Indonesien

If you’re seeking white sand, spectacular diving and surf, bubbling hot springs, majestic waterfalls and traditional villages – away from Bali-esque crowds – then Nusa Tenggara is your wonderland. Spreading west from the Wallace Line dividing Asia from Australasia, this archipelago is jungle-green in the north and tending to drier savannah in the south and east. In between are limitless surf breaks and barrels, technicolor volcanic lakes, pink-sand beaches, swaggering dragons and underwater worlds filled with color and creatures.

Crowded and frenetic, the swathe of south Bali hugging the amazing ribbon of beach that runs north almost from the airport is the place many travelers begin and end their visit to the island.

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.

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.

The contents of Sulawesi are as beguiling as its shape. Just as this splay-limbed tropical island was formed by the complex and sometimes violent connection of tectonic plates, its fascinating social fabric is the result of the complex and sometimes violent connection of ethnic groups, religions and ecosystems.

Fabulous Seminyak is the centre of life for hordes of the island's expats, many of whom own boutiques, design clothes, surf, or do seemingly nothing at all. It may be immediately north of Kuta and Legian, but in many respects, not the least of which is its intangible sense of style, Seminyak feels almost like it's on another island.

Gili Trawangan is a tropical playground of global renown, ranking alongside Bali and Borobudur as one of Indonesia's top destinations. Trawangan's heaving main drag, busy with bikes, cidomos and mobs of swimwear-clad visitors, can surprise those expecting a languid island retreat. Instead, a bustling string of lounge bars, hip guesthouses, ambitious restaurants, convenience stores and dive schools clamors for attention.

Flores, the island given a pretty but incongruous Portuguese name by its 16th-century colonists, has become Indonesia’s Next Big Thing. The serpentine, 670km Trans-Flores Hwy runs the length of the island, skirting knife-edge ridges, brushing by paddy-fringed villages and opening up dozens of areas few tourists explore.

Just beginning to appear on visitor itineraries, Nusa Penida still awaits proper discovery. It's an untrammeled place that answers the question: what would Bali be like if tourists never came? There are just a handful of formal activities and sights; instead, you go to Nusa Penida to explore and relax, to adapt to the slow rhythm of life here.

'Relaxed' is how people most often describe Lovina, and aside from the pushy touts, they are correct. This low-key, low-rise, low-priced beach resort town is a far cry from Kuta. The waves are calm, the beach thin and overamped attractions nil.