Ubud rice terraces
Lush green terraces cascading down hillsides, at the heart of a village that has become a center of Balinese culture and wellness.
Indonesia
Between active volcanoes, terraced rice fields and pristine ocean depths, Indonesia unfolds a remarkably diverse archipelago, from Sumatra to Bali by way of the thousands of lesser-known islands that make up this vast and fascinating territory.
- 1 region
Why visit Indonesia?
Indonesia brings together more than seventeen thousand islands, active volcanoes, dense tropical forests and some of the richest coral reefs in the world. This geographic diversity comes with a mosaic of cultures, languages and traditions specific to each region of the archipelago.
What to discover in Indonesia?
Indonesia forms the largest archipelago in the world, with landscapes that vary dramatically from one island to the next. Bali, the most visited, blends terraced rice fields, Hindu temples and renowned beaches, while Java, far more densely populated, is home to the Bromo and Merapi volcanoes as well as the Buddhist temples of Borobudur. Sumatra and Kalimantan, wilder still, offer dense jungles, volcanic lakes and opportunities to observe local wildlife, including orangutans within several protected nature reserves.
Farther east, islands such as Komodo, Lombok or Flores reveal exceptional marine landscapes, between diving, hiking and encounters with wildlife found nowhere else on earth. This diversity comes with a remarkable cultural and linguistic mosaic, each region preserving its own traditions, crafts and cuisine. Traveling in Indonesia often means choosing one or two regions rather than trying to see everything, since the archipelago is so vast, varied and full of surprises at every step of the journey.
Cities to visit in Indonesia
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Regions to explore in Indonesia
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Indonesia in pictures
Highlights
A few iconic experiences to discover the diversity of Indonesia, from the volcanoes of Java to the reefs of the east.
Mount Bromo
A sunrise over a sea of clouds, facing a still-active volcanic crater within a striking, almost lunar landscape of eastern Java.
Borobudur Temple
The largest Buddhist monument in the world, UNESCO-listed, nestled in the lush rice-field countryside of central Java island, near Yogyakarta.
Komodo National Park
Wild Komodo dragons roaming freely, pink-sand beaches and some of the richest ocean depths found anywhere in the Indonesian archipelago.
Raja Ampat diving
Exceptional marine biodiversity, widely considered one of the richest in the world, drawing scuba diving and underwater exploration enthusiasts every year.
Balinese temples
Hindu sanctuaries perched on cliffs or set amid rice fields, between traditional ceremonies and daily offerings left by local worshippers.
Practical information
- Capital
- Jakarta
- Area
- About 1,905,000 km²
- Population
- About 280 million
- Language
- Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)
- Currency
- Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
- Time zone
- Three time zones, from UTC+7 to UTC+9 depending on the region
- Climate
- Equatorial and tropical, warm and humid year-round
- Best season
- April to October, during the dry season
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Indonesia?
The dry season, generally between April and October, offers the most favorable conditions across most islands. The rainy season remains workable for travel, but with more frequent showers, especially in the late afternoon.
Do I need a visa to visit Indonesia?
Entry requirements depend on the traveler's nationality and can change depending on current agreements in place. It is advisable to check visa requirements with Indonesian authorities before departure to avoid any surprises.
Should I limit my trip to a single island?
Given the sheer size of the archipelago, it is often more comfortable to focus on one or two regions per trip rather than multiplying transfers between islands that are far apart from each other.
How do you travel between Indonesian islands?
Domestic flights efficiently connect the main islands, while local ferries and boats make it possible to reach more remote destinations, albeit at a necessarily slower and more relaxed pace overall.
Is Bali representative of all of Indonesia?
Bali offers an accessible glimpse of Indonesian culture, but each island preserves quite different traditions, languages and landscapes of its own, which are well worth discovering beyond this single popular destination.
Is Indonesia suitable for a family trip?
Many regions, particularly Bali and Lombok, offer accessible beaches and gentle activities suited to younger visitors, making the country an adaptable destination for a family trip with children of various ages.
Plan your trip to Indonesia
Day-by-day itinerary, budget, bookings and packing in a single app.
