Total Indonesia — Self-Launched: Sumatra, Mentawai, Bali, Lombok & Komodo in 26 Days

Fly into Kualanamu Airport (KNO) — most travellers connect via Kuala Lumpur or Jakarta. Grab a Grab/Gojek or the Damri airport bus (about £2) into the city. Settle into a guesthouse near Jalan Jend. Sudirman / Kesawan old town, eat mie Aceh or a curry at a local warung, and sort a SIM card (Telkomsel tourist SIM, ~£6 for 15GB). Book tomorrow's shared or private car to Bukit Lawang tonight through your guesthouse.

🚌Grab/Gojek or Damri airport bus from KNO (~£2-4)

🛏Budget guesthouse or hotel in central Medan (~£15)

• →Arrive Medan
• →Kesawan old town wander
• →Mie Aceh dinner
• →Buy Indonesian SIM card

Shared car or minibus to Bukit Lawang (about 3-4 hours, £8-12 per person if shared through your guesthouse; private car ~£40). Check into a riverside guesthouse — the village is full of £10-20/night rooms. In the afternoon walk to the Bat Cave (Gua Bat) with a local guide and cross the river by the traditional raft. Evening: beers and live guitar at one of the riverbank bars with other travellers, which is exactly how you'll meet people to share tomorrow's trek with.

🚌Shared car Medan–Bukit Lawang (~£10)

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (~£14)

• →Bat Cave visit
• →Riverside village walk
• →Nightlife with fellow travellers

Book a 2-day/1-night or single full-day jungle trek directly with a licensed local guide (the guide association office in the village sets fixed rates — roughly £35-55 pp for a full day with lunch, more with camping). Spot semi-wild Sumatran orangutans, Thomas leaf monkeys, hornbills and gibbons. The classic finish is floating back to the village on inner tubes down the Bohorok river. Your guesthouse can arrange everything the night before.

🚌Walking from guesthouse

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (~£14)

• →Full-day Gunung Leuser National Park trek
• →Orangutan and wildlife spotting
• →Jungle lunch prepared by guide
• →River tubing back to Bukit Lawang

Long travel day. Shared car back to Medan (3-4 hrs), then a flight from Kualanamu to Padang Minangkabau (about 1h20, roughly £40-60 booked on Citilink/Lion/Super Air). Alternatively a very long bus, but flying is the sensible option. Evening in Padang: eat the city's famous Padang food (nasi padang, rendang) at a rumah makan and sort your Mentawai logistics — ferry tickets or a shared speedboat with a surf camp/homestay.

🚌Shared car to Medan (~£10) + flight Medan–Padang (~£50)

🛏Budget hotel in Padang (~£12)

• →Travel day
• →Nasi padang dinner
• →Arrange Mentawai crossing

Take the morning ferry from Padang to Siberut (Mentawai Fast, about £12-20 one way, 3-4 hours; boats run only a few days a week so check schedules). From Muara Siberut, arrange a guide and transport inland by longboat to a Mentawai village — homestays with families in traditional uma (longhouses) typically run £15-25 pp per night including meals, arranged through local guides or your Padang hotel. Settle in, meet your host family, help with cooking and get an introduction to village life.

🚌Ferry Padang–Siberut (~£16) + longboat transfer (~£10)

🛏Traditional uma homestay with Mentawai family (~£20 incl. meals)

• →Ferry to Siberut
• →Longboat upstream to village
• →Meet host family
• →Village walk and dinner with locals

Spend the full day with your host community. Typical homestay days include walking to sago groves and family farms, learning about traditional weaving and handicrafts, meeting the village shaman (sikerei) for a talk about Mentawai beliefs, and a short jungle walk to learn plant uses and hunting/foraging techniques. Every family and guide offers something slightly different — be clear about what you want to see when you book so it's mutually agreed. Evening games and conversation with the family.

