Medan
The grand, 30-room Maimoon Palace was built by the Sultan of Deli in 1888 and features Malay, Mughal and Italian influences. Only the main room, which…
Must-see attractions in Indonesia
Denpasar
The state temple, built in 1953, is dedicated to the supreme god, Sanghyang Widi. Part of its significance is its statement of monotheism. Although the…
Ubud
This modest palace and its temple, Puri Saren Agung, share a compound in the heart of Ubud. Most of its structures were built after the 1917 earthquake…
Jakarta
The Jakarta History Museum is housed in the old town hall of Batavia, a stately whitewashed Dutch colonial structure that was once the epicentre of an…
Jakarta
On Jakarta's bayfront, the people’s ‘Dreamland’ is a landscaped recreation complex popular with families. It has worn amusement rides, and sporting and…
Flores
Resting on Inerie's flank, Bena is one of the most traditional Ngada villages. It's home to nine clans and its stone monuments are the region’s best…
Nusa Lembongan
This beautiful bay, unofficially named Mushroom Bay after the mushroom corals offshore, has a crescent of bright white beach. By day, the tranquillity can…
Kuta & Legian
This memorial wall reflects the international scope of the 2002 bombings, and people from many countries pay their respects here. Names list the 202 known…
Nusa Lembongan
The beach here, a mostly lovely arc of white sand with clear blue water, has views across to Gunung Agung in Bali. The pleasant seawall walkway is ideal…
Jakarta
This puppet museum has one of the best collections of wayang (flat wooden puppets) in Java and its dusty cabinets are full of a multitude of intricate,…
Ubud Region
This imposing museum overlooking rice fields is the creation of local politician and art lover Nyoman Rudana and his wife, Ni Wayan Olasthini. The three…
Ubud
This old temple, which sits on a jutting rock at the confluence of two tributaries of Sungai Cerik (campuan means 'two rivers'), has recently benefited…
Sanur
Sanur Beach curves in a southwesterly direction and stretches for more than 5km. It is mostly clean and overall quite serene – much like the town itself…
East Java
Situated right in the village of Singosari, 12km north of Malang, this temple stands 500m off the main Malang–Surabaya road. One of the last monuments…
Kuta & Legian
Fun for the whole family, this museum features a collection of around 120 interactive life-size murals that come to life – or rather, can be viewed in 3D …
Semarang
This huge Chinese temple complex, 5km southwest of the city centre, comprises three main temple buildings and many smaller structures that date back to…
East Java
The Hindu temples at Panataran (locally called 'Penataran') are the largest intact Majapahit temples, and the finest examples of ancient East Javanese…
East Java
This small, squat Buddhist stupa lies in the terraced, cultivated foothills of Gunung Arjuna, about 5km northwest of Singosari. It was built to…
Solo
Built in 1757, the Mangkunegaran Palace in the centre of Solo is still a royal residence. Some rooms are dedicated to a delightful palace museum devoted…
Ubud
This was once the state temple of the Pejeng kingdom. In the inner courtyard, high up in a pavilion and difficult to see, is the huge bronze drum known as…
West Bali
Bali's role in Indonesia's independence struggle is commemorated at the Margarana, northwest of Marga village. Tourists seldom visit, but every Balinese…
Central Java
Built around the same time as the larger Prambanan temple group, the Plaosan temples combine both Hindu and Buddhist religious symbols in their elaborate…
Seblat Elephant Conservation Centre
Sumatra
The Seblat Elephant Conservation Centre is a conservation project set up to manage human-elephant conflict, as well as to protect the forests and wildlife…
Sumatra
Tinggi Hari, 20km from Lahat, west of the small river town of Pulau Pinang, is a site featuring the best examples of early prehistoric stone sculpture in…
Tana Toraja
Live out your Indiana Jones fantasies at this extensive (and very popular) burial cave below a massive cliff face. Its entrance is guarded by a balcony of…
Tana Toraja
A veritable village of tau tau stare down with unblinking eyes and outstretched arms from this impressive burial cliff riddled with tombs. The sheer rock…
Yogyakarta
One of Indonesia’s most celebrated artists, Affandi (1907–90) lived and worked in a wonderfully quirky self-designed riverside studio, about 6km east of…
East Bali
One of nine directional temples in Bali, this cave in a cliff face 3km east of Kusamba is full of bats and the complex is equally overcrowded with tour…
West Sumatra
Handicraft and textile fans should not miss this place near Simpang Bukit Batabuah, 7km southeast of Bukittinggi. Dedicated to revitalising the…
Central Java
Demak’s venerable Mesjid Agung (circa 1466), notable for its triple-tiered roof, is Java's oldest mosque and one of the archipelago’s foremost Muslim…
Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi
Jakarta
This atmospheric mansion saw historic events as Indonesia proclaimed its independence at the end of WWII. It was the home of the Japanese naval commander…
East Java
A droplet of creamy white sand, topped with a tuft of scrub, this tiny island set offshore from Java, nearly halfway to Bali, is surrounded by a ring of…
Papua
The Japanese Cave, 4km northeast of Kota Biak, was used as a base and hideout in WWII by thousands of Japanese soldiers. A tunnel from it is said to lead…
Candidasa
The most popular 'secret' beach on Bali, Pantai Pasir Putih (White Sand Beach) lives up to its name. Once a mooring spot for local fishing boats, this…
Danau Toba
Located 5km southeast of Tuk Tuk, near the Tomok ferry terminal, is a complex of royal Batak tombs and houses. At the entrance you'll pass sarcophagi of…
West Sumatra
At 1996m, the beautiful caldera of Danau Gunung Tujuh is the highest in Southeast Asia and makes for a pleasant day ascent or part of a multiday trek. It…
Semarang
Semarang's most famous landmark, Lawang Sewu ('Thousand Doors'), comprises two colossal colonial buildings that were one of the headquarters of the…
Nusa Tenggara
About 13km east of central Kalabahi is the majestically preserved, mountain-top village of the Abui people, Alor's largest ethnic group. It's one of the…
Flores
The limestone Liang Bua cave, where the remains of the Flores ‘hobbit’ were famously found in 2003, is about 14km north of Ruteng. Archaeologists believe…
Museum Kebudayaan dan Kemajuan Asmat
Papua
This museum has a fantastic collection of Asmat art and artefacts, from bis poles and skulls to full-body dance outfits. The collection is split between…
