7 Best Places to Visit in Indonesia
Indonesia is one beautiful, diverse country spread across more than 17,000 islands, with so many opportunities and things to see and experience. From green, lush nature, gorgeous beaches, to unique temples and busy cities – it has it all. In this blog post, we’re about to show you 7 best places to visit in Indonesia, but we assure you that there is so much more.
Before we start, be sure to check out our Cultural Places Platform and discover the amazing tours that will help you explore your destinations at your own pace.
Let’s start exploring amazing Indonesia.
Borobudur Temple
Borobudur the world’s biggest Buddhist sanctuary built it around 800 A.D. by Śailendra Dynasty. This extraordinary temple is not only famous because of its religious significance, but also because of its beauty and charm. In Borobudur temple, you’ll find 504 statues of the Buddha, alongside 1460 stone reliefs on the walls and opposite balustrades decorate the first four galleries, with an additional 1212 decorative reliefs augmenting the path. But maybe the most interesting part of the temple are relief sculptures of Buddha’s teachings and various events related to his past lives.
This temple is only an hour away from Yogyakarta, so if you’re visiting there, you have to visit Borobudur as well. On our Cultural Places platform, you’ll find a virtual guide through this amazing religious complex, that will definitely help you get around and learn a little bit more about the sights you see.
Photo by Dušan Sančanin
Jakarta
Believe it or not, Jakarta is one of the world’s greatest megalopolises. The moment you get there you might feel a bit overwhelmed with how dynamic it is, but it’s an extraordinary and unique city that is definitely worth visiting. If you’re into good nightlife don’t look any further – this is one of the best destinations in the world. If you don’t agree with this, you’ll have to admit that it’s at least the best party destination in Asia.
Also, Jakarta is a real shopping mecca – it offers the best shopping options in South East Asia, and you can’t say you’ve been here without having visited at least one of the city’s many malls. You’ll also love the food here, it’s so diverse, you’ll have trouble finding your favorite dish, but some of the most popular ones are satay, soto, even the prized nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice).
Bandung
Bandung, or how it’s often called “the Paris of Java” is one of the best places to go if you are looking for a side trip near Jakarta. Today the third-largest city in Indonesia went through real cultural and urban growth during the latter part of the Dutch colonial era. This is when many restaurants, cafés, luxurious hotels, and European boutiques were opened. European-inspired architecture is only one of many good reasons to visit Bandung. Nature is stunning too. The city is nestled between three mountains and has a cooler climate than other Indonesian cities which makes it a great destination for travelers and hitchhikers who are looking for body renewal and peace of mind.
Lake Toba
One of Indonesia’s natural wonders, Lake Toba will captivate you with its amazing sceneries. It is the biggest lake in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, and the world’s largest crater lake. The lake which is 450 meters deep, sits on a crater formed between 69,000 and 77,000 years ago, as the result of a catastrophic eruption! Volcanic activity is still regularly recorded here and has pushed some islands above the water’s surface.
The water is perfect, dark marine blue and the surroundings are super-green and quiet – the perfect place for relaxation. Here, you can go swimming, water skiing, canoeing, and fishing. If you come with your family, there are plenty of places where you can walk enjoying one of the best natural sights in the entire country.
Raja Ampat Islands
Raja Ampat is an archipelago of nearly 1.500 islands gorgeous small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding its four main islands. It’s a real tropical paradise, with one of the liveliest underwater scenes on the planet – there are over 530 species of coral, 700 species of mollusk, and 1,300 types of fish. So, if you’re into diving, we don’t think it can get better than this. These islands are covered with jungles, lined with fine white-sand beaches and hidden lagoons, and surrounded with green-turquoise water.
Besides this gorgeous scenery, be sure to explore the amazing cities on these islands. One of those is Aborek, on the Waigeo island. Once you get there, you’ll receive a warm welcome from local people, involving dancing, singing, and feasting on traditional food. It’s an experience you’ll never forget.
Prambanan Temple
So, here’s another great temple on our list – Prambanan, the ancient 10th-century Hindu temple located about an hour away from Yogyakarta. Similar to Borobudur, Prambanan is a huge complex and it originally contains 240 individual stone temples, but many of them have been scattered in ruins. The whole complex is set in the lush green surroundings that make it look exceptionally epic and picturesque. The best spot in this complex is the temple of Shiva, which is the grandest and most ornate of them all, has stone carvings of the Ramayana epic throughout its inner walls. This is the largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, and even if you think that it is similar to Borobudur, believe us, they’re totally different and both are soooo worth exploring.
Photo by Dušan Sančanin
Beaches of Bali
Bali is the perfect destination if you are a passionate beachgoer. We recommend visiting the village of Kuta – it’s the oldest beach resort in Bali. There are many beaches around Kuta, some are perfect for sunbathing while others are more for diving or surfing – you’ll find the perfect one for yourself for sure. No matter where you spend your time, you’ll have a great time to relax, enjoy the sun and the perfect sea.
One of the best things that we visited in Kuta is the Bali Sea Turtle Society. They protect the eggs of these wonderful creatures and when they hatch, they are being returned to the sea. If you donate some money, you can help them get into their natural surroundings – it’s a unique experience.
We hope that you got the idea of how amazing Indonesia is and how many different things it has to offer. Keep reading our blog – we’re going to write more about amazing places in Indonesia for sure.
