The various provinces found among the Indonesian geographical scope are all defined and commands their own set of culture and attractions.

As Indonesia is essentially made up of more than 18,000 islands, there are various common tourists attractions located at specific islands. One would have to take note of certain things when visiting the country.

Indonesia has long been a favourite tourist destination for its historical heritage and beach side resorts. To say the least, Bali has always been visited by tourists every year, especially during the year end until recently when terrorist bombings caused many to stay away. This however, has seen many resurgent efforts by the government to increase traffic in around this area.

The many thousands of islands in Indonesia brings more than one hundred thousand kilometers of beaches. The natural resources in Indonesia includes more than 400 volcanoes, at least a quarter of them still active.

The island of Sumatra is the 6th largest island in the world, holding more than 40 million in population. Java, which houses the country’s capital Jakarta and Yogyakarta, a historical city is one of the most densely populated islands here. Kalimantan is filled with natural rainforests and flora and fauna. Sulawesi is a great place for a holiday due to its vastly distributed islands and scenic landscapes. Bali is located in the island of Nusa Tenggara. Smaller congregation of islands like Maluku and Irian Jaya all host their unique specialties as well.

There are more than 6000 islands that are inhabited in Indonesia . With over 210 million people and being the fourth most populous country after China , India and USA , Indonesia ‘s natural diversity in all areas are a challenge to manage. Hosting the biggest number of Muslims in a single country in the world, Indonesia habitates the second largest tropical forest in the world.

[B]Jakarta[/B], the capital of Indonesia is the financial hub of the country with traffic jams and the population thronging the city day and night. One can go over to Bandung , known for its beauty in resorts and holiday getaways in the highlands.

[B]Yogyakarta[/B] provides the tourists the cultural experience, Bali the ever so well known place for a great holiday. Bintan is an island just off the southern coast of Singapore island.

Islam is the biggest religion in Indonesia , commanding a whooping 80 over percent of the total population. Protestantism makes up about 5%, Roman Catholicism 3%, Buddhism 1% and despite its early influence in the culture and traditions of the country, Hinduism makes up about 3% of the religions here.

One of the very culture worth noticing when in Indonesia is very much the same type of culture found in some other parts like India and Malaysia where locals would eat with their hands. As the staple food here is rice, most cuisine are served with other dishes as well. It is nearly impossible to learn how to eat with the hands overnight so a little practice goes a long way. One rule of thumb though is never to use the left hand as much as culture goes, the right hands are used for eating and the left is for the bathroom.

While this is being shun upon in some other parts, it is essential for someone to learn the trades of the locals. Indonesians are also used with addressing man as Pak and women for Bu. These are commonly refered to resembling Bapak (father) and Ibu (mother). In places like Java however, mas and mbak are used for man and women respectively.

If invited into a house, it is often polite to have the shoes removed. These are very common and is practiced upon in most parts including neighboring countries like Malaysia . certain mannerisms one should take note include not crossing arms and not finishing the entire glass of water when offered.

In general, the Indonesians are very accommodating to tourists and are general. When in Indonesia , one must always remember to be polite as well, the rule of thumb when traveling to any part of the world. As a common rule, hand shaking is the normal practice, but this is done so with less firm handshakes as it is considered rude to be touching a muslim lady. In most cases, only the female are allowed to touch muslim ladies, therefore one has to be careful about these cultures. Very much like food consumption, shaking hands with the left hand is also considered rude.

By any standards, Indonesia is one of the most corrupted countries in the world. Most people in around here depend on bribes to get things done or simply to escalate processes. For the tourist however, one would have to take note that small offences normally require a small fee by the police of officers who would not hesitate to ask for payment. Going rates are normally around 50,000 Rp depending on the seriousness of the offence.

Over the years, Indonesia has had its share of natural disasters and crime rates. Much has been said and reported about the Tsunami disaster that wrecked not only the economy but also the tourism industry very badly. There has also been reports of earthquakes and bombings by terrorists as well. Apart from the inevitable natural disasters, one should also take into account the crime rate which is very high in Indonesia . Traveling light is very important due to petty crimes like pickpocketing and daylight robbery.