Java has one of the longest records of human habitation on the planet and was summed up best by the famous explorer and English naturalist Alfred Wallace who said in 1861 – “Taking it as a whole, and surveying it from every point of view , Java is probably the very finest and most interesting tropical island in the world”. Well said !

 

Java’s great Hindu- Buddhist and Islamic kingdoms left a wealth of architectural wonders and we explore many of these including Borobudur, Prambanan ( including the incredible Ramayana evening stage performance), Sukuh Temple and the stunning Gedong Songo, with views over many volcanos, an unforgettable sight at sunrise.

 

Our journey begins in Jakarta where we will spend 2 nights at the beautiful new Tugu Hotel described this way

 

House of Tugu, Old Town Jakarta was created over a process of 15 years, to document the stories told by Tugu Group’s family ancestors, from one generation to another, so that these beautiful pieces of history will not disappear with time. Many of these stories go back to as far as the mid 19th century, and relate to the artefacts the family inherited from them. These stories come alive when one visits the Tugu Old Town Jakarta, where displays of substantial collection of treasures from the ancestors will relate to these stories.