Indonesia has more than 17,000 islands, and the practical question is not which one is prettiest but which ones you can reach in the time you have. Bali, Nusa Penida, Lombok and the Gilis sit within a two-hour fast boat of each other and make a complete two-week trip on their own. Komodo, Raja Ampat, Sulawesi and the Derawan Islands each need a flight and a day of connections, and reward divers and anyone who wants empty beaches. This guide ranks 14 islands and island groups by how much they give a first or second-time visitor, with the airport, port, boat time and rough fare for each, the months that work, and the boat-safety and seasonal-closure rules that catch people out.
Indonesia's islands at a glance#
Bali, Nusa Penida and Lembongan, Lombok and the Gili Islands: one international airport, fast boats between them, hotels at every price.
Komodo National Park from Labuan Bajo, then Raja Ampat, Bunaken, the Togeans, Derawan and Wakatobi for the best diving in Asia.
Java for Borobudur and Bromo, Sumatra for Lake Toba, orangutans and Mentawai surf, Flores for Kelimutu’s coloured lakes.
Belitung’s granite coves, Karimunjawa off Java, Weh off Aceh, Sumba’s savannah coast and the nutmeg islands of Banda.
Domestic flights for anything beyond Lombok (IDR 700,000-2,000,000), fast boats for Bali-Gili (2 hours), slow public ferries for pennies.
April to October is dry almost everywhere; Raja Ampat flips, with the calmest seas from October to April.
Bali, Nusa Penida and Lembongan#
1. Bali: the island that does everything
Bali is where most trips start and where many stay, and it still earns the top spot because nowhere else combines temples, surf, rice terraces, restaurants and nightlife with an international airport. Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai airport (DPS) sits 15 minutes from Kuta and 45 to 90 minutes from Ubud depending on traffic. Base yourself in Canggu or Seminyak for beach clubs and surf schools, Ubud for the Monkey Forest, Tirta Empul and the rice terraces, Uluwatu for cliff surf breaks and the sunset Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple, and Amed or Pemuteran in the north and east for calm snorkelling and far fewer people.
Best for first-timers, couples, surfers and anyone who wants a villa with a pool for IDR 1,500,000-3,000,000 a night (USD 90-180). Backpacker hostels in Kuta and Canggu start around IDR 150,000. Go between April and October for dry days; the wet season (November to March) brings afternoon downpours but quieter roads and lower prices.
2. Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan: Bali’s rugged neighbours
Nusa Penida has the postcard the whole of Bali is now sold on: the T-Rex-shaped headland at Kelingking Beach, the natural arch at Broken Beach and the manta rays that cruise the cleaning station at Manta Point most mornings. Lembongan, 20 minutes away across a mangrove channel, is flatter and gentler, with beach bars, surf breaks and seaweed farms, and suits families and anyone who finds Penida’s roads too much.
Fast boats leave Sanur harbour on Bali from about 7am and take 30 to 45 minutes; expect IDR 100,000-200,000 one way (USD 6-12) and buy from the operator’s own counter or app. On Penida, hire a driver (IDR 700,000-900,000 a day for a car) rather than a scooter: the roads are steep, broken and the island has a long record of tourist crashes. Dry season swell from June to September closes some beaches; the Kelingking descent is dangerous in any season and people have been swept off the rocks at Angel’s Billabong, so stay out of the water there when waves are breaking over the pool.
Lombok and the Gili Islands#
3. Lombok: Rinjani, surf and the beaches Bali used to have
Lombok is Bali with a tenth of the traffic. The south coast around Kuta Lombok has Selong Belanak for beginner surf, Tanjung Aan for a swim and Gerupuk for reef breaks, with guesthouses at IDR 250,000-500,000 a night and surf camps that bundle lessons and board hire. The west coast at Senggigi and Mangsit Beach is quiet now, good for sunsets over Bali’s Mount Agung. Inland, Mount Rinjani (3,726 m) is Indonesia’s great trek: three days and two nights to the crater rim and summit via Sembalun or Senaru costs IDR 2,500,000-4,000,000 with guide, porters and tents, plus the national park fee of IDR 150,000 per day for foreigners. Rinjani closes to climbers every January to March for the rains.
Fly into Lombok International Airport (LOP) near Praya, 30 minutes from Kuta Lombok, with frequent 35-minute hops from Bali. The public ferry from Padangbai (Bali) to Lembar takes four to five hours and costs under IDR 100,000. Dry season runs April to October; the south-coast surf is best May to September.
4. Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno: no cars, no hurry
The three Gili Islands off Lombok’s north-west coast ban motor vehicles, so you walk, cycle or take a horse cart. Gili Trawangan is the biggest and busiest, with dive schools, beach bars and party nights that rotate between venues; Gili Air is the balanced one, with good restaurants, yoga and reef right off the beach; Gili Meno is the smallest and quietest, with turtles grazing a few metres from shore and honeymoon bungalows. Snorkel trips around all three cost IDR 150,000-250,000 and almost guarantee turtles.
From Bali, fast boats leave Padangbai and Serangan and take about two to two and a half hours to Gili T, with hotel pickup bundled: IDR 350,000-600,000 one way (USD 20-35). From Lombok, the public boat from Bangsal harbour takes 15 to 30 minutes for IDR 20,000-40,000 and leaves when full; private speedboats cost IDR 300,000-400,000 per boat. The Lombok Strait gets rough from December to February and fast boats are cancelled on bad days, so leave a buffer before an international flight.
Komodo, Flores and Sumba#
5. Komodo, Padar and Flores: dragons from Labuan Bajo
Labuan Bajo on the western tip of Flores is the gateway to Komodo National Park. The classic day trip hits Padar Island’s three-bay viewpoint at dawn, Komodo dragons on Komodo or Rinca with a ranger, Pink Beach, and a snorkel with mantas at Manta Point. Shared speedboat day trips cost IDR 500,000-1,000,000 per person, two-day one-night boat trips IDR 1,500,000-3,000,000, and liveaboard dive trips from about USD 150 per day. On top of that come the park’s fees, which change often: budget IDR 400,000-600,000 per person per day for entry (higher on weekends and holidays), the ranger fee shared by your group, and per-island or snorkelling charges, and check the current schedule on the park’s SiORA booking site before you pay a boat operator. Dragons are easiest to see on Komodo Island and Rinca in the dry season.
Fly Bali to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) in 75 minutes for IDR 1,000,000-2,000,000. With more time, drive east across Flores to the coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu near Moni (two long days from Labuan Bajo via Ruteng and Bajawa) and fly out of Ende or Maumere. Go April to December; January and February bring rain and seas rough enough that boats stay in port for days.
Java and Sumatra#
6. Java: temples, volcanoes and the train
Java is not a beach island but it is where Indonesia’s biggest sights are. Yogyakarta is the base for sunrise at Borobudur and sunset at Prambanan; from there the executive-class train east to Surabaya or Malang sets up a 3am jeep to the Mount Bromo viewpoint, then the Ijen crater and its blue fire near Banyuwangi, and finally the 45-minute Ketapang to Gilimanuk ferry onto Bali for under IDR 20,000. The Dieng Plateau above Wonosobo adds misty temples and sulphur lakes with almost no foreign visitors.
Fly into Jakarta (CGK), Yogyakarta (YIA) or Surabaya (SUB). Jakarta to Yogyakarta by train takes seven to eight hours and costs IDR 350,000-600,000 in executive class. Java is dry April to October; Bromo and Ijen are clearest from June to September but cold at dawn (bring a jacket).
7. Sumatra: Lake Toba, orangutans and Mentawai surf
Sumatra is the island for a slower, wilder second trip. Lake Toba, the world’s largest volcanic lake, has Batak villages and cheap lakeside guesthouses at Tuk Tuk on Samosir Island: take a car or shared minibus from Medan’s Kualanamu airport (KNO) to Parapat in four to five hours, then the 30 to 45-minute passenger ferry to Tuk Tuk for about IDR 20,000. Bukit Lawang, three to four hours from Medan, offers one-day and two-day jungle treks to see semi-wild orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park for IDR 900,000-1,800,000 with a guide. From Padang on the west coast, the Mentawai Islands are a surf pilgrimage: the fast ferry to Tuapejat takes three to four hours and surf camps run from about USD 100 a night to USD 300 and up, with the season from April to October.
Most of Sumatra is driest from May to September. Haze from land fires can blanket Riau, Jambi and South Sumatra from August to October in dry years.
Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands#
8. Raja Ampat: the richest reefs on earth
Raja Ampat, off the western tip of Papua, holds more fish and coral species than anywhere else that has been surveyed, and most visitors see it either from a homestay or a liveaboard. Homestays on Kri, Gam and Arborek are simple over-water bungalows at IDR 400,000-700,000 per person per night including three meals. Liveaboards start around USD 300 a night and are the only sensible way to reach the Wayag karst islands in the north and Misool in the south. Day trips to Piaynemo’s viewpoint cost IDR 2,000,000-3,500,000 per boat from Waisai.
