Recommended Places to Visit in Indonesia

I have personally visited all the places here, and my recommendations are purely based on what general travellers would like to see. 

While you may have heard of places like Papua Indonesia, Kalimantan Borneo, or even Sulawesi Island, other places have recently opened to full-scale tourism as the infrastructure has improved greatly over the years.  

Visitors are now heading here not only to see the Komodo Dragon but also to explore the beautiful island of Flores, which is still underdeveloped and is what most travellers want nowadays.

Flores in East Nusa Tenggara is undoubtedly one of Indonesia’s new destinations. Many travellers are talking about it because there is much to do here in a laid-back environment. 

I also wrote another article on how to get to Komodo Island, which included the information you need for flights.

There are three main beautiful paradise islands—Gili Trawangan, Gili Air, and Gili Meno—all of which are accessible only by boat. 

To get to one another island, boats shuttle you up and down for a small fee. Gili Trawangan is the largest of the three and has the most facilities, and most visitors tend to stay here.

If you want a quieter place, Gili Meno is the perfect choice. The Gili Islands offer backpacking hostels, lodges, medium-range accommodations, luxury hotels and resorts.

Read this article on what to do on Gili Trawangan Island.

I would easily brand Makassar as Indonesia’s hidden gem. It is rich in natural culture and also serves as a gateway to other must-visit places in Sulawesi. Locals are still fascinated by tourists and are ever-friendly when approached. 

For nature and eco-lovers, Bantimurung National Park is a great place to explore. It lies about 60 minutes out of the city, and you can spend half a day here trekking or just chilling out at the beautiful Bantimurung Waterfalls.

Culture and historical fans will find Fort Rotterdam an exciting place with a rich Dutch history dating back almost 400 years.

The most exciting part of visiting Makassar is sampling the famous local food, which is absolutely unique and different from the food of your usual Indonesian city.

The locals call this mountain Kawah Ijen, one of two places in the world where you can see the unique blue flame in one of the craters.

The trek up is not easy and you have to leave the foot at about 3.00 AM to get up there by 4.30 AM to see the blue flame.

This means you must depart from your hotel at around 12.00 midnight for that two-hour-plus 4×4 journey to the foot of the mountain before you trek up. 

Mount Ijen is also popular with birdwatchers, as 107 bird species can be found all over the mountain. I did try my luck but only saw about 10 species.

Rangers are required to bring you up the mountain at a cost. Usually, all of this is arranged when you make a booking through a tour company.

Apart from Mount Rinjani and the beautiful beaches of Lombok, a visit to the Sade Village in South Lombok will introduce you to the traditional culture of the Sasak people here. 

The village works like a cultural village where visitors are welcomed by a traditional Sasak musical followed by a couple of traditional Sasak dances, which are great photo opportunities.

The best way to learn more about this ethnic group is to hire a guide who can translate everything for you.

The Santirah River and Green Canyon offer a unique river tubing experience suitable for just about anyone.

Pangandaran would be the main city where you will stay, and this coastal city is considered very new to outside tourism as they have been doing well locally. 

The journey passes waterfalls, narrow canyons, and some basic rapids, giving you a full ecotourism experience.

Apart from river tubing, Pangandaran offers beaches, surfing, trekking, hiking, waterfalls, and a very original laid-back culture.

There are guesthouses, hotels, and resorts around Pangandaran, but they are locally operated, not Marriott or Hilton-type. Some of them are interesting, too, like The Arnawa Hotel in Pangandaran, where I stayed. 

Translated as Dragon Village, this unique community is found in a valley and does not depend on modernisation. The entire village operates without electricity and is fully self-sustained.

In the rich and fertile valley, Kampung Naga is approximately 100 meters below sea level. 

They offer day trips and a homestay experience for anyone wanting to experience this. Visitors must respect the local community here, and if you’re going to take photographs, please ask permission first.

I did an earlier article on places to visit beyond Bandung; some of the mentioned destinations are included there.

Located about one hour out of Bandung, on the way to Tankuban Parahu Volcano Crater, this Eco-park practices the seven aspects of life: Ecology (nature), Education, Economics, Ethnology (culture), Ethics, Esthetics (Aesthetics), and Entertainment which makes up the 7E’s. 

It is a unique concept and is the most popular here, as these bird cages are fully booked. The food is local Indonesian cuisine, but they also have an international menu.

Overall, this place is awesome for families or couples travelling together, and it also has lodging. Most visitors come here for day trips, and Dusun Bambu gets crowded on weekends and holidays as it is currently the most popular and talked-about place in Bandung.

View from the restaurant of Dusun Bambu in Bandung (Photo by Dusun Bambu).

There are many other beautiful places around Indonesia to visit, but the above was compiled based on my actual visits to some of these places.

For those who have been to Indonesia before, consider making future trips to some of these unique places, which are clearly off the general tourism radar. For more information on Indonesia, visit the official Indonesia Tourism website. 

If you have any feedback on recommended places to visit in Indonesia, please share them in the comment form below.