Explore Kalimantan & Java

Fly to Jakarta.

Land Jakarta or 'the Big Durian' as it's known to locals. Drive to the hotel and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure to explore this fast-paced city.

Return to the airport and fly to Pangkalanbun, Kalimantan. Drive to Kumai port and board a traditional wooden klotok boat. Cruise along the Kumai and Sekonyer Rivers enjoying lunch onboard while lush vegetation passes by. This is a great opportunity to search for animal and bird life along the riverbanks. Arrive at Rimba Lodge, located on the edge of Tanjung Puting National Park and home for the next three nights. The area is ecologically diverse with landscapes including mangrove swamps and rainforest densely filled with primates, lizards and many bird species. (B,L,D)

Today return to the klotok and continue exploring the Sekonyer River in search of kingfishers, broadbills and hornbills. Arrive at Camp Leakey, famous as a centre of orangutan research. Enjoy lunch onboard the klotok before taking a short walk along a wooden pontoon through the jungle keeping an eye out for gibbons, long tail macaques and maybe wild pigs. Take a seat near a feeding platform where Camp Leakey provides a supplementary food source for orangutans: watching them approaching from branch to branch is an unforgettable experience. Return to Rimba lodge late afternoon, a perfect time to see proboscis monkeys gathered in packs along the riverbank when it's cooler - there may also be wild orangutans coming to the riverbank to eat the fruit of the pandan trees. (B,L,D)

Continue to explore Tanjung Puting National Park. Travel upstream, explore the jungle and visit two further feeding platforms to see more orangutans. After viewing the platforms cruise to Pasalat Rainforest Station to discover the conservation work being done by several institutions and NGO's to try and preserve orangutan habitats. Journey to Harapan village, one of the few settlements along the river. Take a walk through the village to discover riverside life before returning to the lodge for the night. (B,L,D)

Return to the airport and fly to Semarang on the island of Java. Enjoy lunch in the city before exploring Semarang, an important trading port since Dutch Colonial times. Visit Lawang Sewu, once the headquarters of the national railway of the Dutch East Indies and an impressive example of Dutch architecture. Journey to Ambarawa in the Central Javan highlands and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure. (B,L,D)

Today will be spent exploring famous UNESCO-registered Borobudur. Take a horse and cart ride through the small traditional Javanese village of Candirejo. Stop and discover village activities such as making cassava crackers and playing the gamelan, a traditional musical ensemble of Java. Enjoy lunch in the village before heading to the huge Buddhist Temple of Borobudur, the largest in the world. The massive temple was assembled entirely by human labour and took more than 75 years to complete. Continue to visit Mendut temple, is older than Borobudur and home to some impressive carved stone statues. Drive on to Yogyakarta passing Pawon temple en-route. The evening is at leisure. (B,L)

Explore Yogyakarta. Visit the Sultan's Palace, or the Kraton as it's also known, a fine example of Javanese sultanate architecture. Still the residence of the Sultan, the Kraton features many Javanese relics and it is usually possible to enjoy a cultural performance during a visit. Board a becak (similar to a trishaw or cyclo) and explore the small laneways of Kauman village located near the Kraton and end the journey at the Taman Sari Water Palace which was built over 200 years ago. Visit a traditional batik factory before lunch in a local restaurant. After lunch enjoy a bicycle ride through Kotagede and visit a local market before strolling the narrow lanes with their unique Kalang style architecture unique to Kotagede. This evening enjoy dinner while watching a Ramayana dance performance. (B,L,D)

Depart Yogyakarta and drive to the cool highlands near Mt Merapi to see ravines created by molten lava streams emitted from this still active volcano. Visit Ullen Sentalu, a privately owned heritage museum before driving through rural villages to Prambanan, a set of Hindu temples built in the 9th century and, after being left in ruins for many years, was renovated in the 1930's. Explore the site and learn about the history of the buildings before transferring to Solo for the night. (B,L)

Spend the day exploring Solo, also known as Surakarta, with visits to Keraton Mangkunegaran which houses an abundance of classical Javanese art such as silver work and traditional weapons. Follow this with a visit to a well known batik museum: watch the batik craftsmen and women at work on often intricate fabric designs. After lunch, journey to the Hindu temples of Sukuh and Cetho built in the 16th century before the island's conversion to Islam and enjoy spectacular views of terraces and tea plantations. Return to Solo and this evening includes a performance of the Wayang Orang, a lively masked dance drama similar to shadow puppet performances. (B,L)

This morning transfer to Solo Railway station for a scenic train ride to Jombang in East Java, a great way to meet local people and enjoy the areas volcanic landscapes. Arrive in Jombang for an early lunch before heading to Trowulan, the former capital of the Majapahit Kingdom who ruled the island of Java for centuries. Visit the archaeological museum and the temples of Candi Banjang Ratu and Candi Tikus. Take the picturesque mountain road into Bromo-Tengger National Park, home to Mt Bromo. Enjoy dinner and overnight. (B,L,D)

An early start today. Travel by 4WD jeep to a lookout point with impressive views of the Bromo volcano and surroundings. Continue down to the volcano caldera. Early morning mist combined with the grey ashen-covered ground form to create an atmosphere often compared to the surface of the moon. A 20-minute ride on horseback will take you to a set of stairs which lead to the rim of the still-active Bromo crater - the climb is optional! Return to the hotel for breakfast before driving to Surabaya. After lunch in the city, explore Surabaya with visits to a museum dedicated to the Kretek, the well known clove cigarettes popular throughout Indonesia. Watch local girls hand-rolling Indonesia's most prestigious cigarette at an unbelievable speed using traditional equipment. End with a walk around the colourful Pasar Pabean Spice market and observe the traditional Phinisi wooden schooners from the Bugis navigators at the Kali Mas harbour. (B,L)

Enjoy the day at leisure to enjoy some last minute shopping or sightseeing before transferring to the airport for the flight back to the UK. (B)