0 7 amazing beach of Bali Indonesia

The island of Bali is blessed with the line of beaches surrounding it. 1. Sanur Beach Sanur Beach On the southeastern side of Bali, Sanur beach is easily reachable from Denpasar, about a 5 to 10 minute drive. Sanur is an excellent site to watch the sun rises, as you jog along the white sandy beach. Being one of the first resort developed in Bali, Sanur maintains its traditions. Only a stone thrown away from the beach, ancient temples stand as solemn as they have been in centuries past. 2. Kuta and Legian Beach Kuta Beach Practically on the opposite side of Sanur, the beaches of Kuta and Legian stretch on the southwestern side of Bali, again only about 5 to 10 minute drive from Denpasar or the airport. Surfing is a major activity in these beaches. Shops, Kecak dance performances, pubs, and other facilitiesmake Kuta a tourist mecca. 3. Jimbaran Beach Jimbaran Beach Jimbaran is directly south of the airport, on the way from Denpasar towards Nusa Dua. The village of Jimbaran is the narrow neck of the island of Bali, and thus it has two remarkably different beaches. On the west, Jimbaran Beach faces the Jimbaran Bay, recently lined by new luxurious resorts. On the east, the beach faces the body of water sheltered by Benoa Harbor. 4. Nusa Dua Nusa Dua Beach Nusa Dua is a new luxurious resort area where the world's most sumptuous hotels gracefully integrate into the beautiful white beaches. Crystal clear water provides excellent snorkeling and diving site, and the waves on the northern and the southern part of Nusa Dua allow for great surfing opportunity. 5. Soka Beach Soka Beach Further northwest from Denpasar, on the way to Gilimanuk, the ferry port town that connects Bali and Java, there is a small quiet beach called Soka Beach. 6. Medewi Beach Continuing along the path towards Gilimanuk, near the village of Pulukan, the beach of Medewi is another beautiful beach. Medewi Beach 7. Lovina Beach Near the northern tip of the island of Bali lies a stretch of villages by the Bali Sea. Lovina Beach is the name. It is well known as an excellent site for sunset watching, snorkeling, and diving. Night life activities are also abound, as well as chartered boats to go out into the sea. If you like what Kuta offers but do not like the crowd, Lovina Beach is for you. Lovina Beach

0 10 highest Waterfall of Indonesia

Sigura Gura

1. Sigura Gura Waterfall (250 meters)

Located about 250 km from Medan. Waterfalls shavings produced by the rivers originating from Lake Toba has a height of 250 meters. 

2. Madakaripura Waterfall (200 meters)

Madakaripura

Madakaripura Waterfall located in District Lumbang, Probolinggo is one of the waterfalls in the area of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. This waterfall is known as a place of hermitage General Gajah Mada before serving in the kingdom of Majapahit. Madakaripura waterfall surrounded shaped recesses of the hills that dripping water on the entire field of the cliff like the rain, three of them are even forming a waterfall pouring down again.

3. Payakumbuh Harau Waterfalls (150 meters)

Payakumbuh

Payakumbuh Harau Waterfalls located in Ngarai Harau, 35 km from Bukittinggi. In between the hills and valleys Harau there is a deep ravines and a very beautiful waterfall, and sometimes filled by a collection of butterflies fluttering, so that makes this waterfall is a natural combination with beautiful views.

4. Sipiso Piso Waterfall (120 meters)

Sipiso piso

Sipisopiso waterfall is located in the highlands of North Sumatra. With a height of 120 meters, about 25 km from the town of Kabanja

5. Jarakan Waterfall (115 meters)

Jarakan

Jarakan waterfall situated in Village Ngancar, District Plaosan. Waterfall Jarakan this as part of the area waterfalls as a tourist attraction that was developed by the government of Magetan.

6. Sedudo Waterfall (105 meters)

Sedudo

Sedudo waterfall located in Ngliman, Sawahan district. about 30 km from Nganjuk. Apart from being a tourist attraction, this waterfall is often used as a place of public execution Traditional Ceremony and local government. This further adds attraction for both local and foreign tourists.

