Java: Live It!

Java, the fertile Garden of the East

Magellan, Francis Drake, and Joseph Conrad are just a few of the more well-known travellers who have fallen under the spell of the Indonesian archipelago. Happily, little has changed since Conrad and the Bugis sea rovers sailed these sparkling waters.

At the epicenter of Indonesia's glittering diadem is the fabled island of Java whose majestic volcanoes provide a lavish setting for the island's vibrant green tea plantations and terraced rice fields. More than sixty percent of Indonesian population call Java home, and you'll find them among the most polite and refined people in the world.

Krakatau: west of Java!

One peaceful morning in 1883, the volcano known as Krakatau exploded and the schock waves went around the world. Literally.

Today, the remains of this earth shaking event can be seen by taking a short boat trip from Java's west coast.

Islands, islands, and more islands

Far more peaceful is the Thousand Islands group which can be easily reached from Jakarta. Glorious scenery, water like shot silk, and a warm welcome await you on beautiful Kotok Island, or at Ayer Island Resort with its unique floating cottages.

Jakarta, a capital experience

Indonesia's capital Jakarta is a sprawling cosmopolitan city where the modern and the traditional meet head on. There are fine museums and superb examples of colonial architecture, traditional temples and marketplaces, as well as a plethora of antique shops, shopping malls, restaurants, and discotheques.

A visit to the Mini Indonesia Cultural Park will give you an interesting insight into the marvelous mosaic of peoples, cultures, and traditions that make up modern day Indonesia. And there's plenty of earthly delights to be had at Dreamland Park Ancol, a huge recreational complex of swimming pools, golf courses, an oceanarium, art market, theme park, and hotels.

The scent-sational City of Flowers

From Jakarta, take a comfortable drive or train journey - via the renowned Botanical Gardens of Bogor, if possible - to the highland city of Bandung, the capital of the West Java province. This "City of Flowers" retains the charming European ambience it had when frequented by the Dutch colonisers who retreated to Bandung's cooler climates during Jakarta's hotter months.

Bandung, aka The Paris of Java, is renowned for its broad boulevards and Art Deco buildings. There are numerous elegant mansions, shops, and hotels dating from the 1920s.

Anotherhighlight of the area is the "drive-in" volcanic crater of Tangkuban Perahu, an easy journey via undulating green tea fields.

Historic places and a bounty of beautiful batiks

A stopover in Solo, or Surakarta as it is also known, should be high on your travel agenda for this ancient, tree-lined city is at the very heart of Java's classical culture. Situated on a verdant tropical plain ringed by majestic volcanoes, Solo wasonce the capital of the Javanese Kingdom.

Visit Pura Mangkunegaran and the Kasunana Palace (also called the Kraton Surakarta Hadiningrat), two superb royal palaces both filled with ancient and priceless treasures. Then, by way of contrast, drop into the flea market of Pasar Triwindu for some fascinating bric a brac souvenirs.

Solo City is world famous for its traditional Batik fabrics, and you can see this fine cloth, once worn exclusively by Javanese nobility, at the Batik Center. Of course, no visit to Java is complete without a trip to Yogyakarta to see one of the more enigmatic wonders of the world.

Abandoned soon after its creation in 880AD, the Borobudur Temple actually disappeared for a thousand years when volcanic eruptions caused it to sink and vanish into the surrounding jungle. Rediscovered in 1814 by Sir Stamford Raffles and unearthed by a massive restoration program, you can now experience Borobudur in all its former glory.

Another of Yogyakarta's architectural and cultural masterpieces is the splendid Sultan's Palace built in 1755. Nearby you'll find the Sono Budoyo Museum and the unusual Taman Sari "the Water Castle" first established as a pleasure park for the Sultan and his family in 1765.

Where a wayang is a way of life

Wayang is the traditional Javanese theater performed with puppets or actors. It's a subtle and unique art that takes many different forms.

Most intriguing, perhaps, is the wayang kulit, a play performed using flat leather puppets behind a lamp-lit screen. Everyone attends the all-night shows, and you'll find language is no barrier to enjoying this very Indonesian entertainment.

Some of the best wayang performances take place in Yogya, which is close to the vast 9th century Hindu Prambanan Temple. This is the magnificent setting for the Ramayana Ballet, staged each year from May to Oct during the four consecutive nights of the full moon. With the breathtaking silhouette of the temple as a backdrop, this ballet is a spectacle of dance, drama, and gamelan music, and certainly not to be missed.

Less than an hour's drive from Solo through sweet-smelling tea plantations and terraced ricefields is INdonesia's famous erotic stepped-pyramid temple, Sukuh.

Woodcarving wonders

Heading north from Solo through scenic ricefields is Semarang City, the capital of Central Java. This coastal city is one of the oldest in Indonesia, and highly popular with travellers. It has many fine restaurants, and is particularly noted for its intricate and traditional wood carvings.

Jepara, northeast of Semarang, is surrounded by white sandy beaches, and is also famous for its wood carving and furniture industry.

Try Surabaya for a novel experience

East Java offers magnificent moutain scenery and its vibrant capital Surabaya is a wonderful place to explore. Wandering the narrow lanes of the old Chinese and Arab quarters will make you feel as though you're walking into the pages of a Joseph Conrad novel.

Head for Kalimas, Surabaya's old harbor to see the colorful Bugis schooners or "pinisi" which have sailed the seas of Indonesia for hundreds of years. Other Surabaya attractions are the well-stocked zoo, the Mpu Tantular Museum, and the many shopping plazas where you'll find an exciting array of batik, embroidered needlework, basketry, paintings, and ceramics.

Make a sacrifice on Mount Bromo

A breathtaking ride on sturdy mountain ponies to witness dawn over the fiery crater of Mount Bromo is a spectacular event. Your sacrifice is the required 3:30 am start, but, like many things in Indonesia, you'll find the small effort involved is eclipsed by the joy of this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Mount Bromo is just one of the many side trips from Surabaya. Another is Malang, one of the most attractive towns in Java, and a comfortable ninety kilometres from the capital. Twenty kilometres from Malang are the popular hill resorts of Selecta and Songgoriti with their hot springs and sports facilities including horseriding, swimming, and tennis. Or head for Madura to witness the exciting bullraces unique to this island.

Jakarta | West Java | Central Java | Yogyakarta | East Java

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