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Terraced rice fields cascade down a lush green hillside surrounded by palm trees near Tegallalang, Bali.

Destinations

Indonesia

Seventeen thousand islands, of which a two-week trip sees three. Indonesia is a flight rather than a border crossing — and its dry season runs when the mainland is wet.

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Indonesia

The country on the opposite calendar

Indonesia sits south of the equator, which is why it belongs in a conversation about mainland Southeast Asia at all. Its dry season — May to September — falls exactly when Thailand, Laos and northern Vietnam are wet. A June or July trip that would be a gamble in Luang Prabang is reliable in Bali and Flores, and that single fact decides a lot of summer itineraries.

The practical shape of an Indonesian leg is three places, not thirty. Bali for the south: rice terraces inland, temples on the cliffs, a coast for whichever version of a beach holiday you want. Java for Yogyakarta, which gives you Borobudur and Prambanan and a living court culture in one walkable city. Flores for Komodo, the boats and the water, which is the part that people do not expect and talk about afterwards.

Green rice terraces curve down a hillside surrounded by palm trees in Bali

Stupas of Borobudur temple above morning mist in Java, Indonesia

Bali · Java

Destinations

Where people actually go

5 – 7 nights

Bali

Rice terraces, temples and a coast for every taste — the easiest place to land.

Borobudur temple's silhouette rises above misty jungle canopy in Java at dawn

2 – 3 nights

Yogyakarta

Borobudur, Prambanan and Javanese court culture, two hours from Bali by air.

A wooden boat floats near a beach beneath rugged volcanic peaks at Komodo National Park.

3 – 4 nights

Komodo & Labuan Bajo

Boat days, dragons, and the clearest water in the country.

Seasons

When to come

May to September is the dry season and the one to aim for, particularly for Komodo, where the boat days depend on the sea. January and February are the wettest months in Bali and the crossing to Flores can be cancelled. The shoulder months — April, October — are usually fine and noticeably cheaper. Bali is busy in July, August and around the new year; Yogyakarta and Flores absorb visitors far better.

Tour boats anchor off Pink Beach with rugged hills rising behind, Komodo National Park.

Komodo, August

JFMAMJJASONDIndonesia (Bali)

Three means the month usually works everywhere in that region, two means it works with a plan, one means rain, heat or sea conditions will shape your days. No month is closed to all six countries: when the Mekong is in flood, Bali and the Philippines are at their driest.

Getting in

Getting there and getting in

There is no land border between Indonesia and any of the other five countries on this site, so this leg is always a flight: Bangkok, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur to Denpasar, four to five hours. Inside the country you fly again — Denpasar to Yogyakarta or Labuan Bajo, both around an hour and a half.

Visa on arrival for every European, North American, Australian and Northeast Asian passport: 30 days, extendable once by another 30.
The All Indonesia arrival card is filed within 72 hours of arrival and is free.
Bali charges a separate tourist levy per person, paid online or on arrival.
Proof of onward travel is genuinely checked at Denpasar, more than anywhere else in the region.

Checked 20 September 2026

We do not print visa fees on this site: they change without announcement and the official portals are the only reliable source. Your coordinator will send you the current figure and the link for your nationality before you travel.

Planning

How many days it needs

6 daysBali alone — inland and coast, without rushing either.

9 daysBali and Yogyakarta, or Bali and Komodo.

12 daysAll three, with two internal flights and no day wasted.

As part of a longer tripSeven nights after a mainland leg, arriving through Bangkok or Singapore.

Combinations

What it joins well with

Thailand, because Bangkok is the connection. A common shape is ten days on the mainland followed by a week in Bali, which works particularly well from May to September when the mainland is at its wettest and Indonesia at its driest. The Philippines pairs with it for a longer island trip, though the two are further apart than the map suggests and the connection usually goes through Singapore or Manila.

Add an island leg.

Plan My Trip

Tell us your dates

If you are travelling between May and September, this is the half of the region that will be dry.

Plan My Trip

Common questions

Questions travellers ask most

Can I travel overland between Indonesia and the mainland?

No. Indonesia’s land borders are with Malaysia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea, none of which is on a mainland Southeast Asia route. This leg is always flown.

Is Bali too crowded?

The south is, in July, August and at new year. The rest of the island is not, and an itinerary that stays inland or on the quieter east coast feels like a different place. We plan around the peaks rather than pretending they do not exist.

When is Komodo at its best?

May to September, when the sea is calm and the boat days run as planned. In January and February crossings are regularly cancelled, and we would rather not sell you a boat trip we expect to lose.

Journey ideas