Destination:
Indonesia

A lush green island peppered with traditional fishing villages, mysterious colour-changing lakes, and coffee plantations, Flores is among the best undiscovered holiday destinations in Indonesia. Not as well-known as the more frequented islands of Bali, Java or Lombok, holidays in Flores are gaining popularity by travellers searching for a less commercial and touristy experience.

The island's rugged topography is formed by a chain of volcanoes creating angular valleys and ridges, meaning travel on Flores can be difficult; however it has also allowed diverse cultures to flourish in relative isolation. These cultures continue to thrive alongside a strong Catholic influence.

Labuan Bajo is the most frequented town on the island, popular as a launching point for the islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar. Other villages, including Bajawa, Ruteng, and the capital Ende, are great places to see traditional culture and ethnic architecture.

Flores is a popular ecotourism destination, and the lush landscape offers many outdoor activities like scuba diving, kayaking, hiking and swimming. Labuan Bajo offers excellent scuba diving and snorkelling sites, as well as Maumere and Ruin.

The most famous attraction in Flores is undoubtedly the crater lakes of Mt Kelimutu, three lakes that dramatically change colours from bright turquoise to chocolate brown, green, and even bright red. The lakes are most easily reached from Ende or Moni, where most mountain treks begin.

Sumatra is the second largest island in the Indonesian archipelago and is about the size of California, formed by a longitudinal spine of mountains including 90 volcanoes. Sumatra is a beautiful island with volcanoes and hot springs, lakes and rivers, rolling green foothills, plantations and wild jungle scenery. Many reserves protect the island's wealth of indigenous wildlife, and elephants, tigers, rhinos, orangutans and tapirs can be seen on organised safaris within protected reserves.

The majority of the population lives in the foothills, plateaus and highlands of this range as farmers. The entire island was once covered in dense rainforest, but today most has been destroyed by the need for agricultural land, which is the country's prime earner with exports of palm oil, rubber, tobacco, coffee and tea.

The island is home to numerous people and races, among them the Muslim Minangkabau and the great highland people, the Batak, inhabiting a fertile volcanic plateau, who have a language, dress, religious belief, architectural style and culture of their own. Lake Toba, the spiritual centre of the Batak, is lined with resorts and is a major tourist destination. The busy hill town of Bukittinggi is the hub of the Minang culture, surrounded by spectacular scenery and close to Lake Maninjau, a sparkling volcanic crater lake surrounded by the jungle-covered crater walls.

This is an island of plenty - with its scenery, wildlife, natural resources, cultural diversity and extraordinary architecture Sumatra has much to offer the visitor. Though not as popular a tourism destination as neighbouring Bali or Jakarta, Sumatra is an increasingly fashionable eco-tourism destination, and cycling or riding a scooter through the mountains and valleys can be a great way to see Sumatra's natural beauty.

Java is the most populous island in Indonesia providing many contrasts of scenery, people, religions and cultures. The island boasts immense beauty, from peaceful villages and a beautiful, fertile countryside to smoking volcanoes and ancient monuments. However there is also an unattractive side visible in its dirty, overcrowded cities, particularly the capital of Jakarta, clogged with traffic and pollution, with evident differences in wealth and wretched poverty between the people. Java is a mosaic of sights and impressions. It is also Indonesia's political stage and the cultural, educational and historical centre of the archipelago.

The island is dominated by an active volcanic mountain range stretching along its length. To the north is the unappealing city of Jakarta, a mixture of the modern and luxurious, with a glamorous city centre and some fine Dutch architecture; along with the filth, crime and squalor of a big city. South of the mountainous spine in central Java, lies the most popular city in Indonesia, Yogyakarta, the centre for Javanese art and culture, and nearby the astounding Hindu complex and Buddhist monument of Prambanan and Borobudur. Mt Bromo to the east is an active volcano amid stunning scenery.

Java offers the visitor a vivid and rewarding experience of an intensely striking land and culture, a tapestry of religions and historical influences, and splendid landscapes that make it the enchanting 'Garden of the East'.

Bali has long been equated with an exotic paradise, a picturesque vision of green rice fields and plantations, soaring volcanoes, cool lakes and rushing rivers, lush forests and palm fringed beaches. It is Indonesia's number one tourist destination and as a result suffers from commercialisation and overcrowding, but this is confined to a few main areas. The original charm of the 'Island of the Gods' and its smiling people is still very much in evidence, especially in the many small rural villages and fascinating places of the fertile interior.

