This list of places to visit in Indonesia, will help you prepare a trip to a country full of exotic corners that we are sure, will leave you speechless.
This country, known for being one of the great jewels of Southeast Asia, has a varied and extensive offer for all types of travelers and trips highlighting its more than 17,000 islands where you will find from more tourist sites such as Bali and the Gili Islands to less crowded places like Sulawesi, Sumatra or Papua New Guinea.
In addition to all its natural wonders, temples and beaches, Indonesia has some of the most incredible seabed in the world and a population that will receive you with a smile that will make you return, you can only count the days you have left to return.
If you are still not at all convinced to travel to Indonesia, we can assure you that another of its strengths is its wide healthy and delicious cuisine based on rice, fish, vegetables, chicken and fantastic juices of natural fruits.
You should keep in mind that this country is unbeatable in a single trip, if you do not have several months, so we recommend you for a first trip, focus on the area of Java and Bali, and if you have time, dedicate some days to know the Gili, Komodo and Flores islands or areas of Borneo and Sulawesi.
The best time to travel to Indonesia is during the dry months from May to October, so you will avoid monsoon rains ruining your trip. It should also be borne in mind that prices in the summer months in tourist areas such as Bali increase a lot and that being a very large country you have to be informed of the particular forecasts of each island you want to visit.
Based on the experience of our trip to Indonesia for free and future trips that we have planned for this immense country, we have made this list of those that we believe, are the 10 essential places to see in Indonesia. We start!
1. Bali
Bali, known as the Island of the Gods, is one of the places to visit in Indonesia most essential and most paradisiacal in the world.
For us it is also one of our favorite places in the world to live a season, something we did the last time we visited the island, spending more than a month in a rented villa with Airbnb near Ubud from where we wrote the travel guide to Bali for free.
Visit some of the more than 10,000 Buddhist temples, stroll through its beautiful rice paddies, bathe under an impressive waterfall, surf on the wild beaches of the south, do some trekking route such as the climb to the Batur volcano or take a relaxing foot massage or Back, they are just some of the best things to do in Bali.
Another of the best tips for traveling to Bali is to stay in Ubud and make day trips by motorcycle, rental car or car with driver, through the most beautiful places on the island, something that will allow you to know the island at the same time. and take relaxed days to enjoy paradise to the fullest.
If you prefer to spend the last days relaxing on the beaches of the south of the island, you can make a circular route before the most essential places to visit in Bali and then dedicate the end of the trip to the most absolute relaxation.
Bali
2. Tanjung Puting National Park
Tanjung Puting is a national park located in the south of the island of Borneo and is undoubtedly another of the essential places to see in Indonesia.
Famous for the conservation and care of the orangutan thanks to rehabilitation and procreation programs, it has become a world reference and one of the places you can not miss on your trip, although in recent times it has become quite touristy.
For us, touring the Sekonyer River in a klotok, some wooden boats, and stopping at the different observation points of orangutans, was one of the best experiences we have had on our trips. In addition we could see orangutans in freedom and other species such as the proboscis monkey and enjoy spectacular views at night with the fireflies that are installed in the palms, forming some beautiful Christmas trees.
To get to the park, the best option is by plane from Jakarta or Semarang, landing at the small Pangkalan Bun airport.
Although you can hire the klotok in the same jetty, we recommend booking it in advance to avoid running out of seats, especially in recent years, which has greatly increased the influx of tourism.
A very comfortable option for this tour is to book this cruise through Borneo with sighting of orangutans for 3 to 5 days.
Tanjung Puting National Park
3. Borobudur and Prambanan
The temples of Prambanan and Borobudur, both declared World Heritage Sites, are one of the wonders of the Island of Java and another one of the places to visit in Indonesia.
Prambanan, is a spectacular set of more than 200 Hindu temples of the ninth century, which has a certain resemblance to Angkor temples in Cambodia, in which despite the passage of time and several earthquakes, beautiful sculptures and carvings can be observed in stone
To reach Prambanan from the nearby town of Yogyakarta you can take bus 1A on Maliboro street, which leaves you in less than half an hour a few meters from the entrance.
Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world and another one of the places to see in Indonesia, impresses with its more than seventy stone stupas with a statue of Buddha under each of them. In addition to the stupas, this monument built between 750 and 850, has six square platforms decorated with relief panels and numerous Buddha statues that make it a place of Buddhist pilgrimage.
