Indonesia has a lot of places to see and to explore. Mountains, undersea world, villages, and cities. You can never get enough of this country. Quoted from C’ n S Magazine here are some places in Indonesia which is worth your visit.
Sabang A Places to Start
These are loads of interesting places to visit on the island. The first must-visit places is Indonesia Zero Kilometer Monument. The monument shows the most western point of Indonesia. Besides this monument, white and black sandy beaches with japanese forts scattered over some parts of the beaches are very tempting. Beaches like Gapang, Iboih, and Sumur Tiga are some of the most popular beaches. Need a different place? Pria Laot Waterfall is worth visiting. The city of Sabang is also interesting to explore. One thing you should know the most of the stores in this city are closed during midday and open again in the late afternoon until evening.
Snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing, and swimming are some favorite activities to do there. Getting bored playing with water ? Trekking, bird watching, and enjoying the cool tropical forest along the way to Pria Laot Waterfall and near the Iboih Beach are good ideas.
Krakatoa A Dangerously Beautiful Place
Krakatoa is a volcanic island in the sunda strait between java and sumatra. The name is used for both the volcano and the island group. Its 1883 eruption was one of the largest eruptions in history. It collapsed two-thirds of the island.
Uniquely, in 1927. near the old mountain, a new cone started to form in the center of the 1883 caldera. The new cone is called Anak Krakatau (The Child of Krakatoa) which grows about 5 meters every year.
Anak Krakatau gives the same sensation as other volcanoes. It contains a strong sulphur smell that you experience even before you reach the island. Clim the mountain and get the sensation of standing on one of more than 100 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Not only the mountain, but also the underwater scene in the surroundings of Krakatoa is beautiful.
Pontianak More Than Just an Equator City
As one of the equator cities in indonesia, Pontianak, is very special. At one time in March and September, the sun reaches its highest point there. At such a time, people in this city celebrate and enjoy a 5-minute shadowless moment.
Pontianak is like melting pot of several ethnic groups such as the Malayan, Dayak, and Chinese. The mixture can be seen in the interesting culture we can find there Malayan architecture is visible here and there in the city, including on the river banks of Kapuas. Chinese-style buildings can also be spotted in the city. Dayak touches can be found in some buildings. If you are willing to travel a bit further, you can visit Saham village, one of the Dayak villages nearest to Pontianak.
The best time to visit this city is 15 days after Chinese New Year, so you can enjoy the Cap Go Meh celebration – a unique Chinese tradition that is well-celebrated in Pontianak and Singkawang (a small city near Pontianak)
Selayar A Beautiful Island in South Sulawesi
In the Flores Sea between Sulawesi and Flores lies Selayar island and 72 smaller islands. People on selayar mostly work as farmers, fishermen, traders, salt makers, and cloth weavers. This island has fertile soil. It exports raw and prepared cotton, tobacco, sea cucumber, tortoise-shell, salt, coconut, and coconut oil.
Even though the fertile land of Selayar is very alluring. The sea surrounding the island is the main attraction for tourists. The coral reefs in this area are breathtaking. An even more exciting water sport is wreck driving. You can explore sunken boats, ships, cargos, and wrecks of bombers here, all of which are now the home of colorful fish.
Loksado White Water Extreme
If you happen to visit Kalimantan Selatan, save some time to visit Loksado in Kabupaten Hulu Sungai Selatan. Loksado is located in a remote area, about 7-hour drive from Banjarmasin.
In Loksado you can visit some long houses and interact with the Dayak people who still practice their long-time traditions. If you are lucky, you can witness the Dayak Malaris, who live not far from the Armandit River, perform a traditional ceremony.
But the highlight activity that you can do here is white-water rafting on Armandit River. Not the usual white-water rafting on rubber raft, but on a handmade bamboo raft. The raft is made of 15-20 bamboo poles. One raft can accomodate 3-4 people. This activity is really worth trying !
Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan The Three-in-One Beauty
When people talk about Nusa Penida, they usually refer to these three small islands : Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan. These three islands can be reached by a public boat from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan or from Padang Bay to Nusa Penida.
During the reign of the Gelgel dynasty. Nusa Penida was used as a prison. This area is not-so-rich district. The thin layer of soil and lack of fresh water make it difficult for the people to farm.
Despite the less fortunate land condition, these three islands have a stunning underwater view from colorful coral reefs, big fish like sharks, mola-molas, and mantas to small fish, such as the clown fish and dori to unique animals like nudibranches.
Papua The Easternmost Point of Indonesia
They are blessed with enormous natural resources, friendly people, and beautiful views. Fly (not soo high) above the region, and you’ll see vast green forests and the clear blue sky under and around you. Stand on one of the beautiful beaches, and clear blue water and colorful fish will welcome you.
Among the many interesting places that Papua offers is Raja Ampat. which is famous for its amazingly beautiful underwater life and pristine beaches. Newt are Wamena and Lembah Baliem, where you can learn about the local tribes and enjoy Lembah Baliem Festival, LOrentz National Park and its Puncak Jaya (previously Carstensz Pyramid) – the only peak in the equator that has snow – Wasur National Park to see ant houses taller than an adult, small kangaroos, and other things. But of all the place choices to visit, don’t miss jayapura, because it’s not only the capital city, it’s also one of the easternmost cities of Indonesia where you can pose with one leg in Indonesia and the other one in Papua New Guinea !