The best places to visit in Indonesia

Roughly half of the country’s international tourists land in Bali, but Indonesia is so much more than one enticing island. 

One day you can be strolling beneath the glistening skyscrapers of a modern city; the next, climbing the freezing-cold summit of a puffing volcano or beating through tropical rainforests in search of orangutans or tigers. You can start out walking alongside a rice terrace dotted with traditional buildings or end up in a hilltop village scarfing down steaming gado gado (tofu, tempeh and vegetables slathered in a creamy peanut sauce). 

Where else can you salute the sun at sunrise, then surf a world-class barrel back to a virgin beach at sunset? Here are the top places to visit in Indonesia, from Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi to the frontier islands of West Papua (shared with Papua New Guinea) and Borneo (shared with Malaysia and Brunei).

1. Jakarta, Java

Best for museums

There’s no better place to get a grip on this vast, complex nation of more than 13,000 islands than its capital, Jakarta. With about 11 million residents and sprawling over nearly 700 sq km, it is chaotic, traffic clogged and home to the nation’s finest restaurants, wildest nightclubs and best museums.

Take time to browse the collections at the Museum Nasional (for history), Galeri Nasional (for classical art) and Museum Macan (for modern and contemporary art). From the Dutch-style buildings of the Kota Tua neighborhood to the modern skyrises of the Golden Triangle, the city is both a study in contrasts and a crossroads of cultures, classes and cuisines.

Planning tip: A free bus runs to many of Jakarta’s top sites. To go further afield, pick up an
e-money card so you can get around via public transportation using the tap-on,
tap-off system. In addition to rideshares like Gojek and Grab, also make use of
the bajaj (three-wheeled
taxi) – they are quick and move
through traffic faster
than cars.

2. Tanjung Puting National Park, Borneo

Best for orangutans

If you want to see orangutans, the island of Borneo is the last place on earth (other than a few spots in neighboring Sumatra) where these great apes still thrive. Travelers looking for surefire sightings head to Tanjung Puting National Park, a coastal tropical swamp forest that looks today like much of southern Borneo looked a few decades ago.

Planning tip: Most visitors hire liveaboard boats to travel up the Sekonyer River to feeding stations in the rainforest and at Camp Leakey, the rehabilitation center deep in the jungle where these auburn-haired animals live out a serene, semiwild existence.

3. Raja Ampat, West Papua

Best for snorkeling and diving

Raja Ampat was once an under-the-radar destination visited only by intrepid scuba divers, but the whispers about this enchanting island group have now reached a fever pitch. Off the coast of West Papua, the archipelago is a picture-perfect vision. Its lumpy green isles are blanketed in rainforests, dotted with languid lagoons and surrounded by warm turquoise seas at the vibrant heart of the Coral Triangle – an area of ocean with some of the greatest marine biodiversity on earth.

Raja Ampat’s prismatic birds-of-paradise, which dance through the trees each morning at sunrise, informed the theory of evolution through natural selection, first developed by Alfred Russel Wallace, Charles Darwin’s less-appreciated contemporary. The British naturalist’s restored hut is a popular attraction on the island of Gam.

Planning tip: In addition to the dive lodges in Waigeo and Misool, many visitors sleep in homestays on virgin beaches, offering a chance to learn more about West Papua’s distinctive culture.

4. Kerinci Valley, Sumatra

Best for hiking

Southeast Asia’s tallest volcano, Gunung Kerinci, at a 3805m, lords over a remote highland valley in Sumatra, which has become one of Indonesia’s top spots for adventure travel. You can climb to the summit, swim beneath cascading waterfalls or search the dense jungles for gibbons and langur monkeys.

Much of the land is within Kerinci Seblat National Park. At 13,791 sq km, it is twice the size of Bali and protects more forest than all of Costa Rica‘s national parks combined. Kerinci Seblat is the last large refuge for Sumatran tigers. The critically endangered large cats survive here in greater numbers than anywhere else on the planet.