To get to Borabudur from Yogyakarta you can take bus 2A or 2B at the Jombor Terminal until the last stop and from there another bus to the entrance of the temple in a total journey of no more than an hour.
Another more comfortable option to get to these two temples and know their history is to book this one-day tour with a guide in Spanish from Yogyakarta, in which you can choose between watching the sunrise or sunset in Borobudur, two unforgettable moments in this place that Visit in Indonesia essential.
Prambanan, one of the places to visit in Indonesia
Recommended travel cardsRemember that in order not to pay commissions and always have the current change we recommend you use the N26 card to pay and the Bnext and Revolut cards to get money at the ATMs. They are the ones we use, They are free and will save you a lot.
You can find more information in this article about the best cards to travel without commissions.
4. Gili Islands, one of the places to visit in Indonesia
Another of our favorite places what to see in Indonesia They are the small Gili Islands that are less than two hours away by boat from Bali.
These three small islands, Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno and Gili Air, surrounded by a spectacular seabed, are a paradise for those looking for a few days of relaxation after a great trip around the country and for divers.
Keep in mind that there are many things to do in the Gili Islands and that each of them has different characteristics and environment, so you have to choose well in which you are going to stay or change, if you have enough time.
Gili Trawangan is the least quiet island and has numerous hotels, villas, restaurants, clubs, diving companies and young people willing to have fun.
Gili Air, although it has grown a lot lately, still retains a backpacking atmosphere and good infrastructure, which make it for us, the best of options and one of the essential places to visit in Indonesia.
Gili Meno, located between Gili Trawangan and Gili Air, is perfect for couples who want to enjoy the beach and a more relaxed atmosphere, although it also has the least infrastructure.
To get to the Gili Islands the best option, either from the tourist Bali or the neighboring Lombok, is by fast boat. Most travelers hire a package that includes transportation from the hotel to the port and fast boat transfer to the island. The price is between 70 and 90 euros, round trip and a good option is to book the ticket in advance at a similar price and with a trusted agency. To avoid last minute surprises.
You can find the best accommodation in the Gili Islands at the best prices in this recommended search engine.
Gili Islands
5. Komodo Islands and Flores
The Komodo National Park is made up of 29 islands and was created in 1980 to protect the world's largest lizards and endemic to these islands, the famous Komodo dragons.
Boat trips to visit these huge dragons, which can reach 3 meters long, are done with the company of a ranger to protect you from any attack of this dangerous animal.
These boats leave from Flores, another one of the islands to visit in Indonesia and a true paradise for nature lovers, having beautiful landscapes dotted with small villages and surrounded by rice terraces.
To get to these two islands you can take a plane in Denpasar that will take you in a short time to Labuan Bajo, located on the Island of Flores. Once in Labuan Bajo and after touring the island of Flores, you can negotiate with a local agency or diving center to make a two or three day excursion through the Komodo National Park, where in addition to seeing dragons, you can practice Snorkel and bathe in spectacular beaches. Another alternative is to book the excursion in advance here.
A less safe and not recommended option to get to Komodo is to take one of the old ships that leave from Bali, Lombok or the Gili Islands, which are another place to visit in Indonesia.
Komodo, one of the places to see in Indonesia
6. Bunaken and Raja Ampat Marine Park
Bunaken, an archipelago of more than 1500 islands located in the north of the island of Celebes, near the Philippines, is one of the best places to dive in the world and what to see in Indonesia.
The richness of its seabed full of corals and all kinds of tropical fish, the depth and clarity of its waters in addition to the temperature that is close to 30 degrees throughout the year, make it a paradise for all lovers of diving
To reach the Bunaken Islands, the best option is to take an internal flight to Manado and from there reserve the dives with one of these dive centers, which meet the safety and quality standards.
Another impressive place to dive is Raja Ampat located in West Papua, where you can find a protected marine space where one of the largest biodiversity in the world is located and you can see from blankets, turtles, sharks, phantom, dudongs, to hundreds of varieties of corals.
To get to Raja Ampat you can catch a flight to Sorong and from there get on a boat to get to some of the best diving islands such as Mioskun and Misool, other places to visit in Indonesia.
Bunaken National Park
7. Bromo National Park
Bromo National Park, located east of Java, is one of the most spectacular volcanic landscapes in the world and another of the essential places to visit in Indonesia.
This immense park has Bromo volcano, one of the most active volcanoes in Java, the Semeru volcano that is the tallest in Java with 3676 meters and the Tenger Sand Sea of 16 kilometers in diameter, its most prominent places.
