Java to Bali itinerary with family

Hi everyone,

We’re heading to Java and Bali this coming July/August with our daughters, aged 9 and 6.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on our itinerary. There are as many possible trips as there are travelers, and everyone will have their own preferences, but the goal is to get a general feel and see if there are any major incompatibilities or mistakes that could prevent us from making the most of this exceptional trip.

Here’s our plan:

Day 1: Arrival in Jakarta at 7 PM, overnight in Jakarta Day 2: Flight from Jakarta (8 AM) to Karimunjawa for rest and adjusting after the journey and time difference Day 3: Karimunjawa – beaches, snorkeling, boat trip to a deserted island Day 4: Karimunjawa – beaches, snorkeling, boat trip to a deserted island Day 5: Morning flight from Karimunjawa to Semarang, transfer to a guesthouse in Borobudur for rest and early night Day 6: Borobudur sunrise visit, transfer to Prambanan for a tour, then to a guesthouse in Yogyakarta Day 7: Train from Yogyakarta to Probolinggo, transfer to Cemoro Lawang for the night Day 8: Bromo sunrise hike, then trip to Kawah Ijen (Brondowoso or Banyuwangi depending on the tour, ideally arranged through our Yogyakarta guesthouse) for the night Day 9: Early morning hike up Kawah Ijen to avoid the heat (no blue flames with the kids), boat to Bali, transfer to Pejarakan for rest after three early mornings Day 10: Pejarakan/Menjangan – beach, snorkeling, boat trip to an island, diving, turtle arch (details to be confirmed) Day 11: Pejarakan/Menjangan – beach, snorkeling, boat trip to an island, diving, turtle arch (details to be confirmed), transfer to the Munduk area in the late afternoon Day 12: Munduk – lake and Ulun Danu Temple Day 13: Munduk/Jatiluwih, transfer to Amed in the late afternoon Day 14: Amed/Jemeluk – details to be confirmed, including sunrise at Mount Agung Day 15: Amed/Jemeluk – details to be confirmed, transfer to Keliki painting school in the Ubud area in the late afternoon Day 16: Keliki painting school activities/rice terraces/Tirta Empul (details to be confirmed) Day 17: Keliki painting school activities/rice terraces/Tirta Empul (details to be confirmed) Day 18: Ubud – Monkey Forest, overnight in Ubud Day 19: Ubud, transfer to Nusa Lembongan Day 20: Nusa Lembongan Day 21: Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Penida/Manta Point (details to be confirmed) Day 22: Nusa Lembongan/Nusa Penida/Manta Point (details to be confirmed) Day 23: Transfer from Lembongan to Gili Asahan via Gili Gede (1h20 + 30-minute boat ride) Day 24: Gili Asahan – beach, snorkeling, boat trip to a deserted island Day 25: Gili Asahan – beach, snorkeling, boat trip to a deserted island Day 26: Transfer from Gili Asahan to Serangan via Gili Gede (30 minutes + 2h15 boat ride), then from Serangan to Denpasar Airport, flight from Denpasar to Jakarta Day 27: Jakarta, then return flight at 7 PM

We chose Gili Asahan over the "other three Gili islands" based on recommendations from Lonely Planet and these sites: - www.onedayonetravel.com/...secrete-bali-lombok/ - petitesbullesdailleurs.fr/...i-asahan-ile-lombok/

Our goal is to end the trip in a beautiful, less touristy spot (only three accommodations on the island) known for its tranquility as of 2017, so it’s recent. With accommodation and boat transfers costing 950 € for three nights, we really don’t want to make a mistake!

Starting with Karimunjawa was a deliberate choice—it’s a quieter island, and we wanted a calm place to acclimate, rest after the long trip and work, before heading straight to Borobudur from Jakarta to avoid wasting time "in the city."

Given the events of the past two years, the distance, and our non-extendable vacation budget, we had to rule out Lombok, Flores, and Sulawesi, despite their many attractions.

Hi there, doing Borobudur, Prambanan, Bromo, and Kawah Ijen with the transfer to Bali in 4 days with two little ones might feel a bit rushed. We were there at the end of November and found the climb up Ijen not exactly easy... Maybe consider staying a night in Banyuwangi before taking the ferry. Java really deserves a bit more time to explore. But that’s just my two cents. @micalement Gaston

Hi there, We went to Bali and Kawa Ijen as a family (parents and kids aged 11—not sporty at all—and 17) last summer. I just wanted to share a quick note about Munduk: we loved it! It’s a village with a main road, and the Balinese people are super friendly. The landscapes are stunning. We visited the rice terraces—those farther away are really beautiful (you have to follow a road that goes uphill, lined with gorgeous clove trees, and it’s quite a climb). We also did the hike with the four waterfalls: it’s steep but easier than the rice terraces, and the scenery is amazing. You’ll need to take breaks often. What made it even better was seeing a bit of local life—people transporting poultry on motorcycles and harvesting cloves. ... Like you, we wanted to go to the lake, but reviews online and our hotel owner talked us out of it. Our guesthouse gave us the routes for the waterfalls and rice terraces. Food is really cheap there. The only downside: it takes *forever*... the dishes are made to order, so go before you get hungry!!! I highly recommend this place. It’s in this little town that we got to see the local way of life, whereas other spots felt very touristy and commercial. Kids would come up to us and laugh while trying to speak English. I’m not saying there are no tourists in Munduk—there are, especially French ones. Just a little contribution about Munduk. We also went to Amed and Menjangan and loved them both. Happy planning for this amazing destination!

