Labuanbajo's New Airport, Nusa Tenggara
Flores is hot, thanks to Komodo National Park, beautiful beaches and great drives. It's easier than ever to visit, thanks to this new facility at the tourist hub of Labuanbajo.
West Sumba, Nusa Tenggara
The unique animist cultures and untouched beaches can now be enjoyed in comfort thanks to new hotels and restaurants, especially in Tambolaka.
Kerinci Valley, Sumatra
Travellers are now discovering and taking part in multiday jungle treks to remote villages and lakes while reveling in the Kerinci Valley’s other attractions.
Bengkulu, Sumatra
The Bengkulu region’s remote waterfalls, low-key villages and rock-climbing sites are now becoming a destination in their own right.
New Roads in Kalimantan
Road improvements make it possible to circumnavigate Kalimantan (almost) entirely on asphalt, slashing travel times and costs.
Derawan Archipelago, Kalimantan
Maratua Guesthouse provides a more affordable option for exploring the Derawan Archipelago, while the almost-long-enough runway puts Maratua island entirely within reach.
Ampana, Sulawesi
Ampana, a coastal town in Central Sulawesi, is fast becoming a travel hub, with a new airport, improved road connections and a slew of excellent new places to stay.
Tomohon, Sulawesi
Tomohon in Sulawesi's north now has an excellent new lodge, the Highland Resort, from where fascinating hiking trips and tours can be arranged.
Banda Islands, Maluku
The fast boat to Banda has really opened up these hitherto-hidden isles. Just six hours from Ambon and you’re in one of Indonesia’s most stunning destinations.
If You Like…
Island Hopping
With 17,000-odd islands to choose from, your opportunities to bounce from one idyllic little discovery to the next are endless.
Derawan Archipelago This archipelago has several versions of tropical paradise, from backpacker hang-outs to an uncrowded atoll.
Raja Ampat Islands Jungle-covered hills, pristine beaches and waters teeming with the world's greatest diversity of marine life.
Karimunjawa Islands Often overlooked, these idyllic coral-fringed islets are enjoying better transport connections and facilities.
Banyak Islands Spend just one day on each and soon you'll be lost in a perfect island cliché.
Riung Seventeen Islands National Park actually has 23 islands good for lazy days snorkelling and swimming.
Diving & Snorkelling
Indonesia has some of the world's best diving, from the plethora of operators and schools in Bali to remote spots that will challenge – and thrill – experts.
Komodo National Park Warm and cold currents keep reefs nourished and attract large groups of sharks, mantas and dolphins.
Pulau Weh Hover above a clownfish and look up to see a giant whale shark.
Pulau Lembeh Arguably the world's greatest muck diving, with a bevy of macro exotica to encounter.
Derawan Archipelago Dive off Pulau Maratua, where big pelagic fish and schools of barracuda are common.
Pulau Bunaken Combine a tropical idyll with excellent snorkelling and diving atop pristine coral reefs and critter-filled muck.
Bali The wreck of the Liberty, just metres from the shore in Tulamben, offers better diving year on year as its colourful soft corals grow, attracting more critters.
Raja Ampat Islands Save up for that liveaboard trip to this remote West Papua diver's paradise: you won't regret it.
Hiking
Many parts of Indonesia are still wild and remote. Hikes (from part of a day to weeks) through these lands and cultures are the reason many visit the country.
Kerinci Seblat National Park Challenging volcanoes (such as the mighty Gunung Kerinci) and remote jungle trails leading to hidden lakes and waterfalls draw hikers.
Gunung Semeru Java's highest peak is a tough challenge with breathtaking volcano vistas of a cone-studded horizon.
Gunung Rinjani Indonesia’s second-highest volcano, sacred to Balinese Hindus and Sasak Muslims, promises a magical summit sunrise.
Tomohon Suspended between volcanic peaks, the Tomohon region offers grand vistas of volcanic peaks.
Mamasa to Tana Toraja Walk past terraced rice fields and jungle, stay in villages where the welcome is plentiful.
Beaches
The problem isn't finding a beach, the problem is choosing one from the myriad options.
Gili Islands Near Bali and Lombok, these three testaments to hedonism are ringed by pure white sand.
Pantai Trikora Chill out in beachfront homestays along Pantai Trikora, the more rustic flipside to Pulau Bintan’s luxury array of manicured resorts.
Rote Alongside its epic surf, we love Rote for its miles of empty beaches and sweet solitude.
Banyak Islands This chain of largely uninhabited sandy dots fringed by pristine coral reefs has Sumatra's best beaches.
Pulau Tabuhan A white-sand jewel floating just offshore of Banyuwangi.
Kei Kecil Watch canoes carved in the shadow of a perfect beach.
Surfing
Surf breaks are found all across Indonesia. Each year new ones are named by surfers in search of the perfect wave.
Bali Legendary surf breaks are found around the island; Ulu Watu is world-famous.
Mentawai Islands Make a waverider’s pilgrimage to some of the planet’s most iconic and challenging breaks.
