Indonesia

An Introduction to Indonesia

Most people taking a gap year in Indonesia travel to Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands, but there’s so much more to Indonesia than these three islands.

Indonesia is made up of approximately 18,000 islands and with so many to choose from it’s easy to understand why it’s one of our destinations for 2012.

Indonesia is a country steeped in tradition. Religious ceremonies can be seen daily and you’ll soon become accustomed to hearing bells in the morning for prayer. Also, there’s a lingering smell of incense wherever you go in Indonesia, alighting all the senses to what’s going on around you.

The bustling beaches of Bali couldn’t be further from the serene shores of Sulawesi. The former is packed full of tourists looking for surf and parties while the later offers a much slower pace of life.

And if you like hiking and diving then there’s more opportunities to do both than you’ll know what to do with. You can hike to the top of volcanoes in Sumatra or dive to the bottom of sunken ships at Palau Weh.

In Indonesia there’s plenty for anyone on a gap year; just pick a few islands and see what it has to offer.