Indonesien

Just across the water from Singapore, Pulau Bintan has some of the nicest white-sand beaches in Sumatra. While it markets itself as a high-end playground for well-heeled visitors from Singapore and beyond, there is some affordable accommodation too.

Bandung is a city of punks and prayer, serious religion and serious coffee. Here are teeming markets and good shopping, thriving cafes in reclaimed Dutch colonial buildings, palpable warmth and camaraderie on street corners, and traffic everywhere you look. Almost everything great and terrible about Indonesia can be found in Bandung. You may be troubled by the young teens smoking and systemic poverty, and nod with respect at the city's thriving art, shopping and cafe scene. Yes, Bandung has everything, except nature, and after the bottle-green hills of Cibodas, the sprawling bulk of Bandung is quite the urban reality check. But even if the local mountains are cloaked in smog, the city does make a good base for day trips to the surrounding countryside – high volcanic peaks, hot springs and tea plantations are all within reach.

If a centre for this sprawling city had to be chosen, then Merdeka Square (Lapangan Merdeka) would be the bullseye, with the national monument (Monas) being the dart. This huge grassy expanse is home to the first president of Indonesia's gift to the nation (Monas), and is surrounded by good museums and some fine colonial-era buildings. This part of Jakarta is not about atmospheric streets or peculiar sights; rather it's the political centre and where the nation makes a statement about its stature and prominence.

The sparsely populated Raja Ampat Islands comprise more than 1500 islands just off Sorong. With their sublime scenery of steep, jungle-covered islands, fine white-sand beaches, hidden lagoons, spooky caves, weird mushroom-shaped islets and pellucid turquoise waters, Raja Ampat is without question one of the most beautiful island chains in the world.

Manado is a prosperous, well serviced and friendly place, with a decent selection of comfortable hotels and excellent dining options. The waterfront is one nearly continuous mall, perhaps a testament to the city's relative affluence, and the streets are one nearly continuous traffic jam.

Om du ska besöka någon av dessa 10 flygplatser kan det vara en god idé att packa ner en extra dos tålamod i handbagaget. Risken för en försening är nämligen överhängande.

You won't have seen Bali if you haven't fully explored south Bali. The island's capital, Denpasar, sprawls in all directions from the centre with traditional markets, busy malls, great eating and lashings of Balinese history and culture, even as it threatens to absorb Seminyak, Kuta and Sanur.

Ubud is a place where traditional Balinese culture imbues every waking moment, colorful offerings adorn the streets, and the hypnotic strains of gamelan are an ever-present soundtrack to everyday life.

Kalimantan – the expansive Indonesian part of Borneo – is an adventure in every sense of the word. Remote jungle, snaking rivers and interior mountains serve up endless opportunities for epic rainforest hiking, while its cities are low-key and little visited by Indonesian standards. You can travel here for weeks without meeting another foreigner, and at least some knowledge of Bahasa Indonesia is recommended.

Tanjung Puting is the most popular tourist destination in Kalimantan, and for good reason. A near guarantee that you'll see free-roaming orang-utans, combined with a storybook journey up a winding jungle river, gives this adventure world-class appeal. And though remote, the park is easily reached via direct flights from Jakarta and Surabaya.