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Mount Agung rising above palm forest and a black-sand beach with outrigger boats in Bali

The Indonesia travel guide series

DiscoverIndonesia.

The country of 17,000 islands.

Bali·Lombok·Sulawesi·Komodo·Raja Ampat·Wakatobi

Explore the guides The ocean series
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One country. A lifetime of places.

Indonesia is too big for one book. So Discover Indonesia publishes a series of focused guides, each one built for a single island, region or way of travelling.

Every guide covers what you need on the ground: when to go, how to get around, where to stay, what it costs, local etiquette and the precautions that keep a trip on track. Each title is updated for the 2027 season.

17,000+Islands
76%Of the world's coral species live in the Coral Triangle
3Time zones, one country
Aerial view of turquoise lagoons and reef walls meeting the deep blue ocean

The ocean series

Beneath
the Surface

Indonesia holds the largest share of the Coral Triangle, the most diverse marine region on Earth. Here's what lies beneath.

A diver descending beside a sheer reef wall with sunlight breaking through the surface

Diving Indonesia

17,000 islands.
The richest reefs on Earth.

Indonesia has more coastline than almost any country on the planet, and most of it is reef. The water flows from the Pacific into the Indian Ocean through its straits, carrying nutrients from island to island. The result is more marine life than anywhere else on Earth.

But the currents are strong, the best sites are remote and the seasons change from island to island. A dive in Komodo in the wrong month is a very different dive.

Raja AmpatKarst islands, mantas and the highest reef fish counts ever recorded
KomodoStrong currents, big schools and dragons on the beach
Nusa PenidaManta rays and seasonal mola mola, a boat ride from Bali
Lembeh StraitThe world's muck-diving capital, full of rare small creatures
See all 14 dive regions on our free map →
Diving Indonesia, 2027 Edition: the complete dive guide, cover

The dive guide · Coming 2027

Diving
Indonesia

Diving inside the Coral Triangle

Everything you need to plan the dives of your life, from your first drift dive to your tenth liveaboard: the right reef, in the right season.

The best dive sitesRaja Ampat, Komodo, Nusa Penida, Lembeh, Bunaken, Wakatobi, Alor and more, by level and conditions
Season calendarWhen to see mantas, mola mola, whale sharks and hammerheads
Liveaboard vs. resortHow to choose, real costs and park fees
Dive safetyCurrents, insurance, recompression chambers and emergencies
Notify me at launch Free dive maps
A pod of dolphins seen from above in clear turquoise water

The flagship guide

The Coral
Triangle

Six countries share the ocean's most diverse marine region, and Indonesia holds the largest part of it. Our flagship guide explains how it works, where to see it and how to protect it, with fact-checked maps of reefs, currents and marine parks.

Coming 2027

Read: what is the Coral Triangle? →
The Coral Triangle cover
Mount Bromo's crater steaming above the Sea of Sand
Discover Indonesia: Volcanoes, Complete Guide, cover

The volcano guide · Coming soon

Discover
Volcanoes

Explore Indonesia's mountains of fire

Indonesia has more active volcanoes than any other country. Our complete guide takes you up Bromo, Ijen, Rinjani and beyond: the right mountain, the right route, the right season.

The great climbsRinjani, Bromo, Semeru, Ijen, Agung, Merapi and Kerinci, with routes, timing and difficulty
Trekking mapsEvery classic route drawn on satellite imagery
The great eruptionsToba, Samalas, Tambora and Krakatau, and how they changed the world
Staying safeAlert levels, permits, gear and when to turn back
Notify me at launch Explore the volcanoes

Southeast Sulawesi

WakatobiNational Park

The name is a puzzle: Wangi-Wangi, Kaledupa, Tomia and Binongko, the four main islands of a national park far off the usual routes. It's a UNESCO biosphere reserve and home to Bajau communities who have lived on the sea for generations.

Getting there takes effort. That's exactly why the reefs are some of the healthiest in Indonesia.

Discover Indonesia: Wakatobi National Park cover
The guide · Available nowDiscover Indonesia: Wakatobi National ParkBuy on Amazon →
Close-up of a teal leather coral

From the journal

Tips, Maps & Field Notes

Free articles from the research behind the guides: dive maps, seasons, costs and the things we wish we'd known before our first trip.

Aerial view of reef walls and lagoons
Ocean · Explainer

The Coral Triangle, explained in eight maps

Six countries, three-quarters of the world's coral species, and where to see it for yourself.

Read the article →
Volcanic peaks rising above the mist
Volcanoes · Indonesia

Which Indonesian volcano should you climb?

Bromo, Ijen, Rinjani, Agung, Merapi and Semeru compared: difficulty, days, best months and what is open now.

Read the article →
Mount Agung above Bali's east coast
History · Bali

The history of Bali, from Bronze Age drums to mass tourism

Kingdoms, Majapahit, the Dutch conquest and the puputan, 1963, 1965 and the tourism century.

Read the article →
Visit the journal

Discover Indonesia's hidden gems.

Sulawesi

Most visitors never leave Bali. Our guides go further: Tana Toraja's highlands, the Togean Islands, Bunaken's reef walls and the quiet coasts in between.

See the island guides
Calm blue sea off Sulawesi with a cargo ship, palm forest in the foreground and mountains on the horizon

The archipelago

Map of Indonesia showing Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok, Komodo, Flores, Wakatobi, Maluku, Raja Ampat and Papua Sumatra Java Kalimantan Sulawesi Bali Lombok Komodo Flores Wakatobi Maluku Raja Ampat Papua

On land

The Island Guides

Bali, Lombok and Sulawesi, island by island. Available on Amazon in Kindle and paperback, and as an ebook on Apple Books and Kobo.

DiscoverBali.
Bali2027
Explore Bali without the crowds
TRAVEL GUIDE
Discover Bali

Bali 2027 Travel Guide: Explore Bali Without the Crowds

Amazon Apple Kobo
DiscoverBali.
BaliCulture & Religion
Temples, ceremonies, offerings & etiquette
2027 EDITION
Discover Bali

Bali: Culture, Religion & Traditions (2027)

Amazon Apple Kobo
DiscoverIndonesia.
The Historyof Bali
Culture, tradition & religion
COMPLETE GUIDE
Discover Indonesia

The History of Bali: Culture, Tradition & Religion

Amazon Apple Kobo
DiscoverBali.
Digital NomadsBali
Working remotely and living in Bali
2027 EDITION
Discover Bali

Digital Nomads Bali: The Complete Guide to Working Remotely (2027)

Amazon Apple Kobo
DiscoverLombok.
Lombok2027
Gili Islands, Mount Rinjani, beaches, surf & Sasak culture
TRAVEL GUIDE
Discover Lombok

Lombok 2027: The Complete Travel Guide

Amazon Apple Kobo
DiscoverIndonesia.
DiscoverSulawesi
Makassar, Tana Toraja, the Togean Islands, Bunaken & Lembeh
COMPLETE GUIDE
Discover Indonesia

Discover Sulawesi: The Complete Travel Guide (2027)

Amazon Apple Kobo
See all 36 guides

Free download

The Indonesia Travel Checklist

Everything to sort out before you fly, on two pages. Join the Discover Indonesia list and we'll send it to your inbox, plus a note whenever a new guide comes out.

One email per new guide. Unsubscribe any time.

  • Visa & arrival
  • SIM card & internet
  • Money, ATMs & tipping
  • Health & vaccinations
  • Getting around the islands
  • Safety, scams & emergency numbers