7. Citambur Curug Waterfall (100 meters)

Citambur

Citambur waterfall, a waterfall about 100 meters high in the village of Karang Jaya, District Pagelaran, South Cianjur, West Java. Surrounded by natural forest with beautiful views makes this waterfall is an exotic tourist attraction.

8. Moramo Waterfall (100 meters)

Moramo

Located 65 km east of Kendari, Moramo Waterfall is easily accessible by car or by boat. The uniqueness of this waterfall which has as many levels as high as 127 degrees 100 feet along the 2 km highland Southeast Sulawesi. And surrounded by natural forest as the place to the original habitat of Southeast Sulawesi.

9. Curup Tenang Waterfall (99 meters)

Tenang

Curup Tenang waterfall is the highest waterfall in South Sumatra, which lies near the village of Bedegung, Cape District Court, Southern District approximately 56 kilometers of Muara Enim.

10. Cipendok Curug Waterfall (92 meters)

Cipendok

Located in the village of Karang Tengah, Cilingok district, about 25 km from Purwokerto. With a height of 92 meters and is surrounded by beautiful natural forest.

0 The Most Beautiful Lake In Indonesia

Lake Toba, Sumatera

Lake Toba in Sumatra, Indonesia, is the world's largest volcanic lake, and also one of the best places in Asia to chill out for a few days or longer. There may not be an abundance of things to do at Lake Toba, but the atmosphere is so pleasant that you probably won't even notice! Motorbike or private car is the best way to visit several small sites in one day.

Toba is a place to come and sit back, relax and absorb some beautiful pristine scenery. As you sit and take in the view of the picturesque mountains set against the cool clear lake, you will feel the worries of the world melt away. As the lake sits 900 meters above sea level there is a cooler climate here making a refreshing break from the heat, humidity and pollution of the city.

It’s hard to imagine a more scenic place to come and enjoy hiking, swimming and sailing although once you arrive it might be difficult to resist the anesthetizing effects of the lake. The cool clear water coupled with the relaxed atmosphere and friendly people is what draws visitors from all over the world to Toba.

Lake Toba is one of the awesome natural wonders of the world. This is a crater lake so enormous it has an island almost the size of Singapore in its centre. At over 1,145 square kilometers, and a depth of 450 meters, Lake Toba is actually more like an ocean. This is the largest lake in Southeast Asia and the deepest lake in the world.

Venture onto the island of Samosir in the middle of the lake and you will discover mountains steeped in cool mist, clear waterfalls to swim under and locals taking their water buffalo out in the fields. This is a place to come and enjoy the legendary Batak hospitality. Say cheers and enjoy some traditional palm wine with the locals. Sit and have coffee and chat with islanders keen to practice their English. Where-ever you go, it won’t take long to make a new friend.  

On the main land, there is accommodation available in the town of Parapat.Parapat occupies a small, rocky peninsula jutting out into the lake. On the way down to Parapat from the hill town of Berastagi you will get some spectacular views as the lake first comes into sight and the road winds its way down the mountain closer to the shoreline.  In Parapat live the Batak Toba and Batak Simalungun people who are known as a happy and easygoing people, famous for their lively and sentimental songs. Although the majority have embraced Christianity, ancient beliefs and traditions still persist.

Many visitors prefer to take the more scenic option and stay on the massive island of Samosir in the middle of the lake. The original home of the Batak Toba people, the island has many traces of ancient days including stone tombs and traditional villages, such as at Ambarita which has a courtyard with stone furniture where in the old days convicts were tried and beheaded. Or visit Simanindo where traditional Batak ritual dances and music are performed.  Here is where you’ll be able to discover unique and ancient Toba culture.  At Tomok you can find mementos and Batak handicrafts. Buy the distinctive red and black hand-woven shawls called ulos- that are still used today at important life-cycle occasions-, a Batak calendar on rattan, woodcarvings and more. Samosir is accessible by regular ferries from Parapat. Boats also ply around the island regularly.

And if you wish to better understand Batak culture, visit the Batak Museum atBalige, further south on the mainland shore side. There are many hotels and smaller accommodations around the lake, especially at Parapat, and at Tuktuk on the island of Samosir.

