1 - Indonesia has the friendliest people in Southeast Asia

I have been to every single country in Southeast Asia only with the exception of Timor Leste and Brunei, and Indonesia has - hands down - the friendliest people. During my time in Indonesia, I met more kind and welcoming people than in any other country. I had the honor to live with local families for a couple of days in Jakarta, Gorontalo and in the Tana Toraja Highland. I was invited to two different weddings, one funeral, and countless family dinners all over the country. Almost everywhere I went, I was met by hospitable people who were genuinely interested in me and my story and who enjoyed talking to foreigners.

2 - Indonesian food is amazing

Having lived in Thailand for quite some time, I was never really a big fan of Thai food. Most people I talk to, say that Thai and Vietnamese food is by far the best food in Southeast Asia. Personally, I think that Indonesian food trumps them both thanks to its sheer variety that perfectly reflects the country's cultural diversity. Depending on the part of the country, you will find Chinese, Indian, Middle Eastern and even Polynesian influences. Popular dishes include Nasi Goreng, Gado-Gado, Rendang, Tempeh, Siomay, Bakso and of course, all kinds of seafood.

3 - The language is relatively easy to learn

The local language is called Bahasa Indonesia and not only uses the Latin alphabet but also has a lot of similarities to the other languages, such as Dutch, German, Arabic or Tagalog. Being a native German speaker, it was surprisingly easy for me to learn Bahasa Indonesia, since almost every letter is pronounced in a similar way in German and some words (e.g. gratis, tante) are even completely the same. Add to that the easy grammar of most Asian languages, and you can probably become at least conversational in Indonesian in just a couple of months of studying the language.

4 - Indonesia is the most diverse country in Southeast Asia

This one is actually a no-brainer. Just pull up a world map and look at Indonesia and how widespread the country is. Every single major island has its own set of cultures, languages, cuisines, religions and topography. Despite having the largest Muslim population worldwide, there are five official religions in Indonesia - Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. If you wanted to explore every single part of Indonesia, it would probably take you at least a year. The point I am trying to make is, that Indonesia is a paradise for explorers and basically has everything you could wish for. The island of Java boasts some massive volcanoes (e.g. Gunung Bromo, Kawah Ijen), as well as two of the most impressive temples in all of Asia (Borobodur, Prambanan). The island of Bali needs no introduction. Kalimantan, the Indonesian part of Borneo, is home to one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Sulawesi has some of the best dive spots in the world, as well as the Tana Toraja Highland, which is as unique as it gets. And then - of course - there are the countless pristine beaches and islands that can be found at almost every region in the country, with Raja Ampat being the most notorious paradise island. All these things make Indonesia not only the most diverse but also the most exciting country in Asia.

5 - Indonesia is still not overrun by tourists

Despite all the things I have mentioned so far, Indonesia still remains a relatively off-the-path destination. According to the ASEAN tourism statistics, Indonesia saw only about 10,000,000 visitors in 2015. Compare that to Thailand (3x as many tourists), Malaysia (2.5x as many tourists) or Singapore (1.5x as many tourists) and take into account the sheer size of the country, Indonesia definitely is one of the most overlooked countries in Southeast Asia. If you then travel outside of Bali, the number of tourists will drop even more, since Bali is THE tourist hotspot in Indonesia. If you travel to places like Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan or the islands East of Lombok, you will most likely not see many other tourists.