Attractions from Indonesia

Bali

Besakih - the temple of temples

Besakih is the mother temple of India, the holiest of all temples. Not surprisingly, it is situated at the slopes of Gunung Agung, where three other main temples, dedicated to Shiva, Brahma and Wishnu - the Hindu Trinity - are placed. For the Balinese people, a visit to Basakih is considered a pilgrimage.

Candi Das - an old fishing village

This old fishing village in the eastern Bali has a nice laid-back atmosphere, and is close to several sights.

Goa Gajah - the cave of the elephant-god

The cave was made in honour of the Hindu god Ganesh, and is believed to originally have been an 11th century monastery. There's also a sort of swimming pool, which might have been used for cleansing before religious ceremonies.

Gunung Batur - visit an active volcano

Gunung Batur is an obvious choice if you want to visit one of Bali's active volcanoes, and is easy to climb. You climb it in the morning, before sunrise, and the view is incredible. Only downside is the many tourists and conmen.

Kuta - the tourist centre of Bali

Kuta is a tourist city for better or worse. You'll see young Australians with surfboards along with backpackers from all over the world, relaxing and enjoying the beach, sea and beers. The reason for this is that Kuta is a cheap place to party, but the city isn't very Balinese.

Lovina - dolphins and black sand

Lovina has become a hotspot among backpackers and is famous for its beaches of black, volcanic sand and excellent opportunities for observing dolphins. Food and overnight accommodation are cheap, especially out of season.

Nusa Dua - white beaches with coconut palms

The luxurious beach resort Nusa Dua tempts with white beaches covered by coconut palms, and provides good opportunities for parasailing (a parachute dragged by a boat) north of the beach.

Sangeh - the holy monkeys

Sangeh is a holy "monkey forest" which, as indicated, has a lot of monkeys in it. As they tend to be a bit aggressive, it would be wise to keep your distance. Furthermore, Sangeh has two temples, and loads of nutmeg trees.

Sanur - temples and white beaches

Due to the surrounding reef, the water at Sanur is calm and ideal for snorkelling and swimming. A short way from the beach is a number of Balinese temples.

Tampaksiring

Tampaksiring has a holy healing spring, whereby the temple Pua Tirta Empul (about 1,000 years old) has been erected.

Tanah Lot - the postcard temple

Tanah Lot, which was erected in the 16th century on a rock surrounded by water, might be the most photographed temple in all of Bali, and is at its best in the late afternoon, where its silhouette is very picturesque.

Tengana - city of weavers

Tenganan, which is placed near the coastal town Candidasa, has for centuries been partly isolated from the rest of the world. Some of the ritual dances and customs are still performed here, and the city is also known for its "double ikat"-weaving techniques, which produces some very high-quality textiles. Tenganan is, like Trunyan, a village where you should always carry yourself with discretion.

Ubud - the quiet city of arts

If you like Balinese art, you should go visit Ubud. The city is situated in the midst of jade green rice paddies and beautiful forests with red and orange orchids. The city is one of the few places in the world were being stressed upon arrival is an advantage! It is the very essence of tranquillity and you'll soon feel completely relaxed.

Indonesia

Hulu Sungai Tourist Resort

Hulu Sungai is a huge area in the southern part of Kalimantan, with swamps and beautiful mountainous areas towards east.

Loksado

Loksado is situated in the South Hulu Sungai district where the capital is Kandangan. The area is about three hours' drive from Banjarmasin, and contains good opportunities for trekking and mountain climbing. Furthermore, it is a good place to interact with the locals.

Lovina - dolphins and black sand

Lovina has become a hotspot among backpackers and is famous for its beaches of black, volcanic sand and excellent opportunities for observing dolphins. Food and overnight accommodation are cheap, especially out of season.

Mount Merapi

The volcano Mount Perapi is another possibility of seeing some areas of natural beauty. It is still active and has erupted several times during the last years.

Prambanan

Prambanan is located 40 km from Yogyakarta and is a Hindu temple complex erected in honour of the gods and the Trinity and Shiva, Brahma and Vishnu. The temples are a perfect setting for performances of the dramatic and spellbinding Ramayana ballets, where the audience get to see hundreds of performers, both singers, dancers and musicians.

River Rafting from Loksado

When going back from Loksado, it is common to try river rafting some of the way back on the Amandit River. You can also try trekking back to Kandangan, which will take about 8-10 hours.

