We all know about Bali’s infamous sunny and sandy beaches, but what about the rest of the beautiful country of Indonesia? There’s so much to explore, start researching!
Beyond the tourist hotspots in each country, you’re sure to discover many hidden gems—you just have to look for them! Keep reading to discover some of the best places to visit and hike around Indonesia.
Indonesia is a country full of some of the most beautiful natural features in the world, yet most of the islands surrounding Bali are widely unexplored by tourists. I’ve recently had the opportunity to adventure around East Java, an island to the left of Bali, and there, I discovered endless waterfalls, multiple volcanos, and mountains to hike.
All around Indonesia, there are opportunities for the adventure of a lifetime. And the best part is when you’re swimming in all those waterfalls and standing atop peaks, you could be the only one there!
Volcano upon volcano
One of Indonesia’s most incredible features is the beautiful active volcanos, ranging from almost 2,500 meters high to 3,000. The top three are Mount Merapi in Java, Ijen, and Mount Bromo in East Java. Each one is hikeable, but it’s best to hire a tour guide to help navigate the tricky trails. Here, I’ll focus on Ijen and Bromo, two of the most famous volcanos. They both erupt regularly, so be careful!
About Ijen
Ijen is a volcano complex, a group of composite volcanos in East Java. It’s most famous for the bright blue lake and the sulfur mines within it. The lake inside is known to be the most acidic in the world. I wouldn’t recommend a swim! There are plenty of beaches for that instead.
To hike the main part of Ijen, it’s best to start in the middle of the night. My tour group began at 1 am, after two hours of sleep in the back of a van. A trip like this would be an immersive travel experience rather than a vacation, so make sure you’re up for it all. Be prepared with lots of caffeine and protein bars.
The hike up is long and very steep, but you will be provided with headlamps for the dark. It’s amazing to be able to see all the stars as you’re walking, and it helps that you can’t see the tall mountain in front of you, so you never have to be discouraged! Once you near the top, you must wear a sulfur mask to prevent inhaling too much of the chemical.
The smell is very strong, so be warned, but eventually you get used to it.
At the peak
When you reach the top, the journey will have been more than worth it. Starting in the middle of the night not only allows you to experience the stars, but you will be able to witness the most serene sunrise ever. The view overlooks more mountains, volcanos, and the stunning bright blue acid lake in the middle.
Near the top, there’s a little detour down that you can take to experience the sulfur mines. You have to climb down some deadly rocks, but then there’s a little ledge that will put you right over the lake, next to some of the biggest mines. Our tour guide told us that in his mining days, he hiked up and down this Ijen volcano six times a day to collect sulfur.
The magnitude of it all serves as a helpful reminder of how small we are! Just humans on Earth romping around on a massive volcano. Perhaps it doesn’t have to be so serious. Life is good.
About Mount Bromo
Mount Bromo! The second largest volcano in Indonesia. This one looks more like what would typically come to mind when you think of a stereotypical volcano. It’s massive and gray and has eternal steam coming out of it.
Staring down into Mount Bromo feels like staring straight into the center of the earth—and you are, in a sense! It’s a very surreal experience. However, again, be prepared for the smell! I recommend wearing a medical mask at the top; it’s very dusty. I didn’t have one and sneezed for a few days afterward.
The hike up is very easy, so if you’re not much of a hiker, it’s probably best to stick to this volcano. After you cross a desert, there’s a series of stairs leading right up to the top. You don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night for this one. I actually don’t recommend it, but it will be decently busy at the top if you wait for too long.
Before Bromo
If you want an early start to your day, the King Kong Hill viewpoint is a great spot to watch the sunrise over Bromo. For this tour, you will start around 2 in the morning. It’s very easy to book a jeep ride up the hill if you’re not in the mood to walk, and the views from the top are beautiful.
Before the sun, you have an excellent view of the night sky, with stars that feel close enough to touch. The sun rises just to the left of the volcano, painting the view below you in a lazy morning light. It’s very peaceful. From there, you can make your way down and across the desert towards the volcano. If a jeep took you up, you can get it down, too!
Now for some waterfalls
Moving on from the epic volcanos, the second part of an East Java trip includes many waterfalls. Indonesia is home to some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world, with incredible hikes down and up from them. Because there are so many, if you time it right, you can be the only one there.
Among the most famous waterfalls are the Madakaripura Waterfall (the most popular), the Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, and the Air Terjun Kabut Pelangi Waterfall. The Madakaripura is probably the most gorgeous piece of nature you will ever witness. It doesn’t even look real!
The walk there is very easy, and it usually includes a quick motorbike ride offered by a local guide on the way over. There aren’t any intense stairs to get to this waterfall, making it the most popular. You can swim in it, stand under the flowing water, and jump off the edges into the deeper parts.
Waterfalls with a hike
The other two, the Tumpak Sewu Waterfall and the Air Terjun Kabut Pelangi Waterfall, are much trickier to get to, but they are worth it! Both include very steep stairs and rocks down and make sure to wear sandals because you’ll be walking through a lot of water.
However, the hike back up can be rough if you’re not very used to an infinite amount of rocky stairs, but the feeling when you make it back up is unmatched. How accomplished! Each of these waterfalls will fill you with wonder and amazement.
Just picture this: you’re standing in ankle-deep freezing cold water after you’ve just gotten very sweaty from your long journey down. Your arms are spread open, letting the harsh water cascade over your body. Maybe you scream, maybe you laugh, but overall, you’re feeling incredibly lucky to be alive.
Your turn
I bet you’re thinking, “All of this sounds amazing! How do I do it?” Well, just for you, I spoke to the organizer of the tour that I went on, and here’s how he booked everything! It’s awesome to do this trip in a group, but if you’re brave, it would be very doable alone, too.
Aulis Dömstedt, the tour organizer and photographer, informed me that he used the website TourHQ to plan the trip. It’s a website for private tour guides to find travelers and vice versa. He listed an ad describing exactly what he wanted.
Aulis asked for a tour guide to drive us around East Java, including places to stay and guided hikes for the best spots. The guide Muhammad Rifqy Maulan from Bondowoso, East Java, reached out and provided exactly that! Additionally, there are ways to use an existing tour on the website and reach out to guides that way if you aren’t so sure what you’re looking for yet.
“I highly recommend the website and the whole trip to other travelers,” Dömstedt said, “It was super easy with a guide, I just think you should add some rest days if you can!”
A closer look
I reached out to the guide, Ricky, as everyone calls him. He’s been a tour guide since 2017 and began his company in 2019. I asked him what the most interesting part of his job experience has been, and he told me that it’s amazing when he gets to bring tourists for a closer look at the local villages. In my case, I even got to attend his wedding party!
“Come to the villages and try some traditional food there!” he said. I recommend the tour for a young traveler who wants to be a villager, learning how to harvest some of the village products and make food. It’s an amazing part of the tour.”
How amazing to be a part of something so immersive. The best way to learn is through experience, and a tour like this really allows you to experience the area thoroughly.
Overall, I strongly urge you all to book this tour through Ricky! He’s really the best. For more info, check out the guide Instagram account, and his personal. Feel free to reach out to him with any questions, or to book.
To conclude, keep exploring past what you already think you know, and you’ll open endless opportunities for yourself and witness unreal beauty. Be open to it all, lack of sleep, early mornings, on the go food, now is the time! Go out and see the world, fellow travelers! Book those Indonesia tickets!
