Set 750m above sea level, and protected by a fortress of watchful volcanoes 190km southeast of Jakarta, Bandung is the third largest city in Indonesia and a centre of industry and traditional Sundanese arts - with plenty of cultural performances for tourists- though it suffers from traffic pollution and uninteresting modern developments. Sundanese culture has remained intact here since the fifth century when the first Hindu Sundanese settled in this part of West Java. Modern Bandung's main tourist attraction is nearby Tangkuban Prahu, and there's a very pleasant two-hour for forest walk down to the city too.The Dutch spotted the potential of this lush, cool plateau and its fertile volcanic slopes in the mid-seventeenth century, and set about cultivating coffee and rice here. But it wasn't until the early nineteenth century that the planters decided to settle in the area, at Bandung, rather than commute from Batavia. Several relics from the city's colonial era remain, including some of the elegant shops along Jalan Braga, and some fine building on Jalan Asia-Afrika. There are a number of unsung mountain destinations around Bandung such as Gunung Patuha and Gunung Malabar to the soutwest, which are well worth a visit.

Batam is one of the 3,000 islands of the Riau Archipelago. It is only 20kms from Singapore where you can travel from in only 20 mins. by an air conditioned ferry. Over the years Batam, known as the gateway to Indonesia, has developed into a major industrial and tourist area and its population has expanded rapidly from other areas of Indonesia as well as some 2,500 expats now living and working there. While the island is now filled with international standard hotels and resorts, not to mention golf courses and other recreations facilities, you can still find pockets of rural delight which have not been cleared and tranquil spots with white sandy beaches. Around 88% of Indonesia's population is Muslim, around 10% Christian and 2% Hindu and Buddhist. With the influx of more expats living on Batam, there are more western style bars and restaurants. The small local fishing villages offer fresh seafood to dine on while you sit over lapping waves soaking up the view.

Located 300m above sea level and just an hour's train journey south of Jakarta, Bogor enjoys a cool, wet climate - the Guinness Book of Records notes the city for the "most days per year with thunder" - and famously lush Botanical Garden, which were founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1811. In the gardens, pathways wind between towering bamboo stands, climbing, bougainvillea, a small tropical rainforest, and ponds full of water lilies and fountains. Perhaps the garden's best-known occupants are the giant rafflesia and bungu bangkai, two of the world's hugest (and smelliest) flowers.Near the gardens' main entrance, the rather dilapidated Soological Museum house some 30.000 specimens, including a complete skeleton of a blue whale, a stuffed Javan rhino and a Komodo dragon. Wayang golek puppets are made at a workshop to the northeast of the gardens ; ask for Pak Dase's place. If you're interested in gamelan and Javanese gongs, visit Pak Sukarna's factory on Jalan Pancasan to the southwest of the gardens. Here the instruments are forged using traditional methods, and are also for sale.

Once saddled with a reputation as a poverty-ridden hell hole, Jakarta mutated into a metropolis with all the outward appearance of an Asian boom town in not much more than a decade. It took only a week of rioting in May 1998 to reduce some of this modern façade to a burnt out shell. Shopping malls, offices, banks and businesses owned by ethnic Chinese and the ruling Soeharto family took the brunt of the rioters' anger. Jakarta remains very much at the centre of political events re-shaping Indonesia, and how quickly the city recovers from the riots and the political and economic turmoil remains to be seen. That said, Jakarta is the most expensive city in Indonesia, the most polluted and the most congested. But if you can withstand this onslaught and afford to indulge in its charms, then it is also one of the region's most exciting metropolises. Consider Jakarta the 'big durian' - the foul-smelling exotic fruit that some can't stomach and others can't resist.

The word Lombok comes from the Indonesian word for "Chilli". Slightly smaller than Bali, Lombok measures 4739 sq km and is therefore, virtually impossible to circumnavigate in one day. There are a wide variety of topographical features and microclimates on the island which, although close to Bali and the other islands of Indonesia, make it quite unique. Pert of the reason for this is the "Wallacea Line", which separates Asia and Australia start from east of Bali and Lombok and goes up north to east. Thus on Lombok many species of fauna and flora one comes across are also found in parts of Australia. Lombok is slightly smaller than Bali and divides conveniently into three geographical regions. Only a 15-minute flight (or a ferry trip) from Bali. The island possesses one of the highest volcanic mountains in the Indonesian archipelago, Mount Rindjani, whose cloud-piercing peak soars to 3745m (12,290ft). If you are looking for real adventure yet at the same time want a truly relaxing holiday away from the more industrialized tourism that is offered on Bali, then Lombok is the choice for you.

Capital of North Sulawesi, Manado is chiefly of interest as the departure point for spectacular diving and snorkelling at nearby Bunaken Marine.Here, a lush, tropical landscape with miles of coconut trees; the air filled with the spicy tang of cloves, the area's main crop which eventually finds its way into Indonesia's famous clove cigarettes, kretek. Apart from the friendliness of the locals, Manado is famous with divers and snorkellers the world over for the incredible clarity and underwater attractions of the Bunaken Sea Gardens, an hour's boat ride away. There are plenty of other attractions including the quaint mountain town of Tomohon with its colourful market, Lake Tondano and the scenic Kali waterfall.

