Luxury holidays to Indonesia
Scattered 3,000 miles across the equator, Indonesia encompasses more than 17,000 island, two-thirds of them uninhabited, all lacquered with layers of beauty and character that makes this one of the most sensuous and intoxicating holiday destinations on the planet. With so many island spread across so wide an area, the contrasts here are abundant. On Sulawesi, the elaborate funeral ceremonies and timeless traditions of the semi-autonomous Tana Toraja are light years from the bustling streets of Jakarta and the modern surfing culture of Lombok. Geographically, the islands vary dramatically, too, from the volcanic lakes of Sumatra and the rainforests of Kalimantan, to the deep, dramatic gorges of Papua’s Baliem Valley and the gentle misted highlands and beaches of Bali, no one island in Indonesia is quite like another. Away from the countryside, Indonesia’s cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago’s territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes, with rice fields humbled by looming volcanoes, jungles sheltering sun bears and orangutans, bone-white beaches stretching long and untrammelled into wide, cobalt seas. Famed for the warmth of its welcome, Indonesia is naturally home to some of the most idyllic, indulgent resorts on earth, suffused with heady scents and dramatic vistas, with world-class spas and alabaster beaches. The largest archipelago in the world, Indonesia has something for all holiday tastes and budgets.
One of the most popular holiday destinations in Indonesia is Bali, offering a range of luxury hotels including The Oberoi Bali, a tranquil and secluded hotel set within beautiful gardens; The Legian, a peaceful and serene hotel on a beautiful beach; and The Club at The Legian located adjacent to The Legian, offering a private, exclusive and sophisticated experience. We also recommend hotels on Java, one of the largest islands in Indonesia; and on Lombok, an island located close to Bali and home to The Oberoi Lombok which is a seamless blend of modern comforts and local Indonesian architecture.
Facts
Capital
Jakarta
Airport
Soekarno-Hatta international airport 20 miles west of Jakarta and Ngurah Rai international airport in Bali’s capital, Denpasar.
Currency
Indonesian Rupiah (£1=15,400 Indonesian Rupiah)
Size
741,000 sq miles
Population
238 million
Average temperatures
close to the equator, Indonesia has a tropical climate, with weather generally hot and humid. In the rainy season (October to April), rain generally starts around noon and lasts into the afternoon; in the dry season, temperatures remain almost constant at about 28C on the coast, dropping to about 22C inland in the highlands.
Local highlights
Bali, a quite sumptuous, sensuous island, with a misty highland interior, sandy beaches galore, and temples scattered about the island at every turn; food, which is always served spectacularly fresh, suffused with delicious, explosive spices, as good in roadside stalls as it is in five-star hotels; speaking of which, Indonesia, and Bali in particular, has fantastic, sublimely elegant five-star hotels, most of them in stunning cliff-top settings with world-class spas; Kelimutu, a multihued caldera hidden in the crater of an ancient volcano; Sumba, a fascinating, remote island with unique tribal traditions and a rich weaving heritage; the Komodo islands, home to the eponymous dragon, and destination of wonderful cruises from Bali and Lombok; the undisturbed beaches of Pulau Weh, with some of the best diving off its coast, and one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks; Donau Toba, Southeast Asia’s second largest volcanic lake, in an area inhabited by the famously warm Batak people; the Banda Islands, known in history as the fabled Spice Islands, sheltering today some of the best snorkelling and diving reefs in Indonesia; Pulau Ternate and Pulau Tidore, two volcanoes you can climb with sweeping views below; the swaying palms and verdant rice fields of Borobudur, with its awe-inspiring monument to Buddha; Gunung Bromo, an active volcano resting in the desolate wastes of the Sea of Sands; Bunaken Marine National Park, with staggering marine life and dazzling reefs; Tana Toraja, a mystical mountain kingdom in Sulawesi, with its own unique funeral rites; trekking the Baliem Valley’s stunning highlands; the island of Pulau Biak, home to birds of paradise, white-sand beaches and WWII wreck-diving; Tanjung Puting National Park, with river rafting and kayaking, jungle treks and orang-utan sanctuaries; Loksado, where you can hike and raft, delving deep into the bamboo jungles of the Meratus Mountains.
Getting out and about
Buses are the mainstay of Indonesian transport. At any time of the day, thousands in all shapes and sizes move thousands of people throughout Indonesia. Train travel – one of the most comfortable and easiest ways to get about – is restricted to Java and Sumatra. In Java, trains are one of the most comfortable and easiest ways to travel. Ferries connect most of the islands. On smaller islands, bike and moped hire is a good option, while car-hire can help you get to some of the more remote sites, parks and beaches.
Travel arrangements
There are no direct flights to Jakarta or Denpasar; airlines offering a scheduled service from the UK include Etihad Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa, KLM, Qatar Airways and Qantas. Flight time is about 15 hours.