Indonesia

Volcanoes of the archipelago

Seventeen thousand islands, a hundred volcanoes, and a different language and ceremony in every valley.

Indonesia is large enough to function like its own continent. The country spans more than three time zones and includes the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Lombok, Borneo (Kalimantan), Sulawesi, the Lesser Sundas, the Moluccas, and West Papua. Most travellers concentrate on a small slice — Bali plus one or two side trips — but the country rewards an unhurried run across multiple islands by domestic flight, ferry, and overnight bus. The food, the dance, and the architecture all change at every island border.

When to Go

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The dry season runs roughly May to September across most of the country — this is the high season for Bali, Java, and the Lesser Sundas. The wet season is November through March, and brings short hard tropical downpours rather than constant rain (afternoons are often the wet hours, mornings the dry). Raja Ampat has its own pattern: October to April for the calmest seas, with a popular liveaboard window in November. The shoulder months — April, May, October — are the sweet spot for fewer crowds and reliable weather.

Cities & Regions

Bali

The island that needs no introduction — and rewards leaving the resort.

Bali — Tanah Lot temple at sunsetBaliSurf beaches, jungle pools, and world-class beach clubs

Java

Volcano sunrises and the cultural heartland of the archipelago.

Borobudur at sunriseBorobudur (Java)Sunrise mists over Java’s volcano-ringed ancient wonder Yogyakarta — Mount Bromo at dawnYogyakartaJava’s creative capital, gateway to Bromo’s dawn Jakarta — the National Monument above Merdeka SquareJakartaThirty million people, the archipelago’s best museums and a metro that works Kawah Ijen — blue fire burning at the sulphur ventsBromo & IjenA cone in a sea of ash, and flames that burn electric blue GuideBandungVolcano craters, tea hills and design cafés, 45 minutes from Jakarta by fast train GuideKarimunjawa27 quiet coral islands in the Java Sea, by boat from Jepara

The East

Dragons and reefs at the wild end of the chain.

Komodo dragon on Komodo IslandKomodo IslandDragons, pink beaches, and electric-blue dive sites Raja Ampat archipelago from aboveRaja AmpatThe richest coral reefs on the planet A green turtle over reef in the Gili IslandsLombok & the GilisA 3,726-metre volcano, white-sand bays and three car-free islands Ridgelines and bays in the islands off western FloresFloresThree colour-changing crater lakes and a 700-kilometre volcanic spine

Sumatra & Sulawesi

The big islands most itineraries never reach.

Lake Toba between green volcanic ridgesLake TobaThe largest volcanic lake on earth, with an island the size of Singapore in it GuideSulawesiToraja funerals, the world’s best muck diving and 45,000-year-old cave art GuideWest SumatraHighland canyons, two crater lakes and the home of rendang GuideBelitungGiant granite boulders, white sand and clear water

Tourist Map

Indonesia tourist mapIllustrated Indonesia mapsHand-drawn and offline-friendly — starting with the reefs and islands of Raja Ampat.

Plan Your Trip