More surf, sand and underwater joy await at the Mentawai Islands. Next, head inland to the volcanic Kerinci Valley and Kerinci National Park for remote jungle villages. Finally, head far south to Way Kambas National Park, where the highlights include elephants. From here it's easy to catch the Java ferry.
Itineraries
Nusa Tenggara
6 Weeks
Lombok is well-known to visitors and Flores is the new darling, but the island province of Nusa Tenggara holds many more surprises.
Head east from Lombok. Admire the beautiful coastline and surf breaks that dot Sumbawa such as Maluk and Pantai Lakey. Catch the ferry to Labuanbajo on Flores, the fast-growing hub for exploring nearby Komodo National Park. Enjoy dragons and beautiful little island beaches. Note that you can also journey from Lombok to Flores by liveaboard boat.
Flores is a rugged volcanic island with thriving ancient cultures and dramatic terrain which more and more travellers are exploring via the fast-improving Trans-Flores Hwy. Stop in Bajawa to explore volcanoes and villages, then use mountainside Moni as a base for visiting the vivid waters at Kelimutu. Stop off at the lovely beaches near Paga.
Now take ferries south to isolated and timeless Sumba, where some superb beaches are just starting to attract visitors. Ponder this at beautiful beaches around Waikabubak and Tambolaka. After indulging in sun and isolation, fly to Kupang in West Timor. Visit entrancing ancient villages like None, Boti and Temkessi in the surrounding areas to the east, then jump over to Rote for relaxed beach vibes.
Itineraries
Papua
4 Weeks
Papua is the launching pad for this route through some of Indonesia's most exotic and beautiful territory. You can do it in 30 days with judicious use of flights, otherwise take your time for the full land and sea adventure.
Start at the transport hub of Jayapura. But you’ll only be there long enough to charter a boat to visit the magnificent Danau Sentani, a 96.5-sq-km lake with 19 islands perfect for inland island-hopping.
Back on dry land, take to the air to get to the beautiful Baliem Valley, rich in culture and trek-worthy mountain scenery, and home to the Dani people, an ethnic group whose members have eschewed most modern things and live a traditional life. Enjoy mountain views from a thatched hut.
Fly to Nabire and spot whale sharks off the coast – you can even swim with them. Now fly up for some idle island time on Pulau Biak. Next it’s a flight to Sorong, a base for trips out to the Raja Ampat Islands – a paradise for divers and snorkellers with Indonesia’s most abundant and varied marine life. It’s also good for birdwatching and sublime tropical-island scenery.
Itineraries
Sulawesi & Maluku
8 Weeks
Explore two of Indonesia's greatest concentration of islands in these little-visited regions.
In Makassar, pause amid the pandemonium for excellent seafood. But don’t overdo it, as you want to be fully alive for the elaborate funeral ceremonies in Tana Toraja, a nine-hour bus trip from Makassar. From here, another long bus ride (13 hours) takes you to the transport hub of Poso. Break your journey at the tidy lakeside town of Tentena. A five-hour bus ride from Poso gets you to Ampana, where you take a ferry to the amazing, beguiling Togean Islands for days of island- and hammock-hopping between iconic beaches.
Tearing yourself away, boat to Gorontalo, then bus it or fly to Manado and take a boat to laid-back Pulau Bunaken. Fly from Manado to Kota Ambon on Maluku’s Pulau Ambon. Pause only briefly, then take the new fast ferry to the crystalline seas, multicoloured reefs and empty beaches of the historic Banda Islands. Make your way back to Ambon and fly to Ternate, which is as pretty a tropical island paradise as you'll find. Finally make the jaunt southeast to the Kei Islands, for one perfect beach after another.
Itineraries
Kalimantan
6 Weeks
Mysterious rivers of unfathomable length are the avenues to discover Kalimantan's incredible diversity of life, including orangutans.
Unassuming Pangkalan Bun is the entry point to this excursion – it’s the launching pad for trips into glorious Tanjung Puting National Park, one of Indonesia’s best orangutan haunts. Scan the canopy for their amber bodies from the top of a houseboat as it ambles down the beautiful Sungai Sekonyer.
Rejoin reality in colourful Banjarmasin. Dabble in Kalimantan’s most beguiling city – brave a 5am call for the animated floating markets, then cruise the canals and meet the locals at dusk. Begin another classic river adventure by navigating up the Sungai Kahayan to Palangka Raya, a hub for yet more orangutan watching. Your boat choices range from the simple to the luxe.
From Banjarmasin, travel overland to Samarinda and make an expedition along the Sungai Mahakam. Several days upstream will land you in the river’s western reaches, which are peppered with semitraditional Dayak villages and preserved forests. Travel back to the coast and head north to primitive, teardrop-shaped Pulau Derawan and its offshore underwater wonders.
Plan Your Trip
Outdoor Adventures
Indonesia's volcanic, archipelagic geography creates a wide range of adventure opportunities. The many seas hold superb diving, snorkelling and surfing destinations. On land, the rugged peaks, dense jungles and rushing rivers are an adventurer's delight.
