Indonesia is a massive archipelago of diverse islands scattered over both sides of the Equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Indonesia is nicknamed The Emerald of the Equator with an extensive but quickly carved out amount of green forests on all of its islands and half way between the poles.
Regions of Indonesia
The nation of Indonesia is almost unimaginably vast: More than 18,000 islands providing 108,000 km of beaches.
The distance between Aceh in the west and Papua in the east is 4,702 km (2,500 mi), comparable to New York City and San Francisco.
Lying on the western rim of the Ring of Fire, Indonesia has more than 400 volcanoes, of which 129 are considered active and many undersea volcanoes.
The island of New Guinea (on which the Indonesian province of Papua is located) is the second-largest island globally. Borneo (about 2/3 Indonesian, with the rest belonging to Malaysia and Brunei) is the third, and Sumatra is the sixth-largest.
Travelers to Indonesia tend to have Bali at the top of their mind as their reason to visit, which is a shame. There are even more breathtaking natural beauty and cultural experiences elsewhere that are waiting to be explored.
The vastness of the estate and the variety of islands offer significant cultural differences that are worth sensing.
Most of the 34 provinces are smaller islands (East & West Nusa Tenggara, Maluku), or divide up a more oversized island and its outlying islands into pieces (Sumatra, Kalimantan, Java, Sulawesi, Papua).
The listing below follows a more straightforward practice of putting together several provinces in one region, except with Bali, treated as a separate region in Wikivoyage.
Understanding Indonesia
With 18,330 islands, 6,000 of them inhabited, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world.
To imagine how vast Indonesia is, Indonesia stretches from west to east as wide as the USA or Western and Eastern Europe combined, yet more than two-thirds of the area are seawater.
With more than 260 million people, Indonesia is the fourth most populous country globally — after China, India, and the USA — and the largest in Southeast Asia. The population is not spread equally among the five biggest islands, Java, Sumatra, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and Papua; Java has half of the people.
More than 50% of foreign tourists enter Indonesia through the airport of Bali, and most of the rest come in through Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport for business or as a hub to other Indonesia tourist destinations or through Batam, primarily by ferry from Singapore.
These three arrival sites account for about 90% of foreign arrivals.
Indonesia also has the largest Muslim population in the world, primarily Sunni.
Indonesia is a member of the G-20. Although it can become a world leader, it is still hampered by corruption and shortcomings in education and infrastructure hampered by rugged terrain and water.
Indonesia’s tropical forests are the second-largest in the world after Brazil and are being logged and cut down to grow oil palm plantations at the same alarming speed.
While the rich shop and party in the cities and resorts, the poor work hard and struggle to survive.
After decades of economic mismanagement, 50.6% of the population still earns less than US$4 per day, according to figures compiled by the World Bank in 2012.
In 2015, the poverty rate was 5.5% and declining, due to Indonesia’s stable growth at 4-6% annually since 2014 — the best growth rate among ASEAN countries.
However, the births rate is still high, at almost 2% a year, after the previous government stopped the birth control program, which has slowed the decline in poverty.
However, the total fertility rate (“numbers of children per woman”) has fallen dramatically. It sits now just above replacement at 2.1 – roughly the same as the US and barely above most of Europe.
Infrastructure in much of the country, though extensively rebuilt, remains rudimentary, and travelers off the beaten track will need some patience and flexibility. The network of toll highways continues to grow. However, most intercity roads are still two-lane affairs of variable quality, filled with large trucks and buses hauling goods and materials, all vying for pole position without a race.
Since low-cost carriers developed well with growth of up to 15 percent a year, anyone who wants to go from one city to another can easily do so, primarily for big cities, such as from Bali, to Malang to see Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park to Jakarta with many attractions for tourists to Medan to see Lake Toba and go back to your home country.
Even if you’re in a city, don’t expect the roads to be good or the layout to be easy to navigate.
Many roads in older cities are leftovers from the Dutch era and, thus, are small, winding, and in poor shape.
Add to that the fact that street names change every few kilometers, requiring that you know which area to go to if you want even to find that length of the street – it’s pretty frustrating.
Street signs, if there are any at all, are placed perpendicular to the street they represent.
If you leave Java and Bali, the roads are even worse.
Severe traffic jams are a common feature, with Greater Jakarta and Surabaya being particularly regarded as extremely bad.
Fortunately, the whole TransJava Toll Road was functionally opened in December 2018, with more than 900 km (560 mi) from Merak to Surabaya.
Several segments of the Trans Sumatra Toll Road have also been functionally opened.
Flexibility should be a prerequisite anywhere in the country as things can change very suddenly, and promptness is not often a high priority despite being appreciated.
If you are the kind of person who expects everything to be written in stone, then you should probably only consider tours with significant, reputable travel agents; otherwise, you’re bound to experience some “upsets.”
