INDONESIA

DESCRIPTION

A 2-week overland tour from Java to Bali.

We started in Yogjakarta, Java's cultural capital, which we used as base to explore the nearby temples of Borobudur and Prembanan. Then we started moving East, to the Bromo volcano and the coffe plantation in East Java. In the second week we crossed with the ferry to Bali where we spent a day on the sandy beach of Kuta before heading to the beautiful reef of Gili Air. We ended up our trip in the spiritual Ubud, in the heart of Bali

JAVA + BALI OVERLAND

DAY 1 - Yogjia One of the first difficult moments was wandering on the streets of Yogja and decide how to feed ourselves. With no western "last resort options" (i.e. a McDonald) we had to face Indonesian street food. Here Vale tries a sort of a very sweet, fruity drink. Still don't know what was in there exactly	DAY 1 - Yogja Yogjakarta is Java's cultural capital and the place where we started our trip in Indonesia. Here is its colourful food market on Malioboro street	DAY 1 - Yogja Sultan castle On the first day in Yogja we visited the so called, Water Castle. A palace with a swimming pool where the Sultan was enjoying with his numerous wifes and children
DAY 1 - Yogjia Sultan Palace If you can, try to visit Yogjia Sultan Palace on Sunday morning where local dancers and musicians are exercising and do some training in public the visitors. Having said that, 5 minutes of traditional music are more than enough, unless you are deeply interested in gamelan	DAY 1 - Yogja Malioboro Malioboro is Yogja's busiest street, plenty of market and food stall. Pure Asia	DAY 2 - Prembanan temples On the second day we visited Prembanan a hindu temple complex 20km outside Yogja. Easy to get there by public bus
DAY 2 - Prembanan temples When visiting Prembanan, our suggestion is to walk and visit not only the central complex but also the minor temples around it where you can find literally no visitors	DAY 3 - Borobundur One of most beautiful temples in the World	DAY 3 - Borobundur View of Merapi's volcano from Borobundur temple at early morning
DAY 3 - Borobundur Borobundur is the oldest Bhuddist temple in Indonesia and a UNESCO heritage site	DAY 3 - Borobundur A number of stone "bells" characterise Borobundur. Each bell contains a Bhudda statue inside	DAY 3 - Borobundur Other bells in Borobundur
DAY 4 - Yogjia countryside Our recommendation is to absolutely spend half day bicycling around the countryside just outside Yogjia, exploring the rural life. Here Vale is learning how to make bricks out of the mud from the rice fields	DAY 4 - Yogjia countryside Rural life in Java is almost entirely based around the rice cultivation. Here we learn how to separate the rice seeds from the vegetable	DAY 4 - Yogjia contryside As part of our visit of rural villages, we ended up in this farm which is producing rice crackers
DAY 4 - Biscuit factory As part of a "culinary" tour, we visited this biscuit factory in Yogja. They produce the typical local sweets	DAY 4 - "Mister, photo please" One incredible thing of Java is that it is so touristically "unspoiled" by Western tourists that you will be seen as a celebrity with many people stopping you just to have a picture with you or simply have a quick chat to practice English. The friendliness of the local people is one of the highest we found around the World. A vignette left in the guest book of a hostel pretty describe this	DAY 5 - Solo On day 5 we left Yogja and start driving to Bromo volcano. During the day, we quickly stopped in Solo (Surakarta) to visit the palace of the local Sultan
DAY 6 - Bromo Sunset at Bromo volcano is one of the most natural breathtaking views I ever seen	DAY 6 - Bromo volcano The first ray of light illuminate Mt Bromo	DAY 6 - Bromo Bromo area comprises of 3 volcanos within a larger caldera
DAY 7 - Rubber plantation In a rubber plantation in Kalibaru we watched and learnt the process of extraction and manufactoring of the rubber	DAY 7 - Rubber plantation Another step of rubber manufactoring process. For a better description watch the first video	DAY 11 - Gili Air Gili Air is a tiny island in front of Lombok. A remote place with little services where to find yourself
DAY 13 - Ubud rice fields Beautiful walk around Ubud to see the terraced rice fields	DAY 14 - Balinese dance Balinese dance at Ubud palace... honestly ... "very beautiful, understood nothing". Between us: a bit boring

