Indonesia
Island journeys without end
Shape an island route around volcanoes, surf, diving and culture, leaving space for weather and ferry plans to change.
Salmiah La Suma / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image licence
The honest overview
Get to know Indonesia before fixing the route.
Indonesia is famed for its volcanic landscapes, world-class surf breaks and sheer scale of island hopping on offer, attracting surfers, divers and long-haul backpackers alike from every corner of the globe. Indonesia is known for being a classic, well-earned leg of the Southeast Asia trail, thanks to cheap inter-island flights, an established hostel route running through Bali, Java and Lombok, and a country so large that trip length really is a personal choice, making it easy to build anything from a two-week Bali-and-Gilis loop to a two-month archipelago crossing.
Part of the joy of backpacking in Indonesia is deciding what deserves more time. Keep space for weather changes, longer travel days and recommendations from people you meet on the road.
Card payment is spreading in cities and tourist areas but cash is still king outside them, especially for warungs, local buses and small guesthouses – carry Rupiah and budget for the odd ATM withdrawal fee.
There's no single fixed route through Indonesia – the country's simply too big, and most backpackers end up building a loop around however much time they've got. A common starting point is Bali, using it as a base to hop across to the Gili Islands and Lombok (Mount Rinjani, snorkelling, quieter beaches), then further east by boat to Komodo and Flores for the dragons and diving. Heading west instead, many backpackers cross into Java for Yogyakarta, Borobudur and Mount Bromo, then continue up into Sumatra for Lake Toba, Bukittinggi and the Bukit Lawang orangutan trekking before flying onward to Malaysia or Singapore. Sulawesi and Kalimantan see far fewer backpackers and take more planning, but reward anyone with the extra time.
Season by season
What each season means for your trip
Indonesia's weather can change sharply by region and elevation. These are planning patterns, not guarantees.
Wetter travel conditions
The height of the wet season across Bali, Java, Lombok and the Nusa Tenggara islands, with heavy but usually short daily downpours and 27–31°C temperatures. Ferry crossings between the Gilis, Lombok and Komodo can be cancelled or delayed by rough seas.
Wetter travel conditions
The wet season starts tailing off in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, though Java stays overcast more often than not. Temperatures sit around 28–32°C, with humidity still high.
Drier travel window
dry, sunny stretches become the norm across most of the archipelago, and this is one of the better months to travel before peak season crowds and prices arrive.
Wetter travel conditions
Dry season properly underway across Bali, Java, Lombok, Nusa Tenggara, Komodo and Raja Ampat, with clear skies, lower humidity and the best diving visibility of the year. Sumatra's "dry" season is milder by comparison and still sees regular rain.
Drier travel window
Peak dry season and peak tourist season everywhere at once. The best conditions for Bali's surf breaks and treks up Rinjani or Bromo, but also the busiest and priciest months – book transport and hostels ahead.
Wetter travel conditions
Still largely dry across the main routes, with the first rains returning to Bali, Java and Nusa Tenggara toward the end of October. Raja Ampat and Komodo tend to hold calm seas a little longer than the rest of the country.
Wetter travel conditions
Wet season sets in properly across most of the archipelago, with heavy afternoon rain and rougher seas disrupting inter-island ferries. Raja Ampat is the exception, staying calm and clear well into December.
Check the forecast for the exact region and elevation on your route, then leave room to change outdoor plans when conditions move.
Cost of day to day travel
Build a budget around the route
Indonesia is one of the cheapest countries on the Southeast Asia trail. On Java, Sumatra and Lombok, £15–20 a day comfortably covers a dorm bed, warung meals, local transport and the odd paid activity.
Indonesia is one of the cheapest countries on the Southeast Asia trail. On Java, Sumatra and Lombok, £15–20 a day comfortably covers a dorm bed, warung meals, local transport and the odd paid activity.
Long transfers, specialist tours and headline activities can change the daily total quickly.
Card payment is spreading in cities and tourist areas but cash is still king outside them, especially for warungs, local buses and small guesthouses – carry Rupiah and budget for the odd ATM withdrawal fee.
Average the full trip rather than forcing every day into the same number. Keep emergency funds separate from daily spending.
Key backpacker routes
Find the route that feels right for you
There is no single route you need to follow. Let your timeframe, interests and season shape the journey through Indonesia.
