Last Updated: October 21, 2021
Famous Landmarks Of Indonesia
Indonesia is a country of volcanoes and islands, and the famous landmarks of Indonesia tend to revolve around that theme along with some very special endemic wildlife and ancient cultural sites. This island nation is home to close to one-third of the volcanos in the world and is made up of 17,508 islands, 6000 of which are uninhabited.
Indonesia is as diverse geographically as it is culturally. The main religions are Hinduism, Islam, and Buddism, there are 300 different ethnic groups in the country and over 700 different languages and dialects spoken.
You have probably heard of Bali, a small central Indonesian island famed mainly for its surfing, but there is so much more to offer in Indonesia and that’s what we are to find out as we look at the famous landmarks of Indonesia.
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Borobudur
Borobudur is one of the most famous landmarks of Indonesia and you’ll find it on the main island of Java. It is the largest Buddhist temple in the world and thus is a UNESCO World Heritage sit and named as one of the nine wonders of the world.
Borobudur was built way back in the 800s AD during the Syailendra dynasty of Indonesia. It’s one of the most spectacular examples of ancient Buddhist architecture you’re likely to see in Indonesia. It’s famed for its 504 Buddha statues and 2,672 relief panels, all done with an Indian architectural style.
Borobudur remained undiscovered for a long time as it was buried in ash during a volcanic eruption. It wasn’t until the early 1800s that it was rediscovered and in the 1970s it underwent a full restoration to become the Buddhist temple you can see today.
Borobudur receives some 2.5 million visitors a year and is by far the most popular of the famous landmarks in Indonesia to visit. When you first enter the grounds you’ll be strolling through a stunning forest that slowly leads you to the towering temple which is split into three zones and stunningly decorated with the stories of the life and death of Buddha.
Getting to Borobudur is quite easy. You first need to get to Yogyakarta and from there make your way to the central bus station and catch a ride to Borobudur where you can hop into a tuk-tuk, or on a rickshaw, or walk to the temple site.
Komodo Island National Park
The Komodo Island National Park sits in the lesser Sunda Islands of southeast Indonesia. The lesser Sunda archipelago is made up of three big islands including Padar, Rinca, and the world-famous Komodo known for being home to Komodo Dragons.
While you can find Komodo Dragons on the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar, Komodo Island is the one that stands out the most and is recognized as a famous landmark of Indonesia.
These are the only places in the world you can see these ancient lizards as these creatures hail from the time of the dinosaurs and hunt large prey such as water buffalo, pigs, and deer. They are not particularly fast creatures but their saliva is so toxic that if it punctures the skin of its prey it becomes slowly poisoned and immobilized.
A trip to the Komodo Island National Park isn’t just about seeing the Komoda Dragons though, the area has a lot more to offer. It’s home to stunning coral reefs and mangrove systems that offer fantastic snorkeling and diving plus it’s a great place to swim with manta rays. You’ll also find stunning pink beaches formed by the pink seashells and coral plus see a lot of other endemic mammals and amazing birds too.
Getting to the Komodo Island National Park is not easy at all as you’ll need to either sail there or charter a private plane. Sailing is a great option as you’ll be able to see all the islands as you go and have a place to stay, plus it’s pretty affordable when shared with a good gang of people.
Prambanan Hindu Temples
Another one of the most famous landmarks of Indonesia is the Prambanan Hindu Temples. These Hindu temples, like Borobodur, were also built in the 9th century AD and when it was first built the site was home to some 240 different temples.
Also like Borobodur, the temples were lost to nature and slowly fell apart until they were rediscovered a lot later on in the 1930s when work quickly began to restore them as much as possible.
They are, of course, a UNESCO World Heritage site and when you visit the Hindu temples of Prambanan today you’ll find three main shrines each one dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma. The temples are built in a jagged style and covered with amazing carvings and spires which are thought of as the best sculptural art in the whole of Indonesia.
