Epic Indonesia Archipelago: Sumatra to Flores in 30 Days — Self-Launched

Fly into Kualanamu (KNO) and take the DAMRI airport bus or Railink train (~£2-3) into the city. Check into a budget hotel near Jalan Sisingamangaraja. Evening: wander the Merdeka Walk area for your first mie goreng and iced teh tarik, and swap numbers with any trekking partners you've met on hostel forums.

🚌Railink airport train ~£2; walking

🛏Budget hotel/hostel in central Medan, private or dorm room (~£10)

• →Airport transfer by Railink train
• →Evening street food wander

Hire a becak (cycle rickshaw) for a couple of hours (~£4-5 negotiated) and hit Maimun Palace, the Al-Mashun Great Mosque and the Sri Mariamman temple. Lunch on nasi Padang at a busy local warung (~£2). Afternoon free — the Tjong A Fie Mansion is a great cheap stop (~£2). Book your Bukit Lawang transport tonight: shared tourist minivan from Jalan Balai Kota, ~£6-8, 3.5-4hrs.

🚌Becak ~£4; walking

🛏Budget hotel/hostel in central Medan (~£10)

• →Becak city tour
• →Maimun Palace & Great Mosque
• →Tjong A Fie Mansion

Shared minivan west into the jungle (departs ~8am, ~£7). Bukit Lawang is a one-street village on the Bahorok river — guesthouses are £8-12/night. Afternoon: swim in the river, then join a small-group Batak cooking class at one of the guesthouses (usually £8-12, arranged on arrival) to learn arsik fish and rendang. Sort out your 2-day Gunung Leuser trek with a licensed local guide — this is critical: use guides from the official Bukit Lawang guide association, not touts, and never feed or touch orangutans.

🚌Shared minivan ~£7

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (~£10)

• →Shared minivan transfer
• →River swim
• →Batak cooking class

Into the rainforest with your guide and porter (2D1N package typically £70-95pp including meals, permits, camp gear and raft back — book direct with a local guide association in the village). Six to seven hours of trekking through primary jungle, with a real chance of wild Sumatran orangutans, Thomas's leaf monkeys, hornbills and monitor lizards. Camp is set up by the river; dinner is cooked over fire by your guide.

🚌On foot

🛏Jungle camp (tent) on the river — included in trek package

• →Full-day jungle trek
• →Wildlife spotting
• →Jungle camp overnight

Breakfast at camp, then a different trail out with more wildlife time and a riverside lunch. Finish with the classic Bukit Lawang move: inner-tube rafting down the river back to the village (included in most trek packages). Shower, nap, then beers on a riverside terrace.

🚌On foot; river tubing

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (~£10)

• →Morning jungle hike
• →River tubing back to village

Pick your adventure: half-day white-water rafting on the Sei Bingei (~£18-22), a bicycle loop through bamboo villages and rice fields (~£6), or the short hike to the Bat Cave (~£5 with a local guide). Otherwise just float the river and eat mango. Book tomorrow's shared van back with your guesthouse.

🚌Walking; bicycle hire ~£6

🛏Riverside guesthouse in Bukit Lawang (~£10)

• →Optional rafting, cycling or Bat Cave hike
• →River swim

Shared minivan back to Medan (~£7), stopping en route in a Malay-Javanese-Batak village such as Kampung Lama if your driver can arrange it (tip ~£5). Learn coconut-leaf weaving and try local games, lunch with a family (~£3). Back in Medan for the night near the airport road — you fly early tomorrow.

🚌Shared minivan ~£7

🛏Budget hotel near central Medan (~£10)

• →Shared minivan
• →Village visit & craft demo

Budget flight KNO–DPS (Lion Air/Citilink, book early — £45-75 one way). Pay the Bali tourist levy online (£8) before you land. From the airport, a Grab or Bluebird taxi to Canggu is ~£8-10. Check into a Canggu hostel (dorms £8-12, private £20+). Evening: sunset at Batu Bolong beach with a Bintang.

🚌Flight ~£60; Grab to Canggu ~£9

🛏Hostel dorm in Canggu (~£10)

• →Domestic flight
• →Sunset at Batu Bolong

Book a 2-hour beginner surf lesson at Batu Bolong or Echo Beach (~£18-25 direct with a local surf school, or via Klook). Boards and rash vest included. Afternoon: board hire ~£4/hr to keep practising, or a flat white and a warung nasi campur (~£3) at a beach bar. This is the cheapest place in Bali to actually learn.

🚌Walking/scooter taxi ~£2

🛏Hostel dorm in Canggu (~£10)

• →2-hour group surf lesson
• →Optional board hire

Hire a driver for the day (whole-car ~£40-50, split between 2-4 people) or take a Grab to Bedugul and negotiate onward. Stop at Ulun Danu Beratan temple on the lake (~£4 entry). Continue to Bulian village in the north, where small family guesthouses run ~£15-20 with dinner. Afternoon: walk the rice terraces with a local host and learn to make canang sari offerings (~£5).

