Grand Indonesia

Upon arrival in Yogyakarta in Central Java you will be met and transferred to a lovely local hotel. At sunset you’ll enjoy a guided visit to Borobudur temple, which holds over 500 Buddha statues and has over 2,600 relief panels. Dinner will be provided at your hotel. 

Today after breakfast you'll leave for the colorful, vibrant city of Yogyakarta, visiting Mendut and Pawon temples en route. Mendut Temple was built in 824 A.D. by King Indera of the Sailendra Dynasty. It is frequently used to celebrate the Waisak Festival every May, which recalls the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. The Pawon temple is located between Borobudur and Mendut, and has many reliefs of boddhisattvas and taras, as well as reliefs of kalpataru (the tree of life).  Once you arrive in Yogyakarta you will visit Kraton (Sultan's Palace), the local batik and silver-work home industries, and the Sonobudoyo Museum, home to over 1,000 keris. These asymmetrical daggers are regarded as both weapons and spiritual objects; some blades are good luck while others are bad luck.  Lunch will be at a local restaurant, or you may choose to explore the area’s cuisine on your own. Afterwards, transfer to the hotel for your overnight.

A morning tour takes you to Prambanan, Java’s most elegant Hindu Temple complex. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the largest temples in Southeast Asia, and its tall, pointed architecture. Next you’ll drive on to Solo, Yogyakarta’s sister city, which is also known as the center of Batik. Your stops in Solo include the Royal Mangkunegaran, famous for their priceless antiques, and a flea market filled with local antiques. Afterwards, travel north of Solo to an archaeological site and museum where you'll meet a distant relative – the prehistoric "Java Man" (Pithecanthropus erectus). Discovered in 1891, these fossils comprise one of the first known specimens of Homo erectus.  Return to Yogyakarta in the late afternoon for your overnight.

Fly to Bali, where you will be met upon arrival and driven approximately 90 minutes to Candidasa Beach on the island’s eastern coast.  After checking into your hotel, you’ll visit Karangasem Royal Palace and Tirta Gangga water garden, where the royal family used to relax and bathe. Drive back to Candidasa Beach for your overnight.

Leave Candidasa and head for the famed north Bali beach resort of Lovina after breakfast. You'll visit some fascinating places on the way, including Tenganan Village, famous for its rare double-ikat weaving or “gringsing;” Putung Hill, where you can enjoy beautiful views of east Bali; and the biggest temple complex in Bali, Besakih Temple (“Mother Temple”). Today's final stop is the Kintamani Mountain Resort, where the views of Batur Caldera are truly breathtaking. In the late afternoon you'll arrive at Lovina and stay overnight at a local hotel. If you wish, you can book a dolphin tour for the next morning with the hotel at an additional cost. 

Travel to the artisan village of Ubud today, visiting temples and other places of interest en route. You'll see the 200-foot high Git-Git waterfall; Ulun Danu temple, which is dedicated to the god of fertility; Candi Kuning, a traditional market that sells fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers, and the splendid Taman Ayun Temple, which looks like it is floating on water from afar. Upon arrival in Ubud you’ll check in at your hotel and have a free afternoon to explore the city. Cultural shows are performed nightly in Ubud; be sure to check the schedule at your hotel’s front desk. The best open-air stage is the Ubud Water Palace, where the setting is magnificent even by Balinese standards. A large lotus pond framed with ancient flowering frangipani trees stands against a backdrop featuring Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati, one of Ubud’s main temple complexes.

Today you’ll be transferred to Batubulan Village to see the mythical Barong and Kris dances. These storytelling dances combine Balinese myths and history to narrate the eternal struggle between good and evil . Next you’ll stop at Celuk village, renowned for its gold and silver works, and Mas, an artist’s colony for woodcarvers. After lunch in central Ubud, you’ll visit Penataran Sasih Temple, where  you can see Bronze Age drums and stone carvings from the 11th century, and then Tampaksiring Waterspring Temple, which was built in 964 A.D. by a Balinese king of the Warmadewa Dynasty. The waters here are believed to have magic curative powers, and people from all over Bali make the journey here to purify themselves and leave an offering for the deity of spring. The villagers from nearby Manukaya also cleanse a sacred stone at the Waterspring Temple every year on the full moon of the fourth month.  Drive back to hotel for your overnight, stopping in Petulu to watch white herons return to their nests at sunset.

Enjoy some last minute shopping in Ubud before transferring to a hotel on Tanjung Benoa beach in southern Bali. The rest of the day is yours to relax on the beach.

Today is another free day for you to relax at the hotel or on the beach.

After an early breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the airport for your flight to Sulawesi. Your guide will meet you at the airport in Ujung Pandang and take you to Torajaland by car or minibus. The 8-9 hour ride has many scenic stops, with opportunities to see the area's unique architecture. The houses have beautiful boat-shaped roofs that are assembled from thousands of bamboo timbers. Stay overnight at a hotel in Rantepao, the capital of Toraja Regency.

You will have a full day to meet the people and explore the culture of Torajaland. The cave graves at Londa are must-sees for any curious traveler. The Toraja believe that the dead can take their possessions with them into the afterlife, so they bury their loved ones with whatever they might need on the other side. This lead to grave plundering, so the Toraja began hiding their dead in caves. There are usually wooden effigies of the dead near their coffin. Other stops on your tour include Ketekesu-Siguntu-Pallawa, a typical Torajanese village; Sa'dan, a weaving village; and Rantepao, the business center of Toraja. The most spectacular ceremonies in Torajaland are funerals, which often involve thousands of people and hundreds of animal sacrifices over a period of four days. Your itinerary in Torajaland may be modified if your guide is able to locate a funeral occurring during your visit. Overnight at a local hotel. 

Take a jeep ride to Barruppu at the northern tip of Torajaland, passing through Batutumonga and Lokomata along the way. This is your chance to enjoy the authentic beauty of Toraja's hinterlands, remote villages, and magnificent landscapes. You may want to take advantage of this area's many opportunities for day hiking. Spend the night at a local villager's house.

After breakfast this morning it's only a short trek to Toraja's famous hanging graves, where coffins are suspended from cliffs. Torajans use these hanging coffins to prevent grave plundering, the same reason they bury their dead in caves. On the way back to Rantepao you'll stop at Mount Lolai; you may want to purchase supplies for a picnic here. Overnight at a hotel in Rantepao.

Leave Torajaland today and head for Ujungpandang. On the way, you’ll stop to see a waterfall set amidst steep limestone hills at Bantimurung. The tropical vegetation here makes it an idea habitat for rare birds and butterflies, and you'll be able to see some of them at the nearby butterfly breeding center. Arrive in Ujungpandang by late afternoon and check into a local hotel for the evening.

Your adventure in Indonesia ends today. Transfer to airport for you flight home, or extend your trip to include other stops in Asia.