Find places in Indonesia

Must-Haves

• Pura Luhur Uluwatu (Uluwatu)
  A cliff top temple above the Indian Ocean with the Kecak fire dance at sunset.
• Tirta Empul (Tampaksiring)
  A holy spring temple where Balinese bathe in carved purification pools.
• Tanah Lot (Tabanan)
  A sea temple on a rock that glows at sunset as the tide comes in.
• Pura Besakih (Karangasem)
  The mother temple of Bali, terraced up the slopes of Mount Agung.

Off the Beaten Path

• Tirta Gangga (Karangasem)
  A royal water garden of pools, fountains and stepping stones in the east.

Must-Haves

• Tegallalang Rice Terraces (Tegallalang, Ubud)
  Steep green terraces just north of Ubud, best early before the crowds.

Off the Beaten Path

• Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (Tabanan)
  Sweeping UNESCO listed terraces in the cool hills, far quieter than Tegallalang.
• Amed Coast (Karangasem)
  Quiet black sand fishing villages with easy snorkelling straight off the beach.

Fun for Everyone

• Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary (Ubud)
  Temples in a jungle ravine shared with hundreds of cheeky macaques.
• Campuhan Ridge Walk (Ubud)
  An easy grassy ridge path between two river valleys, lovely at sunrise.

Must-Haves

• Mount Batur Sunrise Trek (Kintamani)
  A pre dawn climb to watch the sun rise over a volcanic caldera and lake.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Warung Babi Guling Ibu Oka (Ubud)
  The Ubud institution for babi guling, Bali's spit roast suckling pig.
• Warung Nasi Ayam Kedewatan Ibu Mangku (Kedewatan, Ubud)
  A long running warung serving spicy Balinese chicken rice to locals.

Fun for Everyone

• Naughty Nuri's Warung (Ubud)
  A lively spot famous for sticky pork ribs and strong martinis.

Fun for Everyone

• Seniman Coffee Studio (Ubud)
  A coffee lab roasting Indonesian beans with quirky handmade furniture.

Great for Date Night

• Single Fin (Uluwatu)
  A cliff top bar above the surf break with sunset views and Sunday parties.
• La Brisa (Canggu)
  A beach bar built from old fishing boats, glowing with lanterns at sunset.

Fun for Everyone

• Potato Head Beach Club (Seminyak)
  A design led beach club with an infinity pool facing the sunset.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Ubud Art Market (Ubud)
  Stalls of sarongs, baskets and carvings opposite the royal palace.
• Pasar Badung (Denpasar)
  Bali's biggest traditional market, full of flowers, spices and offerings.

Must-Haves

• Nyepi and the Ogoh Ogoh Parade (Island wide)
  Giant demon effigies parade the night before Bali's day of silence.

Fun for Everyone

• Ubud Writers and Readers Festival (Ubud)
  Southeast Asia's best known literary festival, held each October.

Must-Haves

• Sanur Beach (Sanur)
  A calm reef protected beach with a seafront path, ideal for families.

Must-Haves

• Kota Tua (West Jakarta)
  The old Dutch Batavia quarter around Fatahillah Square and its museums.
• Monas National Monument (Gambir)
  The flame topped obelisk in Merdeka Square with views across the city.
• Istiqlal Mosque (Central Jakarta)
  One of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia, open to respectful visitors.
• Jakarta Cathedral (Central Jakarta)
  A neo Gothic cathedral facing Istiqlal across the street.
• National Museum of Indonesia (Merdeka Square)
  Statues, ceramics and treasures from across the archipelago.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Petak Sembilan Street Food (Glodok)
  Chinatown lanes of noodles, dumplings, herbal drinks and snacks.
• Jalan Sabang (Menteng)
  A late night street of satay, fried rice and soto stalls.
• Bakmi GM (Central Jakarta)
  A beloved Jakarta chain for chicken noodles and fried wontons since the 1950s.

Fun for Everyone

• Café Batavia (Kota Tua)
  A grand colonial dining room overlooking Fatahillah Square.

Great for Date Night

• Plataran Menteng (Menteng)
  Indonesian classics served in an elegant restored colonial villa.

Must-Haves

• Tanamera Coffee (Thamrin)
  A Jakarta roaster championing single origin Indonesian beans.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kopi Es Tak Kie (Glodok)
  A tiny old coffee house serving iced coffee in Chinatown for generations.

Great for Date Night

• SKYE (Thamrin)
  A rooftop bar and restaurant with sweeping views over the city lights.

Fun for Everyone

• Blok M Little Tokyo (Blok M)
  Lanes of small bars and izakaya near the Blok M MRT station.

Must-Haves

• Grand Indonesia (Thamrin)
  A huge mall linked to the Bundaran HI area and the MRT.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Pasar Baru (Sawah Besar)
  A historic market street for textiles, shoes and Indian food.

Fun for Everyone

• Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (East Jakarta)
  A park of traditional houses from every province, fun with children.

Off the Beaten Path

• Thousand Islands (Kepulauan Seribu)
  Small islands a boat ride north with snorkelling and simple resorts.

Fun for Everyone

• Ancol Dreamland (North Jakarta)
  A seaside leisure area with a theme park, aquarium and beach promenade.

Fun for Everyone

• Jakarta Fair (Kemayoran)
  The city's big annual fair around its June anniversary, with music and food.

