Roavina

Country guide

Indonesia

A photograph of Indonesia
Photograph · Thomas Fuhrmann · CC BY-SA 4.0

Indonesia is between 13,000 and 17,000 islands spread across 1,904,569 km2, the largest archipelagic state in the world, so the question is never what to see but which island to fly to. Over 280 million people live in its 38 provinces and more than half of them on Java alone, the most heavily populated island anywhere and the one carrying Jakarta, the world's most populous city. Sumatra, Sulawesi and the Indonesian portions of Borneo and New Guinea are each a separate trip, across wilderness supporting some of the highest biodiversity on earth. The gaps between them are measured in flights, not in drives.

Reviewed by Elena Voss · Roavina Travel Editor

Cities

Every city catalogued in this country so far, ranked by how much there is to see.

Practical information

Language spoken
Indonesian
National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code
+62
International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency
Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number
112 where available · 110 police
Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type
Type C and F · 230 V
Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water
Not recorded
No verified nationwide visitor drinking-water statement was recorded

Planning a visit

  1. January: no seasonality data recorded
  2. February: no seasonality data recorded
  3. March: no seasonality data recorded
  4. April: no seasonality data recorded
  5. May: no seasonality data recorded
  6. June: no seasonality data recorded
  7. July: no seasonality data recorded
  8. August: no seasonality data recorded
  9. September: no seasonality data recorded — this month
  10. October: no seasonality data recorded
  11. November: no seasonality data recorded
  12. December: no seasonality data recorded

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

  1. Jatiluwih Rice Terraces Jatiluwih Rice Terraces
    02 2 hours

    Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

    Terasering Jatiluwih

    Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, known locally as Terasering Jatiluwih, comprise an extensive agricultural landscape in the Tabanan Regency of Bali. The site represents a traditional subak irrigation system recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Denpasar
  2. Sunda Kelapa Harbour Sunda Kelapa Harbour
    03 2 hours

    Sunda Kelapa Harbour

    Pelabuhan Sunda Kelapa

    Sunda Kelapa Harbour is Jakarta's historic port district located in the northern part of the city along the Ciliwung River estuary.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Jakarta
  3. Goa Gajah Goa Gajah
    04 2 hours

    Goa Gajah

    Goa Gajah, also known as the Elephant Cave, is an archaeological site of significant historical importance located near Ubud in the Gianyar Regency area, commonly associated with greater Denpasar visits.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Denpasar
  4. Campuhan Ridge Walk Campuhan Ridge Walk
    05 2 hours

    Campuhan Ridge Walk

    Bukit Campuhan

    Campuhan Ridge Walk, known locally as Bukit Campuhan, is a popular walking trail located in the Ubud area on the outskirts of Denpasar's broader region.

    • Must see
    • Activity
    • Denpasar
  5. Glodok Chinatown Glodok Chinatown
    06 2 hours

    Glodok Chinatown

    Glodok is Jakarta's historic Chinatown and a living commercial and religious district within the old Batavia area. Chinese-Indonesian communities have shaped its markets, temples, food culture and trading streets over centuries.

    • Must see
    • Historic monument
    • Jakarta
  6. National Library of Indonesia National Library of Indonesia
    07 1 hr 30 min

    National Library of Indonesia

    The National Library of Indonesia is the country’s national library and a public research institution in central Jakarta. Its visitor-services building stands at Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan No.

    • Must see
    • Art and culture venue
    • Jakarta
  7. Neka Art Museum Neka Art Museum
    08 1 hr 30 min

    Neka Art Museum

    Museum Seni Neka

    The Neka Art Museum, known locally as Museum Seni Neka, is an art museum located in Ubud, within the broader Denpasar region of Bali, Indonesia.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Denpasar
  8. Agung Rai Museum of Art Agung Rai Museum of Art
    09 1 hr 30 min

