A good day-trip from Jakarata is Bogor, offering an oasis of green gardens and probably is the first city to head for when you're planning to see a bit more of the island. Bandung, with its architectural sites, is Java’s third biggest city and often the go-between between Jakarta and either the beach at Pangadaran or the city of Yogyakarta. However, it might be a good idea to check out the nearby waterfalls as well as the Tagnkuban Perahu with its craters, steamy pools and suffocating smell of sulphur.
Yogyakarta, on Central Java, is probably Java’s most famous and most visited city. Besides the fact that it is an enjoyable city, this is the best operation base for a visit to the Borobodur, an impressive and enormous Buddhist temple construction, and Prambanan Temple, the biggest Hindu temple complex that you’ll find on the island. Take a train from Yogya and within a hour, you’ll arrive at Solo that is a receptacle of dance, wayang and batik.
Don’t rush through the eastern part of Java because you want to get to the Bali beach as soon as possible. Besides the fact that East Java also has some good beaches, it is a pleasant area with temples, lakes, wildlife-reserves and volcanoes. Surabaya is located centrally when you want to visit Gunung Bromo, the active volcano caught in a sort of surrealistic sulpher-smelling landscape, or Madura, a charming island just off the coast where you can still imagine yourself Robinson Crusoe.
This is the beaten track in a nutshell, imagine what you’ll come across when you just jump on a train or bus and let Indonesia surprise you.
Jakarta
To most travelers, Jakarta as a starting or ending point of their trip. However, Jakarta is one of the most exciting night-life cities in the world.
Although Jakarta itself doesn't have many "sights" to offer, it is the lively commercial centre of Java.
In addition to several museums, the heart of the old Dutch town at 'Taman Fatahillah'. National Monument or known by locals at Monumen Nasional [Monas] and National Museum or Museum gajah nearby Merdeka Square.
Sunda Kelapa, is the old harbour from which merchantmen from all over the world come and go. Take a weekend charter to Anak Krakatoa, and compare it to Captain Cook's 1773 description. The night-time southern sky is not something you will soon forget.
Indonesia is a wonderful country with beautiful, friendly people. It is a wonderful mixture of beauty and chaos that you will either love, or hate. The rice paddies, volcanoes, small villages and ocean beaches are incomparable in this world.
Yogyakarta
Yogyakarta is commonly considered the modern cultural centre of Java. Although some may prefer Solo as a good runner up, Yogya remains the clear front runner for traditional dance, Wayang (traditional puppetry) and music.
The city currently hosts over thirty universities, including Indonesia’s first and perhaps most famous university, University Gadja Mada (UGM) along with the National Institute of the Arts (ISI) amongst others. This concentration of students and teachers provides a intellectual backdrop to a dynamic youth culture bursting with music, arts, cafes, warungs, lesehans (road side food stalls) and the odd nightclub.
Yogya was founded in 1755 and was the capital of the Mataram kings when the Dutch came along. The Dutch granted the kings the title of Sultan of the territory of Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta was also the scene of Indonesia's most successful rebellions against the Dutch - firstly with Prince Diponegoro who waged a holy war against colonial rule from 1825 to 1830, and also serving as the capital of the newly independent republic after World War II when the Dutch reoccupied Batavia (Jakarta).
Yogya has more than just culture though. It is a very lively city and a shopper's delight. The main road, Jalan Maliboro, is always crowded and famous for its night street food-culture and street vendors. Many tourist shops and cheap hotels are concentrated along this street or in the adjoining tourist area of Jalan Sosrowijayan.
The key attraction of Yogyakarta is the Kraton (the Sultan's Palace). This vast complex of decaying buildings was built in the 18th century, and is actually a walled city within the city with luxurious pavilions and in which the current Sultan still resides. Yogya is also the only major city which still has traditional becak (rickshaw-style) transport.
Yogyakarta is an excellent starting place for many day trips including to the famous temples of Borobudur, and Prambanam as well as the Dieng Plateau and Solo.
Surabaya
Most people go to Surabaya to take the boat to Bali or Sulawesi but there is a lot more to do and see than just the harbor, the docks and the piers. Surabaya has an interesting old city, great shopping in the modern center and the bustling kind of city life you can find only in Asian megacities.
Jembatan Merah is the place to start exploring the city. Around it you find many old houses built by the Dutch. Chinatown is just around the corner, with famous boulevard named Jalan Kembang Jepun.
The Pasar Pabean is a big market that is worth a visit. In the heart of the Arab quarter you find the Masjid Ampel Mosque. You can reach the mosque through the covered bazaar in Jalan Ampel Suci.
Surabaya has good nightlife. Tunjungan Plaza is the place to head for, there are a few disco's around. There are many restaurants are nearby as well, with newly added pedestrian food stalls within a complex named Kya Kya.
