The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago stretching along the equator, which is popularly known as “The String of Emeralds on the equator” and covers a vast number of islands and islets extending between latitudes 6° north and 11° degrees south, and longitudes 95° west and 141° east. It stands like a sentry guarding the sea avenues that link the Pacific with the Indian Ocean and also as a bridge linking Asia in the northwest with Australia in the southeast.

The Indonesian archipelago is the largest in the world from a single state. It consists, according to the current official account, of 17,508 islands and islets of which about 6,000 are inhabited. It has a total land surface of 5,193, 166 sq kl and the third largest country in Asia, both in terms of population and area after China and India. Indonesia’s national territory consists of 84% sea and only 16% land. The five biggest islands are Kalimantan (539,460 sq km), Sumatra (473,606 sq km), Irian Jaya (421,952 sq km), Sulawesi (189,035 sq km) and Java (including Madura 132,035 sq km). The country is divided into 31 provinces, each province is administered by a governor. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia. It is Special District and is administered by a governor. The city has at present a population of about 10 million.
The Republic of Indonesia is an archipelago stretching along the equator, which is popularly known as “The String of Emeralds on the equator” and covers a vast number of islands and islets extending between latitudes 6° north and 11° degrees south, and longitudes 95° west and 141° east. It stands like a sentry guarding the sea avenues that link the Pacific with the Indian Ocean and also as a bridge linking Asia in the northwest with Australia in the southeast.

The Indonesian archipelago is the largest in the world from a single state. It consists, according to the current official account, of 17,508 islands and islets of which about 6,000 are inhabited. It has a total land surface of 5,193, 166 sq kl and the third largest country in Asia, both in terms of population and area after China and India. Indonesia’s national territory consists of 84% sea and only 16% land. The five biggest islands are Kalimantan (539,460 sq km), Sumatra (473,606 sq km), Irian Jaya (421,952 sq km), Sulawesi (189,035 sq km) and Java (including Madura 132,035 sq km). The country is divided into 31 provinces, each province is administered by a governor. Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia. It is Special District and is administered by a governor. The city has at present a population of about 10 million.

Because the greater part of the country is located within the boundaries of the equatorial tropical rain belt, Indonesia has a characteristically tropical climate. Two seasons prevail – dry and wet season. In most areas, the rainy seasons start in December and last until March, while the dry seasons start around May and last until October.

Indonesia is also known as the home of a range of fascinating flora and fauna, which include the world’s biggest flower, Rafflesia, the great green-winged Ornithoptera (princes among the butterflies), the man-like orangutan and the gorgeous Birds of Paradise.

The Rafflesia

Indonesia also has the giant lizards of Komodo, otherwise known as the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis) - reaching up to 3 meters in length and weighing 150 kg; the double-horned rhino and anoa. Believe it or not, Irian Jaya has flying kangaroos. It was found out that Indonesia is abundant with flora and fauna that belonged to both Asiatic and Australian geographical zones.

Komodo Dragon

Unity In Diversity

“Dari Sabang sampai Merauke (From Sabang to Merauke)” is the title of the song dedicated to Indonesia’s diversity. Sabang is a small island in the northern tip of Sumatra and Merauke is a small village near the border of Papua New Guinea. The country is populated by more than 200 million, inhabited by 350 different ethnic groups and has more than 700 languages and dialects but is united with “Bahasa Indonesia”, the lingua franca spoken throughout the archipelago. Thus, Indonesia’s motto, “Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)” is very appropriate.

Majority of Indonesians are Islam, but it doesn’t make the country a Muslim state, with Christians, Catholics, Hindus, Buddhists and followers of Confucianism making up the rest. In 2001, the Chinese culture experienced a welcome revival that serves to enrich the country’s cultural diversity.