🚌Walking

🛏Traditional uma homestay (~£20 incl. meals)

• →Village and farm walk
• →Meet the shaman
• →Foraging and jungle skills with locals
• →Traditional crafts demonstration

Longboat back to Muara Siberut and ferry back to Padang, then a shared car south along the coast to Nagari Sungai Pinang, a traditional fishing village near Painan (about 2 hours, £8-12 shared). Homestays here are simple (£10-15 pp with meals) and you can arrange them locally or via Padang guesthouses. Afternoon: walk the village, watch the boats come in, and eat fresh fish with your hosts.

🚌Ferry (~£16) + shared car to Sungai Pinang (~£10)

🛏Simple village homestay (~£14 incl. meals)

• →Ferry back to Padang
• →Transfer to fishing village
• →Village and harbour walk

Charter a local fishing boat or join a village-run snorkel trip (around £15-25 pp shared) to nearby islands — the area has shallow reefs, Nemo-style anemone gardens and quiet snorkel spots. Many villages along this coast run small turtle conservation projects: ask your hosts the night before whether a hatchling release or nest visit is happening, and follow their guidance and any donation request rather than turning up unannounced. Evening bonfire, music and grilled fish on the beach.

🚌Local boat charter (~£20 shared)

🛏Simple village homestay (~£14 incl. meals)

• →Boat island hopping
• →Snorkelling
• →Turtle conservation project visit (if available)
• →Beach evening with locals

Travel back to Padang and fly to Denpasar (usually via Jakarta; allow a full day, roughly £60-90). From DPS, take a Grab or pre-booked airport transfer to Canggu (~£8-10, about 1 hour). Check into a Canggu hostel or guesthouse near Batu Bolong or Berawa (£12-22 dorm, £25-35 private). Catch sunset at Batu Bolong beach or splurge on a beach-club evening at Finns Beach Club if that's your thing.

🚌Shared car to Padang + flight Padang–Denpasar (~£75) + airport transfer (~£9)

🛏Canggu hostel or guesthouse (~£18)

• →Travel day
• →Canggu sunset at Batu Bolong
• →Beach bar evening

Hire a scooter (£5/day, international licence technically required) or book a private driver for the day (~£35 split between 2-3 people) to visit Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi and then Tanah Lot for sunset — the classic combo. Temple entry is £2-3 each. Alternatively join a small-group GetYourGuide/Klook tour covering both for £20-30 pp. Back in Canggu for dinner at a warung or one of the many cheap vegan/Indonesian spots.

🚌Scooter hire (~£5) or shared driver (~£15)

🛏Canggu hostel or guesthouse (~£18)

• →Taman Ayun temple
• →Tanah Lot temple at sunset
• →Scooter or driver day

Ride down to Kuta (Grab ~£3) and take a beginner surf lesson — bookable on Klook/GetYourGuide or directly with the surf schools lining Kuta beach for roughly £15-25 pp for 2 hours including board and instructor. Kuta's soft sand bottom and mellow whitewash make it the best place in Bali to learn. Afternoon recover with a massage (£8) and eat in the Poppies Lane warungs.

🚌Grab to Kuta and back (~£6)

🛏Canggu hostel or guesthouse (~£18)

• →Beginner surf lesson at Kuta Beach
• →Warung lunch
• →Beach time

Take a Grab or private transfer to Ubud (about 1.5 hours, £10-15). Check into a guesthouse or budget resort in central or Penestanan (£15-25). Afternoon: visit Tegenungan waterfall (close to town, £2 entry) or go further to Tibumana and Suwat waterfalls by scooter. Ubud is walkable and full of cafés — grab dinner on Jalan Hanoman or Jalan Goutama.

🚌Grab/private transfer Canggu–Ubud (~£12) + scooter (~£5)

🛏Ubud guesthouse or budget resort (~£20)

• →Transfer to Ubud
• →Tegenungan or Tibumana waterfall visit
• →Ubud café dinner

Early morning walk through Ubud's traditional market (get there before 8am to see the real food market before the tourist stalls). Then a half-day Balinese cooking class — bookable on Klook/GetYourGuide or direct with Paon Bali, Casa Luna or Pemulan for £25-40 pp including a market tour, cooking and lunch. Late afternoon wander the Sacred Monkey Forest (£5 entry) — keep valuables zipped and don't feed the monkeys.

