Welcome to Enchanting Journeys

Idyllic Indonesia….experience it now…..   

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost” - Erol Ozan

From the nomadic steppes of Kazakhstan to the frenetic streets of Hanoi, Asia is a Continent so full of intrigue, adventure, solace & spirituality that it has fixated & confounded travellers for centuries. And Southeast Asia is wrapped in Rainforests, lush landscapes, urban Jungles, blissful Beaches edged by golden sands, brooding Volcanoes, ancient Temples, modernist Architecture & creative Cuisine, all studded with ruins of lost Civilisations. Asia seamlessly delivers the accessible, affordable exotic, as you have always imagined.

Indonesia’s spectacular diversity makes informed travel essential. With so much to see and do and so many different ways to experience the country, a few insider tips can ensure you get the most out of your trip. Whatever your definition of paradise, chances are, it exists on one of Indonesia’s 17,000 islands. A beguiling country offering myriad adventures, it is an incredibly varied & exciting vacation destination, pulsating with a spectacular mix of people, traditions & landscapes. Your journey through this mind-stirring country will blaze in your memory long after you' have left its shores.  Come, discover Indonesia' with us…

Asia is a spiritual space infused with the Gods of past & present: the ancient spirits of the land & the family, the deities of Buddhism & Hinduism and the rules of Islam. As dawn breaks, pots of rice bubble over & the smoke of incense wafts from earth to heaven. Barefoot Monks embark on their call to alms among the faithful; the Muezzin's call reverberates from Mosques urging devotees to prayer & family Altars are flush with fruit & flowers for the guardian spirits. The region’s great monuments were wrought from divine inspiration, from Angkor’s heaven incarnate to Bagan’s shimmering spires. The spiritual side of life is omnipresent & travellers can boost their karmic balance at meditation retreats or by hiking to a golden Temple atop a sacred mountain

Southeast Asia's mighty megacities are stepping boldly towards the future with one foot planted firmly in the past. Skyscrapers rise above the roads like crystal gardens, while at street level, Traders hustle, Food-hawkers hawk & Temples bustle with devotees toting their offerings.

The region sweeps east from the landmass of Indochina & the Malay Peninsula to a string of archipelagos that are jewels in the Arafura Sea.

For many travelers, the first taste of the region is the urban energy of Bangkok, where Sky-trains whisk shoppers from Mall to Mall & Hawkers ply their wares on the steaming pavements below. Organised modernity of Singapore is a gleaming testament to Asia at its most efficient.

For old meets new, explore the backstreets of Phnom Penh, Hanoi's Old Quarter or downtown Yangon, which have a beguiling blend of traditional Architecture, colonial-era Gems & a contemporary twist. One thing all the cities have in common is a buzz. Each of Asia's Capitals has its own unique character, defined by Religion, Culture, Geography & in most cases, by centuries of Colonialism & feuding Dynasties. Learning the rhythms of each is part of the magic here.

Water has sculpted many Southeast Asian landscapes. The jungle-topped Islands are fringed by coral reefs that calm the ocean into turquoise pools. The languorous Vietnamese coastline greets the South China Sea from tip to tail, while inland dramatic karst mountains soar skywards. The meandering Mekong River winds its way from the densely packed mountains of northern Laos to the pancake-flat rice bowl of the Mekong Delta. The traditional ‘highways’ of Borneo are coffee-coloured, jungle-clad rivers. And the Volcanoes of Indonesia & the Philippines provide a glimpse into the earth’s volatile heart.

From sublime coastlines to snow-capped mountains, rolling landscapes fed by the monsoon rains & frenetic cities fizzling with energy, the diversity of Asia’s landscapes is mind-boggling. As are their highlights from trekking Malaysia’s steamy jungles & wildlife spotting in southern India to riding horses through the Mongolian steppes, skiing Japan’s Alps & dodging falling coconuts on of the Continent’s many remote Islands.

Then, there is the food. Asia is where the flavours of some of the world's greatest Cuisines melt into one another, throwing up ever more mesmerising combinations. The region's spices were once valued more highly than gold & combined with 1 notable import - the South American chilli - they have created a cooking palette that inflames the senses & leaves the taste buds begging for more. Tuck into fiery Indian curries, get adventurous with a local dish from a roadside Stall & gulp down a hearty bowl of Japanese ramen. This is a region where humble Hawker stalls come with Michelin stars & where a meal at a roadside canteen or night market can be as memorable as a 5* Dim Sum banquet.

Adventure looms large in this vast & steamy archipelago, where the best of Southeast Asia’s spicy melange simmers tantalisingly & with its vivid colours, heady smells, flavours, dramatic vistas & personalities & where diverse cultures spin & multiply to the point of exhaustion, their potent brew leaving the senses reeling, you will find Asia is deliciously rewarding. Architectural wonders & sacred spaces abound from the Great Wall of China & the Temples of Angkor to lesser known marvels in Myanmar, Nepal & Afghanistan.

And now, let us talk about the magic of Indonesia…a vast patchwork of thousands of Islands that bridge the Pacific & Indian Oceans, each with an individual story to tell. & that casts a spell on many who visit this charming yet confounding Archipelago.

Rich Diversity | Beaches & Volcanoes | Amazing Spectacles

Rippling across the equator for nearly 5000 km, encompassing more than 17,000 islands, two-thirds of which are inhabited & richly layered with character, lies the sultry kaleidoscope of Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous country.

