Indonesia beyond Bali: where to go next

Java: temples, crafts and volcanoes

Java is the most populous island and can seem noisy at first. Yet Yogyakarta is one of Indonesia's most likeable cities: the sultan's palace, batik workshops, gamelan music and street food. Close by is Borobudur, the world's largest Buddhist temple, best seen at dawn when mist fills the valley, and the Hindu temples of Prambanan.

East Java brings the volcanoes: sunrise over the Bromo caldera and the Tengger sand sea, and further on the Ijen crater with its turquoise lake. That means early starts and long hours on the road, so Java suits those who value culture and landscape above rest. East Java sits right next to Bali, which makes it a natural beginning.

Lombok and the Gilis: the neighbours across the strait

Lombok is just across the strait from Bali, yet the mood is different: a mostly Muslim island with minarets among the rice fields, the Rinjani volcano rising above the clouds and a wild southern coast whose bays are still empty. Trekking Rinjani is a serious multi-day challenge for fit travellers; for something gentler, the waterfall walks on its northern slopes are plenty.

The tiny Gili islands off Lombok's north-west are car-free: you get around by bicycle and horse-drawn cart, and sea turtles often swim close to shore. Gili Trawangan is known for its evenings, Gili Meno and Gili Air are quieter. It's the easiest step beyond Bali and a good choice for a first trip or for families.

Flores and Komodo: boats, dragons and mountain villages

Labuan Bajo, a short flight from Bali, is the gateway to Komodo National Park: tawny hills above, with walks of a few hours to viewpoints, and below them reefs where currents bring the fish. Most people travel here by phinisi, the traditional wooden sailing boat, sleeping on board. A night or two at sea is one of the best ways to feel the scale of the archipelago.

Many see Flores only as the gateway to Komodo, which is a shame. Inland are the crater lakes of Kelimutu, whose colours change over time, rice terraces and mountain villages such as Wae Rebo, with its conical houses reached on foot. The road across Flores is long and winding, so it suits those in no hurry.

Sumba: an island on its own time

Sumba, south of Flores, is of all these islands the closest to what many once went to Bali for. Villages of tall thatched roofs, megalithic stone tombs, ikat weavers and long, often empty beaches where horses are ridden at dusk. Sumba's traditional Marapu faith is still very much alive, and some ceremonies follow their own calendar.

Tourist infrastructure is modest – a handful of exceptional places to stay and simple guesthouses – so Sumba suits couples and travellers looking for quiet and space rather than entertainment. It makes a lovely finish, especially after a more active stretch in Java or Flores.

Sulawesi: the Toraja highlands

Tana Toraja, in the mountains of Sulawesi, is home to one of Indonesia's most distinctive cultures. Tongkonan houses with boat-shaped roofs, rice terraces and villages where death and remembrance are part of daily life: funeral ceremonies here can last several days and gather a whole community. Visitors sometimes attend with a local guide – a meaningful experience, but one that calls for sensitivity and respect.

Toraja is a long drive through the mountains from Makassar, so plan at least three nights. It's a direction for curious travellers who already know Asia and want to understand, not only to see.

Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands: the far east

Furthest east, in Indonesia's Papua region, lies Raja Ampat: hundreds of jungle-covered limestone islands and reefs counted among the most diverse on earth. People come for the water rather than the beaches – snorkelling, diving and life at the pace of a boat or a small island lodge. Getting there is long, with domestic flights and a boat, so give it at least a week.

Not far away, in the Moluccas, are the tiny Banda Islands, once the world's only source of nutmeg and fought over by European empires. Today they're quiet islets with colonial-era forts, nutmeg groves and the Gunung Api volcano rising straight from the sea. Banda and Raja Ampat together make a journey for travellers who have seen a lot and want real distance from the usual routes.

How to put it together

The biggest mistake in Indonesia is trying to cover too many islands. Every move means a transfer to the airport, a flight, often a connection and another transfer, so two or three regions need two to three weeks. A few shapes that, in our view, work best:

• Culture and landscape: Yogyakarta, the East Java volcanoes, Bali's highlands and a finish by the sea.
• Boats and quiet: Bali, a few nights on a phinisi among the Komodo islands, the Flores highlands, then Sumba.
• For depth on a first trip to Asia: Java and Tana Toraja, with a few calm days on Bali.
• For seasoned travellers: Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands, with Bali skipped or kept to a stopover.

In Indonesia every extra island costs a day of travel – choose the ones worth that day.

Distances are long, but the reward is a country you can get to know again and again: come back a second or third time and it will still be different. Tell us what draws you – temples, volcanoes, the sea beneath a boat or a quiet beach – and how much time you have. We'll choose the islands most worth your journey together.