Jakarta
33 hostels
The capital: chaotic, enormous, and where most international flights land. A day or two, then move.
Indonesia country guide
Things To Do In Indonesia
Seventeen thousand islands, the most volcanoes of any country, and Bali as the front door most people never walk past. Cheap, enormous, and far more varied than its reputation.
€8
Dorm bed, from
17,000+
Islands
130
Active volcanoes
€2
A nasi goreng
Bali is one island out of seventeen thousand
Almost every trip to Indonesia starts in Bali, and that is not wrong — Canggu, Ubud and Uluwatu have the surf, the rice terraces, the temples and the largest concentration of hostels in the country. It is also a small island carrying an enormous share of the country's visitors, and it can feel like it in August.
The rest is the point. Java has Borobudur and Prambanan, the two greatest temple complexes in southeast Asia, and volcanoes you climb before dawn. The Gilis and Lombok are an easy boat east. Komodo, Flores and Sulawesi are further and quieter. Sumatra has orangutans and jungle.
A fortnight does Bali and one neighbour. A month gets you across Java and into Flores or Lombok, and the country is cheap enough that the extra weeks cost very little — the flights between islands are the main expense.
Where to go
Cheap domestic flights and ferries link the islands. Bali is the hub for most trips.
Yogyakarta
83 hostels
The cultural heart of Java, and the base for Borobudur and Prambanan.
Canggu
72 hostels · dorms from €6
Bali's surf and digital nomad centre: beach breaks, cafés, and the biggest hostel scene in the country.
Ubud
88 hostels · dorms from €3
Inland Bali: rice terraces, temples, yoga and the monkey forest. Cooler and greener than the coast.
Uluwatu
41 hostels · dorms from €10
The southern cliffs: serious surf, clifftop temples and sunset bars above the break.
Nusa Penida
45 hostels
A rugged island off Bali with the cliffs from every photograph, manta rays offshore and rough roads inland.
Amed
4 hostels
East Bali: black sand, freediving, a sunken wreck at Tulamben and Agung behind the village.
Gili Trawangan
32 hostels · dorms from €6
A small island with no motor vehicles, an hour and a half by boat from Bali.
Kuta Lombok
38 hostels · dorms from €10
Lombok's south coast: emptier beaches, better surf and a fraction of Bali's crowds.
Labuan Bajo
10 hostels
Flores: the gateway to Komodo, liveaboards to the dragons and the best diving in the country.
Bukit Lawang
8 hostels
Sumatra: jungle trekking to see wild orangutans, and tubing back down the river to the village.
Lake Toba
The largest volcanic lake in the world, with an island the size of Singapore in it and Batak villages around it.
What kind of trip is this?
Indonesia does surf, volcanoes, diving and temples, and all of them cheaply.
Beach in Indonesia
Seventeen thousand islands' worth, and some of the best surf on earth.
What to do
- Surf at Canggu or Uluwatu
- Snorkel the Gilis
- Find an empty beach on Lombok
Spots to visit
- Uluwatu
- Gili Islands
- Nusa Penida
Best cities for it
Reading on beach in Indonesia
Adventure in Indonesia
Volcanoes, dragons and jungle.
What to do
- Climb Ijen for the blue fire
- Sunrise on Bromo
- Dive with mantas at Komodo
Spots to visit
- Mount Bromo
- Ijen
- Komodo National Park
Best cities for it
Reading on adventure in Indonesia
Culture in Indonesia
The greatest temple complexes in southeast Asia.
What to do
- Sunrise at Borobudur
- Prambanan in the late afternoon
- A Balinese temple ceremony
Spots to visit
- Borobudur
- Prambanan
- Tanah Lot
Best cities for it
Reading on culture in Indonesia
Budget in Indonesia
Very cheap once you are there. Flights between islands are the cost.
What to do
- A €2 nasi goreng
- €8 dorms
- Scooter hire for €5 a day
Spots to visit
- Canggu
- Ubud
- Yogyakarta
Best cities for it
Food in Indonesia
Warungs, satay and sambal that will find your limits.
What to do
- Eat at a warung, not a café
- Babi guling in Bali
- Night market satay in Java
Spots to visit
- Ubud markets
- Yogyakarta street food
- Canggu warungs
Best cities for it
Nightlife in Indonesia
Beach clubs in Bali, and very little elsewhere.
What to do
- A Canggu beach club at sunset
- Uluwatu clifftop bars
- A Gili island party
Spots to visit
- Canggu
- Seminyak
- Gili Trawangan
Best cities for it
Reading on nightlife in Indonesia
Things to do
Things to do in Indonesia
In Bali, the split is coast and inland. Canggu and Uluwatu have the surf — Canggu for beginners, Uluwatu for people who know what they are doing — and Ubud has the rice terraces, the temples and the yoga industry. Nusa Penida, a boat ride away, has the cliff viewpoints that fill Instagram and a very rough road network.