Indonesia's alluring cultural identity is formed from a blend of influences from India, Malaya, the Dutch colonial era & hundreds of indigenous Tribes, each with their own spiritual beliefs & dialects. Across the country’s many Cultures, people tend to be warm, hospitable & fiercely regional. Expect smiling hospitality, a fervent devotion to tradition & enthusiastic explanations of why this particular Island is better than all the rest.

From Sumatra's western tip to Papua's eastern edge, Indonesia defies homogenisation. The people, with 700 languages, are as radically different from each other as if they came from different Continents, with every Island a unique blend of the people who live there. Over time, deep & rich cultures have evolved, from the mysteries of the spiritual Balinese to the utterly non-Western belief system of the Asmat people of Papua.

The expanse of the Archipelago & the fertility created by the seismic activity in the region, make for wild & vibrant landscapes to explore. Witness a diverse spectrum of natural wonders across thousands of Islands, with a bio-diversity that spans both Asiatic & Australasian ecological zones. Add to this, the sensational Beaches with bath-warm seas, dazzling marine life, mouth watering Cuisine & exceptionally welcoming locals.

Venturing across Indonesia, you will see a dramatic landscape, as diverse as those living upon it. Sulawesi's wildly multi-limbed coastline embraces white sand beaches & diving haunts, while Sumatra is contoured by a legion of nearly 100 billowing Volcanoes marching off into the distance, several capable of erupting at any time & the volcanic lakes, from the mummies & deeply etched gorges of Papua’s Baliem Valley.

Bali's beaches are the stuff of legend but you don't have to travel far to find even more beautiful & less touristy stretches of sand in Nusa Tengarra. Surfing breaks on remote Islands ?

The too-amazing-for-fiction tales of the beautiful Banda Islands' twisted history & Maluku’s alabaster beaches & desert Islands remain pristine while the tourist trail heads elsewhere. Derawan in Kalimantan & Pulau Weh off Sumatra are all superb. The Resorts & Restaurants of Bali pamper precocious style cats, while at the same moment threadbare backpackers are adopted by homestays in Kalimantan.

On Sulawesi, the elaborate funeral ceremonies & timeless traditions of Tana Toraja are light years from the surfing culture of Lombok. But so too are the mighty saddle-backed Batak mansions of Danua Toba.

The jungles of Sumatra, Kalimantan & Papua are zoological wonders featuring abundant Wildlife like impish Monkeys, stoic Sun Bears, Leopards, Orang-utans lounging in a tree & remarkable Marsupials.

Dramatic sights are the norm. A Balinese dancer executing precise moves that would make a robot seem loose-limbed, a deserted stretch of blinding white sand on Sumbawa contrasting with azure surf breaks. The astonishing Sunday mobs in a cool, glitzy Jakarta Mall, the heart-stopping ominous menace of a Komodo Dragon. A woman bent double with a load of firewood on Sumatra, the delicious meal at a south Bali restaurant, Borobudur's serene magnificence. And on & on & on…

Indonesia’s cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology & construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the Archipelago’s territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures & a myriad of landscapes. Oceanic rice fields & ancient Sultanates in Java are humbled by haunting volcanic cones.

This ever-intriguing, ever-intoxicating land offers some of the last great adventures on earth. Sitting in the open door of a train whizzing across Java, idling away time on a ferry bound for Kalimantan, hanging on to the back of a scooter on Flores, rounding the mystifying corner of an ancient West Timor village or simply trekking through wilderness you are sure no one has seen before. The great thing about adventure in Indonesia is that it happens when you least expect it.

And then there are the micro moments, equally exquisite but entirely unexpected; impromptu English lessons with school children, instant friendships in crammed bemos, lending an ear to your becak rider… In Indonesia there is plenty of cause to pause, except when dodging hurtling traffic - but that is all part of the adventure.

you will visit a land inhabited by the largest lizards on earth - the Komodo Dragons - trekking on the remote Islands where these dinosaur-like creatures make their home. You will sail down a jungle river in a wooden canoe, your eyes widening at the wonder of the Bornean flooded forest. Orangutans frolic in the trees overhead, while the scent of jasmine flowers drifts by in a heady perfume.

Wrap yourself in the rainbow of an Indonesian sari & admire the quiet majesty of a Dayak spirit house. Watch, as a Balinese Healer sits within a Temple practicing her medicine with gentle hands, or admire the flawless craftsmanship of a skilled Weaver coaxing rattan into an intricate creation.

Here, you will stand at the very edge of a Volcano. You will swim alongside the ethereal black wings of a manta ray. You will stroll the soft sands of a beach the color of rose petals. And as you watch a troupe of Balinese dancers glide by with their wild joy, you will feel your own heart dancing alongside them, in this beautiful, untamed land.

An astoundingly bewitching destination, the land is so diverse & vast, it can never be tamed. Like 100 countries melded into one. A land of Dragons & Spirits & Temples that float… A parade of color & lush landscapes….of moon orchids & Monkeys.  Here, you will discover, it is all of these things…& more. Indonesia is a place of heartbreaking beauty & an adventure you will carry with you always. Spectacular & surreal. Indonesia truly has it all. .......yep, Indonesia is waiting, and The Journeys is ready to take you on well, a journey (or journeys) of discovery.

Come…be inspired & discover the World…

We are in the process of updating our Offerings of experiential journeys to Indonesia. Please contact us in the interim if you want to explore options & we will be happy to offer suggestions based on your personal preferences…