Best of the Outdoors
Best Beach
The beaches of south Lombok, especially those that line the bays around Kuta (Lombok, not Bali), are beautiful and worth a trip.
Best Diving
The Raja Ampat Islands are on many a diver's bucket list, and with good reason: the wealth and variety of marine life is nothing short of astonishing.
Best Surfing
Tough competition, but we say Sumatra for its pure perfection and consistency. The Mentawais and Nias are home to some of the world's most legendary waves.
Best Hiking & Trekking
The Baliem Valley draws acolytes from around the world for hikes among some of the world's most unique cultures.
Best Wildlife-Watching
Kalimantan's Tanjung Puting National Park: anchor along one of its iconic rivers and watch orangutans go about their business just metres away.
When to Go
There are vast variations in the weather across the huge swathe of islands that is Indonesia. Generally the dry season in Java, Bali and Lombok is from May to September, while Maluku and Papua have their best weather from October to April. But exceptions are the rule, and you'll want to research any location you plan to visit if the weather will play a role in your enjoyment.
Beaches
With 17,000-plus islands, Indonesia has a lot of beaches. These range from the wildly popular beaches on south Bali to those for hardcore partiers on the Gili Islands, and to literally hundreds more where your footprints will be the first of the day.
Pantai is 'beach' in Bahasa Indonesia.
Note that sunscreen can be hard to find outside of major tourist areas.
Where to Go
Java
Beaches near cities in Java can be virtually overrun on weekends, but venture a little further and you'll find some great sand.
ABatu Karas A simple village with two great beaches and a classic laid-back vibe.
ASouthwest of Yogyakarta Explore this beautiful coastline, a succession of alluring golden-sand coves divided by craggy headlands (but skip Parangritis, which is not in the same league).
AKarimunjawa Islands Some 27 islands comprise this offshore marine park, which gets very few visitors. It has among the finest beaches in Indonesia.
APulau Tabuhan A tiny rugged island hidden between Java and Bali, where you can camp on its white-sand beach.
Bali
Fabled for its beaches, Bali actually pales in comparison to scores of other islands in Indonesia. What the island does have is a thriving beach culture, with surfing and places to imbibe, ranging from the dead-simple to the hipster-luxe. Locals and visitors alike pause on west-facing beaches at sunset.
ABukit Peninsula The west side has famous surf spots and beaches such as Bingen and Padang Padang that feature little pockets of bright sand below limestone cliffs. The east side has reef-protected strands, such as the one at Nusa Dua.
AEast Bali A long series of open-water beaches begins north of reef-protected Sanur. Waves pound volcanic sand that ranges from a light grey to charcoal black.
Nusa Tenggara
Nusa Tenggara is probably the region of Indonesia with the most beaches awaiting discovery.
AGili Islands The Gilis are easily reached from Bali and Lombok, and you can snorkel right off the blinding white sands. Gili Trawangan has one of the country's most vibrant party scenes.
ALombok Head south for the pristine white-sand islands of Gili Asahan and the north coast of Gili Gede. Kuta is an immense series of one spectacular beach or bay after another. Get there, rent a motorbike and explore.
ASumbawa In west Sumbawa the best beaches are south of Maluk in Rantung and north in Jelenga. In the east, head to the Lakey area.
AFlores Head to the islands off Labuanbajo and you’ll find bliss, especially on Pulau Sebayur and Pulau Kanawa. Pantai Merah on Komodo Island (Click here) is famous for its sublime pink-sand beaches. The Seventeen Islands Marine Park (Click here) off the Riung coast also has a dozen remote islands with epic and empty white-sand beaches to laze upon.
ARote The main beach in Nemberala town is beautiful enough, but the beaches just get wider and whiter the further south you travel. Ba’a is the most beautiful of the bunch. We also enjoy the empty sugary beaches on nearby islands Pulau Do’o and Pulau Ndao.
Maluku
The fine beaches here have barely been discovered.
ABanda Islands Maluku’s best beaches are all in the Bandas. Charter a boat from Bandaneira and enjoy exquisite empty beaches on Pulau Hatta, Pulau Ai, and Pulau Run (Rhun). But the best of the Banda bunch is Pulau Neilaka, more a white sandbar than an island.
AKei Islands Sugary Pasir Panjang is ground zero for beach lounging. The petroglyph-swathed cliffs and mind-bending scenery at Ohoidertawun are also worth consideration. Rent a bike and make the two-hour trek to the stunning, remote and drop-dead gorgeous beaches of Pantai Ohoidertutu.
Papua
Papua is not a beach destination per se but there are some fine ones here.
ARaja Ampat Islands There are some divine and empty beaches here, but due to the high cost of reaching the area they tend to be enjoyed mainly as a secondary activity by people who are diving and/or snorkelling.
APulau Biak The Padaido Islands off Pulau Biak have some good beaches that are not too hard to reach.
