Fast Facts

Full Name: Republic of Indonesia
Capital City: Jakarta
Area: 1919440 sq km / 741096 sq miles
Population: 216 millions
Time zone: GMT/UTC + 7 / +8 / +9
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (official), English, 365 other dialects
Religion: 88% Muslim, 8% Christian, 2% Hindu
Currency: Rupiah (Rp)
Electricity: 127V-230V / 50HzHz
Country dialing code: 62

The floating emerald islands of the Indonesian archipelago have for centuries lured everyone from missionaries to pirates, mining companies and backpackers to their sandalwood and spice breezes, their Bali Hai lifestyle and their magnificent beaches, mountains and volcanoes.

However, the myth of paradise is often marred by deep racial divides, religious warring, high-handed autocracy, government corruption, economic mismanagement and natural disasters. The latest rounds of violence have made Indonesia a problematic destination for Western travelers.

Climate:
Draped over the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly uniform climate - hot. It's hot and wet during the wet season (October to April) and hot and dry during the dry season (May to September). Temperatures climb to about 31°C (88°F) in coastal regions, dropping (but not by much) further inland. The best time to visit Indonesia in the south is from April to October. Northern islands tend to be wet all year round.

The principal gateways for entry to Indonesia are Jakarta and Bali. Jakarta is serviced by more airlines but Bali - as the tourist capital - receives almost as much traffic. Departure tax from Jakarta and Denpasar is 100000.00 and from other airports about 75000.00.

There are three land crossings to Indonesia: at Entikong, between Kalimantan and Sarawak; at Motoain between West and East Timor; and the road from Jayapura or Sentani (Papua) to Vanimo in PNG. Visa regulations have been fluid (to say the least) of late, so check the need for obtaining a visa in advance before you roll up at the border crossing.

Most of the sea connections are between Malaysia and Sumatra and the vessel of choice is the comfortable high-speed ferry from Penang to Medan. The other main ferry connection is between Dumai (Sumatra) and Malaka (Malacca). Ferries also run from southern Malaysia (Johor Bahru) to the Riau Islands. There are speedboats from east-coast Kalimantan to Sabah in Malaysia.

Jakarta (Java)
If you can stand its pollution, and if you can afford to indulge in its charms, then Jakarta is one of the region's most exciting metropolises. Consider Jakarta the 'big durian' - the foul-smelling exotic fruit that some can't stomach and others can't resist.

Once saddled with a reputation as a poverty-ridden hell hole, Jakarta mutated into an Asian boom town in not much more than a decade. Reduced by the 1998 riots to a burnt-out shell, it remains very much at the centre of political events re-shaping Indonesia.

Borobudur (Java)
Looming out of a patchwork of bottle-green paddies and swaying palm tops, this colossal Buddhist relic is one of southeast Asia's marvels, surviving Gunung Merapi's ash flows, terrorist bombs, and the wear and tear of a million pairs of tourist flipflops to remain as enigmatic and beautiful as it must have been 1200 years ago.

Mount Bromo (Java)
Bromo isn't the highest mountain in Java — that honor goes to nearby Mount Semeru at 3,676m — but it's probably the most famous one. Bromo is in fact only one of many peaks inside the massive Tengger Caldera, but it's easily recognized as the entire top has been blown off and the crater inside constantly belches white sulphurous smoke. The inside of the caldera, aptly dubbed the Laut Pasir (Sea of Sand) is coated with fine volcanic sand and the overall effect is unsettlingly unearthly, especially when compared to the lush green valleys all around the caldera.

Mount Bromo, edges tinged with white sulphur and always bubbling, is the main sight. To reach it on foot, pick the left fork at Cemoro Lawang's solitary crossing, then head down the ramp into the caldera and then across the caldera to the Hindu temple at the foot of the mountain. From the temple a steep path of 250 steps leads to the edge of the crater and a precarious meter-wide ledge from where to gaze into the volcano.

Bali
Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

The 2002 Kuta bombing marred Bali's tropical loveland image, and for a time the island, heavily dependent on tourism, fell into decline. These days it's undergoing a cautious revival with travelers reimmersing themselves in the sublime beach and village life and the aura of the magnificent temples.

Lombok
Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and a greater variety of landscapes. Thanks to low key tourism, many Lombokians are less blasé about tourists than the neighboring Balinese so you should have no trouble finding your very own private paradise.