Despite being a tourist spot for many years, Lake Toba still remains a natural and undisturbed natural beauty. Venture away from the small villages and you will find yourself in the country surrounded by farmland, churches and strange tombs peppering the landscape. 

0 Fantastic Volcanoes of Indonesia

While Indonesia’s volcanoes are often noted for the beauty of their spectacular peaks, steaming craters and view of the earth’s bubbling core, Mount Merapi, the country’s most active, took centre stage in October this year as a clear reminder of their deadly activity. Many of Indonesia’s volcanoes do erupt, sometimes with shocking consequences.

Due to Indonesia’s placement on a significant segment of the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, two large crustal plates (the Indian Ocean and western Pacific) are forced under the massive Eurasian plate, where they melt at approximately 100km beneath the surface. Some of the magma rises and erupts to form the string of volcanic islands across Indonesia.

But with tectonic activity comes devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, such as those of Boxing Day 2004, off Java in July 2006 and Sumatra in 2009, and just recently around the surfer’s paradise of the Mentawai Islands. Here is the lowdown on Indonesia’s most beautiful, and its most volatile, volcanic monsters.

Bromo Mountain, Java

Bromo Mountain, Java

A lunaresque landscape of epic proportions and surreal beauty, Gunung Bromo is one of Indonesia’s most breathtaking sights. Surrounded by the desolate Sea of Sands, its peak is sacred and eerie. It may not be Java’s tallest volcano, but it’s easily its most magnificent. From the summit you can see two other volcanoes (one in various stages of activity), all set in the vast caldera of yet another volcano.

Compared with Java’s other major peaks, Gunung Bromo is a midget, but this volcano’s beauty is in its setting, not its size. Rising from the guts of the ancient Tengger caldera, Bromo is one of three volcanoes to have emerged from a vast crater, stretching 10km across. Flanked by the peaks of Kursi and Batok, the steaming cone of Bromo stands in a sea of ashen, volcanic sand, surrounded by the towering cliffs of the crater’s edge. Nearby, Gunung Semeru, Java’s highest peak and one of its most active volcanoes, throws its shadow – and occasionally its ash – over the whole scene.

Krakatau Mountain, Java

Krakatau Mountain, Java

Take a boat trip to see the remnants, and the new beginnings, of one of the world’s A-list volcanoes. Few volcanoes have as explosive a place in history as Krakatau, the island that blew itself apart in 1883. Turning day into night and hurling devastating tsunamis against the shores of Java and Sumatra, Krakatau quickly became vulcanology’s A-list celebrity. Few would have guessed that Krakatau would have snuffed itself out with such a devastating swan song. Krakatau may have blown itself to smithereens, but it is currently being replaced by Anak Krakatau, which has been on the ascendant ever since its first appearance nearly 80 years ago. It has a restless and uncertain temperament, sending out showers of glowing rocks and belching smoke and ashes.

Ijen Crater, Java

Tourist in Ijen Crater

Spend the night at a peaceful coffee plantation before climbing this volcano to view its remarkable turquoise sulphur lake. The fabled Ijen Plateau is a vast volcanic region dominated by the three cones of Ijen, Merapi and Raung. A beautiful and thickly forested alpine area, these thinly populated highlands harbour coffee plantations and a few isolated settlements – Gunung Ijen is Javanese for ‘Lonely Mountain’. Access roads to the plateau are poor, and perhaps because of this visitor numbers are low. Virtually everyone that does come is here for the hike up to the spectacular crater lake of Kawah Ijen. But with sweeping vistas and a temperate climate, the plateau could make a great base for a few days up in the clouds away from the crowds.

Agung Mountain, Java

Agung Mountain, Java

Take one of the numerous routes up and down Bali’s tallest and most sacred mountain; Gunung Agung is an imposing peak seen from most of South and East Bali, although it’s often obscured by cloud and mist. Many references give its height as 3142m, but some say it lost its top in the 1963 eruption and opinion varies as to the real height. The summit is an oval crater, about 700m across, with its highest point on the western edge above Besakih.

