Indonesia: Itinerary Planning Guide

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago — 17,000 islands spanning 5,000 kilometres from Sumatra to Papua, straddling the equator, and home to 270 million people across hundreds of distinct ethnic groups and languages. It is the world's fourth most populous country, the largest Muslim-majority nation, and one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on earth: Borneo and Sumatra are two of the last habitats of wild orangutans. For most visitors, Indonesia means Bali — and Bali delivers. The combination of terraced rice paddies, Hindu temples, surf breaks, volcanic mountains, and a distinct Balinese Hindu culture make it unlike any other island in Southeast Asia. But Indonesia's depth lies beyond Bali: Yogyakarta and the Buddhist Borobudur temple complex, the pristine diving around Lombok's Gili Islands, Komodo's dragons and manta rays, and the highland Torajan burial culture of Sulawesi each offer entirely different experiences within a single country. Access is straightforward from most of Asia and Australia. Infrastructure quality varies enormously between regions — Bali and Lombok are well-developed; outer islands can be remote and rough. The food is outstanding across the archipelago: nasi goreng, sate, gado gado, rendang, and bakso are national dishes, but each island has its own food culture and the differences across the archipelago are dramatic.