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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Indonesia

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

Updated June 5, 2024

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  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

Unusual Attractions in Indonesia

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Temples 11
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Hinduism 6
Art 6
Architecture 6
Animals 5

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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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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

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

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