VIDEO 1 (Java)

VIDEO 2 (Bali)

DAY-TO-DAY MOMENTS

JAVA + BALI OVERLAND

DAY 1 - Yogjia

One of the first difficult moments was wandering on the streets of Yogja and decide how to feed ourselves. With no western "last resort options" (i.e. a McDonald) we had to face Indonesian street food. Here Vale tries a sort of a very sweet, fruity drink. Still don't know what was in there exactly

DAY 1 - Yogja

Yogjakarta is Java's cultural capital and the place where we started our trip in Indonesia. Here is its colourful food market on Malioboro street

DAY 1 - Yogja Sultan castle

On the first day in Yogja we visited the so called, Water Castle. A palace with a swimming pool where the Sultan was enjoying with his numerous wifes and children

DAY 1 - Yogjia Sultan Palace

If you can, try to visit Yogjia Sultan Palace on Sunday morning where local dancers and musicians are exercising and do some training in public the visitors. Having said that, 5 minutes of traditional music are more than enough, unless you are deeply interested in gamelan

DAY 1 - Yogja Malioboro

Malioboro is Yogja's busiest street, plenty of market and food stall. Pure Asia

DAY 2 - Prembanan temples

On the second day we visited Prembanan a hindu temple complex 20km outside Yogja. Easy to get there by public bus

DAY 2 - Prembanan temples

When visiting Prembanan, our suggestion is to walk and visit not only the central complex but also the minor temples around it where you can find literally no visitors

DAY 3 - Borobundur

One of most beautiful temples in the World

DAY 3 - Borobundur

View of Merapi's volcano from Borobundur temple at early morning

DAY 3 - Borobundur

Borobundur is the oldest Bhuddist temple in Indonesia and a UNESCO heritage site

DAY 3 - Borobundur

A number of stone "bells" characterise Borobundur. Each bell contains a Bhudda statue inside

DAY 3 - Borobundur

Other bells in Borobundur

DAY 4 - Yogjia countryside

Our recommendation is to absolutely spend half day bicycling around the countryside just outside Yogjia, exploring the rural life. Here Vale is learning how to make bricks out of the mud from the rice fields

DAY 4 - Yogjia countryside

Rural life in Java is almost entirely based around the rice cultivation. Here we learn how to separate the rice seeds from the vegetable

DAY 4 - Yogjia contryside

As part of our visit of rural villages, we ended up in this farm which is producing rice crackers

DAY 4 - Biscuit factory

As part of a "culinary" tour, we visited this biscuit factory in Yogja. They produce the typical local sweets

DAY 4 - "Mister, photo please"

DAY 5 - Solo

On day 5 we left Yogja and start driving to Bromo volcano. During the day, we quickly stopped in Solo (Surakarta) to visit the palace of the local Sultan

DAY 6 - Bromo

Sunset at Bromo volcano is one of the most natural breathtaking views I ever seen

DAY 6 - Bromo volcano

The first ray of light illuminate Mt Bromo

DAY 6 - Bromo

Bromo area comprises of 3 volcanos within a larger caldera

DAY 7 - Rubber plantation

In a rubber plantation in Kalibaru we watched and learnt the process of extraction and manufactoring of the rubber

DAY 7 - Rubber plantation

Another step of rubber manufactoring process. For a better description watch the first video

DAY 11 - Gili Air

Gili Air is a tiny island in front of Lombok. A remote place with little services where to find yourself

DAY 13 - Ubud rice fields

Beautiful walk around Ubud to see the terraced rice fields

DAY 14 - Balinese dance

Balinese dance at Ubud palace... honestly ... "very beautiful, understood nothing". Between us: a bit boring

GB