After a short visit to Malaysia and Singapore, we arrived in Indonesia, where we plan to stay for an extended period of time, enjoying the most amazing nature and culture of the archipelago of Indonesia!

Overview of Indonesia

Indonesia is a largest country in Southeast Asia, comprising of more than 17,000 islands. Since Indonesia is located around the equator, the immensity of its spread is not often well-understood. As the photo above shows, Indonesia is much wider than the US! With a population of more than 275 million people, Indonesia is home to a large number of ethnicities, chief among them Javanese, Sundanese, and Batak. Each group has its own unique traditions, languages, and cultural practices, contributing to Indonesia’s rich and diverse tapestry of cultures.

Indonesia boasts the world’s largest Muslim population. Much like Malaysia, Islam spread to Indonesia primarily through trade routes, with Muslim traders and missionaries playing a significant role starting from the 13th century, and becoming more widespread in the 14th century. Europeans arrived in Indonesia in the early 16th century, beginning with the Portuguese in search of the lucrative spice trade. The Dutch came later, and fought with the Portuguese for control over the spice trade. Eventually, the Dutch emerged victorious and established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the early 17th century, which effectively controlled the spice trade in the region. The Dutch colonial rule lasted for over three centuries, during which they implemented various policies to exploit the resources of the Indonesian archipelago.

Under Dutch colonial rule, Indonesia underwent significant changes. The Dutch implemented a system known as the Cultivation System, which forced peasants to grow cash crops such as coffee, sugar, and indigo for export, leading to widespread poverty and famine. They also imposed a strict hierarchy based on race, with the Dutch at the top, followed by the “Indo-Europeans” (Eurasians), and then the native Indonesians at the bottom.

Resistance to Dutch colonial rule grew over time, culminating in the Indonesian National Revolution, which began in 1945 and lasted until 1949. The revolution resulted in Indonesia’s independence from Dutch rule, with the country officially declaring its independence on August 17, 1945.

Getting Indonesian visa

Indonesia requires visa for most people, and depending on your passport, you can get visa-on-arrival (VOA) which is valid for 30 days, or you need to apply for visa beforehand. People who can get VOA also can get electronic VOA (e-VOA) before the trip, which makes it a bit confusing. Nevertheless, I highly recommend getting an e-VOA instead of a VOA at the airport for the following reasons: 1) You sort out the visa requirements before the trip, so no surprises when you arrive, 2) you sail through immigration, as most people would line up to get VOA beforehand, and 3) most importantly, if you get e-VOA, and plan to extend your visa for additional 30 days, you can do it online with a few clicks, but if you get VOA, you have to go to an immigration office in a major city, and go through some bureaucracy to get the extension. The downside of applying for e-VOA is that you have to deal with their website. This blog post does a good job of walking you around the process, and at the time of writing this post, it was up to date.

One little problem with applying for both VOA or e-VOA is that they require an onward ticket. You even have to upload the onward ticket during the process of applying for e-VOA. If you have that already, this is not an issue, but for people who haven’t planned their trip fully yet, and might even be thinking about extending it, this is a problem. If you think about it, this is a rather strange demand to have an onward ticket, when there is an option to extend the visa.

There are many discussions online on how to handle this: Some people say it’s best to buy a throw-away ticket, but that can be pretty pricey. Others say it’s best to get a refundable ticket, and once you are in the country, you can cancel it. In my experience, airlines always find a way to screw you over, even if they claim the ticket is fully refundable. Finally, some say it’s best to get a rather fake onward ticket - and there are many website that do that for a charge - but that’s a whole other can of worms. If you are in this situation, these are your options. For us, I just screen-captured a potential itinerary on a flight booking website, and uploaded that to the system. Since the whole system is automated, they don’t even check. In fact, you get your visas immediately after pressing submit. During the check-in, and immigration, we just said we plan to leave by a given date, and they didn’t ask us for a proof. In fact at the immigration, they told us that we can extend the visa online. Having said that, this was a bit risky - though I had a plan B - but at the end of the day, it worked out fine. I do not recommend this option though, if you don’t want to deal with the risk.

Yogyakarta

Our first stop in Java was the city of Yogyakarta, also known as Jogja. We arrived from Singapore with AirAsia without a hiccup. We took the scenic train from the airport to the city, while enjoying the views of rice paddies all along. We then took a Grab to our Airbnb, where we stayed for 5 nights.

