⛩ 🌋 Exploring Java 🌅 🇮🇩

After two relaxing days at the pool of our resort in Bali, we got on the plane to reach the neighboring island of Bali, called Java... ✈️ 👩‍✈️

Upon arrival in Yogyakarta, we were greeted by Wati, our friendly German-speaking tour guide, along with six other Germans, and started our tour to explore the classic highlights of Java. 🤗

Wati, who is also a teacher (and sometimes strict with us when we took too many photos instead of listening to her numerous stories about the gods of Buddhism and Hinduism), quickly made it clear to us that vacation and a tour are two contrasting words and we should save sleeping in, lazing around, and getting tanned for Bali. So every morning, we were awakened by the too loud phone set in the hotel room with a morning call, making sure that we all stood in line when Wati arrived with the tour bus between six and seven in the morning to pick us up.

But anyone who begins to think badly of her is mistaken. She was a very warm, patient, and motivated guide who answered every question that was on our minds. 👍🏽👍🏽

Wati took us to the Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world, then to the rice terraces and the dreamlike mountain scenery of Central Java to the Dieng Plateau and its volcanic sources. During a city tour of Yogayakarta, we not only saw the Sultan's Palace and the ruins of a water castle but also the Hindu sanctuary Prambanan.

After a long train journey to East Java and more hours on the bus, we arrived at a simple mountain hotel. On the last day, we had to give it all again, as we got up at 3 o'clock in the morning to witness a gigantic sunrise at the panoramic platform of Mount Penanjakan! And getting up early was definitely worth it! The tired eyes were blown away by the play of colors of the sun and especially by the unique view of Mount Bromo (an active volcano). 😍 Afterwards, we drove in jeeps to the crater of Mount Bromo, rode the last stretch on ponies, and took a quick, awe-inspiring look at the smoking, bubbling interior before descending again in time, as we valued our lives and were a bit scared. 🙀😹

After this highlight, our tour ended and so did our time in Java, and we returned from East Java to Denpasar, South Bali.

Conclusion: Java is Bali's unknown neighbor, which is definitely worth a trip! ♥️