The heart of Indonesia, Java is home to half of the nation’s entire population and its capital city, Jakarta. The island’s history stretches back over a 1,000 years, first home to great Hindu-Buddhist empires, then Islamic sultanates, then Dutch colonial rule as an essential port for spice trading – the influence of each epoch still present in the living culture that you’ll find on the island today.

Java’s cities are a frenzy of art, culture and history often hidden behind of façade of shining modern architecture. The island’s heritage hub is Yogyakarta, a place of courtly culture and proud traditions. Once the centre of the powerful Kingdom of Mataram, today it is the only region of the country that still has a monarch. Within the city there is plenty of royal architecture to impress and it is the best place to see cultural performances and try out traditional crafts. The area surrounding Yogyakarta is littered with remnants of glorious kingdoms – it is here that you’ll find the magnificent Borobudur, the largest Buddhist monument in the world, and the great Hindu temples of Prambanan. Semarang, a huge port, boasts Dutch colonial architecture and a large Chinese population that influences local life, while Malang, also home to lovely Dutch architecture, nestles among towering volcanoes.

Java’s landscapes are just as impressive – astonishing and diverse, there are the soaring peaks of 30 active volcanoes, vivid green rice terraces, atmospheric old growth forest and golden sand beaches. Among these you’ll find unique panoramas, like the lunar-esque surroundings of Mount Bromo, set in an ancient caldera, a ‘sea of sands’ at its foot. That is a sunrise view not to be missed!