Bali and Beyond: Java, the Gilis or Komodo

Tour itinerary · By Frank Adam Burns · Updated 5 September 2026

Bali is one island of seventeen thousand and the country gets better as you go east and west of it. This route is the Bali trip — Ubud and the coast — with four nights added beyond: Java for Borobudur at dawn, Prambanan and the sultan’s city; the Gili Islands and Lombok for car-free reef islands and a volcano; or Komodo for the dragons, Padar’s bays and some of the richest reef in Asia. One flight or one boat, and a different country in feel.

Most Australians have been to Bali several times and to Indonesia never, because the rest of the country is a short flight or a boat away and nobody suggests it. This route does. Java, ninety minutes by air, holds the two greatest monuments in South-East Asia after Angkor — Borobudur and Prambanan — and the sultan’s city of Yogyakarta between them, with Merapi smoking above. Lombok and the Gilis, ninety minutes by fast boat, are the reef islands Bali no longer has: car-free, ringed by coral, with turtles from the beach and a volcano on the horizon. Komodo, ninety minutes by air, is the dragons, the pink beach, Padar’s three bays and, from a liveaboard, some of the richest reef on earth. Each is four nights added to the Bali trip in its classic shape, each is a different country in feel, and each is the reason people who thought they knew Indonesia book a third trip. The Indonesia guide covers the islands beyond in depth.

Why this route

Because Bali is one island and Indonesia is the largest archipelago on earth, and the difference is ninety minutes. Borobudur at dawn, the dragons on Komodo, a turtle from the beach on Gili Meno: none of them is in Bali and all of them are closer to Ubud than Cairns is to Brisbane. The Bali trip in its classic shape — the hills, then the coast — is the foundation, and four nights beyond is the addition that turns a beach holiday into a country. It is the route we build for people who say they have “done Bali” and have not left it, and the one after which they stop saying it.

At a glance

Day by day

Day 1: Arrive, up to Ubud

The direct flight, a private car, the e-VOA and levy, and the hour north to the Ubud hills. A rice-field hotel or villa in the hills, a Balinese dinner at a warung the driver names, the gamelan from the village temple, and no body clock to reset.

Day 2: Ubud: the terraces, the springs, the forest

The driver at seven: Tegallalang before the coaches, Tirta Empul’s springs, Gunung Kawi, a warung lunch above a valley, the Monkey Forest, and a dance at the palace at 7.30.

Day 3: Ubud: the ridge and the valley

The Campuhan Ridge at seven, Sidemen’s terraces under Agung by car, or a cooking class at a family compound; a spa afternoon; dinner at one of Ubud’s restaurants, booked.

Day 4: Ubud to the coast

A slow morning and the driver south to a villa or resort on the coast chosen for the party. The afternoon in the water; the sunset from the sand. Suitcases packed for the flight or the boat.

Day 5: Beyond: the choice

This is the day the route forks, chosen at booking. Java: the 90-minute flight from Denpasar to Yogyakarta, the cultural heart of Indonesia, and a hotel near the Kraton. Lombok and the Gilis: the fast boat from Padang Bai, ninety minutes to Gili Trawangan, Air or Meno, car-free islands ringed by reef. Komodo: the 90-minute flight to Labuan Bajo on Flores and a liveaboard or a harbour hotel. The three versions follow below.

Day 6: Java: Borobudur at dawn

A 4 am pick-up for Borobudur at sunrise from the Manohara grounds or Setumbu Hill: the largest Buddhist monument on earth, nine terraces, 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddhas rising out of the mist toward Merapi. The upper terraces are by timed, guided group and we book them. Breakfast, a rest, and the afternoon at the Kraton, the sultan’s palace, and the Taman Sari water castle, with a batik workshop in the old quarter. Or, on the Gilis version: the day on Trawangan or Air — the reef from the beach, a turtle at Turtle Point, a bicycle round the island, the sunset from the west side. Or, on the Komodo version: the boat leaves Labuan Bajo at eight for Padar Island’s three-bay viewpoint, Pink Beach for the snorkel, and Komodo Island for the dragons with a ranger.

