We’ve done many brilliant family holidays in South East Asia. Java, the most populous island of the hundreds that make up Indonesia is packed with interesting culture, spectacular scenery and natural wonders.

But it’s definitely for more adventurous travellers. We had a great time, but I’m glad we waited until Joe was 12. Travelling on a family holiday in Java can be hard going. Roads aren’t great, traffic can be dizzyingly bad. There are trains, but to travel any distance, book well in advance! Similarly places aren’t always open when you expect them to be and the best laid plans can come awry – you need be flexible and go with the flow!

Here’s what we got up to on our Java family adventure.

Avoiding the chaos in Surabaya

Surabaya was our arrival point in Indonesia – we flew in from Singapore. It’s Java’s second city after the capital Jakarta and it’s hectic and traffic filled. It was quite the contrast with clean, urbane Singapore. The taxi from the airport took nearly an hour in the clogged up streets. It’s a big, busy city and you have to keep your wits about you on the streets as cars and bikes come in all directions. We did venture out to a few shopping malls and found a rather crazy ancient submarine to explore, but the high point of our time here was our hotel.

The Majapahit hotel is a Dutch colonial-era beauty and it’s steeped in Indonesian history too – it’s where independence was first declared. It’s an oasis of calm with shady colonnades, leafy gardens and a nice swimming pool. The function rooms and reception area are ornately grand – it really is pretty special. We loved the Indonesian food here too. I’ve stayed in many places – I think this is the only hotel where the GM came around and chatted to his guests at breakfast to ask how things were. That was pretty impressive.

Taking the train to Yogya

We love catching trains. It’s such a great way to see the scenery and to meet local people. Despite its immense size and enormous population there are few trains in Indonesia and Java is the only island where you can easily catch them. There are plans to relocate the capital Jakarta to a completely different island because it is literally sinking, but nonetheless a new high speed rail line recently opened connecting it to nearby Bandung with plans well advanced to upgrade the line towards Surabaya too.

We flew into Surabaya from Singapore and our next stop was Yogyakarta. So we opted for the train. The journey takes four hours and it’s a perfect slice of Javanese scenery along the way. After the busy chaos of Surabaya it was so nice to look out of the windows at timeless scenery as we chugged along – paddy fields, banana palms, buffalo pulling carts and ploughs. And all of it under sparkling sunlight and bright blue skies.

If you plan to take trains in Indonesia book in advance. We wanted to take another train on Java later in our holiday, but it was fully booked! The Man in Seat 61 has great info on trains in Indonesia.

Exploring regal Yogyakarta

It’s long been a favourite on the backpacker trail and it’s not hard to see why. Unlike many of the big cities on Java, Yogya is more manageable, less hectic and there are plenty of cultural sites to keep you busy. At the centre is the old Royal Palace – the city is still officially ruled by a king, or sultan. His palace is the Kraton and you can explore its pavilions, some of which feature ancient exhibits on old glass cases that reek of history. There are often musical performances too – known as Gamelan. We managed to catch one. Rows and rows of musicians play traditional gongs, xylophones, drums and flutes. It was mesmerising, particularly when they were joined by women dancing in flowing golden and red Javanese costumes.

Within the grounds of the Kraton you can also wander around the Taman Sari – the former royal garden. There are intricately carved entrances and an ornamental bathing lake. We found it surprisingly peaceful despite the number of other tourists.

Cycling in the countryside

We decide to book a bike tour with a local tour co called ViaVia who were excellent. We jumped on bikes with our friendly guide to see more of the countryside around Yogya for a morning. I’d really recommend for a more authentic view of rural life in Java. It’s great for curious kids too. Make sure to wear a sunhat and carry plenty of water – and this is Indonesia, so double check your bike is in full working order for yourself! We started fairly early to avoid being out when it was really hot in the middle of the day.

First stop was a homestead where they made tasty little local pancakes – a perfect breakfast to get us fuelled up. We even had a go at making them. Next we visited some paddy fields where the rice harvest was taking place. We helped thresh the rice using a rather scary machine with spinning spikes on it – keep an eye on your fingers! We cycled on in the sunshine along little tracks between simple houses and shimmering rice paddies. It was just serene pedalling along. Our final stop was a local brick making factory. Bricks are made here in the traditional method using mud and straw right there from the ground. Joe tried his hand at making some. They’re then built up into a huge mound and fired for several days.

Chatting at the chicken church

Around two hours’ drive from Yogyakarta, Bukit Rhema – often called the Chicken Church, is the most quirky of places. It’s a large vaguely bird-shaped concrete structure perched on top of a hill. It’s supposed to resemble a dove, but it’s not hard to see why it has the chicken nickname as the head of the bird which offers a great viewing platform has rooster-like spikes on top. It’s the work of a man called Daniel Alamsjah. Daniel was an ardent Christian and he had a vision from God telling him to build a place for worship and prayer for peoples of all faiths in 1988. He began in 1992. It was a labour of love and faith and he ran out of money in 2000.

