Lonely Planet Indonesia

by Lonely Planet

  Banyuwangi

  Baluran National Park

  Java

  Why Go?

  The heart of the nation, Java is an island of megacities, mesmerising natural beauty, magical archaeological sites and profound traditions in art, music and dance.

  Boasting a dazzling array of bewitching landscapes – iridescent rice paddies, smoking volcanoes, rainforest and savannah, not to mention virgin beaches – most journeys here are defined by scenic excesses. The island is at its most excessive in the cities: crowded, polluted, concrete labyrinths that buzz and roar. Dive into Jakarta's addictive mayhem, soak up Yogyakarta's soul and stroll though Solo's batik laneways en route to the island's all-natural wonders.

  Home to 140 million people and the most populated island on earth, Java travel can be slow going, particularly in the west. However, the rail network is generally reliable and efficient, and flights are inexpensive. Your endurance will be rewarded with fascinating insights into Indonesia's most complex and culturally compelling island.

  When to Go

  AMay Spectacular Waisak processions to mark the birth of Buddha in Borobudur.

  AJun Perhaps the perfect month for travel, with clear skies and few crowds.

  AOct The climax of the bull-racing season in Madura.

  Best Places to Eat

  A Lara Djonggrang

  A Mediterranea

  A Lodges Ekologika on Portibi Farms

  A Pasar Ikan, Pangandaran

  A Por Que No

  Best Places to Stay

  A Hotel Tugu Malang

  A Breve Azurine

  A The Phoenix

  A Hotel Indonesia Kempinski

  A Bangsring Breeze

  Java Highlights

  1 Experiencing the ethereal beauty of Borobudur temple at sunrise.

  2 Gazing over the horizon-filling moonscape scenery at Gunung Bromo.

  3 Hiking to the crater lake of Kawah Ijen with strong-armed sulphur miners.

  4 Time travelling to Java’s golden age in the cultural capital of Yogyakarta.

  5 Exploring magnificent national parks: Ujung Kulon, Meru Betiri, and Alas Purwo.

  6 Meeting the locals via a community tourism project in Cianjur.

  7 Getting off the road and experiencing the palm-fringed Karimunjawa Islands.

  8 Surfing Java's legendary waves at Cimaja, Batu Karas or G-Land.

  History

  Java has a history of epic proportions and a record of human habitation that extends back 1.7 million years to when ‘Java Man’ roamed the riverbanks. Waves of migrants followed, moving down through Southeast Asia.

  Early Javanese Kingdoms

  Blessed with exceptional fertility from its mineral-rich volcanic soil, Java has long played host to intensive sawah (wet rice) agriculture.

  Small principalities emerged, including the Hindu Mataram dynasty, in the 8th century, with worship centred on the god Shiva. Hinduism coexisted with Buddhism for centuries, and the massive Hindu Prambanan complex was constructed within a century of Borobudur, the world's biggest Buddhist monument.

  Mataram eventually fell, perhaps at the hands of the Sumatra-based Sriwijaya kingdom. The Javanese revival began in AD 1019 under King Airlangga, a semi-legendary figure who formed the first royal link with Bali.

  Early in the 13th century the legendary Ken Angrok briefly succeeded in uniting much of Central and East Java, and Javanese culture flourished brightly.

  With the emergence of the much-celebrated Majapahit kingdom, ruling from Trowulan, came the first Javanese commercial kingdom. The kingdom traded with China and most of Southeast Asia, and grew to claim sovereignty over the entire Indonesian archipelago.

  Islamic Kingdoms

  Islamic influence grew in Java in the 15th and 16th centuries, and Muslim military incursions into East Java forced many Hindu-Buddhists eastwards to Bali. By the 17th century, the Muslim kingdoms of Mataram and Banten were the only two powers in Java left to face the arrival of the Dutch.

  Dutch Period

  As the Dutch set up camp in Batavia (Jakarta), Banten remained a powerful force, but civil war within the royal house led to its eventual collapse.