Prambanan Temple

We took advantage of the one-hour time difference between Singapore and Java, going to bed early and rising early to visit the magnificent Prambanan Temple. This ancient site, dating back to the 9th century, is a stunning example of Hindu temple architecture in Southeast Asia, predating the temples of Angkor but in a similar style. It’s possible that the Khmers learned how to build large stone temples from the Javanese. Despite enduring centuries of natural disasters and human activities, Prambanan’s temples stand tall, showcasing intricate stone carvings and towering spires that reflect their grandeur. After exploring Prambanan, we visited Cewu Temple within the same complex, which was almost as impressive but devoid of visitors. We had the entire place to ourselves, wandering among the marvelous ruins. I really wanted to photograph these places for sunrise, but unfortunately they open at 6:30 AM, which is too late for good light.

Borobudur Temple

The highlight of visiting Yogyakarta is, of course, the majestic Borobudur Temple. This ancient Buddhist temple, dating back to the 9th century, is one of the largest and most impressive Buddhist monuments in the world. Its design is a marvel of symmetry and symbolism, with intricate carvings depicting stories from Buddhist scriptures. The temple is set against a backdrop of lush greenery and surrounded by volcanoes, adding to its mystical atmosphere.

Borobudur Temple in Indonesia is a popular destination, especially before the pandemic when there were no visitor quotas. The top of the temple, known for its photogenic views, was often crowded, particularly during sunrise. However, due to the pandemic, there have been changes. Visitors now purchase tickets for specific time slots, with a maximum of 150 people per slot. Additionally, there are no longer sunrise tours, and the temple closes before sunset.

During our visit, we chose the last time slot to capture softer sunlight and potentially better scenery, but unfortunately, we experienced intermittent rain. Despite not getting the ideal shots, we still found the temple’s beauty captivating. The top level, adorned with many stupas shaped like inverted bells, each housing a Buddha statue, was particularly stunning.

Given that Borobudur is a 1.5-hour drive from Yogyakarta and the entrance ticket is relatively expensive, we decided not to revisit. Nonetheless, we were fortunate to visit when there were fewer tourists, allowing us to explore and take photos to our heart’s content.

In Yogyakarta, we met this kind driver who showed us around and shared his life story. Turns out, he worked for 9 months on a European cruise ship, but given his weak passport, he was stuck onboard the whole time! He also lived through the massive Yogyakarta earthquake in 2004. His house crumbled, but luckily his family was okay. He admitted he’s still freaked by tremors even now. The pandemic forced him to sell his car, but with tourism bouncing back, he’s pumped to be his own boss again. Plus, he shared tons of Indonesia travel tips! These random meetings, even the short ones, are what make travel so special, you know? They add this whole other layer to the adventure.

Mt. Bromo

Many years ago, I came across a photo of sunrise at Mt. Bromo, and I was blown away by how unreal it looked like! When we planned our trip to Indonesia, I knew I had to witness it firsthand and capture it with my own camera.

Arranging a visit to Mt. Bromo for sunrise can be somewhat complex and requires thorough research. To cut a long story short, there are several base locations to choose from, but I soon realized that for us, staying as close as possible is optimal. We lodged in a homestay just 30 minutes from the trailhead, between Probolinggo and Mt. Bromo, although in hindsight, we could have stayed even closer. We extended our stay to 4 nights, twice as long as most visitors, to allow for some relaxation, which proved to be a great choice as the first two days were rainy and cloudy. We visited at the end of the rainy season, so this weather was expected.

Traveling with a toddler isn’t exactly conducive to a sunrise hike, so I was unsure how to proceed. However, my wife suggested that she stay behind and let me go alone for the photo. Her mind changed quickly when she saw the joy on my face upon my return, and she wanted to experience it herself the next day. So we revisited the site together with our son waking up at 3:00 AM, hoping he would sleep in the car. He ended up waking up and walking all the way to the first sunrise viewpoint with us!

The second day, we also went to the Mt. Bromo crater. We started with a jeep ride to a nearby spot, then hiked to the base of the mountain. After that, it was all stairs all the way to the crater rim. The walk wasn’t exactly relaxing, though. There were tons of guys with horses who kept offering rides (for a price, of course) and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Plus, all their trotting kicked up a ton of dust. But hey, the crater itself was definitely worth it. You could see steam constantly billowing out with these low, rumbling sounds.