The Ancient Land of Java

Much of Java’s landmarks bear influence of Hindu, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. Stark Shivaite temples can be founding the highlands of Wonosobo, on the crater floor amidst sulfuric fumes. Visiting Java wouldn’t be complete without being awed by the majestic Buddhist temple, Borobudur, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The two-level pyramid symbolizes the ten stages of the Mahayana Buddhist cosmic system. The Prambanan Temple complex consists of three courtyards that surround three main shrines dedicated to the Hindu trinity. Built in the 9th century, the temples’ relics are beautifully carved and depict the Hindu cosmic system and stories from the Ramayana. Traditional Javanese ballets are performed on open-air stages during full moon evenings.

The Borobudur Temple

The Prambanan Temple

Beautiful and Bountiful Bali

Just off East Java is the popular island resort of Bali. This tranquil island is the tropical playground of Indonesia. In the beginning of the 19th century, Bali remained relatively unaffected by Western influence, which was already transforming much of the Indonesian archipelago. Bali’s 16th century civilization was immune to any religious, commercial or political infiltration either by Muslim or Christians. Dynamic dances, music, colorful costumes, sacred ceremonies and mystical temples are part of the endless rites of passage and religious beliefs, which influence the lives of the Balinese. For them, temples and religious activities are inexorably tied to their daily lives. One of the most important sea temples, Tanah Lot is built perched on a rock off the coast and is inaccessible at tide times. The best time to see Tanah Lot is in the late afternoon when the temple creates a haunting silhouette against the setting sun.

Art of the Balinese is a form or worship, thus most Balinese are skilled craftsmen or performer. Around Bali, villages specialize in different skills, which gives them their distinct characteristics. The center for Balinese painting is Ubud, a popular artists village. Despite the influences and western techniques brought in by foreign painters, traditional Balinese paintings are still made and sold. Mas is the village for wood carvers, where many of Bali’s old masters live. Stone figures on the roadside mark the village of Batubulan, famous for its stone carving and Barong dance performances, which are staged nightly. Celuk is a village noted for its gold and silverworks of jewelries made using old-age techniques.

Tanah Lot Temple

The Rugged Beauty of Nusa Tenggara

Komodo island is the home to the famous dragon-like reptile “Komodo dragons”. Flores on the otherhand is renowned for its incredible beauty and challenging dives. The multi-colored lakes of Kelimutu are situated on the mountain with the same name. The colors of the lake are constantly changing from blue, turquoise to burgundy.

Visit to Sumba especially in the west can be an experience to treasure if one has an appreciation for non-industrial culture. Sumba is home to many intricate ikat textiles. Since bygone days, Sumba has been known as an important source of sandalwood, slaves and horses and for cannibal tribes and skilled horsemen. Today, megalithic tombs, tribal war games and the beautiful hand-woven ikat cloth are the region’s main pull. Moyo island in Nusa Tenggara Barat offers great snorkeling and diving opportunities

Mount Kelimut and its lakes

Sumatra: The Land of Adventure

The third biggest island in the archipelago and the fifth in the world, Sumatra, is a paradise for nature lovers. The massive Bukit Barisan mountain range, which runs almost in the entire length of the island make up Sumatra’s diverse landscape of dense tropical forests that covers almost 4/5 of the island, rugged coastlines, expansive beaches, deep gorges and steamy swamps. Numerous lakes feed rivers that criss-cross the island.

National parks cover the regions from the northern to the southern tip of the island. Taman Nasional Gunung Leuser in Aceh, is one of the largest national parks in the world and is home to a variety of primates, such as gibbons and orangutans, the Sumatran rhinoceros, tigers and elephants. Apart from its ruggedly beautiful and diverse landscape, the many ethnic groups that inhabit the island is undoubtedly an attraction in itself with their own culture represented in dances, customs, and the architecture of traditional buildings. Whether its cultural experience you’re looking for or the rush of adrenaline, Sumatra will never disappoint you.

