Small hotels, Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, Indonesia
Indonesia is one of the most coveted travel destinations in Southeast Asia. Home to the sun-kissed surf breaks of Bali and the gorgeous beaches of the Gili Islands, dotted with the UNESCO sites of Prambanan and Borobudur, alive with batik weavers and coffee farms and trodden by the likes of Komodo dragons, tigers and orangutans, it rarely fails to impress! Check out these top spots for any Indo itinerary…
Bali
Undoubtedly the most-visited spot in all of Indonesia, malaria-free Bali has it all. From scintillating beaches so white they heat like mercury elements under the Southeast Asian sun, to incense-scented Hindu temples that hide shadowy effigies of monkey gods and elephant spirits within, the so-called Isle of the Gods is an immersive, awesome place. Yes, there are towns like Kuta, where Aussie backpackers and inebriated partiers are more the norm, but the jungles around Ubud, less-trodden Padangbai and the forested hills of the Karagasem Regency do more than counteract that! Oh yea, and then there’s the surf, which is arguably the steadiest and most challenging on the planet along the Bukit Peninsula and up to Seminyak.
Lombok
Bali’s brother to the east is a fine alternative option for travelers eager to explore the gorgeous tropical setting of the Nusa Tenggara archipelago. It’s just a little smaller than the Isle of the Gods, though no less awesome. For one, it’s topped with the smoking caldera of Indo’s second-highest volcanic peak. The beaches, from shimmering Senggigi in the west to the salt-washed surf towns of Kuta (that’s Kuta Lombok) in the south, offer rolling waves and Robinson Crusoe coves alike. And then there are the Gili Islands: a string of paradisiacal islets that glimmer like gems just off the coast, drawing travelers with endangered sea turtles, shipwreck dives, pearly beaches and wild party nights. The downside? Lombok isn’t malaria-free like Bali is!
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta represents one of the cultural hotspots of Java. A town of clicking becak bikes and trishaws, it centres around the beautiful Kraton Ngayogyakarta – the gilded and gold-inlaid palace of the city’s sultan ruler. Around this grand residence the town’s streets pulse and pound with the sounds of clattering roadside cooks, they burst with curious little art galleries touting Javanese totems, and come scented with the potent coffee beans of the volcanic hills to the north. There are endless clothes and craft emporiums lining lively Malioboro Street, while backpacker hostels draw crowds eager to break out to the UNESCO-attested complexes of Prambanan and Borobudur, which pepper the plains of Surakarta nearby with their ancient Hindu and Buddhist stupas.
Komodo Island
Home to one of the most fascinating national parks in all of Southeast Asia, Komodo makes its home out between the sun-splashed isles of the Lesser Sunda chain. As one of the few remaining habitats of the unique Komodo Dragon, it’s risen to become one of the big wildlife draws in the country. Today, people flock by their thousands to see those primeval monitor lizards strutting across the dusty hills and between the chubby palms and the dry savannah. Others, meanwhile, will come to don the SCUBA gear and go underwater, to reef spots like Batu Bolong, where bursts of manta rays and pipefish, clownfish and octopi cast their shadows on the coloured corals. Then there are the gorgeous reaches of Pink Sand Beach, and oodles of other empty coves to kick-back in besides.
Bukit Lawang
From one of Indo’s chart-topping ecotourist destinations to another, Bukit Lawang is the home of the orangutan. Nearly 100 kilometers from the nearest city – Medan – the rustic spot can be found lurking deep in the heart of Sumatra’s virgin rainforests. The town itself has a cluster of earthy guesthouses and bamboo backpacker joints with beer bars and swinging hammocks, but these all take second place to the Gunung Leuser National Park on the peripheries. This great slab of tropical rainforest can be visited on walking and elephant safaris, with uber-rare creatures like the endangered Sumatran tiger, swinging orangutans, sambar deer, Indonesian rhinos and more all waiting in the woods!
Jakarta
Jakarta is the heady, energetic and electric capital of Indonesia. The place where most international travelers will first touch ground, it’s a sprawling megacity of more than nine million people. On its one side stand the shimmering silver and steel skyscrapers of the country’s modern boom, while the other is the historic reaches of Old town Batavia – a remnant of Dutch colonialism that’s spiked with European-style clock towers. Markets erupt on virtually every corner too, busting with pungent durian fruits and stacks of magenta lychees, while there are looming mosque minarets and some of the country’s top museum exhibitions to boot. In short, Jakarta might just take it out of you, but it sure is worth the stop-off!