Java : Indonesia
Java Travel Guide
Java is an island of Indonesia, and the site of its capital city, Jakarta. It is the most populous island in the world, indeed it has a larger population than either the continents of Australia or Antarctica (see the list of islands by population). Java is located in a chain of islands with Kalimantan (Borneo) to the north, Sumatra to the northwest, Bali to the east, Borneo to the northeast and Christmas Island to the south. It is the world’s 13th largest island.
Java is almost entirely of volcanic origin, and contains no less than thirty-eight mountains of that conical form which indicates their having at one time or other been active volcanoes. See Volcanoes of Java. Java is Indonesia’s most populated island and can, for convenience’s sake, be divided into three parts: West, Central and East Java. West Java is the part of the island where the capital Jakarta is located. Although some people want to get out of this slightly oppressing metropolis as quickly as possible, there are some interesting historical sights and museums. Fair chance that you will see some signs of the still ongoing explosive political situation.
The people of Java are interpretive, or so they say. If we may make a generalization, they are quiet, polite, and reserved. There are several ethnicities native to Java, from the Betawi people on the Western end of the island, to the Sunda people in the center of West Java, the Javanese, spread all over the island, and the Maduranese in the island of Madura off the coast of Surabaya.
A good day-trip from Jakarata is Bogor, offering an oasis of green gardens and probably is the first city to head for when you’re planning to see a bit more of the island. Bandung, with its architectural sites, is Java’s third biggest city and often the go-between between Jakarta and either the beach at Pangadaran or the city of Yogyakarta. However, it might be a good idea to check out the nearby waterfalls as well as the Tagnkuban Perahu with its craters, steamy pools and suffocating smell of sulpher.
Yogyakarta, on Central Java, is probably Java’s most famous and most visited city. Besides the fact that it is an enjoyable city, this is the best operation base for a visit to the Borobodur, an impressive and enormous Buddhist temple construction, and Prambanan Temple, the biggest Hindu temple complex that you’ll find on the island. Take a train from Yogya and within a hour, you’ll arrive at Solo that is a receptacle of dance, wayang and batik.
Don’t rush through the eastern part of Java because you want to get to the Bali beach as soon as possible. Besides the fact that East Java also has some good beaches, it is a pleasant area with temples, lakes, wildlife-reserves and volcanoes. Surabaya is located centrally when you want to visit Gunung Bromo, the active volcano caught in a sort of surrealistic sulpher-smelling landscape, or Madura, a charming island just off the coast where you can still imagine yourself Robinson Crusoe.
This is the beaten track in a nutshell, imagine what you’ll come across when you just jump on a train or bus and let Indonesia surprise you.
