Indonesian cuisine is generally fairly simple and cheap, with rice as the main staple, though noodles are also common, accompanied by dishes flavoured with cloves, chilies, coconut and lemongrass. Fish is popular but meats are also common.

Peanuts are a popular ingredient, especially in dishes such as sate or gado gado, so you should inform your tour leader if you have a peanut allergy. Nasi (rice) and mie (noodles) are very popular, especially the staple dish nasi goreng (fried rice). Quite often tea or water (aqua) is drunk with a meal. Beer is not always cold, and coffee is unfiltered and usually very sugary.

Vegetarian food is available in Indonesia; however, the concept of vegetarianism can be misunderstood so if you are a vegetarian, please be clear and state that you don’t eat meat, chicken or fish. Please advise at time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.

Snorkel in the waters off Padar Island, one of the three main islands of Komodo National Park. The stop offers time in the sea amid the park’s coastal scenery, with conditions and marine life varying from day to day.

Those who wish can walk to a hilltop viewpoint for sunset over the national park. From above, the island’s steep ridges and surrounding water create a striking perspective on the landscape explored by boat.

Meet your tour leader and fellow travellers over a group dinner in Bukit Lawang, a riverside village beside Gunung Leuser National Park. It is a chance to hear about the wildlife and places ahead while getting to know the people sharing the journey.

Enjoy an Indonesian welcome in a village closely connected to the surrounding rainforest. Dinner provides a relaxed introduction to local hospitality and the setting for your first encounters with Sumatra’s wildlife.

Follow an expert local guide along forest trails near Bukit Lawang, looking for wild Sumatran orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park. The guided walk takes a leisurely couple of hours, with opportunities to spot Thomas’s leaf monkeys and long-tailed macaques.

The route reaches a former orangutan feeding station, where sightings may be more likely; the itinerary also allows a return visit for another chance to look. Gunung Leuser is one of the few remaining habitats for these endangered great apes, though wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Walk through Bukit Lawang village to observe daily life and learn about the community’s history and heritage. The guided visit offers a closer view of the riverside settlement beyond its role as a gateway to Gunung Leuser National Park.

At a villager’s home, watch an Indonesian cooking demonstration and share a homemade lunch of local dishes. Preparing and eating food in a local home brings the village’s hospitality and everyday culinary traditions into focus.

Explore Jakarta’s Kota Tua with your tour leader, taking in Fatahillah Square and the harbourfront. Visit the maritime museum, experience the street-food atmosphere of Glodok—Jakarta’s Chinatown—and stroll around Sunda Kelapa, the city’s old port.

These neighbourhoods reveal different strands of Jakarta’s trading history. The old town preserves traces of the Dutch colonial era, while Sunda Kelapa recalls the maritime routes that shaped the city; Fatahillah Square remains a lively public gathering place.

Explore Komodo National Park by boat, using a floating base for island visits, wildlife searches and snorkelling stops across three days. Spend two nights anchored in quiet bays, close to the landscapes and waters that make this protected area distinctive.

Established in 1980, the park encompasses Komodo, Rinca and Padar alongside surrounding seas. Its varied habitats include mangroves, seagrass beds and coral reefs. Accommodation aboard is simple, with bunks or deck mattresses and shared bathrooms, keeping the focus on time within the park.

Go ashore on Rinca and join an island ranger for a trek in search of Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. This lesser-visited island offers a chance to look for the world’s largest living lizard away from the better-known trails of Komodo island.

Keep watch for wild pigs, buffalo and birds as the ranger guides your search. Seeing the dragons against Rinca’s rugged terrain places these powerful predators within the wider ecosystem they share with other island wildlife. Sightings remain subject to nature.

Trek across Komodo island towards the Banunggulung riverbed, searching for dragons among the island’s distinctive plants and open landscapes. Banunggulung was once a feeding site, where dragons were given goats until the mid-2000s; the visit now centres on observing wildlife in its natural setting.

Look out for wild boars, deer and buffalo, as well as birdlife including cockatoos and ground-dwelling megapodes known locally as gosong. The walk shows that Komodo’s most famous inhabitant is part of a much broader island ecosystem.

