From her softly rippled shores to the soaring peaks of her volcanoes, Bali, 'island of the Gods', takes the senses by storm. Sandalwood and incense linger among emerald-green rice terraces hewn into hillsides, and tiered-roof temples seem to float on crater lakes, surrounded by water lilies and lotus flowers. End of day, and a burnt-orange sun sets fire to clouds as its dips towards the horizon, turning fishing boats into silhouettes as they glide back to shore.
Bali is just one of at least 13,000 islands making up Indonesia, the largest archipelago in the world. Its vast, scattered territory incorporates over 350 ethnic groups and 500 languages and dialects, as well as Muslim, Hindu, Christian and animist religions.
In the last few years, friction between various groups and world events have given rise to scattered outbreaks of unrest, so it's best to check the current situation before you head off.
So many islands and so much variety makes for any number of possible itineraries, so you can either go with the flow from wherever you start, or plan your route beforehand and probably fail to stick to it.
Java is home to the hurly-burly capital of Jakarta, as well as a string of active volcanoes, awesome Buddhist and Hindu sites, and the take-it-easy surfside spot of Pangandaran. Well worth a visit, is the ancient capital of Yogyakarta where you'll discover the architectural splendour of Borobudur and Prambanan temples.
Neighbouring Sumatra is quite different, a large island of thick jungle, rugged highlands and exotic wildlife including tigers, tapirs and two-horned rhinos. To catch a Komodo dragon in (startlingly brutal) action, head to Komodo or Rinca.
But if what you really want to do is drop off the face of the real world for a while then take your time roaming the remote Maluku Islands (all one thousand of them).
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