Indonesia is the country Australians visit most and know least. This guide starts in Bali, because every trip does, and then explains what Java, Lombok and Komodo add, when to go, what the entry rules are this year, and how we turn all of it into one itinerary.
Where Indonesia fits for Australian travellers
Indonesia is the closest major country to Australia and the one most Australians have visited, and yet most of those visits go no further than the southern third of one island. Bali is the front door — direct flights from every east-coast capital and Perth, six hours or less, English widely spoken in the tourist areas, and a tourism industry that has been welcoming Australians since the 1970s. Everything on this page is built from Bali outward: the island first, then Java, Lombok and Komodo as the places you add once Bali is familiar.
Indonesia is also enormous. More than 17,000 islands, 270 million people, and a spread of cultures from Hindu Bali to Muslim Java to the Christian east that makes the phrase “Indonesian holiday” nearly meaningless without a region attached. That is why this guide is organised by island, and why the Bali section has its own complete travel guide, things to do, tours and journal.
The islands, and what each one is for
Bali
Temples, rice terraces, surf beaches and the best-developed visitor infrastructure in the country. Where first trips start and where most repeat trips still base themselves.
- Ubud, Seminyak, Uluwatu, Sanur
- Direct flights from Australia
- Complete Cooee guide, things to do and tours
- 5–10 days on its own
Java
Indonesia’s most populous island and its cultural core. Yogyakarta for Borobudur and Prambanan, Mount Bromo for the sunrise crater, Jakarta for the flights.
- Borobudur is the world’s largest Buddhist monument
- Yogyakarta is a 90-minute flight from Bali
- 3–5 days added to a Bali trip
- Train travel across Java is excellent
Lombok and the Gili Islands
Bali’s quieter neighbour, 30 minutes by air or two hours by fast boat. Three car-free Gili islands for snorkelling and the Rinjani volcano for serious trekkers.
- Fast boats from Padang Bai and Sanur
- Gili Trawangan, Air and Meno
- Rinjani trek is 2–4 days
- Kuta Lombok surf and beaches
Flores and Komodo
Komodo National Park for the dragons and some of the best diving in Asia, reached from Labuan Bajo on a liveaboard or day boat.
- Direct flights Bali–Labuan Bajo
- Komodo dragons on Komodo and Rinca
- Pink Beach, Padar Island viewpoint
- Add 3–4 days
When to go
Indonesia sits on the equator, so temperature barely changes through the year — expect 27–32°C by day in Bali in any month. What changes is rain. The dry season runs roughly May to September and is the safest window for beaches, volcano sunrises and island boats; the wet season, November to March, brings afternoon and overnight storms, higher humidity and rougher seas for the Gili and Komodo crossings. April and October are the shoulder months and often the best value.
For Australians the calendar is also about crowds. Bali is busiest in July, September and the Christmas–January school holidays, when flights and the better villas book out months ahead. If your dates are flexible, late May, June and early October give dry-season weather with noticeably fewer people.
Practical essentials
Entry and visas
At the time of writing Australians enter on the Visa on Arrival or its online e-VOA equivalent (about AUD 50 for 30 days, extendable once), and Bali arrivals pay a separate IDR 150,000 tourist levy. The All Indonesia arrival card is completed online before you land. These rules have changed several times since 2022 and the correct source is Smartraveller and the Indonesian immigration site — we confirm the current requirement on every itinerary we issue.
Money
The currency is the Indonesian rupiah (IDR), and the exchange rate makes prices look alarming until you divide by roughly 10,000 to get Australian dollars. Cards are accepted at hotels and larger restaurants; warungs, drivers, temple entries and markets are cash. ATMs are everywhere in Bali and Java, rarer on the smaller islands.
Getting around
Within Bali a private driver is the standard answer — day rates are modest, traffic is dense and there is no useful public transport. Between islands you fly (Garuda, Citilink, Batik, Lion) or take fast boats. Java has a genuinely good train network; Yogyakarta to Jakarta by rail is a comfortable seven hours.
Health and safety
Tap water is not for drinking anywhere in Indonesia. Dengue is present year-round and worst in the wet season, so mosquito repellent matters. Volcano and sea conditions are monitored and tours are cancelled when they should be. Smartraveller currently advises Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia; read the current advice before you go and carry travel insurance that covers motorbike riding if you intend to do any.
How Cooee Tours plans Indonesia
We treat Indonesia as one itinerary rather than a Bali booking with extras bolted on. That means international and domestic flights on a single ticket where possible, a private driver on each island, accommodation chosen for where it sits rather than its star rating, and a person in Brisbane you can ring. Most Indonesian trips we build are 10 to 16 days: a week in Bali, then one of Java, Lombok or Komodo. Bali on its own is also fine — see the Bali tours page for the ways we put that together.
Questions we get asked
Do Australians need a visa for Indonesia?
At the time of writing Australians use the Indonesian Visa on Arrival or e-VOA (about AUD 50 for 30 days, extendable once), plus the Bali tourist levy of IDR 150,000 paid on arrival in Bali. Requirements change — check Smartraveller and the Indonesian immigration site before you fly, and we confirm the current rule on every itinerary we send.
When is the best time to visit Indonesia?
The dry season, roughly May to September, is the most reliable for Bali, Java, Lombok and Komodo. It is also school-holiday peak for Australians, so July and September book out first. October and April are shoulder months with fewer people and short afternoon storms rather than all-day rain.
Is Bali the only part of Indonesia worth visiting?
No. Bali is the easiest entry point and has the flights, but Java has Borobudur and Yogyakarta, Lombok has the Gili Islands and Mount Rinjani, and Flores has Komodo National Park. Each adds three to five days to a Bali trip and each is a different country in feel.
How long is the flight from Australia?
Denpasar is about six hours from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and under four from Perth, with direct flights daily. Jakarta is served direct from Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Everything else in Indonesia is a domestic connection.
Can Cooee Tours book Indonesia beyond Bali?
Yes. We build Indonesian itineraries as one booking — international flights, domestic sectors, accommodation, private drivers and guides — and hold the whole thing under Australian consumer protection rather than a string of separate overseas bookings.
Where this leads
Blog attracts, things to do informs, tours convert — in that order.