TOURISM AND TRAVEL

Indonesia is composed of seventeen thousand islands that stretch over five thousand miles along the equator. The Malay peninsula and Indochina are situated to the north-west, and the continent of Australia lies due south. Northward lie the Philippines and Micronesia.

The world's largest archipelago, Indonesia's constellation of islands straddles the divide between the Asian and Australian continental plates. As a result, the islands offer a stunning variety of topographies and ecologies, mist-shrouded volcanoes and mountains, unexplored rain forests, thousands of miles of beaches, and endless offshore reefs support a dazzling abundance of wildlife, making Indonesia an ideal destination for adventure and eco-travel.

The great majority of the country's constituent islands are of negligible size, but it does hold--wholly or in part--several islands that are enormous. These include Sumatra, Kalimantan (formerly Borneo, and shared with Malaysia), Sulawesi, and Java. The Indonesian state of Irian Jaya occupies the western half of New Guinea, which is the world's second largest island (behind Greenland). The most populous of the Indonesian islands by far is Java, home to the sprawling capital city of Jakarta. Other notable islands include the exotic, popular resort island of Bali, Lombok, Catholic Flores, and Komodo, home of dragons.

There are two discernible seasons in Indonesia: the dry season, which extends from June to October, and the rainy season, which lasts from November to March. Both are hot. The coastal regions, however, are often cool, and in the mountains the air is often chilly.

Selamat Datang di Indonesia - Welcome to Indonesia

Indonesia is home to one of the least fished, least populated, healthiest marine environments on the planet.

With my GreenWatch Column all too often highlighting the many serious conservation challenges facing this nation, the islands of Raja Ampat provide the location for a truly good news story.

Situated off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of Papua, Raja Ampat is an archipelago comprising more than 1,500 small atolls surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta and Waigeo.

Part of the newly named province of West Papua, formerly Irian Jaya, the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded anywhere on Earth, according to leading ocean biologists. more...

Surfing in Indonesia is an integral part of a spectacular vacation of this beautiful south Asian country. Surfers in Indonesia can find a number of spots in the numerous islands of this archipelago country.

As Indonesia has not yet gained incredible popularity in surfing the beaches are less crowded and many beaches are till now unexplored. Indonesia is no less than a surfing paradise as it is home to some of great surfing spots under the sun. The tourists can enjoy a surfing experience together with the most exotic landscape of the world on the same island.

There are two surfing seasons in Indonesia which is mostly determined by the monsoon. The dry season and monsoon in Indonesia is from June to September and November to March respectively.

The islands where surfing can be done with ultimate pleasure are Bali, Timor, Java and Sumatra. The beaches which are most well known in Indonesia and frequented by the surfers are Nilas, Mentawai, Pelabuhan, Ratu, Grajagan, Bali, Nusa Lembongan and Lombok. The islands in Indonesia which are almost devoid of any surfing potential are Sonde, Irian and Jaya.

There are a number of resorts and hotels in Indonesian islands which provide incredible amount of the surfing facilities to the tourists. The gallant waves of Uluwatu, Bali is famous worldwide and meant only for the best surfers. Another good surfing spot in Indonesia is Pedang Padang.

Indonesia trekking can give one a view of the exotic landscape of the country together with extraordinary flora and fauna of this Asian state. Indonesian trekking is a favorite activity for the tourists.

Adventure and excitement is latent in every corner of the country which can only be experienced on foot. As Indonesia falls in the ‘ring of fire’ there are a number of active volcanoes.

Trekking can take one near the crater of these volcanoes which can be a very invigorating experience. The customs and lifestyle of the indigenous tribes of Indonesia can be experienced through one of the trekking adventure in Indonesia.

There are number of organizations and travel agencies who arranges for such adventure for the visitors.

Every corner of Indonesia can be trekked but the most exciting part of it is trekking on the active volcanoes. There are about hundred and twenty volcanoes still very much active in this country so the choice is wide. The panoramic scenic beauty of the countryside and the alpine forests consisting of exotic flora and fauna can be enjoyed during a trek in the Indonesian landscape.

Some of best regions of Indonesia which can be trekked are East Java, West Java, Lombok and Bali. The best places to encounter the rich historic and indigenous culture of Indonesia are Sulawesi and Central Java.

The two most rare animals of the planet the Orangutan and komodo dragons are present in this South East Asian country. To get an upfront glimpse of these animals try to trek in the jungles of Indonesia.

Diving in the waters of Indonesia is an experience of a lifetime. As Indonesia is an archipelago of around seventeen thousand islands there are ample opportunities of diving in Indonesia.

The growth of the tourism industry is also a reason behind the sport of diving being so popular in this South East Asian country. Diving in Indonesia can be enjoyed for two main reasons the extraordinary water life and one of the best coral reefs in the world.

There are a number of diving resorts in Indonesia where the tourists can enjoy themselves to the core. Though scuba diving is a very recent introduction in Indonesia this adventure sport is growing in popularity with leaps and bounds.

While diving in the waters of Indonesia one can enjoy the wide diversity of corals and marine life. The varied shapes and the vibrant colors of the coral reef of the Indonesian islands is an invigorating and once in a life time experience. There are around four thousand species of fishes in the water on Indonesia which is about one fourth of the total fishes found worldwide.

Both patch reefs and barrier reefs are present in Indonesia. Marine species from seahorses to manta rays, from Big Fish to pipe fishes are all a regular sight for the divers in Indonesia. The current patterns of Indonesia are very complex and the water is lukewarm. The Komodo national park region and Raja Ampat are among the best places for diving in Indonesia. To get the taste of one of the best diving experience of the world visit Indonesia next holidays.

Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world to form a single state, consists of five main islands and some 30 smaller archipelagoes, totaling about 17,508 islands and islets of which about 6,000 are inhabited.

Indonesia’s national territory consists 84% of sea and 16% of land. The Indonesian sea area is four times larger than its land area, which is about 1.9 million sq.km and the sea area is about 7.9 million sq km. The five biggest islands are Kalimantan or two thirds of the island of Borneo (539,450 sq.km); Sumatera (473,606 sq.km); Papua, which forms part of the island of New Guinea (421,952 sq.km), Sulawesi (189,035 sq.km) and Java including Madura (132,035 sq.km). The other islands are smaller in size.

Indonesia's land area is generally covered by thick tropical rain forest where fertile soils are continuously replenished by volcanic eruptions like that on the island of Java. more...