Indonesia

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Why visit Indonesia?

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This ever-intriguing, ever-intoxicating Indonesia holds some of the last great adventures on earth. Sitting in the open door of a train whizzing across Java, idling away time on a ferry bound for Kalimantan, hanging on to the back of a scooter on Flores or simply trekking through wilderness you are sure no one has seen before... you will enjoy endless exploration of the infinite diversity of Indonesia’s islands.
Venturing through the islands of Indonesia, you will see a land as diverse and unusual as those living upon it. Whether Sulawesi or Sumatra dramatic sights are the norm; there is also the sublime: an orangutan lounging in a tree. The artful: a Balinese dancer executing precise moves that would make a robot seems loose-limbed. The astonishing: the mobs in a cool and glitzy Jakarta mall on a Sunday. The humbling: a woman bent double with a load of firewood on Sumatra. The solemn: the quiet magnificence of Borobudur.

What does Indonesia bring in mind?

Borobudur

Located 40 km northwest of Yogyakarta on Java, the Borobudur is the one of the most famous Buddhist temples in the world. The Borobudur was built over a period of some 75 years in the 8th and 9th centuries by the kingdom of Sailendra, out of an estimated 2 million blocks of stone. It was abandoned in the 14th century for reasons that still remain a mystery and for centuries lay hidden in the jungle under layers of volcanic ash. Today it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indonesia.

Tanjung Puting National Park Located on the island of Borneo in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, the park is a popular ecotourism destination, with many local tour companies offering multi-day boat tours to view wildlife and visit the research centers. Wildlife includes gibbons, macaques, clouded leopards, sun bears, pythons, crocodiles and orangutans.

Mount Bromo

Do not miss out the majestic Mount Bromo at Bromo-Tengger Semeru National Park, with active and dormant volcanoes to choose from. You may ride a horse or catch or rent a jeep all the way to the top and be in time to catch a sunrise.

Lake Toba Relax and unwind from the hectic of travels at Lake Toba, swim in the largest volcanic lake in the world on lazy afternoons and have a long massage after then followed by a good meal to end the day. With a quiet and serene beauty, it is famous for travelers as a place to just unwind and while the time away, especially after a hard core long backpacking or trekking.

Torajaland

A highland region of South Sulawesi, home of the Toraja people, Torajans are famous for their massive peaked-roof houses known as tongkonan and spectacular but horrific funeral rites. After a person’s death, the body is kept (often for several years) until the actual funeral ceremony which can last for several days. The deceased is then finally buried in a small cave or in a hollow tree.

Baliem Valley Best place to explore the Papua area in Indonesia, you may find tribes, which are still practicing rites and ceremonies from ancient times in places among cool air, misty purple mountains and buzz of human activities. Trek and explore the lands of Lani, Dani and Yali tribes in this remote Papua.

Raja Ampat Known as one of the best diving destinations in Indonesia and the world, Raja Ampat is estimated to host over 75% of world’s coral species with more than a thousand coral reef fish fauna. It is definitely a diver’s paradise and for those who love marine life.

Komodo National Park

This UNESCO World Heritage Site in Indonesia has the most famous Komodo Dragon which is the largest living lizard. You may even catch legions of flying foxes in the star-filled night sky.

Things NOT to miss in Indonesia

• Shop till you drop: One of the best shopping places in Asia where you may find from international brands in the big shiny malls of Jakarta to affordable and cheap bargains in the markets and smaller malls.

• Sit a becak to sightseeing in the city: Use one of the becak (trishaw) in cities and just let it take you around the city in style. It can wind through narrow streets and let you immerse in the environment better. With wind in your face, you feel the place and let sights and smells sink in from all corners of the city

• Immerse in history and culture: Indonesia itself host two of the most beautiful ancient wonders in the proximity of Yogyakarta: the famous Borobudur temple and the revered Prambanan temple. Be wow by the well preserved remains of the two great kingdoms of two very different religions: Buddhism and Hinduism and then look around you to find that currently the majority of the people here is Muslim.

• Hike up and watch sunrise from/over volcanoes: Trek and hike up one of the many volcanoes of Indonesia like Mount Bromo in Java.

• Diving in world’s most beautiful spots: Indonesia is not a stranger to the serious divers of the world, with amazing dive spots like Raja Ampat and Togian islands. The marine- life around Indonesia boasts more than 3000 species and huge biodiversity.

