Monday, December 5, 2022
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Indonesia is the world's greatest beach vacation, with a lush tropical environment and more miles of coastline than any other country (save Canada). This vast archipelago's beaches are famous for their black and golden sands, huge surf breakers, prismatic coral reefs, and wild beachside parties. There is a length of sand for every type of traveler here.
Choosing the ideal beach for you is, of course, a difficult undertaking in a country with over 17,500 islands to pick from. Here is our selection of the top beaches in Indonesia, ranging from Sumatra in the west to Papua in the east.
Sumbawa's Pantai Jelenga
Surfers' favorite beach
This rising beach spot on the west coast of Sumbawa has a growing following among surfers, who are drawn here by the opportunity to confront Scar Reef, a world-class left-hand break that barrels just offshore. The Little Bingin and Phantom breaks are also spectacular.
A variety of appealing surf lodges make this distant location a very comfortable base, but you'll rarely have to share the waves with more than a handful of other tourists (something that can't be said for every Indonesian surf beach). Closer to shore, the calm waters of Pantai Jelenga are ideal for kayaking and standup paddle boarding.
A variety of appealing surf lodges make this distant location a very comfortable base, but you'll rarely have to share the waves with more than a handful of other tourists (something that can't be said for every Indonesian surf beach). Closer to shore, the calm waters of Pantai Jelenga are ideal for kayaking and standup paddle boarding.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Bali's Suluban Beach
The best beach for blending nature and culture
Suluban may arguably the most unusual of the pocket-sized beaches along Bali's southwest coast's Bukit Peninsula. You can paddle out to Uluwatu's famous surf breakers, and there's plenty to see and do on land, from limestone grottos and hidden caves to beautiful clifftop cafes for a tropical sundowner. Suluban is also close to Pura Luhur Ulu Watu, a stunning Hindu sea temple located on the edge of a 70m (230ft) cliff, where traditional Kecak dance performances take place every evening at sunset.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Pink Beach, Komodo Island
Instagrammers' favorite beach
Komodo is best known as the home of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, but this little island of rusty-red hills, parched expanses of savanna, and dense shrublands also has an unusual feature: a pristine pink-sand beach. The crushed shells of millions of foraminifera - small single-celled marine organisms that reside on the underside of offshore reefs - give Pantai Merah, or Pink Beach, its rosy colour.
We admit that the beach does not appear as gleaming in the midday light as the internet would have you believe (thanks to filters and retouching!). However, whether viewed at dark or dawn, it is every bit as spectacular as the Instagrammers claim.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Lombok's Selong Blanak
The best beach for first-time surfers
Selong Blanak stands out on an island full of bustling, bone-white beaches with its beautiful turquoise seas and quiet ambience. This comparatively uncrowded beach is a favorite of locals, located about 22 kilometers west of Lombok's southern resort hub of Kuta, with a smattering of bamboo-framed warungs (small family-owned eateries) spread along a long crescent of sand that you may occasionally share with wandering water buffalos. The sea is great for swimming, and beginners flock here to hire boards and put their skills to the test on a beginner-friendly, sandy-bottomed beach break.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Sumba's Bawana Beach
Best photography beach
On this stunning stretch of shoreline in northwestern Sumba, a massive stone arch stands over the white dunes, providing the perfect backdrop for dramatic beach photos. It's a steep down to the beaches, but there are generally local guides waiting at the entrance to assist anyone who needs it. You can catch the setting sun as it sets into the centre of the arch, bathing those in front of its entry in a glorious halo at certain times of year.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Sumatra's Iboih Beach
The best snorkeling beach
In Indonesia, reefs abound, and this sheltered cove on Pulau Weh in Sumatra's Aceh region is teeming with healthy corals that attract a rainbow of tropical fish. It's a popular destination for budget-conscious snorkelers, who can explore the reefs straight from the front of their coastal homes. Dive shops in the area, such as Rubiah Tirta Divers, offer Discover Scuba classes and shore dives at cheap pricing.
Beyond the shore, Pulau Weh has swimming holes beneath cascading waterfalls, puffing volcanoes surrounded by pristine woods, sulfur-fuming hot springs, and an old Japanese World War II bunker, a legacy from the island's brief occupancy from 1942 to 1945.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |
Gili T, Gili Islands' best party beach
If your dream day at the beach includes a party, Gili Trawangan, or Gili T to its friends, is the place to be. The nightlife on the largest of the Gili Islands is not quite as busy or out of control as it is in neighboring Bali's Kuta or Seminyak, but that's the purpose! Every night, this little, party-friendly island sways to the beat of electronic dance music, and the shots flow from the western sunset beaches all the way to the main road on the east coast. Life on Gili T is a cycle of partying, sleeping, crawling back to the beach to clean off, hydrate, eat, and repeat.
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| The top beaches in Indonesia for sunbathing, surfing, and discovering underwater wonders |