Balivayatravel.com - General Information about Indonesia and beyond #2

The islands of the Indonesian archipelago stretch almost 5000km (3100mi) from the Asian mainland into the Pacific Ocean. Richly endowed with natural resources and hosting a phenomenal array of distinct cultures, they have been a magnet to Chinese and Indian traders, European colonisers, proselytising missionaries, wayward adventurers, mining companies, intrepid travellers and package tourists.

The islands are inhabited by 300 ethnic groups with distinct cultures, speaking 365 languages and dialects. Despite the national motto `unity in diversity', these cultures are under threat from Indonesianisation as the islands are gradually unified under centralised Javanese rule. The multicultural concept of strength in difference has been a hard one to maintain in the face of such geographic and cultural fragmentation, and the Indonesian government has opted for strong, centralised and undemocratic rule.

The consolidation of the Indonesian empire has met with resistance and insurgencies but these have been largely been ignored by the international community. Until the recent currency crisis, the country was stable but mainly because political opposition was repressed and government authority rested squarely on the foundation of military power. Since Suharto's downfall, second guessing the direction Indonesia will take has become every foreign correspondents' favourite pastime. Despite the dreadful economic situation, there is renewed hope that long overdue political and economic reforms may now be implemented by the new elected Government, headed by President Megawati Sukarnoputri.

Environment

The Indonesian archipelago comprises more than 13,000 islands and shares borders with Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Stretching like a backbone down the western coast of Sumatra is a line of active and extinct volcanoes. These continue through Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and then loop through the Banda Islands of Maluku to north-eastern Sulawesi. Under 10% of the total land area is suitable for farming, while two-thirds consists of woodland, forests and mangrove swamp (mostly found in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya).

Indonesia's rich natural environment encourages a diversity of flora & fauna. The archipelago is home to elephants, tigers, leopards and orang-utans. Sea turtles are found in the waters around Bali and the world's largest flower - the Rafflesia - is found in Sumatra. The islands of Irian Jaya, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra have national parks, while other parks protect special areas such as Komodo, home to the Komodo dragon. Rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially in Kalimantan where the mighty dipterocarp forests are being logged ferociously for their durable tropical hardwoods.

Draped over the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly uniform climate - hot. It's hot and wet during the wet season (October to April) and hot and dry during the dry season (May to September). Temperatures climb to about 31 degrees Celsius in coastal regions, dropping further inland. The best time to visit Indonesia is from April to October.

When to Go

Though travel in the wet season is possible in most parts of Indonesia, it can be a deterrent to some activities and travel on mud-clogged roads in less developed areas is difficult. In general, the best time to visit is in the dry season between May and October.

The Christmas holiday period beings a wave of migratory Australians and there's an even bigger tourist wave during the European summer holidays. The main Indonesian holiday periods are the end of Ramadan, when some resorts are packed to overflowing and prices skyrocket.