What makes it distinctive from the rest of Indonesia is the prevalence in Balinese Hinduism, which incorporates the ancient Indonesian animist conviction that natural objects are inhabited by good or bad spirits into every aspect of local life on the island. Scattered around the island are thousands of Hindu temples and places of worship. It is evident in their ceremonies, daily rituals and attitudes, visible in the offerings of flowers and food that adorn the roadsides, the charms hung inside taxis, and the numerous vibrant festivals that occur throughout the year. It is perceptible in their reverence for the Holy Mountain, the soaring volcanic cone of Gunung Agung, which is the spiritual centre of the Balinese universe. Art is also an integral part of daily life and every village has its artists, from the internationally acclaimed painter to the aspirational young cow herder. Ubud, the cultural centre, with its streets lined with art and crafts shops, also has performances of traditional Balinese dance and music. Art, together with tourism, is an important source of revenue for the island.

With its fine beach, the popular resort of Kuta is the most visited destination, but there are numerous other beach resorts around the island, and many more peaceful settings on the east coast at Candidasa, Sanur and the fishing village of Padang Bai, and on the northern coast at Lovina. There are a number of good diving sites and reef snorkelling close by.

Despite the shock of terrorist attacks a few years ago, Bali is still the tropical paradise of rich culture and beautiful land and seascapes that has attracted those in search of an idyllic vacation for so long; however visitors are still advised to contact their foreign office for the latest travel advice before travelling to Indonesia, and Bali in particular.

One island to the east of Bali, Lombok has yet to be discovered by the package tourist - the beaches and coastal villages are comparatively undeveloped and the locals are relatively indifferent to tourists. Although it is inevitably compared with its better-known neighbour the island differs in many respects - physically, culturally, linguistically and historically. The indigenous Islamic Sasak people make up 90 percent of the population, and although they appear to live amicably with the Balinese minority there is some animosity, not surprising given that a lot of the economic advantages of increased tourism have eluded the native Sasak.

The mountainous north of the island is dominated by the spectacular volcano of Mt Rinjani, at 12,221ft (3,726m) the third highest peak in Indonesia and a popular four-day trek for locals and tourists alike. To the south are the central plains which contain the most productive agricultural areas as well the major conurbation on the west coast, an amalgamation of the towns of Ampenan, Mataram, Cakranegara and Sweta. Further south again, beyond a range of low inland hills, are the sweeping bays and pure white sands of the southern beaches, all of which can be explored from Kuta (not to be confused with Bali's Kuta), the main resort town of southern Lombok and surfing Mecca of the island. Several groups of islands lie off the Lombok northwest coast, the best known are the three Gili Islands - Trawangan, Meno and Air - which have been popular with backpackers for many years seeking a simple lifestyle of sea, sun and sand, although, as with much of the island, they are now becoming more widely discovered and as a result more expensive.

'Yogya', as it is known, is one of the most attractive and ancient historical cities in Java. It was established in 1755 when Prince Mangkubumi built the Kraton Palace, called himself Sultan and created the most powerful Javanese Kingdom since the 17th century. Today it remains a symbol of resistance to Dutch Colonial rule, as well as the centre for classical Javanese art and culture, including batik, Ramayana ballet, shadow puppetry and music.

At its heart lies the quaint Old City with the elegant Sultan's Palace at its centre, containing the Water Palace, an interesting bird market and several museums and galleries. Guarded by traditionally dressed gentlemen, the splendid interior features extravagant pavilions and courtyards. Leading away from the centre are boulevards and backstreets filled with the confusion of labyrinthine markets containing galleries, shops and numerous other craft industries - a shopper's paradise for souvenirs and Javanese art. The silver centre of Yogya, Kota Gede, has streets lined with silver workshops creating the well-known distinctive design and variety of silver pieces. Workshops allow the visitor the opportunity to watch traditional art in action. On every corner becaks (bicycle rickshaws) clamour for business, eventually wobbling their way down the windy streets with bargain-weary passengers inside.

With its ancient historical city, museums, cultural performances, lively atmosphere and an abundance of accommodation and restaurants, as well as its proximity to two of the most impressive religious monuments in the country, it is no wonder that this splendid city is a major stop on the tourist route.

Jakarta is not a city for everyone but many find it an inevitable stop on the way to more tranquil Indonesian destinations. What has amassed is a decentralized sprawl of low slung buildings amidst occasional high rise towers. With no central Jakarta area it is difficult to experience the city's highlights which are scattered about the enormous districts. Jakarta has a reputation as a rich person's playground. Grungy streets contrast to modern shopping complexes and examples of ostentatious wealth. Visitors can enjoy a bit of this in garish nightclubs and elegant restaurants. Travelling far in the city is laborious and adding to the difficulty is heavy traffic and haywire street grids throughout dense and stretching sprawl. Yet despite, or possibly because of, Jakarta's reputation as a difficult city, little visited areas and unique attractions feel like personal discoveries. Jakarta is a boiled down representation of everything Indonesian giving visitors a quick introduction or synopsis of the country's various and incredibly diverse cultures, architecture, food, languages, religions, and combined histories.