Traditional Minangkau House

Enigmatic and Exotic Kalimantan

The Dayak People

The enigmatic and exotic Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of the island Borneo and is transected by wide rivers and forest plantations. Kalimantan is the land of the Dayak people. The Dayaks of today are the descendants of the fearless jungle warriors who practiced head-hunting and followed animistic beliefs. Their beadworks are well-known for its color and intricacy. The women, especially the older generations still have distorted earlobes sporting huge earrings and tattoo-covered hands and feet. The island’s exotic wildlife yields the world’s largest flower, the rafflesia, valuable timber such as ebony and ironwood, 600 species of birds, orangutans, proboscis monkeys, clouded leopards, leaf monkeys, crab-eating macaques and ant-eating pangolins. Whether a brilliant emerald canopy of rainforests and the call of the wild, or the journey on the great rivers and the lure of the Dayaks, Kalimantan will forever cast a spell on you.

The Celebrated Celebes (Sulawesi)

Sulawesi’s ties to the sea are strong and deep. Its maritime past has produced formidable shipbuilders and seamen that have reached North Australia and Madagascar on their trading trips.

Rugged mountains, virgin rainforests, lush paddy fields, highland lakes and pristine beaches, the island’s dramatic geographical feature are home to a diverse culture and tradition. Nature has been kind to Sulawesi, nurturing a rich variety of flora and fauna in a fabulous tropical setting. Unspoiled reserves provide a protected habitat for the indigenous species such as the anoa, dwarf buffalo and babi rusa (pig deer).
Amidst the rugged mountains and fertile plateaus of Tana Toraja in south central Sulawsi, the Toraja people thrive and still retain their ancestral worship and animistic beliefs. Feast for the Dead are elaborate, colorful festivals to pave way for the dead so that they may enter the afterworld and bestow blessings on the living. The dead are laid to rest in cliff-side stone crypts, which are guarded by wooden effigies called tau-tau.

Journey to the Eastern Frontier

1. Maluku: Sea, spice and everything nice
In the provincial capital of Ambon, a visit to the Siwalima Museum provides an insight to Maluku’s natural history and geology, ethnographic treasures, which include ancestral carvings from the southern island.

Archeological buffs will not want to miss the village of Soya Atas and the surrounding hills, which have many sacred megaliths sites. Off the beaten track, the Naulu who live in central Maluku district are still faithful to ancient traditions. Initiation rituals and the cakalele war dance are some of the unique rituals still observed.

Warm water, good visibility and strong currents that create exciting drift dives beckon diving freaks to discover an untouched world under sea. In the small archipelago in the Banda Sea, the deep seas teamed with coral and marine life and idyllic surroundings are also perfect for water sports such as seasonal fishing and windsurfing. Around Ambon alone, 780 species of fish have been identified.

2. Wonderfully Wild West Papua
Jayapura, the capital province has many interesting places to see. Engros village in Yotefa Bay has a church and all houses are built on stilts. In addition to crocodile farms, the Museum Loka Budaya at the Cendarawasih University is worth a visit for its collection of artifacts. A boat trip on Lake Sentani includes a must see on Apayo Island where local craftsmen produce bark-cloth paintings and carvings in the traditional Sentani style. For wood carvings and rock paintings, stop by Doyo Lama village.

In Sorong, West Papua, unexplored reefs hold myriad of colorful marine life, big and small from sharks, rays, whales, dolphins, turtles and giant clams to school snapper, parrot fish, surgeon fish, the list goes on. Raja Ampat Islands promises an unforgettable diving experience. Take your pick of a variety of diving sites, shallow bays, lagoon channels bordered by rainforest, rock islands and offshore reefs that contain the richest species of corals in the world.

Different cultures are based on many different ethnic groups of the country, which have maintained their traditions, languages and dialects. Customs and traditions, which have merged with religious teachings, have brought about different ceremonies and festivities that may vary from area to area. Protected by adat (customary law), which differs from one region to another, it is man’s ties to his family and to his community and is applied to his way of life.

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