Day 7: Java: Prambanan and Merapi

Prambanan at eight, the Hindu contemporary of Borobudur, a compound of towering temples to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, and the smaller Sewu and Plaosan sites in the fields; lunch in the city; the afternoon on Merapi’s slopes by jeep to the lava fields and the ruined villages of the 2010 eruption, or the Malioboro street and the night market. The Ramayana ballet at Prambanan in the evening on the nights it runs. Or, Gilis: the boat between the three islands, Meno’s empty beaches and the turtle sanctuary, a snorkel at the underwater statues, a freedive class for the curious. Or, Komodo: Rinca Island’s dragons, Manta Point’s rays, Kanawa Island’s reef, the sunset with the flying foxes at Kalong Island from the boat.

Day 8: Java: Yogyakarta, or the Gilis, or Komodo: the loose day

Java: the Ratu Boko palace ruins at sunset, the Sonobudoyo museum, the silversmiths of Kotagede, a becak through the old town. Gilis: nothing, or a second snorkel, or the boat to Lombok’s Kuta beaches for the day. Komodo: the boat’s last morning at a reef, the Batu Cermin cave, the harbour town and its sunset bars.

Day 9: Back to Bali

Java: the flight back to Denpasar (or on to the coast). Gilis: the fast boat to Padang Bai and the driver. Komodo: the flight from Labuan Bajo. The Bali coast by afternoon; a villa or resort for the last nights, the pool, the sunset, and the strange relief of a road with lanes after four days somewhere without them.

Day 10: The coast: the outing

Uluwatu at sunset with the kecak dance, Jimbaran’s fish on the sand, a surf lesson at Canggu, or a beach club; the coast’s loose day after the journey.

Day 11: The coast: the loose day

The pool, the water, a massage, the last dinner at the place that has been the good one.

Day 12: Depart

A late checkout, the last swim, and the private car to Denpasar for the evening flight, six hours home. Twelve days, two Indonesias, and the sense that the country begins where Bali ends. The return flight from Yogyakarta or Labuan Bajo is on the same ticket as the international one, and the Gili boat is timed for the driver at Padang Bai, so the beyond costs a day each way and no more.

Variations and extensions

Sixteen days, two extensions: Java and the Gilis, or Java and Komodo, with the Bali legs kept; the Indonesian fortnight-plus for the party that cannot choose. Java in depth, eight nights: Yogyakarta four, then east by train to the Bromo sunrise (the caldera, the sea of sand, the jeep at 3 am) and the Ijen crater’s blue fire, and the ferry back to Bali across the strait — the overland route that ends where the trip began. Lombok in depth: the Gilis three, then Lombok’s Kuta beaches and surf, Senaru’s waterfalls, and the Rinjani trek for the fit, two to four days to the crater lake. Komodo by liveaboard, four nights: the full park from the boat — Padar, Pink Beach, Komodo, Rinca, Manta Point, Kanawa, Sebayur, the Kalong bats at dusk — with the diving, for the party that came for the reef. Raja Ampat: the step beyond Komodo, a week by liveaboard from Sorong in West Papua, the most biodiverse marine environment on earth, quoted separately for divers with time. The Nusa islands instead: for a shorter reach, the Nusa islands as the beyond, four nights by fast boat from Sanur. Without the coast: Ubud three, the extension four, Ubud or the coast two, for a nine-day version that skips the beach.

