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All Indonesia

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Indonesia

74 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Indonesia

Updated January 13, 2026
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Cities

Top Cities
The fantastic “gateway to heaven.”
Abang
Monkeys at Luhur Uluwatu Temple
Kuta Selatan
(Flickr/trugiaz)
Yogyakarta
The Rabbit Tree.
Gili Meno
Ghost Palace Hotel as seen from the main entrance
Baturiti
View of the Pura Dalem temple
Ubud
All Cities
  1. Abang
  2. Baturiti
  3. Denpasar
  4. East Nusa Tenggara
  5. Gili Meno
  6. Jakarta
  7. Kuta Selatan
  8. Magelang
  9. Rantepao
  10. Ternate
  11. Ubud
  12. Yogyakarta
Attractions
Food & Drink
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Stories
Lists

Unusual Attractions in Indonesia

Ghost Palace Hotel as seen from the main entrance

Baturiti, Indonesia

Ghost Palace Hotel

An abandoned hotel in the highlands of Bali is shrouded in stories of ghosts, curses, and corruption.
Pura Tanah Lot

Kediri, Indonesia

Tanah Lot

Isolated atop this Balinese sea crag is a lovely Hindu temple that is said to be guarded by sea snakes.
The fantastic “gateway to heaven.”

Abang, Indonesia

Pura Lempuyang Luhur

Bali's remote "gateway to heaven" is one of the most sacred places on the island.
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View of the Pura Dalem temple

Ubud, Indonesia

Sacred Monkey Forest (Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)

Hindu temple of the dead home to hundreds of long-tailed macaques.
Taman Festival Bali.

Denpasar, Indonesia

Taman Festival

A haunting theme park is slowly being swallowed by the jungle.
Goa Gajah

Sukawati, Indonesia

Goa Gajah

The name of this ancient Indonesian temple translates as "Elephant Cave" but it could be more accurately called "The Hellmouth."
Gereja Ayam

Magelang, Indonesia

Gereja Ayam

This massive chapel in the middle of the Indonesian forest is both haunting and fowl.
See All 74 Things To Do in Indonesia

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Indonesia

The hardworking cow.

Srandakan, Indonesia

Mie Lethek Garuda

In this rare traditional factory, three generations of know-how, several strong cows, and a one-ton mortar come together to make Yogyakarta's famous "ugly noodles."
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Explore Indonesia

Temples 12
Geology 11
Volcanoes 8
Hinduism 7
Ecosystems 7
Architecture 6
Caves 6
Art 6
Water 5
Nature 5
Sacred Spaces 5
Islands 5
Animals 5
Abandoned 5
Architectural Oddities 5
Archaeology 4
Plants 4
Rites And Rituals 4
Geological Oddities 4
Aircraft 3

Indonesia Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. Tony Dunnell
    4
  2. Max Cortesi
    4
  3. Annetta Black
    3
  4. siewch
    3
  5. atimian
    2
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Indonesia.

Places Edited

  1. MarkTimeTravel
    14
  2. Martin
    12
  3. Annetta Black
    8
  4. crimsonchoir
    7
  5. alltravels
    6

Places Visited

  1. aptabali
    41
  2. apriaep
    41
  3. trapphubert
    36
  4. KanaKiseki
    29
  5. awesome
    22

Recent Indonesia Activity

  • Foz Fam

    has been to Goa Gajah

  • Foz Fam

    has been to Sacred Monkey Forest (Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)

  • daleanna

    has been to Sacred Monkey Forest (Mandala Wisata Wenara Wana)

  • daleanna

    has been to Taman Festival

  • daleanna

    has been to Bali's (Other) Abandoned Plane

Stories About Indonesia

Bali's Massive Stone Sarcophagi Included Global Grave Goods

Mirrors from China, glass beads from Roman Egypt, and other treasures from far-flung places accompanied ancient Balinese elites to the afterworld.
by Nicky Nielsen
June 5, 2024
Made of paper, bamboo, and found items, enormous, fearsome ogoh-ogoh figures are carried during Ngrupuk parades the night before Balinese New Year and then burned.

Meet the Creatures and Creators Behind Bali’s Parade for Banishing Evil Spirits

On the night before the Balinese New Year, villagers bring monsters to life—and then burn them.
by Roxanne Hoorn
May 1, 2024
A dramatic 2020 eruption of Kīlauea was nothing compared with Indonesia’s Toba supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago, the largest eruption of the past 2.5 million years.

How Indonesia’s Toba Volcano Changed Human Evolution

The massive supervolcano eruption 74,000 years ago has been blamed for nearly killing off our species. The emerging truth is much more interesting.
by Gemma Tarlach
April 29, 2024
Old Javanese inscriptions describe vegetables eaten raw or boiled and seasoned with fermented shrimp paste.

How a Dinner Series Brought Borobudur’s Stone Reliefs to Life

The most famous monument in Indonesia shaped these ninth century–inspired feasts.
by Andrew Coletti
March 7, 2024
New research says humans began sculpting a small hill into a larger pyramid around 6,000 BC, and then building layers of sand and rocks on top of that.

Is the World's Oldest Pyramid Not in Egypt or the Americas, But in Indonesia?

Perhaps it’s not just an oddly shaped hill, after all.
by Jennifer Billock
May 15, 2024
The city of Pontianak was named after a ghost.

The Time a Town Was in an Uproar Over a 300-Foot Ghost Statue

Cast your votes on the “nightmare Statue of Liberty.”
by Natalie Lawrence
October 13, 2023
An adult male orangutan contemplates his next move in haze produced by Indonesia’s 2015 wildfires.

Wildfire Smoke Changes Orangutan Calls in Borneo

During massive fires in Indonesia, the critically endangered primates' voices provided clues to their overall health.
by Wendy Erb
July 3, 2023
A 1902 illustration of battling dryptosaurs.

Wonder Is Everywhere: Lost Dinosaurs, 5,000-Year-Old Leftovers, and More From Around the Web

Get a peek into what we’re obsessed with right now.
by April White
February 15, 2023

Lists Featuring Indonesia

Red Seabeach
The otherworldly landscape of Padar Island.
Black Sand Beach

10 Unique Beaches From Around the World

From bright red grass to stranded shipwrecks, these beaches are anything but ordinary.

10

Including Driftwood Beach, Red Beach , and Padar Island

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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