Start with the natural route Core journey
There's no single fixed route through Indonesia – the country's simply too big, and most backpackers end up building a loop around however much time they've got. A common starting point is Bali, using it as a base to hop across to the Gili Islands and Lombok (Mount Rinjani, snorkelling, quieter beaches), then further east by boat to Komodo and Flores for the dragons and diving.
Add the region that earns your time Build depth
Heading west instead, many backpackers cross into Java for Yogyakarta, Borobudur and Mount Bromo, then continue up into Sumatra for Lake Toba, Bukittinggi and the Bukit Lawang orangutan trekking before flying onward to Malaysia or Singapore. Sulawesi and Kalimantan see far fewer backpackers and take more planning, but reward anyone with the extra time.
Main destinations and attractions
Where to spend your days
Pick a connected group and leave room for hostel friendships and changing plans. Indonesia rewards depth more than a checklist of stops.
Bali. Photo: ioana_cis / flickr, BY-NC-SA 2.0.Bali
The country's main backpacker hub and a bit of a mixed bag depending where you land. Canggu and Uluwatu are the surf and digital nomad bases, Ubud is the yoga-and-rice-terrace crowd, and Kuta and Seminyak are the party strip closest to the airport – worth knowing Kuta in particular is more package-tourist than backpacker these days.
Gili Islands and Lombok. Photo: Schristia / flickr, BY-SA 2.0.Gili Islands and Lombok
Three small, car-free islands (Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, Gili Air) reachable by fast boat from Bali, each with a different pace – Trawangan for nightlife, Meno for quiet, Air somewhere in between.
Java. Photo: alistairkitchen / flickr, BY 2.0.Java
Yogyakarta is the cultural base for Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, and Prambanan's Hindu temple complex nearby.
Sumatra. Photo: algenta101 / flickr, BY 2.0.Sumatra
Bukit Lawang is the main base for spotting wild orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park, Lake Toba (the world's largest volcanic lake) offers a relaxed few days on Samosir Island, and Bukittinggi is a good base for the surrounding Minangkabau highlands.
Komodo and Flores. Photo: whl.travel / flickr, BY-NC-SA 2.0.Komodo and Flores
Multi-day liveaboard boat trips out of Labuan Bajo are the standard way to see Komodo dragons on Komodo and Rinca islands, alongside Pink Beach and some of the country's best diving.
Sulawesi. Photo: Collin Key / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0.Sulawesi
Less visited and logistically more demanding, but Tana Toraja's elaborate funeral ceremonies and cliffside burial sites are unlike anywhere else in the country, and the Togean and Wakatobi islands offer diving to rival Komodo without the crowds.
To get a feel for the cities and towns you're passing through, look out for tip-based walking tours running via Guruwalk in the bigger hubs like Yogyakarta and Jakarta. Alternatively, many hostels run their own free or low-cost orientation walks. Our Outpacker chatbot is available to help you plan and build out your itinerary to make the most of your trip.
Getting around
Compare time, comfort and cost
Distances between islands mean flying covers more ground than any single method, but ferries, buses and trains all have their place depending on the leg.
Taxi/Rideshare
Gojek and Grab both operate across the main cities and tourist islands, covering everything from cars to motorbike taxis, and are the easiest way to dodge the haggling that comes with unmetered taxis.
Bus
Long-distance buses connect the main cities on Java and Sumatra cheaply, though journey times can run long and overnight sleeper buses aren't as comfortable as Thailand's equivalent – worth budgeting an extra recovery day either side of a long haul.
Train
Java has the country's best rail network, with reasonably fast, comfortable trains linking Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.
Plane
Budget airlines (Lion Air, Citilink, AirAsia Indonesia) are often the only practical way to cover the distance between islands and can be cheaper than a multi-day ferry and bus combination – flight delays and cancellations are common enough to build in a buffer day either side of anything time-sensitive.
Download offline maps, keep key booking details available without data and avoid placing an international departure immediately after a fragile overland transfer.
Culture and events
Events worth knowing about
Dates can shift, so verify the current programme before building a trip around an event in Indonesia.
A religious festival marking Balinese New Year, when the entire island shuts down for 24 hours – no flights, no lights after dark, and visitors are required to stay indoors along with everyone else.
A Buddhist festival marking the Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death, drawing thousands of monks and pilgrims to Borobudur for a candlelit procession and lantern release at dawn.
