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Women praying at the bat cave, Goa Lawah, Bali

Rice terraces near Bukit Jambul, Bali

Lonely Planet : Bali and Lombok
Paul Greenway

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Bintan Island, Indonesia
by Paul Stanway, UK

Lonely Planet: South-East
Asia on a Shoestring

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Highlights

• With over 13,700 islands to chose from, Indonesia really can offer any traveller adventure. Most though stick to the tourist route, especially with the recent unstable activity, but even on this well trodden path it is very easy to get lost in the culture of Indonesia.  

Java

• Java, home to the ex-Dutch influenced and ever growing and bustling capital, Jakarta.

• The traveller's hotspot on Java is the cultural city of Yogyakarta, where it is possible to visit the nearby monuments of Borobudur and Prambanan.

• Pangandaran - Java's main beach resort.

• Solo - quieter Javanese city.

Bali

• Kuta, the traveller's hotspot and party capital of Indonesia is easily accessible from the main airport, Denpasar. Cheap accommodation, cheap clothes, cheap drink - you get the idea.

• Sanur, Legion, Nusa Dua - quieter resorts near Kuta.

• Ubud is a beautiful cultural town in the heart of Bali with a thriving art and carving tradition. Nearby is the 'Monkey Forest'.

• Bat Caves at Goa Lawah on the South East coast.

• Gunung Agung - 3142 metres of trekking with the nearby Gunung Batur an equally impressive climb.

• Spectacular scenery throughout the island with fascinating Hindu culture.

Sumatra

• Most travellers only visit the north of this vast, raw island, between Medan and Padang.

• Lake Toba is unmissable.

• Bukit Lawang orang-utan sanctuary is accessed from Medan

• Nias - good surf

• Bukittinggi in the mountains attracts a lot of travellers as it is the heartland of the Minangkabau people.

Other Islands

• There really are too many islands to describe but if you have the time it is well worth heading off away from the motorbikes and the tourist areas.

• Lombok is the neighbouring island to Bali and is more relaxed.

• Flores, Komodo & Sulawesi, to name but a few, are all worth getting to if time and money allow.

• Bintan is part of the Riau Archipelago stretching south from Singapore. This collection of over 3000 islands is almost a third uninhabited. Pulau Bintan is becoming the main focus for tourists as it is extremely easy to catch the ferry from Singapore (about US$10) and the Island is proving a good stepping stone for the rest of the country. The island has little development from Singapore and some great untouched beaches.

Main travellers routes

• Most travellers only go to 3 islands: Java, Bali and Sumatra, which can be included comfortably in a trip with no extension to a visa.

• Island hoping is the cheapest way of getting around Indonesia but it can be relatively time consuming if you are trying to go some distance.

• Internal flights are not too expensive and should be considered if travelling to the Western Islands.

• While on the islands the cheapest form of transport are the bemos, then minibuses. It is also possible to hire motorbikes.

Capital

• Jakarta (On the island of Java)

Languages

• Bahasa Indonesia (Classed as one of the simplest languages in the world as there are no genders, tenses and often no plurals!)

• English spoken in tourist areas

Currency   

• Rupiah (rp) (Tends to fluctuate regularly)

Visas

• Visa not required for UK Tourists for stays of up to 60 days.

Foreign Office Advice

• http://www.fco.gov.uk/travel/

Links

• http://www.balinetwork.com/

• Indonesia Tourism Promotion Board