Indonesien

There's something truly enchanting about Sumba. With its rugged, undulating savannah and low limestone hills growing maize and rice, it's nothing like Indonesia’s northern volcanic islands. Scattered throughout the countryside are hilltop villages with tall, symbolic grass roofs clustered around megalithic tombs, where nominally Protestant villagers still respect indigenous marapu (spiritual forces) with bloody sacrificial rites.

Floating in a turquoise sea and fringed by white sand and coconut palms, the Gilis are a vision of paradise. And they're booming like nowhere else in Indonesia – speedboats zip visitors directly from Bali and hip new hotels are rising like autumnal mushrooms.

Many tourists only experience the lush, volcanic panoramas of West Java (Jawa Barat) through the murky window of a lumbering bus or train, but this dramatic, diverse region has plenty to detain the inquisitive traveller who enjoys breaking away from the standard Java traveller circuit. Historically, it's known as Sunda, and its people and language are Sundanese.

Combining natural beauty, a warm local heart, and a palpable and fascinating history, this remote cluster of 10 picturesque islands isn't just Maluku’s choice travel destination, it's one of the best in Indonesia. Particularly impressive undersea drop-offs are vibrantly plastered with multicoloured coral gardens offering superlative snorkelling and diving. The central islands – Pulau Neira and Pulau Banda Besar (the great nutmeg island) – curl in picturesque crescents around a pocket-sized tropical Mt Fuji (Gunung Api, 656m).

The gritty but energetic metropolis of Makassar is one of Indonesia's primary ports. It's a seething maelstrom of commerce and shipping, with a polyglot population of Makassarese, Bugis and Chinese residents. But as the city has few sights, and the tropical heat and pollution are unremitting, travelers rarely stay long before moving on to regional destinations.

As beguiling, beach-blessed and downright blissful as its near neighbour Bali, Lombok is now much more than just a surfers' paradise.

It doesn't take much for West Timor to get under your skin. A smile in someone's direction will see their face erupt in one, too. It might reveal teeth stained red from chewing betel; one framed by wrinkles in the rugged countryside; or a yelp and wave from a music-thumping bemo in Kupang – the coastal capital and East Nusa Tenggara’s metropolis.

Sprawling, hectic and ever-growing, Bali's capital has been the focus of a lot of the island's growth and wealth over the last five decades. It can seem a daunting and chaotic place, but spend a little time on its tree-lined streets in the relatively affluent government and business district of Renon and you'll discover a more genteel side.

Few isles tempt the imagination with the lure of adventure quite like the wild land of Sumatra. An island of extraordinary beauty, it bubbles with life and vibrates under the power of nature. Eruptions, earthquakes and tsunamis are Sumatran headline-grabbers. Steaming volcanoes brew and bluster while standing guard over lakes that sleepily lap the edges of craters. Orangutan-filled jungles host not only our red-haired cousins, but also tigers, rhinos and elephants. And down at sea level, idyllic deserted beaches are bombarded by clear barrels of surf.

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.