Indonesia

Where the Past Meets Present

Indonesia offers up a rich cultural past and a languid pace of life for all those who seek to get away from the bustle of city life. This archipelago has beautiful landscapes and it is easy to leave the modern world far behind when in the charming countryside. From active volcanoes, secluded beaches and tranquil lakes, to vibrant cities, ancient monuments and fascinating culture, Indonesia has it all. It is up to you, the discerning traveller, to decide where your heart will take you.

Highlights of Indonesia:

Beaches in Indonesia

For an archipelago, you would expect Indonesia to spoil you with its options of beaches. And it doesn’t disappoint. Its white, sandy beaches and turquoise blue waters spread across 80,000 kilometres of coastline are mesmerising and you wouldn’t know where to begin. If you seek thrills and adventure, nearly every beach offers you numerous opportunities for water sports. If you would rather sunbathe, then again every beach presents you with excellent spots to just lie back and lose yourself in the gentle murmur of the distant waves. There are cafes, restaurants, massage parlours and spas where you can turn the holiday into a blissful vacation.

In Bali, we recommend Nusa Dua beach and Kuta beach. This is where you can take the perfect Indonesian holiday picture with the blue waters in the background. For those of you who like snorkelling and scuba diving, Senggigi beach in Lombok is just perfect. Its clear waters, year-round perfect weather and breath-taking beauty make it the ideal destination for your vacation. Surfing, sunbathing and marine life watching is best enjoyed at Indonesia’s best-kept secret, Pangandaran beach in Java. Sanur beach in Bali allows you to explore a more leisurely side to your personality. Hire a bicycle and slowly ride along the cycling path. You can stop at the many art shops that dot the water front or offer your prayers at the nearby Pura Blanjong temple.

Wildlife in Indonesia

When you have 17000 plus islands to call your own, the country has to be packing a serious amount of wildlife. And Indonesia is no different. Home to rare animals and some not so rare, if you are a wildlife enthusiast, then your vacation in Indonesia is bound to leave you thrilled. Perhaps the biggest contributor to this explosion of very specific animals is that Indonesia is vast and so many of its islands are as yet untouched by humans, giving nature the opportunity to flourish unhindered. Moreover, its tropical climate has been instrumental in supporting this biodiversity. Head over to any of the 52 national parks and if you are lucky, you will get to feast your eyes on magnificent creatures like the Komodo dragon, anoa – the midget buffalo, the Sumateran tiger, the orang-utan, and barking deer. Closer to the ocean, you can spot sea turtles and if you head deeper out, you might spot a blue whale as it quietly swims below your vessel.

Indonesia was once connected to mainland Asia and it shows in some of the species that inhabit the islands. Additionally, Papua was once part of the Australian landmass and many of the plant and bird species found here are similar to the ones in Australia.

Cuisines of Indonesia

With so many islands and more than 300 ethnic groups, it is difficult to nail down Indonesian cuisine in one slot and many regional cuisines exist. Having said that, Indonesian cuisine packs a punch and once you taste this food, you will never forget the heady aroma and the zing of the spices. The food relies on its traditional flavours and also borrows heavily from Middle Eastern, Indian and Chinese cuisines, but the most indigenous food in all of Indonesia is Javanese. When you taste Indonesian food, you will get an explosion of rich flavours in your mouth – savoury, hot and spicy. Some foods are also sweet and salty, but consider yourself forewarned – most Indonesian food is hot and spicy. Rice, noodles, soups and spring rolls are part of most Indonesian meals and there is plenty of sambal – hot and spicy chilli sauce with shrimp paste. When in Indonesia you must taste the sate ayam/ kambing (chicken/ goat satay), ayam bakir taliwang (grilled chicken), ikan bakar (grilled fish) and gado-gado (vegetable and rice salad). Wind up the meal with gudeg (stewed jackfruit), considered to be the national sweet dish of Yogyakarta.

Tourist Spots in Indonesia

While you are busy satiating your taste buds, do not miss out on visiting the iconic tourist spots of Indonesia. Temples, remote villages, active volcanoes and the bustling streets of modern day Indonesia – take your pick and try to get as much as you can in your Indonesia holiday itinerary. Borobudur is one of the most famous and culturally important landmarks of Indonesia. This ancient Buddhist temple is a UNESCO world heritage site and possibly one of the biggest draws for tourists.  Pura Tanah Lot and Tana Toraja are equally fascinating destinations in Indonesia. The country sits atop the ring of fire and some of the world’s most active volcanoes are here. Mount Bromo is one such volcano that you must visit.

Interesting Facts about Indonesia

• Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world with 17,000 islands.
• New Guinea, Borneo and Sumatra are counted among the top ten largest Islands in the world.
• Mount Tambora, which erupted in 1815, has been the world’s most powerful volcanic eruption till date. It led to a massive change in global climate, reducing global average temperature by 3° C and causing snow and frost as far as western Europe and eastern North America, leading the year 1816 to be called the ‘year without summer’.
• Indonesia is the only country in the world to house dragons, the Komodo dragon. The Komodo Island has a kind of a lizard that can grow up to 3 meters long.
• There are roughly 300 ethnic groups in Indonesia and between all of them they speak over 583 languages and their various dialects.
• Indonesia is a vast nation and the country has three time zones.
• Much of Indonesia is yet to be fully explored or mapped.

Location of Indonesia: An incredible adventure

Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago and it sits in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It stretches to over 5000 kilometres, east to west, and 1760 kilometres north to south, making it geographically quite a massive country to visit. It is not entirely water-locked and the country shares its borders with Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. On the waterfront, Indonesia occupies the same waters as Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines and Australia. Besides the main island of Indonesia, the other islands include Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Celebes and Moluccas. Of the 17,500 islands, out of which 16056 have been registered with the UN and more than 6000 remain uninhabited.

Best time to visit Indonesia

Indonesia is an archipelago with half the islands above the equator and half below. This gives the country a typical tropical climate. There are mainly two seasons – the wet and the dry, but often it is difficult to tell which is which. The best time to plan your holiday to Indonesia is from mid-June to mid-September, and again in December during Christmas and New Year if you like to party like they do. Book your tickets in advance to get better deals and to not be disappointed.So choose the best time to visit Indonesia wishly

How to get to Indonesia: Inside Out

There are no direct flights from India to Indonesia, and all journeys to Bali have a stopover in Kuala Lumpur. The cheapest flights are from Chennai and Cochin. However, if you book well in advance, you can get great deal from other major airports in India too.

Alternatively, you can also book multiple flights to further reduce costs. But do check the stopover time as you wouldn’t want to spend more time in transit than at your actual holiday.

You can also check out more ways on How to Reach Indonesia

History of  Indonesia

Life began in Indonesia somewhere around 1.5-2 million years ago. Archaeological excavations have brought forth signs of this land being inhabited by what is known as the ‘Java Man’. From 7th-13th century CE, the land had heavy Hindu and Buddhist influences, which can be seen till today. Slowly Islamic culture and religion took over, and today the country is predominantly Islamic.

What helped Indonesia was its strategic sea-lane position that fostered international trade. Unfortunately, it also brought with it the Portuguese and the Dutch, looking for valuable spices and to colonise the land. The World War ended the monopoly and the Japanese liberated Indonesia from colonization, making it an independent country in 1949. Progress has been slow due to several factors, but the country’s rich history and natural landscape attracts tourists and that helps boost its economic growth.

If you are interested in visiting Indonesia, then do check out our carefully curated Indonesian travel packages and pick the one that suits you the most.

There are also amazing Indonesia Tour Packages to choose from,here at Thomas Cook