10 Unique Experiences You Can Only Have in Indonesia

Indonesia is located in the ‘Pacific rim of fire’, one of the most active volcanic areas on the planet, and volcanoes in Indonesia are among the most active in the area. In terms of quantity, Indonesia alone has around 13% of the world’s volcanoes! For adventurous nature lovers, this means plenty of opportunities for volcano safaris throughout the archipelago. Some of the most popular to climb are Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Mount Ijen in East Java, Mount Batur in Bali, and Mount Bromo in East Java. Active volcanoes are fascinating to climb because of the amazing crater views like those at Mount Ijen, where blazing blue flames can be observed at night.

The Borobudur Temple in Central Java is the world’s largest Buddhist temple, added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list in 1991, and included as one of the seven wonders of the world until 2007. The enormous 8th century temple complex is packed with religious, cultural, and historical beauty, and is one of the most-visited attractions in Indonesia. Borobudur has thousands of sculptures depicting the life story of the Buddha.

Also worth mentioning is the nearby Prambanan Temple in Yogyakarta, one of the biggest Hindu temples in Southeast Asia, with impressive collections of towers and sculptures.

Indonesia is home to some rare and exquisite species, including Rafflesia arnoldii, the flower with the largest bloom in the world. It has only two known habitats, Borneo and Sumatra islands. Despite its ability to grow to a weight of more than 10 kilograms (22 pounds), the Rafflesia arnoldii is a parasitic plant that gets its nutrients from a host plant. When a Rafflesia arnoldii blooms, it emits a very strong odor that smells like rotting flesh, attracting insects that pollinate the plant and earning it the nickname ‘corpse flower’. Even so, explorers and scientists alike have journeyed through the rainforests of Indonesia to find this elusive species in bloom.

The lush green rice terraces of Bali have long been a tourist attraction, but a lesser-known activity is mud wrestling in vacant fields! Sign up for Mepantigan, a unique form of martial art practiced in the mud. It improves physical fitness, releases stress, develops character… and is so much fun!

Indonesians are keen to share their skills and knowledge with tourists. In many cities, tourists can find workshops teaching how to make traditional products, such as batik, silver jewelry, traditional meals, ceramics, and more. Ubud in Bali is a popular place to learn traditional arts, and one-day classes are a great way for tourists to try different activities.