Java has the two things that justify leaving Bali: Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, best at sunrise, and Prambanan, its Hindu counterpart nearby. Yogyakarta is the base for both.
The volcanoes are the other reason. Bromo at sunrise and Ijen, where sulphur miners work beside blue flames visible at night, are both done as pre-dawn trips from Java, and Rinjani on Lombok is a serious two or three day climb.
Food and drink
Eating in Indonesia
Warungs — small family-run eateries — are where to eat. Nasi goreng or mie goreng costs €1.50 to €3, nasi campur is a plate of rice with whatever is good that day, and the same food in a tourist café costs three times as much.
Bali has its own dishes because it is Hindu rather than Muslim: babi guling, suckling pig, is the one to try, and it is not available across most of the rest of the country.
Sambal accompanies everything and varies from warm to genuinely painful. Indonesian coffee is excellent and cheap — skip the kopi luwak, which is a tourist product with real animal welfare problems behind it.
Nightlife
Going out in Indonesia
Bali carries almost all of it. Canggu has beach clubs and a hostel party circuit, Seminyak is glossier and more expensive, and Uluwatu has clifftop bars where the sunset is the main event.
It is not a cheap night by Indonesian standards — a beach club cocktail is €8 to €12, against €2 for a meal — so many people drink at hostels first.
Elsewhere the picture changes entirely. Gili Trawangan has its own party nights, but Java and most of the rest of the country are Muslim-majority and alcohol is limited, expensive or absent. Plan evenings accordingly rather than being surprised.
More on nightlife in Indonesia
Getting around
Getting around Indonesia
Distances are enormous — this is a country 5,000km wide — so domestic flights do the heavy lifting. Lion Air, Citilink and Garuda connect everything, and Bali to Yogyakarta or Lombok costs €30 to €60.
Fast boats link Bali to the Gilis and Lombok in an hour and a half to two hours. They have a mixed safety record, so use the established operators rather than the cheapest ticket, and avoid crossings in rough weather.
On Bali itself, scooters are the default and Grab and Gojek work in the main areas, though some districts have local taxi arrangements that restrict them. Java has a good train network, which is comfortable, cheap and worth using end to end.
Costs
What Indonesia costs
Indonesia is cheap once you are there. Dorms start around €8, a warung meal is €1.50 to €3, and scooter hire is about €5 a day.
Bali is the most expensive part, particularly Canggu and Seminyak, where café and beach club prices are closer to European ones. Eating at warungs rather than cafés roughly halves a daily budget.
The real cost is movement: inter-island flights at €30 to €60 each, and organised trips to volcanoes, Komodo or Rinjani, which run €50 to €300. Budget for those separately rather than assuming the daily figure covers them.
More on costs in Indonesia
Safety
Staying safe in Indonesia
Indonesia is safe for travellers in the ordinary sense, and the risks are physical rather than criminal.
Scooters are the biggest one by far. Bali's roads are busy, the rules are loose, foreign riders frequently have no valid licence and therefore no insurance, and the hospital bills are real. An international driving permit with a motorcycle category is the minimum.
The sea is the second. Rip currents on the south coast beaches are strong and lifeguards are limited outside the main beaches. The third is volcanic and seismic activity — eruptions close airports with little warning, and earthquakes happen. Follow local instructions and keep travel insurance that covers disruption.
Entry and documents
Entry and documents
Most nationalities get a visa on arrival or an e-visa on arrival for 30 days, extendable once, and the system has been revised several times recently — check the official Indonesian immigration site before booking.
Passports need six months' validity from entry, and proof of onward travel is sometimes requested.
Bali also charges a tourist levy on arrival, introduced in 2024, payable online or at the airport. It is small but it is enforced, and paying in advance saves queueing.
When to go
Dry season runs April to October and is the straightforward answer. The wet season is not a washout — it rains hard in the afternoon and clears — but the surf, the volcanoes and the boats all work better in the dry.
Jan
Wet season. Heavy afternoon rain, green everywhere
Feb
Wettest month. Cheapest prices
Mar
Rain easing. Good value, and Nyepi in Bali
Apr
Dry season begins. Excellent
May
The best month. Dry, not yet busy
Jun
Dry and clear. Volcano season proper
Jul
Peak. Bali is full and prices rise
Aug
Busiest month of the year
Sep
Excellent. Dry, and the crowds thinning
Oct
Good early, rain returning late in the month
Nov
Wet season starting. Quiet and cheap
Dec
Wet, but Christmas and New Year fill Bali anyway
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs for Bali, which varies little — the difference is rain, not temperature. Ubud and the highlands are cooler, and Java's volcanoes are genuinely cold before dawn.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel and how long for. Per night, for one person, in euro equivalents of rupiah.
