Volcanic Adventures: Java, Bali and Lombok
- Kandoo Summits
- Kandoo Trekking
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Arrive at the airport in Yogyakarta, welcome by your English-speaking guide. We transfer to our hotel and the afternoon is free to either rest after your journey or explore the city. Pre-trek briefing at your hotel in the evening.
Today we spend some time soaking up the sights of Yogyakarta. From the spiritual beauty of the Taman Sari water palace, to the intricate architecture of the Temples of Plaosan and the bustling Beringharjo market. We then head to Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple. The temple consists of nine stacked platforms, six square and three circular, topped by a central dome. We take time to wander around the temple's gardens before moving on to visit Prambanan. This 9th century Hindu temple complex is dedicated to the Trimūrti, the expression of God as the Creator, the Preserver and the Destroyer.
Note: In 2022, the local government of Borobudur announced that climbing to the top of Borobudur temple would no longer be permitted. Visitors can now only walk around the gardens and base of the temple.
This morning we head to the train station for our journey to the Mojokerto region which will take 3.5 hours. From Mojokerto, we continue on to Bromo, a drive of roughly 3 hours through the captivating Indonesian landscape. Mount Bromo is an active volcano that stands at 2,329m and is located in the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. The slopes of the mountain are cultivated by the local Tenggerese farmers with the local markets filled with their produce. Tenggerese history can be traced back to the peoples of the Majapahit Kingdom who fled their land following an eruption from Mount Merapi. They are the only group of Hindus left in Java today.
Depending on our arrival time, it is possible this afternoon to discover the sandy sea and get as close as possible to the crater of the famous Mount Bromo.
In the morning we wrap up warm and head off before sunrise in Jeeps, then walk a little to reach a viewpoint looking over the Bromo, Batok, and Semeru volcanoes. The scenery is simply staggering in the early morning. If we didn't have time the day before, we can now go down by jeep into the sandy sea to get as close as possible to the smoking crater of Mount Bromo.
We return to the hotel for breakfast before driving to the east of Java and the town of Ketapang. On arrival we have free time to relax and enjoy the hotel pool!
Once again very early in the morning (1am), we leave by jeep to discover the Ijen volcano. We reach the starting point of the hike at sunrise allowing us to climb in the cooler hours of the day. Even this early in the morning we will see the sulphur carriers who have already descended from the crater with their first load of the day. After about 2 hours of climbing, we arrive at the edge of the crater and enjoy a lunar landscape and stunning views of the high lake.
We descend to the car park and follow the road towards the pretty Jagir waterfall before reaching Banyuwangi. From here a ferry takes us across to the island of Bali and we settle at our accommodation in the village of Pemuteran for 2 nights.
This morning we drive to Labuan Lalang harbor where we board fishing boats to reach the island of Menjangan. This island is mainly known for its superb coral reefs and we spend the morning snorkeling and exploring the underwater world surrounding the island. After a picnic lunch on the beach we go in search of the wild deer that live here and gave the island its name. In the afternoon we return to Pemuteran for a short ascent of the bukit Kursi hill which offers beautiful views of Menjangan and Java.
Today we continue our exploration of Bali and take the road to the pretty village of Sambangan, near Lovina. Accompanied by a local guide, we start hiking through flower meadows and rice fields before stopping at a Balinese family home for a short break. We reach the Aling Aling waterfall for a refreshing swim and discover a multitude of further waterfalls downstream with plenty of opportunity jumping, sliding and swimming!
In the afternoon, we take a mountainous road to reach the Jatiluwih rice fields, classified as a UNESCO heritage site, before arriving in Wongayagede at Ibu Sastra house for an evening with a local Balinese family.
Today we climb Mount Batukaru, Bali's second highest peak, reaching 2,276m. After a short transfer to the starting point of Pura Luhur Bhujangga Waisnawa (908m), we start our ascent through beautiful forest. At 2,000m, the vegetation drops away and we have delightful views of the surrounding valley. After some time at the summit, we descend a different path to finish at the pretty temple of Batukaru. Watch out for the wild monkeys as they are keen on stealing visitors belongings! Our driver is waiting for us and we leave for Ubud where we settle for 2 nights.
Departure before dawn (around 2 am) to reach the Kintamani region and climb Mount Batur. This relatively small volcano only requires 700m of ascent to reach the top and we get up there in time to witness the magnificent sunrise over the lake. We walk around the crater and spend some time exploring before descending for a swim in the hot springs to revive our aching muscles. We return to Ubud around lunch time and the rest of the day is free to relax and / or explore.
After breakfast at our hotel in Ubud, we head to Padangbai Harbor to take a speedboat over to the island of Lombok. It's recommended to bring some snacks for the journey as there won't be food available on the boat (ginger biscuits are always a good shout if you're sea legs aren't the best!) On arrival at Bangsal harbor, our driver takes us to Senaru waterfall from where we start an easy hike up to the falls. In the afternoon we reach our hostel in Senaru village and rest up for our 3 day ascent of Rinjani. Tomorrow will be the most demanding day of our trip so get plenty of sleep.
Our first port of call today is the Rinjani National Park office. We check in with the park authorities, grab some breakfast and have a pre-trek breifing with our guide and support crew. From there, a short transfer takes us to our start point at Sembalun Village.
