Indonesia

Best time to visit

Best time to travel

Bali and Java are driest from about May to September; Raja Ampat’s seas are usually calmest from October to April. Check the date of Nyepi, usually in March, when Bali shuts down for a day.

Travel tips

Travel by Ildy tips

• Going from Java to Bali overland, take the train to Ketapang station in Banyuwangi, a short walk from the harbour, then the ferry to Gilimanuk (about 45 minutes); rail passengers buy the ferry ticket separately at the port.
• In Yogyakarta, eat gudeg on Jalan Wijilan, the city’s gudeg street: young jackfruit simmered for hours with palm sugar, coconut milk and teak leaves that give its reddish-brown colour.
• If you are in Bali for Nyepi, the Balinese New Year, watch the ogoh-ogoh effigy parades on the eve, then keep the day of silence at your hotel — even the airport closes for 24 hours.
• Bali’s rice terraces are run by subak, farmers’ associations sharing water through temples; the system, an expression of the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, has been UNESCO-listed since 2012.