    Agung Rai Museum of Art

    Museum Seni Agung Rai

    The Agung Rai Museum of Art, known locally as Museum Seni Agung Rai, is an art museum located in Ubud, within the broader Denpasar metropolitan area of Bali, Indonesia.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Denpasar
  9. National Museum of Indonesia National Museum of Indonesia
    10 1 hr 30 min

    National Museum of Indonesia

    Museum Nasional Indonesia

    The National Museum of Indonesia, known locally as Museum Nasional Indonesia, stands as one of Jakarta's most prominent cultural institutions. Located in Central Jakarta, it houses extensive collections representing Indonesia's archaeological, historical, ethnographic, and geographical heritage.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  10. Jakarta History Museum Jakarta History Museum
    11 1 hr 30 min

    Jakarta History Museum

    Museum Sejarah Jakarta

    The Jakarta History Museum, locally known as Museum Sejarah Jakarta, is a museum housed in the former Stadhuis of Batavia, the colonial town hall of Dutch East India Company era.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  11. Bali Museum Bali Museum
    12 1 hr 30 min

    Bali Museum

    Museum Bali

    The Bali Museum is a provincial museum located in Denpasar, the capital city of Bali, Indonesia. It stands as one of the island's oldest museums, established during the early twentieth century.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Denpasar
  12. Maritime Museum Maritime Museum
    13 1 hr 30 min

    Maritime Museum

    Museum Bahari

    The Maritime Museum, known locally as Museum Bahari, occupies a historic site in Jakarta's old Sunda Kelapa harbor area. The museum celebrates Indonesia's seafaring traditions and maritime heritage in a city shaped by centuries of ocean trade.

    • Must see
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  13. Wayang Museum Wayang Museum
    14 1 hr 30 min

    Wayang Museum

    The Wayang Museum, locally named Museum Wayang, is a cultural institution in Jakarta dedicated to the traditional Indonesian art of shadow puppetry.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  14. Textile Museum Textile Museum
    15 1 hr 30 min

    Textile Museum

    Museum Tekstil

    The Museum Tekstil in Jakarta is a museum dedicated to Indonesia's rich textile heritage. It occupies a historic colonial-era building that once served as a private residence.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  15. Bank Mandiri Museum Bank Mandiri Museum
    16 1 hr 30 min

    Bank Mandiri Museum

    Museum Bank Mandiri

    Bank Mandiri Museum, or Museum Bank Mandiri, occupies a historic building in Jakarta and presents the city’s banking heritage. Its story follows Bank Mandiri and its predecessor institutions, placing financial development within Indonesia’s wider social and economic history.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  16. Indonesia Museum Indonesia Museum
    17 1 hr 30 min

    Indonesia Museum

    Museum Indonesia

    The Museum Indonesia, known locally as Museum Indonesia, is a cultural institution located in Jakarta. It forms part of the Taman Mini Indonesia Indah complex, a large cultural park showcasing Indonesian provincial cultures.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  17. Le Mayeur Museum Le Mayeur Museum
    18 1 hr 30 min

    Le Mayeur Museum

    musuem le mayeur

    Le Mayeur Museum is the former home and studio of Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merprès on Sanur Beach in Denpasar.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Denpasar
  18. Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi
    19 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi

    The Museum of the Proclamation Drafting, or Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi, commemorates the preparation of Indonesia's 1945 independence proclamation.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  19. Museum of National Awakening Museum of National Awakening
    20 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of National Awakening

    Museum Kebangkitan Nasional

    The National Awakening Museum occupies the preserved STOVIA school building, a landmark site in Indonesian history. STOVIA, the School tot Opleiding van Inlandsche Artsen, trained indigenous medical students during the colonial period.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  20. Taman Prasasti Museum Taman Prasasti Museum
    21 1 hr 30 min

    Taman Prasasti Museum

    Museum Taman Prasasti

    Taman Prasasti Museum is a heritage cemetery museum in Jakarta, Indonesia. Originally established as a colonial burial ground, it was converted into an open-air museum displaying historic tombstones, funerary monuments, and antique hearses.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  21. Museum Bank Indonesia Museum Bank Indonesia
    22 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Bank Indonesia