Witnessing the sunrise over Mt. Bromo and the surrounding volcanoes was an unforgettable experience, a memory (and pictures) that will stay with us for the rest of our lives! Our next stop is going to be the most famous island of Bali.

Tips about visiting Mt. Bromo for the sunrise

First let me clarify that it’s somewhat inaccurate to refer to the entire area as Mt. Bromo, as that name specifically applies to one of the volcanoes—the small one that consistently emits smoke. The other volcanoes in the vicinity have their own distinct names, but the collective term “Mt. Bromo” is commonly used to describe the entire complex.
I would highly suggest staying in Cemoro Lawang, if you plan to go up for the sunrise. You could also visit from Probolinngo, which would add 2h each way, and you have to find a driver to take you there at 1:30 AM or so. Some people come over from other cities, but that is way too long and expensive.
There are two ways to see the sunrise: 1) Ride a jeep to King Kong Hill, and walk a bit to get to the view point, or 2) hike up from the end of the road that leads to “Seruni Point”. The former is easier, but much more expensive, since you have to pay the national park entrance fee, as well as the jeep. The latter can be done by yourself, though you can take a scooter ride from your hotel to the trailhead for cheap. There is also a small local fee to enter that area.
If you plan to do the hike, make sure you’re at the trailhead around 4. It takes one hour to hike up, which is all uphill.
The path starts as a road, then turns into stairs until Seruni Point. After that, there is no paved path, and you have to hike up along a narrow path, which is not marked well. This is challenging since it is pitch dark, but follow other people, and you’ll be fine.
Do bring warm clothes, as well as a headlamp. I only had my phone flashlight, and it worked, but a headlamp would have been much nicer.
The top viewing points get super crowded. I visited during shoulder season, but nevertheless it was packed. If I do it again, I would stop along a viewpoint halfway up the hike.
Sunrise is much better than the sunset, since the chances of clear skies are much higher. In the afternoon, it is cloudy most of the times, and it may rain, even during the dry season.
It’s best to visit Mt. Bromo during the dry season, but if you visit during the wet season, you can spend a few more nights there, and go up when the sky is clear.

Random observations about Java

Java is a majority Muslim island, and in Ramadan, they blast an extended version of call for payers, and read Quran aloud at like 4 AM in the morning for two hours, which made me sleep with earplugs all the time, and even then, I had a hard time sleeping. That happens at a few more times during the day as well, but 4 AM? Come on!
Indonesian people are really nice, and helpful. They are rather shy in speaking English, and when they do, they often laugh afterwards!
Indonesian cuisine (so far) is big on deep frying, and sweet and spicy flavors. I can’t say that it’s my favorite so far…
In Java, there are two sultanates that hold unique positions as the governors of special regions: one in Yogyakarta and the other in Surakarta. Despite Indonesia being a democratic country, these sultans retain certain powers and privileges. During our visit to the sultan’s palace in Yogyakarta, we were fascinated by the rich cultural exhibits showcasing their ceremonies, traditional clothing, and more. This arrangement offers a fascinating glimpse into Indonesia’s blend of democracy and historical traditions.

Tips about traveling in Indonesia

I always use BNI ATMs to withdraw cash, as they charged no fees. Most places do not accept credit cards, and if they do, it takes them some figuring out!
QR payment is pretty big in East and Southeast Asia, and so is in Indonesia. These payment methods are often closed to tourists, as they require local bank account. However, I have found a way to use them! If you install the Gojek app on your phone, you can load your GoPay balance in chain convenience stores like Indomaret by cash. You can then use the app to make payments with QR code.
To book train tickets, I used Traveloka. It accepts foreign credit cards, unlike tiket.com which has a ridiculous policy for such payments, involving sending them a selfie with your passport, and credit card showing the last 4 digits. It blew my mind when I learned about that!
Do not travel to Indonesia during the last week of Ramadan and the week after. More than 125 million people move around the country at that time to spend time with their families, or go on vacation!
It’s best to visit Indonesia during the dry season. As large as Indonesia is, the dry season is different in each island. Also it’s best to avoid the high season, especially in Bali, as it gets packed with tourists.
Grab is super cheap in Java. A short ride can cost 60 cents or so!