Indonesia
Seventeen thousand islands. Bali is the start; Komodo dragons, Java's temples and empty reefs are the rest.
- Best time to visit
- Apr–Oct (dry season)
- Getting around
- Domestic flights and fast boats
- Currency
- Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
- Ideal length
- 10–14 days
Indonesia starts in Bali and keeps going
Most first trips to Indonesia are Bali trips, and our Bali guide covers the island area by area. This page is for what lies beyond it: a fast boat to Lombok and the car-free Gili Islands, a flight to Labuan Bajo to sail among Komodo dragons and pink beaches, or Yogyakarta for early mornings at Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple.
April to October is the dry season across most of the country, and the best time for boats and diving. Distances are bigger than they look on a map, so we keep it to two or three islands and fly between them. It suits honeymooners, families, divers and anyone who wants Bali's warmth with fewer people.
The islands, region by region
-
Bali has its own guide on this site: Ubud, Seminyak, Canggu, Uluwatu and Nusa Dua, with the cliffs of Nusa Penida and Lembongan a boat ride away. Further east, Lombok has quiet beaches, waterfalls and Mount Rinjani, and the three car-free Gilis are Trawangan for nightlife, Air for a bit of both and Meno for honeymooners, with turtles off every beach.
-
Jakarta is the main way in, good for a night of malls and rooftop bars. Yogyakarta is Java's cultural heart: Borobudur at dawn, the Hindu temples of Prambanan, batik workshops and the sultan's palace. Further east, Mount Bromo's crater at dawn and the blue fire of Ijen make a two-night volcano trip.
-
Fly to Labuan Bajo, on the tip of Flores, and sail for two or three days: Komodo dragons on Rinca and Komodo, the viewpoint on Padar, Pink Beach and manta rays. Inland, Flores has the three coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu and mountain villages like Wae Rebo.
-
Islands few travellers reach. Sumba is wild grassland, thatched clan villages and a few of the most remote luxury resorts in Asia. Bintan is about an hour by ferry from Singapore, with beach resorts and golf. The Derawan Islands, off Borneo, have empty beaches, turtles and a lake of stingless jellyfish on Kakaban.
-
In the far east off West Papua, a scatter of jungle-topped islands over some of the richest coral reefs on earth. For divers and snorkellers, and worth the two flights it takes to reach.
Things worth actually doing
Tap the ones you would like on your trip.
Good to know before you go
Visa on arrival or e-VOA
Indian passport holders get a 30-day visa on arrival (IDR 500,000), extendable once for 30 days. Apply for the e-VOA online first to skip the queue.
Fill in the arrival card
Every traveller submits the free All Indonesia arrival card online within three days before landing. Visiting Bali? Pay its tourist levy online too.
Fast boats follow the sea
Boats between Bali, Lombok and the Gilis can be cancelled in rough weather. We keep a buffer before your flight home.
Dress for temples
Cover shoulders and knees at temples and in villages; a sarong is usually lent at the gate.