Tolerance, patience, and acceptance of surprises (not always the good kind) are good traits for anyone planning to visit. That said, if you dare to find the good among the bad, you will find that Indonesia is one of the most exotic countries you have ever visited.
Indonesia markets itself as Wonderful Indonesia, and the slogan is often quite true.
It has a diversity of culture with more than 900 tribes and languages, and food. At the same time, its beautiful nature, primarily outside of Java, and the friendliness of the people in most areas will entice you to stay as long as you want.
Today, some senior citizens from Europe stay for months in Indonesia to avoid the winter.
🏨 Hotels Near Indonesia
| Hotel | Address | City | Phone | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Hyatt Jakarta | 📍 Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.Kav. 28-30, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 29921234 | hyatt.com/en-US/hotel/indonesia/grand-hyatt-jakarta/jakgh |
| Four Points by Sheraton Jakarta, Thamrin | 📍 Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.Kav 9, RT.8/RW.4, Gondangdia, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 3902226 | marriott.com/hotels/travel/jkttf-four-points-jakarta-thamrin/ |
| Century Park | 📍 Century park hotel, Jl. Pintu Satu Senayan, RT.1/RW.3, Gelora, Kecamatan Tanah Abang, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10270, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 5712041 | atletcentury.com/ |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Jakarta – Diponegoro | 📍 Jl. Pegangsaan Timur No.17, Cikini, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 29857000 | hilton.com/en/hotels/jktdidi-doubletree-jakarta-diponegoro/ |
| Manggar Indonesia | 📍 Gg. Nusa Indah No.19, Kuta, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia | Badung Regency | 📞 +62 361 754680 | manggarindonesia.com/ |
| Ashley Wahid Hasyim Jakarta | 📍 Wahid Hasyim St No.73-75, RT.1/RW.4, Gondangdia, Menteng, Central Jakarta City, Jakarta 10350, Indonesia Jl. KH. Wahid Hasyim No.73-75, RT.1/RW.4, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350 | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 3100355 | as1.primahotelindonesia.com/ |
| Hotel Borobudur Jakarta | 📍 Jl. Lap. Banteng Selatan No.1, Ps. Baru, Kecamatan Sawah Besar, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10710, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 3805555 | hotelborobudur.com/ |
| Jambuluwuk Thamrin Hotel | 📍 Jl. Riau No.5-7, RT.9/RW.5, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 3108999 | jambuluwuk.com/thamrin/ |
| Pullman Jakarta Indonesia Thamrin CBD | 📍 Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.59, Gondangdia, Kec. Menteng, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10350, Indonesia | Jakarta | 📞 +62 21 31921111 | all.accor.com/lien_externe.svlt |
| Hotel Indonesia Kempinski Jakarta | 📍 Jl. M.H. Thamrin No.1, RT.1/RW.5, Menteng, Kec. Menteng, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10310, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | 📞 +62 21 23583800 | kempinski.com/en/jakarta/hotel-indonesia/ |
🎉 Tourist attractions Near Indonesia
| Top attraction | Address | City | Discover |
|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo National Park | 📍 East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia Nusa Tenggara Tim. | Labuan Bajo | National park |
| Taman Mini Indonesia Indah | 📍 East Jakarta City, Jakarta, Indonesia Kota Jakarta Timur, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta | East Jakarta City | Theme park |
| Lawang Sewu | 📍 Jl. Pemuda, Sekayu, Kec. Semarang Tengah, Kota Semarang, Jawa Tengah 50132, Indonesia | Semarang City | Museum |
| Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park | 📍 Uluwatu St, Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80364, Indonesia Jl. Raya Uluwatu, Ungasan, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364 | Badung Regency | Park |
| Museum Nasional Indonesia | 📍 Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat No.12, Gambir, Kecamatan Gambir, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10110, Indonesia | Central Jakarta City | National museum |
| Tebing Keraton | 📍 Ciburial, Cimenyan, West Bandung Regency, West Java 40198, Indonesia Ciburial, Kec. Cimenyan, Kabupaten Bandung Barat, Jawa Barat 40198 | West Bandung Regency | Tourist attraction |
| Taman Ujung | 📍 Jl. Taman Ujung, Tumbu, Kec. Karangasem, Kabupaten Karangasem, Bali 80811, Indonesia | Karangasem Regency | Tourist attraction |
| Tanah Lot | 📍 Beraban, Kediri, Tabanan Regency, Bali 82121, Indonesia Beraban, Kec. Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82121 | Tabanan Regency | Scenic spot |
| Ubud Palace | 📍 Jl. Raya Ubud No.8, Ubud, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80571, Indonesia | Gianyar Regency | Tourist attraction |
| Tegallalang Rice Terrace | 📍 Jl. Raya Tegallalang, Tegallalang, Kec. Tegallalang, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80561, Indonesia | Gianyar Regency | Tourist attraction |
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