Top Things to Do in Indonesia | Best Places to Visit for Tourists

Check out 15 cool ways to enjoy Indonesia: hike up Bromo volcano as the sun rises, wander through old temples in Bali, swim around Komodo’s wild reefs where dragons roam, and catch the morning light at Borobudur. This rundown covers must-see spots, fun stops, and epic trips across Indonesia - all you need for a real adventure

Indonesia spreads over 17,508 islands - more than anywhere else - making it the biggest island chain on Earth, home to 270 million folks who speak around 700 tongues. While most islands are Muslim, Bali stands out with its Hindu culture; meanwhile, remote tribes live undisturbed in Papua, and Java’s backbone is shaped by volcanoes. The country blends old empires, foreign rule, and wild natural variety. This updated version explores top experiences across Indonesia, highlighting must-see spots along with background stories, when to visit, budget hints, travel plans, and eco-friendly choices so your trip runs smooth

Explore Bali's Temples, Rice Terraces, and Spiritual Heart

Bali’s seen as a soulful spot in Indonesia, with nearly 9 out of 10 of its 4.3 million people following Hindu traditions - leftover vibes from the old Majapahit era back in the 1300s. Ubud shows off the Tegallalang rice fields, shaped more than a millennium ago using subak water systems - an approach honored by UNESCO as cultural treasure - that turn bright green when rains arrive and planting kicks off

Seminyak and Canggu bring in wave riders thanks to spots such as Echo Beach - solid 4-6ft swells from March through October. Over on the cliffs, Uluwatu’s ancient Pura Luhur sees nightly dance shows when sun dips down, mixing drum beats with flames acting out old legends. The sea temple Tanah Lot pops into view once water drops away. Meanwhile at Tirta Empul, visitors follow spiritual guides through natural springs for cleansing soaks

When it’s dry - from May to October - you can hike easily. Rent a scooter for 70k rupiah daily, though grab an international permit first. Pick eco-stays that help rice farmers instead. Skip elephant tours; try hands-on cooking lessons for half a million rupiah. Tag on a climb up Mount Agung if you want lake sights, just verify volcanic activity using nearby alert apps

Witness Borobudur Sunrise and Prambanan's Cosmic Glory

Built nearly 1200 years ago by rulers of the Sailendra line, this temple holds 504 stone Buddhas spread over nine stepped layers - one for each stage of moving from craving toward peace - it’s the biggest Buddhist site in Asia. Early visits at four in the morning show fog drifting through domes while voices chant nearby; during the full moon festival called Wesak, around ten thousand visitors walk the paths in quiet loops

Near Prambanan’s cluster of 240 Shiva shrines - built around 850 AD - you’ll find sky-high towers carved with scenes from the Ramayana, matching Angkor’s grandeur. Yogya, sitting 30km off, works as a launchpad; here, traditional dance moves at Kraton mix with batik art spots while folks hop on becaks along Malioboro, snacking on spicy young jackfruit stew.guidebook

Got the details? Foreigner tickets cost IDR 375k; go with a licensed guide - about IDR 150k - to hear tales behind the karmawibhangga carvings. Quick eco-idea: back local co-ops instead of crowded spots. Team it up with a Merapi Lava Jeep Tour, rolling past trails from the 2010 blast.

Hike Mount Bromo's Otherworldly Caldera at Dawn

Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park sits in East Java, home to a vast 10-kilometer sandy caldera surrounding Bromo’s live volcano peak at 2,329 meters - reachable on foot in under an hour after riding up by jeep. From Penanjakan or King Kong Hill, you’ll see fumes rising from craters with mighty Semeru standing tall at 3,676 meters - the tallest mountain across Indonesia - showing off in the distance

Madakaripura’s 200-meter fall, called the “Eternal Waterfall,” needs a 20-minute walk through thick forest; some say King Wisnuwardhana once hid there. Miners haul sulfur by hand, up to 90 kilos each day, getting about IDR 100,000 - take pictures gently

Probolinggo trips cost IDR 600k per person - covers a jeep, a guide, plus a mask. Leave at midnight to catch sunrise by five. Go between June and September when there’s less ash around. Some tour fees help fund health care for miners. You can also add on a trip to Ijen - it's about four hours distant

Spot Komodo Dragons and Dive Pink Beach Reefs

Komodo National Park became a UNESCO site back in 1991, guarding around 5,700 giant lizards - Earth’s final large reptiles - wandering dry grasslands on Rinca and Komodo. Hikes led by rangers, lasting one or two hours, show off 3-meter-long creatures stalking deer; from Padar Island, a hilltop lookout gives views of three differently shaded bays.