Swim and snorkel at Pink Beach in Komodo National Park, with time to enjoy the shore as well as the water. Watch for reef fish such as parrotfish and clownfish; turtles and other marine creatures may also appear, although sightings depend on conditions.

The beach takes its distinctive colour from pale sand mixed with fragments of red coral and other marine material. That pink-tinged shoreline, set against clear water, makes this a memorable place to experience the park’s coastal habitats at an unhurried pace.

Visit Manta Point in the waters of Komodo National Park to look for giant manta rays. This marine hotspot is named for the rays regularly seen here, some reaching a wingspan of around 13ft (4m).

Watch the water for their broad, wing-like fins and the graceful movements that make a manta sighting so distinctive. The park’s surrounding seas also support turtles and varied reef life, but encounters with wild marine animals can never be guaranteed.

Climb to a Gili Laba viewpoint before dawn if you wish to watch sunrise over the islands and water of Komodo National Park. The early start is a choice, rewarding walkers with a quiet perspective on the park’s rugged coastal scenery.

There is also an opportunity to snorkel around the island before leaving the area by boat. Together, the viewpoint and water-level exploration offer two contrasting ways to appreciate this small island and its setting.

Stop to snorkel at Kanawa Island, time permitting, during the boat journey back towards Labuan Bajo. This potential final swim offers another opportunity to experience the clear waters and marine environment around Flores and Komodo National Park.

Kanawa’s island setting makes a fitting close to the boat-based exploration, with time to look beneath the surface rather than simply view the coast from aboard. This stop depends on the available time and is not guaranteed.

Walk across Mount Batur’s ancient caldera on a gentle route through savanna and black lava fields in Bali. The terrain is mostly flat, allowing time to notice the textures and contrasts of a landscape shaped by volcanic activity.

Pause at a viewpoint for views of Mount Batur and learn about the Batur National Geopark. Rather than a strenuous summit climb, this guided walk focuses on exploring the caldera itself and understanding the forces behind its scenery.

Visit Gunung Kawi Temple in Bali’s Tampaksiring area, descending steps through a setting of rice terraces to see its rock-hewn shrines. Ten towering candi are carved into the cliff face, each approximately 23ft (7m) high.

Dating from the 11th century, the site brings together Hindu and Buddhist influences in an unusually dramatic landscape. The stairway is part of the visit and must also be climbed on the way out, so expect a physical element alongside the cultural exploration.

Visit Tirta Empul Temple, if included in the day’s arrangements, to learn about one of Bali’s best-known sacred-water sites. The temple in the Tampaksiring area is associated with springs whose waters hold spiritual significance for Balinese Hindus.

Observe the setting with respect for its continuing religious role: for worshippers, the water is believed to help cleanse harmful influences. Living Balinese traditions, rather than architecture alone, are at the heart of this visit. The itinerary describes this temple stop as a possibility.

Take in sweeping views at Tegalalang, where tiers of paddy fields shape the hillsides north of Ubud. This scenic stop offers a chance to pause and photograph one of Bali’s most recognisable agricultural landscapes.

The terraces are more than a backdrop: rice cultivation is closely woven into Balinese daily life and the island’s cultural landscape. Looking across the layered green fields gives a sense of the work and long-established farming practices behind the view.

Venture deeper into Gunung Leuser’s rainforest with local experts on an optional trek that extends the search for orangutans and other wildlife. Allow approximately six hours for the excursion, including time at the former feeding station.

The park supports macaques, gibbons, abundant birdlife and other species, although sightings are never assured. Expect steep, muddy trails and hot, humid conditions; this is a more demanding choice than the shorter guided forest walk. The optional excursion is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Explore more of Bali on an optional trek during your stay in Ubud. Your tour leader can advise on an available outing, offering a guided way to experience another part of the island beyond the included Mount Batur caldera walk.

Routes, duration and terrain depend on the excursion offered, so check the details locally before choosing whether it suits your interests and fitness. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.

Choose an optional rafting trip during your time in Ubud for a more active way to explore Bali. Your tour leader can advise on the outing available locally, including where it takes place and what the experience involves.

Rafting offers a different perspective from Bali’s temple visits and walking excursions, with the pace and conditions shaped by the route offered. Check the river, duration and participation requirements before booking. This optional experience is at additional cost and bookable on tour.