  The Mataram dynasty also became plagued by infighting, and following three Javanese Wars of Succession, the last in 1746, the Dutch split the kingdom, creating the royal houses of Solo and Yogyakarta.

  Resistance to Dutch influence continued, erupting in the anti-Dutch Java War (1825–30), but the colonists defeated the revolts and subsequently Javanese courts became little more than ritual establishments, overseen by a Dutch residen (governor).

  Java Today

  Java still rules the roost when it comes to political and economic life in Indonesia. It has the bulk of the country’s industry, is easily its most developed island, and has over the years received the lion’s share of foreign investment.

  The economic crisis of the late ’90s hit hard, when huge numbers of urban workers lost their jobs and rioters targeted Chinese communities. But Java bounced back relatively quickly, and enjoyed a period of comparative stability and growing prosperity in the early 21st century. Glittering shopping malls and a boom in the tech business are the most obvious signs of Java’s steady (if unspectacular) modernisation.

  Bali apart, Java is the most outward-looking island in Indonesia, and its literate, educated population is the most closely connected to the rest of the world. Extraneous influences matter here, and Java is the most Westernised island in the country and also the corner of the nation most influenced by radical pan-Islamic ideology. While most Javanese are moderate Muslims, there’s an increasingly vocal conservative population (as well as tiny numbers of fanatics prepared to cause death and destruction in the name of jihad). The Bali bombers all came from Java, and Java-based terrorists targeted foreign investments in Jakarta in 2003 and 2004, as well as several international hotels in 2009.

  Today Java can look to the future with some optimism. Thanks to an upsurge in foreign travel, its people are increasingly prosperous and cosmopolitan. But as the island develops at pace, pressing environmental issues (including pollution and the floods that threaten Jakarta most years) are an increasing threat. Infrastructure woes – inadequate highways and waste management, and a lack of investment in train and metro networks – also hamper growth. This makes the recent slide in the rupiah and economic struggles more predictable than surprising.

  As of 2015, the latest trend in government has been conservative. One recent law banned the sale of beer in supermarkets and minimarts (later reversed), and another set a new national closing time for bars and clubs at midnight. However, the man running Jakarta, Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama, is an anti-corruption progressive who has become a folk hero for live streaming every meeting he has with government ministers and legislators. Corruption has long hindered fairness and growth in Java, and Ahok is hoping to buck that trend and establish a new mode of governance that can last.

  JAVA MAN

  Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (1859) spawned a new generation of naturalists in the 19th century, and his theories sparked acrimonious debate across the world. Ernst Haeckel’s The History of Natural Creation (1874) expounded Darwin’s theory of evolution and surmised that primitive humans had evolved from a common ape-man ancestor, the famous ‘missing link’.

  One student of the new theories, Dutch physician Eugene Dubois, went to Java in 1889 after hearing of the uncovering of a skull at Wajak, near Tulung Agung in East Java. Dubois worked at the dig, uncovering other fossils closely related to modern humans. In 1891 at Trinil in East Java’s Ngawi district, Dubois unearthed an older skullcap, along with a femur and three teeth he later classified as originating from Pithecanthropus erectus, a low-browed, prominent-jawed early human ancestor, dating from the Middle Pleistocene epoch. His published findings of ‘Java Man’ caused such a storm in Europe that Dubois buried his discovery for 30 years.

  Since Dubois’ findings, many older examples of Homo ere
ctus (the name subsequently given to Pithecanthropus erectus) have been uncovered in Java. The most important and most numerous findings have been at Sangiran, where in the 1930s Ralph von Koenigswald found fossils dating back to around one million BC. In 1936, at Perning near Mojokerto, the skull of a child was discovered and was purported to be even older. Most findings have been along Sungai Bengawan Solo (Bengawan Solo River) in Central and East Java.

