Mount Semeru

The highest peak on the volcano-pockmarked island of Java splinters the clouds with its sinewy carved summit at a whopping 3,676 meters above sea level. It is named after the high abode of gods in Buddhist-Hindu traditions and has inspired mystics and mythology for millennia. These days, intrepid travellers flock to gaze at its smoke-spurting caldera from the dusty plateau below or to make the arduous climb to the top with a qualified Mount Semeru tour guide. The journey to the summit can be made over several days, including tented stops on level sections of the trail. It begins with hair-pinning walks through sporadic patches of pine trees and ends with a muscle-busting scramble up gravel and scree ridge. Many aim to arrive by sunset, which illuminates the whole of Java's Ring of Fire volcanos and forest-dressed peaks in the distance.

If you don't plan on scaling the mountain, enjoy the crumpled landscapes that surround the iconic peak. They are home to the shimmering waters of sky-blue Ranu Kumbolo Lake, a camping haven. They also host the ribbon-like Air Terjun Kapas Biru waterfalls, which crash over the bluffs under the gaze of rising Mount Semeru.