A booming city of over 3 million, Surabaya offers many good hotels, shopping centers and entertainment. Its well stocked zoological garden includes several species of Indonesian animals like "orang utan", Komodo dragon and a collection of nocturnal animals.
Kalimas is an old traditional harbor for the world famous Bugis schooner "phinisi" which sailed the Indonesian seas for hundreds of years. At present these ships can still be seen in their former glory with big colorful sails.
Bandung
Bandung is Indonesia's third city and capital of West Java. This region is inhabited by the Sunda people. Bandung is a bustling city and a high tech centre.
Bandung was a popular place to go in summer for the Dutch, since the climate is a lot better than in Jakarta. The city is located at an elevation of 750 meter. The Dutch left their traces and Bandung is one of the best places to find Dutch colonial architecture.
Bandung is an ideal starting place for exploring the volcanoes of Tangkuban praho.
Sumatra
Sumatra, the westernmost of the main islands of Indonesia, is 1,800 km long and 400 km wide and has an extraordinary wealth of natural resources. 196 mammal, 194 reptile, 62 amphibian, 272 fish and 456 bird species live on the island. Of these animals 9 mammal species, 30 fish species and 19 bird species are endemic. Major destinations are Medan, Bukit Lawang, Lake Toba, Bukittinggi and the steamy coastal city of Padang.
Most people do not travel to Aceh, the northern tip of the island. It's capital Banda islands is a rather interesting town, but make sure that the situation allows safe travelling. Aceh is one of the provinces fighting for independence. Other interesting spots are the islands Pulau Samosir and Pulau Nias, 125 km west off Sumatra. Nias is no longer off the beaten track as the surfers have learnt about the beautiful beaches and good surfing possibilities.
However, Sumatra is still an island full of natural beauty. Until the end of the 19th century the only thing you could find on the island was forest. Nowadays only 30% of Sumatra's former jungle remains. This doesn't mean that Sumatra has changed into a deforested island. There are vast areas of untouched lowland rainforest and sub-mountainous and mountain forests. Alpine vegetation occurs at the higher altitudes.
Kuta
This former Hippies' Paradise is still paradise for those who love sea, sun and sand. Besides the possibility of doing all sorts of sports such as diving, golfing, surfing and bungee-jumping, you can surely spend your money on shopping. Along the sea-side, you'll find plenty of shops and stalls. Life does not stop when the sun sets on Kuta. There are plenty of restaurants and bars where you can dance and drink the night away.
Kuta can be roughly divided into four areas: Seminyak, Kuta, Legian and Tuban. Kuta is the main centre of all the ongoing activities. Although the three other areas are becoming increasingly popular, these are still the places to head off for when all hotels and restaurants are packed in Kuta or when you simply want to have a change of 'scenery'.
Ubud
Nicely located in the hills, Ubud is becoming increasingly popular with tourists. It's a good alternative for anyone who wants to leave the beach for what it is and look for some culture. Ubud is also known as the cultural centre of Bali. It is famous not only for its local artist but also for the foreign artists who have deceided to reside and let themselves be even more inspired by the pleasant atmosphere in the town and the great views in the surroundings. If you want to see traditional Balinese arts, then you’ve hit the right spot.
Denpasar
Denpasar is the capital of Bali. Although it shows its face in being a city (pollution, traffic jams and streets packed with shops) and does not have the rural charm of the smaller towns and their rice-paddies, it doesn’t have to be avoided. Especially when you’re into the regular dance performances, you should visit the Balinese Art festival in June-July. Besides that, this is the place where you’ll find the island’s best museum and where you can do a lot of air-conditioned shopping.
Batam
If you just want to get away from it all for a holiday in the lush warmth of a very cheap, easily accessible tropical island then it’s all here with beautiful waterfront, marina and golf course resorts waiting to cater to your every whim with grace and style.
Or there’s the Batam entertainment scene… a full-blown, low-cost playground on the front doorstep of Singapore with a burgeoning nightlife like the Thailand or Macau of yesteryear. It’s still a new, fresh, –raw and vibrant, frontier yet at the same time is captivatingly laid back, and welcoming. And the beautiful, smiling, welcoming Indonesian girls are judged by many of the Westerners who have visited, settled and often married here to be among the most gracious, charming and generous in the world.
If business and investment are your prime interests then you have found one of the fastest growing and most dynamic economic zones of South Asia – one where you will get the Red Carpet treatment from local authorities who understand your needs and concerns and want you here.
Should you simply want to set up a home here property is cheap, living costs are low and most of the services you need for a quality lifestyle are readily available. If you need more then Singapore is just an hour away across the Strait.