To enjoy a complete view of these 3 places it is essential to climb before sunrise to the viewpoint located on the Gunung Penanjaka mountain from where you can see the sunrise.
After dawn you can go down to the "The Sea of Sand", an extensive area of volcanic sand, which looks like a lunar landscape, where you can even see a Hindu temple and climb some stairs to the crater of Mount Bromo, depending on the level of activity and gas emissions of the volcano.
We arrived at the Bromo National Park from the city of Malang hiring a 4 × 4 that took us to the viewpoint and the area of the Sand Sea.
You can complete the Java volcano route with a trekking to Ijen, another one of the most famous volcanoes to see in Indonesia, in which miners work collecting sulfur blocks in subhuman conditions.
Another highly recommended alternative is to book this 3-day tour of Mount Bromo and Ijen from Yogyakarta to Bali, east from Surabaya, both in Spanish or this excursion to the Bromo volcano from Surabaya.
Bromo volcano
8. Sumatra
Sumatra, the largest island to visit in Indonesia and the sixth in the world, offers a variety of experiences and landscapes difficult to match anywhere else in the world.
On this island you can walk between rice terraces or the lush jungle, relax on quiet beaches, snorkel or dive in its transparent waters, surf, see orangutans in freedom and with a lot of luck a tiger, climb a volcano and especially , feel the hospitality of its people.
You have to take into account Sumatra next to Borneo are the only two places in the world where you can see orangutans in freedom, being in this case forced to move to the Bukit Lawang area and the Gunung Leuser National Park.
Another of Sumatra's best experiences is to climb one of the active volcanoes such as Sibayak, Sinabung or Merapi.
After touring a part of the island by bus or plane you can relax on the island of Pulau Weh or the Mentawai Islands, perfect for snorkeling and diving.
Sumatra
9. Lombok
Lombok, known as the Pearl Island, remains in the shadow of its neighbor Bali while still maintaining low levels of tourism that do not correspond to the wonders it hides.
This wild island predominates in the green of its rice paddies and its immense forests full of waterfalls, has in the trekking to the Rinjani volcano and in the beaches of turquoise waters, its main attractions, making this island, another of the places to visit in Indonesia.
In addition to these wonders, Lombok has other essential places to see such as Sasak Village, a traditional village of the island's native ethnicity, Kuta beach to start or surf, the Tiu Kelep and Sengang Gile waterfalls, the beautiful Tanjung Aan beach and Hindu temples like Meru.
To tour the island you can rent a motorcycle or hire a car with a driver, although it is essential to keep in mind that you have to negotiate the price and the places you want to see before getting into the taxi, since sometimes they are aspects that are not usually made clear and So avoid surprises or misunderstandings along the way.
Another recommended option may be to hire this tour around the island of Lombok in full with a guide in Spanish.
To get to Lombok, another one of the essential places to see in IndonesiaWe took a fast boat from the Padangbai port of Bali that takes just over an hour.
If you are not in Bali or the Gili Islands, located a few minutes by boat from Lombok, the best option to get to the island is to land at Mataran International Airport.
Lombok
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You can buy your Holafly prepaid SIM card here with a 5% discount for being our reader.
10. Tana Toraja
Tana Toraja is the most famous region of Sulawesi Island and one of the most impressive places to visit in Indonesia, turned into a tourist destination thanks to the traditional houses known as tongkonan, which are shaped like a saddle, and by the funerals of the Torajas.
The tongkonan, built of wood and decorated with geometric shapes of colors, can be seen inside in the tourist town of Kete Kesu or in other villages, if any clan or family invites you.
Another of the best things to do in Indonesia and in this area, is to attend a funeral of the Torajas, unique in the world, which has become one of the great reasons to travel to this area of the country.
For this ethnic group, a toraja is not dead until the funeral is performed and you have to take care of it, feed it, talk to it, as if it were still alive at home. Funerals that can last for several days are not performed until the whole family of the dead meets, usually in the dry season of July and August.
It is advisable not to refuse any invitation to see the dead person in a house or to attend a funeral in exchange for an offering, as it could be considered a contempt.
To get to Tana Toraja from Jakarta or Denpasar, the best option is by plane landing in Macasar, the capital of the island. From there you can take a day or night bus that takes about 9 hours to pass through roads with many curves and potholes before reaching another of the essential places to visit in Indonesia.
If you feel like helping us complete the list of 10 essential places to visit in Indonesia, add yours in the comments.