A month-long cultural festival in Denpasar showcasing traditional Balinese dance, gamelan music and craft, mostly aimed at locals but open to anyone curious enough to wander in.
The end of Ramadan is the biggest holiday of the year in Muslim-majority Indonesia, with mass domestic travel (mudik) making buses, flights and ferries booked out and considerably pricier for the week either side.
Not a fixed annual event but worth knowing about: Torajan funerals are elaborate, days-long ceremonies involving buffalo sacrifice, and visitors are often welcomed to observe respectfully with a local guide's introduction.
Confirm the official programme, accommodation pressure and transport changes before committing non-refundable plans.
Indonesian food
Discover the flavours that make Indonesia memorable
Indonesian food varies hugely by island and region, but a handful of dishes turn up everywhere and are worth building a day around.
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Nasi GorengIndonesia's fried rice, the closest thing the country has to a national dish, usually topped with a fried egg.Photo: BPPrice / flickr, BY 2.0 -
SataySkewered, grilled meat with a peanut sauce, sold everywhere from street carts to sit-down restaurants.Photo: Black_Claw / flickr, BY 2.0 -
RendangA slow-cooked, coconut-based beef curry from West Sumatra, rich and worth the wait.Photo: Paul Keller / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Gado-GadoA vegetable salad with peanut sauce, a solid vegetarian option that's easy to find almost anywhere.Photo: tbSMITH / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0 -
Nasi PadangA Sumatran-style meal where a dozen small dishes are brought to your table at once and you pay for what you eat.Photo: gabrielsai / flickr, BY-NC-ND 2.0 -
Mie GorengFried noodles, the noodle counterpart to nasi goreng.Photo: Apple Jia / flickr, BY 2.0 -
Babi GulingBali's spit-roast suckling pig, worth flagging that it's a Balinese-Hindu dish and won't appear on Muslim-majority islands.Photo: Mira Pangkey / flickr, BY 2.0 -
BaksoMeatball soup, a street food staple sold from carts with a distinctive bell or knock to announce the vendor.Photo: granun / flickr, BY-NC 2.0
Visible turnover is a useful guide. Explain allergies carefully and carry a translated note when an ingredient could cause a serious reaction.
Hostels
Choose the atmosphere, not just the bed
What you want out of a hostel in Indonesia depends heavily on which island you're on – Bali and the Gilis have polished, social hostel chains, while Java and Sumatra lean more towards simple guesthouses.
Lushy Hostel Nusa Penida
Nusa Penida, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Lay Day Hostel Canggu
Canggu, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Lushy Hostel Canggu
Canggu, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Tipsea Turtle Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Pipes Hostel
Kuta Lombok, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Sunshine Vintage House
Ubud, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Lay Day Hostel Uluwatu
Uluwatu, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Puri Garden Hotel & Hostel
Ubud, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →Atlas Gili
Gili Trawangan, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →The Packer Lodge
Jakarta, IndonesiaProperty image from Hostelworld's official HOSCAR record.View photos and details →What you need to pack
Pack for the route, not every possibility
The gear you need depends on which islands and time of year you're covering, so run your dates through our trip planner for a kit list built around your exact route.
Climate and clothing
Heat and humidity are the constant here, so pack clothes that breathe and don't hold onto smell.
- A dry bag – essential for boat crossings between islands and any waterfall or diving days, keeps your phone and passport dry.
- A universal travel adapter and a power bank – Indonesia runs on Type C/F sockets at 230V, and power can be patchy on smaller islands.
- Run all of this through the trip planner to build a kit list matched to your specific islands and dates.
Rain and terrain
Choose footwear and weather protection for the terrain and season on your route.
- A reef-safe sunscreen – some of the marine parks (including Komodo) restrict or discourage regular sunscreen due to coral damage.
- Flip-flops or slides – for hostel showers and beach life, plus proper trail shoes if Rinjani, Bromo or Ijen are on the route.
- One more thing worth knowing: several of Bali's temples (and some elsewhere) also require a sash tied at the waist alongside covered shoulders and knees, sometimes available to borrow or rent at the entrance, but worth having your own if you're visiting several.
Hostels and travel days
Hostels and local laundrettes across the main islands offer cheap, quick laundry turnarounds, so you can pack light regardless of which route you take.
- DEET mosquito spray – Indonesia carries dengue and, in parts of Papua and rural areas, malaria risk, so this earns its space in your bag.