Bali
Although it is relatively small compared to the other two favorite Indonesian holiday destinations Sumatra and Java, Bali most certainly did not escape the Indonesian lover’s attention. Whereas one can find great extended areas of dense forests on Sumatra and Buddhist centers (such as the one at Borobodur) and volcanoes on Java, Bali has a lot of the same kind - and maybe even of a prettier kind. However, everything is on a smaller scale, because Bali is not only small in size but also has a high density of population.
Mount Bromo on Java has found a serious competitor in the 3142 meter high Gunung Anang. On the side of this volcano, you can find one of the most important temple complexes on Bali, the Pura Besakih. Climbing the volcano offers a good day-trip and lends you the opportunity to get a lot closer to the smoldering beating heart of this volcano than you’d probably ever dreamt of. When the smell of sulphur makes you gasp for breath and you want to catch some fresh air, take a few days’ hike in the forest or check out the volcanic lakes, such as Lake Bratan and Bratur, and their surrounding sawahs.
You can still see true Balinese culture in one of the remoter villages that stretch out into the inland. However, it is the international travel culture that rules and prevails in and around Kuta. This city (and it surroundings) is well-known for its beaches. The place is swarmed with hotels, restaurants, shops and clubs and you can participate in anything, ranging from diving and surfing lessons to bungee-jumping or just lying in the sun. Everything relating to sun, sea and sand, you’ll come across in this former hippies’ paradise. When you've had enough of it, you can always head for the capital Denpasar, Ubud or one of the other lesser explored areas.
No visit to Bali can be complete without visiting magnificent Jimbaran Bay. The Bay is just outside Denpasar and is a long, beautiful sandy beach with the old fishing village of Jimbaran at one end. The beach is lined with small, family type restaurants offering fresh sea food with the main attraction being that you can choose your sea food, choose the cooking method and enjoy it overlooking the beach and the spectacular sunsets. At the other end of the tourist experience, Jimbaran is also the location of resorts such as the Four Seasons and the Ritz-Carlton, with the Bali locations typically being rated as some of the finest (and most expensive) in the world.
Palembang
Palembang is located in the south of Sumatra. The city is set on the banks of the Musi river, the longest river in South Sumatra.
Palembang has two museums. On the banks of Musi river there is a Municipal museum - Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II museum, administered by the Municipality of Palembang. The Balaputradewa museum, is located at km 5.5 Jalan Jenderal Sudirman.
Nusa Dua
Nusa Dua is a planned resort area located on the southeastern end of Bali.
In the early 1980s the Suharto government and its friends in the Indonesian military saw that it would be beneficial to acquire a slice of the rapidly developing tourist industry in Bali. There was also a need, for reasons of national prestige, to have a facility able to host international events at the highest level -- Jakarta, the capital city in Java, was considered too unsightly and also too chaotic to be able to provide adequate security for visiting foreign dignitaries.
The solution was to section off the relatively undeveloped peninsula at the south of Bali and provide it with infrastructure suitable for first-world visitors -- for example, unlike some other parts of Bali, water in Nusa Dua can safely be drunk straight from the tap and electricity supply is constant.
The narrow strip leading to Nusa Dua makes it easy to control access to the development area, where numerous large American-style hotel complexes have been constructed.
The development scheme opened for business in late April 1986 with the arrival of President Ronald Reagan for a regional economic conference.
President Reagan stayed at the first of the hotels to be constructed in the Nusa Dua enclave, the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel -- architecturally one of the most spectacularly beautiful hotels in the region. The adjacent convention center is a reminder of the original purpose of the Nusa Dua development.
Hotels are generally large, high class and have rates that reflect their status.
Sulawesi
Sulawesi has the strangest shape of all Indonesian islands. It consists of four peninsulas. The most visited peninsula is the south western. The funeral festivals of Tana Toraja draw big crowds.
Ujung Padang (not to be confused with Padang in Sumatera), also known as Makassar, is on the South West tip of the island is the main transport hub with flights and ferries leaving to other islands. Ujung Padang has an old Dutch fort and beautiful schooners in the harbor. The town is especially famous for its seafood.
Rantepao is the best place to explore the Tana Toraja. The town itself is not special but treks in the area can be arranged here.
Lore Lindu National Park boasts excellent jungle trekking, as well as thousand-year-old megaliths hidden in the many valleys of central Sulawesi. The origin of these large stone statues is still unknown.
The Togian Islands are the ultimate getaway with spectacular diving and snorkling.
Manado is the capital of North Sulawesi. The town is clean but not spectacular, but has some of the friendliest people in all South East Asia. Some of the best wall diving in the world, on the coral reefs of Pulau Bunaken, are nearby, as are the Lembeh Straits, which has some great muck diving.
