Indonesia
Updated October 19, 2026
Indonesia, in South-East Asia, is the world's largest archipelago, with more than 17,000 islands stretching about 5,000 km between the Indian and Pacific oceans, and about 280 million people, the fourth largest population in the world and the largest Muslim-majority country. Its islands include Java…
Must-See Places in Indonesia
Borobudur and Prambanan
The world's largest Buddhist temple and a great Hindu temple complex from the 9th century, near Yogyakarta.
Tegallalang Rice Terraces
Terraced rice fields irrigated by the ancient subak system, near Ubud, in the green countryside of central Bali.
Komodo National Park
Islands of Komodo dragons, pink beaches and coral reefs, reached by boat from Labuan Bajo.
Kota Tua Jakarta
The old Dutch colonial centre of Batavia, with Fatahillah Square, museums and canals.
Mount Bromo
An active volcano rising from a sea of sand in East Java, famous for sunrise views over the caldera.
Kuta Beach
Bali's most famous surf beach, with long waves, sunsets and lively nightlife.
Sianok Canyon
A deep green canyon on the edge of Bukittinggi, in the Minangkabau highlands of West Sumatra.
Fort Rotterdam
A 17th-century fortress in Makassar, built by the Gowa sultanate and rebuilt by the Dutch.
Unique Experiences in Indonesia
Watch Sunrise at Borobudur
Watch the sun rise over the volcanoes of Central Java from Borobudur or a nearby hill, as mist lifts over the stupas of the world's largest Buddhist temple.
Sail Through Komodo National Park
Take a boat trip from Labuan Bajo to see Komodo dragons, hike to the viewpoint on Padar Island, swim at Pink Beach and snorkel with manta rays.
Hike Mount Bromo at Sunrise
Drive across the Sea of Sand in a jeep before dawn to watch the sunrise over Mount Bromo and the Tengger caldera from Penanjakan viewpoint, then climb to the crater rim.
Experience a Balinese Ceremony
Join or watch a Balinese Hindu ceremony, such as a temple festival, odalan, with offerings, gamelan music and dances, or the Nyepi Day of Silence and its ogoh-ogoh parades.
Dive in Raja Ampat or Komodo
Dive among the world's richest coral reefs, with manta rays, sharks, turtles and countless fish, in Raja Ampat, Komodo, Bunaken or the Gili Islands.
Travel Tips for Indonesia
Travel in the Dry Season
Plan your trip for the dry season, from about April to October, when Bali, Java, Lombok and Komodo are sunny and seas ar…
Check Visa Rules and Bali's Tourist Levy
Citizens of many countries can get a visa on arrival, about 500,000 IDR, valid for 30 days and extendable once, or apply…
Respect Religious Customs
Indonesia is mostly Muslim, while Bali is Hindu and some regions are Christian. Dress modestly away from beaches, coveri…
Plan for Long Distances
Indonesia is huge, so focus on one or two regions, such as Bali and Lombok, Java and Bali, or Bali and Komodo, rather th…
Use Ride-Hailing Apps
Download Grab and Gojek, which offer cars, motorbike taxis and food delivery at fixed prices across most cities, avoidin…
Stay Safe with Food and Water
Drink only bottled or filtered water, and avoid ice in very cheap places, although most restaurants use factory-made ice…
Must-Try Local Dishes
Nasi Goreng
Nasi goreng, Indonesia's national dish, is fried rice cooked with kecap manis, sweet soy sauce, shallots, garlic, chilli and shrimp paste, often topped with a fried egg and served with prawn crackers, pickles and chicken or shrimp. It is eaten at any time of day. A plate costs about 20,000–60,000 IDR at warungs. Try it from a street cart at night.
Rendang
Rendang, from the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, is beef slowly cooked for hours in coconut milk with lemongrass, galangal, chilli and spices until the liquid evaporates and the meat becomes dark, tender and rich. It is served at celebrations and in Padang restaurants across Indonesia. A portion costs about 25,000–60,000 IDR. Try it in Bukittinggi.
Satay
Satay, sate, is skewers of grilled chicken, goat, beef or pork, marinated and cooked over charcoal, served with peanut or soy sauce, rice cakes, lontong, and shallots. Each region has its own style, such as sate Madura and Bali's sate lilit, minced fish on lemongrass. Ten skewers cost about 20,000–50,000 IDR. Try them from a night stall.
