Makassar
Spread across two buildings inside Fort Rotterdam, Museum Negeri La Galigo has an assortment of exhibits, including palaeolithic artefacts, rice bowls…
Makassar
Spread across two buildings inside Fort Rotterdam, Museum Negeri La Galigo has an assortment of exhibits, including palaeolithic artefacts, rice bowls…
Banda Islands
This grand, atmospheric yet empty 1820s mansion gives a sense of the scale of the Dutch enterprise in the Banda Islands. Once the residence of the…
Central Sulawesi
The 42-sq-km Tanjung Api (Fire Cape) is home to anoa (pygmy buffalo), babi rusa (wild deer-like pigs), crocodiles, snakes and maleo birds, but most people…
Central Java
South of the geothermal station, the paved road leads to Sembungan, which, at 2300m, is said to be the highest village in Java. Potato farming has made…
Jakarta
Set in the centre of a fountain on one of central Jakarta's most prominent alun-aluns (public squares) is the Salamat Datang, or Welcome Monument. Built…
Makassar
Once the most formidable fortress in the archipelago, Somba Opu was decimated by the Dutch in 1669, then consumed by the Jeneberang River delta. One…
Ubud Region
A carved stone head inside this temple compound is believed to be a portrait of Kebo Iwa, the legendary strongman and minister to the last king of the…
Singaraja
Museum Buleleng recalls the life of the last radja (rajah; prince) of Buleleng, Pandji Tisna, who is credited with developing tourism in Lovina to the…
Nusa Lembongan
The long, straight beach is usually lapped by small waves at this remote-feeling spot where, unfortunately, some guesthouses have built seawalls below the…
Kalimantan
An above-average museum of local arts and history, with approximate English translations providing nuggets of information about pivotal events – such as…
Jakarta
Dating from 1695, this is the oldest remaining church in Jakarta. Also known as Gereja Portugis (Portuguese Church), it was built just outside the old…
Banda Islands
This massive columned house, owned by the daughter of the last Banda king, has a leafy courtyard, high ceilings and, in the the master bathroom, a stone…
East Java
The tombs of the royal family are at the Asta Tinggi Cemetery, which looks out over the town from a peaceful hilltop 3km northwest of the centre. The main…
Sumatra
The Krakatau monument is a lasting memorial to the force of the 1883 eruption and resulting tidal wave. Almost half of the 36,000 victims died in the 40m…
Borobudur
This museum, dedicated to the importance of the ocean and sea trade in Indonesia, houses an 18m wooden outrigger, a replica of a boat depicted on a stone…
Ubud Region
The great Majapahit priest Nirartha once lived here, and Pura Taman Pule is said to be built on the site of his home. During the three-day Kuningan…
Sulawesi
An impressive 25m-long tongkonan building known locally as a Banua Layuk (high house) is a historic chief’s place with colourful motifs. This is one of…
Makassar
Pantai Losari is a kilometre-long beachless promenade that stretches south to Masjid Amirul Mukminin, the 'floating mosque'. It's a good place to catch…
Balikpapan
Standing 30m up on the canopy bridge among old-growth dipterocarp trees offers an impressive view and an adrenaline shot, but it's hard not to feel sad…
Bandung
The Museum Konperensi inside the Gedung Merdeka (Freedom Building) is dedicated to the Asia-Africa conference of 1955, which Bandung hosted and the echoes…
Kalimantan
This rough wood-and-rattan Benauq Dayak longhouse is sparsely occupied during the day, but welcomes visitors – especially those interested in purchasing…
Pulau Bintan
Dragons adorn the beautifully painted upturned eaves on the roof of this Chinese temple. A statue of Kuan Yin (Guanyin), the goddess of mercy, stands at…
Papua
At Ibdi, 12km east of Kota Biak on the Bosnik road, the Bird & Orchid Garden contains a sizeable collection of (caged) Papuan birds, including strikingly…
Mataram
Built in 1744, this palace includes the former king’s family temple, which is a pilgrimage site for Lombok’s Hindus on 24 December. In 1894 it was the…
Nusa Tenggara
The fishing village of Alor Besar is where you'll find Al Quaran Tua, a 12th-century Quran made from bark and integral to the seeding of Islam in the Alor…
Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation
Kalimantan
The centre is typically closed to visitors to increase the rehabilitation success of its 600-or-so orang-utans. The tiny visitor centre opens on the…
Gili Trawangan
The largest of the three mosques on Gili T had some lavish details that showed the wealth that tourism had brought to the island before it was badly…
Flores
Wedged into the misty peaks above an emerald valley blanketed with rice fields is the friendly village of Detusoko. Located halfway between Ende and Moni,…
South Sulawesi
Pantai Panrang Luhu is a coconut-fringed affair north of the ferry pier in Bira village. Pinisi ship builders operate under the cliffs on the north end,…
Central Java
Over the last 50 years, the stonework of this once-substantial fort has been pillaged, but the site has good views across town to the Java Sea. The small…
Sumatra
Bengkulu’s main beach, Pantai Panjang, is 7km of clean white sand. Strong surf and currents make it unsafe for swimming, but there are decent surf breaks…
Sanur
The pillar, down a narrow lane to the left as you face Pura Belangjong, is Bali's oldest dated artefact and has ancient inscriptions recounting military…
Sulawesi
This friendly Bajau village can occupy an hour or so of wandering between the houses on stilts, though the boardwalks are rapidly being replaced with back…
Surabaya
A holdover from the early 20th century, the former governor's residence, with its front porch colonnade and touches of gold paint, fronts an expanse of…
East Java
Visits to this coffee plantation include a wander through coffee groves and an informal tour of the plantation’s factory. It also has thermal pools and a…
Balikpapan
In the mid-'90s, 82 orang-utans were released in this protected primary lowland forest, but fires and illegal logging have taken their toll. Get a 6am…
West Java
Pantai Karang Hawu, 4km west of Cimaja, is a towering cliff with caves, rocks and pools created by a large lava flow. According to legend, it was here…
East Java
The small village of Sumber Brantas, far above Selekta resort, and in a gorgeous misty mountain setting, is at the source of the Sungai Brantas (Brantas…
Conservatorium of Traditional Music
West Sumatra
Ethno-musicologists make the pilgrimage to the town of Padangpanjang, 19km south of Bukittinggi, to this university where Minangkabau dance and music are…
Yogyakarta
In the northwest of the city, this museum honours the Indonesian hero, Prince Pangeran Diponegoro, who was leader of the bloody but futile rebellion of…