Indonesia travel guide

In the highlands at the foot of volcano Inerie, around Bajawa town, the people of Ngada lives. Though some Ngada villages are fairly modern, traditional ones still exist. The wooden houses are high roofed facing each other in two rows along an open courtyard with several ancestral structures. The ngadhu, a carved pole with an umbrella-like thatched roof, and the bhaga, a small spirit house, always come in pairs. The good spirited Ngadas are betel nut chewing and machete wearing, and very welcoming. The pretty village of Bena is probably the most famous, but also the one that sometimes receives busloads of tourists. Other villages, like Bea, hardly see anyone and can be more rewarding regarding traditional life. If you are lucky, you might bump into a ceremony with a traditional pig or buffalo sacrificing. It is best to bring a guide from Bajawa to translate and make sure you don't commit some cultural suicide.

Sumatra and Borneo are the only places in the world to see wild orangutans. The best place in Sumatra is probably Bukit Lawang in the rainforest at the edge of Gunung Leuser National Park. The rehabilitation centre is placed up river on the jungle side from the village. In good Indonesian easy-going-style, nothing is fenced off at the feeding platform, so you will get VERY close to the orangutans, so keep your distance to the big ones. It's also possible to do different treks through the jungle with a local guide to see the same orangutans, and maybe some others, in their natural habitat.

As an alternative to stay inside noisy Padang, you can stay at some of the beaches both north and south of town. Long wide beaches stretch as far as the eye can see, only fringed by tall coconut palms. Thatched huts, used by locals for weekend picnics, are scattered in the palm shades. Simple beach accommodation and food can be found, but don't expect much company - besides fishermen and cheeky children, you will pretty much have the whole place to yourself.

Pangandaran is the beach place on Java. The dark sandy beach is wide and seems almost infinite. There are lots of small guest houses along with bigger hotels, as Pangandaran is popular with local tourists. Luckily, most of these only come here during the weekends and holidays, leaving room for a cool travel and surf vibe at the beach bars during the quiet times. Beside chilling at the beach, there are lots to do in the Pangandaran area. The countryside is a green blanket of rice paddy fields dotted with small villages. You can either go exploring on your own on rented scooter, or go on a self-drive tour with a guide to Green Canyon and Green Valley, which will also take you through the beautiful scenery.

Yogyakarta is blessed wth two amazing temples, the famous Borobudur and the lesser known Prambanan – both UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Not much is known for sure, but both are believed to have been built in 9th century, Borobudur as a Buddhist temple and Prambanan as a Hindu temple. For back in the days, Java was ruled by two dynasties, one Buddhist and one Hindu. The Prambanan temple complex consists also of minor outlying temples, many just as rubble, but the main one stand grand with towers as tall as 147 metes. Prambanan has been hit by earthquake and volcano eruption several times throughout history, latest in 2006, but as been restored again today. You can visit Prambanan on a tour in combination with Borobudur.

A little rustic bungalow on stilts overhanging crystal clear water and corals is one of the main attractions at Iboih beach on Pulau Weh Island. The only activities here are the quiet island life, lazy hours in the hammock, and the amazing diving and snorkelling which can offer encounters with manta rays, stingrays and whale sharks among others. It's truly a real little getaway.

A small Hindu temple in Balinese style built on a rocky outcrop between two bays. The black temple faces Bali and legend tells that virgins were once sacrificed to the sea from the outermost slab of rock. Beside the full and dark moon ceremonies, the only drama today is the crashing waves that can easily cover the whole temple in a mist of sticky sea water. Pura Batu Bolong can easily be reached from Sengigi.

Most travellers associate Bali with endless terraces of vibrant green rice paddies. And yes, they do exist, and the little settlement of Jatiluwih up in the mountains is one good place to see them. The terraces are cut out from the lower slopes of Mt. Batukau like huge steps and seem to continue all the way down to the sea. When the rice stands tall and dense it is like a soft carpet of psychedelic green covering the hills with small islands of palms sticking up here and there. The mountain road that leads to Jatiluwih winds its way through villages and cuts through rice fields before the scenery suddenly opens up and offers some of the best panoramic views of rice fields in Bali.

While on the Togean Islands, it's possible to visit some sea gypsies, so called Bajau. Though some of these still live in stilt villages on offshore reefs, most live in settlements on the shore of an island. These less-sea villages might even have a mosque and a couple of shops. The sea gypsies might be a bit more reserved than the usual overfriendly Indonesians, but they don't seem to mind visitors.

If you take an hour motorbike ride east of Borobudur, you will find the small village of Selogroyo, nestled into the foothills of Mt. Merapi. The village is a very basic small farming community that has created a masterpiece of art out of the terraced valley that sits below the village. There are footpaths that wind through this beautiful valley. The villagers are friendly and will take you up through the valley. A temple lies in the back of the valley, after a very long set of stairs. It is the perfect way to spend an afternoon.