Indonesia Travel Guide (ePub)

A nation composed of over 18,000 islands spanning a distance equal to that between San Francisco and New York City, Indonesia is a world in itself. Bustling modern cities and tony beach resorts co-exist with ancient temples and iconic indigenous fauna such as Komodo Dragons, Java rhinos, and forest-dwelling orangutans. Indonesia is home to over 400 volcanoes, over 130 of which are considered active- the most active volcanoes of any country on earth. It's the fourth more populous country in the world and more than 200 ethnic groups are represented with the number of languages and dialects spoken nearing 600! No matter what experience you are looking for, it can surely be found in such a vast country as this.

Indonesia sits centrally on the equator and is surrounded by Malaysia, East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, Vietnam, Thailand, and India. A plethora of cultures have added to Indonesia's history, going back to Chinese and Indian traders in the 1st century AD. Marco Polo was the first European to land at Sumatra, and later in their search for the legendary Spice Islands, Portuguese and Spanish explorers also learned of Indonesia. Starting in the late 1500's, the Dutch held the islands for three centuries and the islands were commonly termed the Dutch East Indies. In 1945, the Indonesian people declared independence and they officially achieved statehood in 1950. In many ways a young and forward looking country, Indonesia embraces all of its diverse population and traditions under the banner of 'One Country, One Nation'.

Of Indonesia's multitude of islands, about 6,000 can be considered inhabited. The six main islands one is likely to visit are Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo), Bali, Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), and Papua (the western half of New Guinea Island). We also include information in this guide for the Maluku island group (also called the Moluccas, the original spice islands) and the Nusa Tengarra Islands. While many vacationers, especially those with limited time, might concentrate on an area developed for tourism such as Java or Bali, one could easily spend a month or more and barely begin to discover some of Indonesia's hidden corners and remote treasures.

To visit Indonesia, one needs to let go of preconceptions and be open to discovering a place many know little about. Chances are you'll arrive into a modern airport and begin your adventures in a major city, such as Jakarta on Java or Denpasar on Bali. You'll then have choices to make, as to whether you prefer the mountains or forests, beaches or countryside; how off the beaten path you want to go is up to you. In a short stay, you can readily explore one island while you'll need more time to hop around and delve into the various regions that make up this large nation.