Getting there takes a day: fly to Sorong (SOQ) via Jakarta or Makassar, usually overnight, then take the morning or afternoon express ferry from Sorong harbour to Waisai on Waigeo in about two hours for IDR 100,000-250,000 depending on class. Buy the Raja Ampat environmental permit card in Waisai (around IDR 1,000,000 for foreigners, valid for a year, check the current price) before your homestay boat collects you. Seas are calmest from October to April; July and August bring south-east winds, choppy crossings and some homestay closures.
Sulawesi and the Derawan Islands#
9. Sulawesi: Bunaken, the Togeans and Wakatobi
Sulawesi gives you three very different marine parks. Bunaken, 45 minutes to an hour by boat from Manado (MDC) in the north, has vertical coral walls, turtles on every dive and resorts on Bunaken and neighbouring Siladen from IDR 600,000 to several million a night; the park’s entrance tag for foreigners costs about IDR 150,000 and is valid for the calendar year. The Togean Islands in the Gulf of Tomini are remote and cheap, with no ATMs and limited electricity: reach them by the overnight ferry from Gorontalo to Wakai (about 12 hours, a few departures a week) or boats from Ampana, then stay in beach bungalows on Kadidiri or Malenge for IDR 300,000-700,000 a night with meals, and swim with stingless jellyfish in the lake on Mariona. Wakatobi in the south-east has resort-level diving reached by flights from Makassar to Wangi-Wangi.
Tana Toraja’s cliff graves (eight to ten hours by bus from Makassar) and the white sand of Bira (five hours) fill out a three-week Sulawesi trip. Dry season is May to October; the Togean ferries are least reliable from December to February.
Belitung, Karimunjawa and Weh#
10. Belitung: granite boulders and empty beaches
Belitung, east of Sumatra, is the island Indonesians fly to for the weekend and foreigners mostly skip. Tanjung Tinggi and Tanjung Kelayang beaches are strewn with house-sized granite boulders and backed by calm, clear water, and the standard island-hopping day by boat (IDR 500,000-800,000 per boat) stops at Lengkuas Island’s 1882 Dutch lighthouse, snorkelling spots and a sandbar. Garuda and Citilink fly from Jakarta to Tanjung Pandan (TJQ) in about an hour for IDR 700,000-1,300,000. March to October is driest; the sea is glassy in the middle of the year.
11. Karimunjawa: Java’s own island escape
The 27 islands of Karimunjawa, 80 km north of Jepara in Central Java, are where Yogyakarta and Semarang students go for cheap snorkelling, shark pools and seafood grilled on the square. The Siginjai public ferry from Jepara takes four to five hours and the Express Bahari fast ferry about two hours; sailings run a few days a week, so build your trip around the schedule and book the return on arrival. Homestays cost IDR 200,000-400,000, and snorkelling day trips IDR 150,000-250,000 per person. Go April to October; from December to February the Java Sea gets rough and ferries are cancelled for days at a time.
12. Derawan Islands: turtles, mantas and a jellyfish lake
The Derawan Islands off East Kalimantan are the Borneo answer to Raja Ampat for a fraction of the price. Derawan itself has stilt-house homestays at IDR 250,000-500,000 a night and green turtles under every jetty; Sangalaki has manta rays; Kakaban has a brackish lake full of stingless jellyfish; and Maratua has the one upmarket resort and the best wall diving. Fly to Berau (BEJ) via Balikpapan, drive two and a half hours to Tanjung Batu and take a 30-minute speedboat, or take the three-hour speedboat from Tarakan. Seas are calmest from March to October.
13. Weh Island (Sabang): Indonesia’s kilometre zero
Pulau Weh off the tip of Aceh is where the country officially begins, marked by the Kilometre 0 monument, and it has some of the cheapest good diving in Asia. The villages of Iboih and Gapang on the north-west coast have bungalows from IDR 150,000 to 600,000, dive shops charging around IDR 500,000-700,000 per dive, and snorkelling off the beach to Rubiah Island. Fly to Banda Aceh (BTJ), then take the fast ferry from Ulee Lheue to Balohan on Weh (45 minutes, about IDR 100,000) or the slow ferry (two hours, under IDR 50,000); Sabang town is 20 minutes from the port by car. Aceh enforces sharia law: no alcohol is sold, couples should be discreet and women should dress modestly away from the resort beaches.
14. Sumba: tombs, horses and savannah
Sumba, an hour’s flight south-east of Bali to Tambolaka (TMC) or Waingapu (WGP), is dry, savannah-like and culturally unlike anywhere else in Indonesia, with megalithic tombs, thatched high-roofed villages, the Weekuri lagoon and Walakiri’s dancing mangroves, and the Pasola horseback spear-throwing festival in February and March. Distances are long and public transport thin, so budget IDR 800,000-1,200,000 a day for a car and driver and stay in homestays or the handful of resorts. Dry season is April to November.
