Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/73581
endless Diversity The size of Indonesia is overwhelming and offers the visitor a very individual experience. Whether shopping, visiting temples, enjoying the beaches and resorts in Bali, or venturing further to discover remote villages or the jungles of Borneo and Papua, the visitor is sure to be amazed by Indonesia's diversity. Capital and major centres As the nation's centre of government, business and industry, the capital Jakarta is a modern society that reflects recent decades of remarkable economic growth. The megacity has a population of nine million and is surrounded by the metropolitan area, Jabotabek, with population of almost 23 million. The island of Bali—tropical paradise and tourism hot spot—lies off the eastern tip of Java. A rich culture, beautiful landscapes and coastline and rural villages keep visitors returning in droves. The islands of Lombok, Sumba, Flores and others form a chain all the way to the eastern most province, Papua. Sumatra, the world's sixth largest island, is located to the west of Jakarta. The equator divides it in two just north of Bukittinggi. The scenery in Sumatra is amazing—offering incredible mountains, rivers and almost 100 volcanoes, 15 of them active. Kalimantan, the southern two-thirds of the island of Borneo, was once—and still is for the most part—a vast, jungle-covered wilderness. Boats and ferries are the main modes of transport, and the native Dayak tribe is a main attraction. The highland region of Sulawesi offers national parks, and a festive culture that includes the famed funeral festivals of Tana Toraja on the south-western peninsula. Further east still, in the islands of Maluku previously known as the Moluccas, lie the fabled Spice Islands. Many of these areas are just a two-hour flight from Jakarta, and an extensive and convenient network of air services connects the major cities and towns. The people The fourth most populous nation in the world, Indonesia's estimated 237 million 26 www.paradisesonline.com a people speak more than 500 different languages and dialects, and range from city dwellers to sea gypsies. Sixty percent of the people inhabit a mere seven percent of Indonesia's land area on the island of Java, while most of the archipelago remains unexplored. Nature Indonesia has one of the world's richest natural environments, offering an incredible diversity of animal and plant life. While a number of species of fauna are familiar to both Asia and Australia, there are many indigenous species in Indonesia such as the orangutan apes of Sumatra and Kalimantan, the giant Komodo dragons— the only ones of their kind in the world still roaming free, the one-horned rhinoceros of Java, the wild banteng oxen, tigers, and many other species now protected in wildlife reserves. East of Komodo is the island of flowers, Flores, where Komodo dragons can be found along the west coast, the only other place apart from Komodo. Also on Flores is Kelimutu, three coloured lakes in the caldera of a volcano. These lakes change colour depending on the oxidation state of the water and go from bright red through to green and blue. Papua, once part of the Australian landmass, has kangaroos, marsupial mice, bandicoots, crocodiles and frilled neck lizards. Indonesia has 400 volcanoes and a spectrum of landscapes from lush green mountain slopes to warm sandy beaches; from rice fields to rainforests and mountains with snow. The sights The most visited islands tend to be Sumatra, Java and Bali, and there is a great diversity of landscapes and cultures in these regions alone. There are also many temples from the Buddhist and Hindu dynasties such as those in Borobudur, Prambanan and the Dieng Plateau, the palaces of the Sultans in Surakarta and Yogyakarta, the Maimoon Palace of the Sultanate of Deli in Medan, and the Hall of Justice in Bali. There are remote villages, the ruins of ancient fortresses and museums, mosques and churches. topped ring-tailed possums, year-round