Indonesia & Singapore: Bali, Java & Borneo's orangutans

After making the most of your complimentary airport lounge access, board your overnight flight to Singapore.

On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport by a private driver, who’ll see you to your luxury accommodation. Converted from a grand 1920s post office, it features gorgeous bay views, spa treatments and plenty of marbled features. To get your bearings, we’ve included an afternoon tea at Raffles itself – Singapore’s colonial landmark hotel. With private transfers either side, it's the perfect stylish celebration of Singapore's Bicentennial – a calendar year of heritage events, festivals and even augmented-reality tours. There’s also plenty of time to explore the city, taking in everything from its glass-and-steel modernism and great “Supertree” gardens to its glittering mosques, Chinese temples and gorgeous beaches.

Your flight to Jakarta, bookended by private transfers, will see you to your ultra-contemporary accommodation near the airport. It’s the perfect place to rest up, with its hot tubs, rooftop shisha lounge and superb spa facilities. Perhaps also head out to sample the thriving Indonesian dining scene, or if there’s time, the capital’s excellent museum and monuments.

Stay: FM7 Hotel (Superior) 

Today’s flight, with included private transfers either side, will bring you into Tanjung Puting National Park aboard your very own traditional klotok houseboat. Over the next two days, you’ll sail along the rivers and waterways that criss-cross its 400,000 hectares of rainforest, jungle and mangrove swamp. Keep your eyes out for everything from leopards and lizards to over 600 species of birds. While your private guide will bring you out on forest walks in search of orangutans, you’ll also stop at feeding stations and a rehabilitation centre, offering the chance to witness the apes up close. The “Crocodile River” is a further highlight, along with your included full-board dining, prepared onboard by your chef.

Stay: Klotok houseboat (Standard)

With private transfers bookending your flight, you’ll be introduced to the historic charms of Semarang with a private tour. Your expert guide will bring its Dutch port history to life, taking in its 18th-century churches and railway heritage. There’s also plenty of local colour, showcased across lively markets and spectacular Chinese temples, host to fine carvings and multiple shrines. Your luxury hotel is perhaps the region’s finest, complete with infinity pool, spa and city-wide views from its top-floor restaurant. 

Stay: Gumaya Semarang (Superior) 

This morning, your private driver will bring you inland to Gedong Songo – a great, 1,000-year-old Hindu temple complex built on the slopes of Mt. Ungaran. It’s the perfect precursor to Borobudur. This UNESCO-listed world wonder is the largest single Buddhist monument in the world, complete with 500 Buddha statues and 2,500 relief panels. You’ll even visit the kris dagger maker for the sultan before settling in to your luxury Yogyakarta accommodation – a colonial jewel replete with chandeliers and spa facilities.

Stay: The Phoenix Hotel  (Superior)

Today, a private tour will bring Yogyakarta’s heritage to life, starting with a ride on a cycle rickshaw to the 18th-century Sultan’s Palace and its Taman Sari Water Castle – a royal pleasure garden. Then, after a short Indonesian cooking class, you’ll taste your way through the local delicacies. Stopping at local kitchens, traditional bakers and tiny warung restaurants, you’ll be treated to everything from satay salads and bean-paste pastries to Indonesian spring rolls and pandan cakes. At the end of it all, you’ll return to the Sultan’s Palace, which – each evening – transforms into lively scene of colourful revelry, music and flashy pedal cars.

Stay: The Phoenix Hotel (Superior)

Your private tour today will showcase rural Indonesian life, visiting a local village by ox cart. You’ll enjoy welcome drinks, learn to prepare traditional snacks and visit some of the region’s lesser-known sites, including the 9th-century Prambanan temple complex – a UNESCO-listed jewel. Private transfers either side of your flight will then see you to your luxurious accommodation in Ubud. Set among the tropical gardens of Bali’s green heart, it offers sleek suites and an excellent spa, along with complimentary afternoon tea and yoga classes.

Stay: Komaneka Bisma (Superior)

Over the next three days, you’ll enjoy a series of included private tours. The first will see you visit a local Brahman family, trying your hand at woodcarving, meeting an astrologer and enjoying a home cooking class. The next day, a guided walk through small villages and rice fields showcases dramatic views of the surrounding volcanoes. You’ll also pause everywhere from art galleries and 8th-century temples to the historic Ubud Palace and the macaque-dotted Monkey Forest. On your final day, you’ll venture out to remote farming communities, preparing a traditional breakfast, visiting a nearby school and, as with every day, enjoying a sumptuous lunch. The 11th-century Pura Kehan temple complex and bamboo forest with views of Mt. Batur are further highlights.

Stay: Komaneka Bisma (Superior)

Today, your private included transfer will pause at Tanah Lot – Bali’s iconic water temple, marooned on a rocky islet. You’ll then arrive at one of the island’s finest accommodations, your cottage suite besides what’s billed as “Bali’s Best Beach”. While you’ll have plenty of time to relax on the golden sands, we’ve included a private sunset cruise the next day, showcasing the best of the island’s gorgeous coastline. On your last day, your private touring will bring you to the famous Uluwatu Temple. Perched atop a cragged clifftop, it commands sensational views, complemented by a traditional Kecak fire dance. On your return, you’ll end your trip in style with an included seafood barbecue dinner.

Stay: Belmond Jimbaran (Deluxe) 

You’ll have some free time today to relax, before an included transfer sees you to the airport for your flight home.