Indonesia: The Good, the Bali, and the Beautiful

Indonesia looks like it was made in Minecraft or some other video game.

Terraced rice paddies cover fields in sinuous, honed layers that belie great precision. Forest-clad mountains and isolated lakes sit as if placed together by a talented digital artist trying to create an otherworldly paradise. Beachside villages and bustling cities are dotted with mysterious, ancient structures where gamers would certainly seek hidden messages to complete side quests. And the islands that comprise the nation—over 17,000 at last count—were seemingly copy-and-pasted by a designer ecstatic to have stumbled upon the formula for Edenic perfection.

But Indonesia is not a video game. It’s a 3D dream of a destination that over 280 million very-real people call home. This mesmerizing chain of islands stretches west to east over 3,100 miles, creating a collection that is more varied than cohesive. As a result, every visitor has a unique experience in Indonesia, depending on the combination of islands they visit.

Most travelers will not want to wing it upon arrival. Planning is key, preferably with the assistance of a travel advisor or knowledgeable nomad who has been here before. A good plan helps you know when it’s best to island-hop via boat or plane, which train and bus journeys are worth the first-class upgrade, and how the country’s religions (87% Muslim, plus Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist) create a welcoming atmosphere.

Thousands of islands. Thousands of experiences. And yet, spoiled with so much choice, most visitors to Indonesia go straight to one island.

Bali

Lush and exotic, surrounded by aquamarine waters and studded with photogenic mountains, Bali is synonymous with paradise. The island is a hot spot for hippie surfers, Aussies looking to party, and those who like luxury on a budget, hosting more than 5 million visitors annually. Many of those travelers line up at the iconic Handara Gate, Bali’s most famous photo locale. However, you’ll get more bang for your camera’s buck at the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, arguably the most scenic spot on the entire island. Here you’ll find massive rice fields stretching across the horizon, bookended by several of Bali’s largest volcanoes.

Bali has two active volcanoes—Mount Agung and Mount Batur—both worthy of ascending. Batur is the easier climb, a two-hour trek to the top that will reward you with both amazing views of Lake Batur and possibly a unique snack, as some guides will cook you an egg boiled in volcanic steam. Topping Mount Agung, the highest point on the island, is best done at daybreak. One such journey begins at 2:30 a.m. at Besakih Temple, headlamp fully charged, before climbing up through a dark forest alive with chit-chatting critters. It’s all worth it once you reach the top, 10,308 feet above sea level, as the sun paints the sky a dozen shades of orange, alighting the mist-filled caldera in an ethereal glow.

Artistic splendor can be found in the city of Ubud and its surrounding villages, home to shops and galleries bursting with silver jewelry, colorful batik fabrics, and local teak treasures. In fact, Ubud makes a great home base for visiting nearby treasures, such as the Kanto Lampo Waterfall, which features a small Hindu shrine; the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, home to over 1,200 long-tailed macaques; the Elephant Cave (Goa Gajah), a Hindu holy site with four distinct complexes; and the Tirta Empul Temple (Pura Tirta Empul), where you can bathe in a holy water spring to purify your soul.

Beyond Bali

You could spend your entire journey on Bali, and many do. But limiting yourself to Bali deprives you of the rich culture and striking scenery—both above and below the waterline—of Indonesia’s many other treasures.

You don’t have to travel far to find those treasures. Hop over one island to the east to Lombok, which boasts scenery and culture on par with Bali but without as many tourists. For an authentic experience, head to the island’s center, a lush area populated with artisan workshops and traditional Sasak villages. Spend your day hiking across clove plantations, watching farmers drive water buffalo ploughs, and swimming around the numerous waterfalls that race down the lava carved ridges of Mount Rinjani. The active volcano—the nation’s second highest at over 12,000 feet (just behind Mount Kerinci in Sumatra)—is a two or three-day challenge to climb, but those who do will have their remaining breath taken by the view of Segara Anak, a turquoise lake inside the crater’s rim, as well as distant volcanoes garlanded in cottony clouds.

Those who prefer to go below sea level instead of thousands of feet above it can head to the Gili Islands off Lombok’s northwestern coast. No cars are allowed on this three-island archipelago, but you can easily get around via horse-drawn carriage. Most people simply walk here, straight to the white-sand beaches, to go snorkeling and diving along coral reefs teeming with green and hawksbill turtles.

You don’t need to worry about the turtles snapping at you, but the inhabitants on the island of Komodo are a different story. Covering three gorgeous volcanic islands between Sumbawa and Flores, the UNESCO-listed Komodo National Park is home to some 5,700 Komodo dragons, the largest lizards on Earth. You may be tempted to cozy up to one for the selfie of a lifetime, but after watching it eat—a dragon can consume 80% of its body weight in a single feeding—you’ll happily keep your distance.

Java

For those who do not fly directly into Bali, the capital city of Jakarta on the island of Java is the most likely starting point of an Indonesian adventure. You could stay in the city of 11-millionplus—possibly visiting massive Merdeka Square, home to the 433-foot-high National Monument—though most travelers head straight to the city of Yogyakarta, often simplified to “Jogja,” for its rich cultural heritage.

It’s here you’ll find Borobudur, the world’s largest Buddhist temple, often compared with Bagan in Myanmar and Angkor Wat in Cambodia when discussing the greatest archeological sites of Southeast Asia. Constructed in the 9th century A.D., Borobudur was buried under volcanic ash by 1006. First restored in the early 1900s, then again under UNESCO in the 1970s to 1980s, the temple is a mesmerizing stack of nine platforms topped by a central dome and decorated with 2,672 relief panels and originally 504 Buddha statues. Amazing at any time of the day, it’s best seen at dawn, when the sun rises above the nearby volcanoes and rice paddies.

In other country, it’d be difficult to top an archeological site like Borobudur. But in Indonesia, you only have to drive an hour to the east. Prambanan, one of the country’s 10 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is a Hindu temple built in the 9th century A.D. in honor of the trinity of divinity: the Creator (Brahma), the Preserver (Vishnu), and the Destroyer (Shiva). Shiva’s temple is the highest, coming in at 154 feet high, its peak visible from miles away as it rises above the ruins of the other temples.

Two awe-striking temples so close together—that’s Indonesia for you. Even though it’s spread out of 17,000-odd islands, it’s difficult to walk 100 yards without stumbling onto yet another mind-blowing site or vista. And that is why it is worthy of a visit.

Please read our Council Connection to learn more about traveling in Indonesia.