Pink Beach has sand made from broken coral where mantas get cleaned; nearby, reefs pack 260 types of coral along with a thousand kinds of fish. From Labuan Bajo - your base - you can jump on boats that dive into spots like the Batu Bolong wreckage

In-Depth Planning: Entry costs 125K per person along with 100K for park access; daily boat rentals run about 1.2 million Rupiah. The dry months from April through November work best but skip dolphin feedings - go instead for natural animal behavior. Get certified by diving schools using PADI programs, roughly 5 million Rupiah for basic open water

Summit Mount Rinjani and Lounge on Gili Trio

Lombok’s Rinjani (3,726m) caldera hike takes 2–3 days, going past Segara Anak - a blue lake holy to the Sasak people. From Plawangan Peak, you get wide views over that same lake. On the way, spots like Sendang Gile drop water down rocky steps.

Next to each other, the Gilis - Gili Trawangan’s got a wild party scene, Gili Air's known for yoga retreats, while Gili Meno is where turtles thrive. No cars or scooters allowed here. Instead, footbridges sway over coral zones packed with sea turtles. You can join snorkeling tours that often find eagle rays gliding by

Practical Expansion: Rinjani costs IDR 75,000 plus a guide fee at IDR 2.5 million per group - best time is June through August when it’s dry. To reach the Gilis, hop on a speedboat from Lombok - it runs about IDR 250,000 round trip. For sustainability: use reef-friendly sunscreen, follow hands-off rules underwater

Chase Kawah Ijen's Electric Blue Flames

Ijen’s 2,799-meter crater holds Earth’s biggest acid-filled lake - its pH hits just 0.5. At night, you’ll see eerie blue flames burning from gas leaks. These come out when volcanoes release fumes under pressure. Trekking begins at midnight; it’s about 3 kilometers or roughly an hour and a half walk. Workers haul out between 6 and 8 metric tonnes every single day. Their effort tells powerful tales of survival against tough odds

Banyuwangi’s ferries head to Bali - link up a Bromo-Ijen trip lasting two days, one night. Bring a gas mask - it’s needed when fumes roll in

Tours cost 400k IDR - skip Dec to Mar, that’s monsoon time. Help locals by buying sulfur ethically. After climbing, unwind on Banyuwangi’s shores

Discover Lake Toba's Batak Megaliths and Sumatra Jungles

Earth’s biggest volcano-made lake, covering 1145 square kays, holds Samosir Island - home to ancient stone dolmens along with traditional Batak homes that have curved rooftops dating back to the year 500. Water from the 120-meter drop at Sipiso-piso powers natural hot pools bubbling below

Bukit Lawang hikes through Gunung Leuser let you see orangutans up close - they’re half-wild, eating at set spots marked by UNESCO. Over in Tangkahan, elephants splash around freely; no rides allowed, just honest encounters

Now there’s more to explore: flights into Medan, plus ferry rides on Lake Toba cost about IDR 30,000. Hiking through forests? That’ll run you around IDR 300,000 each day if you go with park rangers. For conservation efforts, think about giving money to help injured orangutans get back into the wild - also skip buying gifts made from palm oil products while traveling across Indonesia.

Immerse in Yogyakarta's Javanese Royal Legacy

Yogyakarta still holds onto Java’s final royal court inside Kraton Palace - gamelan groups play there, while chirping birds fill busy market stalls. Down at Taman Sari, old water pools sit below ground, linked by secret paths once used to dodge Dutch attacks

Malioboro’s andong rickshaws move through batik-lined walkways - while the Prambanam dance show, held from June to October, brings Hindu legends to life beneath the night sky

Try these ideas: Stay cheap at hostels - around IDR 150k; near Adisucipto Airport. Pick up batik skills for about IDR 200k. Feast on veggie gudeg, only IDR 25k

Surf Mentawai's Legendary Barrels

Mentawai Islands deliver uncrowded A-frames like Playgrounds (lefts) and The Hole (rights up to 12ft); 20+ breaks accessed by liveaboards from Siberut.

Old uma huts run surf schools; big stone graves spread across inland areas. Rainy months from May to October bring the biggest waves

Padang rentals cost $5k weekly; others can split the booking. Be cool to residents - skip drone shots unless you get a green light from them.

Snorkel Raja Ampat's Biodiversity Hotspot

Coral Triangle holds 75% of Earth’s coral spread through around 1,500 islands; in Misool, jellyfish-filled lakes let you swim without stings; meanwhile, the Fam Islands feature cliffs that fall sharply for 40 meters down

Bajo stilt settlements pass down pinisi ship crafting skills - over 540 bird types live here, like birds-of-paradise.