- Padlocks – for hostel lockers and securing bags on long bus or ferry journeys.
Activities and health
Add specialist equipment only for booked activities and current health guidance.
- A sarong – doubles as a temple cover (shoulders and knees need covering at most Balinese temples), a beach towel and an extra layer on an aircon-heavy overnight bus.
- A basic first aid kit – plasters, rehydration sachets and something for an upset stomach, given how far some routes are from a pharmacy.
Language
A few Bahasa Indonesia phrases go a long way
Given how many islands and ethnic groups make up the country, Bahasa Indonesia is the national lingua franca and the one worth learning some phrases in – it's understood everywhere, even where a regional language (Javanese, Balinese, Sundanese and hundreds more) is spoken at home.
| English | Say it in Bahasa Indonesia | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Hello | Halo | ha-loh |
| Goodbye | Selamat tinggal (seh-lah-mat ting-gal, said by the one leaving) / Selamat jalan | seh-lah-mat jah-lan, said by the one staying |
| Yes / No | Ya (yah) / Tidak | tee-dahk |
| How much? | Berapa? | buh-rah-pah |
| How are you? | Apa kabar? | ah-pah kah-bar |
| Please | Tolong | toh-long |
| Do you speak English? | Apakah Anda bisa berbahasa Inggris? | ah-pah-kah an-dah bee-sah ber-bah-hah-sah ing-gris |
| Help, please | Tolong bantu saya | toh-long ban-too sah-yah |
| Where are you from? | Anda dari mana? | an-dah dah-ree mah-nah |
| What is your name? / My name is... | Siapa nama Anda? / Nama saya... | see-ah-pah nah-mah an-dah / nah-mah sah-yah... |
| Thank you | Terima kasih | teh-ree-mah kah-seeh |
| Use the phrases respectfully: Worth knowing: Bahasa Indonesia's tourist-facing vocabulary can differ slightly island to island, but the phrases above will be understood anywhere in the country. | ||
Visa requirements
Check the rule for your passport
Entry rules depend on nationality, journey and length of stay. Confirm the current rule before booking, then check it again shortly before departure.
Check your exact requirements
Use Sherpa to review entry requirements for your passport and journey. Also confirm passport validity, permitted stay, proof of onward travel and any current arrival-form requirements.
Vaccinations
Make the advice fit your route
Vaccination and health advice depends on your route, duration, medical history and activities.
Review current CDC guidance
Read the current CDC Indonesia traveller guidance, then discuss personal recommendations with a qualified clinician.
Arrange appropriate travel insurance and keep policy details available offline. Consider the practical risks created by climate, altitude, insects, animals, water activities and road travel on your specific route.
Safety and common scams
Standard caution, specific habits
Indonesia is a welcoming country for solo travellers, and the well-trodden Bali-Gilis-Lombok-Java stretch sees huge numbers of backpackers pass through every year with no trouble.
Motorbike rental damage claims
Some rental shops claim pre-existing damage is new when you return the bike. Photograph the bike from every angle before you ride off, and use a shop with clear reviews.
Overpriced "friendly" guides at temples and volcanoes
Particularly around Bromo and Kelimutu, unofficial guides will approach offering to "help" for a fee well above the going rate. Book through your hostel or a known operator instead.
Fake diving/snorkelling operators
Especially around Komodo and the Gilis, unlicensed boats undercut on price but cut corners on safety equipment. Stick to operators with visible certification and good, recent reviews.
Overcharging on Bluebird taxi look-alikes
Bluebird is a well-regarded metered taxi company in Jakarta and Bali, but copycat cars with similar liveries and unmetered fares operate alongside them. Check for the Bluebird logo and a working meter, or use Gojek/Grab instead.
Currency confusion with zeros
The Rupiah's large denominations catch out plenty of new arrivals; double-check change carefully, especially with unofficial money changers offering rates that look too good.
Volcanic and seismic risk
Not a scam but worth stating plainly: Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, and both earthquakes and volcanic activity are real, ongoing risks. Follow local authority guidance and the MAGMA Indonesia app for real-time alerts if trekking near any active volcano.
None of this should put you off – just travel with the same awareness you would anywhere with this much ground to cover, and keep half an eye on local advisories as you move between islands.
Sources and feedback
Help us keep this guide useful
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