Beautiful Places in Indonesia
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Islands, Volcanoes, Reefs and Java Cities
Here is the list of 14 Beautiful Places in Indonesia
1. Bali
Known For : Tanah Lot Uluwatu Bali Swing
The island almost every Indonesia trip starts with, and big enough to be several holidays: surf and nightlife in the south around Canggu and Uluwatu, temples and rice terraces inland at Ubud, volcanoes and black sand in the north and east. It is also the most crowded part of the country, so the further from Kuta you base yourself the more of Bali you actually see.
Best Time: April to October
2. Gili Air, Lombok
Known For : Scuba Diving in Gili Air Swings in Gili Air Sunset in Gili Air
The middle of the three Gili islands and the one that gets the balance right: quieter than Gili Trawangan, less sleepy than Gili Meno. No cars and no motorbikes anywhere on it, so transport is bicycle, walking or pony cart, and you can circle the whole island in about an hour and a half on foot. Snorkelling with green turtles starts a few metres off the beach.
Best Time: April - October
3. Ubud, Bali
Known For : Tegalalang Rice Terraces Ubud Monkey Forest Ubud Palace
Bali's cultural centre, inland and cooler than the coast, built around the royal palace, the art market and the terraced valleys at Tegallalang and Campuhan. It is the base for temple visits, cooking classes and the yoga scene. The Sacred Monkey Forest is here too, and worth the visit, but the macaques are wild and habituated: do not feed them, and keep sunglasses, phones and loose bags out of reach.
Best Time: April - October
4. Lombok
Known For : Selong Belanak Beach Kuta Lombok Pink Beach
A quieter alternative to Bali, Lombok captivates with its untouched beaches, majestic waterfalls, and the towering Mount Rinjani. Dive into the turquoise waters, trek through rice fields, and witness traditional Sasak culture for an authentic Indonesian experience.
Best Time: April - October
Indonesia Travel Packages
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Ultimate Bali With Flights
Kuta(6N)
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Plan Your Destina...(5.0
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6 Nights / 7 Days Bali Getaway with flights
Kuta (4N) → Ubud (2N)
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Right To Fly Tourism(4.9
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Mesmerizing Bali: 6 Nights 7 Days of Culture and Adventure
Kuta(4N) → Ubud(2N)
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7-Day Bali Adventure: Waterfalls, Temples, Beaches and Nusa Penida Exploration
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7-Night Bali Adventure: Beaches, Highlands, Nusa Penida and Safari Tour
Kuta(5N) → Ubud(2N)
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5-Night Bali Adventure: Beaches, Highlands & Nusa Penida Island Exploration
Kuta(4N) → Ubud(1N)
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5. Jakarta
Known For : National Monument of Indonesia (MONAS) Kota Tua Merdeka Square
Indonesia's vibrant capital, Jakarta, is a bustling metropolis offering a dynamic mix of modernity and tradition. Explore the historic Old Town, visit the National Monument, and indulge in diverse culinary delights reflecting the nation's rich heritage.
Best Time: May - September
6. Nusa Penida
Known For : Kelingking Beach Atuh Beach Diamond Beach
The largest of the three Nusa islands, southeast of Bali and reached by fast boat from Sanur, with the cliff at Kelingking, Angel's Billabong and the manta cleaning stations offshore. One thing has changed and older guides have not caught up: this is no longer an undeveloped island. The roads are narrow and largely single track, the day trip crush at the main viewpoints is heavy, and staying a night is the way around both.
Best Time: April - October
7. Surabaya
Known For : House of Sampoerna Suroboyo Carnival Park Monumen Kapal Selam
Surabaya is East Java's capital and a working port rather than a view, but it earns its place here as the way in: Mount Bromo, further down this list, is a night drive away, and the Ijen crater a little beyond that. In the city itself the old Arab Quarter around Ampel Mosque and the House of Sampoerna in its Dutch colonial compound are worth the morning before you leave.
Best Time: May to September.
8. Batam
Known For : Barelang Bridge Nagoya Hill Shopping Mall Water Sports in Batam
Worth including honestly rather than as scenery: Batam is an industrial and duty free island 45 minutes by ferry from Singapore, and that proximity is the whole proposition. Singaporeans and Malaysians come for cheap weekends, spa packages, golf and seafood at the Barelang bridges rather than for landscape. If you want the Riau islands for their own sake, Bintan next door is the better call.
Best Time: May to September.
9. Makassar
Known For : Fort Rotterdam Losari Beach Malino
Makassar is the largest city in eastern Indonesia and the usual way into Sulawesi. Fort Rotterdam, the restored Dutch fort on the waterfront, and the sunset crowds along the Losari promenade will fill an afternoon, but the reason most people come is what lies beyond: the highland villages of Tana Toraja to the north, and the reefs of the Spermonde islands an hour offshore.
