Vacation Time! INDONESIAN ADVENTURE

Java in 12 days

PEOPLE LOVE TO HATE JAKARTA but the crazy and congested Indonesian capital actually has a lot going for it. There are a surprising number of seriously cool bars and clubs, plus mammoth shopping malls. The colonial architecture of Fatahillah Square, including the Jakarta History Museum, comes to life in the evenings when locals congregate, giving a charming picture of city life.

MAJESTIC TANGKUBAN PERAHU,

30 kilometres north of Bandung, is part volcano with sulphurous water hissing and bubbling off its slopes. It’s a pleasant hike up to the 1,830-metre peak, and on the way down you can hire a guide to walk you through the jungle and tea plantations. The ubiquitous stall at the end of the path is a great place to hang out with a local family.

SARI ATER

Hot Springs

RIGHT NEXT DOOR are no frills to the extreme. Throw some money at the experience and you get to bathe in your very own concrete compartment. Far more entertaining are the affordable pool or the free “pond” where kids play and old men gossip. In deference to the locals cover your bikini with shorts and a T-shirt.

MOST TOURISTS BUS IN TO BOROBUDUR,

spend the day loving the incredible UNESCO World Heritage Site and its 504 Buddha statues, buy a few souvenirs and then bus back to Yogyakarta. The monument is incredible, addictive even, changing throughout the day according to the light. Go before sunrise to avoid the crowds and then jump on a bicycle with a local guide to pedal around the surrounding villages.

INDONESIA’S CENTRE OF CULTURE

Yogyakarta is surprisingly modern and chaotic. Duck away from the main shopping streets to see Yogyakarta Palace; a living museum of Javanese culture, home to the king and his family. The stunning and romantic Taman Sari Water Palace, a formal royal garden with an artificial lake and pavilions, is also well worth a look.

Take A Quick Detour To Bromo

Tengger Semeru National Park to catch a glimpse of Mount Bromo, the 2,329-metre volcano which sits in a vast “sea of sand” in eastern Java’s Tengger massif. It has particular significance for the local people: the name Bromo comes from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu god of creation, and at the mouth of the crater, there is an idol of Ganesha, the Hindu god of wisdom.

AND

FINALLY:

SURABAYA. You’ll find there’s more of interest in this large, modern city than first meets the eye. The Sampoerna Tobacco Factory makes for a fascinating, if politically incorrect visit – you watch the rows and rows of cigarette rollers from behind a window. From there, take a tuk-tuk to the Chinese market with its soft carpet of garlic skins, and the Arabic market where you feel like you’re walking in a Middle Eastern souk.