Highlights
Cities
Though (justifiably) stunning natural beauty and ancient spiritual sites may spring to mind when you think of Java, the island’s cities are truly captivating. The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta is a dynamic city with numerous faces; visit the country’s top museums and countless sleek malls, before sampling delicious street food. Soulful Yogyakarta is well worth a visit - a city central to Java’s artistic and cultural heritage; prepare to be amazed as Javanese spirituality, tradition and creativity is artfully combined with an urban hub of cybercafés and malls. Among the least Westernised cities on the island, Solo offers a taste of authentic Java as you stroll along its pretty batik streets.
Borobudur Temple
Known by locals as the ‘Garden of Java’, the Borobodur region boasts a picturesque landscape of unbelievable greenery and quaint rice-growing villages, at the centre of which is the UNESCO World Heritage Borobudur Temple. An utterly spectacular sight to behold, this colossal Buddhist monument – the largest of its kind in the world - has survived Gunung Merapi's eruptions and the 2006 earthquake, keeping the intricately-decorated platforms and over 500 life-size Buddha statues as mesmerising as they would have been over 1,200 years ago.
Volcanoes
Boasting one of the most mesmerising landscapes in the world, Java is characterised by steaming, dramatic volcanoes. Among Indonesia’s most breathtaking sights, the volcanic Bromo region houses the famed Gunung Bromo volcano, standing at 2392m tall - one of three to have emerged from the extensive, 10km crater - whilst just to the south, Gunung Semeru is Java’s highest peak and one of the most active. The Ijen Plateau is a vast, volcanic region comprising of a beautiful, forested alpine area, whilst sandwiched between Java and Sumatra, stands the island of Krakatoa, home to the world-renowned Krakatau peak.
National Parks
An island of utterly breathtaking natural beauty, Java houses numerous National Parks that simultaneously showcase and protect its glorious landscape. The UNESCO World Heritage Ujung Kulon National Park is characterised by lush rainforest, pristine wilderness, virgin beaches and fruitful coral reefs, as well as being the last refuge of one of the world’s most critically endangered species: the one-horned Javan rhinoceros. Boasting magnificent coastal rainforest filled with fascinating wildlife, The Meru Betiri National Park was one of the last refuges of the magnificent Java tiger, whilst Alas Purwo Park is, according to legend, where the earth first emerged from the ocean.