The holiday starts at the group hotel in Borobudur. A single timed airport transfer (1 hour 20 minutes) from Jogjakarta's Adisutjipto Airport to the group hotel is provided. At the hotel we meet with our Tour Leader for Java who will brief us on the days ahead.

Today we make an early start (around 7am) to explore Borobodur Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Comprised of thousands of volcanic and river stone blocks, the temple was assembled without the advantage of mechanised machinery and took more than 75 years to complete. After exploring this UNESCO Heritage site we begin a short trek through plantations and villages of the Menoreh Hills. We will enjoy views of the volcanoes surrounding the valley: Sumbing, Sundoro, Merbabu and Merapi, our objective for the next day. Arriving in Candirejo Village, we take a taste of local life as we enjoy a local horse cart ride through the small lanes lined with traditional houses of this peaceful Javanese village. Along the way we may see people in the villages making cassava crackers or harvesting and drying vanilla and chilli. We will take lunch in Candirejo before transferring to Selo in the afternoon where we check into a simple guesthouse and take some to rest up before our ascent of Merapi.

Early this morning we will begin our ascent of Merbabu. Our ascent will begin at around 0700 with a 4-5hr climb, crossing through forests of pine, until we reach the Sabana II camp. We can rest a little while here before climbing for 45 more minutes up to the summit. As we climb we can enjoy the views over to nearby Mt Merapi, as well as distant volcanoes away on the horizon. We descend to the camp for a well-earned lunch before descending back down towards Selo, which should take around 3-4hrs. Afterwards, we drive to Solo (2hrs) and check into our accommodation. Competing with Jogjakarta as the hub of Javanese culture, this sprawling metropolis is a mix of the traditional and modern with backstreet markets and the glass fronted shopping arcades.

We have an early morning pick up from the hotel to catch the Sancaka Pagi Train to Mojokerto in Eastern Java. Travelling by train in Java is a great way to meet local people and is also the best way to enjoy the amazing volcanic landscapes of Central and East Java. We will travel in 'executive class' and despite the developing heat of the Indonesian day outside of the train, we may need to wear something warm in the air conditioned carriage. It will take approximately 4hrs to complete the scenic journey from Solo to Mojokerto. On arrival at the station we board our waiting transport and continue our journey for a further 4hrs to Cemorolawang, Bromo. We will take lunch along the way and arriving at our hotel we can relax and enjoy the views

Mount Bromo, the icon for Indonesia's Living Mountains, is seen at its best at sunrise from the nearby 'King Kong' viewpoint at Bukit King Kong. Making a pre-dawn start, we set off in our 4X4 vehicle and walk for 1hr up to the viewpoint, a great vantage point for viewing Bromo and the neighbouring volcanoes Semeru and Batkok. From here, the combination of light and morning mist gives rise a much photographed, almost surreal landscape of cones rising from shrouded, half-glimpsed forest. After spending time enjoying the view we trek to Seruni Village, during the walk we will have great views over the Tengger caldera and its three volcanoes. From Seruni we continue in our 4x4s through the lunar landscape to the foot of Bromo's cone. From here, a series of stairs facilitates the short final ascent to the crater rim (2329m). Afterwards we return to our hotel where we can enjoy a late breakfast. We now have a full day of scenic driving; making several stops for breaks and photos along the way. It is 229 kms from Cemorolawang to Ijen, a journey of around 8 hours including stops. Dinner and overnight at our hotel in Ketapang..

We make another early start (around 0400) and travel by 4X4 vehicle for approximately 1hr15 to Paltuding where we begin the trek to the summit of Kawah Ijen. Before setting off we eat a boxed breakfast provided by our hotel along with hot tea or coffee from one of the local warungs. It is a trek of around 3km to the top. Along the way we are likely to encounter the famous sulphur porters of Ijen, carrying loads of up to 70 kg of the bright yellow rock, walking down the mountainside often barefooted. We aim to reach the crater rim around sunrise and hope to enjoy a spectacular dawn view from the top. Looking down into the crater we can observe the 200m deep brilliant turquoise lake and watch the sulphur miners as they break up the cooling sulphur deposits into blocks and load their baskets before beginning the difficult climb up to the crater rim. The environment in which the miners work is highly toxic and visitors are not allowed into the crater. Walking back to Paltuding, we return to our hotel to freshen up and have a late lunch. In the afternoon we transfer to the ferry terminal in Ketapang to make the crossing to Gilimanuk on the island of Bali. We have a drive of 1hr to Pemuteran, which is located on a small bay in the northwest corner of the island. After check in at our hotel, our Javanese tour leader and driver will return to Java and the remainder of the day is free for relaxing. We will meet our Balinese tour leader over dinner tonight, but remember to set your watch as there is a 1 hour time difference between the two islands! The hotel has a swimming pool and direct access to the beach and is the perfect place to take a mid-tour relaxation break.

After breakfast, the morning is free to enjoy the hotel facilities or take part in an optional snorkeling experience around Menjangan Island (payable locally), which includes a boat trip out to the island, basic instruction, equipment and lunch while you explore the underwater world of a Balinese coral garden. Your Balinese tour leader and driver will meet the group at 1400 and after a briefing, we drive north following the coast for around 2hrs. We pass Singaraja town before navigating the small mountain roads to reach our hotel in Kintamani village on the slopes of Batur (1770m).