15. The Banda Islands: the original Spice Islands
The Banda Islands in Maluku are the original Spice Islands, where nutmeg was once worth more than gold, and they remain hard to reach: fly to Ambon (AMQ), then take the Express Bahari fast ferry (about six hours, a few days a week) or a Pelni ship (overnight) to Banda Neira. Climb Gunung Api at dawn, walk through Fort Belgica and nutmeg groves, and snorkel the coral that has regrown over the volcano’s 1988 lava flow; boats to Pulau Hatta and Pulau Ai add the best reefs. Guesthouses cost IDR 250,000-600,000. The calm windows are roughly October to December and March to May; mid-year winds can stop the ferry for a week.
Indonesia's islands compared#
| Island | Best for | Nearest airport | Boat / transfer | Typical stay cost (room) | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bali | First trip, surf, temples, villas | Denpasar (DPS) | None needed | IDR 150,000 dorm to 3,000,000+ villa | Apr-Oct |
| Nusa Penida / Lembongan | Cliffs, mantas, day trips | Denpasar | Sanur fast boat 30-45 min, IDR 100,000-200,000 | IDR 250,000-1,500,000 | Apr-Oct |
| Lombok | Surf, Rinjani trek, quiet beaches | Lombok (LOP) | Padangbai ferry 4-5 h, under IDR 100,000 | IDR 250,000-1,500,000 | Apr-Oct (Rinjani closed Jan-Mar) |
| Gili Islands | Snorkelling, car-free, parties (Gili T) | Lombok | Bali fast boat 2-2.5 h, IDR 350,000-600,000; Bangsal boat 15-30 min | IDR 150,000-1,200,000 | Apr-Oct |
| Komodo / Flores | Dragons, Padar, mantas, liveaboards | Labuan Bajo (LBJ) | Day boat from Labuan Bajo, IDR 500,000-1,000,000 + park fees | IDR 300,000-2,000,000 | Apr-Dec |
| Java | Borobudur, Bromo, Ijen, trains | Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya | Trains; Ketapang-Gilimanuk ferry to Bali 45 min | IDR 150,000-1,500,000 | Apr-Oct |
| Sumatra | Lake Toba, orangutans, Mentawai surf | Medan (KNO), Padang (PDG) | Parapat-Tuk Tuk ferry 30-45 min; Mentawai fast ferry 3-4 h | IDR 150,000-1,000,000; surf camps USD 100+ | May-Sep (surf Apr-Oct) |
| Raja Ampat | World’s best reefs, homestays, liveaboards | Sorong (SOQ) | Sorong-Waisai ferry 2 h, IDR 100,000-250,000 | IDR 400,000-700,000 pp with meals; liveaboards USD 300+/night | Oct-Apr |
| Sulawesi (Bunaken, Togeans) | Wall diving, remote bungalows | Manado (MDC), Gorontalo (GTO) | Manado-Bunaken 45-60 min; Gorontalo-Wakai ferry ~12 h | IDR 300,000-2,000,000 | May-Oct |
| Belitung | Granite beaches, island hopping | Tanjung Pandan (TJQ) | None needed; boat day IDR 500,000-800,000 | IDR 300,000-1,200,000 | Mar-Oct |
| Karimunjawa | Cheap snorkelling, Java weekenders | Semarang (SRG) | Jepara ferry 2-5 h, a few days a week | IDR 200,000-600,000 | Apr-Oct |
| Derawan | Turtles, mantas, jellyfish lake | Berau (BEJ), Tarakan (TRK) | Tanjung Batu speedboat 30 min; Tarakan 3 h | IDR 250,000-1,500,000 | Mar-Oct |
| Weh (Sabang) | Budget diving, Kilometre 0 | Banda Aceh (BTJ) | Ulee Lheue fast ferry 45 min, about IDR 100,000 | IDR 150,000-600,000 | Year-round, calmest Feb-Sep |
| Sumba / Banda | Culture, Pasola, Spice Islands | Tambolaka (TMC), Ambon (AMQ) | Sumba: none; Banda: ferry 6 h or Pelni overnight | IDR 250,000-1,000,000 | Apr-Nov / Oct-Dec and Mar-May |
Pair islands that share a gateway. Bali plus Nusa Penida, the Gilis and Lombok needs no flights at all; Komodo plus Flores uses one flight from Bali; Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands both route through Makassar or Ambon, so they combine better with each other than with Bali.
