Holidays in Indonesia

With over 17,000 islands spanning 3,000 miles, Indonesia stretches far and wide. With this breadth comes a captivating mix of cultures, traditions, religions and landscapes, all as exciting as the next. To really tap into this enchanting country, it’s best to combine two or three places.

The island of Bali is the chief draw on a luxury holiday with its volcanic vistas, temple-studded landscapes, golden beaches and rolling rice terraces. But through them all runs a unique spirit that captures the heart of anyone who visits, the locals’ devotion to Balinese Hinduism and their gods permeating every facet of life here. Bali is more than just a beautiful island – it’s a state of mind.

Neighbouring island Lombok is blessed with untouched beaches, waterfalls and tiny villages, with its trio of offshore Gili islands ringed with white sand and spectacular snorkelling.

These two islands would be enough for most people but there’s so much more to Indonesia. Java hides the bell-shaped stupas of UNESCO-listed Borobudur; Kalimantan is a refuge for Bornean orangutans; Komodo is home to excellent diving and its iconic namesake dragons; and Sumba is perfect for an exclusive getaway. Indonesia has many faces and you can’t help but be captured by each and every one.

A holiday to Indonesia promises tropical islands filled with adventure, downtime and culture. But where do you start? There are so many places to stay in Indonesia, we'd recommend island-hopping between a few. You could stay in a jungle hideaway in Bali, beach bolthole in Lombok or even a eco-friendly getaway in the Riau and Anambas Islands.

As a general rule of thumb, Indonesia’s dry season runs from April to October, with the wet season lasting from November to March. Due to its sprawling nature, there can be some minor differences, depending on where you’re visiting in the archipelago. Across the year, temperatures stay between 26-30°C across most islands in Indonesia, although if you’re visiting Kalimantan, bear in mind there can be cooler nights and hotter days.

In the dry season, Bali, Lombok, the Gilis and Sumba welcome blue skies and plenty of sunshine. For the very best conditions, visit any of the islands in May, June or September, where the weather is sublime and the school holiday crowds are either yet to arrive or have left. It’s worth making a note that if you’re heading into the Bali’s central regions, like Ubud or the mountains, temperatures can be a touch cooler.

The whole of the dry season (Apr-Oct) makes for excellent diving in Komodo National Park, too. If you want to spot orangutans in Kalimantan, light rains can often last until May as a hangover from the wet season.

Speaking of the wet season, the intensity of the rains varies from island to island. Bali and Kalimantan only really experience brief tropical showers rather than all-day downpours. Lombok, the Gilis and Sumba see more rain (but still not of monsoonal proportions), especially between November to January. The island of Java (for Borobudur) can see showers lasting up to two hours during the rainy season.