Exotic Java And Bali

Our tour starts late afternoon in Yogyakarta. Situated almost exactly halfway along the length of Java, in an area considered to be the heartland of the Javanese, Yogakarta is home to some of the island's oldest traditions and blessed with a rich, fertile soil from the volcanic ash. It is the cultural capital of Java, with a real mixture of cultural influences, including Hindu and Buddhist temples, dating from the 8th century, Islamic Palaces from the 18th century and Dutch colonial architecture that harks back to the days when the Netherlands held much of Java in its imperialistic grip. For those arriving on time our Leader plans to meet you in the hotel reception at 6pm for the welcome meeting and for those that wish, there is the chance to go out for dinner. There are no other activities planned today, so you are free to arrive in Yogyakarta at any time. If you would like to receive a complimentary airport transfer today, you will need to arrive into Yogyakarta International Airport, approximately 1 hour 30 minutes from our hotel. Should you miss the welcome meeting, your Leader will inform you of any essential information over breakfast on day two. If your flight arrives earlier in the day, perhaps you might choose to wonder down Malioboro Street and try any of the fantastic street vendors, or explore a former colonial fortress, which now houses Fort Vredeburg Museum.

This morning we enjoy a fun tour of Yogyakarta by 'becaks', a cycle rickshaw where the driver sits and peddles behind the passenger. The ride will take us to the Kraton Palace and Taman Sari Water Castle. Built by Java's first ruling sultan, Mangkubumi, the palace lies at the heart of a walled city that houses tens of thousands of people, whilst parts of the outer walls are still occupied by Javanese royalty. Later we drive out of the city, heading for the Hindu temple complex of the Prambanan Plain. This remarkable area is home to an incredible array of temples and palaces from the 8th and 9th centuries. We stay here to watch the sunset before returning to Yogyakarta.

This morning we head west to Borobodur, the largest and most impressive Buddhist monument in the southern hemisphere. Constructed in the 8th century this incredible monument, a petrified vision of the Buddhist cosmos, was lost for 900 years when Mount Merapi erupted and covered Borobodur in a layer of volcanic ash. The structure itself is immense, a gigantic Buddhist stupa constructed from two million blocks that covers an area of 200sq metres and rises some 34.5 metres above the Kedu Plain. Older by nearly half a century than the site at Prambanan, Borobodur is believed to have been built on the top of the foundations for what was originally a temple dedicated to Shiva, abandoned by the Hindu Sanjayas when their Buddhist rivals the Saliendras swept through the Malay peninsula during the 8th century. A combination of earthquakes, subsidence and the mass migration of the Javanese to the east of the island saw the temple abandoned sometime during the 9th century, to be rediscovered again later by the British. Substantial work has been carried out to salvage the exquisite carvings and designs that adorn the structure and we can wander through the site today and marvel at the incredible detail of its narrative panels, which detail everything from Buddhist doctrines to the daily life of the Javanese. We return to Yogyakarta later in the afternoon. There is the opportunity to view a performance of Ramayana Ballet, an adaptation of the Hindu epic in the evening.