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Travel guide
Java
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: May to September
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Welcome
Java, in a few days
An island of some 150 million people and around forty volcanoes, where you climb by night towards the blue flames of Ijen and wait for dawn on the rim of the Bromo caldera. In the centre, Yogyakarta, city of sultans and batik, is the base for Borobudur and its 504 Buddhas, and for the 47-metre Hindu towers of Prambanan.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Borobudur · 2 to 3 hThe world's largest Buddhist monument, built around 800 and rediscovered in 1814: nine terraces, 2,672 relief panels, 504 seated Buddhas and 72 latticed stupas.
- Afternoon · Yogyakarta Kraton · 2 to 3 hThe sultan's palace, begun in 1755 and still home to Hamengkubuwono X, also the region's governor; open pavilions display gamelans, royal batik and palanquins.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Adhisthana Hotel Yogyakarta€40 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Taman Sari Water Castle · about 1 hThe sultan's pleasure garden of 1758 to 1765, 500 m from the Kraton, with bathing pools and the circular underground mosque of Sumur Gumuling.
- Afternoon · Prambanan · 2 to 3 hIndonesia's largest Hindu temple complex, 17 km east of Yogyakarta and built around 850, with three main towers to Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Gallery Prawirotaman Hotel€50 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Dieng Plateau · a full dayA farmed caldera at 2,100 m among steaming fumaroles, home to the Arjuna temples, among the oldest Hindu monuments on Java.
- Afternoon · Mount Bromo · half a dayUp at 3am in Cemoro Lawang, a jeep to Penanjakan for sunrise, then across the Sea of Sand and 250 steps to the crater rim.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Duta Garden Hotel€40 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Tumpak Sewu waterfall · half a dayThe Glidik river drops 120 m in dozens of strands around a cirque of dark rock; the climb down takes 30 to 45 minutes.
- Afternoon · Kawah Ijen · half a dayA 3 km night climb from Paltuding to a turquoise acid crater lake, where burning sulphur gases give off blue flames seen only in darkness.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Melia Purosani€60 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Nasi goreng: fried rice, the national dish, eaten at any hour.
- Satay: grilled skewers under a peanut sauce.
- Rendang: beef cooked down for hours with coconut and spice.
- Gado-gado: blanched vegetables and egg, dressed with peanut again.
- Coffee, and tropical fruit worth the detour: mangosteen, and durian if you dare.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Check the scooter and the helmet before you rent, and carry the right licence.
- Cover shoulders and knees in temples: a sarong is usually lent at the gate.
- Bottled water, and change money in a bank rather than at a street booth.
- Walk around the canang offerings on the pavement, never over them.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Indonesian
| English | Indonesian |
|---|---|
| Hello | Halo |
| Thank you | Terima kasih |
| Please | Tolong |
| Yes | Ya |
| No | Tidak |
| Excuse me | Permisi |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal |
| Do you speak English? | Apakah Anda bisa bahasa Inggris? |
| I don't understand | Saya tidak mengerti |
| How much is it? | Berapa harganya? |
| Where are the toilets? | Di mana toilet? |
| The bill, please | Minta bon |
| Help! | Tolong! |
| Cheers! | Bersulang! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyIndonesian rupiah (IDR)
BudgetAbout €43 a day, mid-range
Best seasonMay to September
PlugC/F · 230V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingAppreciated, around 10%
Emergency112 / 118
EntryVisa on arrival for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian passports: 30 days, paid on landing or bought online beforehand as an e-VOA.
HealthHepatitis A and typhoid are recommended. Malaria in some rural areas, so ask about prophylaxis for your route. Dengue is present: use repellent morning and evening.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/java
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.