• Trek in natural rainforest in search of Orangutan: Bukit Lawang is one of the last few places on Earth to see Orangutans living in the wild. Trek through the lush tropical rainforest in search of Orangutans, not only you will have the jungle trekking of your life, the Orangutans will bring your last breath away.

• Island hopping and snorkeling: With 17000 islands to choose from in Indonesia, it brings the idea of island hopping to a new scale. With its clear blue sea, snorkeling is a natural thing to do at every new spot in the ocean and nearby all the pristine beaches. Snorkel off beautiful islands like Togian islands, or Karimunjawa and Gili Islands in Lombok.

• Surf the powerful waves: Surf in the many spots of Indonesia that promises powerful waves for beginners to expert. One of the few best surfing spots of Indonesia around the many islands it has is Mentawai or Panaitan and even the famous Bali and Lombok.

• Swim in one of the world’s largest crater-lake: Lake Toba, also known as Danau Toba, is the largest volcanic lake in the world. Swim in this natural world wonder clear lake amidst mountains reflecting on the clear water. This is definitely one experience you would not want to miss.

• Dine at a warung at night in Jimbaran Bay, with candle-lit temples on the beach; the water might just come up to your feet.

• Attend a puppet show in Java, with wayang golek -wooden puppets- and shadow puppets acting out ancient tales.

• Relax and take in a spa treatment at Ayana’s Aquatonic, a seawater therapy pool. Afterwards, visit the Rock Bar to feel like James Bond.

Best cities of Indonesia

Jakarta

The capital of Indonesia, one’s travel here would not be complete without getting absorbed into the hectic and congested city. Once attuned you would be ready to take on the rest of the country. Jakarta is also a very important international airport hub for the entire Indonesia serving many airlines to everywhere in the world.

Bali

Tourist packed? Yes. Well beaten track? Yes. You should go there with your open heart and mind despite after Eat, Love, Pray commercialization and hope to still get the glimpse of the real beauty of it. After all it is still the place with Bali best beaches, steamy treks across volcanoes, and laidback coasts. At night you can even set out for a party or two along Kuta and other Bali night clubs. The combination of friendly people, a magnificently visual culture infused with spirituality and spectacular beaches with great surfing and diving have made Bali the unrivaled number one tourist attraction in Indonesia.

Bandung

Bandung is a cool city located in West Java, also the capital of it. For the scenery lovers, you can enjoy this city with smiling. The green city provides you amazing views to be seen or taken by camera. For you the culinary connoisseurs, it's really like a heaven. Every kind of foods can be found here, start from warm to cool. Sop buah (Fruit Soup), karedok, siomay, batagor and fried oncom are delicious foods here. Bandung, like Jakarta, is a commercial city of Indonesia. The real fashion can be found here. The traditional music of Sunda is often played... The Dutch said Bandung is 'Paris van Java', or the Paris of Java.

Lombok (Gili Islands)

A famous destination in the Nusa Tenggara area known as Gili Islands is not to be missed for water and mountains lover alike. For the adventurous, trek at Gunung Rinjani or surf the great waves at coast. To relax, head out in day trips to Sengigi for its long sweeping bay or to the east at Sumbawa.

Bunaken

Located at the north of the island of Sulawesi, Bunaken is one of Indonesia’s most famous dive and snorkeling areas. The island is part of the Bunaken Marine Park where you can see more than 70% of all fish species that live in the western Pacific Ocean. The best time for diving in Bunaken is between the months of April and November. A very rich coral system covers most of Bunaken National Park, dominated by fringing reef and barrier reef corals. The park is also abundant in different species of fish, marine mammals and reptiles, birds, mollusks and mangrove species.

Surabaya

Surabaya is the largest city and the capital of East Java Province and the second largest city in the country, after Jakarta. Surabaya is a modern city looser than Jakarta. The city is crowded, but not as crowded as Jakarta. The weather is very hot because the city is situated in the shore. For the investors, Surabaya is a right choice. It is full of shopping areas and everything you find can be found here.

Sumatra

Few islands lure the imagination with adventure quite like the fierce land of Sumatra. An island of extraordinary beauty, it bubbles with life and vibrates under the power of nature Eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are Sumatran headline grabbers. Steaming volcanoes brew and bluster while standing guard over lakes that sleepily lap the edges of craters. Orangutan-filled jungles host also tigers, rhinos and elephants. And down at sea level, tranquil deserted beaches are bombarded by clear barrels of surf. As varied as the land, the people of Sumatra are a spicy broth of mixed cultures... Everyone in Sumatra has respect and love of this wild and wondrous land.