Medan, Indonesia's fourth - largest city, occupies a strategic point on Sumatra's northeast coast and is a major entry point for boats and flights from Malaysia. It has acquired a reputation for being filthy and chaotic, but also holds some glorious examples of nineteenth-century colonial architecture, built by the Dutch gentry, who grew rich on the back of the vast plantations that stretch up the slopes of the Bukit Barisan to the west of the city. The boom was started by the entrepreneurial Jacob Nienhuys, who saw the potential for tobacco plantations, prompting even the local royalty to migrate to the city to be nearer the action.

Puncak area has been known as a cool and fresh area and enriched with natural mountainous area, so it's so called as West Java mascot, even it's been one of Seven Wonders of West Java. The natural conditions is very different from capital city, and may ease to visit Bogor Regency for visitors who come from Jakarta and surroundings. Besides the natural condition in Puncak area, many various tourism objects are interesting to visit, But remember in weekends traffic jam is often here.

Polluted, noisy and sprawling, Surabaya is the second-largest city in Indonesia, and the major port of East Java. With time and effort the city is comprehensible and even somewhat enjoyable, but for most tourists Surabaya is nothing more than a transport hub. If you do want to linger, the Chinese and Arab quarters to north of the city centre and the zoo and museum to the south are the most interesting sights.

Sixty-five kilometres northeast of Yogya stands quiet, leafy low-rise Surakarta, or, as it's more commonly known, Solo. This is the older of the two royal cities in Central Java, and its ruling family can lay claim to being the rightful heirs to the Mataram dynasty. Like Yogya, Solo has two royal palaces and a number of museums, yet its tourist industry is nowhere near as developed. The city's main source of income is from textiles, and Solo has the biggest batik market on Java. Solo also makes an ideal base from which to visit the home of Java Man at Sangiran, as well as the intriguing temples Candi Ceto and Candi Sukuh.

Up until 1744, Solo was little more than a quiet backwater village, 10km east of Kartasura, the contemporary capital of the Mataram kingdom. But in that year the Mataram susuhunan, Pakubuwono II, backed the Chinese against the Dutch, and the court at Kartasura was sacked as a result. Pakubuwono II searched for a more auspicious spot to rebuild his capital, and in 1757 a rival royal house of Mangkunegoro was established right in the centre of Solo. Thereafter, Solo's royal houses wisely avoided fighting and instead threw their energies into the arts, developing a highly sophisticated and graceful court culture. The gamelan pavilions became the new theatres of war, with each city competing to produce the more refined court culture - a situation that continues to this day.

Ujung Pandang has a population of about 950.000 and is the provincial capital of south Sulawesi. The majority of the population in this region are Muslims. Ujung Pandang is the largest city on Sulawesi, and has for centuries been the commercial trade center for the entire island and the eastern Indonesian islands. Major goods exported from here are textiles, paper, processed food, building materials and a variety of agricultural products. The Portuguese came here first in 1512 and settled here until 1667, when they were forced to leave by the Dutch. The Dutch called the city Makassar, a name it kept until the early 1970's when it got it's present name. From here the Dutch had control over much of the ships that sailed between west and east Indonesia. The Bugis people originates from this region, and are in some areas just known as "sea gypsies". The Bugis are famous boat builders and sailors, and they have in ancient times probably gone as far as Madagascar and north Australia to trade their goods. Later on they also settled in other coastal areas of Indonesia, in particular on Sumatra and in Riau.

The old Pelabuhan Paotere harbor are well worth a visit, here the traditional Bugis sail ships called Perahu (see photo) come and go with goods to and from other Indonesian islands. Pantai Losari is the name of the promenade along the sea with a large number of local "warung" where you can have something to eat. There are also some modern hotels here, and you can relax on a cafe overlooking the ocean and enjoy the sunset. The city has a museum, a university and an old Dutch fort, called Vredenburg or Fort Rotterdam, an impressing memorial of the colonial time close by the harbor. Inside the fort there is a museum with artifacts from large parts of Sulawesi. In addition there are several colonial buildings in the city, like the Governor's Residence. In the southeast part of the city there are several memorials of the once so mighty Gowa empire, like the resting place of Sultan Hasanuddin who ruled Gowa from the middle of the 17th century and had to surrender to the Dutch. Outside the grave you will see the Pelantikan stone, where the rulers of Gowa was crowned. A few km further south is the old Sultan palace Benteng Sungguminasa, now a museum. Ujung Pandang is often used as a starting point for expeditions into the interior of Sulawesi, especially to the famous Toraja land (Tanah Toraja) on central Sulawesi. Ujung Padang has an airport with daily flights to Jakarta and Manado. The are several facilities here like accommodation and restaurants, with a large variety of seafood. There is a large Chinese community here as well, and a lot of restaurants with Chinese food.

Yogyakarta is one of the main tourist destinations in Indonesia . Attractions in the area include The great Sultan's Palace, Parangtritis Beach, Borobudur and Prambanan Temples, Merapi Volcano as well as the performing arts like Ramayana Ballet and Wayang Kulit.

The cultural colour of Yogyakarta is obvious because of the temples, traditional buildings, various cultural activities and numerous famous artists. This is accentuated by the general culture of Yogyakarta's community which is art loving and hospitable.

Your visit to Yogyakarta will be one that remains with you, the visitor, in both spirit and memories for years to come.