Indonesia is thousands of islands, hundreds of languages, landscapes that feel like entirely different worlds. We’ve spent years learning which ones are worth the time, and how they fit together properly.
Experience it with our guides and hosts who know their region by heart. Stroll with a Balinese Brahmin through paddies, veering off the far-too-well-trodden tourist trail for a private water blessing that’s a real rite, not staged for Instagram. Or meet Andre in South Sulawesi, whose community still lives beneath buffalo-horned Tongkonan roofs and honours cliffside graves guarded by carved ancestor effigies. He demystifies their traditions and, when a funeral rite falls during your visit, invites you in.
Expect Bali’s beauty but from its spiritual interior, far from its south-west coast bullied by mass tourism. Explore Flores and Komodo for the wild east, or Sumba for space and stillness. Or sail into remote, reef-rich archipelagos like Raja Ampat, where you’ll wake up to a different island every morning.
Made possible by our own decade-plus travels in this country, mastering the logistics around the classic islands to navigating more obscure corners like Sumatra and the Maluku Islands (aka the Spice Islands) and a local team who open doors most companies don’t know exist.
We design trips you wouldn’t have known to ask us for.
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In Our Travellers’ Words
A Brilliant Adventure (Bali and Beyond)
First-class Island Hopping in Indonesia
Temples, Volcanoes and Dragons of Indonesia
Our Unique Holidays in Indonesia
Relaxing, immersive, life-affirming adventures that show you the best of the destination. Packed with experiences that connect you to the country and are kind to its people and environment. Your holiday can be as adventurous or as luxurious as you choose, as every trip will be turned into your own bespoke package.
Here are some ideas to spark your curiosity…
How We Plan Indonesia
Planning a trip here needs a different approach from most. We start not with where, but with what you want from your holiday, then the particular destinations and journey fall into place:
For culture and history, Java has depth, particularly Yogyakarta. We time Borobudur and Prambanan carefully to avoid crowds, visit lesser-known temples, and continue east to Mount Bromo and Ijen’s volcanic landscapes via colonial Malang. For something more distinct, South Sulawesi has Torajan highland traditions, animist villages and a way of life entirely its own.
For island life, Bali still holds beauty and a special kind of energy when you know where to go. We focus on the rural interior: Hindu ceremonies in hidden temples and the quieter rhythm of Sidemen and Munduk. For beaches, Lombok is our top choice: calmer, less crowded, with volcano views at sunset. And Sumba really is as magical as people say.
For wildlife and wilderness, Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) is the place to spot orangutans, while Komodo brings a different kind of drama: wide-open seascapes, snorkelling and the formidable dragons themselves. Crossing Flores nearby takes you off the beaten track.
For epic adventure, Raja Ampat and the Spice Islands rewards those with time and an appetite for something truly special. Travelling by phinisi boat, you move between jungle-covered islands and startlingly blue water, diving among marine life that has few rivals on earth.
Explore Experiences in Indonesia
Immersive experiences sit at the heart of ETG. Each one is specially designed to confound preconceptions and share magical, memorable, and truly exceptional moments.
Meet Our Experts
“If Komodo or Raja Ampat are on your radar (they should be!), I can’t recommend staying on a beautiful boat more. It’s the ultimate way to explore hidden coves, snorkel and dive in remote reefs, and soak up sensational sunsets on the deck.”
Lola
Indonesia Specialist
Indonesia's Hotels, Chosen In-House
Plenty of polished, highly rated hotels in Indonesia don’t make the cut for our collection. The ones that do have something special: a proper sense of place, a distinct atmosphere, and hosts who are genuinely glad you came. Some are grand, some are simple, but they all have enough character to stick in your memory. Here are the hotels we keep coming back to, alongside a few off-the-beaten-path finds you’d be hard-pressed to find by yourself.
The Curious Traveller’s Expert Guide to Indonesia
Curious to find out more? The Curious Traveller’s Guide to Indonesia is our experts’ edit of hotels, experiences and holiday tips. Get your complimentary copy today.
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Important FAQs about Indonesia
The short answer? Between April and September. The longer answer is that Indonesia is vast: more than 4,000km of sea and islands, with thousands of microclimates and seasons that change as you cross it. So when you search for the best time to visit Indonesia and get five different answers, they’re probably all right. Just for different places.
Most travellers aim for the European summer months when much of the country has its driest, sunniest weather. That suits Bali, Lombok, and Java especially well. Komodo and Flores are best from April to August, when seas are calmer and visibility for diving is good.
Go further east, though, and the calendar flips. Raja Ampat and West Papua are at their best from October to April. Sumatra’s wildlife is easiest to see in the middle of the year, while Kalimantan’s rainforests stay steamy year-round (it’s a jungle, after all). A festival or religious event can move your dates again. Our Seasonal Guide to Indonesia covers it region by region, or speak to a specialist for a deeper dive.
Two weeks is a minimum for a trip covering more than one island, and the internal flights add up faster than people expect. The design decision isn’t just which islands, but whether the journey between them is part of the trip or a hurdle in the way of it. Some of our best Indonesia itineraries involve fewer islands and more time in each. We’ll be straightforward about what the time you have can support.
It is one of the finest diving destinations on earth. Raja Ampat has some of the highest marine biodiversity anywhere, Komodo offers drift dives with manta rays, and the Banda Sea (the original Spice Islands) is largely untouched. The diving we design around goes beyond the headline sites: we’ll match you to the right waters for the level and type of diving you’re after, and the liveaboards and guides who know them properly.
Yes, with the right design. Bali works well for families: the culture is engaging, the food is varied, and there’s real variety in what’s possible across a week or two. Further afield, Komodo and Raja Ampat suit older children and teenagers who want something more adventurous. We’ll design around the ages you’re travelling with and be direct about what works and what doesn’t.
Yes, but only if you go for Bali’s spiritual interior and stay in the right places. The real Bali is the one most visitors miss: the paddy fields around Sidemen, the highland lakes and waterfalls of Munduk, the rice terraces at Jatiluwih. We steer travellers away from the resort coast in the south-west. It’s where most visitors base themselves, and it’s where Bali’s reputation for crowds comes from. Whether it belongs in your trip at all depends on what you’re after and what you’d combine it with, so that’s where we’d start.
Not in the usual sense. Every Experience Travel Group trip to Indonesia is private and designed for the person taking it, but we don’t do “tailor-made”, and that’s deliberate. Because “tailor-made” assembles a trip around what you asked for, from hotels and tours anyone can book. We design around why you’re travelling, using experiences we’ve built ourselves, boutique hotels we’ve scouted out and matched to you, and trusted guides and drivers we’ve worked with for years. That lets us reach parts of the country you wouldn’t have known to ask for.
- All your accommodation in hand-picked, characterful hotels
- Private drivers throughout
- Carefully chosen local guides
- All activities and experiences (some secret!)
- Entrance fees to national parks and cultural sites
- Many meals and snacks throughout
- All regional transport
- International flights on request
- 24/7 in-country support