Picture white sandy vistas fringed by coconut trees, endless emerald ocean views, skies on fire at sunset and hammocks swaying gently on the tropical breeze. Indonesia boasts some of the world’s best beaches. Such an array of islands means you’re never far from the coast, so getting there is easy; it’s the going home that you’ll find difficult, with so many superb dive sites, surf spots, water sports and seaside resorts to choose from, Indonesia is a beach comber’s nirvana. Pick your favourite cocktail, then just sit back and enjoy.

Indonesia is a jagged spine of volcanic islands, built into dramatic conical spires by centuries of eruptions and tectonic shifts. The archipelago splits the Indian and Pacific oceans from Thailand in the west, down through the equator and all the way over to Australia and Papua New Guinea in the east. The rich, volcanic soil of the land and the minerals of submarine eruptions make for a superbly fertile environment, giving birth to a tropical explosion of life. Bays, lagoons and coral reefs freckle these emerald oceans with patches of lush vegetation, rocky jungle peaks rising up from the depths and cresting a wave.

Indonesia’s explosive ancestors continue to stand tall and proud – virtually every island has at least one volcano as its centerpiece - some of these rumbling giants remain active to this day. See the sulfur farmers haul their heavy loads up the slopes of Kawah Ijen, hike up to the heavens on Rinjani in Lombok or marvel at the bizarre lake within a crater within a lake within a crater - the miraculous Russian doll of volcanoes to be found only in Indonesia. Mount Bromo is a special sight for travellers; a black molten moonscape in the middle of the Javan jungle, rising up through a silken halo of morning mist; the best way to approach it is still on horseback at dawn. A truly primeval experience.

Under the waves, lie shipwrecks, shimmering shoals of ocean life, reefs and labyrinths of coral caves. The biodiversity of Indonesia’s oceans is simply beyond compare. All over the archipelago, you can dive, swim and snorkel into an infinity of blue and discover something new with every adventure into the depths. Highlights include turtle conservation in the Derawan islands off North East Kalimantan, whale sharks in the Flores straight, migrating manta rays off the coast of Bali, plus dolphin, dugongs and a congregation of otherworldly beauty in the myriad sapphire coves of Raja Ampat in West Papua. For those with a love of the sea and all its treasures, Indonesia is a living library; a glittering procession of ocean wonders that will leave you speechless.

Indonesia is bursting with artistic traditions, carrying age-old customs through the generations and onto the modern stage. Check out a Wayung puppet show for a timeless story of Javanese mythology, or see the care, flair and craft that goes into a Batak wedding ceremony. Listen to the exquisite and complex symphony of a gamelan orchestra in full flow, or try your hand at Panjat Pinang, when villagers pile themselves up as high as a house to climb a greasy pole for prizes. Only in Indonesia.

Indonesia only became a unified republic in 1945. Before that, the many isolated islands’ only common thread was their value as gardens and storehouses for colonial wealth in the Dutch East Indies. This meant the cultures and idiosyncrasies of these vast and disparate lands have been allowed to remain independent and intact until the modern day. Visitors can still see tribes living as they have done for centuries. From Dayaks in the jungles of Kalimantan, to Barong spirit dances in Balinese temples, pygmy forest dwellers of Papua and traditional animist funeral rights in Toraja; Indonesia remains a rich and startling glimpse into the wonders of the ancient spirit world.

Peppering this chain of paradise islands are ruins, monuments and shrines, evocative and epic reminders of civilizations passed. Borobudur is the word’s largest Buddhist monument – a towering pyramid of stupas, statues and intricate stone sculptures. Nearby Prambanan stands as a testament to a lover’s devotion to his queen, whilst the many palaces, relics and gateways of ancient Java stand as stoic echoes from a bygone civilization.

Indonesia’s food is as varied as the nation itself. Street sellers known as ‘kaki lima’ cook up a storm on the streets, wafting out wondrous flavours into the night sky and beckoning in a congregation of hungry passers by. Gado-gado is so good they named it twice; spicy peanut sauce with crunchy fresh beansprouts – a veggie street special that always hits the spot. Kitchens throughout the archipelago are represented by culinary treats, such as Baso Malang, Soto Betawi, and Bubur Manado to name but a few.