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Borobudur at dawn, Central Java, Indonesia

RoutesSoutheast Asia

Five Weeks in Indonesia: Java to Komodo

Temples and volcanoes on Java, then island-hopping east to the Komodo dragons.

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Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas · CC BY-SA 3.0
Duration35 days29 nights at 9 stops; 6 travel and buffer days
Budget$1,500–$8,000low to high, per person, excluding long-haul flights
Best monthsMay, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Adventure4/5
Transporttrains, minibuses, ferries, fast boats and domestic flights
SuitsBackpacking, Gap years, World travel

Dotted path is schematic (great-circle-ish arcs between stops), not a transport route.

Stop by stop

Click a stop (or its pin on the map) for costs, country facts and what to do there.

  1. 1Jakarta IndonesiaKota Tua's Dutch colonial quarter, the National Monument and the National Museum.2 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Jakarta yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level.

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    train · about 8.0 hours

  2. 2Yogyakarta IndonesiaSunrise trip to Borobudur, an afternoon at Prambanan and the Kraton palace.4 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Yogyakarta yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 540 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    train to Probolinggo and minibus up to the caldera rim · about 11.0 hours

  3. 3Cemoro Lawang (Mount Bromo) IndonesiaPre-dawn viewpoint for sunrise over Bromo, then a walk across the sand sea to the crater.2 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Cemoro Lawang (Mount Bromo) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 260 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    minibus · about 7.0 hours

  4. 4Banyuwangi (Ijen) IndonesiaNight hike to the Ijen crater for the blue flames and sunrise over the acid lake.2 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Banyuwangi (Ijen) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 100 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    ferry across the Bali Strait and bus to Ubud · about 6.5 hours

  5. 5Bali (Canggu and Ubud) IndonesiaUbud's rice terraces and temples, then a few days on the coast.7 nights
    $679 mid
    BaliPhoto: Freddy eduardo · CC BY-SA 4.0

    Surf, rice terraces, temples and the world's most crowded nomad scene.

    Bali has been the global nomad and wellness capital for a decade and it shows: Canggu's rice fields have filled with villas, cafes and coworking spaces, Ubud's ridges with yoga studios, and the traffic between them is notorious. The island beneath remains extraordinary: Hindu temple ceremonies in every village…

    Daily budget
    $35–$235 per person, backpacker to comfortable, editorial estimate, Oct 2026
    This stop
    $679 7 nights at the mid-range daily estimate
    Best months
    May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
    Internet
    60 Mbps typical fixed line, editorial
    Things to do
    • Tegallalang and Jatiluwih rice terraces Jatiluwih is the UNESCO one and far quieter.
    • Surf lessons at Batu Bolong or Kuta Beginner beaches; Uluwatu for the experts.
    • Temple ceremonies Ask your guesthouse family; dress in sarong and sash.
    • Mount Batur sunrise trek Two hours up in the dark, worth it once.
    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    fast boat from Padang Bai · about 4.0 hours

  6. 6Gili Trawangan IndonesiaSnorkelling with turtles, diving and cycling round the island.4 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Gili Trawangan yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 100 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    public boat to Lombok and car to Kuta · about 3.0 hours

  7. 7Kuta (Lombok) IndonesiaSurf beaches at Selong Belanak, the Merese Hill viewpoint and inland waterfalls.3 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Kuta (Lombok) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 120 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    car to Lombok airport and flight to Labuan Bajo, often via Bali · about 5.0 hours

  8. 8Labuan Bajo IndonesiaDive trips, sunset from the hills above the harbour and booking a boat into the park.3 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Labuan Bajo yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 510 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

    boat into Komodo National Park · about 3.0 hours

  9. 9Komodo National Park (boat trip) IndonesiaRanger-led walks to see Komodo dragons, Padar Island viewpoint and manta ray snorkelling.2 nights

    We do not hold a full destination profile for Komodo National Park (boat trip) yet, so there are no stop-level cost or climate figures here; the facts below are country-level. Nearest profiled destination: Bali (Canggu and Ubud) (about 470 km).

    Indonesia: practical facts
    Currency
    Indonesian rupiah (IDR) · 18,090.00 IDR/USD (Financial Modeling Prep (indicative mid), Nov 05, 2026)
    Language
    Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia); English common in Bali
    Plugs and voltage
    C, F (230 V)
    Tap water
    Not drinkable
    Emergency
    110 police, 118/119 ambulance
    U.S. advisory
    Level 2

Java: temples and volcanoes

From Jakarta, the train to Yogyakarta crosses the rice country of Central Java. Yogyakarta is Java's cultural capital, with the Kraton sultan's palace, batik workshops and street food, and day trips to Borobudur, the ninth-century Buddhist monument, and Prambanan, the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia. Access to Borobudur's upper terraces is limited and sold as a separate ticket. Heading east, the village of Cemoro Lawang sits on the rim of the Tengger caldera, and the pre-dawn jeep ride or walk to viewpoints over Mount Bromo is the main event. Further east still, the crater of Ijen, with its turquoise acid lake and working sulphur miners, is reached on a night hike from the Banyuwangi side, when blue flames can be visible before dawn.

Bali, the Gilis and Lombok

A short ferry crosses the Bali Strait, and the route spends a week on Bali split between Ubud's rice terraces, temples and craft villages and the coast. Fast boats run from Padang Bai and other harbours to the Gili Islands, three small car-free islands off Lombok with snorkelling over reefs where green turtles are common. Lombok itself is larger and quieter than Bali; the south coast around Kuta has surf beaches, headland viewpoints and access to waterfalls inland.

Flores and Komodo

A domestic flight reaches Labuan Bajo on the western tip of Flores, the departure point for Komodo National Park. Boat trips of one to three days visit Komodo and Rinca islands to see Komodo dragons with park rangers, the viewpoint on Padar Island, Pink Beach and manta ray cleaning stations. Labuan Bajo has grown quickly as a dive and boat-trip hub, and its airport has flights back to Bali and Jakarta.

Practical notes

Visas: Many nationalities can get a visa on arrival or an electronic visa on arrival (e-VOA) in advance, and Bali charges a separate tourist levy. Rules and fees change, so official Indonesian immigration sources are the ones to check. Transport: Trains across Java, minibus transfers or organised tours for Bromo and Ijen, the Java to Bali ferry, fast boats to the Gilis and Lombok, and domestic flights for Lombok to Labuan Bajo (often via Bali). Weather: May to September is the dry season across most of the route; November to March is wet, and sea crossings can be rough at any time of year. Budget: The mid figure assumes private air-conditioned rooms, organised Bromo and Ijen trips, fast-boat tickets, domestic flights, temple entry and a two-day shared Komodo boat trip including park fees. Safety: Bromo and Ijen close at times when volcanic activity or gas levels rise, and a gas mask is standard at Ijen. Safety standards on fast boats and small tour boats vary, and road traffic on Bali and Lombok is heavy. Government travel advisories are worth checking before departure.

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