See all Posts in the Wanderlust – A Travel Blog Series
The Republic of Indonesia spans more than 17,000 islands along the equator between the Indian and South Pacific oceans. With 287 million people, they are the fourth largest country on Earth by population (after India, China and the US), and the 14th largest by land area.
Who goes there? The best-known destinations in Indonesia are Bali (ranked among the top 10 travel destinations in the world and wildly popular with Australian tourists), followed by Komodo Island (home to the famous Komodo dragons) and Borneo (home to the elusive orangutans). Other than that, most Americans do not consider Indonesia a prime travel destination. That is a shame, because Indonesia is beautiful, affordable and a fascinating place to visit.
This is the first of a three-part Wanderlust series on Indonesia. Bali and eco-tourism to the islands of Borneo and Komodo will be featured in subsequent posts.
Indonesia is home to more than 1,300 recognized ethnic groups speaking more than 700 languages. This extraordinary diversity is reflected in the country’s national motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which translates to “Unity in Diversity.” Almost everyone speaks Bahasa Indonesian in addition to their native language. Bahasa Indonesian was developed and adopted less than 100 years ago for the express purpose of fostering national unity. It is known for its simplicity, using the Latin alphabet, phonetic spelling and no verb conjugations or genders. English is also widely recognized in restaurants, hotels and other tourist areas.
Indonesia is a surprisingly young country. After more than 400 years of colonial exploitation by the Portuguese, Spanish, English and Dutch, and occupation by the Japanese during World War II, Indonesia declared independence in 1947 and finally achieved it in 1949.
Sukarno, the founding father of Indonesia, ruled until 1967, followed by the iron-fisted Suharto for another thirty-one years. Significant social unrest and upheaval in 1998 was a watershed moment that dismantled decades of authoritarian rule and led to the establishment of a constitutional democracy. Indonesia’s leaders are now directly elected by voters and are restricted to two five-year terms. Despite this tumultuous modern history, Indonesia’s achievement in forging a common national identity from 1,300 ethnic groups spread across 17,000 islands in less than 80 years is nothing short of astonishing.
During a recent visit to Java, I was struck by three things. First was the friendliness. We were greeted with instant smiles from people in every walk of life wherever we went. The children, especially, were happy to greet us, swarming around for high-fives and photo ops.
Next was the tolerance. Eighty percent of Indonesia is Muslim, and while many Indonesians embrace devout Muslim practices like wearing the hijab and observing the call to prayer, many do not, and that is accepted. I asked about Shia/Sunni differences, and was told that they exist but are not a source of conflict.
Finally, Indonesia felt safe to me. I have an informal index of how safe a place is, which I call my “Guys-hanging-out-on-street-corners-with-nothing-to-do Index.” This index was low throughout Indonesia, even in the urban core of Jakarta, which has a metro area population of over 40 million people.
There is plenty to do in Jakarta, from renting one of the ubiquitous motorbikes to shopping, gardens and museums (the National Museum is fabulous). Indonesia also has a long cultural tradition of unique leather shadow puppets (called Wayang Kulit). This tradition dates back more than 1,000 years in Java and Bali. Performances are accompanied by traditional Javanese music and can last for hours.
One of the must-see sites in Jakarta is the Istiqlal Mosque. It is the third largest mosque in the world (and the largest outside of Saudi Arabia) with a capacity of 200,000 worshippers.
I would also recommend exploring Yogyakarta, a provincial capital in central Java. Just 25 miles north of Yogyakarta is Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world. Borobudur is a UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to the ninth century, known for its thousands of well-preserved relief panels and statues.
In yet another nod to religious pluralism, Prambanan Temple is the second-largest Hindu temple complex in Southeast Asia after Angkor Wat. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, less than 10 miles from Yogyakarta, and contains 240 temples built in the eighth century and carefully restored after recurring volcanic eruptions and occasional earthquakes over the last 1,200 years.
Hand-made batik fabrics are another uniquely Indonesian specialty, recognized by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2009. Patterns are hand-drawn, usually on cotton or silk, and then a “wax-resist” technique is used to dye the cloth, typically in multiple stages. Different patterns and motifs can have specific meanings and are reserved for specific occasions. Some of the most beautiful patterns we saw were the matching silk batik bride-and-groom outfits used at weddings.
Indonesia has a lot to offer, and most of the country is unmolested by tourists. Perhaps you can help answer the question of “Who goes there?” by adding Indonesia to your travel bucket list.
In part two of the Wanderlust series on Indonesia, we will explore the eco-tourism in Komodo Island (thar be dragons) and Borneo (home of the forest people). In part three, we will visit Bali (the mystical island).