Must-Haves

• Borobudur Temple (Magelang)
  The world's largest Buddhist monument, carved with thousands of relief panels.
• Prambanan Temple (Sleman)
  Soaring ninth century Hindu towers dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma.
• Kraton Yogyakarta (Kraton)
  The sultan's palace, with gamelan and dance performances in the mornings.
• Taman Sari Water Castle (Kraton)
  The sultan's old pleasure garden with bathing pools and underground passages.

Great for Date Night

• Ramayana Ballet Prambanan (Prambanan)
  An open air dance drama with the lit temples as its backdrop.

Off the Beaten Path

• Jomblang Cave (Gunungkidul)
  A vertical cave where a beam of light falls onto an underground forest.
• Parangtritis Beach (Bantul)
  A wild black sand beach and dunes steeped in Javanese legend.

Fun for Everyone

• Punthuk Setumbu (Magelang)
  A hill where you can watch sunrise mist roll around Borobudur.

Fun for Everyone

• Merapi Lava Tour (Kaliurang)
  Jeep rides around the slopes of Mount Merapi and villages hit in 2010.

Must-Haves

• Malioboro Street (Malioboro)
  The city's busy shopping street of batik, snacks and street music.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Beringharjo Market (Malioboro)
  A historic market for batik, spices, herbs and jamu drinks.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gudeg Yu Djum (Wijilan)
  A famous name for gudeg, the city's sweet young jackfruit stew.
• Angkringan Kopi Joss Lik Man (Tugu)
  Night stalls near the station serving coffee with a lump of hot charcoal.
• Sate Klatak Pak Pong (Imogiri)
  Goat satay grilled on bicycle spokes, a Jogja speciality.

Great for Date Night

• Abhayagiri Restaurant (Sumberwatu)
  Indonesian dining on a hillside with views across to Prambanan and Merapi.

Fun for Everyone

• House of Raminten (Kotabaru)
  A theatrical, eccentric Javanese restaurant full of incense and character.

Must-Haves

• Klinik Kopi (Kaliurang)
  A small coffee bar where the owner explains every Indonesian bean.

Fun for Everyone

• Alun Alun Kidul (Kraton)
  The south square where families ride lit pedal cars and try to walk between two banyans.

Fun for Everyone

• Sekaten (Alun Alun Utara)
  A traditional fair and gamelan ritual for the Prophet's birthday.

Off the Beaten Path

• Amanjiwo (Borobudur)
  A rotunda hotel facing Borobudur across the rice fields.

Must-Haves

• Komodo National Park (Komodo Islands)
  The UNESCO park where Komodo dragons roam golden islands.
• Padar Island (Komodo National Park)
  A steep sunrise climb to a view over three curved bays.
• Pink Beach (Komodo Island)
  Sand tinted by red coral fragments with snorkelling just offshore.
• Manta Point (Komodo National Park)
  A drift site where manta rays feed in the current.

Fun for Everyone

• Rinca Island (Komodo National Park)
  A ranger led walk among dragons, buffalo and macaques.

Off the Beaten Path

• Wae Rebo Village (Manggarai)
  A mountain village of cone shaped houses, reached on foot.
• Lingko Spider Web Rice Fields (Cancar, Ruteng)
  Rice fields divided like a spider web, seen from a hillside.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Kampung Ujung Night Market (Labuan Bajo waterfront)
  Choose fresh fish and squid to be grilled on the harbourfront.

Great for Date Night

• Paradise Bar (Labuan Bajo)
  A hilltop bar for sunset drinks and live music.

Must-Haves

• Komodo Liveaboard Pinisi Trip (Labuan Bajo harbour)
  Overnight on a wooden schooner to reach Padar at sunrise.

Must-Haves

• AYANA Komodo Waecicu Beach (Waecicu)
  A beach resort north of town with sunset views over the islands.

Must-Haves

• Gili Trawangan (Gili Islands)
  The liveliest Gili, with turtles, dive schools and sunset swings.
• Mount Rinjani (Rinjani National Park)
  A demanding volcano trek to a crater lake and summit views.

Great for Date Night

• Gili Meno (Gili Islands)
  The quietest Gili, loved by couples, with turtles off the east coast.

Fun for Everyone

• Gili Air (Gili Islands)
  A friendly island of cafés, yoga and easy snorkelling.

Off the Beaten Path

• Gili Meno Underwater Statues (Gili Meno)
  A ring of sculptures on the seabed, easy to snorkel.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Sade Village (Rembitan)
  A traditional Sasak village of thatched rice barns.

Off the Beaten Path

• Sukarara Weaving Village (Central Lombok)
  Women weave songket cloth on wooden looms.
• Taman Narmada (Narmada)
  A royal water garden built to mirror Mount Rinjani.
• Pura Batu Bolong (Senggigi)
  A Hindu temple on a rock arch facing Bali's Mount Agung.

Must-Haves

• Islamic Center Mosque (Mataram)
  Lombok's grand mosque with a tower you can climb.

Low Cost and Authentic

• Gili Trawangan Night Market (Gili Trawangan)
  Grilled seafood and local dishes by the harbour every evening.

Great for Date Night

• El Bazar (Kuta Mandalika)
  Mediterranean and Middle Eastern dishes in a busy Kuta favourite.

Fun for Everyone

• Sama Sama Reggae Bar (Gili Trawangan)
  Live reggae bands most nights on the main strip.

Great for Date Night

• Ombak Sunset (Gili Trawangan)
  Beach bean bags and swings facing the sunset over Bali.

Fun for Everyone

• Bau Nyale Festival (Kuta Mandalika)
  A February or March festival when villagers gather sea worms at dawn.