Indonesia is divided into two rich and diverse biogeographical realms, situated between mainland Asia and Australia, straddling the Eurasian and Australian tectonic plates.
It also sits on the Ring of Fire, where 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes are located and where most earthquakes occur.
Because of this, the country is blessed with incredible natural wonders, sublime in its beauty and potential destructiveness.
Follow us as we travel across the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, a journey that stretches across three time zones and over a distance more comprehensive than the contiguous US.
Kawah Ijen, the electrifying blue crater
Volcanoes are common in Indonesia, but Kawah Ijen is particularly popular for its mystifying API Biru (blue lava), which occurs due to the presence of a volcanic steam vent.
Emitting potent sulphuric gasses ignite into soaring blue flames, and when the gasses condense, they create the illusion of blue lava flowing.
While this phenomenon occurs during the day, the fire is only visible when darkness falls, as the crater comes alive with electric blue flames that seemingly cascade down the rocky volcano wall.
Witnessing this at 2 am will make you feel like you’re on a different planet altogether.
Tumpak Sewu, the thousand waterfalls
The movement of the Earth’s crust can significantly change the landscape, as plates butt up against each other, creating dramatic landscapes.
It’s no wonder that some of Indonesia’s most majestic waterfalls can be found near volcanoes.
One such waterfall is Tumpak Sewu, a waterfall that flows from its headwaters in Mount Semeru, which, at 3,676 metres, is the highest peak in Java.
The many cascades of the towering waterfall create a beautiful mist curtain among the lush green surroundings.
Mount Bromo, the majestic elevation
Of the 141 volcanoes in Indonesia, the largest cluster is Java, the most populous island.
At 2,329 metres, Mount Bromo is not the tallest volcano, but it is iconic. Bromo’s postcard-perfect image of the mountain surrounded by a sea of clouds has attracted many travellers.
But its crater also continuously spews sulphurous smoke, reminding that beneath the active volcano’s serene majesty lies the potential for catastrophic eruptions.
Tenau Hills, the spellbinding savannah
Separating Borneo from Sulawesi and Bali from Lombok Right is the Wallace Line, an imaginary line that separates the biogeographical realms of Asia and Oceania.
Compared to the lush, wooded islands of western Indonesia, the landscape east of the line is arid and relatively barren, influenced by Australia’s hot and dry winds.
Sumba, an island not far from the northwestern coast of Australia, is a sight to behold, with its rugged limestone hills and the undulating savannahs of Tenau Hills.
With its hilltop villages and megalithic tombs, the local culture also marks the meeting point of Asia and Oceania, seemingly foreign even for people from western Indonesia.
Padar Island, the multicoloured spectacle
As one moves east of the Wallace Line, animal species resemble Australia’s, with marsupials occupying Indonesia’s easternmost islands.
But at Komodo National Park, covering the islands of Komodo, Padar and Rinca, komodo dragons sit comfortably at the top of the food chain with their venomous bite.
While the giant reptiles roam free in Komodo and Rinca, the smaller Padar is more famous for its fantastic lookout point, overlooking crescent-shaped beaches with uniquely coloured sand – pearly white, rosy pink and coal black.
Toba, the largest volcanic lake
Over 300 million years of seismic and volcanic activity formed much of Indonesia’s landscape.
A perfect example of this is Lake Toba, formed by a supervolcanic eruption that occurred 69,000 to 77,000 years ago.
At over 1,145 square kilometres, Lake Toba is the largest volcanic lake globally, nearly three times the size of Singapore.
The mighty lake is so large that you’ll be forgiven for thinking that you’re out on the sea while crossing its calm waters.
Maros Pangkep Geopark, the rugged landscape
A part of Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park, Maros Pangkep Geopark covers 43,750 hectares and features a distinctive karst formation known as tower karst.
This vast karst landscape is home to around 286 caves, with over 30 prehistoric caves.
Hidden among them is a secret location with 45,500-year old cave art, the oldest-known figurative painting of an animal in the world that surprised researchers as European rock art was previously believed to be the most ancient.
Raja Ampat, the rich enclave
Indonesia’s easternmost island of Papua has some of the country’s most unique fauna, including tree kangaroos and birds of paradise, but most visitors come for the underwater attractions.
Due to its location at biological crossroads, the waters around Raja Ampat are home to most of the world’s coral and reef fish species, a lavishly rich “species factory” that has no equal.
But it is also beautiful above the water’s surface, like a seascape of conical karst islands in between the famed diving spots that top the image results when you search “Raja Ampat”.
Wayag Island, in particular, is famous for its hilltop lookout that provides visitors with a perfect view of the conical karst islands amid sapphire seas.
Carstensz Pyramid, the tropical glacier
Despite having the most significant number of active volcanoes globally, Indonesia doesn’t have the distinction of having Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain. Myanmar’s 5,881-metre tall Hkakabo Razi claims that title.
But as a transcontinental country, Indonesia has a saving grace in the form of Oceania’s tallest – Carstensz Pyramid.
Known as Nemangkawi in the local language, the Papuan mountain is 4,884 metres high and one of the few tropical mountains with glaciers.
Kapuas, the longest island river
Borneo is an island comprising the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, the independent Sultanate of Brunei and five provinces of Indonesia.
Around three-quarters of the island falls within Indonesian territory, an area larger than Malaysia and Brunei put together.
Shrouded by mystery, the island is blessed with ancient rainforests and crisscrossed with many rivers, earning it the moniker “Amazon of Asia”.
The longest river in West Kalimantan’s Kapuas River is also the world’s longest island river.