Indonesien

Look towards the open ocean southeast of Bali and the hazy bulk of Nusa Penida dominates the view. But for many visitors the real focus is Nusa Lembongan, which sits in the shadow of its vastly larger neighbour. Here, there's great surfing, amazing diving, languorous beaches and the kind of laid-back vibe travellers cherish.

With leafy, colonial-era boulevards and a breezy climate, Malang moves at a far more leisurely pace than the regional capital, Surabaya. It’s a cultured city with several important universities, and is home to a large student population. The central area is not too large and is quite walkable.

In Sumatra Barat (West Sumatra), fertile uplands ring jungle-clad volcanoes, waterfalls cascade into deep ravines and nature takes a breath in deep, still lakes. Rainforest still clings to the steepest slopes, while rice, tapioca, cinnamon and coffee bring in the wealth.

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.

Continuing seamlessly north from Seminyak, Kerobokan combines some of Bali's best restaurants and shopping, lavish lifestyles and still more beach. Glossy new resorts mix with villa developments. One notable landmark is the notorious Kerobokan Prison.

Together with Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Bagan in Myanmar, Borobudur ranks as one of the great cultural icons of Southeast Asia. Looming above a patchwork of bottle-green paddy fields and slivers of tropical forest, this colossal Buddhist monument has survived volcanic eruptions, terrorist attack and the 2006 earthquake. The last caused considerable damage, but thankfully this most enigmatic of temples has remained undiminished in scale and beauty.

'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.

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.

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.

East Java (Jawa Timur) is a wild, rolling region of dizzying peaks, smoking volcanoes and unspoilt panoramas. Dotted across this landscape you'll discover ancient temples being swallowed by a riot of vegetation, national parks where growls, barks, and squawks echo from the undergrowth, and stunning beaches with world-class surfing.