Planning tip: It’s
illegal to hike Gunung Kerinci without a guide. Most organized hikes include transportation from Kersik Tua,
entry fees and permits, porters, and cooked meals. The volcano trek is usually tackled over 2 days, with tents pitched at spots closer to the top.

5. Komodo National Park, Nusa Tenggara

Best for wildlife

Dragons really do roam the earth at this expansive national park, covering three arid islands – Komodo, Padar and Rinca – that shelter the world’s largest lizards. Komodo dragons are ancient-looking creatures that can grow up to 3m in length and weigh up to 70kg. Fewer than 1400 of these fork-tongued giants are left in the wild, and the chance to see them lures thousands of visitors each year, many of whom arrive on a boat tour en route from Lombok to Flores, stopping along the way to snorkel or dive off the coast of Sumbawa.

Planning tip: Choosing a well-regulated tour operator is especially fruitful for wildlife excursions. A good guide will be attuned to
the local habitat and the animals within
it. They’ll know where
the animals are most likely to be in the given season and will keep you at a safe distance.

6. Borobudur and Yogyakarta, Java

Best for Indonesian history

Peru has Machu Picchu, Cambodia has Angkor Wat, and Indonesia has Borobudur in Java, a nine-tiered temple from the 9th century that clocks in as the largest Buddhist structure in the world. The 2672 bas-relief panels featuring Buddhist legends and scenes of daily life emblazoned across its walls are accompanied by 72 perforated stupas and more than 500 Buddha statues.

This colossal UNESCO World Heritage Site lies amid rice paddies near Yogyakarta, an important education center and a hub for classical Javanese art forms, including batik, wayang puppetry and silversmithing. Yogya, as the city is known locally, is fiercely independent and still headed by a resident sultan, whose walled palace complex is the city’s top attraction.

Planning tip: One of the most
popular times to
visit Borobudur
has traditionally
been sunrise, but it is no longer possible to climb the structure at that hour.
However, two places nearby
provide those coveted sunrise views
of the temple: Bukit
Barede, which opens at
4am, and
Punthuk Setumbu.

7. Gili Islands, Lombok

Best for beach parties

These tiny dollops of coral and sand off the coast of Lombok carry an outsize reputation, thanks to crystalline turquoise waters, white sand beaches, ambitious vegan and health-food restaurants, renowned freediving schools and epic beach parties.

The Gilis started out as a boho backpacker destination, but the islands now cater to all types of travelers, with everything from backstreet hostels to luxurious beachfront cabanas. Gili Trawangan, aka Gili T, is the largest and most developed of the islands, with a main drag that heaves with shops, massage parlors and cafes. Gili Meno is the smallest and most traditional island, while Gili Air offers the best of both worlds and is a lively hub for yoga tourism.

Planning tip: Gili Air is the closest of the islands to
Lombok – you’re only
about a 15-minute ride
from Bangsal Port.
Take the public boat
or negotiate a private
ride from one of the
portside companies.

8. Ubud, Bali

Best for wellness

Rice paddies tumble down palm-lined hills, gamelan music fills the air, and floral offerings line the streets in Bali’s most alluring (and on-trend) city, Ubud. By day you can take a motorcycle out to the Ubud Monkey Forest for simian encounters, pop into the Yoga Barn for an Ashtanga session, admire the works at the Agung Rai Museum of Art or shop for world-class beauty products, wood carvings and batik textiles downtown. At evening performances at local temples, audiences are hypnotized by the courtly Legong ballets or wild Kecak fire dancing. Be careful! Many visitors come to Ubud for a few days and end up staying for a few years.

Planning tip: Overtourism is a serious problem in parts of
Indonesia, with Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands
all suffering the adverse environmental effects of millions of visitors. Traveling out of high season and checking the eco-credentials and safety
records of tour operators are two ways to address your impact.

9. Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park, Java

Best for beautiful views

You don’t have to look far in Indonesia to find a volcano, but Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park in East Java contains a whopping five volcanoes right next to each other. These conical peaks are dotted around a lunar landscape that has sprung from the ancient Tengger caldera.