    The Bank Indonesia Museum occupies a historic colonial building in Jakarta's Old Town area. It serves as a museum dedicated to the history of Indonesia's central bank and the broader narrative of banking and finance in the Indonesian archipelago.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  22. Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara
    23 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara

    Museum MACAN

    Museum MACAN—Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Nusantara—is Jakarta's major institution for modern and contemporary Indonesian and international art. Its purpose-built galleries present the collection alongside temporary exhibitions, commissions, performance and education programmes.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  23. Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum
    24 1 hr 30 min

    Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum

    Museum Purna Bhakti Pertiwi

    Purna Bhakti Pertiwi Museum, also called Museum Purna Bhakti Pertiwi, is a cultural museum in Jakarta and a listed destination in Indonesia’s tourism landscape. The museum forms part of the capital’s wider group of heritage and cultural attractions.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  24. Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani Museum Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani Museum
    25 1 hr 30 min

    Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani Museum

    Museum Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani

    Sasmita Loka Ahmad Yani Museum is a Jakarta memorial museum devoted to General Ahmad Yani, an Indonesian national hero. It occupies the former residence where he lived before his death during the 1965 coup attempt.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  25. Indonesian Hakka Museum Indonesian Hakka Museum
    26 1 hr 30 min

    Indonesian Hakka Museum

    Museum Hakka Indonesia

    Hakka Museum, also known as Museum Hakka Indonesia, is a cultural institution inside Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta. It focuses on the migration history, community life, and cultural contributions of Hakka Chinese Indonesians.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  26. Youth Pledge Museum Youth Pledge Museum
    27 1 hr 30 min

    Youth Pledge Museum

    Museum Sumpah Pemuda

    Youth Pledge Museum, also known as Museum Sumpah Pemuda, is a Jakarta museum centered on the Youth Pledge made by Indonesian youth representatives at the Second Youth Congress on 28 October 1928.

    • High
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  27. Ragunan Zoo Ragunan Zoo
    28 1 hr 30 min

    Ragunan Zoo

    Kebun Binatang Ragunan

    Ragunan Zoo is Jakarta's large municipal zoological park, combining animal care, conservation education and public recreation across extensive tropical grounds.

    • High
    • Family attraction
    • Jakarta
  28. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
    29 2 hours

    Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

    Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is a large cultural park in East Jakarta that presents the diversity of Indonesian provinces through pavilions, architecture, and traditional displays.

    • High
    • Entertainment venue
    • Jakarta
  29. Ancol Dreamland Ancol Dreamland
    30 2 hours

    Ancol Dreamland

    Taman Impian Jaya Ancol

    Ancol Dreamland, known locally as Taman Impian Jaya Ancol, is a large integrated recreational complex situated along Jakarta's northern coastline. The area functions as Jakarta's primary seaside entertainment destination, combining multiple attractions within a single managed zone.

    • High
    • Entertainment venue
    • Jakarta
  30. Ancol Dreamland Theme Park Ancol Dreamland Theme Park
    31 2 hours

    Ancol Dreamland Theme Park

    Dunia Fantasi

    Dunia Fantasi is a theme park located within the Ancol Dreamland complex in Jakarta, Indonesia. It is one of the city's prominent recreational destinations, offering various attractions and entertainment options for visitors.

    • Notable
    • Entertainment venue
    • Jakarta
  31. Atlantis Water Adventures Atlantis Water Adventures
    32 1 hr 30 min

    Atlantis Water Adventures

    Atlantis Water Adventures is a water-based leisure attraction in Jakarta. It offers a break from the capital’s streets and suits travelers looking for an active day centred on swimming and aquatic recreation.

