Recommended stunning Indonesian destinations to visit in 2025
Indonesia is the largest archipelago in Southeast Asia, with 17,000+ islands, including popular travel destinations such as Bali, Java, Sumatra, Lombok, and Komodo. It has natural wonders such as volcanoes, beaches, and rainforests, as well as cultural sites such as Borobudur and Prambanan, as well as abundant seafood and distinctive cuisine.
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🌏 Indonesia Travel Overview
- Best time to visit:
- The dry season (April–October) is ideal for travel, with sunny weather suitable for beaches and outdoor activities.
- Rainy season (November–March): More rain, but fewer tourists and lower prices, ideal for cultural exploration.
- Visa:
- Visa-free (30 days): Applicable to Chinese passports (entry from major airports such as Jakarta/Bali).
- Visa on arrival (extendable to 60 days): Requires payment of approx. USD 35 (applicable to some ports).
- Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), CNY 1 ≈ IDR 2,200 (2024 exchange rate).
- Language: Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), English is commonly used in tourist areas.
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🏝️ Must-visit destinations in Indonesia
1. Bali
Highlights: Beaches, temples, rice terraces, diving, nightlife
- Recommended attractions:
- Ubud: Rice terraces (Tegallalang), Sacred Monkey Forest, Ubud Palace.
- Kuta/Seminyak: Surfing, sunset beaches, bar streets.
- Uluwatu: Lover's Cliff, Rock Bar.
- Nusa Lembongan: Snorkeling, Manta Point.
- Featured experience:
- Bali SPA, traditional dance performances (Kecak Dance), volcano trekking (Batur/Gunung Agung).
2. Yogyakarta
Highlights: World cultural heritage, volcanoes, Javanese culture
- Recommended attractions:
- Borobudur: The world's largest Buddhist temple, with stunning sunrises.
- Prambanan: Indonesia's largest Hindu temple complex.
- Mount Merapi: Jeep adventure or hiking available.
- Featured experience:
- Learn Batik making, watch Wayang Kulit.
3. Lombok
Highlights: More pristine than Bali, ideal for surfing and hiking
- Recommended attractions
- Gili Islands (Gili Trawangan/Meno/Air): White sand beaches, snorkeling, sea turtles.
- Mount Rinjani: 2–3 day hike, the volcanic lake is amazing.
- Pink Beach (Pantai Tangsi): A niche romantic spot.
4. Komodo Island
Highlights: World Natural Heritage Site, Komodo dragons, stunning islands
- Recommended attractions:
- Komodo National Park: See wild Komodo Dragons.
- Padar Island: Climb to the top for a panoramic view of the tricolor bay.
- Pink Beach: One of the few natural pink beaches in the world.
- Best way to visit: Liveaboard 3–4 day island hopping tour.
5. Surabaya & Mount Bromo
Highlights: Volcanic wonders, magical sunrise
- Recommended activities:
- Mount Bromo: Jeep ride through the sand sea to watch the sunrise and cloud sea.
- Ijen: Blue flame, sulfur lake (requires early morning hike).
6. Other niche recommendations
- Raja Ampat: World-class diving destination, coral reef paradise.
- Flores: Mysterious tribes, tricolor volcanic lake (Kelimutu).
- Bandung: Dutch colonial architecture, volcanic hot springs.
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## **🍜 Must-try Indonesian food**
1. **Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)**: National cuisine, must add shrimp crackers and fried egg.
2. Sate: Grilled skewers with peanut sauce, chicken/mutton are the most classic.
3. Rendang (Padang Beef): Slow-cooked coconut milk beef, one of the world's 50 best dishes.
4. Bakso (Meatball Soup): Common on the streets, served with noodles or rice.
5. Gado-Gado (Indonesian Salad): Vegetables + peanut sauce, refreshing and appetizing.
6. Seafood: Jimbaran beach barbecue in Bali, Lombok fish market.
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🚗 Transportation
- Plane: Direct flights between major cities (e.g. Jakarta → Bali, Yogyakarta → Lombok).
- Boat: Bali → Lombok/Gili Islands (2 hours by fast boat).
- Train: More convenient between cities on Java Island (e.g. Jakarta → Yogyakarta → Surabaya).
- Rent a motorcycle: Commonly used in Bali/Lombok, approx. IDR 50k–100k/day.
