With 18,110 islands, 6,000 of them inhabited, Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world offering a virtually unrivalled range of holiday options. While the picturesque island of Bali remains the most well known and the most popular of Indonesia’s tourist destinations, there is so much more on offer for those willing to step off the beaten track. Pack your itinerary with visits to: the historic monuments and temples of Central Java; the world renowned dive sites of idyllically remote Raja Ampat; the extraordinary Island of Komodo, home of the unfathomably large Komodo Dragon; as well as a range of vast tropical forests providing sanctuary to incredibly diverse wildlife from Orangutans and other primates to critically endangered Javan Rhinoceros and Tigers. The range of choices is mind-boggling but, however you decide to spend your time on this remarkable group of islands, you are sure to have some truly exhilarating experiences and some unforgettable adventures.
Encircled by a white sandy beach in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara Province, Sumba is a remarkably unspoiled island of long-held traditions. Only an hour’s flight east of Bali, the island is relatively easy to reach, yet, despite this accessibility, it is seldom visited by Western tourists, allowing the locals to uphold many of their traditional customs. Surfers were the first visitors to camp out on its spectacular wild beaches, having discovered a mesmerising left-hand break that barrels onto one of the island’s perfect beaches. Today this same stretch of beach is home to the eco-resort of Nihiwatu, where visitors can enjoy the unique cultural experiences, virgin beaches and exquisite wilderness of Sumba in outstanding comfort and understated luxury. Recommended activities include world-class surfing, hiking through waterfalls, ancient villages and butterfly trails and stand-up paddling down the Wanukaka River.
