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Introducing Indonesia
Travel Alert: A recent earthquake in western Indonesia has destroyed buildings and caused major disruptions to Padang and surrounds. Travellers should check the BBC for news updates, as well as Safe Travel for updated government warnings. Travellers should also check for warnings concerning Jakarta, where recent bombings have the city on high alert.
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Adventure looms large in this vast and steamy archipelago, where the best of Southeast Asia’s spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas and diverse cultures spin and multiply to the point of exhaustion, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling.
Rippling across the equator for nearly 5000km, Indonesia encompasses more than 17,000 islands, two-thirds of which are inhabited and richly layered with character. On Sulawesi, the elaborate funeral ceremonies and timeless traditions of Tana Toraja are light years from the surfing culture of Lombok. But so too are the mighty saddle-backed Batak mansions of Danua Toba and the volcanic lakes of Sumatra from the mummies and deeply etched gorges of Papua’s Baliem Valley. The resorts and restaurants of Bali pamper precocious style cats, while at the same moment threadbare backpackers are adopted by homestays in Kalimantan.
Indonesia’s cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago’s territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes. Oceanic rice fields and ancient sultanates in Java are humbled by haunting volcanic cones. Maluku’s alabaster beaches and desert islands remain pristine while the tourist trail heads elsewhere. The jungles of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua are zoological wonders, revealing impish monkeys, stoic sun bears, leopards, orang-utans and remarkable marsupials.
And then there are the micromoments, equally exquisite but entirely unexpected; impromptu English lessons with school children, instant friendships in crammed bemos, lending an ear to your becak rider… In Indonesia there is plenty of cause to pause, except when dodging hurtling traffic – but that’s all part of the adventure.
Travel Alert: High level terrorism-related warnings have been issued by Western governments concerning travel in Indonesia. Travellers are advised to check their local consular information and monitor the situation in Indonesia closely before making travel plans. Check out Safe Travel for current government warnings.
Last updated: Sep 30, 2009
Tips & articles
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World’s worst sleepless nights
8 September 2009
Travellers learn to grab forty winks in some pretty taxing situations: overnight bus trips, hostel rooms...
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Let it rain: enjoying Southeast Asia’s wet season
27 July 2009
It’s the rainy season in Southeast Asia. Don’t worry, it probably won’t rain all the time...
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Essential Bali
21 July 2009
It’s time to take it easy! A trip to Bali puts you on the most visitor-friendly island of Indonesia....
Indonesia
Our Top Picks For Indonesia
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1 Kelimutu
Multihued crater lakes set atop an ancient volcano
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2 Sumba
Fascinating and isolated island with unique tribal traditions and a rich weaving heritage
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3 Pulau Weh
Undisturbed beaches, visiting whale sharks and sublime diving
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4 Danau Toba
Gracious Batak hospitality and Southeast Asia’s largest volcanic lake
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5 Banda Islands
Sublime snorkelling and pristine coral gardens in history’s fabled Spice Islands
Fast Facts about Indonesia
- Number of airports with paved runways
161
- Number of mobile phones in use
30 million
- Unemployment
10.9%
- Number of islands
17,508
- Inflation
10.4%
- Population
245.5 million
- GDP per capita
US$3,700
- Median age
26.8 years
- Number of airports
668
Related Groups
Our favourite Indonesia Blogs (beta)
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Crazy Travel Photo – Bong Collection
Blog: The Travel Tart - Offbeat Tales From A Travel Addict - 19 November 2009
It’s time for this weeks Crazy Travel Photo – the Bong Collection shop! This Crazy Travel Photo was spotted in the city of Jambi, in Sumatra, Indonesia. Obviously, the Bong Collection shop sells shoes and clothes, but sometimes things don’t translate well into English. However, this Crazy Travel Photo probably does have a feasible explanation. I have a feeling [...]Crazy Travel Photo – Bong Collection is a post from: Funny Travel, Offbeat Travel, Wei
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Travel Blogger For Hire – Pitfalls On Travel Writing From The Road
Blog: The Travel Tart - Offbeat Tales From A Travel Addict - 11 November 2009
Travel Blogger For Hire. That one is for Google so that some silly sod might employ me on future Travel Blogging Trips/Junkets when they do a keyword search! No seriously – I learnt a lot about Travel Writing/Blogging From the Road on my recent month long trip to Indonesia. I loved every single second of this trip. However, [...]Travel Blogger For Hire – Pitfalls On Travel Writing From The Road is a post from: Funny Travel, Offbeat
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Motorbike accident- You haven’t lived in Bali till you’ve had one!
Blog: Pommie Travels - 10 November 2009
So I finally gave in and got myself a motorbike…the car was getting too expensive and I wanted the challenge of learning to ride it. I started out in my friend’s parking lot and then gradually drove down the street. Every day I would venture a little further in Seminyak wearing my nice baby pink [...]