Eating on this route

Bali eats as the Ubud and the coast route describes — babi guling, the Ubud restaurants, Jimbaran’s fish. Java is a different cuisine: gudeg, the young-jackfruit stew sweet with palm sugar that is Yogyakarta’s dish, eaten for breakfast at the stalls on Jalan Wijilan; sate klathak, goat skewers grilled on bicycle spokes; the Malioboro night market’s lesehan mats; the Kraton quarter’s old restaurants; and the coffee, which Java named. The Gilis are grilled fish on the beach at the night market on Trawangan, the Lombok specialities of ayam taliwang (grilled chicken with the chilli that made the island’s name) and plecing kangkung, and the warungs of Gili Air. Komodo is the boat’s kitchen, which on a good liveaboard is excellent and cooks the day’s catch, and Labuan Bajo’s harbour-front fish market at night, where the grilled squid and the sunset are the same price. Java and Lombok are Muslim and halal, Bali is Hindu and eats pork; alcohol is easy in Bali and the resorts, scarcer in Yogyakarta and rare on the boats unless brought. Bottled water everywhere; the Bali rules on spirits apply with force on the islands and the boats.

What is included

• Return economy airfare from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth to Denpasar direct; premium economy and business on request
• Private airport transfers with a name board, and a car and English-speaking driver for every touring day
• Accommodation as described with breakfast; villas with a cook and daily housekeeping where named
• The fast boats, entries and experiences named in the itinerary, booked before departure
• e-VOA and Bali levy guidance and entry checks for every traveller
• A day-by-day document with the driver’s plan, timings and warung recommendations
• Australian consumer-law protection and a Cooee contact in Brisbane throughout
• Three nights in Ubud, one coast night before the extension and three after, as described
• The Ubud touring days, a dance and a Jimbaran dinner
• The extension flights (Denpasar–Yogyakarta or Denpasar–Labuan Bajo return) or the Padang Bai–Gili fast boats with transfers
• Java: a driver and guide, the Borobudur sunrise and timed upper-terrace entry, Prambanan, the Kraton and Taman Sari, and the Merapi jeep
• Gilis: a beachfront resort, the island-hopping boat, snorkel gear and the Lombok day car
• Komodo: a two- or three-night liveaboard or a harbour hotel with day boats, ranger fees on Komodo and Rinca, and Padar, Pink Beach and Manta Point

Not included

• Lunches and most dinners (breakfast is cooked in at villas)
• Travel insurance (required)
• The Indonesian e-VOA fee (about AUD 50) and the Bali tourist levy (IDR 150,000), paid on arrival or online
• Personal spending, optional experiences not named, and tips (modest and appreciated: 10 per cent at restaurants without a service charge, a daily amount for the driver at the end)
• Diving on Komodo and the Gilis beyond the named snorkel days, booked on request
• The Ramayana ballet, the Mount Rinjani trek and the Ijen crater extension, quoted separately

Where you stay

Bali: as the Ubud and the coast route — a rice-field hotel or villa in the Ubud hills, a villa or resort on the coast chosen for the swimmers. Java: a heritage hotel in Yogyakarta near the Kraton (the Phoenix, the Greenhost, the Amanjiwo above Borobudur at the top, or the Manohara inside the Borobudur grounds for the sunrise without the 4 am drive). The Gilis: a beachfront resort on Trawangan’s quiet north or on Gili Air (the Pondok Santi, the Slow Gili Air, the Villa Ombak, or the Gili Lankanfushi at the top); Meno for a couple who want nothing. Komodo: a liveaboard of two or three nights (the Sea Safari or a phinisi we know) which is the way to see the park properly, or a harbour hotel at Labuan Bajo (the Plataran, the Ayana, the Sudamala) with day boats for those who prefer a bed on land. The extension beds are chosen for what the four nights are for; Yogyakarta is a city, the Gilis are a beach, Komodo is a boat.

