Are you going to spend three weeks traveling around Indonesia? Take a look at this 21-day itinerary covering Java and Borneo.
Our 21-day route through Indonesia
1. Technical stop in Jakarta
Days 1 and 2: the flight
We flew from Barcelona to Jakarta on a night flight with a stopover in Dubai with Emirates Airlines (18-19 hours total travel time).
When we arrived in Jakarta, we bought a one-month visa at the airport (at that time it cost $25, but you can find updated information in the visa section below).
What was the most striking thing when you arrived?
The level of humidity and heat was much more extreme than we expected.
Since we were leaving Jakarta again the next day for Tanjung Puting, we had booked a hotel room near the airport.
Specifically, we stayed at the FM7 hotel, with transportation to Jakarta airport included in the price.
2 warnings about this hotel:
- Choose smoking room even if you don't smoke. The room does not smell of smoke at all and the hallways in this area are very quiet. In the areas with non-smoking rooms people come out into the hallway to smoke during the night, making a lot of noise and disturbing those who want to sleep.
- Although it is very close to the airport, the shuttle bus has to make a long detour to get there which will also take quite a long time during rush hour.
We took advantage of the indoor pool, open until 10 p.m., and spent the night jet lagged as best we could.
2. Borneo by klotok: orangutans in the wild
The next day, we took the free bus to the airport again and flew with Kalstar to Pangkalanbun.
There, our contact's wife picked us up and took us to the boat where we would spend the next 4 days and 3 nights: a turquoise blue klotok.
Would you like to learn about our complete experience?
Then take a look at the article where I tell you how to organize your visit to Tanjung Puting and see orangutans in the wild.
Would you prefer a summary? Here you go:
Day 3: Camp Leakey
That day we traveled the entire route to the furthest camp, where we saw our first feeding of orangutans in the wild and spent the night under the stars.
Day 4: Camp Leakey
The next day, we took the opportunity to explore the Borneo jungle on foot (always with a guide), attend the feeding again, and go a little way downriver to get closer to the intermediate camp.
Day 5: Pondok Tanggui and Tanjung Harapan
We witnessed two different feedings (one of them with the alpha male included) and visited a village.
The cherry on top came at nightfall, with fireflies lighting up our room. 🙂
Day 6: Return to Jakarta
On our return from Tanjung Puting, we spent another night at the FM7 hotel next to Jakarta airport, as we didn't feel like venturing into the city center for just one night.
The next day, the journey continued with another flight from Jakarta to Yogyakarta:
3. Central Java: Prambanan and Borobudur
Thanks to the recommendations of the owner ofLotus II homestay, the hostel where we stayed for the next two nights, we made the most of every minute of our visit to Prambanan and Borobudur.
Day 7: Prambanan
When we arrived in Yogyakarta, a private driver picked us up and, before taking us to Borobudur, let us visit the Prambanan temple.
How wonderful!
If you want to see more photos and learn more details, take a look at the post dedicated to the Prambanan temple.
After the visit, we arrived at Lotus II homestay, where we were given a multitude of options for visiting the surroundings of Borobudur in a more authentic and sustainable way, accompanied by local guides.
For example, that same night we visited the Mendut temple, meditated with Buddhist monks, and witnessed a popular Indonesian festival in the middle of the street.
Day 8: Borobudur and surroundings
The next day we saw sunrise from Borobudur on our own and, after a well-deserved nap, we headed towards Selogriyo, a lost Hindu temple hidden among rice plantations.
That day, we tried the best Mie Goreng and Nasi Goreng of our lives in the most unexpected place. And this was also thanks to the recommendations of the guys from Lotus II homestay, who accompanied us on all our excursions.
Day 9: Farewell and onward to Bromo
On our last morning, we went to a nearby hill to watchthe sunrise over Borobudurjust before leaving for our next destination:
4. East Java: Bromo and Ijen volcanoes
Our next flight took us from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, where we hired a private driver to take us on the Surabaya-Bromo-Ijen-Surabaya circular route in just three days.
