The South Asian archipelago of Indonesia is a phenomenal travel destination. There are more than 17,500 islands in this country. A wide range of activities lie in store for anyone that comes here looking for adventure.

With dense jungles and forests, hiking and trekking are both popular adventure activities in Indonesia. Indonesia has several rainforests, the most popular being Sumatra, Kalimantan and Irian Jaya, where you can go trekking through beautiful terrain. For further hiking trip, don’t  miss the Bukit Barisan National Park in Sumatra. You will also come across some of the orangutan sanctuaries here, which are worth a visit. If you want to go mountain climbing in Indonesia, try Gunung Padang or the Harau National Park, which both offer challenging climbs that are largely untraveled for the avid climbers.

Another trekking experience, albeit of a different kind, could be had on the various volcanic peaks that abound in this area. For the true adventurer, the best known active volcano here is the Mount Bromo, a 2392 meter high volcano in East Java.  Surrounding Mount Bromo is the Tengger Highlands, a vast landscape where lakes, caves, and waterfalls set the scene for the hiking adventure trip.  Anak Krakatoa, another popular volcano, is an island midway between Java and Sumatra.  The hike itself is not that challenging, but you can still see the island remains from the original Krakatoa’s eruption.  For less intense adventures, there are some amazing dormant volcanoes to trek in Indonesia including the Gunung Rinjani on the Lombok Island, the Keli Mutu on the Nusa Tenggara Barat Island, and the Gunung Agung in Bali.

If you want to see a komodo dragon – the biggest lizards in the world – you have to take a boat ride to the Rinca Island or to the eponymously named Komodo Island. For other animals, a safari at the Ujong Kulon National Park is a wonderful adventure; remember to check out unique animals such as the Java rhino.

Water adventure fanatics have many options in Indonesia. The best white water rafting trips can be found on the Citarik River, the Alas River, and the Sadan River.  Less challenging rafting adventures are on the Unda, Ubaya and Telega rivers. Scuba diving is great from anywhere along the 80,000 km of coastline in Indonesia, which contains nearly 20% of the world’s coral reefs.  The most plush scuba diving locations in Indonesia are Bunaken Island, the Lembeh Strait, the Banda Islands, and Raja Ampat. The most popular of all the scuba diving sites in Indonesia is Bali, where you can go wreck diving if you want to attempt a different sort of an adventure.  Surfing is also a popular activity in Indonesia. You could beat the beaten surfing tracks by hiring a guide to take you to the more inaccessible and adventure laden surfing locations within the archipelago. The common ones on Java, Sumatra and Bali are best avoided due to the crowds.

Find an adventure trip in Indonesia below