19 Days / 18 Nights Big Islands Archipelago Tour of Indonesia

Flight to Jakarta

The rest of the day is free for a relaxed arrival. Overnight in Jakarta, including breakfast the next morning.

Today, you fly from Jakarta to Pangkalanbun on Borneo Island. Once there, you sail from Kumai Port across the Sekony River into Tanjung Puting National Park. The region is one of the most biodiverse areas in the world, with swampy mangrove forests and dense rainforest, which provide habitat for orangutans, leopards, lizards, and over 600 bird species. After lunch on board, you'll follow the rivers further into the jungle. Look out for wild animals, nimble monkeys, and colorful birds on the riverside. Overnight at Rimba Lodge, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Start your day trip with a boat trip through Tanjung Puting National Park. The highlight of the day is a visit to Camp Leakey, which you can reach via the Senkoy River. There, you have the unique opportunity to see the world-famous orangutans, or 'forest people', up close. The camp staff are committed to bringing older orangutans back into the rainforest. The surrounding area is also home to gibbon and macaque monkeys. Explore the surrounding area on a hike through the forest. Even after lunch, you can watch the orangutans feed and get an even better impression of them. Dinner on board and overnight at Rimba Lodge, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner

In the early morning, drive to Pondok Tanggui (1.5 hours), a rehabilitation center for orangutans. From the center, a 30-minute hike through dense forest takes you to a feeding point where you can once again observe the extraordinary animals. You will then take a boat to Pesalat. Here, several institutions and organizations are committed to preserving the natural habitat of orangutans. They focus, in particular, on rainforest reforestation. Convince yourself of the importance of protective measures and visit the orangutan rehabilitation center. You, too, can help preserve these animals and their habitat by planting a tree. Then take a boat to a stretch of river whose banks are lined with nipa palm trees. In the evening, you will experience a fascinating natural spectacle here when thousands of fireflies fly around. Overnight at Rimba Lodge, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

In and around Yogyakarta Flight to Semarang in Java From there, you will drive to Yogyakarta, which is considered the cultural center of Java. Overnight in Yogyakarta, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: Breakfast Additional options Temple complex of Prambanan and dinner with a performance of the Ramayana ballet in Purawisata In the afternoon, visit the Hindu temple complex of Prambanan, which dates back to the 9th century. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991. The complex is composed of eight main temples, surrounded by numerous smaller individual temples. The three largest shrines are dedicated to the three gods: Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahma the Creator. Afterwards, drive to Purawisata. There, you will experience a dance performance of the Ramayana Ballet while you enjoy your dinner. Price: 65 EUR per person (minimum 2 persons)

Drive to the Borobudur World Heritage Site. Let yourself be guided through the largest Buddhist temple complex in the world and learn more about the history behind this incredible architecture. Constructed from massive volcanic and river rocks, the temple was built using only human strength, a process that lasted 75 years. The former significance of this impressive temple can be guessed from the pictorial reliefs. A bicycle awaits you at the temple exit, allowing you to experience the Javanese countryside up close while you drive to a local village. Get an impression of the everyday life of the villagers and treat yourself to a refreshing coconut on a plantation. Visit the nearby Mendut Temple by car, which houses three impressive stone statues. A little further on, the Pawon Temple is known for its simple but very beautiful symmetry. You will then drive back to Yogyakarta. Overnight stay in Yogyakarta, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

At Yogyakarta train station, take the train to Mojokerto (07:25–11:23). Enjoy the view on the scenic route to East Java. From Mojokerto, the journey continues by car through exotic nature. After four hours of driving, you have reached the mountain village of Ngadisari, which is located at an altitude of 1,700 m in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. Enjoy the cool mountain air. Overnight in Tosari, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

Today you get up around 02:30 and drive through the outer caldera to Penanjakan (2270m). The shining sun behind the volcano will stay in your memory forever. You'll then head back into the caldera to the foot of the volcano crater, where horses will take you up the mountainside to a staircase that leads up to the crater rim (2329 m). Then breakfast at the hotel and depart for Surabaya. Overnight in Surabaya, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

Flight from Surabaya to Makassar on the island of Sulawesi Your guide will welcome you there and take you to the city's traditional port, where you can view the impressive Phinisi boats. Visit Fort Rotterdam, one of the best-preserved Dutch buildings from the colonial era. The complex now houses the Negeri La Galigo Museum, which exhibits historical and ethnological objects. Overnight in Makassar, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

