People come to Bali in masses seeking enlightenment and witness everything the island of the gods has to offer. However, being only a 40 minutes ferry ride from Bali, Java is a place like no others. From walking alongside the rim of Mount Bromo’s crater to exploring the countless waterfalls, make sure to experience its grandiose landscapes. This 5 days East Java itinerary will guide you through the main highlights you have to see.
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East Java is so easily accessible from the North of Bali. It could be the perfect week-long adventurous getaway from your Bali vacation. The planning is only a suggestion. We actually did this itinerary in 7 days as we like to travel slowly and take our time!
- Day 1 – Ferry/train + Rainbow city & Blue city
- Day 2 – Mount Bromo
- Day 3 – Tumpak Sewu waterfall + Kuneer Hill plantation
- Day 4 – Train back to Banyuwangi
- Day 5 – Blue Fire at Mount Ijen
Day 1 – Ferry/train + Rainbow city & Blue city
Firstly, The ferry from Bali to Java leaves from Gilimanuk and arrives in Banyuwangi. It operates 24 hours a day every day of the week and sails every 20 minutes for the cost of 6,500 Indonesian Rupiah (IRP) which equals to 0,45 USD.
Once in Banyuwangi, the train station is only a couple of minute’s walk – station Banyuwangi Baru (BW). The train to Malang costs 62,000 IRP (4,30 USD) and leaves once a day at 5:00 a.m. every day of the week. It arrives in Malang (ML) at 12:35 p.m., giving you the rest of the day to visit the Rainbow Village!
Jodipan village & Arema village
Jodipan’s Village (Rainbow Village) and Arema (Blue Village) are both walking distance from the train station. For a small entrance fee, you can spend hours walking around the colorful alleys. They are separated by a bridge, and very hard to miss!
Up until quite recently, the Jodipan’s village used to be considered a slum on the verge of collapse. The place seemed to be beyond savings when a group of students decided to change things around. They came up with the incredible idea of coloring the entire city in different colors. The students partnered up with a paint distributor and with the help of the army and a couple of local artists, gave a fresh coat of paint to the entire area.
The walls of the villages now adorn creative murals, where colorful animals meet Disney characters. You can spend hours getting lost in the narrow alleys and socializing with the locals, who all seem genuinely happy to see support from tourists.
All in all, this initiative has completely changed the village’s image and quality of life. The incredible changes Jodipan has seen is a reason on its own to go visit the place and encourage them.
Day 2 – Mount Bromo
Sunrise from King Kong Hill
Mount Bromo is definitely a sight to see when visiting the island of Java. The way to get to the mountain itself may be long and uncomfortable, but it’ll all be worth it.
We suggest you keep a full day for the Bromo Sunrise Tour as you will start at 1:00 a.m and finish at around 12:00 p.m. You deserve a nap after that!
The guided tour to get to the mountain begins late at night. It allows enough time to arrive at the right spot in order to see the magnificent sunrise that awaits.
The starry night sky slowly becomes filled with orange light. The clouds retreat from the mountains, presenting you one of the most beautiful sunrises of your life.
Walk around the edge of the crater
You will then drive to the base of Mount Bromo where you can climb the stairs all the way to the top, giving you a once-in-a-lifetime look into a smoking volcano crater.
You can also walk around the rim if you’re feeling bold! The view from the top is very impressive, and the desert surrounding it seems otherworldly.
Day 3 – Tumpak Sewu waterfall + Kuneer Hill plantation
Tumpak Sewu
Tumpak Sewu is also known as the Niagara Falls of Indonesia! You will first head to the viewpoint where you are greeted with the most spectacular waterfall view of your life. The Semeru volcano is guarding over the falls while a rainbow appears out of this gigantic wall of water.
Getting to the base of the waterfalls isn’t the easiest task, but the trekking itself is extremely beautiful. You will climb down a massive mountainside full of vegetation and smaller waterfalls. Once at the bottom of the mountain, you are immediately met with a Jurassic park like biome.
The feeling of walking to the base of this waterfall with water raining on you is one that every traveler should feel at least once. We even included it in our Top 10 Travel Bucketlist.
There are other waterfalls and natural pools on the way back up and the path is a totally new and exciting adventure. We think it’s a must to add on any East Java itinerary!
Kuneer Hill tea plantation
The next stop is the tea plantation of Kuneer Hill! It is located fully on the other side of Malang and the drive is about 4 hours (don’t listen to Google Maps). We did both on the same day but were short on time. If you have time, it might be better to go the next day.
You can literally spend hours getting lost and taking in the panoramic view of the plantation. We decided to walk to the top of the hill, but you can also buy a ticket where they drive you up there.
The best way to get to these places is probably to rent a taxi for the day. You could rent a scooter but the road was pretty steep on the way to Tumpak Sewu, and it takes about 3 hours to get there from Malang. We had an awesome experience with our friend Azhar! Contact him by WhatsApp at (+62 813-3604-2045).
Day 4 – Train back to Banyuwangi
The train back to Banyuwangi only leaves once a day, at 4:00 p.m. and arrives at 11:50 p.m.
You can enjoy one last morning in Malang to take it easy and walk around. Head to the Blue Village if you didn’t get the chance to visit it yet.
Once you get to Banyuwangi, make sure your hotel knows you are coming on the train. They can usually arrange for pickup, as it is pretty late at night. After your arrival, you can either, go straight to climb Mount Ijen which starts at 1:00 am. (if you’re short in time). However, you can also take a full day of rest and do it the next day. You should modify this East Java Itinerary to your schedule, and spend more time if you can!
Day 5 – Blue Fire at Mount Ijen
Blue Fire
The ‘Blue Fire’ of mount Ijen is a rare sight and the fact you are exploring this alien-like terrain at night makes it even more special. You will need to be dressed warmly and equipped with a gas mask for the sulphuric gas.
After 1.5 to 2 hours of trekking up, you will start descending in the crater where the hike is steeper, and the air heavier. If you’re lucky and all the conditions are right you will be able to see the blue flame. Not everyone gets to see it, and your guide won’t be able to guarantee you will. We got lucky when we went, as they told us they didn’t see it the day before.
The miners you meet along the way trek the same mountain as you every day, sometimes twice a day to extract and carry the sulfur. They each bring back about 88 pounds of sulfur on every trip. They are doing such hard-work and the compensation they receive for it is not even close to cover for their work. It is common to stop by, talk to them, and give them a few dollars or a chocolate bar. They will be happy to rest for a couple of minutes and take a picture with you. That will make their day better, and in return your day as well.
Sunrise at Kawah Ijen Crater
During the hike back up the crater and while the sun is rising, you’ll see the turquoise sulphuric lake, clashing on the yellowish sulfur mountain surrounded by thick white smoke. The views are simply out of this world. We hope that one day the locals could stop doing this inhumane work and people will come to Kawah Ljen for the views only.
The Ijen tour ends at around 11:00 am, ending this East Java itinerary perfectly. You’ll make in time to take the train back to station Banyuwangi Baru (BW) and hop on a ferry back to Bali.
We hope this East Java Itinerary will be useful to you. This Island has so many destinations that are still not flooded with tourists. Being around 8 times bigger than the island of Bali, there is so much to see and you might end up spending much more than a week discovering the area!
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