Boat safety and seasonal closures#
Fast boats, ferries and staying safe on the water
Fast boats between Bali, Nusa Penida, Lombok and the Gilis are the workhorses of island hopping and have a mixed safety record: engine fires, groundings and a 2016 explosion on a Bali-Gili boat that killed two passengers. Reduce the risk with a few habits. Book with established operators through their own office, website or app rather than a beach tout, and never with a company that refuses to name the boat. Before boarding, look for life jackets in reach of every seat (not locked in a cupboard), working radio and a crew that is not loading more people than there are seats. Sit near the back, where the ride is smoother, and keep your passport and phone on your body in a dry bag.
Public ferries and Pelni ships are cheap and generally fine on the main routes, but they do get overloaded on holidays and in bad weather. If a vessel looks dangerously crowded or is leaving into a visible storm, take the next one. Weather cancellations are routine from December to February in the Lombok Strait, the Java Sea (Karimunjawa) and the Flores Sea (Komodo), and from July to August in Raja Ampat and Banda. Build at least one spare night between your last boat and any international flight.
Check the day before
Fast-boat companies post cancellations on WhatsApp and social media the evening before. Confirm your departure, and if the sea is forecast above two metres and you are prone to seasickness, fly or take the big ferry instead.
Seasonal closures that change your plans
A few closures are predictable enough to plan around. Mount Rinjani shuts to trekkers every year from January to March and reopens in April once the trails are checked; it also closes at short notice after earthquakes or landslides. Ijen on Java closes whenever sulphur gas spikes. Komodo National Park stays open all year, but the park authority has repeatedly proposed limiting visitor numbers and closing Komodo Island itself for dragon conservation; a daily visitor cap and a quota system now apply, so book boats and permits ahead for July and August and check current rules before you fly to Labuan Bajo. From January to February, rough seas stop most Komodo boats and the Karimunjawa ferries for days at a time, and the Togean ferry schedule thins out.
Raja Ampat never closes, but its weather calendar is the reverse of Bali’s: the south-east trade winds from June to September make the crossing from Sorong rough and push some homestays to close, while October to April is calm and clear. Bali’s Nyepi (one day in March, dated by the Balinese calendar) shuts the airport, the seaports and every business for 24 hours, so you cannot arrive, leave or move between islands that day. Finally, Lebaran (the end of Ramadan) and the Christmas-New Year week sell out domestic flights and fast boats weeks in advance; book then or avoid them.
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Indonesia islands FAQs#
Which Indonesian island is best for a first visit?
Bali, because it has the only major international airport among the islands, hotels at every price and enough temples, beaches and rice terraces for two weeks. Add Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands by fast boat for variety without any flights.
How many islands can I visit in two weeks?
Three or four is realistic. Bali, Nusa Penida, the Gilis and Lombok work without flights; Bali plus Komodo (Labuan Bajo) plus Java’s Yogyakarta works with two domestic flights. Any more and you spend your trip in transit.
What is the best island in Indonesia for diving and snorkelling?
Raja Ampat has the highest marine biodiversity recorded anywhere and is best from October to April. Komodo (mantas, strong currents), Bunaken (walls), Derawan (turtles, mantas) and Wakatobi are the other top choices; the Gilis are the easiest for beginners.
How do I get from Bali to the Gili Islands?
Take a fast boat from Padangbai or Serangan harbour to Gili Trawangan, Gili Air or Gili Meno; the crossing takes two to two and a half hours and costs IDR 350,000-600,000 one way including hotel pickup. Alternatively fly to Lombok and take the public boat from Bangsal harbour in 15 to 30 minutes.
Is Komodo Island closed to tourists?
No. Komodo National Park is open year-round, though the authority caps daily visitors and has proposed closing Komodo Island itself at times; Rinca, Padar and the dive sites stay open. Boats are often cancelled for weather in January and February.
When is the best time for island hopping in Indonesia?
April to October for Bali, Lombok, the Gilis, Komodo, Java, Sulawesi and Belitung. Raja Ampat and the Banda Islands are the exception, with calm seas from October to April.
Are fast boats in Indonesia safe?
Mostly, with established operators. Check for life jackets at every seat, avoid overloaded boats, sit towards the back and expect cancellations in rough weather from December to February. Never schedule a fast boat on the same day as an international flight.
Which Indonesian islands are cheapest?
Weh, Karimunjawa, the Togeans, Lake Toba and the Gilis outside Trawangan all have rooms from IDR 150,000-300,000 and meals under IDR 40,000. Raja Ampat and Komodo cost the most because of boat charters, park fees and remote-island logistics.