Oh, Indonesia – with over 18,000 islands, tropical forests and snow white beaches, it is hard to find a place as out-of-the-ordinary as Indonesia.

As Indonesia is essentially a group of islands, you are spoiled for choice for where to visit. Java is not the biggest of the islands, but it is home to the capital Jakarta, which is one of the most enchanting cities in Southeast Asia.

Bali is another island which cannot be missed. Bali not only has amazing beaches, but is also one of the best places in Asia to go snorkelling and scuba diving. Another fantastic island for scuba diving is Sulawesi. The island of Lombok has a similar feel to Bali, though with far less tourists, and is a great place for surfing.

If you are really adventurous, you could always take a trip to Papua, which is still one of the most uninhabited places on earth. The best trekking in the world can be done in Papua in the Baliem Valley.

If your goal is to visit temples, be sure to check out Borobudur and Prambanan. If you prefer volcanoes, Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park has the coolest looking volcano in the world, in addition to being an unbelievable place to watch the sunrise. Lake Toba is also a quite beautiful volcanic lake.

Kerinci Seblat National Park has tigers and elephants to see, and the Komodo National Park is the only place in the world to view the elusive Komodo dragon. Word of advice – do not anger the Komodo dragon.

There are a few cultural experiences which you will only ever get in Indonesia. Be sure to take the time to see a wayang kulit shadow puppet show. Beautiful and intricate cutouts act out folk tales to the beat of a metallic band, which is also unique to Indonesia. Watch artists work with lovely batik cloth and make sure to purchase yourself a unique souvenir.

Getting around Indonesia is easy enough. For a bit more money, you can always fly between the islands. With low-cost airlines coming into Indonesia, such as Indonesia Air Asia, this is becoming a more than reasonable option. Of course, the most popular way to get between the islands is still by boat. Although it certainly takes longer than a plane ride, there is something about the experience of pulling up by boat to the islands that you cannot replace.

There is something enthralling about Indonesia. The country is so ancient and vast that it would be impossible to explore all of her in one visit. Regardless, Indonesia is one of the best places to slow down. Just sit back and enjoy the beauty of Indonesia.