Gado-Gado
Gado-gado, meaning mix-mix, is a salad of boiled vegetables, potatoes, tofu, tempeh, eggs and rice cakes, covered with peanut sauce and topped with fried shallots and crackers. It is a popular vegetarian dish, especially in Jakarta. A plate costs about 20,000–45,000 IDR. Watch the vendor grind the peanut sauce fresh.
Babi Guling
Babi guling, Balinese suckling pig, is a whole pig stuffed with turmeric, lemongrass, chilli, garlic and other spices, roasted on a spit until the skin is crispy, a ceremonial dish of Hindu Bali. It is served with rice, lawar and sausage. A plate costs about 40,000–80,000 IDR. Try it at a famous warung in Ubud at lunchtime.
Soto
Soto is a fragrant soup, with many regional versions, such as soto ayam, chicken soup with turmeric, glass noodles and egg, and soto Betawi, with beef in coconut milk, from Jakarta. It is eaten for breakfast or lunch with rice and sambal. A bowl costs about 15,000–40,000 IDR. Try it at a local warung.
Tempeh
Tempeh, fermented soybean cake, invented in Java centuries ago, is a nutritious source of protein, eaten fried, in curries, in sambal or as tempeh mendoan, thinly sliced and fried in batter. It is cheap and widely available. A portion costs about 5,000–20,000 IDR. Try it in Yogyakarta or Central Java, where it originated.
Nasi Padang
Nasi Padang, from West Sumatra, is rice served with many dishes, such as rendang, curried chicken, eggs, vegetables and sambal, displayed in restaurant windows. Customers choose dishes or are served many plates and pay only for what they eat. A meal costs about 25,000–70,000 IDR. Try it in Padang restaurants across Indonesia.
History
Early Peoples and Hindu-Buddhist Kingdoms
The Indonesian islands have been inhabited for a very long time, and fossils of Homo erectus, called Java Man, found at Trinil and Sangiran in Java, a UNESCO site, are about 1.5 million to 700,000 years old. On the island of Flores, remains of Homo floresiensis, a small human species nicknamed the hobbit, were discovered in 2003. Austronesian peoples arrived from about 2000 BC, bringing rice farming and seafaring, and cave paintings in Sulawesi, at least 45,000 years old, are among the oldest known figurative art in the world.
Srivijaya and Mataram
From the early centuries AD, Indian traders brought Hinduism and Buddhism, and kingdoms developed. The Srivijaya kingdom, based in Palembang, Sumatra, from the 7th to the 13th century, controlled the Strait of Malacca and was a great Buddhist centre, visited by Chinese monks. In Central Java, the Sailendra dynasty built Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, in the 8th and 9th centuries, and the Hindu Sanjaya dynasty built Prambanan, dedicated to Shiva, in the 9th century. Both are UNESCO sites near Yogyakarta. In the 13th century, the Majapahit Empire, based in East Java, rose to dominate much of the archipelago, reaching its peak under the prime minister Gajah Mada in the 14th century.
Climate & Best Time to Visit
Spring
23–32°C
March to May is the transition from the wet to the dry season in most of Indonesia, with hot days of about 30–33°C, decr…
Summer
22–31°C
June to August is the dry season and peak tourist season in Bali, Java, Lombok and Komodo, with sunny days of about 29–3…
Autumn
23–32°C
September to November is the end of the dry season, with hot, sunny weather and fewer crowds in September and October, t…
Winter
23–31°C
December to February is the wet season in most of Indonesia, with heavy afternoon downpours, high humidity, temperatures…
Fascinating Fun Facts
The world's largest lizard
The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, up to about 3 m long and 70 kg, lives only on a few islands in Indonesia,…
The largest Buddhist temple
Borobudur, in Central Java, built in the 8th and 9th centuries by the Sailendra dynasty, is the largest Buddhist temple …
About 130 active volcanoes
Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire and has about 130 active volcanoes, more than any other country. Famous ones …
A coffee that passes through civets
Kopi luwak, one of the world's most expensive coffees, is made from coffee cherries eaten and digested by Asian palm civ…
The richest coral reefs on Earth
Indonesia lies at the centre of the Coral Triangle, the region with the highest marine biodiversity on Earth, and Raja A…
A day of silence in Bali
Nyepi, the Balinese Day of Silence, marks the Hindu New Year, usually in March, when the whole island of Bali shuts down…
Traveler Reviews (0 reviews)
Sign in to leave a review and share your experience.
Sign InNo reviews yet. Be the first to share your experience!