Samarinda

Samarinda is on the east coast and makes a good starting point for trips with longboats to river villages, such as Tanjung Isuy, Muara Muntai and Melak (with a big forest of orchids).

The Indonesian National Museum

The Indonesian National Museum has a lot to offer the museum enthusiast, with its large collection of artefacts from the many cultural and ethnic groups of the country.

The old Jakarta

In the area of Old Batavia, you can still find buildings from the 18th century, and both houses and streets are gradually being restored. The oldest church in the city, Gereja Sion, is another sight worth visiting.

The sultan palace - Kraton

One of the main attractions in Yogya is the sultan palace, Kraton, which was erected in the 18th century. For an entrance fee you can see the noble apartments, which makes a fine pastime for a few hours. You can also visit the Taman Sari, also known as the "water palace".

Java

Mount Bromo

Want to experience something that looks like a lunar landscape? Then you should go see Mount Bromo in East-Java. Mount Bromo is part of the national park Bromo Tengger Semeru, which consists of about 800 sq km. Bromo is still very active, and you can take a trip on horse-back to the edge of the crater.

Kalimantan

Flower Island

Is situated in the Barito River and is a preserved area of the forest. Many monkeys, existing only in Borneo, live here, including the nose monkey. Kaget Island is another island in the river which is definitely worth a visit.

Lombok with Gili Islands

Relaxing on the Gili Islands

The volcano Gunung Rinjani

With its 3,726 m, Gunung Rinjani is the highest mountain in Lombok and still active. Its last eruption was in 1995, and you can trek up the mountain, typically on a 4-day trek.

The weaving mills in Sukara and the surrounding country

The weaving mills at the west coast are the centres of textile weaving and basket-braiding. There are also some special stone houses here. The weaving technique can be studied and you can buy lots of the textiles as well.

Nusa Tenggara

Keli Mutu - on Flores

Mount Keli Mutu is perhaps the most exiting natural phenomenon in the country, with its three crater lakes, whose distinct colours change are in constant change, like the colours on a painter's palette. The play of colours is believed to be caused by minerals.

Komodo - Dragon Island

Komodo's main attraction is undoubtedly the so-called Komodo dragons, which can be quite aggressive. There are similar lizards on the island Rinca and the western part of Flores.

Sulawesi

Diving and snorkelling at the Tongian Islands

At the Tongian Islands in the northern Sulawesi you will find some of the world's best snorkelling and diving areas, with many different kinds of reef and many colourful fish.

Rantepao

A small, but interesting town, which attracts many tourists because of its culture, of which the ceremonies are an important attraction.

Toroja Land

Known as "the land of divine kings", the people is famous for their handsomely decorated houses as well as for burying their dead in vertical cliffs, after long and complicated funeral ceremonies.

Sumatra

Bohorok Orang-utan Rehabilitation Center

In this centre the admirable work of training once captured orang-utans to live in nature again takes place. You can see the orang-utans being fed and a video on the centre's work.

Gunung Leuser National Park

One of the world's greatest national parks and located in the northern area of Sumatra, it includes a rehabilitation centre for orang-utans. The area, starting at Bukit Lawang and comprising about 10,000 sq km, offers excellent opportunities for walking in jungle while enjoying the sight of the beautiful orang-utans. The rest of the animal life includes 320 bird species, 176 species of mammal, 194 reptiles and 52 species of amphibians, while the flora is even more extensive.

Lake Toba

Lake Toba is a major tourist magnet, and is the largest lake in all of Southeast Asia and is in fact an enormous volcanic crater filled with water. In the lake, which is situated 176 km from Medan, is the island Samosir, which is where travellers stay while they enjoy the nature and the special Batak houses scattered all over the island.

Siberut Island

The adventurous can profit from a visit to Siberut Island, where the original Mentanavi people can still be experienced. Everything on the island is utterly primitive, but is still well worth a visit.

Yogyakarta

Borobodur - where Buddha lives

40 km west of Yogya is the largest Buddhist complex in all of Southeast Asia, which is also Indonesia's biggest attraction. You'll find a vast number of finely engraved relief images of stone along with a huge amount of Buddha figures. Borobodur has a lot of atmosphere, especially at dawn, and it is a must-see if you're in Yogya anyway.

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