INDONESIA

🚶 Ubud is the green heart of Bali, where ancient traditions live side by side with cozy cafes and galleries. Start with Puri Saren Agung Palace at the corner of Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Monkey Forest: carved gates, family shrines, and evening dances under the flicker of oil lamps instantly immerse you in the island’s atmosphere. Across the road is Ubud Market: the aroma of coffee and vanilla, the rustle of batik, wooden masks, and Jepara weaving. After sunset, take a walk to the bridge over the Campuhan River—your first look at Ubud’s living, jungle-breathing landscape.

🚶 The sacred sanctuary Mandala Suci Wenara Wana (Ubud Monkey Forest) is a temple complex in an old-growth forest with bridges, stone guardians, and seven hundred macaques. It’s best to go early in the morning: sunbeams pierce through giant banyans, mist drifts over the stone, cicadas call to each other in the branches. Follow the rules (hold nothing in your hands, zip your backpack), and the walk becomes pure pleasure. In the afternoon—an unhurried rendezvous with nature on the Campuhan Ridge Walk: a narrow hill crest, rice terraces and coconut palms, where the wind brings the scent of wet grass and blooming frangipani.

🚶 The Tegalalang rice terraces are Bali’s emblem: cascades of emerald “steps” with subak irrigation channels, morning light reflecting in the water. You can descend via boardwalks down to hanging beams and viewpoints. Then—Tirta Empul springs in Tampaksiring: ritual bathing pools, bas-reliefs, and the scent of sandalwood. Total time for the route with stops is 4–6 hours; it’s better to leave before 08:00 to catch the cool air and soft light.

🚶 Ubud is the capital of Balinese art. Start with ARMA (Agung Rai Museum of Art): Balinese classics and contemporary works, keris (daggers) and sculpture in a shady garden. Then—Neka Art Museum in Campuhan: pavilions by painting schools (Batuan, Ubud, “wayang” style), Robert Koke’s photography pavilion and a keris hall. To finish—Blanco Museum on the hill above the Campuhan River: the eccentric residence of Antonio Blanco with tropical gardens and exotic birds. This trio offers a rare “panorama” of Bali—from mythology to the authorial lens of the 20th century.

⛴️ In the morning, head to the new Sanur port: the fast boat to Nusa Penida takes ~35–45 minutes. On the island—“postcard” views: Kelingking (dinosaur rock and the turquoise horseshoe bay), Broken Beach—a stone arch over the ocean, Angel’s Billabong—a natural “infinity pool” (swim only at low tide and with caution). The roads are narrow and winding, so it’s more comfortable to take a car with a driver. Return on the same boat by sunset—and dinner in Ubud.

🚗 Morning relocation to the Bukit area (Uluwatu/Jimbaran): 1.5–2 hours including traffic through Denpasar. During the day—beach terraces beneath limestone cliffs (Balangan, Melasti), soft sand and big waves. By sunset—Uluwatu Temple on the cliff: stone gates, mischievous monkeys, waves crashing against the rocks a hundred meters below. In the amphitheater—fiery kecak dance against a crimson sky. Night—in a hotel above the ocean.

🚶 A day to unwind: surf meetups at Balangan, photo spots and bright grottoes of Melasti, the turquoise water of Padang Padang. In the evening—sunset and grilled fish on Jimbaran’s sandy shore: tables under lanterns, the hush of surf and a hint of mangrove smoke—a gentle finale to the Bali segment.

✈️ Transfer: Denpasar (Ngurah Rai, DPS) → Yogyakarta International Airport (YIA) — ~1h 20m flight; then the airport express train/KA Bandara to Tugu station (central Yogyakarta) ~40–50 minutes. Check-in and a walk along Malioboro: street musicians, antique shops, batik, and gudeg street food.

🚶 In the evening—the city’s “royal axis”: from the Tugu monument to the Kraton (the Sultan’s palace). Jogja is the capital of Javanese culture: crafts, court dances, wayang shadows, sweet tea and unhurried courtyards where time feels thicker and quieter.

🚶 Sunrise at Borobudur: a nine-tier Buddhist mahastupa from the 9th century in a valley with the Menoreh hills—stucco domes and bell-shaped stupas where the first rays illuminate the “Jataka” reliefs. It’s best to book your visit in advance (the number of climbs to the upper terraces is limited). During the day—Magelang’s village roads: rice, tobacco plantations and Javanese coffee.

🚶 By sunset—Prambanan’s Hindu ensemble: slender shining towers of Shaivite temples, bas-reliefs of the “Ramayana.” If the dates align—an evening “Ramayana” ballet on the open-air stage by the temples (seasonal).

🚆 Transfer: Yogyakarta (Tugu station) → Malang (Malang Kota Baru station) by direct KAI train — ~5h 30m–6h 30m depending on the train (there are daytime services). Along the way—Central Java rice fields, then the hills of East Java.

🚶 In the evening—the Dutch axis of Ijen Boulevard: art deco mansions, a church and manicured alleys, coffee shops and bakeries. For contrast—the colorful Jodipan neighborhood (Kampung Warna-Warni) the next morning.

🚙 Night departure (~00:30–01:30) from Malang by 4×4 jeep to Cemoro Lawang. By 04:00–04:30—climb to one of the viewpoints (King Kong Hill/Penanjakan/Bukit Cinta): a thin lilac sky, the caldera in bluish mist, and the fiery cone of Semeru on the horizon. After sunrise—descent across the “Sea of Sand,” Poten Temple and the staircase to Bromo’s crater: the smell of sulfur, a roar, and the hot breath of the earth. Return to Malang during the day, relax by the pool/spa.

🚗 Transfer to Surabaya (via the Pandaan–Malang Toll Road) ~2–2.5 hours. During the day — House of Sampoerna: a tobacco factory-museum with colonial architecture and exhibits, then — Tugu Pahlawan and the underground 10 November Museum: a chronicle of the 1945 Battle of Surabaya, where the myth of the “City of Heroes” was born.

✈️ Surabaya (SUB) → Bali (DPS) ~50–60 minutes. During the day — Seminyak or Canggu beaches: surf schools, specialty-coffee cafés, sunset with palm silhouettes and the soft hum of the surf. In the evening — dinner and a stroll along Double Six/Petitenget.

🚶 Morning — a leisurely breakfast, souvenirs (batik, coffee, spices). Departure from DPS with traffic in mind: for international flights leave 3 hours before departure, for domestic flights — 2 hours.