 

Kerinci Mountain, Sumatra

Kerinci mountain, Sumatera

Brave this challenging ascent up into the heavens on Sumatra’s highest peak. Dominating the northern end of the park is the 3805m Gunung Kerinci, one of Sumatra’s most active volcanoes (it last erupted in 2009) and Indonesia’s highest non-Papuan peak. On clear days the summit offers fantastic views of Danau Gunung Tujuh and the surrounding valleys and mountains.

Kelimutu, Nusa Tenggara

Kelimutu, Nusa Tenggara

Wonder at the ethereal scenery atop this volcano, with its three differently coloured crater lakes and lunar landscape. There aren’t many better ways to wake up than to sip ginger coffee as the sun crests Kelimutu’s western rim, filtering mist into the sky and revealing three deep, volcanic lakes – each one a different striking shade. That’s why the tri-coloured lakes of Kelimutu National Park have long been considered a Nusa Tenggara must. During our research one was turquoise, the other dark brown with flecks of rust, and the third was black glass. Colours are so dense that the lakes seem the thickness of paint.

 Rinjani Mountain, Lombok

Rinjani Mountain, Lombok

Join pilgrims at the summit of this sacred peak, which has a huge crater lake overlooked by the active cone of Gunung Baru. To the Balinese, who come once a year, Rinjani is one of three sacred mountains, along with Bali’s Agung and Java’s Bromo. Inside the immense caldera, 600m below the rim, is a stunning, 6km-wide cobalt-blue lake, Danau Segara Anak (Child of the Sea). The Balinese toss their jewellery into the lake in a ceremony called pekelan, before they continue toward the sacred summit.

Api Mountain, Maluku

Api Mountain, Maluku

Scramble up this volcano in the Banda Islands to experience the awesome sunrise views. This devilish little 666m volcano has always been a threat to Bandaneira, Lonthoir and anyone attempting to farm its fertile slopes. It’s most recent eruption in 1988 killed three people, destroyed over 300 houses and filled the sky with ash for days. Historically, Gunung Api’s eruptions have often proved to be spookily accurate omens of approaching intruders.

Semeru Mountain, Java

Part of the huge Tengger Massif, the classic cone of Gunung Semeru is the highest peak in Java, at 3676m. Also known as Mahameru (Great Mountain), it is looked on by Hindus as the most sacred mountain of all and the father of Gunung Agung on Bali. Semeru is one of Java’s most active peaks and has been in a near-constant state of eruption since 1818. In 1981, 250 people were killed during one of its worst eruptions, and it exploded as recently as March 2009.

0 8 Best (Untouchable) Beach Of Indonesia

Beside famous beaches in Bali, there are still so many (Untouchable) beach in Indonesia, here they are :

Raja Ampat Islands  

Sea in Raja Ampat Island

Raja Ampat Islands will make anyone fascinated, never mind you, even the Indonesia native were amazed to see the beauty of Raja Ampat Island. Its natural beauty, especially beauty sea that making Raja Ampat Islands as a paradise for tourists.

Sea in Derawan Island

Derawan Island
It is located in archipelago of derawan, district of derawan, regency of berau, east borneo. there is a sea park around the coast and it is well known as a place for diving, with its depth around five meters. we can find multifarious kind of sea biota here, cuttlefish, lobster, ghostpipe fish, bluering octopus, nudibranchs, seahorses, ribbon eels and scorpionfishes, you also can see turtle directly.

Waterfall of moramo
This waterfall is located in forest of tanjung peropa,it is 38.937 ha of natural forest. Precisely, located in regency of east konawe or around 60 km from city of kendari, the capital of south east of Sulawesi. Peaceful atmosphere plus best wind here can attract all of visitors because it makes them as in heaven. We can also find potential nature stone of marble at this waterfall, it is estimated that it contains 860 billion meter cubic of marbles. Marble at this area is one of the biggest marble source in the world.

Waterfall of moramo

Belitung
We can find this at the movie of "laskar pelangi". there are artistic granite, clear sea water, and white sandy. Of course, this is not found in other places.

Beach of Belitung

Senggigi
Beautifull white sand, it is located in Nusa Tenggara Timur. Its scenery under the sea is very beautiful, and tourist can do snorkling satisfy because the wave is not too big. its nature causes the wave is broken at the middle.

