Table of Contents
6 Great Reasons to Visit Indonesia on your Next Big Trip
Orangutans
I can’t get enough of the orangutan. I traveled to Malaysia two years ago to see them. This year I went to Indonesia. Visiting the orangutan is accessible through Tanjung Puting National Park in central Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo. After a half-day boat ride we made it to the park’s feeding and rehabilitation centers and spent hours watching them eat and do all sorts of other human-like behavior. Watch the video of the orangutan in Tanjung Puting.
Volcanoes
Indonesia lays right smack on the ring of fire. The country exists among more than 100 active volcanoes. At Mt. Bromo in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, travelers have an opportunity to climb and peer into one of these volcanoes. If you go for sunrise be prepared for a sublime view of the seemingly lunar landscape. From high above you can see at least two active and one dormant volcanoes rising out of the ancient caldera.
Borobudur
Like the idea of climbing the largest Buddhist monument in the world at dawn? Located in central Java, this huge temple was built in the 9th century and rises out of the palm-studded valley floor. For hundreds of years it lay buried beneath volcanic ash. Now you can visit Borobudur temple at dawn. Its six square platforms topped by three circular platforms are decorated with 2,672 relief panels and 504 Buddha statues.
Diving
Even if it weren’t for all the other awesome things to see and experience in Indonesia, the country would be worth traveling to exclusively for diving and snorkeling. Excellent diving exists around several islands, but nearby Flores is fantastic. It could easily be combined with a trip to see the Komodo dragon. I spent an afternoon snorkeling off a beach of Komodo Island and another off Kanawa Island (see snorkeling photos here). The waters were clean and clean, the fish plentiful, and the coral healthy.
Komodo dragons
Indonesia is the only place in the world to see the Komodo dragons in their natural habitat. They only exist on four islands around Flores. They are fascinating and frightening creatures. Through an evolutionary process called island gigantism, Komodos have grown to become the largest lizards on earth. There are little more than 4,000 of them left in the wild.
Bali
How could I leave Bali off this list? Far and away the most popular spot for foreigners in Indonesia, Bali is increasingly more crowded with every year. That should only encourage you to go beyond the tourist crush of Kuta Beach and its environs. There is a whole island out there to explore: one with world-class surfing, ancient Hindi culture and traditions, beautiful landscapes of green rice paddies, and medicine men of great wisdom. Bali slowly reveals itself, so take some time once you’re there.
I was a guest of Indonesia Tourism during my trip to Indonesia, but all content and opinions are my own. Read more about the international blogger trip through the islands of Indonesia on my blog: Bohemian Traveler.com
Love how you slipped Bali in at the end. All great reasons to go, for sure and some pretty sweet photography too. Thnx