" I felt like my average rise time became 3am and scrabbling around last minute for the head torch became the norm, but getting up not long after midnight was worth every penny when you stand on top of a volcano and watch a spectacular sunrise. I watched 5 on what quickly became one of my most favourite holidays of all time".

Indonesia is filled with delightful mayhem. Whether it's the hundreds of mopeds that dive in and out the traffic, the mixture of religion across the islands, the many shop workers trying to sell you beautiful handmade handicrafts or the thousands or temples that scatter the landscape as you drive through remote villages and rice fields. Every moment you spend here fills you with different memories to take home.

I flew out with Turkish airlines from Manchester which were excellent. No delays, I had plenty of room on the plane, it was a smooth flight and the food was great. It was the ideal way to start the trip as I felt relaxed on arrival and ready to meet the group.

We started off on Java which is one of the main islands in Indonesia. It's heavily populated but I noticed instantly how incredible friendly and laid back the Indonesian people were. Although we had a lot of travel here we needed it to be able to see as much as we did. Java is predominantly Muslim but also has many Buddhist temples. We visited Borobudur first, (after being introduced to Nasi goreng 'fried rice' for breakfast) which is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and had a fascinating tour around this spectacular UNESCO site. It has not long been once again renovated for the second time after the volcano Merapi erupted in 2010 and covered it in ash. We climbed up three volcanoes in Java. Merapi, Bromo and Ijen.

Merapi was the first (and my first ever volcano summit) and the only one on Java that was really challenging. We started just after midnight and it was about an 8-9 hour trek on jutted trails and dusty steep paths, but the scramble to the top rewarded us with a lovely sunrise and spectacular view across the other volcanoes on the island. Bromo was active when we arrived there, so we were unable to climb up to the crater rim. However we climbed up to King Kong point instead to overlook the whole caldera. At the top all you could hear was the clicking of cameras. The cloud had settled in the crater and we could see puffing Bromo with the active Semeru ( javas highest volcano) in the distance. It was without a doubt a mind blowing view.

Ijen however was very different as it wasn't a tough walk. Steep, but not hard. At the top of the path, as you go around the corner of the crater, everything opens out to reveal a remarkable sight of different coloured volcanic rock, an aqua marine lake and sulphur smoke oozing out from inside the crater. It was pretty toxic when the wind blew it in our direction so we put scarfs and face masks on. We watched the men in the crater hard at work by the smoke, collecting and chopping up the sulphate blocks by hand, to then carry them up and out the crater and down the mountain. Quite unbelievable.

Favourite moments on Java: the view from King Kong hill, Borobodur, the train journey to Mojokerto and standing on top of Merapi when it rumbled.

On Bali however we only climbed Batur which is actually Indonesia's most active volcano. Although we shared this with a few others, this was probably our best sunrise all trip. As it reached the horizon over the distant Rinjani on Lombok, (our final destination) the sky's were red raw and the image of the shadows standing along the crater rim watching it was really cool. I loved Bali. From the minute we arrived to our plush hotel with a gorgeous pool and beach, through to the abundance of Hindu temples, monkey forests, rice plantations and brilliant shopping. It was a holiday destination for sure and we felt that we had some great relaxation time here. I felt I learnt a lot about the culture in Bali here and we visited some amazing temples including the Besakih and the Batakura temples.  We also had one of best meals here in a restaurant overlooking Bali's highest volcano Gunung (Mount) Agung and the spectacula rice fields. 

Favourite moments on Bali: Snorkelling in Pemuteran (optional), watching the steam come out the side of the volcano at sunrise on Batur, the monkeys in Ubud (beware they love to try to steal your sunglasses and open your purse), the Besakih temple in the foreground of Agung and the mojitos by the wonderful pool in the Ubud hotel.

Lombok was a different kettle of fish. It was all about Rinjani. We were joined by two trek leaders Sar and Leffe and their team of porters in a small town called Sembalun where we stayed in a great guesthouse with cool cottages and the best strawberry milkshakes in Indonesia. We hadn't been sure if we could enter the national park until the last minute as Gunung Bajarani within the caldera was very active so Rinjani had been closed. However we were lucky and It reopened the day before, so we set off for our two night camping adventure to summit the highest volcano on Lombok and the second highest in Indonesia. From the steep volcanic sections, the scrambles and sandy pathways, to the 30 degree heat, singing porters and awesome food, I loved these few days.

Yes we were dirty and hot and sweaty, yes it was tough going, but it was so worth it. Standing at the top at 3726m was pretty rewarding. With a 360 view all the way around, you could see as far as Gunung Agung on Bali right over to the Gili islands. Trekking down was quite hard work but fun....like skiing through a sea of sand and to be handed a can of coke when we got back to camp was a nice touch. Especially knowing that the porters carry all of the heavy supplies for us up relentless hill.... which was pretty relentless. I would definitely say that trekking poles are essential on this trip.

Favourite moments on Lombok: The campfire evening and watching the stars after trekking to Rinjani summit, the singing porter Rizzo, getting clean back in the beautiful beachside Sengiggi hotel, the boat ride from Bali and the strawberry milkshakes back at the guesthouse in Sembulan. But the highlight was of course, standing at the top of Rinjani.

Back on Bali at the Respati resort in Sanur, it was nice to have a final relax and enjoy the beach and great atmosphere along the promenade. I wished I'd had some extra time here to visit Komodo and see the dragons as well as have a massage and some chill out time. It a great spot to end what has been an amazing indonesian adventure with an amazing group of people.

Maybe next time.....and there will definitely be one of those.

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