    • Notable
    • Family attraction
    • Jakarta
  32. Monumen Pancasila Sakti Monumen Pancasila Sakti
    33 1 hr 30 min

    Monumen Pancasila Sakti

    The Pancasila Sakti Monument and Museum, known locally as Monumen Pancasila Sakti, forms part of the Lubang Buaya memorial complex in Jakarta. The site commemorates the events of 30 September 1965, when seven Indonesian National Army officers were killed.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  33. Museum Keprajuritan Indonesia Museum Keprajuritan Indonesia
    34 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Keprajuritan Indonesia

    The Indonesian Soldiers Museum, locally called Museum Keprajuritan Indonesia, is a fortress-like museum within Taman Mini Indonesia Indah in Jakarta.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  34. Museum Listrik dan Energi Baru Museum Listrik dan Energi Baru
    35 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Listrik dan Energi Baru

    The Electricity and New Energy Museum, locally called Museum Listrik dan Energi Baru, introduces visitors to electrical power and newer energy technologies in Jakarta. It is a focused educational attraction rather than an art gallery or general history museum.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  35. Museum of Fine Art and Ceramics Museum of Fine Art and Ceramics
    36 1 hr 30 min

    Museum of Fine Art and Ceramics

    Museum Seni Rupa dan Keramik

    The Fine Art and Ceramics Museum, known locally as Museum Seni Rupa dan Keramik, is a cultural institution in Jakarta dedicated to Indonesian visual arts and ceramic heritage.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  36. Museum Pusaka Museum Pusaka
    37 1 hr 30 min

    Museum Pusaka

    Heirlooms Museum, also known locally as Museum Pusaka, is a keris-shaped museum inside Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) in Jakarta. Its subject is Indonesia’s traditional weapon heritage, with the keris as the central object and architectural symbol.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  37. Police Museum Police Museum
    38 1 hr 30 min

    Police Museum

    Museum Polri

    The Indonesian National Police Museum, also known locally as Museum Polri, presents the history and institutional development of Indonesia’s national police. In Jakarta, it offers travelers a focused look at the people, objects, and cases connected with policing in Indonesia.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta
  38. The Satria Mandala Museum and the Purbawisesa Waspada Museum The Satria Mandala Museum and the Purbawisesa Waspada Museum
    39 1 hr 30 min

    The Satria Mandala Museum and the Purbawisesa Waspada Museum

    Museum Satria Mandala

    Satriamandala Museum, also known as Museum Satria Mandala, is a Jakarta military history museum dedicated to Indonesia’s armed forces heritage. It combines indoor historical displays with an institutional memorial setting and outdoor military equipment.

    • Notable
    • Museum
    • Jakarta

Source: OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata ·

Common questions

How long should a first trip to Indonesia be?

Ten to fourteen days is enough for Bali plus one nearby island or for a focused Java route, not for the whole archipelago. Every added island introduces an airport or harbour transfer, so choose regions first and count transfer days before assigning sightseeing.

What entry documents are needed for Indonesia?

Indonesia Immigration’s official eVisa service is the source for passport eligibility, visa class and stay conditions. Complete any required arrival formalities through government channels and verify the authorised entry point; a Bali-focused commercial site is not evidence of national admission rules.

What is the best way to travel around Indonesia?

Flights bridge distant islands, Java has useful rail corridors, and ferries, buses or local boats complete many regional legs. Check the licensed operator and weather before sea travel, and leave recovery time when an island connection precedes an international departure.

When is a practical time to visit Indonesia?

Dry-season timing varies across Indonesia, although much of Java and Bali is commonly easier from roughly May to September. Sumatra, Sulawesi and eastern islands can follow different rainfall patterns, so select dates for the chosen islands rather than the country name.

What money and payment basics apply in Indonesia?

Indonesia uses the rupiah, and large IDR figures make digit checking important. Keep cash for markets, drivers and smaller islands, use bank-linked machines where available, and confirm whether an accommodation or boat quote includes taxes and local charges.

What practical safety details should I save for Indonesia?

The recorded emergency contacts are 112 where available and 110 for police; electricity is Type C and F at 230 V. Tap-water safety is Not recorded, so rely on local official or accommodation guidance and verify emergency coverage on remote islands.