BootsnAll Travel Community

I'm trying to plan a 2-week trip to Indonesia this March, and would really appreciate any suggestions about what part of the country to visit.

I'm not really into lying on the beach that much, and my ideal trip would be to hang out in one or two small towns, visiting all the markets, and eating as much street food as I can. I'm also interested in crafts like weaving, and walking in beautiful places. A friend recommended Java, or the Ujung Pandang or Tana Toarja areas of Sulawesi.

Usually I love to do lots of research and daydreaming before a trip, but Indonesia is so big that I don't really know where to start. Advice or suggestions as to general areas that anyone here recommends would be really appreciated!

Well, there is Bali of course. Bali isn't just about beaches, but I guess I'll let Nick tell you about that

I've been to Tana Toraja and it's wonderful. I would go back, despite being washed out by monsoon rains. (March is the tail-end of the wet season, but the weather should be improving.)

However, two weeks is very short and during that time Bali has more than enough to offer.

Hi,

Borobudur and Prambanan temples in the Yogjakarta area on Java - majestic. I didn't really find anything else in Java that I would go back to... Flights from Bali are fairly cheap (if you were going to use Bali as a base and take a short trip - say 2 days) to Yogja.

Bali - Ubud in the mountains is a wonderful base to explore central Bali, and a "village/artist" feel. East coast is far quieter than the Kuta/Legian region, with good swimming, diving, and access to Lembongan Island.

Kuta/Legian is very "tourist", but in a similar way to Thailand - fairly low key and charming in it's own way.

The photos on following website actually give a good "feel" of Ubud
http://www.tropicalisland.de/bali_ubud.html

Have a look at Borobudur and Prambanan on the net as well !

thanks a lot for the advice, you guys.

whalewatcher, it was good to hear that you'd enjoyed visiting the Tana Toraja area. I think Sulawesi is the region that I'm going to visit, along with Bali since that's where I'm flying in and out of. Yeah, I know that only 2 weeks means it's kind of a whirlwind trip.

Lee P, your post made me realize that I could always get a flight from Bali if I wanted to see other parts of Indonesia like the temples, even if it's only for a day or two.

thanks!

You could easily fly to Yogakarta and see Bodoboudar and Pramanan (forgive spelling) which are two of the best ruins you will see in Indo. Two days is all you need ( there are actually one day excursions from Bali - too fast. I didn't make it to the Toraja, but would have loved to. Since transportation can be dodgy some places, my recommendation is that if you are planing on going to other place, fly to Bali and arrange flights for the next day to whatever other island you want to see. Then spend the last week on Bali, where you will definitely decompress and enjoy a beautiful place which will still keep you busy for days.