Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, consists of 17,000 islands stretching along 5,000 miles of the equator between northern Australia and Asia. mountains and volcanoes among lush rain forests give way to thousands of miles of beaches and off shore reefs. No wonder Indonesia beckons to millions of tourists each year.

When traveling in Indonesia although there are certain attractions that are highly recommended to see , there are also specific dangers to avoid . It is preferable that tourists visit during the dry season which runs from June to October to prevent weather related complications.

Sumatra is Indonesia's largest province. this heavily forested island lies along the equator. It is rich in beauty and abundant with rare wildlife. Mount Leuser National Park houses more than 700 species of birds , mammals, amphibians and reptiles, the most famous being orangutan .

The Berbak Wildlife Reserve is a dense swampy refuge that takes up about 1/5 of Sumatra's east coast. One of the most unusual to rain forests is located there. Because of the excessive accumulation of organic material on the forest floor, and acidic soil, the trees rarely reach a height of more than 40ft. This also allows the sunshine to penetrate the area.

The best time to visit is during the dry season, June to October. Tigers are abundant at the reserve and roam freely. During other parts of the year heavy rains can flood the area driving the animals to seek refuge at a higher elevation.

Take an excursion on the Alas River which winds through limestone gorges, jungle areas and native villages. Beginning in the Highlands and on through to the Indian Ocean, the experience is greater than that of descending the Colorado river through the Grand Canyon.

The island of Bali is a tourist attraction like no other Art and culture are mingled together every day. The dances of the country are well known for their distinct gestured interpretations. the belly bar rats national park is a huge bird watching attraction. The rare Bali Starling has silvery white plumage and dark blue markings around its eyes . The bird is on the endangered species list.

The beaches are famous worldwide and the offshore reefs are suitable for surfing and snorkeling.

Sudawesi is an amoeba shaped island with four peninsula's stretching out into the ocean. It is divided into two regions , north and south, the northern region being popular for snorkeling and diving , and the southern region being the habitat of its two unique cultures. The people that live there are famous for their houses built on stilts which face north and south.

The central island of Java is where the capital of Indonesia Jakarta is located. An ancient city overflowing with culture and natural resources, it is the most visited city in the country. Craftsmen and artisans hold street fairs there on a regular basis. Jakarta is an old town originally settled by the Dutch. Many fine sailing ships are on exhibit there.

Some points of interest to see are

Borobudur Temple
Built in the ninth century, this massive temple dominates an entire hill in central Java and is one of Bali's national treasures. the interior of the temple contains stone carved panels showing the life and teachings of Buddha. There are over 1,000 panels in all helping to create the terraces of the temple.

Kalimantan is the Indonesian province occupying a larger part of the island of Borneo. It is notorious throughout history as the island of the legendary headhunters. Diamonds , rattan , rare woods , and resin is harvested there. About 80 percent of the island is thick jungle and inaccessible mountain slopes. although the natives no longer practice head hunting, they are still a unique culture. You can take a riverboat tour of the area where you can see the one species of fresh water dolphin in the world. You can take tours to look at the animals of the region closeup.

Komodo National Park is where the gigantic legendary komodo dragon lizards live. they cannot be found anywhere else in the world. The island of komodo is dry and barren receiving is hardly any rainfall. Since it is located between Asia and Australia, many species of birds from both of those continents are on the island.

Bromo - Tengger National Park is a volcanic region set aside years ago by the Hindus as a sacred pilgrimage spot. to the natives, Mount Semeru it is considered a god. The active volcano erupts approximately every eight minutes, and is the highest mountain in Java . Another active volcano, Mount Bromo overlooks a vast expanse of sand known as the sand sea.

Bunaken Marine Park contains nearly 900 square kilometers of prime marine habitat set aside for the use of researchers, divers and snorkelers. The area is so large it can actually be seen from outer space. Many species of sea life , fish and mammals to reside there. Dugongs similar to manatees and the world's largest fish the whale shark are native to the area.

Lake Toba is the largest crater lake in the world. The island Samosir that sits in the middle of the lake is so large that amongst the towns and villages that occupy it sits another lake. The villagers of the central island love to sing and play love songs.