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📌 Travel Tips
1. Tipping: Not mandatory, but restaurants/hotels can give IDR 5–10k.
2. Bargaining: Appropriate bargaining is possible in markets and taxis (non-metered).
3. Internet: Buy a Telkomsel or XL data card at the airport (approx. CNY 50/10GB).
4. Safety: Generally safe, but beware of snatch thieves (especially in Jakarta).
5. Religious etiquette: Sarong is required to enter temples, avoid shorts/sleeveless clothing.
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🗺️ Recommended classic itinerary
7–10 day classic route
- Day 1–4: Bali (Kuta + Ubud + Nusa Lembongan)
- Day 5–6: Yogyakarta (Borobudur + Prambanan)
- Day 7–8: Surabaya + Mount Bromo
- Day 9–10: Lombok/Gili Islands
14-day in-depth tour
- Day 1–5: Bali
- Day 6–7: Komodo Island (liveaboard island hopping)
- Day 8–10: Lombok (Mount Rinjani + Gili Islands)
- Day 11–14: Raja Ampat (diving)
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Indonesia is a diverse, mysterious, and adventurous country. Whether you want a vacation, adventure, or cultural exploration, you can find a suitable way to play! If you have a specific destination or need, you can refine the guide~ 🌴✈️
calm and peaceful place. if you want just to live and enjoy the moment definitely spend few days in Ubud. everything just make you feel better and find yourself. amazing view, people and food.
Ubud is a town in Bali, Indonesia, located in the hilly area of the central Gianar region. As a cultural and artistic center of Bali, there are many museums, galleries, and traditional handicrafts. The palace is beautifully built and has a wonderful traditional dance performance. The Holy Monkey Forest, Shengquan Temple and other attractions have their own characteristics, and the surrounding rice fields and canyons are beautiful. In addition, the Ubud Food Festival, yoga, etc. also attract a large number of tourists, and it is a great place to experience the culture and customs of Bali.
Very calm and quit place located in the middle of the jungles. There are many authentic shops, monkeys, specialised retreat places.
There are still some shopping, people selling things in the market basically have a few Chinese words, you can bargain hard, but I feel that the store in the market is closed earlier, the palace has traditional drama performances at night, do not want to go back to the hotel too early If there is a bar street nearby, you can go to drink and drink. It is also very interesting to chat with tourists from all over the world! The famous Lotus Restaurant is also very easy to find nearby. There is also a restaurant diagonally opposite the Lotus Restaurant that forgot its name. The dirty duck meal is very good and the environment is very good!
Ubud is like the United Nations. There are tourists from all over the world. Go with the group and see the attractions such as the Ubud Palace. There is no beauty at all. The locals are warm and kind. The scenery is fresh and natural. The hotel is private and has a sense of design. You can relax well. It is recommended to travel to the Ubud Palace for a day. Attractions, go around the Ubud market to see the gift buy coffee shop in a daze. One day go to Ubud Ridge to take a hike. Check out the valley ridge rice field village. One day at the hotel bubble pool SPA is a good enjoyment. Three days basically enjoy the beauty of Ubud.
This free trip is two days in Ubud. What I want to experience is the daily life of the locals. The Ubud Palace is free. There is also a park to see monkeys nearby. You can turn around together and have complete accessibility to monkeys. Be careful with the food on your hands. The palace is very small, the nearby market is also worth visiting, you can buy the little things as souvenirs, the price should be cut according to 1 discount, 2 discounts, the chicken skewers sold in the market taste good. There is a restaurant opposite the palace. The food is not bad. There is a picture attached. There is a small shop selling souvenirs opposite the palace. A famous roast suckling pig did not eat
I like the Ubud area. There is a market and terraces. The rafting is also in this area. There are more bugs but they don’t bite. Just put the food on the table. Pay attention to the food. My husband rents a motorcycle for 60,000 a day. It is especially convenient to add a box of oil for more than ten yuan. I can ride for a long time. What do I think of the palace? Don’t go to the Monkey Park. We ride a motorcycle around the door. There are monkeys at the door. What it means is that we mainly visit the market and contact the locals to chat. It doesn’t matter if you buy it or not. The locals will not say what you do. You can’t buy it. You can also find a home. Dessert shop cafes sit down and rest, feel the slow pace, feel the leisurely dirty duck meal, personally feel that it is not delicious, I still like our roast duck for a day, too rushed, next time I have to go to Ubud for a few days to feel deeply.