A Honeymoon in Indonesia

Encompassing Singapore’s beautiful harbour and wondrous skyline, the view from SkyPark is the perfect way to get your bearings, and a particularly romantic one as the tropical colours fade and the myriad lights appear in the vast, futuristic cityscape below you. Entry also includes a dip at what is officially the world’s largest infinity pool, an architectural tour de force joining the three towers of the Marina Bay Sands complex.

Next, rent a vintage cycle for a spin around Clark Quay and the Colonial Center, before heading over to China Town for lunch. Take in the neighbourhood’s sights, including the Hokkien clan temple in Telok Ayer St, then call at Raffles for a gin sling – the perfect primer for a gourmet meal for two at Salt Grill on the 55th and 56th floor of the Ion Orchard Mall, where the jaw-dropping views are almost as impressive as the cuisine.

Yogyakarta is Java’s culture capital, and the place to experience traditional gamelan, shadow puppetry, classical and contemporary Javanese dance and ritual theatre – all of which you will have the chance to see between trips to the ancient wonders in the countryside around the city.

Borobudur encapsulates everything that’s most exotic about Java. At sunset you can watch the warm evening light illuminating the faces of 1200-year old stone Buddhas, which gaze over a plateau of lush rice fields and palm groves to the plume of smoke rising from the summit of Gunung Merapi. Ash from the volcanoes on the western horizon buried the mighty stupa until the early 19th century, when British and Dutch officials re-discovered the site.

Dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva, the UNESCO-listed Prambanan complex centres on an elaborately carved, 47-metre-tall sanctuary tower, surrounded by over 200 subsidiary shrines, all of them richly decorated. The spectacle of this extraordinary behemoth soaring above the palm canopy, swathed in smoke from village fires, ranks among the most memorable Southeast Asia has to offer.

Back in Yogya, don’t miss the beautiful Water Palace and Sonobudoyo Museum, where the highlight is a collection of 1,200 wavey-bladed kris daggers.

Covering tropical swamp forest on a peninsula jutting into the Java Sea, Tanjung Puting is Kalimantan’s premier nature reserve. The reason for its great popularity is its 1,000-strong population of orangutans, who live semi-wild around three feeding stations deep inside the park – part of the famous Camp Leakey rehabilitation programme, which helps the animals adapt to life in the wild if they have been orphaned or captured. As well as the orangutans, you stand a good chance of sighting gharial crocodiles, red-leaf monkeys and possibly even a clouded leopard – a creature so elusive it was only identified as a separate species in 2006.

Safaris on the Sekonyer River are generally conducted on klotok cruisers – a wonderful way to experience the jungles of Borneo. Spiky pandanus bushes, vivid yellow gardenia and ranks of stately dipterocarp trees line the banks. As you glide deeper into the forest, keep your eyes peeled for orangutans nesting in the trees, gibbons swinging through the branches, crocs drifting through the still, green water or hornbills flitting through the tropical canopy.

Pesalat is the focus of an inspirational re-afforestation project masterminded by the Indonesian government. Wardens plant saplings in the reserve, protecting them from weeds and fire, and collect seeds for propagation. An award-winning visitor programme allows you to learn about the work carried out here, and enjoy a forest walk guided by one of Pesalat’s staff members.

The north-coast city of Semarang is divided between its antique, Dutch-built colonial quarter, and the 8-lane highways, skyscrapers and malls of the modern Simpang Lima district. Java’s second royal capital, Surakarta – aka ‘Solo’ – is an altogether more traditional place – an important hub of Javanese culture, music (particularly gamelan) and courtly dance is still widely studied and performed here. The great local speciality, however, is batik. Some of the finest textiles in all Indonesia originate in the city, and you can admire superb antique pieces in the famous Danar Hadi museum.

Often dubbed “a rough diamond” because of its undiscovered feel, breezy Lombok is the perfect location for a romantic beach holiday. Some of the most striking stretches of powder soft sand and turquoise water in the region fringe a cluster of three tiny islands off its northwest coast, collectively known as ‘the Gilis’. Because it boasts the broadest choice of quality hotels, restaurants and dive shops, we tend to recommend Gili Trawangan, the member of the trio furthest from the mainland, but for greater tranquillity, you could opt for quieter Gili Air.

There’s a wide choice of activities away from the beach too, ranging from waterfall treks to visits to remote coves and traditional Sasak villages and markets.

Its mix of spellbinding volcanic scenery, glorious beaches, pounding surf, lush tropical hinterland and a vibrant local culture rooted in an archaic form of Hinduism have long made Bali the most popular destination in the Sunda Islands. Although the resorts of the south coast, in particular, can get very busy, further north and east, a handful of relatively peaceful fishing villages offer greater tranquillity, serving as ideal bases for explorations of the island’s scenic and cultural riches.

Sightseeing options depend on your choice of resort, but might include the sea pagoda of Tana Lot or Besakih Temple, at the foot of Gunung Agung. Do the trip in clear weather, when the mountain’s dramatic form is revealed in all its unearthly splendour, and the experience is guaranteed to be a magical one. Crowds of worshippers laden with floral offerings file around the site’s 20 different temples and innumerable subsidiary shrines, spread over a 3-km area and interconnected by ascending terraces, colonnaded walkways, long, steep flights of steps and ceremonial gateways.

Bali abounds in peaceful beaches. No matter which corner of the island you’re staying in, you’ll be able to escape to a secluded cove where you can expect only to have each other and the waves for company. Ask your TransIndus consultant for their hot tips.