I’m often asked about my favourite places in Java and I often reply with expected responses such as “Bromo — it is spectacular” and “Dieng — a mystical paradise in the mountains”. But I also mention places such as Karimunjawa and Ujung Genteng, both of which receive very few foreign tourists, but are stunning places … read the full post

One of the great things about Indonesia is the diversity of the landscape. One of the great things about the Dieng Plateau is that it looks and feels completely different to almost anywhere else in Indonesia. Sitting up in the mountains about 150 kilometres northwest of Yogyakarta, the Dieng Plateau is absolutely stunning: rolling hills … read the full post

Think of your ideal tropical paradise. Once you have that in mind, if it includes white-sand beaches fringed by palm trees, turquoise water so bright it stings your eyes, warm weather all year round, hardly any tourists and just enough decent accommodation to ensure you don’t have to pitch a tent then the islands of Karimunjawa are … read the full post

We’ve recently covered a variety of different transport options across Indonesia including minibus (angkot) and train — here we focus on one of the most efficient forms, the motorcycle taxi which is known in Indonesia as the ojek. Like many other places in the world, the motorcycle taxi in Indonesia is an important part of … read the full post

When travelling in Indonesia away from the tourist mecca of Bali, accommodation options can sometimes feel antiquated and sub-standard. But surely when travelling to one of the country’s best tourist attractions, things get better and cater for all tastes? Let’s just say that the Gunung Bromo area is best known for its stunning vistas and … read the full post

Volcanoes. They’re the stuff of myth, legend and disaster — Indonesia has volcanoes in spades accompanied by stories born out of tragedies that occur around them from time to time. Tangkuban Parahu, the active volcano close to the city of Bandung, has a cute story behind its name related to its shape rather than its deadly … read the full post

When travelling throughout Indonesia, visitors can choose from an array of different forms of transport such as bus, train, ferry, becak, minibus and ojek. Of all the forms of transport in Indonesia, minibus, otherwise known as angkot, seems to be one of the least frequently used by foreign visitors to the country — which is … read the full post

Kawah Ijen is one of the stunning highlights of a trip through Java and is a regular stop on many tours departing from Yogyakarta and ending up in Bali. The usual way of getting to Kawah Ijen on a tour involves heading to the inland town of Bondowoso and making your way up to the … read the full post

Being one of Java‘s premier attractions, Gunung Bromo and the Tengger Caldera area get their fair share of visitors with many travelling straight from Yogyakarta via some sort of pre-arranged tour. It’s not a bad option to take a tour from Yogyakarta, but one thing is almost gauranteed: you will be travelling via the town … read the full post

Approximately 60 kilometres southwest of the bustling port city of Surabaya lies the dusty town of Trowulan. What on the surfaces appears to be just another bland and nondescript rural village among a long line of others in East Java is in fact a town that hides a beautiful secret. The secret is that this … read the full post