Java rail holidays in Indonesia

How do you have a train holiday in a country with 17,000 islands? Stick to Java, where there’s a high-speed railway.

At first glance, the island of Java in Indonesia seems ideally built for rail travel – it’s over 1,000km long but only 210km at its widest point. Jakarta is on the far northwest of the island, the cultural capital of Yogyakarta is almost bang in the middle, and then the east coast has Surabaya and Mount Bromo, one of the most scenic volcanoes in the country. For even more convenience, Bali is just a 45-minute ferry hop from the eastern port station of Ketapang. It’s almost been perfectly designed for a rail journey east, followed by some relaxation time on Bali, which is why we have a holiday that does just that, our Jakarta to Bali by train holiday.

The largest economy in the region, Indonesia has the best rail network in Southeast Asia, and the government has thousands more kilometres of tracks in development. The best island for rail holidays? Java, where the main cities are connected by rail. Java’s first high speed train (the first in the southern hemisphere) launched in 2023. The line reaches speeds of 350kph and has cut a three-hour journey from Jakarta to the city of Bandung to 30 minutes. Pleasingly, it’s called WHOOSH, or “Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Handal” (Timesaving, Optimal Operation, Reliable System) – a timesaving acronym indeed.

Indonesia’s railways were built by the Dutch occupiers during the 19^th century, initially to transport resources out of the country, and so that the occupying forces could move around with ease and quell any uprisings. Local people were not allowed to use the trains. Now, the rail system – which is particularly good in Java – has improvements funded by China’s Belt and Road Initiative (which has seen billions invested in transport systems across Asia), and is embraced by Indonesians.

Whilst it helps commuters get to work, Java’s rail network takes visitors by surprise. It is little-known to international tourists – despite being every bit as useful as the rail system in somewhere like Japan.

Best of all, trains are cheap: better value and far less hassle than flying, and cheaper too, than using a private car. They are comfortable, and serve full, hot meals on board. Book into first class, or book the long, panoramic train ride between Bandung and Surabaya, and relax with the scenery.

Traffic is an issue on Java – the most populated island in the world – especially in its cities. Tens of millions of motorised vehicles also mean Jakarta has been ranked the most air polluted city in the world. In contrast, the train is quick, inexpensive, and electric, and helps you skim out of Jakarta’s dense urban area with ease.

Leaving the city sprawl, out the window you’ll see people working the rice fields – half of the population lives rurally, and wet-rice cultivation has been the source of food for thousands of years, thanks to these rich volcanic soils. You’ll see the smoking culprits in the distance, too: Java has dozens of active volcanoes, and mountains run in a chain east-west along the island – just like its major railway line. In among Indonesia’s verdant greenery, you’ll happen across mosques, kampungs and towns – and flash through smaller settlements and level crossings in the blink of an eye.

Indonesia’s most scenic rail journey is also one of its longest: the nine-hour voyage between Bandung and Surabaya covered by the Argo Willis, an Eksekutif (executive) class train with panoramic windows all the better for seeing all that green go by. Going by road on the same route would take 15 hours.

Expect to carry your own luggage, so travel light. You ideally need to be able to take your bags down from the rack yourself. Whilst staff on trains are immensely friendly, there’s no checked luggage and limited baggage handling. Bring layers – it’s air conditioned on the trains and then warm outside. Expect temperature changes across the island. It’s cooler in the city of Bandung, which is in an elevated area. It’s humid in Yogyakarta once you come down from altitude. The rail network isn’t so good on other islands in Indonesia. On Bali you’ll be back to the traffic again. There are no trains on Lombok, for instance, and on Sumatra, most trips use buses or flights. Other islands are too small to benefit from a network. Go with a local guide on one of our escorted small group tours and get the lowdown on everything Indonesia when you go, from what to order if you like it spicy to where to buy traditional batik in Yogyakarta. Our trips book the highest travel class by default: it’s inexpensive to do so, so why not!