🚌Walking + short Grab hops (~£3)

🛏Ubud guesthouse or budget resort (~£20)

• →Morning food market tour
• →Balinese cooking class with lunch
• →Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary

Scooter or share a private driver (£35-40 split) north to Tegalalang for the rice terraces early before the crowds (entry ~£3, plus small donations along the path). Continue up to Kintamani for lunch with Mount Batur and the lake in view, stopping at a coffee plantation and a local market on the way. If you'd rather do the famous sunrise trek, book a Mount Batur sunrise hike separately on GetYourGuide (~£30-40) for tomorrow instead.

🚌Shared driver/scooter (~£15)

🛏Ubud guesthouse or budget resort (~£20)

• →Tegalalang rice terraces
• →Kintamani lunch with Mount Batur views
• →Local market stop
• →Optional: book Mount Batur sunrise trek

Book a fast boat with shuttle pickup from Ubud to Gili Trawangan (Eka Jaya, BlueWater Express or similar, £30-40 one way, roughly 3.5-4 hours door to door including the drive to Padang Bai). Check into a Gili T hostel or bungalow (£12-20 dorm, £25-35 private — note the island has no cars, only bikes and cidomo horse carts). Afternoon swim, sunset at the western beach, and dinner at the night market by the harbour.

🚌Fast boat + shuttle from Ubud (~£35)

🛏Gili Trawangan hostel or bungalow (~£20)

• →Fast boat to Gili T
• →Sunset beach walk
• →Gili night market

Join a shared three-island snorkel trip (£15-25 pp including gear, booked at any dive shop or on Klook) hitting the turtle points off Gili Meno, the underwater statues, and Gili Air. You'll almost certainly see green and hawksbill turtles. If you dive, add a fun dive or try-dive (£30-45). Evening back on Gili T for seafood BBQ on the beach.

🚌Shared snorkel boat (~£20)

🛏Gili Trawangan hostel or bungalow (~£20)

• →Three-island snorkel trip
• →Turtle spotting at Gili Meno
• →Underwater statues
• →Optional: try-dive

Rent a bicycle (£3-4/day) and ride the full 7km loop around the island, stopping at the famous Gili T swings on the north coast, quiet empty beaches on the east side, and the viewpoint hill (short climb, best at sunset). Lunch at a beach shack. Slow afternoon — this is the day to just float. Book your boat to Lombok for tomorrow morning.

🚌Bicycle hire (~£4)

🛏Gili Trawangan hostel or bungalow (~£20)

• →Cycle the island loop
• →Gili T swings
• →Sunset viewpoint
• →Hidden beach stops

Morning local boat or fast boat to Lombok (Bangsal harbour, £5-15), then a shared shuttle or Grab down to Kuta Lombok (about 1.5-2 hours, £8-12 shared). Kuta Lombok is a laid-back surf town with excellent cheap guesthouses (£15-25). Afternoon: explore the beaches at Tanjung Aan or Mawun, or just chill at a café. Rent a scooter for the next few days (£5/day).

🚌Boat (~£10) + shuttle to Kuta Lombok (~£10)

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£20)

• →Boat to Lombok
• →Shuttle to Kuta Lombok
• →Beach afternoon

Ride north by scooter to Sade or Ende, a traditional Sasak village — entry is a small donation (£2-3) and villagers will show you the thatched houses and demonstrate traditional songket weaving (buy directly from the weavers if you want to support them). Then continue to Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu waterfalls near Aik Berik (£3-4 entry), where a local guide leads a short jungle walk and you can swim in the falls. Back to Kuta for dinner.

🚌Scooter (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£20)

• →Sasak village visit
• →Traditional weaving demonstration
• →Jungle trek to Benang Kelambu waterfalls
• →Swim in the falls

Beach-hop the south coast by scooter: Mawun, Selong Belanak (great for beginner surfing and beach warungs), Mawi and the cliffs above Tanjung Aan. Have lunch at a beachside warung with grilled fish. Add a beginner surf lesson at Selong Belanak (£15-20) if you want — instructors are on the beach and lessons are easy to arrange on the spot.

