Capital & Major Centres

As the nation's centre of government, business and industry, the capital Jakarta is a modern society which reflects recent decades of remarkable economic growth and today has a population of nine million people. To the east lies the old capital of Yogyakarta. Yogya (pronounced 'Jogya') is the cultural and artistic centre of Java.

Further east lies Surabaya, the capital of East Java. This is a major port and Indonesia's second largest city. Although it is mainly a stepping stone to or from Bali or Sulawesi, it is an interesting old city for its Dutch architecture, for Mesjid Ampel, the mosque in the heart of its Arab of Indonesia's land area, on the island of quarter, and for its 300 year old temple, Java.
The tropical paradise and tourism hot spot the island of Bali lies off the eastern tip of Java. A rich culture, beautiful land scapes and coastline and rural villages keep visitors returning in droves. The islands of Lombok, Sumba, Flores and others form a chain all the way to the eastern most province, Papua (formerly Irian Jaya), on the Indonesian side of New Guinea

Sumatra, the world's sixth largest island, is located to the west of Jakarta. The equator divides it in two just north of Bukittinggi. Sumatra offers incredible mountains, rivers, and almost 100 volcanoes, 15 of them active.
Kalimantan, the southern two-thirds of the island of Borneo, was once - and still is for the most part - a vast, jungle-covered wilderness. Boats and ferries are the main modes of transport, and the native Dayak tribe are a main attraction.