Indonesia Vacation Guide
With more islands than there are people in a good sized town, and spread across a near-continental swathe of flickering, picturesque sea, Indonesia is influenced by diverse cultures and steeped in varied, enthralling personality. At times, it is a massive overload of the senses, but get past the hurtling traffic and cities of relentless urban sprawl, and you might just find the tropical paradise you had in mind.
Capital Jakarta has suffered numerous terrorist attacks in recent years, and is still considered a dangerous place to visit. It’s an odd, concrete jungle mish-mash of a city, and many find the commotion difficult to deal with, but underneath it all you’ll find a decadent, party hard ethos and a deep seated desire to succeed that can effortlessly become seductive.
Most visitors, of course, head straight for the forests or beaches. The palaces and temples of striking yet tourist-inundated Bali are an obvious starting point. Destinations like Palau Weh – which is full of empty beaches, and offers the chance to swim with whale sharks – or Sumba - where tribal traditions stand tall amid the isolation – however, offer more in the way of cultural and aesthetical appeal. Explore the tribal aspects of Sumba, in fact, and you may even witness the messy sacrifice that traditionally accompanies a funeral, or the violent ritual battles of the Pasola Festivals.
Many prefer something a little less extreme, and you’ll find that too, in the wreck diving and flittering birds of paradise on incredible Palau Biak, or in a trip to the Gunung Bromo, the huge steaming volcano that rises above miles of white-sand islets. Then there’s the Indonesian ‘standard’ of swaying palm trees and emerald rice fields, the incredible surfing, intricate woodcarvings, komodo dragons and that notorious, deep-rooted political corruption.
Indonesia’s so immense that – unless you’re well and truly on the tourist trail – you’ll have plenty of unique experiences and discover your own hidden heavens, some of which are utterly divine. Stay out of the cities, and make the most of the indigenous cultures, sensational seafood and incredible temples and you can’t go far wrong.
Capital Jakarta has suffered numerous terrorist attacks in recent years, and is still considered a dangerous place to visit. It’s an odd, concrete jungle mish-mash of a city, and many find the commotion difficult to deal with, but underneath it all you’ll find a decadent, party hard ethos and a deep seated desire to succeed that can effortlessly become seductive.
Most visitors, of course, head straight for the forests or beaches. The palaces and temples of striking yet tourist-inundated Bali are an obvious starting point. Destinations like Palau Weh – which is full of empty beaches, and offers the chance to swim with whale sharks – or Sumba - where tribal traditions stand tall amid the isolation – however, offer more in the way of cultural and aesthetical appeal. Explore the tribal aspects of Sumba, in fact, and you may even witness the messy sacrifice that traditionally accompanies a funeral, or the violent ritual battles of the Pasola Festivals.
Many prefer something a little less extreme, and you’ll find that too, in the wreck diving and flittering birds of paradise on incredible Palau Biak, or in a trip to the Gunung Bromo, the huge steaming volcano that rises above miles of white-sand islets. Then there’s the Indonesian ‘standard’ of swaying palm trees and emerald rice fields, the incredible surfing, intricate woodcarvings, komodo dragons and that notorious, deep-rooted political corruption.
Indonesia’s so immense that – unless you’re well and truly on the tourist trail – you’ll have plenty of unique experiences and discover your own hidden heavens, some of which are utterly divine. Stay out of the cities, and make the most of the indigenous cultures, sensational seafood and incredible temples and you can’t go far wrong.