G-Land This legendary big wave, off Java's extreme southeast corner, just barrels on and on.
Watu Karung Southwest of Pacitan, East Java’s newest surf hotspot has perfect barrels.
West Sumbawa Of the many Nusa Tenggara waves, only one, Supersuck, attracts surfers from Oahu’s North Shore.
Nias The long, hollow right of Lagundri has long been considered one of the world's best waves.
Surfing in West SumbawaKONSTANTIN TRUBAVIN/GETTY IMAGES ©
Wildlife
Orangutans are the stars of a world of wildlife that includes elephants, 'dragons' and all manner of birds.
Palangka Raya The Sungai Kahayan offers plenty of orangutans, crocodiles and more.
Meru Betiri National Park A rainforest home to exotica including rhinoceros, hornbills, sea turtles and the world's longest snake.
Papua Birds of paradise – these birds of legendary colour and plumage, and exhibitionist mating dances – hide deep in the Papuan forests.
Way Kambas National Park Spy elephants and rare birds; learn about efforts to save the endangered Sumatran rhino.
Alas Purwo National Park Join a nocturnal safari to watch turtles nest and wild leopards roam the jungled, limestone peninsula.
Komodo National Park The world's largest lizard roams Komodo and Rinca islands while a plethora of marine life awaits underwater.
Temples
Indonesia might not be as well known for temples as its neighbours, yet between Java and Bali you'll find some of the region's most ancient and beautiful.
Borobudur Indonesia's most famous temple lives up to the hype: come at dawn to experience the ethereal beauty of this stacked Buddhist complex.
Prambanan Just 50-odd kilometres from Borobodur, this enormous 9th century wonder near Yogyakarta is the largest Hindu temple in ancient Java.
Pura Luhur Batukau One of Bali's most important temples is a misty, remote place that's steeped in ancient spirituality.
Pura Taman Ayun A beautiful moated temple with a royal past; part of Unesco's recognition of Bali's rice traditions.
Pura Taman Ayun, BaliNIGEL KILLEEN/GETTY IMAGES ©
Month by Month
Top Events
Bali's Galungan & Kuningan, dates vary
Pasola, February
Idul Fitri, July
Tana Toraja Funeral Festivals, July & August
January
The first part of the month is busy in Bali as a fair bit of Australia arrives for Christmas and New Y
ear holidays. Europeans searching for warmth also arrive in large numbers.
zGerebeg
Java's three most colourful festivals are held annually in Yogyakarta at the end of January and April and the beginning of November. Huge numbers of people in traditional dress march in processions with garish floats all to the tune of gamelan music.
February
It's dry season in the east. This is a good time to hit dive and snorkel sites in Maluku and Papua, where the waters will be especially clear.
zPasola
Nusa Tenggara's biggest festival: vividly dressed teams of horsemen engage in mock, though sometimes bloody, battles in West Sumba. Often coincides with Nyale in Lombok, a huge fishing festival celebrated by the Sasaks.
zCap Goh Meh
Dragons and lions dance on Chinese Lunar New Year in ethnic communities across Indonesia. Some of the most colourful are in Singkawang, where these creatures dance alongside possessed Chinese and Dayak holy men during Kalimantan's biggest Chinese Lunar New Year celebration.
March
A good time to visit Indonesia as crowds are few and options are many. The rainy season is tailing off in Java, Bali and western Nusa Tenggara.
3Java Jazz Festival
Held in early March at the Jakarta Convention Center, this huge festival attracts acclaimed international artists (including Natalie Cole in 2015). This is a major event on the cultural calendar and each year the list of luminaries on the performance list grows.
zNyepi
Bali’s major Hindu festival, Nyepi, celebrates a new year on the religious calendar. It’s marked by inactivity – to convince evil spirits that Bali is uninhabited. The night before sees community celebrations with ogoh-ogoh, huge papier-mâché monsters that go up in flames. Held in March or early April.
Galungan & Kuningan
Galungan, which celebrates the death of a legendary tyrant called Mayadenawa, is one of Bali’s major festivals. During this 10-day period, all the gods come down to earth for the festivities. Barong (mythical lion-dog creatures) prance from temple to temple and village to village, and locals rejoice with feasts and visits to families. The celebrations culminate with the Kuningan festival, when the Balinese say thanks and goodbye to the gods.
Every village in Bali will celebrate Galungan and Kuningan in grand style and visitors are welcome to join in. This is an excellent time to visit Bali. (The wuku calendar is used to determine festival dates, which are typically every 210 days.)
Year Galungan Kuningan
2016 7 Sep 17 Sep
2017 5 Apr & 1 Nov 15 Apr & 11 Nov
2018 30 May & 26 Dec 9 Jun & 5 Jan 2019
June
A relaxed time in Indonesia sees few crowds anywhere.
zDanau Sentani
Festival Danau Sentani features spectacular traditional dances and chanting as well as boat events, music, crafts and more. A highlight of Papua's north, it centres on lakeside Kalkhote, near Sentani town.