There the church stayed virtually unheard of until it featured in a local movie. The new interest sparked an influx of visitors and Daniel was able to raise more funds and complete his vision. It’s folk art on a huge scale with strange paintings, unusual shaped rooms for contemplation and the high viewing platform at the top from where you can just see Borobodur far away in the jungle. What we enjoyed most was the little café that a local tourist organisation has set up in the tail of the bird. It’s staffed by students training in tourism and they are just the most lovely bunch. It’s also surprisingly peaceful. We sat and chatted and sipped iced coffees enjoying the views. It’s easy to include Bukit Rhema if you’re on a day trip from Yogya to see Borobudur and Prambanan – although these two take up quite a lot of time so you have to keep up the pace a little to fit everything in.

Ticking Borobudur off the bucket list

There are two temple sites on Java that feature on all tourist itineraries. Both are within easy day trip reach of Yogyakarta. Without question they’re both impressive structures and well worth your time. Borobudur is the most famous – a stepped pyramid structure that was ‘discovered’ by Sir Stamford Raffles the founder of modern Singapore. When he found it in the middle of the forest in 1814 it was in a tumble down state. He set out to have it surveyed and properly restored. It’s a spell-binding place, rising high above the forest canopy with enigmatic Buddhas housed inside beehive like structures on its seven levels.

When I visited for the first time in 1998 I climbed in breathless silence to the top to witness sunrise over the jungle. It was one of the most memorable experiences of my travels. So I was looking forward to a revisit. What a disappointment. Inevitably the site is now far more popular. It costs USD 25 to enter which in Indonesia is a lot of money. What blew me away was we visited on a Monday and no one told us the site is officially ‘closed on Mondays’. But this is Indonesia. So the ticket offices are open and they will still take your 25 bucks. But you can only walk up to the fence around the site at the bottom of a hill and look at it from a distance. Ridiculous - No way we’d do that. So we came all the way back next morning – a two-hour drive. And then what did we find? You can’t climb the structure anymore. So disappointing. Rumour has it that since we visited it’s now possible to climb certain sections – on payment of additional fees. I have no problem with protecting the structure from the wear and tear of thousands of feet, but it would be so easy to construct walkways to do that.

Being spellbound by the temples of Prambanan

Prambanan just up the road from Borobudur is a bigger site. It’s full of Buddhist temples. It too was in a tumbledown state after earthquakes raised most of it to the ground. It’s being painstakingly rebuilt – a colossal 3D jigsaw that has taken decades and will take many more to complete. But in the meantime there are lots of reconstructed temples to explore. And here – unlike at Borobudur - you can wander around them properly. We far preferred it. Because it’s such a big site, it’s quieter too. We were accosted by a group of lovely tourism students who wanted to give us a free guided tour and practice their English. It was a little challenging understanding them but we had such fun.

After a while we thanked them, gave them a tip and said we’d like to just wander unaccompanied. We headed off towards the fringes of the vast site and found several fairly complete temples to explore. The sun was beginning to sink at the end of the day and there was hardly anyone else around. It was spellbindingly lovely. Remember to take plenty of water and wear a hat – there’s no shade at all at Prambanan and not much at Borobudur either.

Wandering the painted houses in Malang

In the suburb of Jodipan in Malang, a burst of colour transforms what was once a quiet riverside area into a lively, eye-catching destination. In Kampung Warna Warni Jodipan aka the Rainbow Village the houses are painted in bold hues of red, yellow, green, and blue, clinging to the sides of a steep valley with a small river running through it. At first the residents bought the paint themselves, but rumour has it a paint manufacturer now sponsors some of them. We wandered around the steep narrow alleys, looking at the moody murals, painted staircases and rainbow houses.

Don’t forget to look up! There are umbrellas and other paraphernalia strung above the pathways too. Originally an urban revitalization project, the village is now a symbol of community pride and creativity and everyone is really friendly. Take a walk across the high level footbridge to get the most photogenic views. Small vendors sell snacks and drinks, perfect for a short break while you take in the scenery. For the best light and fewer crowds, visit in the morning or late afternoon.

Sand surfing on Bromo

Indonesia is hugely volcanic. There are craters all over the place. Some still erupt too. The most popular for tourists is Mount Bromo in eastern Java. It kicks out steam and smoke day and night, but has been relatively stable for decades. It’s a truly spectacular site, but like most tourist experiences in Java it needs a degree of stamina.

We took a jeep tour from Malang and did it in what was a very long day. Many tourists stay close to the volcano at Cemoro Lawang a little village, packed with guest houses. Do this and you can get up very early and watch sunrise over the volcanic landscape. If you do, take warm clothes – it’s really chilly at this time of day.

There are actually three caldera here, clustered inside a huge extinct volcano called the Sea of Sand. The landscape is stark and alien. Once you arrive at the foot of the caldera, it’s a long steep climb up a jagged flight of steps to the crater’s edge. At the top you can look down int the smouldering volcano. The scent of sulphur wafts around you. This is Indonesia, so the safety barriers are rickety and non-existent in places. Take care! The views of the nearby caldera and across the vast Sea of Sands are equally amazing.

Best thing for Joe? Our guide had brought a rudimentary homemade sand board. The Sea of Sands isn’t completely flat – in fact there are some quite steep dunes. Sandboarding on a volcano? What could be cooler?