Sunset at senggigi

Tanjung Bira
Located in regency of bulukumba,south Sulawesi. Tanjung bira is well known because of its white beautifull sands and clear water, it is good place for swimming and seeing the sunrise or sunset.

Tanjung Bira Beach

Green canyon
Located int ciamis, west java. This exotic place will give you the best experience that is unforgettable.

Green Canyon

Mentawai island
an island in west sumatra. Its culture and nature stills original. The tall wave can be used for surfing.

Mentawai island

0 Unique Facts about Indonesia

Being Indonesian, let me introduce you to 12 Unique Facts About Indonesia

• With over 17,000 islands – approximately 6000 of them still inhabited, Indonesia is the largest archipelago country in the world.
• Over 580 languages and dialects, Bahasa Indonesia is the formal language (I only knows several traditional languages and dialects)
• Rice is the main food staple in Indonesia. That’s why most Indonesians will say they haven’t had their meal before they had rice even after they had eaten pizza or hamburger!
• Indonesia is home to one of the previous 7 Wonders of the world – The Borobudur Temple. It’s the biggest Buddhist temple in the world built in 9th century. Still one of the huge tourism spot in Indonesia. Sadly, on the new 7 Wonders of The World, Indonesia fell off the list.

• The only dragon in the world can be found in Indonesia at the Komodo Island where the Komodo dragon resides.
• One of the largest Muslim population in the world but Indonesia IS NOT a Muslim country. The government only recognized 6 religions here: Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu and Konghucu.
• One of the world’s unique funeral procession takes place in a Toraja, a small town in Sulawesi island. Funeral procession will took around 7 days and cost a fortune. That’s why families usually save up their money for years before they can buried their loved ones. Where do they keep the body? In their house! Traditional embalming involved.
• Bali has been famous for years but Lombok is the most happening place among others beautiful places in Indonesia. Remember, being a country with so many islands there are plenty of beautiful beaches scattered all over Indonesia.

• The Dutch (or was known back then as the Dutch East Indies) colonized Indonesia for 350 years.  That’s why many older Indonesians speak fluent Dutch and plenty of Indonesian word derived from their language.
• Java island where Jakarta is situated is as big as New York State
• Indonesia is home to the largest flower in the world called The Rafflesia aka The Corps flower. Reaching 5ft high and 4ft wide, it only blooms for 3 days and for 8 hours of these 3 days, the flower gives out the rotting flesh smell.

• Indonesian loves spicy foods! Order a pizza or hamburger here, you will get some chili packages!

0 Traditional performing arts

Music

Indonesia is home to various styles of music, with those from the islands of Java, Sumatera and Bali being frequently recorded. The traditional music of central and East Java and Bali is the gamelan.

Angklung

Kroncong is a musical genre that uses guitars and ukulele as the main musical instruments. This genre had its roots in Portugal and was introduced by Portuguese traders in the 15th century. There is a traditional Keroncong Tugu music group in North Jakarta and other traditional Keroncong music groups in Maluku, with strong Portuguese influences. This music genre was popular in the first half of the 20th century; a contemporary form of Kroncong is called Pop Kroncong.

Angklung musical orchestra, native of West Java, received international recognition as UNESCO has listed the traditional West Java musical instrument made from bamboo in the list of intangible cultural heritage.

The soft Sasando music from the province of East Nusa Tenggara in West Timor is completely different. Sasando uses an instrument made from a split leaf of the Lontar palm (Borassus flabellifer), which bears some resemblance to a harp.

Dance

Balinese Dance

Indonesian dance reflects the diversity of culture from ethnic groups that composed the nation of Indonesia. Austronesian roots and Melanesian tribal dance forms are visible, and influences ranging from neighboring Asian countries; such as India, China, and Middle East to European western styles through colonization. Each ethnic group has their own distinct dances; makes total dances in Indonesia are more than 3000 Indonesian original dances. However, the dances of Indonesia can be divided into three eras; the Prehistoric Era, the Hindu/Buddhist Era and the Era of Islam, and into two genres; court dance and folk dance.

