Discover Magic of Java and Bali

Duration: 13 Days

Overview

Indonesian culture is a journey that will never end. Explore Java and Bali culture on an unforgettable day trip. Embark your journey by visiting the magnificent view of Borobudur in Yogyakarta, learning about their local custom. From the ancient temples and awe-inspiring volcanoes of Java to some off-the-beaten places in Bali. Experience some hidden corners of the island of the Gods before touching down in a relaxing beach resort of Nusa Dua Bali.

Highlights

  • Visiting Old City or well known as Kota Tua and National Museum in Jakarta
  • Borobudur sunrise from Dagi Hill and enjoy your breakfast
  • Meditation at Vihara Mendut
  • How to cook traditional Javanese food
  • Enjoying magnificent views of Prambanan Temple
  • Visit Sultan Palace the Keraton of Yogyakarta
    Excursion to Sukuh and Cetho temples
  • Shamanic healing and spiritual cleansing at Tirta Empul Temple
  • Trunyan Bali Aga Village – Bayung Gede Excursion
  • Traditional Silver Jewelry Making Class

Itinerary

Arrive in Jakarta, transfer to your hotel in Jakarta for overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. Early Jakarta city tour depart at 08.00 with visiting Old City or well known as Kota Tua, National Museum then Indonesia monument before transfer to Airport for afternoon flight to. Arrive in Yogyakarta International Airport, then transfer to your hotel for overnight in Borobudur area.

Wake up early in the morning to reach Borobudur before sunrise, leaving the hotel around 04:30. This is the most mystical time to see the temple where you can see Borobudur sunrise from Dagi Hill and enjoy your breakfast. Then after breakfast, we will take a walk to explore Borobudur temple from Dagi Hill. We will take a walk around Borobudur (we no longer allow to climb up the temple by Indonesia government), this massive temple- the largest Buddhist temple in the world- and discover the incredible history behind its construction. Comprised of thousands of volcanic and river stone blocks, the temple was assembled entirely by human labour and took more than 75 years to complete. These days, the UNESCO Heritage site is still visible in its full glory with magnificent carvings and an unusual, yet surprisingly beautiful bulk structure. You will admire the thousands of intricate carvings found along the walls of Borobudur and learn about the incredible history behind its construction. This UNESCO heritage site is sure to surprise even the most seasoned travelers. A mystical experience that will remain in your heart. Then continue for 1 Hour Meditation at Vihara Mendut which will be followed by a short exploration of the monastery, it is older than Borobudur, the pyramid shaped temple of Mendut houses three carved stone statues, learn about the history of the temple and the unique architecture. Then the Pawon Temple, located right on an axis between Borobodur and Mendut. Due to its simplicity and the contrast with the style used in East Java, it has been called a “jewel” of the architecture of Java times. Then back to hotel for rest. Afterwards, drive for traditional Javanese food cooking class where we will take you to experience exclusive cooking class. Our chef will teach you how to cook traditional Javanese food with prepare healthy and fresh traditional dishes. Learn how to tune the food by the herbs and spices from the Indonesian archipelago. Your host will supervise the right amounts while you’re peeling, chopping, seasoning and cooking the different ingredients together. Enjoy a delicious and healthy self-cooked lunch with Indonesia taste. Then, travel to the village of Candirejo for a taste of the local life. Start with a horse cart ride, known as a dokar, through this peaceful and architecturally charming village.

Travel along small lanes lined with traditional houses and stop to see village activities such as making cassava crackers, learn about the rotating seasonal plantations and the harvesting and drying of chili Also, learn how to climb the coconut tree and take a refreshing drink from a young coconut.

Then, have the opportunity to play the gamelan, a traditional Indonesian musical instrument, using an interesting teaching method devised by the villagers accompanied with tea, coffee and a local snack.

Return to the hotel in Borobudur late afternoon.

After breakfast and start travelling to Kaliurang, in the cool highlands near Mt. Merapi (2,925 m). The village offers magnificent views of the active volcano and dozens of ravines which have been created by molten streams of lava. Visit Ullen Sentalu, a privately owned heritage museum offering an intriguing insight into the world of the Sultans of Solo, Yogyakarta and the Mataram Kingdom. Please note that Ullen Sentalu Museum is closed on Mondays.

Afterwards, proceed to Kaliadem Village for the start of a cycling adventure.

Located near Gunung Merapi, about one hour’s drive from the city, the village offers magnificent views of the active volcano and the dozens of ravines which have been created by molten streams of lava. From this stunning village, and with Gunung Merapi as the backdrop, set off by bike on a 15 km ride, mostly downhill. Passing through the various villages and countryside, there will be plenty of opportunities to stop for photos or chat to locals. The guide will also explain the various local agricultural landscapes, such as tobacco, rice and snakeskin fruit plantations and explain the processes of growing and harvesting these native crops.

After 15 km, take lunch in a local restaurant while enjoying magnificent views of Prambanan Temple. After lunch, be driven to the huge Prambanan complex, a set of temples built in the middle of the 9th century, about 50 years after the construction of Borobudur. Very little is known about the early history of the complex, but it is thought to have been constructed to commemorate the return of a Hindu dynasty in Java. The temples lay in ruins for hundreds of years, and it was only in the 1930s that restoration began. Most of the temples within the complex have now been restored. Follow the guide’s lead around the temple grounds while he or she explains the history, construction processes and religious significance of these buildings. After the tour, transfer to your hotel in Yogyakarta for overnight.