An early morning wake up and a short transfer brings us to the start of our trek. At 1717m tall, Batur is not the highest volcano in Bali but its setting in the heart of a huge crater (14km in diameter!), adjacent to a large crescent-shaped lake surrounded by the high walls of the crater rim, is absolutely stunning. It will take us approximately 2 hours 30 minutes to reach the top of Batur, where we will enjoy a light breakfast prepared by the hotel. We trek down around the secondary crater and also via the youngest crater with its smoking cone, before walking out across a sea of black volcanic sand. Meeting our vehicles, we return to our hotel. There will be time to change and finish packing before setting off on the next leg of the tour. We make a short drive to Rendang, where we stop for a lunch of fresh Balinese cuisine with great views of the distant Gunung Agung. We continue on to the ancient village of Penglipuran, which is famed for its traditional culture and village lay out. We continue for a further 40km to Ubud, a laid back town made up of connecting villages surrounded by forest and rice terraces. This is the cultural centre of Bali with a thriving arts scene and a number of art museums. We check into our hotel here and the remainder of the afternoon is free for exploring.

Today is free for you to explore this culturally fascinating town. Ubud is the sort of place that easily absorbs a couple of days. As well as numerous temples, palaces, museums, art galleries and the incredible landscape, there are a number of traditional spas, a botanic gardens, a bird park and the Monkey Forest. Our guide will not be with the group today but will be able to give good advice on things to see and do. An optional Temples and Terraces tour (full day - payable locally and including lunch) can be arranged which will include a visit to the unique temple of Pura Gunung Kawi, an 11th century temple set amongst the rice fields and Pura Tirta Emple, a water temple dedicated to the Hindu God, Vishnu, and a rice field walk with local coffee tasting.

We drive for 45 minutes to Padang Bai on Bali's East Coast. Here we board the fast ferry for the 75km crossing to Teluk Kodek on the island of Lombok. Arriving in Lombok we are met by our driver and we head north to Pusuk Forest, which is a protected area for macaque monkeys. The road crosses Pusuk pass the high point on a ridge through the forest where we have extensive views over the island and to the coast. We continue around the coast making a stop at a local restaurant for lunch, before heading to the mountain village of Sembalun on the slopes of Mt Rinjani. Surrounded by terraced fields of rice, garlic, tomato and chili, Sembalun is made up of two villages 2km apart. We will stay in a simple guesthouse in Sembalun Lawang (1150m) located in an ancient caldera of Rinjani. We will be driving for around 5hrs today.

Today we will be walking in on the foothills of Mt Rinjani. After an early breakfast we transfer close to the border of the Gurung Rinjani National Park. We begin following a path through shady bamboo groves and past village gardens before entering a wide, open landscape of rice terraces and palms. We follow an irrigation channel to the rainforest of the Sendang Gile Waterfall Reserve. From here we walk to Sendang Gile Waterfall, which is the tallest waterfall in Lombok, before continuing on to Senaru Village. Here we can start to see Mt Rinjani rising majestically above the rice terraces and forest. After our walk we take a late lunch at a local restaurant before transferring back to our accommodation in Sembalun. The rest of the day is free to relax ahead of our early morning and long trek tomorrow. We will need to pack our rucksack with everything we might need for our overnight on the mountain. The rest of our luggage will be collected in the morning and transferred to our accommodation in Sengigi to wait for our return from Rinjani.

Mt Rinjani is the dominating feature of the island of Lombok. At an altitude of 3726m, it is the second highest mountain in Indonesia; only Gunung Kerinci on Sumatra is higher. After an early breakfast we visit the National Park office to register for our trek, our guide will talk us through the walk and give us a safety briefing. Our path will initially lead us through grassland, after this the route steepens as we gain altitude. We will stop to take lunch at around 1700m, Just above 2000m we will emerge out of the jungle, and will be afforded some breath-taking views across the island Sumbawa, which lies to the east of Lombok. From here, we follow a grassy meadow before climbing a little further to our high camp at Palawangan II (2650m) on the crater rim, from here the views down to the picture postcard Segara Anak Crater Lake with its own active volcano, Gunung Baru, in the centre, are simply stunning. Please note that Rinjani is an active volcano and is closely monitored. The authorities do not permit trekking if the activity level is unsafe.

An early wake up for a 3.00 am start, aiming to be on the summit of Rinjani for sunrise. The climb up from Pelawangan II takes approximately 3 hours. The views across the island and over to Gunung Agung on Bali are sensational. After congratulations and much photography, we descend to Pelawangen II for a well-earned breakfast. After a little rest at camp we begin our walk down to Sembalun, trekking poles will be useful for this long descent. As we drop in altitude, the humidity rises and we will be pleased to see our waiting vehicle and driver ready with water and towels! After saying goodbye to our trek crew with who we have shared our Rinjani adventure for the past two nights, we drive to Senggigi where we check into our beachfront hotel. Time to relax! NOTE: This is a big day, but it is possible to opt out of the trek to the summit if you wish. Those happy to miss this walk can stay asleep and can rise to enjoy watching the magnificent sunrise from camp. The group will join together again for breakfast and the return walk to Sembalun. Due to an event happening in Senggigi, ILM.06.23 will spend another night at the guesthouse in Sembalun rather than in Senggigi.

This morning we return to the harbour at Teluk Kode where we take a fast boat to Bali, taking approximately 2 hours for the crossing. Arriving on the island we transfer (20 minutes) to our hotel at Sanur beach. More laid back than other beach destinations in Bali, Sanur's coconut palm fringed white sands, warm waters and intense blue skies, offer the ideal vision of a Bali beach. After our exertions on Rinjani, this is the perfect place to relax. The rest of the afternoon is free for us to do exactly that.

The holiday ends after breakfast. Flight time allowing you will have the day to relax in Sanur. A single timed transfer (30 mins) to Ngurah Rai Airport on Bali is provided in the evening. If you would like to extend your relaxation time on Bali, we can also arrange additional nights.Contact our Customer Sales and Support Team for more information.