There is a continuum in the traditional dances depicting episodes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata from India, ranging through Thailand, all the way to Bali. There is a marked difference, though, between the highly stylized dances of the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta and their popular variations. While the court dances are promoted and even performed internationally, the popular forms of dance art and drama must largely be discovered locally.

During the last few years, Saman from Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam has become rather popular and is often portrayed on TV. Reog Ponorogo is also a dance that originated from the district Ponorogo, East Java, which is a visualization of the legendary story Wengker kingdom and the kingdom of Kediri.

0 The Culture of Indonesia

The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions,including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Islam and Christianity, all strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.

Examples of cultural fusion include the fusion of Islam with Hindu in Javanese Abangan belief, the fusion of Hinduism, Buddhism and animism in Bodha, and the fusion of Hinduism and animism in Kaharingan; others could be cited.

Balinese dances have stories about ancient Buddhist and Hindu kingdoms, while Islamic art forms and architecture are present in Sumatra, especially in the Minangkabau and Aceh regions. Traditional art, music and sport are combined in a martial art form called Pencak Silat.

Western culture has greatly influenced Indonesia in science, technology and modern entertainment such as television shows, film and music, as well as political system and issues. India has notably influenced Indonesian songs and movies. A popular type of song is the Indian-rhythmical dangdut, which is often mixed with Arab and Malay folk music.

Despite the influences of foreign culture, some remote Indonesian regions still preserve uniquely indigenous culture. Indigenous ethnic groups Mentawai, Asmat, Dani, Dayak,Toraja and many others are still practicing their ethnic rituals, customs and wearing traditional clothes.

0 People

Living on more than 17,000 islands, the Indonesian nation today counts some 200 million population comprising more than 200 ethnic groups. After Independence in 1945 inter-marriages among people of different ethnic groups have welded the population into a more cohesive Indonesian nation.

The majority of the population embraces Islam, while in Bali the Hindu religion is predominant. Whereas in areas like the Minahasa in North Sulawesi, the Toraja highlands in South Sulawesi, in the East Nusatenggara islands and in large parts of Papua, in the Batak highlands as well as on Nias island in North Sumatra, the majority are either Catholics or Protestants. On the whole the Indonesian people are religious in nature.

And, true to the Pancasila, the five principles of nationhood, - namely Belief in the One and Only God, a Just and Civilized Humanity, the Unity of Indonesia, Democracy through unanimous deliberations, and Social Justice for all - Indonesian societies are open and remain tolerant towards one another’s religion, customs and traditions, all the while faithfully adhering to their own. The Indonesian coat of arms moreover bears the motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika – Unity in Diversity.

Although today’s youth especially in the large cities is modern and follow international trends, yet when it comes to weddings, couples still adhere to traditions on the side of both the bride’s and bridegroom’s parents. So in a mixed ethnic wedding, the vows and wedding traditions may follow the bride’s family’s, while during the reception elaborate decorations and costumes follow the groom’s ethnic traditions, or vice versa. Weddings and wedding receptions in Indonesia are a great introduction to Indonesia’s many and diverse customs and traditions. Weddings are often also occasions to display one’s social status, wealth and fashion sense. Even in villages, hundreds or even thousands of wedding invitees line up to congratulate the couple and their parents who are seated on stage, and then enjoy the wedding feast and entertainment.

0 Climate of Indonesia

The climate of Indonesia is almost entirely tropical. The uniformly warm waters that make up 81% of Indonesia's area ensure that temperatures on land remain fairly constant, with the coastal plains averaging 28°C, the inland and mountain areas averaging 26 °C, and the higher mountain regions, 23 °C. Temperature varies little from season to season, and Indonesia experiences relatively little change in the length of daylight hours from one season to the next; the difference between the longest day and the shortest day of the year is only forty-eight minutes. This allows crops to be grown all year round.

The main variable of Indonesia's climate is not temperature or air pressure, but rainfall. The area's relative humidity ranges between 70 and 90%. Winds are moderate and generally predictable, with monsoons usually blowing in from the south and east in June through September and from the northwest in December through March. Typhoons and large scale storms pose little hazard to mariners in Indonesia waters; the major danger comes from swift currents in channels, such as the Lombok and Sape straits.