Check this out: Sorong dive trips on boats cost $4k a week, Oct to Apr. Stay in local homes for just 500K IDR instead. You’ll need permits - around 1 million IDR. Oh, and sea fees go straight to patrol teams.

Marvel at Kelimutu's Tri-Colored Crater Lakes

Flores’ tallest point, hitting 1,639 meters, changes the lake’s color - sometimes blue-green, sometimes dark - from mineral mix or volcanic stuff; start walking from Moni by early light, roughly three hours up, avoids fog buildup

Ende ikat weavers dye threads naturally; Labuan Bajo ferries link Komodo.

Travel perks: buses cost Rp100k, while guesthouses run about Rp200k - many have scenic outlooks. Combine that with Bajawa’s woven-like terraced paddies. check out indonesia

Track Sumatran Orangutans and Tigers

Bohorok’s treetops give you a 90% chance to spot wildlife; meanwhile, Ketambe hikes focus on tracking big cats like tigers or clouded leopards. Over at Tangkahan, visitors help bathe elephants in the river - done right, no tricks

Thomas leaf monkeys, proboscis-like, swing vines.

Sustainability Focus: IDR 250,000 daily; skip flash photos - help fight poaching through entrance fees instead

Dive Wakatobi's Pristine Atolls

Sulawesi’s 942 sq km park? It goes head-to-head with the Galapagos - boasts 850 coral types. Over at Tomia, house reefs plunge down to 50 meters deep. And get this: WWII Japanese shipwrecks still sit untouched

Bajo folks dive deep - no gear - just breath, then hunt below.

Dive deep: Matahora trips include stays at $200 nightly with full packages. PADI deals go for 6 million IDR. Check Lonely Planet

Experience Toraja's Ancestral Rites

Tana Toraja’s wooden figures stand on cliffs above preserved ancestors; during Rambu Solo, families slaughter dozens of buffalo - sometimes up to a hundred - from June through September. Tiny babies are buried in hollowed-out trees, said to help them drift into eternal rest.

Rantepao pa'pompang dances, ikat markets.

Cultural Notes: Hire a guide for around IDR 500k each day. Mind local customs - skip snapping pics when rituals are happening. Flights go in and out of Makassar.

Historian Insight on Indonesian Cultural Depth: Dutch archaeologist JG de Casparis, in his 1956 "Prasasti Indonesia II," noted: "Borobudur represents the culmination of Sailendra dynasty's Mahayana synthesis, blending Indian cosmology with Javanese mysticism across its cosmic mandala." This illuminates Java's enduring temple legacy.

Shahzeb Shaikh, SimCorner Founder, notes: "Staying connected via eSIM unlocks spontaneous volcano treks and liveaboard bookings, turning good trips into legendary ones."

Check out our Indonesia eSIM tips to stay connected on islands or deep in the jungle.

Capture Your Indonesian Adventure with SimCorner eSIM

Stay connected on Bali’s shores or while diving Raja Ampat’s coral spots - SimCorner’s eSIM gives endless data, voice use, and hotspot access. Ideal for tracking jungle paths, swapping underwater locations, or finding ancient temples without hassle. Pick physical SIMs if you're roaming deeper into Borneo. Explore Indonesia freely, no stress.

FAQs: Top 15 Things in Indonesia

What’s worth checking out in Indonesia if you’re visiting for the very first time?

Bali’s beaches or old temples, sunrise at Borobudur instead of Prambanan, trekking inside Bromo’s crater, spotting Komodo lizards up close, snorkel trips around the Gilis. Spend 10 to 14 days hopping between islands, ancient sites, and mountains - use planes sometimes, boats now and then

What’s the ideal moment for activities in Indonesia?

May to October’s good for Java and Bali - think volcanoes or beaches. Try October through April if you’re into diving at Raja Ampat or Komodo. Skip December to March due to heavy rain. Keep an eye out for volcanic activity, just in case.

What can you do in Indonesia when traveling with children?

Bali’s splash zones or Gili shorelines, Toba lake rides, quiet orangutan moments, off-road crater trips. Stay at family spots with swimming areas and play zones.

Budget things to do in Indonesia?

Yogyakarta’s got temples or hostels, pick one. In Flores, you’ll find buses along with homestays. Eat at warungs - meals cost between 20 and 50k IDR. Use public ferries if heading to the Gilis. Ditch liveaboards; go for day trips instead.

What else can you explore in Indonesia besides coastal spots?

Volcanoes that still erupt - like Bromo or Ijen. Old temples stand strong, Borobudur being one. Hike through thick jungle where you might spot orangutans - or catch a Toraja ceremony. Diving spots are so good they’re known worldwide, think Komodo or Raja Ampat.