Prices are in rupiah locally; these are euro equivalents. Inter-island flights at €30–60 and organised volcano or Komodo trips are separate.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
What's on
What is on while you are there
One of these shuts down an entire island, airport included, for twenty-four hours.
Staff pick
16–18 October
Synchronize Festival
Jakarta
Synchronize Festival is a dynamic multi-genre music event celebrating the diversity of Indonesia’s music scene across generations. Since its founding in 2000, the festival…
Staff pick
21–25 October
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
Ubud
Ubud Writers and Readers Festival is a renowned literary event held in Ubud, Bali, that celebrates literature, creativity, storytelling, and the voices of diverse…
Staff pick
21 November
Soundrenaline
Bandung
Soundrenaline in Braga, Sumurbandung, Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia, is one of Indonesia’s premier music festivals, drawing thousands of fans for a day of…
Staff pick
25–28 November
Asia, Baby, Children & Maternity Expo
Jakarta
The Asia, Baby, Children & Maternity Expo (ABC&MOM) in Jakarta, Indonesia, is a leading international trade show focused on the mom and baby product…
Staff pick
3–4 October
The Papandayan Jazz Fest
Bandung
The Papandayan Jazz Fest in Bandung, Indonesia, is a renowned music festival that has been captivating audiences since 2015. Showcasing an eclectic mix of…
Staff pick
4 October
Padma Run Bandung
Bandung
Padma Run Bandung invites participants to experience a unique running event set amidst the scenic hills of Ciumbuleuit, Bandung, where fresh air and lush…
9–11 October
MotoGP Mandalika
Kuta Lombok
The Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia 2026 returns to the Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok for three days of thrilling motorcycle racing. You'll witness…
9–11 October
Pertamina Grand Prix of Indonesia
Kuta Lombok
MotoGP roars into Lombok at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit, bringing world-class motorcycle racing to one of Indonesia's most scenic coastal regions. Official ticket…
Hostels
Where to stay in Indonesia
The highest-rated hostels in the country, live from Hostelworld. Bali has by far the most, with Canggu and Ubud leading; book ahead for July and August.
Elsewhere Surf Camps | Surf Party Yoga
Canggu
Dorms from €16 a night
See dates and book
Indraprastha Home Stay
Ubud
See dates and book
Mad Monkey Uluwatu
Uluwatu
Dorms from €27 a night
See dates and book
Compass Divers Hostel
Gili Trawangan
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Tiga Spies Hostel
Kuta Lombok
Dorms from €10 a night
See dates and book
Lay Day Hostel Canggu
Canggu
Dorms from €11 a night
See dates and book
Bali Bamboo Jungle Huts and Hostel
Ubud
Dorms from €3 a night
See dates and book
Q-Star Uluwatu
Uluwatu
Dorms from €10 a night
See dates and book
Mad Monkey Gili Trawangan
Gili Trawangan
Dorms from €10 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Waiwas Hostel Lombok
Kuta Lombok
Dorms from €17 a night
See dates and book
Lushy Hostel Canggu
Canggu
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Jero di Bisma Hostel
Ubud
Dorms from €3 a night
See dates and book
Indonesia travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
How long do you need in Indonesia?
Two weeks for Bali and one neighbour such as Lombok or the Gilis. A month gets you across Java to Borobudur and the volcanoes, and out to Flores or Komodo. The country is 5,000km wide, so plan around flights.
Is there more to Indonesia than Bali?
A great deal. Java has Borobudur and Prambanan, the two greatest temple complexes in southeast Asia, and the Bromo and Ijen volcanoes. Lombok, Flores, Sulawesi and Sumatra are all quieter and cheaper than Bali.
Is Indonesia cheap?
Very, once you are there — warung meals at €1.50 to €3, dorms from €8, scooters at €5 a day. The cost is movement: inter-island flights run €30 to €60 each and organised trips add up.
When is the best time to visit?
April to October, the dry season, with May, June and September the sweet spots. The wet season is not a washout — heavy afternoon rain that clears — but surf, volcanoes and boat crossings all work better in the dry.
Is it safe to ride a scooter in Bali?
It is how most people get around and it is also the main cause of traveller injury. You need an international driving permit with a motorcycle category for your insurance to be valid, and a helmet. Hospital bills without cover are substantial.
What is Nyepi?
The Balinese day of silence in March. Nobody goes outside, lights stay off, and the airport closes for a full 24 hours. If your dates cross it you must be on the island already, and hotels ask guests to stay in.
Do I need a visa for Indonesia?
Most nationalities get a 30-day visa on arrival, extendable once, and the rules have been revised several times. Check the official immigration site, and note Bali charges a separate tourist levy that is best paid online before you land.
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