Indonesia, the most unforgetable place!

Regal Pura (temple) Ulun Danu Bratan reflected in the lake near Candikuning

Balmy breezes, silky sand and the occasional Komodo Dragon.

Adventure looms large in this vast and steamy archipelago, where the best of southeast Asia's spicy melange simmers tantalisingly. Heady scents, vivid colours, dramatic vistas and diverse cultures spin and multiply, their potent brew leaving your senses reeling.

Young girls in temple procession on the way to Ubud

The Pandawa brothers, traditional wayang kulit (leather shadow puppets) play

West Javanese dishes, including karedok (salad with bean sprouts)

Indonesia's cities are in a constant state of urban evolution, where dense populations, technology and construction live in hectic symbiosis. But most of the archipelago's territory remains unexplored, concealing a wealth of cultures and a myriad of landscapes.

Crowds of people shop in the cool air of the night market


Imposing Buddha at Borobudur Temple


Dancer performs the Topeng dance resplendent in traditional dress


Drivers and their bajajs , a three-wheeled mini motor-cab


Exotic spices fill the shops with a heady scent


Aptly-named Turquoise Lake and Green Lake in volcanic craters, Kelimutu

Sumatra, dreams of jungle!

Batak house, with characteristic pointed roof, Lake Toba, northern Sumatra

However fevered your dreams of the jungle, Sumatra will surpass them.

Sumatra is as rugged as it gets. Thick rainforests cascade like water down towering peaks. Jungle treks are a struggle with gravity and mud. But rewards are plentiful: the world's largest flower, one of the last remaining enclaves of orang-utans, or the sulfur-spouting crater of a resting volcano.

Sumatra is rich in natural resources (timber, gas and oil), but very little of the profits are reinvested in the island's economy. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 and earthquake in 2005 levelled large parts of Aceh and Nias, respectively, and rebuilding infrastructure and livelihoods is slow going.

Orangutan, an endangered species, at Bohorok Orangutan Viewing Centre

Small mountains of fruit for sale at market stall, Bukittinggi, west Sumatra

Ferry on Danau Toba, largest lake in Southeast Asia, northern Sumatra

Mentawai tribal medicine man making beads, Siberut Island, western Sumatra

Surfers find some of world's best breaking waves at Teluk Lagundri, Pulau Nias

Spicy Padang dishes, including rendang buffalo in coconut milk

Lombok, Best beachside!

Tourist resort town of Senggigi Beach

Beach-side serenity in the shade of a majestic volcano.

Less developed than Bali, Lombok has better beaches, a bigger volcano and more varied landscapes. Tourism is still low key, and many visitors are independent travellers drawn by the island's intoxicating diving and snorkelling, hiking and surf spots, as well as Lombok's intriguing endemic culture.

Men preparing food before Nyunatang circumcision rite

Sharks' view of outrigger fishing boats, Bali Sea

Musicians playing calung , a kind of bamboo tube xylophone, Pacun

Unsatisfied looking man at Dragon Springs

Jackfruit soup at Lena's Restaurant, Senggi

Java, Beautiful island.

Buddha on top of enormous Borobudur Temple, built between 750 and 850 AD

You can ricochet from village life to MTV on this beautiful island.

The most developed island in the Indonesian archipelago, Java exhibits all the characteristics of an Asian society experiencing rapid transition: great wealth and equal squalor; beautiful open country and filthy cities; tranquil rural scenes and streets choked with traffic.

The Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their zenith on Java, producing architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan. Islam, following on after this, absorbed rather than erased local cultures, leaving Java with a mish-mash of historic influences and religions.

Surfing at dawn, Grajagan Surf Camp, East Java

Just the spot for cocktails: Majapahit Hotel, Surabaya

One of more than 3000 stone wall carving panels on Borobudur Temple

Mount Bromo at dawn, looking rather evil

Boy racing pony on Parangtritis Beach, Central Java

Boy in becak (three wheeled bicycle cab), Yogyakarta

Jakarta pulses with vibrant contrasts and crazy, crazy traffic.

Night view of Jalan Thamrin Avenue, central Jakarta

If you can stand its pollution, and if you can afford to indulge in its charms, then Jakarta is one of the region's most exciting metropolises. Consider Jakarta the 'big durian' - the foul-smelling exotic fruit that some can't stomach and others can't resist.

Once saddled with a reputation as a poverty-ridden hell hole, Jakarta mutated into an Asian boom town in not much more than a decade. Reduced by the 1998 riots to a burnt-out shell, it remains very much at the centre of political events re-shaping Indonesia.

Wayang Golek rod puppets, used to tell stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata

View of Sunda Kelapa from old port watchtower

Istiqial Mosque, biggest in all Southeast Asia

Arjuna, the archer, and Krishna, god of transcendental self, downtown Jakarta

Candles and incense burn on main altar, Vihara Dharma Bkakti Buddhist temple

Open air pasar ikan (fish market) in Sumba Kelapa

Lush and linguid, Bali

Worshippers congregating at Tanah Lot sea temple

Enchanted Bali with its beach-side charms!

Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean.

Recent tragic events have scared away many of those who simply saw Bali as a place for cheap beer. While the Bintang is still tasty and plentiful, Bali's temples, ceremonies, beaches, mountains and passion for life are undiminished and more easily enjoyed than ever.

Sunset over Gunung Agung, Bali's highest and most revered mountain

Old Mask Dance performed at Ubud Palace

Decorated boats lend a magical air to Jimbaran Bay

Ideal setting to linger over breakfast in tranquil Ubud

Basketware for sale in sunny Ubud