Indonesia

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago — 17,000 islands strewn over 5,000 km of equatorial sea, from the Andaman fringe to the doorstep of Australia. This Southeast Asian giant packs in an almost absurd density of experiences: smoking volcanoes, primary rainforest sheltering orangutans and Komodo dragons, more than 300 ethnic groups and a marine biodiversity that has no rival on the planet. For most international visitors, though, Indonesia still begins and ends with one word: Bali. The Island of the Gods has spent decades on every travel wish list, and the reasons are obvious — sculpted rice terraces, cliff-top Hindu temples, a yoga and wellness scene with global reach, and surf breaks that helped invent the modern sport.

But to stop at Bali is to miss the point. Two hours east by speedboat, Lombok and the Gili Islands deliver emptier beaches, a 3,726-metre volcano (Rinjani) that earns its place among Asia's great hikes, and water clarity that regularly tops 20 metres for snorkellers and divers. Sail further and you reach Komodo's pink-sand bays, Flores' twin-coloured crater lakes, Sulawesi's clove harbours and Raja Ampat — the richest marine ecosystem ever charted. For travellers based in the US, Australia or the UK, Indonesia is one of the few destinations that genuinely rewards every type of trip, whether you arrive with a board bag, a yoga mat or a notebook full of questions. Plan around the April-to-October dry season, allow at least two weeks, and let yourself be pulled past the obvious. The country has a way of redrawing your map of what a tropical journey can be.