Would you like to see how we did it and all the possible alternatives I found for organizing this itinerary? Take a look at this article.
If, on the other hand, you want to find out in detail how we spent these three days and two nights between Bromo and Ijen, check out this post.
Would you prefer a summary?
Day 9: Climb to Bromo
On the same day that we had watched the sunrise over Borobudur from a hill, we arrived at our accommodation in Cemara Lawang, the Cafe Lava Hostel, and walked up to the crown of the Bromo volcano.
Day 10: Sunrise over Bromo
The next day, we took a two-hour hike to the Penanjakan viewpoint to watch the sunrise over Bromo and the other volcanoes in the national park.
Upon returning to the hotel, we had breakfast and headed to Sempol (near Ijen), where we spent the night at the Catimore Hotel.
Day 11: Climb to Ijen
Once again , we got up early to climb to the top of the Ijen volcano, with its turquoise blue sulfur lake inside.
And then we headed to Surabaya to finish the route at the Majapahit Hotel.
5. Pulau Derawan: an island north of Borneo
If you want to know all the details of our experience in Pulau Derawan, check out this article.
Would you prefer a summary? Here you go:
Day 12: Odyssey to Pulau Derawan
After 16 hours, two planes, two taxis, a Kijang (4×4), and a speedboat, we arrived at our destination: the small island of Pulau Derawan, off the northeast coast of Borneo.
Day 13: Change of accommodation and snorkeling
We found our accommodation for the rest of the week,Fisheries Cottage, and got badly sunburned while snorkeling (completely mesmerized by the beauty of the coral reef).
Day 14: We make friends and go snorkeling
We arranged to meet an Australian couple for a joint trip to Kakaban the next day and went snorkeling again all day, this time wearing a T-shirt. 😉
Day 15: Storm and snorkeling
A tropical storm canceled the excursion and gave us a free morning of reading on our almost private pier overlooking the sea.
Our Australian friends moved into our accommodation, and in the afternoon the sun came out again so that (of course!) we could go snorkeling again (the underwater camera had already met its demise...).
Day 16: Excursion to Kakaban and Sangalaki
We finally took the trip to Kakaban Island, with its lake of non-stinging jellyfish.
We also dived at the reef cliff near the pier on this island and visited Sangalaki.
Days 17 and 18: Snorkeling
Yes. It's that simple.
We could have spent months exploring the coral reef accessible from Pulau Derawan.
Last night we had a little celebration with half a lobster. 😉
Day 19: Return to Berau
We returned to Berau (boat + 4×4) to spend the night at the Derawan Indah Hotel because our flight was leaving too early the next day.
6. Return to Jakarta and end of the trip
Day 20: Flight to Jakarta
We flew from Berau to Jakarta (with a stopover) and spent the day for the third and last time at the FM7 hotel.
We tried to rest and get some sleep so we could return to the airport that same night.
Day 21: Flight to Jakarta
And once again with Emirates, we flew from Jakarta to Barcelona with a stopover in Dubai.
The end. Ohhh! 🙁
Total budget
- International flights: €1,694 round trip.
- Domestic flights + airport taxes: €714 (6 flights).
- Transportation (private driver + taxis + boats): €283.
- Accommodation (klotok included): €908 spread over 20 nights.
- Activities, temples, and natural parks: €180.40.
- Travel insurance: €220.
- Food and other miscellaneous expenses: approximately €400.
In total, we spent €4,400 on our three-week trip around Indonesia, which works out at around €105 per person per day.
Tips for organizing your trip to Indonesia
When to go to Indonesia
In general, Indonesia has a dry season (high season) from May to September and a rainy season (low season) from October to April.
However, depending on the area, the climatic differences between the two can be minimal (the dry season in Bali is a little hotter, for example) or very extreme, with drought in the high season and torrential rains in the low season, for example.
If you want to avoid the crowds, steer clear of public holidays in your own country and school or Christmas holidays in Australia (many Australians like to spend their days off in Indonesia).