🚌Scooter (~£5)

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£20)

• →Selong Belanak, Mawun and Mawi beaches
• →Beachside warung lunch
• →Optional surf lesson

Long travel day. Take a shared car to Kayangan harbour near Labuhan Lombok (about 1.5 hrs, £10), then the public ferry across the Alas Strait to Poto Tano on Sumbawa (about 2 hours, £2-4 for foot passengers). Alternatively take a direct fast boat or shared shuttle from Lombok to Sumbawa's north coast if one is running for your itinerary. From Poto Tano, a bus or shared car heads east towards Sumbawa Besar or Alas (£5-10). Sleep simply in Sumbawa Besar (£12-18).

🚌Shared car + public ferry + bus (~£20)

🛏Simple hotel in Sumbawa (~£15)

• →Ferry crossing to Sumbawa
• →Local bus/shared car east
• →Sumbawa Besar evening

Arrange a boat from the Air Bari/Ai Bari area north of Sumbawa Besar (near the ferry jetty to Moyo) — local boatmen offer day trips to Moyo Island for roughly £25-40 pp for a group, negotiable directly at the jetty or through your hotel. Moyo is a protected nature reserve: walk inland to Moyo's Falls (Air Beling) and swim in the freshwater pools, snorkel the reef, lunch on the beach. If you can, time the return for a sunset sail back across the strait.

🚌Local boat charter (~£30 shared)

🛏Simple hotel in Sumbawa (~£15)

• →Boat to uninhabited Moyo Island
• →Jungle walk to Moyo's Falls
• →Swim and snorkel
• →Beach lunch
• →Sunset boat back

Travel to Sumbawa Besar airport (or Bima) for a short flight to Labuan Bajo on Flores (about £40-70, Wings Air/Lion — book well ahead as these fill up; otherwise the Pelni ferry or a multi-day bus/ferry slog). Arrive Labuan Bajo and board your Komodo liveaboard — budget cabin boats run 3D2N for roughly £180-280 pp including meals, snorkel gear and park fees, bookable on Klook/GetYourGuide or direct with operators like a shared-cabin phinisi. Sail toward Satonda, snorkel the reef and have dinner on deck as the sun sets.

🚌Flight Sumbawa–Labuan Bajo (~£55) + harbour transfer (~£3)

🛏Liveaboard boat, shared cabin (~£80/night incl. meals)

• →Flight to Labuan Bajo
• →Board liveaboard
• →Satonda Island snorkel
• →Dinner on deck

Early snorkel at Manta Point or Karang Makassar where manta rays feed on the plankton — this is the highlight of the park. Then Pink Beach for the famously rose-tinted sand and reef snorkelling. Afternoon trek to Padar Island viewpoint (the iconic three-bay panorama) or a shorter Komodo viewpoint. Dinner cooked on board; many boats let you sleep on the upper deck under the stars.

🚌Liveaboard boat

🛏Liveaboard boat, shared cabin (~£80/night incl. meals)

• →Snorkel with manta rays
• →Pink Beach
• →Padar/Komodo viewpoint trek
• →Dinner on board

Guided ranger walk on Komodo or Rinca Island to see wild Komodo dragons — park fees are included in most liveaboard packages but a ranger fee of around £5-8 pp applies (confirm what's covered before booking). Your ranger leads a 1-2 hour loop past dragons, deer and megapode nests. Back to Labuan Bajo by afternoon, farewell dinner on the waterfront in town.

🚌Liveaboard boat + harbour transfer

🛏Liveaboard boat or guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£80 liveaboard / £18 guesthouse)

• →Ranger-guided Komodo dragon walk
• →Wildlife spotting
• →Return to Labuan Bajo
• →Farewell dinner

Morning free for a café breakfast and a last swim at one of the town's small beaches, or a quick trip to the Mirror Cave (Batu Cermin) if time allows. Fly out from Komodo Airport (LBJ) — connections usually route via Bali or Jakarta. Arrange your onward international flight with a buffer day if you can, as LBJ flights are often delayed.

🚌Departure flight from Labuan Bajo (~£40-80 to Bali, excluded from totals)

🛏—

• →Morning café and town wander
• →Optional Mirror Cave
• →Departure