Sumatra
The best beaches on this huge island are actually on tiny islands offshore, although many, such as the Mentawai Islands, are more worth the difficulty in (and expense of) accessing if you’re also heading there for surfing.
APulau Bintan A gem in the Riau Islands, this island has some fine beaches where you can live the tropical fantasy in a hut.
ABanyak Islands Banyak means 'many', and it's true there are many fine beaches among the 99 islands in this remote and seldom-visited chain off Aceh.
Cycling
Cycling in Indonesia is booming in popularity as petrol prices skyrocket. Lowland towns such as Yogyakarta and Solo in Java teem with bikes, and bicycles are gaining popularity in Bali. Lombok has good roads for bikes.
Where to Go
Java
Yogyakarta is a big biking centre: pedal out to see the Prambanan temples. Bikes are also for rent at Borobudur, while Solo is another good place to join a bike tour.
Bali
Bike tours are available across the island. Some are simple downhill jaunts through rice fields while others are much more adventurous. You can rent bikes for around 25,000Rp per day.
Nusa Tenggara
Bicycles are available for hire on the Gili Islands; Trawangan (Click here) is best suited for exploration.
Sumatra
Cycling the languid streets of Danau Toba is a great way to explore the island. On Danau Maninjau you can pedal around the lake on a bicycle tour.
Diving
With so many islands and so much coral, Indonesia offers wonderful possibilities for diving.
Where to Go
Java
While the island isn't known for its diving, the Karimunjawa Islands have some spots, including a century-old Norwegian wreck dive.
Bali
Indonesia's tourist hub has a plethora of excellent dive shops, schools and operators.
ANusa Penida Serious diving that includes schools of manta rays and 2.5m sunfish.
APulau Menjangan Spectacular 30m wall off a small island. Good for divers and snorkellers of all skills and ages.
ATulamben A popular sunken WWII freighter lies right off the shore.
Nusa Tenggara
A vast range of diving opportunities awaits. Major destinations have land-based dive shops. For untapped dive sites, bring your own buoyancy control devices, regulators and computers (tanks are usually accessible) and explore Rote, Sumbawa and Sumba.
AGili Islands Among the best places to get certified worldwide; accessible reefs are within a 10-minute boat ride.
ALombok If you get lucky you can see schooling hammerheads at Blongas, usually in mid-September.
AFlores World-class sites within the Komodo National Park; in peak season up to 50 liveaboards ply these waters.
AAlor Archipelago Crystalline waters and arguably the most pristine reefs in Indonesia, and you’ll have the sites almost all to yourself.
Maluku
Diving has great promise here but is mostly undeveloped.
ABanda Islands Seasonal dives can explore lava flow off Pulau Gunung Api, or the wonderful coral crusted walls off Pulau Hatta, Pulau Ai and Pulau Run.
APulau Ambon Something of a dive mecca. There are reef dives outside the bay off the Ambon coast, but most divers come here for the excellent muck diving on the slopes within Teluk Ambon.
Papua
Bring your own equipment to ensure you get the most out of the journey.
ARaja Ampat Islands Among the best in the world for the diversity and quantity of marine life. It's a remote area and quite expensive. Most divers head out on liveaboard boats for one- to two-week cruises, or stay at the handful of dive resorts.
APulau Biak An excellent dive site that's overshadowed by Raja Ampat.
Sumatra
Diving on Mentawai is still a fledgling activity although certification courses are now available through a handful of resorts.
APulau Weh A small coral-ringed island with 20 dive sites that's growing in popularity. Whale sharks often visit.
Kalimantan
Kalimantan has a growing number of dive resorts with house reefs and fast boats to access islands.
ADerawan Archipelago Features a good diversity: Pulau Derawan has excellent macro diving; Pulau Sangalaki is famous for mantas; Pulau Maratua has sharks, rays and barracuda.
Sulawesi
New dive areas are opening up, but favourites such as Bunaken are popular for a reason.
APulau Bunaken Part of a large marine park, this island, which is easily reached from Manado, offers all sorts of diving.
APantai Bira Varied marine life, including groupers, rays and occasional whale sharks, and colourful corals.
ALembeh Strait Muck diving at its finest; a weird and wonderful world of bizarre critters awaits discovery between Pulau Lembeh and Bintung.
Safe Diving
Before embarking on a scuba-diving or snorkelling trip, consider the following points to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience:
AEnsure you possess a current diving certification card from a recognised scuba diving instruction agency.
ABe sure you are healthy and feel comfortable diving.
ADive only at sites within your realm of experience and engage the services of a certified dive instructor.
ACheck your equipment thoroughly beforehand. For much of Indonesia, the equipment (if it's available) may not be in top condition. Bali is your best bet for finding reliable equipment for hire.
See the Responsible Travel for tips of on responsible diving.
Snorkelling
For many, there's bliss to be found in the simplicity of snorkelling beautiful waters right off the beaches. Most dive operators will let snorkellers hitch a ride on trips, but don't expect much in the way of decent masks and fins outside of the most popular sites. Bring your own if you're picky. There are also some wonderful free-diving outfits.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 4