Correction It should read "local life" and not "local view"... in the waterfall hike section.

Hello,

I completely agree with Gaston70: you’re going to rush through this part of Java (from Borobudur to the Bali ferry dock), and that’s a real shame.

Cramming in both Bromo and Ijen like that means you won’t have time to savor them the way they deserve (I know what I’m talking about—I made that mistake myself 😕).

In fact, the biggest regret from my month in Indonesia with my family was rushing the Ijen hike and the boat from Ketapang to Bali. We didn’t take enough time to enjoy Ijen, and we really should have.

That said, it’s definitely a personal preference thing...

Hi there,

I completely agree with Gaston70: you're going to rush through this part of Java (from Borobudur to the Bali ferry dock), and that's a real shame.

Chaining Bromo and Ijen like that, you won't have time to savor them the way they deserve (I know what I'm talking about—I made that mistake myself 😕).

In particular, my biggest regret from our month in Indonesia with family was rushing the Ijen hike and the boat from Ketapang to Bali. We didn’t take enough time to enjoy Ijen, and we should have.

That said, it’s really a matter of personal preference...

Hello and thank you all for your replies.

You're right—the Borobudur/Bromo/Kawah Ijen stretch was one of my biggest dilemmas, and I’d already read that it’s worth taking more time, but it’s tough to decide!

I’m still torn between using an agency for peace of mind or organizing everything myself for more freedom. To take things slower, like staying an extra night at Bromo or Banyuwangi before the Kawah Ijen hike, and especially spending more time at Bromo and Kawah Ijen instead of being part of the jeep horde during peak season—especially since it falls on a Friday/Saturday.

If we decide to extend our time at Bromo/Kawah Ijen, that means cutting out another stop, because it doesn’t make sense to spend just one day at the smaller stops. So, Amed would probably be the one to go.

What do you think?

Thanks.

Nicolas.

We really loved Amed. It’s a bit of a unique spot in Bali, and most importantly, we found very few tourists there (and from what I read in your first message, that’s what you’re looking for). That said, (and I might sound contradictory here) with everything you’re doing beforehand—especially the volcano at Bromo and the snorkeling in the Gili Islands and Menjangan—it does seem like skipping Amed isn’t a bad option (since Amed’s main draws are the volcano and snorkeling... Okay, I’m oversimplifying a bit, sorry about that). Still, you’d miss out on the gray sand beaches and the colorful fishing boats setting off... But more and more, I’m a fan of taking it slow, cutting out stops to avoid rushing. With kids, long travel times—especially in high season—and everything you’re doing before, skipping Amed doesn’t seem unreasonable...

Just in case, and to back up my point a little, here’s a link to the 12-day itinerary we did in Bali a year ago (with some of the spots you mentioned)... Hope you find some extra info in there! 🙂: https://un-tour-dans-le-sac.fr/voyage/voyage-bali/

So it would be better to remove Amed, then.

What do you think?

That seems wiser to me too, but since I’m part of the 0.1% who didn’t particularly love Bali 🙂, you’d be better off trusting more common opinions than mine on this!

Thanks to everyone for your additional responses.

If we skip Amed, we "save" two days/nights. One would be added to Bromo/Kawah Ijen, so we’re wondering about the second.

Either add it to Menjangan to relax a bit longer after Borobudur/Bromo/Kawah Ijen Or head to Munduk/Jatiluwih to explore more authentic and peaceful spots Or extend the beach time on Lembongan to take our time discovering Lembongan and Nusa Penida properly, including the boat trips.

Would you have any thoughts, please?

About agencies for the Bromo/Kawah Ijen tour from Jogja: if you take the tour, you're stuck with the fixed schedules (no freedom). If you travel from Jogja to Probolinggo or Malang by train (it's a bit long...), you can book the Bromo tour through your guesthouse, then transfer to Banyuwangi (which is really long...), and do the same with your new guesthouse for the Ijen. You'll have more flexibility with your schedule. No worries about the transfer to Bali—your guesthouse can handle it. Of course, you can organize the tours yourself on the spot: you'll save money, but it'll cost you time and add stress... But either way, keep cool—Javanese people are lovely and they always find solutions to every problem...

Hello

I read that you went to Bali with your family last summer. Could you tell me how you got around while you were there? We’re heading to Bali for three weeks next summer—there’ll be nine of us (4 adults and 5 kids)—and we’d like to find a driver (just one car). Did you plan your transportation ahead of time, or did you figure it out once you were there? Best regards

Hi Balthazar,

I’ve always used private drivers arranged by accommodations. It’s very common, well-organized, cheap compared to France, and more expensive but faster and more comfortable than buses.

Thanks for your reply! Best,

Hi there, I’d like to visit Bromo / Ijen through an agency for simplicity. Do you know any good agencies? This would be for April. Thanks in advance.