Indonesia for 13th consecutive year at Leisure 2018

The Republic of Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world comprising 13,466 large and small tropical islands fringed with white sandy beaches, many still uninhabited and some even still unnamed. It`s a huge nation, comprised of hundreds of cultures derived from local regions, making it one of the most diverse countries in the world. Straddling the equator, situated between the continents of Asia and Australia and between the Pacific and the Indian Oceans, it is as wide as the United States from San Francisco to New York, equaling the distance between London and Moscow. Total population is more than 215 million people from more than 200 ethnic groups. So, it`s easy to understand the motivations of their global promotion campaign “Wonderful Indonesia”, a country with such a great variety of offers to the visitor. It has been the slogan since January 2011, directed by the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The concept highlights Indonesia’s “wonderful” nature, cultures, people, food, and value for the money. After the campaign was launched, Indonesia reported a steady increase of foreign visitors. Among the most well known islands are Sumatra, Java, Bali, Kalimantan (formerly Borneo), Sulawesi (formerly Celebes), the Maluku Islands (or better known as Moluccas, the original Spice Islands) and Papua. Then, there is Bali “the world’s best island resort” with its enchanting culture, beaches, dynamic dances and music. According with the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia, interviewed by OTDYKH team, the top three popular local destinations for Russian tourists in Indonesia are Bali, Jakarta, Bintan & Batam islands located near Singapore. In 2018 Indonesia expects to welcome around 150,000 tourists from Russia. But Indonesia still has many unexplored islands with grand mountain views, green rainforests to trek through, rolling waves to surf and deep blue pristine seas to dive in where one can swim with dugongs, dolphins and large mantarays. Because of its location and geology, Indonesia is blessed with the most diverse landscape, from fertile ricelands on Java and Bali to the luxuriant rainforests of Sumatra, Kalimantan and Sulawesi, to the savannah grasslands of the Nusatenggara islands to snow-capped peaks of West Papua.