worldoftravelling

Prambanan

The absolutely stunning temple complex of Prambanan was constructed in the 8th century, and is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia. It is also the second-largest in Southeast Asia, behind only Angkor Wat. The three main temples tower as high as 47m, making them taller than even the famous Borobudur. Consisting of an incredible 240 temples in total.

Much of the Prambanan complex still lies in ruins, the result of several large earthquakes over the past few hundred years. The main temples have been rebuilt, but restoration of the lesser temples is ongoing. Construction of the original temples was incredible, with no mortar or steel rods involved. Instead, every piece was carved to fit into its spot perfectly. Due to a lack of funding, only several teams of builders and archaeologists are able to work at any one time, making the process painstakingly slow. Its estimated work on the entire complex will take over 200 years to complete.

It’s fairly easy to get to Prambanan from Yogyakarta. I hired a Gojek, which dropped me off at the ticket entrance gate. I then returned to Yogyakarta by train.

Borobudur

This is the largest Buddhist temple in the world. If you visit Yogyakarta you’re eventually going to hear about Borobudur. Visiting Borobudur is a must if you are in Central Java, and particularly if you are in Yogyakarta.

Borobudur Temple was constructed in the 8th century, and is composed of a single building covering a massive 2500 sq metres. The temple has nine levels, tops out at 35m, and has an incredible 2672 reliefs and 504 Buddha statues. Borobudur was lost to humanity sometime around the 10th century. There are many theories as to why this happened, but it’s believed that much of the temple was buried in ash by an eruption of Gunung Merapi. Subsequent Merapi eruptions caused the relocation of the Mataram kingdom to East Java, leaving the area, and Borobudur, abandoned. It was finally rediscovered in 1814 when Thomas Stamford Raffles sent a party into the jungle to investigate rumours of a lost religious monument. Over the years several restoration projects were attempted, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that major restorations were undertaken. Borobudur was eventually World Heritage listed in 1991.

It’s obviously possible to visit Borobudor on an organised tour, I chose to get there independently. This was a little more challenging! From the centre of Yogyakarta you need to get to Terminal Jombor bus station. From here you take the bus to the junction for Borobudor. It’s then a 15-minute drive to the temple complex. Small vans do the run, it’s just a case of flagging one down and telling them where you want to go. Getting back to Yogyakarta is the reverse of this.

The entrance fee structure is a little complex. You really want to be able to climb the temple if you visit. Numbers are restricted so it’s best to buy your ticket online at GOERS before you visit, especially at busy times – morning and late afternoon. It’s not the easiest web site to navigate – so double check everything is correct before paying. The site accepts credit cards.

“A once-in-a-lifetime experience, Tumpak Sewu in East Java is not to be missed. Hundreds of waterfalls, pouring off the edge of a 120m-high semicircular cliff into a canyon lost in the mists far below, is a sight that must be seen to be believed. Tumpak Sewu is an adventure that you are guaranteed to remember for life.” Excerpt From Lonely Planet Indonesia.

Visiting Tumpak Sewu is easy if you have your own transportation. However, as is always the case, distance and time are not linked in Indonesia. Expect a 2 to 3 hour drive each way from Malang. I did not have my own transport so decided to hire a driver with a car. The cost of this was $50 USD. He waited for me whilst I visited the falls.

Once you have payed the entrance, fee at the ticket booth, you follow the path to the viewpoint – for a breathtaking view of Tumpak Sewu waterfall. However, the real highlight is the hike to the falls’ base. The hike begins along a muddy track and stairs, turning quickly into steel gantries, wooden walkways and ladders. About two-thirds of the way down, the ladders end and you’ll find yourself holding a rope as you make your way down a rocky slope with a rushing waterfall all around you. You’ll get very wet, but it is truly worth it.

Waterfalls and cave

In the canyon, you turn right and follow the trail towards Tumpak Sewu Waterfall. At some point you will pay an extra fee as you move into a new village area. Reaching the base of the falls is a memorable experience: the raw power, with gusts of spray soaking you, and the falls plummeting from above are unforgettable.

You then follow the canyon back in the other direction, there you will reach the Goa Tetes waterfalls. These are another set of beautiful falls flowing down an orange-coloured cliff face, forming pools. If you follow the track further, and are careful enough, you will find yourself climbing up above the falls and into the Goa Tetes caves located in the cliff face. There is an extra charge to visit the caves. There is no need to retrace your steps, you can exit the canyon by continuing along and up. Here you will reach some more steps back to a concrete road.

“Visiting Gunung Bromo is one of the most unique activities in not only Java, but possibly all of Indonesia. There is a good reason that this epic spot features on most of the tourism brochures, banners and websites for the country. Bromo, essentially, is a volcano. Unlike most volcanoes, however, it is a lot easier to access, as reaching the summit only involves a short hike.” Excerpt From Lonely Planet Indonesia.

Taking a trip to Gunung Bromo is usually done by Jeep from Malang, or even from Surabaya. Most tours will start at around midnight with a pickup from your hotel, transferring to Jeep along the way, and then a drive into Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park under the cover of darkness. The first stop for many is the ever-popular sunrise point (although this is a bit of a mismisnomer, as there isn’t really just one sunrise point, but many, stretched out along the ridgeline above the road). On a typical morning, Jeeps will be lined up for kilometres in each direction, full of visitors that have all come for the same reason – the incredible panorama provided by a Bromo sunrise.

