Our top travel places in Indonesia

Indonesia being diverse and wide with 17,000 islands, you may be sure to find everything to your fancy but there are a few must visit places here that you should know about. After all, not everyone has the time to traverse the entire wonderful Indonesia.

Be it for leisure, shopping, culture, history, diving, trekking or nature, you can find all those in places below of our top travel places in Indonesia.

Jakarta

The capital of Indonesia, everyone would inevitably find themselves visiting Jakarta as their first or last stop in Indonesia. Jakarta is also a very important international airport hub for the entire Indonesia serving many airlines to everywhere in the world. Your visit 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 with ease. It has many hidden treasures, nightlife and is a shopping haven.

Raja Ampat Islands

Located off the northwest tip of the island of New Guinea, Raja Ampat (the Four Kings) is a fast archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands and cays. Marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity around the Raja Ampat islands is the highest recorded on Earth making it one of the most famous dive destinations in the world. The staggering abundance of marine life is due in part to its incredibly low human population density.

Tanjung Puting National Park

The Tanjung Puting National Park is 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 include gibbons, macaques, clouded leopards, sun bears, pythons, crocodiles and – most famously – orangutans. Unfortunately illegal logging and forest clearing for agricultural uses are a major threat to the park.

Nusa Penida

If you are in Bali and you want to go off-beat, go to Nusa Penida. This island and neighboring Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan islands are so close to Bali yet remain vastly untouristic. The highlights here are jaw-dropping cliffed coastlines surrounded by pristine waters. You can go on a day cruise from Bali. Better yet, spend a night or two in one of many amazing tree houses on Nusa Penida.

Bali

Bali has it all. Scenic mountains, sacred temples, rich culture, sandy beaches, surf-worthy waves, lively nightlife, exciting shopping… and the list goes on. It is no surprise that it is known as the island of the Gods. If you don’t have a lot of time to visit a wide area in Indonesia, Bali is the perfect place to spend your holiday.

Gili Islands

A trio of picture-perfect islands that string their way out between Lombok and Bali in the middle of the Nusa Tenggara archipelago, the Gilis are oft hailed as the most quintessential tropical spots on the planet.The two smaller islands, Gili Air and Gili Meno, are secluded and laid-back; places where the occasional bamboo ecolodge hides in the mangroves and stretches of shell-spotted sand eke down to a sea of aquamarine blue.The largest island, Gili Trawangan, is a livelier affair.Its ramshackle bars are built of driftwood, and pulse with the energy of backpackers from all over the globe.By day, these guys sizzle off their hangovers on the pearly beaches, or hit the seas in search of rare turtles.By night, they guzzle beers and buckets and party till dawn.

Borobudur

This ancient temple is one of the most famous and culturally significant landmarks in Indonesia. Borobudur was built in the 8th century and constructed in the shape of a traditional Buddhist mandala. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is considered one of the greatest Buddhist sites in the world. The massive temple was forgotten for centuries, when it is believed that much of the population moved to eastern Java due to volcanic eruptions. But it was rediscovered in the 1800s and, today, is one of the main draws in Java. Visit at sunrise for a torch-light climb up the temple and for the breathtaking experience of watching as the complex is bathed in sunlight. Borobudur lies near Yogyakarta, an old Javanese city known for its rich cultural and historical offerings.

Mount Bromo

Indonesia sits on the Ring of Fire, an area with some of the most active volcanoes in the world. Many of the country’s volcanoes, such as Mount Merapi, are famous for their violent eruptions and their stunning, but dangerous beauty. Mount Bromo is among the best known, thanks largely to its incredible views, particularly when seen standing over the caldera at sunrise. Bromo’s peak was blown off in an eruption, and you can still see white smoke spewing from the mountain. The volcano is part of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, which also includes Mount Semeru, the highest peak in Java. The park is home to the Tengger people, an isolated ethnic group who trace their ancestry back to the ancient Majapahit empire.

Flores Island

Lying to the east of Sumbawa and to the west of Lembata in Nusa Tenggara, the long island of Flores offers an array of natural and cultural sights. The most famous attraction in Flores is the Kelimutu volcano caldera, which has three lakes fed by volcanic gas that change color according to the amount of oxidation in the water. Flores also has a growing eco-tourism industry, where travelers can visit traditional villages, stay with local families and join in activities such as bird watching and trekking.