~25,000 IDR) and Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple on the way south. Arrive in Ubud by evening and eat at a warung on Jalan Hanoman.

🚌Driver Kintamani-Ubud ~£12 (split if possible)

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Ubud (~£12-18)

• →Mount Batur sunrise trek
• →Penglipuran Village
• →Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu temple

Walk the Campuhan Ridge, then visit the Ubud Palace and the Saraswati Temple lotus pond. Browse Ubud's art market, or book a spiritual/offering-making session with a local foundation via GetYourGuide (~£15-20) — similar to the operator's spiritual tour option. Rent a scooter (~£5) to reach Tegallalang Rice Terraces in the late afternoon when it's quieter (entry ~50,000 IDR). Catch a traditional Balinese dance performance at Ubud Palace in the evening (~100,000 IDR).

🚌Scooter hire ~£5

🛏Hostel or guesthouse in Ubud (~£12-18)

• →Campuhan Ridge walk
• →Saraswati Temple
• →Tegallalang Rice Terraces
• →Balinese dance performance

Head east through the Sidemen valley — Bali's quieter answer to Ubud, with volcano views and weaving villages. Take a local bemo or book a private driver for ~£18-25 (split with hostel mates). Stop at Besakih or one of Sidemen's smaller temples if you like. Arrive in Candidasa on the coast, check into a beachfront guesthouse and swim in the afternoon.

🚌Private driver or bemos Ubud-Candidasa ~£15

🛏Beachfront guesthouse in Candidasa (~£12-18)

• →Sidemen valley viewpoint stop
• →Candidasa beach swim

Book a Blue Lagoon snorkelling trip with a local dive shop (~250,000-350,000 IDR / ~£13-18 including gear and boat) — coral gardens teeming with angelfish, parrotfish and the odd turtle. In the afternoon, take a Balinese cooking class in a local home or via Klook/GetYourGuide (~£20-25), learning to make satay lilit, base gede and black rice pudding.

🚌Walk or scooter around town ~£3

🛏Beachfront guesthouse in Candidasa (~£12-18)

• →Blue Lagoon snorkelling
• →Balinese cooking class

Transfer to Denpasar airport (~2 hours by bus/driver, ~£8-12) and fly to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) on Flores — Wings Air or NAM Air, usually via Bima or Denpasar, £45-70 one way. Book as early as you can. Check into a guesthouse in Labuan Bajo and shop around the harbour for Komodo boat-trip operators: 2-day/1-night open-deck boat trips typically run 1,500,000-2,500,000 IDR (~£75-125) depending on standard and season.

🚌Driver to DPS ~£10; flight DPS-LBJ ~£55

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£12-18)

• →Book Komodo boat trip at the harbour
• →Sunset at Labuan Bajo waterfront

Board an overnight boat trip (most depart mid-morning). First stop Kelor Island for a short steep hike and swim. Then Manjerite Island for snorkelling over coral. Afternoon: Rinca Island for a ranger-led Komodo dragon trek (~200,000-300,000 IDR in park fees, often bundled into the boat package) — you'll likely see dragons, deer and macaques. Overnight on the boat under the stars.

🚌Liveaboard boat trip (included in package)

🛏Overnight on the boat — basic cabin or open-deck mattress (~included in boat package ~£80-100)

• →Kelor Island hike
• →Manjerite snorkelling
• →Rinca Island Komodo dragon trek

Early start for Padar Island — hike to the famous three-bay viewpoint (30-40 minutes up, steep in places) before the day boats arrive. Next, Pink Beach for swimming and snorkelling on a genuinely pink-tinted shore. Then Komodo Island itself for the guided dragon trek, before a final snorkel at Manta Point where you have a real chance of swimming with manta rays. Return to Labuan Bajo in the late afternoon.

🚌Boat trip (second day included in package)

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£12-18)

• →Padar Island viewpoint hike
• →Pink Beach snorkelling
• →Komodo Island dragon trek
• →Manta Point snorkel

A slower day. Hire a scooter or a local driver to reach Batu Cermin cave (~£3-5 entry) in the morning, or take a half-day trip to Cunca Wulang waterfall — accessible by car then a short walk, with cliff-jumping for the brave (~£15-20 with a local guide). In the evening, eat grilled fish at the Labuan Bajo night market; it's cheap and excellent.

🚌Scooter hire or local driver ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£12-18)

• →Batu Cermin cave
• →Cunca Wulang waterfall
• →Labuan Bajo night market

Spend the day as you like — a second snorkel trip to nearby Kanawa Island if you're keen (~£25-35 via a local boatman), a hike up Bukit Silvia for the view over the bay, or just coffee and reading at one of the seafront cafes. Bookend the trip with the Labuan Bajo fish market and a final sunset.

🚌Walk or scooter ~£4

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£12-18)

• →Bukit Silvia viewpoint hike
• →Optional Kanawa Island snorkel trip
• →Seafront cafes

Fly out of Labuan Bajo (LBJ) to Denpasar or Jakarta for onward international connections — book your first connection with a decent buffer (3+ hours) because Flores flights are frequently delayed. If you have time, a morning swim at a nearby beach before your flight.

🚌Flight LBJ-DPS ~£50-70

🛏—

• →Departure flight