🚌Private car & driver ~£45 split

🛏Family guesthouse/homestay in Bulian (~£17 incl. breakfast)

• →Ulun Danu Beratan temple
• →Rice terrace walk
• →Balinese offering-making

Do the Lemukih village trek with a local guide (~£12-15): durian and coffee plantations, Sekumpul-style waterfalls and a natural rock waterslide into a jungle pool. Alternatively hire a bike and loop the northern backroads (~£6). Ask your host to arrange either — village guides keep most of the money.

🚌On foot; local guide

🛏Family guesthouse/homestay in Bulian (~£17)

• →Lemukih waterfall trek
• →Natural waterslide
• →Optional cycling

Free morning — join a sunrise fishing trip with a local fisherman (~£10) or a Balinese cooking class (~£15). Then a shared car/van to Kintamani at the foot of Mt Batur (~£15-20, 2.5hrs). Stay at a guesthouse with hot springs or a volcano-view losmen (~£18). Arrange tonight for tomorrow's sunrise hike — book a licensed guide at the Batur guide association, ~£25-35pp including headtorch and breakfast.

🚌Shared car ~£18

🛏Guesthouse in Kintamani (~£18)

• →Sunrise fishing or cooking class
• →Transfer to Kintamani
• →Hot spring soak

2am start for the Mt Batur sunrise hike (guide ~£30). Back down by 9am for breakfast and a hot spring soak, then a shared van to Ubud (~£8). Check into a Ubud hostel or losmen (£10-15). Afternoon: Campuhan Ridge walk and the market. Evening explore Jalan Hanoman's warungs.

🚌Shared van ~£8

🛏Hostel/losmen in Ubud (~£12)

• →Mt Batur sunrise hike
• →Campuhan Ridge walk

Morning: join a Balinese offering/prayer workshop at a local foundation (Widya Guna-style, ~£12-18 booked direct). Afternoon: Tegalalang rice terraces by scooter taxi (~£4 return), the Sacred Monkey Forest (~£5) or a village walk. Evening: big night out on Jalan Raya with your crew — cocktails £3-5.

🚌Scooter taxi ~£4

🛏Hostel/losmen in Ubud (~£12)

• →Offering-making workshop
• →Rice terraces
• →Night out

Take a half-day Balinese cooking class (~£22-28 including market tour and lunch — book via Klook or directly with the school). Smaller community-run classes such as those linked to women's cooperatives in the area put more money in local hands. Afternoon free for yoga or a massage (~£8-12).

🚌Walking

🛏Hostel/losmen in Ubud (~£12)

• →Market tour & cooking class
• →Optional massage/yoga

Shared van to Padang Bai (~£5), then the fast boat to Lembar, Lombok (~£25-30, 2hrs — book with any of the Padang Bai operators, or use the slower public ferry for ~£4 if you've got time). From Lembar, a bemo or Grab to Kuta Lombok (~£7). Check into a surfer guesthouse (£10-14).

🚌Van ~£5 + fast boat ~£28 + local transport ~£7

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£12)

• →Fast boat crossing
• →Beach sunset

Scooter hire (~£5/day) and go beach-hopping: Tanjung Aan, Mawun, Selong Belanak. Optional morning surf lesson (~£18). Evening seafood BBQ on the beach (~£6). This is where you slow down — the group tour barely touches it.

🚌Scooter hire ~£5

🛏Guesthouse in Kuta Lombok (~£12)

• →Scooter beach-hopping
• →Optional surf lesson
• →Seafood BBQ

Drive east with a local driver/guide (~£30-35 for the day, split between 2-3). Visit Pringgasela weaving village to see songket and ikat looms, and the traditional Sasak villages of Sade or Ende with their thatched lumbung houses. Traditional lunch with a family (~£4). Overnight in a simple homestay around Sembalun/Senaru (~£15 with dinner).

🚌Private car & driver ~£33 split

🛏Village homestay near Senaru (~£15 incl. dinner)

• →Pringgasela weaving village
• →Sasak traditional villages
• →Homestay dinner

Morning hike to Sendang Gile and Tiu Kelep waterfalls with a local guide (~£8). Then drive to Bangsal harbour (~£10) and take the public boat to Gili T (~£2 slow boat, or ~£10 fast). Check into a hostel or bungalow (£12-18). Evening: sunset on the west side and cheap grilled fish.

🚌Car ~£10 + public boat ~£2

🛏Hostel/bungalow on Gili Trawangan (~£15)

• →Waterfall hike
• →Public boat to Gili T

Join a shared 3-island snorkelling trip (Gili Meno, Gili Air, turtle points) — ~£10-14 including gear and lunch, book at any dive shop on the main strip. Afternoon: bike around the island (~£3, no motor vehicles on Gili T), or a Discover Scuba dive (~£40) if you want to go deeper. Evening: beach bar night out.