The trek from Sembalun starts with a gentle ascent through the village and surrounding farmland before entering open grassland used as cattle grazing by local people. There are beautiful views of the hills of Sembalun and Rinjani itself as we walk. Please be aware it is essential you have a sunhat and plenty of sun cream for this section. There is very little shade in the grasslands and the sun can be intense.
After two hours, we reach our first stop at Pemantauan rest area (1300m). From here a steep climb takes us to our lunch spot at Tengengean (1500m). We pause for lunch while taking in the magnificent views. A tough afternoon awaits as we continue our ascent past Padabalong (1800m) and through pine forests to Pelawangan (2639m). This is our campsite on the crater rim of Sembalun and we can finally relax with a tea or coffee and watch the sunset from this spectacular location.
After dinner, get to bed early because our push to summit of Rinjani will start at 2am!
We set off at 2am to complete the final 1000m of ascent to the summit of Rinjani. The climb should take us roughly 4 hours as although not too far in distance, it is very soft underfoot which makes for slow progress. At the summit at 3726m, the temperatures may be between 3-5 degrees, so an extra warm layer may come in handy! We watch in awe as the sun rises over Bali, Sumbawa and Mt Agung. The views are simply incredible and the sense of achievement enormous. We spend around an hour at the top before descending back down to camp for breakfast.
We continue our descent to Segara Anak Lake where we have awesome views of Mt Sangkareang far off in the western side of Rinjani National park. Once we reach the lake, our porters begin preparing lunch while we take a short walk to the hot springs to soak aching muscles. The hot springs here are said to have healing powers.
After lunch we continue for another 2-3 hours to reach our next campsite on the crater rim of Senaru.
From our campsite we have 5 hours of descent ahead of us to reach the Rinjani Trekking Centre office in the village of Senaru. This is a steep descent through jungle terrain and our walking poles will be put to good use as the ground underfoot is quite slippery. We take our time along the way, pausing for photo opportunities and lunch as we descend nearly 2000m in height from the crater rim. Once we reach the road, our car is waiting to transport us to our beach front hotel in Senggigi.
Today we have a little free time in the morning to enjoy the beach at our hotel. Late morning we take a speedboat back to Bali and transfer to Denpasar airport.
Indonesian food is delicious! Expect
plenty of meat with Sate Padang (beef satay), Ayam Bakar Taliwang (grilled chicken in spices) and Ikan
Bakar (grilled fish in Sambal sauce).
The cuisine is vibrant and colorful with intense flavors thanks to the vast
array of spices.
A typical meal will always include
steamed rice along with one or two main dishes of Fish, meat or vegetables.
Vegetarians can enjoy Tempe Goreng (Indonesian tofu), Nasi Goreng Lotus (rice
with vegetables and egg cooked in a lotus leaf) or Gado Gado
(green vegetables with tofu and peanut sauce).
We will take our breakfasts and evening
meals either in our hotel or at local restaurants. Lunches will be picnics of
fresh fruit and vegetables, bread, cheese and cold meats.
If you have special dietary requirements,
please let us know when booking your
trip.
Please be aware that tap water in
Indonesia is not drinkable. Mineral water can be purchased in most towns and
villages but we recommend you bring a water filter or purification tablets.
Please see the equipment pages on our website.
Hotels will be of 2 or 3 star standard
with twin or double rooms and en-suite bathrooms. Hostel accommodation
will be more basic with shared bathroom facilities.
On the two nights we stay with local
families, the accommodation will be basic with dormitory style rooms and shared
bathroom facilities that have cold water only. Although rustic, these nights are a great opportunity to
get to know the local people and their way of life. It is a nice idea to bring
something along for the family we will be staying with, maybe a local specialty
from where you are from?
Your main bag should be a flexible duffel
bag or backpack of around 70-90 litres and not a rigid suitcase. Your luggage
will be transported by vehicle whilst you are trekking. In addition you will
need a daypack of roughly 40 litres to carry with you each day containing your
water, spare clothing, lunch, medication etc. This can be used as hand luggage
during your flight. Whilst you are on your Rinjani multi-day trek your main luggage will be left in secure storage at our local office. You will then have your daypack for all personal essentials whilst on this trek. The group and camping equipment will all by carried by porters. If you wish to take your full bag with you on this trek then a personal porter can be hired at an additional cost. We recommend also bringing a waterproof cover for your
daypack.
The currency in Indonesia is the Indonisian
Rupiah, Rp (IDR)
You can withdraw Indonesian Rupiahs from
in-country ATMs or exchange money at the airport/local currency exchange
offices. ATMs and exchange desks are only found on bigger islands like Bali,
Java (Denpasar, Ubud, Sanur, Yogyakarta).
Tipping when you are satisfied with the
service you have received is customary in Indonesia. However, it is not
mandatory and should be left to the discretion of each individual.
From | To | Price | Availability | Book | Enquire |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
20/07/2025 | 02/08/2025 | £1,999 $2,595 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
24/08/2025 | 06/09/2025 | £1,999 $2,595 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
21/09/2025 | 04/10/2025 | £1,999 $2,595 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
19/07/2026 | 01/08/2026 | £2,099 $2,649 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
23/08/2026 | 05/09/2026 | £2,099 $2,649 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
20/09/2026 | 03/10/2026 | £2,099 $2,649 |
Available
|
Book now | Enquire now |
Want to ask us a question or book a private trip? Don't hesitate to contact us!
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