Such insights were welcomed by my traveling companions led by El Camino Travel’s Vernon Prieto during a recent journey to the heart of Indonesia – the world’s largest archipelago that dips and rises across the equator from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific. Divided into three time zones, it spreads over 5,200 km between the Asian mainland and Australia and features 18,000 islands, of which 6,000 are inhabited. Teeming with eco-adventure, Indonesia is blessed with turquoise seas, white sandy beaches, a phenomenal array of wildlife, including tigers and orangutans, cloud-swept mountains wrapped in sublime green terraces and exotic temples that continue to lure visitors. All these provide endless resources for trekking, surfing, scuba diving, cultural discoveries or simply basking in the comforts of its many luxurious resorts and colonial hotels.
General manager Adjie Wahjono of Aneka Katika Tours enthused that the country’s ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity is awesome – around 500 languages and dialects are spoken by its 200 million people whose fascinating customs and lifestyles are a major attraction. We learned that the Majapahit dynasty, based in and around East Java, one of Indonesia’s 27 provinces, began foundations of an empire that was to dominate the entire Indonesian archipelago, the Malay peninsula and part of the Philippines for centuries. As power in Central Java declined in the 10th century, powerful kingdoms rose in East Java to fill the power vacuum. Parts of the Mahabharata epic were translated and re-interpreted to conform to an East Javanese philosophy and view of life, and it was from this era that East Java inherited much of its temple art.
From Manila, we flew via Malaysian Airlines to Kuala Lumpur then took a local flight to Surabaya, the prefectural capital of East Java. Second in size, population and commerce to Jakarta, this bustling commercial center is efficiently connected to the rest of Java by quality transportation services. A highly industrialized city of over four million people, exquisite hotels, shopping and entertainment complexes, Surabaya offers excellent sightseeing of historical monuments commemorating the struggle for the country’s independence.
Time certainly stood still as we stepped into the fabulous Mandarin Oriental Hotel Majapahit, where we were warmly welcomed by the hotel GM Clemens Hoerth, formerly of the Mandarin in Manila. Originally built in 1910, the colonial edifice is a classic landmark hotel filled with national pride, where an impressive history blends with romance and elegance. Its graceful architecture and landscaped gardens complement the hotel’s colonial style oasis with resort spa and recreation facilities. The only five-star boutique hotel in the city center of Surabaya, it has 150 all-suite concept rooms with exquisite antiques and gold fittings. A stay at the presidential suite is an unforgettable experience as it is the largest in Asia and boasts two floors of luxury and its own private terrazas. We strolled down memory lane as we learned that the palatial landmark was initially built as the Oranje Hotel in the heart of Surabaya by Lucas Martin Sarkies. Lucas was a member of the famous Sarkies family whose hotel empire included Raffles in Singapore, The Strand in Burma and the Eastern and Oriental in Penang, Malaysia. Reeking of history, it was in this hotel in 1945 where hundreds of incensed students stormed Allied headquarters to tear down the Dutch flag. This "Flag Incident" was the most poignant expression of resistance during those dark days. The three-week-long Battle of Surabaya showed the world that Indonesians were ready to die for their independence which was finally recognized in 1949. The hotel changed ownership from the postwar period onwards until 1996 when it underwent a nearly $4 million restoration job regaining its position as Surabaya’s premier address.
Inspired by an ancient heritage in Java, the ritual of mandi siraman and the cycle of human life are adapted at the Mandarin Oriental Spa by Martha Tilaar. The word "spa" comes from the Latin language, Solus per aqua (health by water), which makes water the main component for facial and body treatments. Katrina Holigores sampled the exhilarating treatments such as Bali garden bliss for revitalization, Java island legacy flower milk bath and exotic facial massage.
Further up the coast from Surabaya, tours can be arranged to explore the 14th-century Majapahit temples and tomb site in Trowulan Village, site of the largest and longest-serving ancient kingdom of Indonesia and Malay. If you travel down south, you can visit the apple and orange orchards of Kusuma Agro Wisata located in Batu, East Java whose mountainous areas makes them perfect for horticulture. Coffee connoisseurs will fall in love with Hotel Tugu Blitar, the most romantic colonial hotel in a vast coffee plantation in nearby Blitar, a small and quiet town where Soekarno, the first president and founding father of Indonesia came from. Seven kilometers north of the tomb is the Penataran Temple, one of the largest remaining sanctuaries from the Majapahit Empire.
For a most exhilarating East Java journey, I recommend taking a limousine from the Mandarin Majapahit for a scenic three-hour drive to the breathtaking Mt. Bromo. If you depart from the hotel at the crack of dawn, you may experience the spectacular sunset as the blanket of clouds rises over the spewing crater. This surreal scene in the fashion of National Geographic or Lord of the Rings is what many local and foreign travelers aspire to witness. A mule ride from the village of Ngadisari takes you over a sea of sand to the foot of the volcano where you ascend the 250 steps to reach the copper- hued rim. On the vast expanse of sand, formerly a caldera, three volcanoes stand upright: the perfectly-shaped extinct Mt. Batok, the very active Mt. Semeru and the majestic Mt. Bromo. Volcanic fumes still emanate dramatically from the depths and when the God of Bromo begins to rumble, the surrounding populace quickly brings their humble offerings.
My group of close friends and I paid homage to the deity as we threw bouquets of fresh edelweiss flowers into the fiery cauldron of Bromo. With a smile in my heart, I agreed with playwright August Strindberg, who wrote, "Signs appear to those who yearn for them." Surely they will take you closer to the secrets inside you.