Page 21 - Asian Paradises 2019-20

— Indonesia —

INDONESIA

The size of Indonesia is overwhelming and
offers visitors a very individual experience.
Whether you are shopping, visiting temples, enjoying
the beaches and resorts in Bali, or venturing further to
discover remote villages or the jungles of Borneo and
Papua, visitors are sure to be amazed by Indonesia’s
diversity.

Capital and major centres
As the nation’s centre of government, business and industry, the
capital Jakarta is a modern society that reflects recent decades of
remarkable economic growth. The megacity has a population of 10
million and is surrounded by the metropolitan area, Jabotabek, with a
population of around 28 million.
The island of Bali, a tropical paradise and tourism hot spot, lies off
the eastern tip of Java. A rich culture, beautiful landscapes, coastline
and rural villages keep visitors returning in droves. The islands of
Lombok, Sumba, Flores and others form a chain all the way to the
easternmost province, Papua.

Sumatra, the world’s sixth largest island, is located to the west of
Jakarta. The equator divides it in two just north of Bukittinggi. The
scenery in Sumatra is amazing, offering incredible mountains, rivers
and almost 100 volcanoes, 15 of which are active.
Kalimantan, the southern two-thirds of the island of Borneo, was
once, and still is for the most part, a vast, jungle-covered wilderness.
Boats and ferries are the main modes of transport, and the native
Dayak tribe is a main attraction. The highland region of Sulawesi
offers national parks, and a festive culture that includes the famed
funeral festivals of Tana Toraja on the southwestern peninsula.
Further east still, in the islands of Maluku previously known as the
Moluccas, lie the fabled Spice Islands. Many of these areas are just
a two-hour flight from Jakarta, and an extensive and convenient
network of air services connects the major cities and towns.
The people
The fourth most populous nation in the world, Indonesia’s estimated
257 million people speak more than 500 different languages and
dialects, and range from city dwellers to sea gypsies. Sixty percent of
the people inhabit a mere seven percent of Indonesia’s land area on
the island of Java, while most of the archipelago remains unexplored.
Nature
Indonesia has one of the world’s richest natural environments,
offering an incredible diversity of animal and plant life. While a
number of species of fauna are familiar to both Asia and Australia,
there are many indigenous species in Indonesia such as the orangutan
apes of Sumatra and Kalimantan, the giant Komodo dragons, the
only ones of their kind in the world still roaming free, the one-horned
rhinoceros of Java, the wild banteng oxen, tigers, and many other
species now protected in wildlife reserves.

– 19 – www.paradises.com