  Geochronologists have now dated the bones of Java’s oldest Homo erectus specimens at 1.7 million years, but also postulate that the youngest fossils may be less than 40,000 years old. This means that Homo erectus existed in Java at the same time as Homo sapiens, who arrived on the island some 60,000 years ago, and reignites the debate about whether humankind evolved in Africa and migrated from there, or whether humans evolved on several continents concurrently. Those interested in learning more should pick up a copy of Carl Swisher, Garniss Curtis and Roger Lewin’s extremely readable book Java Man.

  Culture

  Javanese culture is a rich mix of customs that date back to animist beliefs and Hindu times. Ancient practices are fused with endemic Muslim traditions, which retain mystical Sufi elements beneath a more obvious orthodox and conservative Islamic culture.

  The Javanese cosmos is composed of different levels of belief stemming from older and more accommodating mysticism, the Hindu court culture and a very real belief in ghosts and numerous benevolent and malevolent spirits. Underneath the unifying code of Islam, magic power is concentrated in amulets and heirlooms (especially the Javanese dagger known as the kris); in parts of the human body, such as the nails and the hair; and in sacred musical instruments. The dukun (faith healer and herbal doctor or mystic) is still consulted when illness strikes. Jamu (herbal medicine) potions are widely taken to do everything from boost libido to cure asthma.

  Refinement and politeness are highly regarded, and loud displays of emotion, coarseness, vulgarity and flamboyant behaviour are considered kasar (bad manners; coarse). Halus (refined) Javanese is part of the Hindu court tradition, which still exists in the heartland of Central Java. In contrast to Islam, the court tradition has a hierarchical world view, based on privilege and often guided by the gods or nature spirits.

  Indirectness is a Javanese trait that stems from an unwillingness to make others feel uncomfortable. It is impolite to point out mistakes and sensitivities, or to directly criticise authority.

  Java has three main ethnic groups, each speaking their own language: the Javanese of Central and East Java (where halus is taken very seriously); the Sundanese of West Java; and the Madurese from Pulau Madura (who have a reputation for blunt-speaking and informality). Small pockets of Hindus remain, including the Tenggerese of the Bromo area and the Badui of West Java, whose religion retains many animist beliefs. Even metropolitan Jakarta identifies its own polyglot tradition in the Betawi, the name for the original inhabitants of the city.

  TOP FIVE JAVA READS

  A Shadow Falls: In the Heart of Java by Andrew Beatty. Based on sustained research in a remote Javanese village, this study examines the cultural conflict between mystic Javanese traditionalists and orthodox Islam.

  Jakarta Inside Out by Daniel Ziv. A collection of humorous short stories tackling the vibrant underbelly of Indonesia’s capital.

  The Religion of Java by Clifford Geertz. A classic book on Javanese religion, culture and values. It’s slightly dated (it was based on research done in the 1950s) but is nonetheless fascinating reading.

  Javanese Culture by Koentjaraningrat. One of the most comprehensive studies of Javanese society, history, culture and beliefs. This excellent reference book covers everything from Javanese toilet training to kinship lines.

  Raffles and the British Invasion of Java by Tim Hannigan. An excellent, authoritative account of the brief period of British rule, and the role of Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, in the early 19th century.

  8Getting There & Around

  Air

  Jakarta has numerous international and domestic connections. Other useful international gateway Javanese cities are Surabaya, Solo, Bandung, Yogyakarta and Semarang. Domestic flights can be very convenient and affordable: Jakarta–Yogyakarta is a very popular route. If your time is short, it's worth booking a few internal flights to cut down on those hours on the road.

  Sea

  Very few travellers now use Pelni passenger ships, but there are connections between Jakarta and most ports in the nation. Ferries run round the clock between Banyuwangi/Ketapang harbour in East Java and Gilimanuk in Bali and also between the Javanese port of Merak and Bakauheni in southern Sumatra.

  Bus

  Buses connect virtually anywhere and everywhere in Java, and also run to Sumatra, Bali and even Nusa Tenggara. Unfortunately Java's road network is woefully inadequate, so journeys tend to be very slow and tiring, particularly in the west of the island.