Best Time: June to September
10. Bandung, West Java
Known For : Kawah Putih Tangkuban Perahu Situ Patenggang Lake
The old Dutch hill capital of West Java at about 750 metres, so it is genuinely cooler than Jakarta, with art deco streets, tea plantations and the Tangkuban Perahu crater within reach. It works as a day trip or a weekend from Jakarta, around 150 km away, though the traffic can be punishing. It is not a day trip from Bali, which is a different island roughly a thousand kilometres east.
Best Time: June to September
11. Komodo Island
One of the New7Wonders of Nature, and the reason is the Komodo dragon, which lives wild here and on neighbouring Rinca and nowhere else. Komodo National Park is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the diving around it, at Batu Bolong and Manta Point, is as good as the dragons. You reach it by boat from Labuan Bajo on Flores, and on the islands you walk with a park ranger rather than alone.
Best Time: September to November
12. Lake Toba, Sumatra
The largest volcanic lake in the world, filling the caldera of an eruption about 74,000 years ago that was one of the biggest in human prehistory. It is around 100 km long, and Samosir island sits in the middle of it, which is where most visitors stay and where Batak culture, tombs and traditional houses are. Cool, quiet and a long way from anywhere, which is most of the appeal.
13. Raja Ampat Islands
Raja Ampat Islands is a group of over 1500 islands in the West Papua Province of Indonesia. Composing of steep rocky terrain islands, shoals and cays with some forest cover, the archipelago consists of four main islands, Waigeo, Salawati, Batanta and Misool. The rest of the islands surround these four significant islands. Some are them are large enough with wide sandy beaches, some are tiny islets while some are just large rocks in the middle of the ocean.
14. Mount Bromo
Believed to be named after Lord Brahma, Mount Bromo is an active volcano located in the East Java Province of Indonesia. The attraction is a famous hiking destination and draws adventure buffs from all over the world. The volcano is situated in the middle of the Sea of Sand, a natural plain which is also a part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. A complete tour of the attraction is recommended to explore the surrounding national park and volcanic crater.
Distance is the constraint in Indonesia, not choice. Bali, Ubud, Nusa Penida and the Gilis sit close enough together to combine in ten days, which is why almost every first trip is built from them. Everything else needs its own flight: Komodo from Labuan Bajo on Flores, Lake Toba from Medan in Sumatra, Raja Ampat from Sorong in West Papua, and Bromo from Surabaya in East Java. Bandung and Jakarta are a Java pairing rather than an add-on to Bali, which is a thousand kilometres away.
This post was published by Muhammed Salih
FAQs on Beautiful Places in Indonesia
What is the most beautiful place in Indonesia?
Raja Ampat, on reef and on sheer remoteness, though it takes real effort and money to reach. Closer in, Nusa Penida's cliffs and Mount Bromo's caldera at dawn are the two images most people come home with. For a first trip, Bali and the Gilis cover the range without an internal flight.
How do you combine islands in Indonesia?
Only a few combine easily. Bali, Ubud, Nusa Penida, Lombok and the Gilis are all within fast boat or short drive of each other and work as one trip. Komodo, Lake Toba, Raja Ampat and Bromo each need a separate internal flight, to Labuan Bajo, Medan, Sorong and Surabaya respectively. Two regions in a fortnight is realistic; four is not.
Where can you see Komodo dragons?
Only on Komodo and Rinca islands and a few neighbouring ones in Komodo National Park, which is where they live wild and nowhere else on earth. You reach the park by boat from Labuan Bajo on Flores, entry is ticketed, and on the islands you walk with a park ranger rather than on your own. The diving around the same islands is as much of a draw as the dragons.
Is Nusa Penida still undeveloped?
No, and a lot of older writing still says it is. It is reached by fast boat from Sanur in under an hour and gets very heavy day trip traffic, particularly at Kelingking and Angel's Billabong. The roads are narrow and mostly single track, which turns short distances into long drives. Staying a night rather than day tripping solves both problems.
Can you visit Bandung from Bali?
Not as a day trip, despite what gets written. Bandung is in West Java, roughly a thousand kilometres west of Bali, and needs a flight or a long overland journey. It is a day trip or a weekend from Jakarta, about 150 km away, and it pairs with Jakarta rather than with Bali.
When is the best time to visit Indonesia?
April to October is the dry season across most of the country and the safest general answer, and it is also the calmest window for the boat crossings to the Gilis and Komodo. Bali and the Nusa islands are busiest in July, August and around New Year. Raja Ampat runs on its own pattern and is usually best from October to April.