🚌Bicycle hire ~£3

🛏Hostel/bungalow on Gili Trawangan (~£15)

• →3-island snorkelling trip
• →Bicycle loop
• →Optional dive

Morning boat back to Lombok (~£10 fast boat), transfer to Lombok airport, then fly to Labuan Bajo via Bali or Denpasar with Lion/Wings Air (~£55-85 — book 2-3 weeks ahead; flights get expensive last minute). Arrive Flores, the gateway to Komodo. Check into a Labuan Bajo guesthouse (£12-18) and shop for tomorrow's boat trip on the harbour strip.

🚌Boat ~£10 + flight ~£70

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£15)

• →Boat & flight connections
• →Harbour wander

Join a shared 3D2N open-trip phinisi boat (the classic backpacker Flores experience, ~£120-160 per person including meals, snorkel gear, guide and park fees — book on arrival in Labuan Bajo or slightly in advance in high season; check the boat's safety gear and life jackets before you pay). Day one: Padar Island viewpoint hike, then snorkelling at Pink Beach.

🚌Phinisi boat

🛏Phinisi boat cabin/deck (included in trip)

• →Padar Island viewpoint hike
• →Pink Beach snorkelling

Early ranger-led walk on Komodo or Rinca island to see the dragons in the wild (~£15 park fee usually included in your open trip). Kayak and snorkel at Manta Point and Siaba — the group tour includes kayaks, and most open trips provide them too. Evening on deck under the stars.

🚌Phinisi boat

🛏Phinisi boat (included in trip)

• →Komodo dragon trek with ranger
• →Manta Point snorkel
• →Kayaking

Final morning snorkel (Kanawa or Sebayur), then sail back to Labuan Bajo by midday. Shower, laundry, and a sunset beer at a hilltop bar. Tomorrow you go inland into the Manggarai highlands — book a shared car/van to Denge or Ruteng tonight (~£20-25, leaves early).

🚌Phinisi boat; walking

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£15)

• →Morning snorkel
• →Labuan Bajo sunset

Shared car through the Manggarai highlands to Denge (~£22), 4-5 hours with a stop in Ruteng for the spider-web rice fields and a coffee. Overnight in a simple homestay in Denge (~£12 incl. meals). Arrange a local guide for tomorrow's trek to Wae Rebo (~£20-30pp including meals and village contribution).

🚌Shared car ~£22

🛏Homestay in Denge (~£12)

• →Highland drive
• →Ruteng rice fields
• →Village homestay

Hike 2-3 hours up through cloud forest to Wae Rebo, the UNESCO-recognised village of cone-shaped Mbaru Niang houses. You'll be welcomed with a traditional ceremony, sleep communally in one of the houses on mats, and eat with the families. Bring a warm layer — it's cold and damp up there.

🚌On foot

🛏Mbaru Niang communal house, Wae Rebo (included in guide/village fee)

• →Cloud forest trek
• →Wae Rebo welcome ceremony
• →Communal dinner with Manggarai hosts

Morning coffee experience with a local — harvest, husk and roast the beans by hand over a fire, then drink it with the village elders. Hike back down to Denge, then onward shared transport toward Ruteng or back to Labuan Bajo if you're tight on time (~£15-22).

🚌Shared car ~£18

🛏Guesthouse in Ruteng or Labuan Bajo (~£13)

• →Coffee plantation tour & tasting
• →Trek down
• →Highland transfer

Scooter or driver day through the highlands: Cancar spider-web rice fields, a traditional caci whip-dance village if there's a ceremony on (ask locally), and the Soa hot springs (~£2). Long lunch of Flores coffee, ubi and grilled fish. Back to Labuan Bajo in the late afternoon.

🚌Scooter/day driver ~£15

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£15)

• →Village visits
• →Hot springs
• →Local market stop

Half-day boat trip or kayak hire around the harbour islands (~£15-20), or a shallow-water snorkel from a beach. Then the finale: sunset from the Paradise Bar hilltop with the crew, cold Bintangs (~£2 each), live music and a very late finish.

🚌Walking; kayak hire ~£8

🛏Guesthouse in Labuan Bajo (~£15)

• →Harbour kayak or boat trip
• →Sunset beach bar night out

Depending on your flight, squeeze in a dawn swim or a last market breakfast. Labuan Bajo airport (LBJ) has direct flights to Bali and Jakarta on Wings/Lion and Garuda (~£45-80). Time your international connection with a night buffer in Bali or Jakarta if you're flying long-haul.

🚌Airport transfer ~£4

🛏None (departure day)

• →Morning swim
• →Departure flight