East Java

East Java (Jawa Timur) is a wild, rolling region of dizzying peaks, smoking volcanoes and unspoilt panoramas. Dotted across this landscape you'll discover ancient temples being swallowed by a riot of vegetation, national parks where growls, barks, and squawks echo from the undergrowth, and stunning beaches with world-class surfing.

For most visitors, though, East Java is all about raw volcanic power and the landscapes created by these unpredictable mountains of fire. Nowhere is more synonymous with this than the sublime Bromo-Tengger Massif region, with its puffing volcanic giants and inspiring sunrises. Further east, the Ijen Plateau, with its crater lake and brave sulphur miners, is equally captivating.

Nature hasn't got it all its own way in East Java, though. The regional capital, Surabaya, is a booming, fast-paced city, which constantly excites, while smaller Malang, which is ringed by ancient Hindu temples, seems somehow more laid-back and genteel.