  Train

  Java has a fairly punctual and efficient rail service running right across the island. Overall, train travel certainly beats long bus journeys, so try to take as many as you can. You can check timetables and make online bookings at www.kereta-api.co.id, though it's not very user-friendly.

  Unfortunately, network capacity (many of the lines are single tracks) is very limited and demand often exceeds supply. During holiday periods trains are always booked weeks or months ahead.

  Jakarta

  %021 / Pop 10.2 million

  One of the world’s greatest megalopolises, Jakarta is a dynamic city of daunting extremes that's developing at a pace that throws up challenges and surreal juxtapositions on every street corner. An organism unto itself, this is a town in the midst of a very public metamorphosis, and despite the maddening traffic, life here is lived at an all-out pace, driven by an industriousness and optimism that's palpable. Dysfunction be damned.

  Translation: it's no oil painting, yet beneath the unappealing facade of new build high-rises, relentless concrete and gridlocked streets, fringed with rickety slums and shrouded in a persistent blanket of smog, Jakarta has many faces and plenty of surprises. Its citizens – even the poorest among them – are remarkably good-natured and positive, and compared to many of the world’s capitals, crime levels are low.

  From the steamy, richly scented streets of Chinatown to North Jakarta's riotous, decadent nightlife, the city is filled with unexpected corners. Here it’s possible to rub shoulders with Indonesia’s future leaders, artists, thinkers, movers and shakers in a bohemian cafe or a sleek lounge bar and then go clubbing till dawn and beyond, the sober desires of current lawmakers notwithstanding.

  History

  Jakarta’s earliest history centres on the port of Sunda Kelapa, in the north of the modern city. When the Portuguese arrived it was a bustling port in the last Hindu kingdom of West Java, but they were driven out in 1527 and the city was renamed Jayakarta, meaning ‘victorious city’.

  Dutch Rule

  At the beginning of the 17th century the Dutch and English jostled for power in the region, with the Dutch prevailing. The city was renamed Batavia and made the capital of the Dutch East Indies, as Amsterdam-style houses and canals were constructed.

  By 1740 ethnic unrest lead to the massacre of 5000 Chinese, and virtually the entire community was subsequently moved to Glodok, outside the city walls. Dutch colonial rule came to an end with the Japanese occupation in 1942 and the name Jakarta was restored.

  Post Independence

  Over the next four decades, the capital struggled under the weight of an ever-increasing population of poor migrants, but by the 1990s Jakarta’s economic situation had turned around. This all changed, however, with the economic collapse of 1997. The capital quickly became a political battleground and the epicentre of protests demanding Suharto’s resignation.

  Jakarta erupted in rioting after the deaths of student protesters, as thousands took to the streets and looted malls. The Chinese were hardest hit, with shocking tales of rape and murder emerging after the riots.

 
; The City Today

  Jakarta has suffered on several fronts since the beginning of the 21st century. Severe floods (which strike every rainy season) frequently cause massive damage to homes and infrastructure, and in the early part of the millennium terrorists targeted Western interests, bombing US-owned hotels and the Australian embassy with terrifying frequency. But that all seemed to change around the time Barack Obama, today considered a favourite son of Indonesia, was elected US president, which coincided with Indonesia's abundance of natural resources translating into favourable trade deals and a gathering economy. That, along with Thailand's political turmoil, placed Indonesia on a shortlist of countries that managed to avoid the global recession.

  But in the past several years, the currency has tanked and the economy has begun to grind to a halt along with countless development projects. Of late there has also been a series of regressive regulations passed by federal lawmakers targeting the bar and nightlife industry. First there was the so-called beer ban, in which beer was no longer available in minimarts and liquor stores. That law was later reversed after popular outcry (though good luck finding it in most Javanese minimarts). More recently, the so-called no-fun initiative dictates all bars and clubs are to close at midnight. However, the law was not well enforced at press time, and time will tell if it lasts at all.

  Through it all, Jakarta’s public transport system has remained hopelessly inefficient compared with many Chinese cities, Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur and there remains much to be done before Jakarta becomes a modern metropolis.