Drum roll please…
Diversity. Now, a lot of countries claim to be diverse for all sorts of reasons. So, why is Indonesia so different? How does 300+ different languages, over 17,000 islands and more than 200 religions sound?
At its core, it’s almost magical that a boat ride or short flight can literally make you feel like you’re in a different country. From Jakarta to Bali the differences are astounding! Jakarta to me is… crazy in all the right ways! From insanely delicious food to the infamous city life, Indonesia’s capital really makes an impression for those who love the hustle and bustle. Now jump on a short plane ride and you are smack dab on a sandy beach, frangipanis at your feet. Welcome to Bali.
What really makes Indonesia different from other island destinations such as The Philippines is that you never get bored of exploring a new island. They are so different in their own ways that it pulls you in keep exploring. Sure they are all lush and green and the water is always inviting. But Yogyakarta was nothing like Toraja and Bali is nothing like Jakarta.
With Indonesia being so diverse within it’s culture, you are always able to partake in a wide variety of activities which will give you an amazing insight into the place you are staying. Take Toraja for example. You can visit the graveyard cave and learn about how the people there view the afterlife and due to religious reasons won’t ever get cremated. Instead an entire cave is filled with thousands if not tens of thousands of bodies.
How about submerging yourself into some Javanese culture by witnesses Palang Pintu; a traditional encounter involving fighting and poetry which is traditionally seen at weddings today.
When most travellers pick their destinations in South East Asia, Indonesia is more times than not, pushed to the side and overtaken by Thailand or Vietnam. Whilst I would 100% recommend you visiting those places also, there is nothing quite like a trip to Indonesia. It has fast found a very large place in my heart and like I said before, with a culture as rich and with over 17,000 islands, I could literally make 500 trips to Indonesia and all of them would be completely different.
That to me is what makes this beautiful country so special and unique.
A huge thank you to the Ministry of Tourism, Indonesia for taking us all on this once in a lifetime trip across your beautiful country. This post is part of a paid campaign but of course all opinions and thoughts remain 100% honest and my own!