What it costs

Twelve days for two with the Bali legs and the Java or Gilis extension, in May or June, is the version most people book; the Komodo liveaboard is the upper tier and priced by the boat; the extension flights are AUD 150–300 each way and the fast boats less; July and September add a third on flights and the Bali villas. We do not publish a from-price because two factors move it by thousands: the season (the July and September school holidays and Christmas–New Year cost 30–50 per cent more than May, June or October on flights and villas combined) and the accommodation tier (a good three-bedroom villa against a cliff resort or a rice-field hotel at the top). We quote every departure individually in Australian dollars with everything above included. The Indonesia guide and the South-East Asia guide set out the daily numbers. A liveaboard for a group of four or six is often the same per head as a hotel and boats, and the reef is the reason.

Practical notes

Entry: Australians use the Indonesian e-Visa on Arrival (online before departure or at the airport, about AUD 50 for 30 days) plus the Bali tourist levy and the All Indonesia arrival card; rules have changed several times since 2022 and we confirm the current requirement on every itinerary. Passports need six months’ validity. Health: dengue is present year-round and repellent morning and dusk is the defence; tap water is not for drinking or tooth-brushing; the rule of bottled water and busy warungs covers most of the rest; hepatitis A and typhoid vaccinations are recommended; BIMC and Siloam hospitals are good and insurance is required. Swimming: the west coast (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu) has rips and drownings every year; the east and south (Sanur, Nusa Dua, Jimbaran) are reef-protected and calm; we place the accommodation for who is in the water. Money: rupiah; divide by 10,000 for a rough AUD; cards at hotels and larger restaurants, cash at warungs, temples, markets and for the driver; ATMs everywhere on the main island. Temples: sarong and sash, lent at the gate; shoulders covered; menstruating women are asked not to enter. Motorbikes: the leading cause of Australian injuries in Bali and not hired on our itineraries. Spirits: methanol poisoning from counterfeit arak is real; drink beer, wine or spirits from a reputable bar and never a cheap cocktail from a beach shack. Nyepi: the day of silence in March or April closes the island, including the airport, for 24 hours; the itinerary checks the date. Apps: Gojek and Grab for rides, Google Maps, WhatsApp for the driver. Choosing the beyond: Java for history and culture (Borobudur at dawn is one of the great mornings in Asia, and Yogyakarta is the Indonesia Bali is not); the Gilis for reef, turtles and a car-free island for families with swimmers; Komodo for the dragons, the diving and the boat — the most spectacular and the most effort. We ask which before we book, and the party that cannot choose does Java and the Gilis over sixteen days. Borobudur: the upper terraces are by timed, guided group of a set size with special sandals, booked ahead; the sunrise from the Manohara grounds or Setumbu Hill is separate; Prambanan is an hour away and its ballet runs on selected nights. Komodo: the dragons are seen with a ranger and a stick, on Komodo and Rinca; the boat days are long and the swells at Padar and Manta Point real; the liveaboard is the way to see the park and the harbour hotel the way to sleep on land. The park closes some islands seasonally and raises its fees; we check. The Gilis: car-free (horse carts and bicycles), reef from the beach, and a fast-boat crossing from Padang Bai that is rough in the shoulder months; the islands have few ATMs and the boats are cash. Lombok: the Rinjani trek (two to four days) and the Kuta surf beaches are the extensions from the Gilis for the party with time. Health: Java and Lombok are malaria-free in the tourist areas; Flores and Komodo carry a low risk and a travel doctor’s advice; dengue everywhere; bottled water; the Bali rules apply throughout. Families: the Gilis from about eight, Java and Komodo from about ten; the dragons are a ranger walk and the children are kept close. Older travellers: Java with a driver and guide is the gentlest of the three; Borobudur’s terraces are steps; the Gilis are level; Komodo is a boat and a ranger walk on uneven ground.

How to book

Send us your preferred dates, your departure city and the names and ages of the party through the enquiry form or on 0409 661 342. We check the season against the route, confirm availability at the hotels and inns that matter, and send an itinerary and a quote in Australian dollars within two working days. A deposit holds the booking; the balance is due before departure under our booking conditions. Travel insurance is required and we can recommend a policy.

Frequently asked questions