Java to Singapore: Volcano Dust, Caves, and City Lights

Reese Highbloom
Jan 19
4 min read

(Jan 2–10, 2026)

When we left off, I was rattling across Indonesia on a night bus headed for Malang, somewhere on the east side of Java. The plan was simple: arrive early, crash hard, and see what happened next. Of course, nothing in Southeast Asia goes to plan.

The bus crawled through Bali traffic, crossed the ferry well after midnight, and limped onward through Java. Around 4:30 a.m., we stopped at a roadside restaurant. Like clockwork, the entire bus—none of whom spoke English—stood up, shuffled inside, filled plates with rice and mystery dishes, grabbed sweet tea, ate in silence, and got back on the bus ten minutes later. Confused but committed, I followed along. Breakfast achieved.

By the time we reached Malang, it was nearly 10 a.m. I grabbed a scooter to my hostel and immediately realized this wasn’t a tourist town. Very few foreigners. Lots of stares. Exactly the vibe I like.

I wandered through a local market and followed my nose to a busy bakso stand. Meatball soup, hot broth, locals staring openly as I slurped soup at a plastic stool—it felt like a proper arrival. Later, I walked along a nearby “rainbow village” built into the riverbanks, wandered through people’s homes, snapped photos, and ended the day chatting with café staff over satay before calling it an early night.

The next morning was the real reason I’d come to Malang.

Dirt Bikes and Volcanoes

At 6 a.m., my friend Pery, from Germany, who I’d met on the Komodo boat, joined me for a dirt bike adventure to Mount Bromo. Our guide, Fani, suited us up, and we were off almost immediately.

We tore out of the city, fueled up, grabbed breakfast at a minimart (where a local kid insisted on a photo with me), and headed into the mountains. We stopped at a waterfall, parked the bikes right at the water’s edge, then climbed higher—through villages, switchbacks, and clouds—until the road disappeared.

What followed was two hours of technical riding through rocks, sand, and chaos. Pery fell more times than I could count (short legs, tall bike), I fell once, and we laughed the entire time. Eventually, the terrain opened up into massive sand flats where we flew across the valley toward the volcano. Full throttle. Pure joy.

We hiked up to the active crater, watched steam rise from the earth, then rode single-track trails between bushes before looping back through hills that looked straight out of Teletubbies. Dirty, exhausted, and grinning, we finished with a late lunch at a local restaurant and capped the night with a beer at an Irish bar—because why not.

Trains, Temples, and Caves

The next morning, I boarded a train to Yogyakarta, watching rice fields blur past while listening to an audiobook. Easy travel day. I checked into my hostel, wandered Malioboro Street, grabbed bubble tea, and lucked into having the entire dorm to myself.

The following day, I scooted out to Prambanan, exploring the massive temple complex while sweating through my shirt and listening to my book. That afternoon, I did something wildly different: a premium theater showing of Avatar, for about three dollars. Balance...

The next day was pure adventure again.

I joined a small group for Jomblang Cave, harnessed up, and was lowered straight down into the earth. At noon, sunlight poured through the opening above, creating a surreal halo effect inside the cave. Photos don’t do it justice. Afterward, local farmers hauled us back up, fed us lunch, and then we tubed through a nearby river cave, floating, jumping, and laughing until we were soaked.

That night, I shared a McDonald’s dinner with the driver (Indonesia delivers surprises in many forms) before packing up for my next move.

Singapore Sprint

I flew to Singapore, arriving late but still detouring through Jewel(the mall at SIN airport) just to see it in person. Chinatown hostel. Lights out.

The next morning, I learned something important: Singapore does not wake up early. At 8 a.m., the city was empty. I eventually found a hawker stall, ate breakfast soup beside an older American backpacker named Tim, and swapped travel stories.

From there, it was nonstop: Chinatown, Marina Bay Sands, hawker lunch, subway rides, botanical gardens, the orchid garden, and a quick reset back at the hostel before heading out again for sunset, Shake Shack (don’t judge), and a beer at a local brewery.

My final day was packed: Sky Gardens, Cloud Forest, Flower Dome, calls with family, then Little India for some of the best butter chicken and naan I’ve ever had. I killed time at a mall, accidentally scored a free foot massage from a “demo machine,” and by evening I was on a bus headed for Malaysia—dusty, full, and already thinking about the next leg.

Java gave me volcanoes, dirt bikes, caves, and chaos. Singapore wrapped it all up with order, greenery, and incredible food. Off to Malaysia for a few weeks...