Things to Do in Indonesia: A 3-Week Itinerary

We had 3 weeks and decided to travel around the island of Java, Bali and the Gili Islands. The itinerary covers those islands, plus other options you can add if you have more days.

• Day 1: Jakarta
• Days 2 and 3: Yogyakarta
• Days 4, 5 and 6: Mount Bromo and Ijen Volcano
• Days 7, 8, 9 and 10: Bali (Ubud)
• Days 10 and 11: Nusa Penida
• Day 12: Nusa Ceningan
• Days 13, 14 and 15: Gili Islands
• Days 16, 17 and 18: Bali (Canggu)

Day 1. Flight to Jakarta

Our flight landed in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Given everything we'd read, and since we had no days to spare, we didn't spend any time there and carried on to Yogyakarta, the city of temples. You can get there by plane or by train. We chose the 9-hour train because we were on a tight budget and also wanted a different, more local experience. And that's what we got, but we recommend flying to save time.

From the airport we took a Grab (the Uber of Southeast Asia) to Pasar Senen station, where we caught the train.

Our experience was very good: the trains leave on time and the Javanese helped us with everything we needed. Java isn't the most touristy island and almost everything is in Indonesian, but don't let that scare you! People will be more than happy to help.

After a long journey we reached Yogyakarta at 22:30. Since we knew we'd be arriving at night, we booked a hotel near the station. That turned out to be a good call, because at that hour you couldn't see a thing and there weren't many people around to ask…

Days 2 and 3. Yogyakarta

It's considered the island's cultural capital and is one of its most touristy cities, because it's home to 2 very important temple sites: Borobudur and the Prambanan temples.

We spent the first day getting lost in the city, wandering its little streets, eating like locals and watching the sunset at Pinus Pengger: Things to do in Yogyakarta.

The second day started at 3 in the morning, because we were going to watch the sunrise at the impressive Borobudur temple and then tour the Prambanan temples. For that we hired a driver who picked us up at the hotel, took us to the temples and to lunch, and dropped us back at the hotel in the afternoon. After a short nap we went to see one of the main streets: Malioboro.

Total nights in Yogyakarta: 3.

Days 4, 5 and 6. Mount Bromo and Ijen Volcano

Our tour to Mount Bromo and Ijen started in Surabaya, a city 7 hours by train from Yogyakarta. The journey took us all day, but we started the tour that same night. There are other ways to do it, but we went with the cheapest: the train cost us US$5 each.

At 14:30 we took the train from Yogyakarta to Surabaya, where our driver would pick us up to start the tour that same night.

On the first day we watched the sunrise at Mount Bromo, walked around its crater and headed to our hotel near the second stop: Ijen Volcano.

In the small hours of the next day we started the drive to Kawah Ijen volcano. You do this one at night so you can see the volcano's famous blue fires and then watch the sunrise start to light up the most acidic lake in the world, an experience that's really worth it.

Back in the car, our driver took us to the port of Ketapang, where we caught a ferry to Bali. It costs US$0.60 and takes 30-40 minutes to reach the island. How to get to Bali from Java, and how to get from the port to Ubud.

Days 7, 8, 9 and 10. Bali (Ubud)

One of the best ways to see Bali is to stay in Ubud and explore the island from there. Most people do it by motorbike, since it's one of the cheapest options and gives you total freedom. Neither of us had ever ridden a motorbike, and Bali isn't the best place to learn, with its chaotic streets and all its ups and downs, so we hired a local driver who took us everywhere we asked.

There's so much to do in and around Ubud: What to do in Ubud in 4 days and where to stay.

Total nights in Ubud: 5.

Days 10 and 11. Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is one of 3 islands south of Bali that are really worth a visit. The other 2 are Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.

To get there we took a ferry from Bali to Nusa Penida, which we booked through the hotel. Ubud has lots of little stalls selling tours and transfers, but each one quoted us a different price. We ended up going with the hotel's for convenience and peace of mind. It included a transfer from Ubud to the port of Sanur and a fast boat from there to Nusa Penida. It costs US$18 per person and the trip takes about 4 hours.

What to do in Nusa Penida in 2 days and where to stay.

Total nights in Nusa Penida: 2.

Day 12. Nusa Ceningan

To cross from Nusa Penida to Nusa Ceningan we took a public boat for US$3.50 each. It leaves every 30 minutes from the island's port.

It's the smallest of the 3 Nusas, and you can easily get around it on foot or by motorbike, since the roads are in much better shape, with no ups and downs. What to do in Nusa Ceningan and where to stay.

Total nights in Nusa Ceningan: 1.

Days 13, 14 and 15. Gili Trawangan

The Gilis are 3 small islands northwest of Lombok with white-sand beaches and turquoise water, perfect for relaxing for a few days and snorkeling with turtles. And you can't miss the underwater museum!

You can get there by fast boat from the Nusas as well as from Bali and Lombok. We went from Nusa Ceningan and it cost us US$18 each. It took 3 hours, with a stop in Bali to pick up more people before carrying on.

What to do in the Gilis and which island to stay on.

Total nights on Gili T: 3

Days 16, 17 and 18. Bali (Canggu)

Our last stop was Canggu, a beach in southern Bali. The area is full of Australians, since it's the closest and cheapest place they have to escape the winter. It's a paradise for vegan and healthy food, surfing and yoga, and chic clothing and decor shops.

It's a really cool place, perfect for a few relaxing days after so much traveling, but we don't think it's an essential stop on your itinerary.

Keep in mind that the beaches aren't the paradise kind, so if that's what you're after, you won't find them here.

We used our time here to unwind after 15 nonstop days, enjoy a bit of Western food and read a good book on the beach.

Total nights in Canggu: 3

Alternative plan

Days 15, 16, 17 and 18. Labuan Bajo and Komodo National Park

It's an idyllic national park between the islands of Flores and Sumbawa, known for the Komodo dragons that live there and for its incredible beaches and landscapes.

To visit the park you can go on a tour from the Gili Islands or Bali (4 days by boat), or you can fly to Labuan Bajo and do a 1, 2 or 3-day boat tour. You can book the tour from Labuan Bajo or the Gilis, but if you're traveling in high season, we recommend booking ahead.

We would have loved to do this trip, but since we were traveling in high season, and because it's believed the park will close for 2 years in 2020, prices were sky-high and way beyond our budget.