Indonesia

With all the clout surrounding the notorious 2002 'Bali Bombings', harsh criminal sentences to drug trafficking Westerners, and the unfortunate 2004 tsunami, it is easy to thrust Indonesia off of your travel schedule... to massive detriment. The 17,000 islands that form Indonesia, along with countries cross inhabitation of Papua New Guinea and Borneo, are one of the last remaining gateways for exploration, a last refuge for the true adventurer.

 Wild Experiences

Tulamben USS Liberty Wreck Dive: This is the top dive site in Bali and is absolutely incredible. Located on the North-East corner of the island, the wreck lies only 23 meters from shore - unexpectedly the 100 meter ship appears shrouded in living coral and surrounded by schools of Trevally, led by massive nomad Maori Wrasse. The experience will blow you away - rent gear from a side street dive shop for a few hours and simply walk to the beach, after asking a local soccer star child for the location of the wreck, DIVE IN and let the raw nature of this wreck put you into a deep state of meditation.

Ubud Kechak Dance: After a delicious dinner at one of the many amazing restaurants, source out a dance hosted every now and then in Ubud called the Kechak. This cremation dance has been passed down for centuries and involves much darkness, flame, and trance induced chanting.  A bottle of red wine prior or even during the show is also highly recommended.

Ubud Monkey Forest Temples: Zip up your gear and hide your valuables as this temple ground will have cheeky monkeys stealthily racing around the grounds just waiting for banana wielding tourist. The temples surreal setting and incredible architecture will also send your creative mind into a spin – just beautiful!

Java Mount Bromo: Peer into the maw of one of the most beautiful active volcano's on the planet. At 3000 meters above sea level, this hike to the lava is worth every step.

 Religion

Hinduism infused with elements of Buddhism along with Muslim are the top picks for religion in Indonesia - Muslim holding the largest population. The island of Bali maintains a Hindu-Buddhist population, while Java is predominantly Muslim, though it is a very relaxed and open minded evolution of Muslim. All other islands are mainly Muslim, though some of the radical kind - always be aware of current political and religious happenings prior to venturing out to these areas. It's said that the islands north of Bali housed the terrorists involved in the Bali Bombings (all have been sentenced and are in prison currently).

Money

Indonesian Rupiah are the pick in this neck of the woods, approximately $1 CAD = 9,000 IDR making conversion a simple task while traversing. To give a comparison 7,000IDR would get you a mango, pineapple, and banana fresh smoothie, or off the beaten path a full ‘sate’ and rice meal! ATM's are easily accessible in all major cities though it's always wise to withdraw as much as possible (usually $500 CAD) and keep some in your hidden money belt, some in your locked luggage back in the guesthouse/hotel, and some on you to purchase some of the amazing pieces sold absolutely everywhere. (It’s cheaper this way, rather than paying $5 per transaction charge)  

Transportation

 Just Do It!! Take public transportation when you have a chance and when it's safe, wherever you travel. It will submerge you within the culture and people inhabiting the country, rather than keeping yourself in a comfortable bubble, and it's Cheap As! Though... sometimes especially for the long haul rides splurge and do up the VIP buses.

First off a couple helpful notes:

When you arrive at Bali's airport aka Denpasar International Airport, or the Jakarta International airport in Java, there is always someone looking to make some money off of you.  When you get your luggage instantly hit up the taxi booth outside of the airport (IT IS A BOOTH - not a person asking for money to drive you ;), if you venture to those taxi mafia guys they will charge 10 times the regular amount and the bargain down to only 5 times the regular amount - don't be fooled.

Oh yes... Lonely Planet Southeast Asia is your bible for any specific references needed in Indonesia :)

 The Major Islands of Indonesia

 Bali

Bali, the most popular island of Indonesia is the epicenter of its tourist economy, predominantly packed with surf hunting Australians looking to chill out by the beach and eat incredible cuisine at a weekly cost relative to one day’s work in North America. The beauty of Bali blossoms like a lotus as soon as you hit Ubud, - heart of Bali's unique Hindu-Buddhist culture, architecture, artwork and dance. The ultimate experience is to throw yourself out of the norm and search for a homestay or guesthouse accommodation amidst the rice fields surrounding the serene town. The south eastern beach area stretching the Kuta - Legian coast is the favorite hangout for the slick surfers and others looking to party and soak up some beach rays, though I’ll save that for last!

Ubud is located almost in the center of Bali and is in a great location to explore the true gems of the island. Within Ubud itself there are a number of museums housing unique crafts and paintings along with detailed history of the island and its rich culture. A MUST DO is attending at least 2 different dances held nightly in Ubud, coupled with the amazing cuisine.   A short ride north provides at least 20 temples before reaching Bali's only and active volcano, Gunung Batur. 

On the plus side there are some easily accessible temples around Kuta - Legian most notable is Purah Tanah Lot, a stunning temple built upon a limestone cliff that juts straight out of the ocean at high tide - the temple complex has much to provide as well. Accommodation in Kuta -Legian is plentiful, though to escape the insanity that is the party district, further west is located Sandakan which is part tranquility, part party, and many parts spa luxury, and is easily accessible to the central Kuta region.

Surrounding Islands

Journey to Komodo or trek through the south of Borneo for some amazing adventures available for the brave. Komodo and Flores to the East of Bali offer the infamous Komodo Dragon and some incredible dive possibilities along with some great local tribe culture.

The Kalimantan southern holder of Borneo, is the gateway to the third largest island on the planet, full of wildlife, and most currently an introspective view of the destruction of wildlife through endless palm oil plantations- Palm Oil plantations are hugely inefficient and destructive. Just north in Borneo one can see the last refuge of the Orangutan, who's DNA is 96.5% the same as our own – with the primary difference being they choose to live in peace.

Java

Not many venture into Java though a short ferry ride from Bali, the island of Java boasting over 130 million appears. Keep your wits about you as you travel here and remember to dress accordingly to respect the established culture - our trip took us from the ferry city of Ketapang to Jakarta a great but long journey. Start off at Probolingo which is the only transport hub to get to Mount Bromo - an incredible temple is at the tri volcano's base (already at 3000 meters above sea level), climb another 500 meters and you get to its tip to see the fiery center - bring warm clothing!

Borobudur is also on the list to check out after Bromo, a massive Buddhist temple complex best experienced at sunrise/sunset. Further along Jokjakarta is a large city known for its shopping, though largely passed by tourists. Beneath its metropolitan buzz 'Jokja' is an incredible city, with a fantastic restaurant culture and a few great sites providing an expose of Java's political history.