Today, you drive inland to Sengkang. The former capital of a Bugis kingdom towers over Lake Tempe and is known as a thriving trading town and for its silk weaving. On the way, you'll stop in Rammang-Rammang. From there, take a motorboat along the river, past limestone cliffs and nipa palm trees. An easy trekking tour then takes you to a cave with prehistoric drawings. Hike through one of the villages and watch the locals do their daily lives on site. Fried bananas and coffee or tea are served in a private house. After this personal encounter with the local population, you will continue to Sengkang. Overnight in Sengkang, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

On a local motorboat, you'll sail out onto Lake Tempe to get to know the Bugis extraordinary floating houses. About 30 floating houses are inhabited on Lake Tempe. Let us show you the traditional methods of fishing and drying. You will then visit a silk factory, where you can watch the women spin and weave the silk. Take the time to climb up a hill to view the city of Sengkang from above. You then travel via Siwa and Palopo to the home of the Toraja peoples near Rantepao. Enjoy the panorama along the route. Overnight in Rantepao, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

You will visit the southern Torajan villages of Lemo and Suaya today. These villages are surrounded by steep rock faces and are crisscrossed by burial caves, from which very realistic wooden images of famous ancestors were hung. Be amazed by these extraordinary forms of burial, which are the distinctive feature of the Toraja. From there, you'll continue to Sengala, where it was traditionally customary to bury deceased babies in tree trunks. In the afternoon, visit Londa, where the wooden coffins are attached to the rock walls with ropes and sticks. In Ketekesu, you can learn more about local residential architecture. The roofs of the Tongkonan houses rise pointed to the sky on the sides in a boat shape. The facades are decorated with decorative carvings and drawings. In Ketekesu, you can also see a traditional rice store. Overnight in Rantepao, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

In the north of Rantepao, head to the village of Batutumonga, which is a good starting point for an easy trekking tour. Located on the slopes of Sesean Mountain, a wonderful panorama of rice fields with black boulders from past volcanic eruptions opens up to you. Hike through the villages of Bori and Palawa on a two-hour tour, where you'll learn about local residents and their customs. Both villages have impressive Tongkonan houses, and in the middle of the village is a circular arrangement of stones, which, according to myths, are linked to individual ancestors. The end is the village of Marante, which has become known for its special ancestral figures on the rocks, all dressed in white. Overnight in Rantepao, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

In and around Makassar Today, you're going back to Makassar. Overnight in Makassar, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

Transfer to Makassar Airport and fly to Bali. When you land in Denpasar, your guide will be waiting for you and will take you to Sanur or Nusa Dua by air-conditioned vehicle. Spend the day on the beach and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at your Sanur/Nusa Dua hotel. Overnight in Sanur/Nusa Dua, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast

Your tour will take you to central Bali today, Guliang Kawan village. On the way, you'll visit a traditional market to buy the ingredients for lunch later. In Guliang Kawan, villagers will welcome you with coffee and tea. In a subsequent cooking class, you will learn about everyday Balinese eating habits and preparation methods and get an impression of the exotic ingredients and extraordinary culture. After lunch in a hut on the edge of the rice fields, you can watch the farmers work in the fields. Depending on the season, you will learn how farmers in Bali plant or harvest their rice and how the wet rice irrigation system works. Visit another village, Pengelipuran, which has preserved the traditional construction of Balinese architecture to this day. Then head to Sanur/Nusa Dua to your beach hotel, where you can relax for the rest of the day. Overnight in Sanur/Nusa Dua, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast, lunch

Spend the day on the beach and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere at your Sanur/Nusa Dua hotel. Overnight stay, including breakfast the next morning. Meals included: breakfast Bookable options Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Dance Performance In the afternoon, you'll drive south of Bali to the Uluwatu Temple, which is impressively situated on a steep rock face with a view of the high waves and currents off the southwest coast that are popular with surfers. With this in mind, let the day end with a Kecak dance performance. Listen to the rhythmic sounds and exclamations of the performers, who dance into a trance during dramatic singing and can even walk over glowing coals without feeling any pain.

Free time until your transfer to the airport for your return or onward flight Meals included: breakfast