Once the the sun has risen, you will head back down the hill in your Jeep into the sandy, barren Bromo wasteland, and cross to the foot of the volcano itself. After the Jeep parks a couple of kilometres away, it is then up to you to trek across the remaining sand, and up a couple of hundred stairs to the rim of the Bromo crater. For most people, standing at the top of Gunung Bromo is one of those experiences that only comes around once in a lifetime. The noise that emits from the throat far below sounds not unlike a jet engine, and only hints at the incredible power that resides right under your very feet. After the trek back to the Jeep, your tour ends with the drive back to your hotel, possibly with a couple of stops at scenic viewpoints along the way.

Getting to Bromo is easy with the various tours readily found online. Private tours range in price, depending on the number of people in your party and what extras you opt for. Group tours are also available for the more budget conscious.

I based myself in the town of Probolinggo, a 1-hour drive from Mount Bromo. It’s the rainy season here at the moment so I decided to skip the sunrise – currently an unlikely event – and hired a motorbike with driver. He took me to the parking area beneath Mount Bromo – a short walk from the crater.

A trio of top activities await the adventurous explorer in East Java.

From Flores I flew back to Bali for, one night, before taking a charter bus to Gilimanuk where I caught the ferry to Ketapang, on mainland Java. It was then a short Gojek bike ride to my accommodation (Banana Guesthouse) in the lovely named town of Banyuwangi.

What is Gojek?

The name Gojek comes from the term “Ojek” or motorbike taxis commonly found throughout Indonesia. It was founded in 2010 with 20 motorbike drivers. Gojek app was launched in January 2015, and in less than two years, the app racked up nearly 30 million downloads. Gojek has partnered with Singapore’s biggest bank DBS.

It was at my accommodation – Banana Homestay – that I met Matteo from Italy. A very intelligent and interesting young man. We had both chose to stay in Banyuwangi to do one thing.

Activity number one: Ijen.

I’ve done some things in my time but the first activity, here in East Java, probably rates as one of the more risqué!

Kawah ljen Volcano, home to the iconic ‘Mount ljen Crater Lake’ and its mesmerising ‘blue fire’ phenomenon, is a natural wonder that draws adventurers to East Java from all over the world.

The ‘blue flame’ is a rare occurrence that emerges from the depths of the crater, casting an enchanting blue glow.

After a tough trek through the night/early morning, you venture into the heart of Kawah Ijen, where you find a beautiful turquoise acidic lake, a rugged volcanic landscape, and the unique sight of sulphur miners toiling in an unbelievably inhospitable environment.

Waking up in the middle of the night and trekking up, and then inside, a volcanic crater is one thing; add a low powered head torch, a gas mask (for safety reasons), an incredibly steep, uneven path, and you will no doubt gather – it’s not for the feint hearted.

In order to do all if this you are collected from your accommodation at midnight. You and your tour group are then taken to a nearby clinic where you get a health check! Finally, you are dropped off at the start of the hike – where you meet your guide. It’s a very popular tour and in the peak season numbers can reach over a thousand. Fortunately it was low season when I visited, so there were around 300 tourists in total.

It’s then a 3-hour hike up the side of the crater before the descent. It was tough going, I have to admit.

Along the route we met the miners who were hauling up the sulphur blocks, that that they had just harvested, loaded up in baskets held in a yolk style construction – strung across their shoulders. The weight of the loaded baskets is around 85 kgs.

The work is dangerous and the miners face hellish conditions, including toxic smoke, without wearing any protective equipment. All of them have a cigarette in their mouth, further adding to this very unhealthy lifestyle.

Check out this BBC article The men who mine the Devil’s gold

Surrounding countryside.

Introduction.

“In the west of Flores, buzzy, coastal Labuan Bajo is the destination du jour of divers and dragon-seekers, and the gateway to the pink-sand beaches and gin-clear waters of Komodo National Park.” Excerpt From Lonely Planet Indonesia

Labuan Bajo glossy marina and ever expanding number of restaurants aside, the jumping-off point for Komodo National Park and its famous dragons perhaps is a smidgen short on sights. However, that’s not why I was there.

Everything you need is on one-way Jl Soekarno Hatta, from Western restaurants and local rumah makans (eating houses) to coffee shops, accommodation, travel agents, ATMs and dive centres.”

I chose Dragon Dive Komodo as my dive centre. It’s a five star PADI outfit with fabulous accommodation.

Background.

Twenty five years ago, to the month, I set off on an 8-month journey around Asia. This trip was to kick-start my passion for travel.

I managed to tick off a huge junk of this amazing part of the world – apart from the Philippines and Indonesia.

This year I get to clock up 60-years on this planet, it seemed like a good reason to finish off my South East Asia exploration.

January 2025.

With the Philippines now covered off, it was time to visit Indonesia. Again, it was a huge challenge deciding just where to start and what to do in 30-days – the length of my visa.

After a lot of research, and some excellent recommendations from fellow travellers, I managed to narrow it down to three regions of particular interest to me.

Indonesia Part 1 of 3 – Flores.

Having flown from Manila (in the Philippines) to Denpasar (on the island of Bali) I then took the next flight out of Denpasar to Labuan Baja on Flores. Most European travellers skip Bali. If you want surfing and partying then stay on Bali, I didn’t……. there’s too much to explore elsewhere.

The scuba diving around Flores is reputed to be some of the best in the world, and then of course there are the Komodo Dragons to check out.

I spent 4-days diving with the extremely well run dive centre ‘Dragon Dive Komodo‘ . They have a great team. I also completed a PADI Nitrox course.

I met some fabulous people on the daily dive boat. The diving was amazing and I managed to achieve a life time wish of diving with Manta Rays. It was also incredible to ‘get up close’ to Komodo Dragons.