Monsoons

The extreme variations in rainfall are linked with the monsoons. Generally speaking, there is a dry season (June to October), influenced by the Australian continental air masses, and a rainy season (November to March) that is caused by Asia and Pacific Ocean air masses. Local wind patterns, however, can greatly modify these general wind patterns, especially in the islands of central Maluku—Seram, Ambon, and Buru. This oscillating annual pattern of wind and rain is related to Indonesia's geographical location as an isthmus between two large continents. In September and May, high pressure over the Gobi desert moves winds from that continent toward the northwest. As the winds reach the equator, the Earth's rotation causes them to veer off their original course in a northeasterly direction toward the Southeast Asian mainland. During January and February, a corresponding low pressure system over Asia causes the pattern to reverse. The result is a monsoon which is augmented by humid breezes from the Indian Ocean, producing significant amounts of rain throughout many parts of the archipelago.

Prevailing winds

Prevailing wind patterns interact with local topographic conditions to produce significant variations in rainfall throughout the archipelago. In general, western and northern parts of Indonesia experience the most precipitation, since the north- and westward-moving monsoon clouds are heavy with moisture by the time they reach these more distant regions. Western Sumatra, Java, Bali, the interiors of Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua are the most predictably damp regions of Indonesia, with rainfall measuring more than 2,000 millimeters (78.7 in) per year. In part, this moisture originates on high mountain peaks that trap damp air. The city of Bogor, near Jakarta, lays claim to having the world's highest number of thunderstorm days per year—322. On the other hand, the islands closest to Australia—including Nusa Tenggara and the eastern tip of Java—tend to be dry, with some areas experiencing less than 1,000 millimeters (39.4 in) per year. To complicate the situation, some of the islands of the southern Malukus experience highly unpredictable rainfall patterns, depending on local wind currents.

Temperature

Although air temperature changes little from season to season or from one region to the next, cooler temperatures prevail at higher elevations. In general, temperatures drop approximately 1° per 90-meter increase in elevation from sea level with some high-altitude interior mountain regions experiencing night frosts. The highest mountain ranges in Papua are permanently capped with snow.

1 Flora & Fauna

Indonesia’s moderate climate throughout the year, its fertile soil brought about by lava, and its minerals found on land and in the sea caused by volcanic eruptions, have made this the ideal habitat for a large number of unique and endemic flora and fauna. Indonesia has among the most diverse variety of species of animal life on land and in the seas found anywhere in the world.

Indonesia’s flora and fauna is divided by the “Wallace Line” that runs between Bali and Lombok, continuing north between Kalimantan and Sulawesi. West of the Line, vegetation and wildlife are Asian in nature, whereas east of the Line, these resemble those of Australia.

Vegetation found in different parts of the archipelago varies according to rainfall, soil and altitude. On the wetter islands, on Sumatra, Kalimantan, and Papua, ancient rainforests cover large areas. These forests are rich in valuable hardwood, aromatic and spice trees, as well as exotic fruit trees. Lately, however, through illegal logging and human settlements, large tracts of forests have been decimated leaving infertile land that cause flooding and erosions.

On the islands east of Bali known as the Nusatenggara islands (or once known as the Small Sunda Islands), there are savannahs, while on other mountain tops such as in the Mt. Gede National Park only 100 kms from Jakarta, one finds edelweiss, more reminiscent of Switzerland.

Indonesia’s wildlife varies from the Java mouse deer (or kancil) and the one-horned rhino to the Sumatran and Kalimantan Orang Utan, the Sulwesi anoa (a small water buffalo), the prehistoric giantKomodo lizard to the exotic Bird of Paradise in Papua. 

How about flora?. Here in Indonesia, you can find Raflesia Arnoldi in Bengkulu, one of the giant and unique flower in the world.

To preserve these unique flora and fauna Indonesia has designated 44 national parks throughout the archipelago, covering both land and sea, a large number of protected reserves offering ecotourism opportunities, as well as botanic gardens and zoos.