The most striking site is the smoldering Gunung Bromo, which rises 2329m out of a crater that is almost 10km across, surrounded by the nation’s only erg (dune sea). Most visitors time their hike to arrive at the summit at dawn to view the crater and volcanoes at their ethereal best.

Planning tip: Climbing Gunung Semeru is limited to 600 people per day. To register, you will need a letter from a doctor stating that you are fit to climb.

10. Tana Toraja, Sulawesi

Best for cultural traditions

The jungled hills and rugged granite cliffs of Tana Toraja would be the star of the itinerary in most places, but the big draw of the central highlands of Sulawesi is the Torajan people themselves. The customs that the inhabitants of this fascinating region maintain mark them apart from other Indonesians.

Living in villages of elaborately decorated houses with intricately carved walls and boat-shaped roofs, Torajans observe many rituals around death and the afterlife. The bodies of the deceased remain in the homes (and lives) of their relatives for months or even years after they pass – death is viewed as a gradual and social process, and locals are generally comfortable sharing these traditions with visitors.

Planning tip: Many guides in
Tana Toraja obtain a
government-approved
license that requires a course
in culture, language
and etiquette. You can
hire a guide with a car
(for up to four people)
for around 500,000 Indonesian rupiah per day, and your tour may include attending a funeral, if one is taking place.

11. Labuan Bajo, Flores

Best for traditional villages 

In Flores’ west, buzzy Labuan Bajo is the coastal jumping-off point for the pink sand beaches and clear
waters of Komodo National Park. Divers and dragon seekers will find everything they need to organize a visit on Jl Soekarno Hatta: restaurants, coffee shops, accommodations, ATMs, as well as the travel agents and dive shops to make your arrangements.

But Flores’ own attractions are distributed island-wide, including Gua Batu Cermin (Mirror Stone Cave), where a
large grotto with stalactites and stalagmites includes a fossilized turtle; traditional villages like Wae Rebo and Bena; the Air Panas Malanage hot springs; and the Seventeen Islands off the north coast for superior snorkeling.

Planning tip: Most hotels
and guesthouses
rent motorbikes
and scooters, although many
travelers prefer to hire a driver and local guide for a more detailed itinerary.

12. Kuta, Lombok

Best for surfing

Kuta on Lombok (often confused with Kuta on Bali) is one of Indonesia’s top year-round surfing destinations, with
consistent swell and a variety of breaks. It is less crowded during the rainy season (roughly November
through March).

The waves at Pantai Seger are suitable for all levels, with
both lefts and rights, and east of Kuta, surf schools dot the shorelines
of Tanjung Aan. To the west, Pantai Mawi is one of Kuta’s most famous
surf spots, with strong currents suited for intermediate and
advanced surfers – while the 10-minute
ride to the beach is semitreacherous, with its many potholes and loose
rocks, the end views are worth it.

Planning tip: In
February, people
flock to Pantai Seger to capture nyale, a
surprisingly colorful
species of sea
worm believed to bring good fortune. Expect crowds if your visit coincides with the Bau Nyale Festival (the exact date depends on the year).

13. Bandung, Java

Best for food

While not an obvious
choice for a getaway, Bandung has lots going on,
with ambitious museums, striking architecture and
an impressive dining scene, including a four-block
stretch of Jl Karapitan that becomes becomes the Lengkong Night Street Food extravaganza by night. Try chicken smothered in sambal (a hot chili paste of Javanese origin and the crucial condiment in Indonesia), ice cream made from durian (a supremely odorous fruit with a sulphury, custardy flesh) or avocado juice (avocado blended with ice and
condensed milk or chocolate
syrup). Or look for classic Indonesian dishes like gado gado, sate (skewered meat) and nasi goreng (fried rice with meat
and vegetables).

Planning tip: Bandung is a
fiendishly difficult to negotiate by public transportation, and
few travelers bother as taxi rates are
reasonable. Stick to the ever-reliable Bluebird
taxis, as well as rideshares like Uber,
Grab and Gojek.