Breakfast at hotel. We will start our tour by visit Sultan Palace the Keraton and experience the constant hustle and bustle of Javanese life as you tour the city of Yogyakarta in a becak, which is the local name for a rickshaw. With three tires and one seat at the front, the becak is manually pedaled by the driver to Taman Sari water castle, then by car continue for 1 hour Batik Painting class. After lunch we will visit Fort Vredeburg Museum and last visit Kota Gede before transfer to your hotel for overnight.

Today after breakfast, start the day with a visit of Solo. Also known as Surakarta, the city of Solo was founded in 1745 by a local king. The site for the new Mataram Kingdom’s capital was reportedly chosen through voices heard by the king. Solo is the capital of batik in Java and remains home to some of the most intact Dutch colonial architecture in Indonesia.

Visit Keraton Mangkunegaran – a classical repository of classical Javanese art. Built as a palace for a ‘junior’ line of the royal family in the 18th century, the splendid building has an extensive collection of 14th century jewelry, majestic silverworks, traditional Javanese weapons and classical dancing body ornaments.

End the morning with a visit to a well-known batik museum and learn about this famous Javanese art developed through the ages. Also, see craftsmen and women at work making new creations. Lunch will be served here as well. Early in the afternoon, depart for a half-day excursion to Sukuh and Cetho, two of the latest Hindu temples built in Java before the island’s courts were converted to Islam in the 16th century. Located on the western slopes of Mount Lawu (3,265 m), this area, at the border between Central and East Java, offers spectacular landscapes with terraces covered by beautiful tea plantations.

Explore Sukuh, located at 910 metres in elevation, and take a look at its unique pyramidal shape -similar in style to the Mayan temples of Central America and its stone carvings of Hindu phallic symbols. Continue the drive, passing through beautiful tea plantations to Cetho, another Hindu temple located even higher on the mountain and rarely visited. Its carvings are similar to Sukuh Temple, but the multi-tiered temple differs in architectural layout. Back to hotel in Yogyakarta for overnight.

Breakfast at Hotel. Morning flight to Denpasar, Bali. Transit Jakarta and Jakarta –Denpasar by GA 410 at 14.25. Arrive in Denpasar Airport at 17.20 and transfer to your hotel in Ubud.

Take part in a day of shamanic healing and spiritual cleansing at Tirta Empul Temple. Firstly we will meet the Balinese healer near Ubud who will combines Yagna, Yatra and Mantra healing practices. The Yagna practice is performed to remove the negative factors in life, and to help find peace and happiness. Mantra practice, performed by reciting mantras, removes the lower vibrations of your system and elevates your energy. A mantra is a precise combination of sacred sounds, which forms a core of spiritual energy to stimulate high spiritual vibrations, inducing spiritual awakening and invigoration. The Yantra practice is designed to remove the afflictions that prevent you from achieving a certain goal. This can result in the removal of obstacles in your career or the bad intentions of your enemies. The ritual also protects you from negative forces, heals your aura and balances your chakra. The whole ritual is known as melukat by the locals and is done to spiritually purify the mind and soul. It can be practiced in any place considered sacred by the Balinese, then we will drive to Tirta Empul temple for most recommended this kind of purification.

After this first experience, we head a Balinese lunch in Ubud and after lunch we will visit Ubud palace and Monkey Forest before we back to hotel for overnight.

The first stop will be the village of Trunyan. The locals in this village live a very traditional life, quite different from that in the rest of Bali. The Trunyanese do not cremate their dead. After a cleansing ritual, the corpse is placed in a bamboo cage, known as ancak saji, which is placed under the Taru Menyan tree. Taru Menyan means pleasant-smelling tree and gives off a scent that neutralizes the smell of decaying bodies. It is from this tree that the name Trunyan derives. Only the bodies of married people are placed in the bamboo cages. Continue the tour and visit another ancient village called Bayung Gede which is believed to be the one from which all the ancient villages of Bali derive. Many people come here to see the hanging newborn placentas, unique to Bayung Gede. In Trunyan, the bodies of the dead are placed on the ground without burial, but here it is the placenta that is not buried. It is the only village in Indonesia to have this custom. Your trip won’t be complete without a visit to Kehen Temple, an important Hindu temple in Bali. It is located on the slope of Bukit Bangli. It is considered to be the original temple of Bangli. See the wonderful stairway to heaven and the unique wooden bell hanging from the old secret banyan tree.

Leave hotel early morning with first stop will be Penglipuran ; one of traditional village in Bali, then drive to Kintamani for lake and mount Batur . Lunch will be in Ubud area  before we drive to Small village nearby for 3 – Hour Traditional Silver Jewelry Making Class ; Silver jewelry making is an age-old Balinese craft that’s vital to the island’s rural economy. On this private tour from Ubud, try out the art coached by a silversmith at a traditional village workshop. Tour the village to understand the craft’s importance; and learn to shape, cut, and finish your design before keeping it as a memento. Pre booking will secure your place for a time that fits your schedule. Learn Balinese silver jewelry making on a private workshop tour. Pre book to ensure your place for a class time that suits you. Create a design with tutelage from a silversmith and keep it as a souvenir.

Breakfast at hotel. Transfer to your hotel in Sanur Beach area.

Breakfast at hotel. Check out time at hotel at 12.00 noon.

Transfer to Airport at 22.00 for your flight home.

More Information

Price: 2,225 / person

Inclusions

  • Air-conditioned private transportation during the program
  • Tour and meal program base on mentioned above
  • Mineral water during tour
  • 12 nights accommodation + Daily breakfast during tour based on twin share
  • Entrance fees, parking fees as per program
  • Professional English speaking guide during the program

Exclusions

  • Other optional and meals not mentioned in program
  • Domestic flight from Jakarta – Yogyakarta & Yogyakarta Bali
  • Lunch and dinner not mentioned in program
  • Suggested tipping USD.5 per person(guest) per day
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