I have been fascinated to Indonesia since long. I got a chance to visit Indonesia last year and visited Bali, Flores island and Komodo Island. It was a wonderful trip for six nights and seven days.

Beautiful skies and clear water

We had gone to Indonesia through Malaysia airlines. The first stopover was at the Kuala Lumpur airport. From Kuala Lumpur we reached Bali and spent a night at Hotel Mercure Grand. Next day we headed to Flores island to witness Tour De Flores, cycle competition! I was thrilled to first time see cyclists pass by and the enthusiasm of public.

We had gone to Komodo Island by speedboat. The experience of seeing the Komodo dragon was incredible. We observed a male and a female Komodo dragon for an hour and also followed a little Komodo dragon that ran away after after seeing us. It was a good learning as well as some thrilling experience for us! I had always imagined and heard about dragons in my story books and was fascinated by the fact that Dragon still exist in Indonesia.

Ramayana at Uluwutu Temple

Hanuman burning Lanka

We had also gone to see the pink Beach which is called the same because when waves touch the sand, it turns pink. That was my first mind blowing experience to see a sand turn pink at wave touch!

My experience is not enough to cover full Indonesia. With 17,000 islands, it can never be completely enjoyed even in 3-4 trips.

10 most important things to do in Indonesia

1. Visit Bali and see Sarasvati Temple, Uluwutu temple and must watch Ramayana play to understand cultural and historical aspects. Do surfing at Kuta beach. Visit Monkey Forest
   

   Cultural and Historical Heritage

2. Visit the island where Komodo dragons are found. You need to follow safety precautions from the authorities. We had gone to Komodo island
   

   Komodo dragon

3. Witness golden divine hours views (sunrise/sunsets) from volcanoes and craters
4. Visit Mount Agung, the volcanic mountain which is the highest point in Bali. This mountain has a Hindu legendary connection and is worth visiting
   

   View of Mount. Agung as taken from the Aeroplane

5. Experiencing Pink Beach is a must
6. Do water sports like snorkeling, deep sea diving from famous spots like Raja Ampat. Kelore Island is ideal for snorkeling for beginners this I can say because I am a beginner and was totally loving the experience in crystal clear waters. Go to another island on speed boat as you would get stunning views of little islands on the way with lush green plants and trees.
   

   Surfing

7. Lake Toba is famous because of its majestic size. Its the world’s largest crater lake. One can do many activities in the crystal clear water there
8. Gili Islands are very small reflecting the meaning of their name. No automobiles are allowed there. It’s a great place to visit
9. Regarding shopping, Seminyak Market offers some good clothing. Seafood of Indonesia is fantastic! Try different sea food! My colleagues loved the variety of sea food that was offered. The vegetarian food is also delicious. I loved the food there                                                             
10. Last but not the least, Bali is famous for spa therapies. You must not miss a session of spa there and a chance to relax and rejuvinate

How to reach Indonesia

There are many destination combinations from which one can opt for. My colleagues had also come from Mumbai. The first stopover was at the Kuala Lumpur airport. One can even fly from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore and combine the visit to Indonesia , Malaysia and Singapore. There are of course direct flights from Delhi to Singapore and Mumbai to Singapore flight . I was lured to visit Singapore as the tickets from there were only for Rs.3000. Although I didn’t go due to time constraints. So one has many options to choose from and make a visit to a combination of destinations. Combination travel is always advisable due to it being cost effective and if one has enough time.

Hope you liked my article. Feel free to add more things to do which you feel are a must do.

Nidhi KM

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