BEAUTIFUL BALI & JOGJA

Arrive in the storied island paradise of Bali, the most popular stop in Indonesia. Its friendly people, Hindu culture, rhythmic and flowing dances, volcanoes, sculptured rice paddies, beautiful jungle and mountain scenery and spectacular beaches make it one of the most fascinating islands you’ll find anywhere in the world.. In the evening you will be driven to Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, an artistic park home to Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue; 150 meters tall and a wing span of 64 meters across. Park also has a 20 meter tall copper statue of the God Wisnu, 8 meters tall statue of Garuda. Watch traditional performance of Balinese dances followed by dinner at Jendela Bali, the panoramic restaurant located on top of a hill offering spectacular views of Bali- Jimbaran, Kuta and Denpasar.

After Breakfast embark on a full day tour starting with a drive to the central part of Bali, stop at Kemenuh village well known for its woodcarvings. Visit the Holy Springs of Tampaksiring, discovered in AD 926 and believed to have magical powers. Nearby to the springs is Pura Tirta Empul, one of Bali’s most significant temples. After the temple visit, drive up to spectacular area of Batur. Mount Batur itself is a small volcano, but its setting is in the heart of huge crater. Adjacent to the volcano is the large crescent-shaped Batur Lake, all surrounded by high walls of the crater rim. Enjoy lunch at one of the Hotels or local restaurant. Continue to Bali’s Mother Temple located on the slopes of Mount Agung, the highest Balinese volcano. The Pura Besakih complex is made up of a number of different sanctuaries – there are 22 temples in all – which are situated on parallel ridges running down the mountainside of Gunung Agung. Viewing the Besakih Temple from a higher ground is like viewing a forest of pagodas set against a panorama of greenness that stretches down to the sea twenty five kilometres away. Next stop at Jambul Hill popular for its magnificent views. Continue to Semarapura town, once the centre of Bali’s most important kingdom and now the capital of Klungkung Regency. The remains of the old royal palace, razed by Dutch troops during an attack in 1908, are within the grounds of Taman Gili. Visit Kerta Gosa, the Hall of Justice, which was used as a traditional court. This open-sided pavilion is decorated with exquisite examples of Kamasan paintings and Klungkung architecture, Bale Kambang the Floating Pavilion surrounded by a moat.

These days will be spent at leisure to explore the city on your own.

Take a short flight to Yogyakarta. On arrival, transfer to the hotel. The Yogyakarta Sultanate, formally the Sultanate of Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, was formed in 1755 when the existing Sultanate of Mataram was divided by the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in two under the Treaty of Giyanti. In support of Indonesia declaring independence from the Dutch and Japanese occupation, in September 5, 1945, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono IX of Yogya and Sri Paku Alam VIII in Yogya declared their sultanates to be part of the Republic of Indonesia. In return for this support, a law was passed in 1950 where Yogyakarta was granted the status of province Daerah Istimewa (Special Region Province) recognizing the Sultan’s power in his own region’s domestic affairs.
This evening visit the local markets to see local handicrafts.

After Breakfast, travel to Solo, the center of art and culture in Central Java. Visit Mangkunegaran Palace built with the specific Java architecture combining the Java and Europe ornaments. We will also visit Triwindu, an antique market which has many kinds of antique collections and also Klewer market, which is the biggest batik and textile market in Java. After lunch at local restaurant further explore the Solo city by visiting the Sukuh temple, most exotic and erotic Hindu temple in Java located on the slopes of the Lawu mountain. Return to Yogyakarta in the evening.

After Breakfast at Hotel travel to Borobudur village for exploring the magnificent Borobudur Temple. Even though there is no written record of who built Borobudur or of its intended purpose. The construction time has been estimated by comparison between carved reliefs on the temple’s hidden foot and the inscriptions commonly used in royal charters during the eighth and ninth centuries. Borobudur was likely founded around 800 AD. This corresponds to the period 760–830 AD, peak of the Sailendra dynasty in central Java, when it was under the influence of the Srivijayan Empire. The construction has been estimated to have taken 75 years and been completed during the reign of Samaratungga in 825. After lunch stop at Kasongan pottery village and batik home industry to learn techniques, symbolism and culture surrounding hand-dyed cotton and silk garments. Next visit silversmith home industry at Kota Gede. Our tour continues to Prambanan for exploring Prambanan Temple. Prambanan Temple Compounds is the largest Hindu temple complex in Indonesia and one of the largest Hindu temples in south-east Asia. It is characterized by its tall and pointed architecture, typical of Hindu temple architecture, and by the 47m high central building inside a large complex of individual temples. The temple complex dates from the 9th century, and is dedicated to Shiva. Next to the main complex (called Loro Joggrang), the Buddhist Candi Sewu and the temples of Lumbumg, Burah and Asu also are part of the World Heritage Site.
RAMAYANA BALLET and DINNER – This evening witness Ramayana ballet while enjoying local cuisine dinner. Ballet is based on an epic Hindu history, the story of model king Rama was adapted to become an important local dance, encompassing the Javanese style, culture and music. Whilst the story originated in India, the Javanese version is truly representative of the local art and culture. The entire story is presented in a series of dance movements done by beautiful dancers accompanied by gamelan music. The storyteller is the sinden or the female singer who describes the story through Javanese songs.

This morning visit Keraton Yogyakarta, a splendid example of traditional Javanese court architecture. Construction of the Keraton (palace) began in 1755 and continued for almost 40 years, through the reign of Hamengkubuwono I. Keraton is constructed to form a model of the Javanese cosmos in miniature; each entry, courtyard, tree and field has a specific symbolic meaning. Next stop is Taman Sari complex, known during Dutch colonial times as the “Water Castle”. Yogyakarta is famous as a centre for batik production; Indonesian batik is included in UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the afternoon transfer to the airport for a short flight to Bali. On arrival, transfer to the hotel.

Morning will be spent at leisure. Later, transfer to the airport to board your flight back home.