7 Best Places to Visit in Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, spread across thousands of islands and several distinct cultures. Whether you're drawn to temples, volcanoes, wildlife, or diving, these seven destinations cover the country's best-known stops from Java to Papua.

1. Bali

Bali is Indonesia's best-known island, built around Hindu temples, terraced rice fields, and a coastline that ranges from surf breaks to quiet coves. Uluwatu Temple sits dramatically on a cliff above the ocean, the Tegalalang rice terraces near Ubud are one of the island's most photographed sights, and Ubud itself has become a hub for arts, wellness, and cooler inland scenery.

2. Borobudur

Borobudur, near Yogyakarta on the island of Java, is the largest Buddhist temple in the world, built in the 9th century. Its stepped, pyramid-like structure is decorated with thousands of relief panels and stone Buddha statues, and it's a UNESCO World Heritage Site most often visited around sunrise, when the surrounding volcanoes are visible through the morning mist.

3. Komodo National Park

Komodo National Park, spread across the Lesser Sunda Islands, is the only place on Earth where Komodo dragons live in the wild — the largest living lizard species, found nowhere else. Beyond the dragons, the park's islands and surrounding waters, including the famous Pink Beach, are also a major draw for snorkeling and diving, and the whole park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

4. Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta is Java's cultural capital and the most common base for visiting Borobudur and the nearby Hindu temple complex of Prambanan. The city's Kraton, the still-functioning palace of the Sultan of Yogyakarta, and its old batik and silverworking districts give it a different pace and character from Indonesia's larger cities.

5. Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat, an archipelago off the coast of West Papua, sits at the heart of the Coral Triangle and is considered one of the most biodiverse marine environments on Earth. Its limestone karst islands rising out of turquoise water are a well-known image of Indonesia on their own, and the diving and snorkeling here draw visitors from around the world despite the remote location.

6. Lake Toba

Lake Toba, in North Sumatra, is the largest volcanic lake in the world, formed by one of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in Earth's history. Samosir Island, itself larger than Singapore, sits in the middle of the lake and is home to the Batak people, whose traditional saddle-roofed houses are still standing in several lakeside villages.

7. Jakarta

Jakarta, Indonesia's capital and largest city, is most travelers' entry point into the country by air. The National Monument (Monas) anchors the city center, and Kota Tua, Jakarta's old town, holds Dutch colonial architecture from the city's earlier history as Batavia, a reminder that this sprawling modern capital has centuries of history underneath it.

Staying connected while you travel

Indonesia's mobile networks (Telkomsel, Indosat, XL, and Tri) cover all seven of these destinations. An eSIM lets you land with data already active instead of hunting for airport Wi-Fi — compare current Indonesia eSIM plans below.

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For more on how eSIMs work before your trip, see our beginner's guide to eSIMs. You can also browse the full list of Indonesia eSIM plans sorted by price.