Bali, the island everyone starts with
Bali is the easiest introduction to Indonesia: a Hindu island of temples, offerings and daily ceremonies, with Ubud's rice terraces and craft villages in the hills and surf beaches, cliff temples and sunset bars along the south. Most visitors fly into Denpasar and spend a week or more here, splitting time between Ubud and the coast.
Java's culture and the capital
On Java, Yogyakarta is the cultural heart of the country, a royal city of batik, gamelan and street food within reach of Borobudur and Prambanan, two of the great monuments of Asia. Jakarta is the vast, busy capital: the main international gateway, the old Dutch quarter of Kota Tua, the National Monument and some of the best eating in the country. Many diaspora visitors start here with family.
Dragons and islands in the east
Labuan Bajo and Komodo sit on the western tip of Flores. From the harbour, boats head into Komodo National Park to see the dragons on Komodo and Rinca, climb Padar Island for the famous viewpoint, swim off Pink Beach and dive with manta rays. Two to four days here is the highlight of many trips.
Lombok and the Gili Islands
East of Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands feel slower and less built up. Lombok has Mount Rinjani, Sasak villages and the long bays around Kuta Mandalika, while the three tiny Gili Islands have no cars, white sand and turtles a short swim from shore.
Putting it together
A classic two to three week route starts in Yogyakarta, flies to Bali, crosses by fast boat to the Gilis and Lombok, then flies to Labuan Bajo. Domestic flights are frequent and save long days on ferries. Our free trip planner can help you shape a route at a realistic pace, and our places to visit list has where to eat, see and stay in each base.