July
Although visitor numbers are high in Bali and other areas popular with tourists, July is often the coolest and driest time of the year outside Maluku and Papua.
zIdul Fitri
Idul Fitri is the traditional end of Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting, and this huge holiday sees tens of millions of people travelling to their home villages or going on holiday to places like Bali. The date is slightly earlier each year.
zTana Toraja Funeral Festivals
A Sulawesi highlight and an excellent reason to visit the island. Held during July and August, the ceremonies often shock first-time visitors. Toraja working throughout the country return home for celebrations and funeral rituals.
August
Independence Day on 17 August sees a spectacle of parades and celebrations in Jakarta and across the country. You'll see school kids out practising their marching in the prior weeks. Note that Bali gets busy with Australians escaping the southern hemisphere winter.
zBidar Races
Spectacular bidar (canoe) races are held on South Sumatra's Sungai Musi in Palembang every 17 August and 16 June (the city's birthday). There is also a dragon-boat festival in Padang in July or August. Up to 60 rowers power these boats.
zBaliem Valley Festival
A celebration of indigenous culture in Papua's Baliem Valley, with mock 'tribal fighting', full traditional regalia, dance and music. The festivities take place over two days during the second week of August.
zErau International Folk & Art Festival
Every August thousands of Dayaks from across Kalimantan attend the Erau festival in Tenggarong, a vast intertribal party punctuated by traditional dances, ritual ceremonies and other events. It draws folk dancers worldwide; plan ahead to reserve space.
October
A good month for travel with few crowds and many good deals. It's the start of the rainy season in Java and Bali but in recent years there has been less rain.
zUbud Writers & Readers Festival
This Ubud festival brings together scores of writers and readers from around the world in a celebration of writing – especially that which touches on Bali. Its reputation grows each year.
zMadura Bull Races
Bull racing is the major sport on Pulau Madura, the island off Java. Teams compete throughout the year to see who will go to the finals held every October in Pamekasan. These competitions feature over 100 racing bulls and legions of fervent fans. Note that the festival is associated with animal welfare issues.
December
Popular tourist areas are very busy from the week before Christmas through New Year's.
Itineraries
Bali & Lombok
2 Weeks
Mix the offbeat with the sublime in Indonesia's heart of tourism.
Start in Bali, acclimatising in the resorts, clubs and shops of Seminyak. Dose up on sun at the beach, then explore the perfect little beaches and surf breaks of the Bukit Peninsula.
Head north to immerse yourself in the ‘other’ Bali – the culture, temples and rich history of Ubud. Visit Gunung Kawi, an ancient site worthy of Indiana Jones, and the nearby craft villages. Take a cooking course, learn woodcarving and revel in Bali's famous traditional dance. Then escape to the misty mountains for treks to waterfalls amid coffee plantations in and around Munduk.
Next is Lombok. Ferry from Bali’s beachy port town of Padangbai to Lembar, Lombok’s launching pad. Head to Kuta for mellow vibes amidst the wonderful beaches of south Lombok. Then potter through the rice fields and Hindu temples around Mataram.
Ferry from Bangsal to the deservedly celebrated Gili Islands, where seamless beaches, translucent water and vivid reefs beg for snorkel-clad swimmers. Or if time's short, catch a fast boat direct to the Gilis from Bali.
Itineraries
Java Jaunt
3 Weeks
Indonesia's most populous island mixes the nation's future, past and natural beauty.
Begin in Jakarta and wrap your senses around the dizzying smells, sounds, sights and people of Indonesia’s teeming capital. Linger long enough to binge on Bintang beer and shopping, then head to Batu Karas for classic laid-back beach vibes or go for the resorts of nearby Pangandaran.
After you’ve worshipped the sun for a week or so, catch the train to Yogyakarta, Java’s cultural capital. Dabble in batik, amble through the kraton (walled city palace) and part with your rupiah at the vibrant markets. A day trip to majestic Borobudur is a must.
From Yogyakarta, journey to the laid-back city of Solo, via the enigmatic temples of Prambanan. Head into the clouds at awesome Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, spending a night on the lip of Tengger crater. From here head to the southeast coast and Meru Betiri National Park. You just might see the amazing giant squirrel. Finally, follow the coast to Alas Purwo National Park, where there's leopards and amazing surfing at G-Land.
Itineraries
Sumatra
6 Weeks
Sumatra is quite huge and you'll have to hustle to fully
appreciate its myriad natural charms within visa constraints.
Start your explorations in Medan, which has great transport connections. Then get right out of town and head to Bukit Lawang, where you can see the island's most famous residents, the orangutans. It's a short jaunt from here to Berastagi, a laid-back hill town set amid volcanoes.
Head northwest to Ketambe for some jungle trekking in Gunung Leuser National Park, then on to the large sea creatures at Pulau Weh Marine National Park off the coast. Head back south and travel off the west coast to the Banyak Islands, a surfing and beach paradise. Back ashore, follow the Trans-Sumatran Hwy south to Bukittinggi, a good base for exploring the cultures and beauty of the Harau Valley and Danau Maninjau.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 3