Indonesia has a million attractions waiting to be discovered. Bali is in Indonesia, not the other way round. Bali’s popularity makes people forget that there is so much more to this Southeast Asian nation apart from its popular exotic beaches. Here are 5 facts about Indonesia that will kindle your interest to visit this wonderful country.
1. The Most Culturally diverse
Despite having the largest Muslim population, Indonesia is constitutionally a secular country. There are more than 300 ethnic groups, who speak more than 700 languages, and are spread over 17,508 islands. The Lord Ganesh symbol on Indonesian currency shows that Hinduism, rather than just a religion, is a part of their own ancient culture.
2. Cigarettes everywhere!
Don’t be shocked if you come across a 5-year-old smoking a cigarette in Indonesia. Yes, you heard it right- Children smoking in Indonesia. Sadly, their parents seem to take it as casually as any other childish mischiefs. After the video of an Indonesian kid smoking 40 cigarettes a day went viral, the problem has only gotten worse and the cigarette advertisements are prevalent everywhere!
3. Delicious food
Apart from the most famous and sumptuous Indonesian food- Nasi Goreng and Satay, which are absolutely palatable, try this delicious street food Bakso. It is popular among students and sold in pushcarts like Golgappe in India. Bakso means single meatball or a whole bowl of meatball soup made of chicken, pork, beef and sometimes a combo of all three.
4. A volcano that spews blue lava
There’s a volcano called Kawah Ijen located on the island of Java which spews Blue Lava. This splendid colour is due to the combustion of sulphur on contact with air to make mind-blowing blue magma. You can take a guided tour to witness this azure beauty. You will need to trek notorious heights and be prepared with gas masks.
5. Of course, Bali
This bewitching island in Indonesia is famous for its exotic beaches, temples set against breath-taking natural backdrops and the myriad of happenings. Click here to know some off beat things to do in oft-visited Bali.
Indonesia stands out as an authentic cultural experience for a curious traveller. Explore and discover for yourself some more interesting facts about Indonesia.
wow, this sounds so amazing. When I first visited Indonesia two years ago with my wife we absolutely fell in love with the place. We went to Bali first for our vacation and we stayed in this villa https://balivillaescapes.com.au/?villas=villa-lanai-2-bedroom-at-the-residence and we had an amazing time especialy learning the indonesian tradition and the history. The next place for visit is Sumatra in April 🙂 Can’t wait for it. Thanks for this amazing article, I will be sharing it to my facebook.
Thank you for the wonderful comment, Oliver. We are very happy you enjoyed it. Indonesia is indeed a wonderful place 🙂 Some members of our team were recently in Jakarta, if you’re interested you can check out their stories here – https://travel.earth/category/sponsored/jakarta/