We traveled through Indonesia from September 23 to October 13, 2012, and enjoyed the best of both seasons. 🙂
Where to buy your flights
International
Are you flying from Spain? Don't expect to find any direct flights. Your journey will usually take 18 hours or more, depending on the number and length of stopovers.
If you can geta round-trip flight with only a 3-hour layover for around €600, that's a great deal. Don't let it slip away!
Mine were a little more expensive: €874 per person with a stopover in Dubai.
Here are the search engines where I usually find the best prices:Trabber,eDreams, andMomondo.
Personally, I like to start withTrabberbecause the price it shows you is the final price (including card fees and other charges). That said, I always compare the results with the other platforms.
You never know who will have the best deals.
Domestic
In 2012, it was somewhat complicated to purchase domestic flights in Indonesia from Spain.
Most blogs recommended buying them right there, at the departure airport itself.
However, I found a website that allowed me to do it online without any problems.
Nowadays, regular search engines probably already include these flights, and you may feel more comfortable paying through a trusted website. But I'll leave the link I used at the end of the article so you have an alternative for comparing prices. 😉
Visas
As our trip lasted less than a month, we didn't need to obtain a visa in advance, but instead got a 30-day VOA (Visa On Arrival) when we landed in Jakarta ($25/person).
However, today (2019) people from Spain and 168 other countries can travel to Indonesia for 30 days without paying for a visa (they obtain a free visa at the airport upon arrival).
Do you want to stay there for 30 to 60 days? Then I recommend contacting the Indonesian embassy in your country to apply for the appropriate visa.
Malaria vaccination and prevention
There are no mandatory vaccinations required to travel to Indonesia, although some are recommended (tetanus, hepatitis B, and typhoid).
However, there is a possibility of contracting malaria or malaria through mosquito bites, so it is recommended to take preventive medication. I tried to take Malarone, as I had done during our route through Costa Rica, but it felt terrible (or so I thought) and I stopped taking it on the second day of the klotok route.
I have to say that the 'upset' stomach was with me the whole trip, so it must not have been just that....
Travel insurance
Nowadays, traveling insured with IATI, one of the best insurance companies for travelers, is super cheap.
Three weeks traveling calmly and relaxed through Indonesia for €110 per person? Knowing that we wouldn't even have to pay anything up front if we had an emergency?
Delayed luggage, civil liability, and a fortune in medical expenses if we get sick... I no longer travel without them.
And if you want to save even more, book through this link and get a 5% discount on the final price.
A light but varied suitcase
If you're going to be moving from place to place all day, it's best to take only the essentials with you. In our case, a backpack weighing less than 10 kg per person was more than enough. 🙂
Remember to put the following in it:
- Lightweight, cool, and quick-drying clothing.
- A winter coat: fleece, sweatshirt, long pants...
- Raincoat.
- Swimsuit.
- Hiking boots and flip-flops.
- Sunscreen and mosquito repellent lotion.
- Cap, sunglasses.
- A small first aid kit: antipyretics, anti-inflammatories, antimalarials, iodine, gauze, bandages...
Useful Links
- International flights to Indonesia: Trabber, eDreams and Momondo.
- Web to buy internal flights in Indonesia.
- FM7 Resort Hotel next to Jakarta airport.
- Lotus II homestay.
- Cafe Lava Hostel.
- Catimore Hotel.
- Majapahit Hotel.
- Fisheries Cottage.
- 5% discount when you purchase your travel insurance at IATI from here.
Traveling through Indonesia? Then take a look at the individual entries:
- 4 days klotok trip in Borneo: encounter with orangutans in the wild.
- Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia.
- Meditate with Buddhist monks at the Mendut temple.
- Experience a sunrise from the temple of Borobudur.
- Selogriyo: a Hindu temple among rice plantations.
- How to organize your visit to Bromo and Ijen: 4 options.
- Route 3 days and 2 nights by Bromo and Ijen.
- Pulau Derawan: how to arrive and stay 7 days on the island.
Map
Tell me, have you visited other parts of Indonesia that I haven't been to? Which ones would you recommend for my next trip? Thank you!