Indonesia:

Because Indonesia encompasses such a diversity of cultures, it can be very difficult to decide where to go. There is a well-worn overland travellers' route across the archipelago, however, which begins by taking a boat from Penang in Malaysia to Medan on Sumatra's northeast coast. From here, the classic itinerary runs to the orang-utan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang, the hill resort of Berastagi, the lakeside resorts of Danau Toba and the surfers' mecca of Pulau Nias. Further south, the area around Bukittinggi appeals because of its flamboyant Minangkabau architecture and dances. Many travellers then hurtle through the southern half of Sumatra in their headlong rush to Java. Next stop is always the ancient capital of Yogyakarta, a cultural centre that hosts daily performances of traditional dance and music and offers batik courses for curious travellers. Yogya also makes a good base for exploring the huge Borobudur (Buddhist) and Prambanan (Hindu) temples. Java's biggest natural attractions are its volcanoes: the Dieng Plateau, with its coloured lakes and ancient Hindu temples and, most famously, Gunung Bromo, where most travellers brave a sunrise climb to the summit.

Just across the water from East Java sits Bali, the long-time jewel in the crown of Indonesian tourism, a tiny island of elegant temples, verdant landscape and fine surf. The biggest resorts are the party towns of Kuta and adjacent Legian. Most visitors also spend time in Bali's cultural centre of Ubud, whose lifeblood continues to be painting, carving, dancing and music-making. The islands east of Bali – collectively known as Nusa Tenggara – are now attracting bigger crowds, particularly neighbouring Lombok, with its beautiful beaches and temples. East again, the chance of seeing the world's largest lizards, the Komodo dragons, draws travellers to Komodo and Rinca, and then it's an easy hop across to Flores, which has great surfing and the unforgettable coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu. South of Flores, Sumba is famous for its intricate fabrics, grand funeral ceremonies and extraordinary annual ritual war, the pasola. North of Flores, Sulawesi is renowned for the intriguing culture of the highland Torajans, whose idiosyncratic architecture and impressively ghoulish burial rituals are astonishing.

What you need to know:

CLIMATE:
Draped over the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly uniform climate - hot. It's hot and wet during the wet season (October to April) and hot and dry during the dry season (May to September). Temperatures climb to about 31°C (88°F) in coastal regions, dropping (but not by much) further inland. The best time to visit Indonesia in the south is from April to October. Northern islands tend to be wet all year round.

FOOD:
While some may have the impression that ‘nasi goreng’ (fried rice) is the official dish of Indonesia, nothing could be further from the truth. Indonesian cuisine is as diverse as the Indonesian culture, taking on many influences from various cultures. Some of the most popular dishes throughout Asia actually originated in Indonesia, including Satay and Sambals.

Street carts offer an inexpensive way to sample various buns, pancakes, noodle dishes and other treats. The seafood is usually superb, and affordable. Chicken, goat and beef are the main meats in this predominantly Muslim country. There's also plenty of tofu and the popular tempe, a fermented soybean cake-so the vegetarian traveler will not go hungry here, either!

CURRENCY:
The Indonesian currency is the rupiah (abbreviated to "Rp"). Officially, rupiah are available outside of Indonesia, but the currency's volatile value means that very few banks carry it. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was Rp9500 to US$1.

You'll find banks capable of handling foreign exchange in provincial capitals and bigger cities throughout Indonesia, with privately run moneychangers (who sometimes offer better rates) in major tourist centres. You may be asked to supply a photocopy of your passport, or the receipt (or proof of purchase) that you get when you buy your travellers' cheques. Always count your money carefully, as unscrupulous dealers can rip you off, either by folding notes over to make it look as if you're getting twice as much, or by distracting you and then whipping away a few notes from your pile. Moneychangers in Kuta, Bali are notorious for this.

LANGUAGES:
The national language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia, although there are also over 250 native languages spoken throughout the archipelago. Bahasa Indonesia is a form of Bahasa Malay and, because it's written in Roman script, has no tones and uses a fairly straightforward grammar, it's relatively easy to learn.

Common Phrases:

Local Festivals:
In addition to national public holidays, there are frequent religious festivals throughout Indonesia's Muslim, Hindu, Chinese and indigenous communities. Each of Bali's 20,000 temples has an anniversary celebration, for instance, and other ethnic groups may host elaborate marriages or funerals, along with more secular holidays. Many of these festivals change annually against the Western calendar. The Calendar of Events booklet, produced annually by the Directorate General of Tourism, should be available in tourist offices in Indonesia and overseas.

Erau Festival Tenggarong, Kalimantan. September. A big display of indigenous Dayak skills and dancing.

Funerals Tanah Toraja, Sulawesi. Mostly May to September. With buffalo slaughter, bullfights, and sisemba kick-boxing tournaments.

Galungun Bali. Takes place for ten days every 210 days to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

Kasada Bromo, East Java. Offerings are made to the gods and thrown into the crater. Held on the 14th day of Kasada, the twelfth month in the Tenggerese calendar year (Dec).

Nyepi throughout Bali. End of March or beginning of April. The major purification ritual of the year. In the lead-up, religious objects are paraded from temples to sacred springs or the sea for purification. The night before nyepi, the spirits are frightened away with drums, cymbals, firecrackers and huge papier-mâché monsters. On the day itself, everyone sits quietly at home to persuade any remaining evil spirits that Bali is completely deserted.

Pasola West Sumba. Held four times in February and March, the exact dates being determined by local priests, this festival to balance the upper sphere of the heavens culminates with a frenetic pitched battle between two villages of spear-wielding horsemen.

Sekaten Central Java. July or August The celebration of the birthday of the prophet Mohammed, held in the royal courts of Central Java, includes a month-long festival of fairs, gamelan recitals, wayang kulit (Javanese shadow puppet performances) and wayang orang (a form of Javanese ballet) performances, culminating in a procession

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