Indonesien

Though Ubud will always claim the limelight in this region, there are some minor players well worthy of attention. A day spent visiting the temples of Tampaksiring, pausing en route to indulge in a photographic frenzy at the famed Ceking rice terraces, is time well spent, and the same can be said for a visit to the many traditional artisans' villages south of Ubud, which are deservedly famous for the quality of their craftmanship. Basing yourself in Ubud, which is replete with alluring sleeping and eating options, is a no-brainer, but so too is hopping on a motorcycle or organising a car and driver to see the rest that this part of Bali has to offer. There may be few top-drawer sights, but there are many scenic side roads that amply reward exploration.

It takes determination to get to the Togean Islands – but it takes far more determination to leave. You'll hop from one forested golden-beach island to the next, where hammocks are plentiful, worries scarce and the welcome genuine. Most islands have only a few family-run guesthouses, while popular Kadidiri has a small but lively beach scene with night-time bonfires and cold beers all around.

Papua’s second-biggest city, Sorong sits at the northwestern tip of the Vogelkop. It’s a busy port and base for oil and logging operations in the region. Few travelers stay longer than it takes to get on a boat to the Raja Ampat Islands, but Sorong can be interesting for a day or two, and there are some worthwhile destinations in the surrounding region.

The Canggu region, north and west of Kerobokan, is Bali's fastest-growing area. Much of the growth is centred along the coast, anchored by the endless swathe of beach, which, despite rampant development, remains fairly uncrowded. Kerobokan morphs into Umalas inland and Canggu to the west, while neighbouring Echo Beach is a big construction site.

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.

While surfers have long flocked to the Mentawai Islands for its legendary waves, it's a destination that will also have a far-flung appeal to independent travellers, in particular for those wanting to meet the island's tattooed hunter-gatherer tribes. The islands' pristine beaches are also magnificent and as idyllic as any you'll find anywhere in Sumatra.

Once Jakarta's backpacker haven, the Jl Jaksa area is now at mid-gentrification stage. Old hostels and flophouses have been replaced with upscale condos and hotels. Its new diversity is reflected in the variety of eateries, both humble and exalted. But best of all, you're just a short walk from much of the best of what Jakarta has to offer.

As the economy of West Nusa Tenggara grows, west Lombok's biggest city, Mataram, grows along with it. Meanwhile the famed beach resort Senggigi continues in a 1990s time warp. The greatest allure is southwest of Lembar port, where the peninsula bends forward and back, the seas are placid and bucolic offshore islands beckon.

Den populära turistdestinationen Bali kommer inte öppna upp gränsen för turister under 2020. Det menar myndigheterna som pekar på ökade fall av Covid-19.

If Jakarta is Java’s financial and industrial powerhouse, Yogyakarta is its soul. Central to the island’s artistic and intellectual heritage, Yogyakarta (pronounced ‘Jogjakarta’ and called Yogya, 'Jogja', for short) is where the Javanese language is at its purest, the arts at their brightest and its traditions at their most visible.