Java

Thanks to its fertile volcanic soil and plentiful rainfall, Java is the most populous island in the Indonesian archipelago. The nation’s sprawling capital, Jakarta, lies on its north coast, but the undisputed cultural hub is Yogyakarta, where visitors come to experience traditional Javanese music, dance, arts and crafts, as well as to visit the great archaeological sites of Borobudur and Prambanan nearby. Smouldering in the background, a phalanx of active volcanoes form an other-worldly horizon, where you can climb in the predawn gloom to gaze over the rim of giant craters for the sunrise view of a lifetime.