Indonesia

Indonesia defies summary: 17,000 islands straddling the equator, 700 languages, and landscapes that swing from active volcanoes to coral reefs within a single day's travel. Bali remains the gateway — Ubud's rice terraces and yoga retreats, Seminyak's beach clubs, Uluwatu's clifftop temple ceremonies, and the volcanic sunrise trek up Mount Batur draw millions each year, yet the island still reveals quiet corners to those who explore.

Java packs cultural heavyweights into the most densely populated island on earth: the Buddhist masterpiece of Borobudur, the Hindu temples of Prambanan, the smouldering crater of Mount Bromo at dawn, and the volcanic-blue flames of Ijen. Yogyakarta anchors it all with batik workshops, shadow puppet performances, and the sultan's kraton palace. Jakarta, the megacity capital, rewards with street food, nightlife, and the colonial remnants of Kota Tua.

Beyond Bali and Java, the archipelago unfurls into wilder territory. Komodo National Park shelters the world's largest lizard and some of the planet's best dive sites. Lombok's Mount Rinjani offers a gruelling but spectacular crater-lake trek. Sulawesi's Toraja highlands host elaborate funeral ceremonies, Raja Ampat in West Papua harbours the richest marine biodiversity on earth, and Sumatra's Bukit Lawang lets you trek alongside wild orangutans in the Gunung Leuser rainforest.