You’ll find the Prambanan Hindu Temples just outside of Yogyakarta on the central Indonesian island of Java. getting to them is very easy via bus or taxi and they are not far from the temple of Borobodur so you can combine them both into a single trip.
Raja Ampat
Way out in western Indonesia the shores of West Papua on the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula you’ll find Raja Ampat, some of the most beautiful islands in the world and what is certainly a famous landmark of Indonesia.
Raja Ampat is a cluster of mangrove, sand flat, and lagoon lined islands with waters as clear as can be and jungles as dense as they come. A trip to these islands is certainly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that no one will ever forget.
The locals of Raja Ampat are extremely friendly and are your gateway into discovering everything these islands have to offer. If you’re into diving and snorkeling then you couldn’t be in a better part of the world as the marine life and coral reefs in the area are some of the best in the world.
Raja Ampat is also home to local villages with rock paints from thousands of years ago and a jungle that is full of exotic birds, some of which are the birds of paradise you might have seen in nature documentaries. Another amazing thing in Raja Ampat are the floating islands which can be seen from one of the many amazing lookout points on the islands.
Getting to Raja Ampat is not easy but it’s certainly worth it. You’ll have to first fly to Sorong from Jakarta or Makassar and then from Sorong hop on a small internal flight to Waisai in Raja Ampat or you can take the ferry from Sorong. The ferry would be more fun and you’d get to see some awesome seas as you go.
Kerinci Seblat National Park
The Kerinci Seblat National Park is, sadly, one of the last remaining places on the planet where you can see the stunning endemic wildlife of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, and hence it’s one of the famous landmarks of Indonesia and the world.
A huge increase in the farming of palm oil has destroyed the beautiful habitat of these amazing animals and it’s high time we all stopped eating anything with palm oil in it. Right, enough environmental action and now into the park itself.
The Kerinci Seblat National Park sits on the western edge of Sumatra and encompasses the stunning landscapes of the Barisan Mountains with all the rivers, gorges, and valleys that go with it. To give you a sense of scale, the Kerinci Seblat National Park covers 13,750 km² which is over twice the land area of the island of Bali.
The Kerinci Seblat National Park is home to a number of critically endangered species including the Sumatran tiger, Sumatran elephant, Sumatran rhino, Sunda clouded leopard along with a lot more amazing birds and mammals including orangutans, bears, gibbons, and more. If you thought you could on safari in Africa, you thought wrong, Sumatra has it too.
Getting to the Kerinci Seblat National Park is easy from the city of Pandang and you can book a guided safari tour with the hope of seeing some of these amazing animals.
Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary couldn’t be more of a real-life King Louis from the Jungle Book situation if it tried and it has to be named as one of the famous landmarks of Indonesia.
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is a nature reserve that has a sprawling complex of temples with a tribe of local residents of macaque monkeys that call it home. There are around 600 wild macaques that call the forest and the three 14th century Hindu temples home. It couldn’t get more like the temples in the Jungle Book, could it?
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm and you walk around the sanctuary on the designated paths. You’ll notice the three Hindu temples are slowly being taken over by the jungle and are covered in moss and vines. It’s truly spectacular, especially when you see wild macaques swinging from the trees.
Be careful not to get too close to the macaques or try to feed them. I stupidly ate a mango while walking around the forest and I have macaques surrounding me in seconds. There is even a photo of one with its mouth wide open about to bite me, thankfully I got around that situation or else it would have meant a trip to the hospital for stitches and rabies shots.
Getting to the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary is easy as it’s in the center of Ubud in central Bali. A short tuk-tuk ride or walk from your Ubud accommodation will have you there in minutes.
The Lakes Of Mount Kelimutu
Another one of the famous landmarks of Indonesia is the Lakes Of Mount Kelimutu which is actually a volcano, not a mountain. At the top of this volcano lies three volcanic crater lakes which are famous because they often change color depending on the volcanic activity going on beneath them.
The lakes can change from green to blue, red, and black and each one can be a different color depending on the gases and the mixture of things in the water of each lake. Can you imagine seeing three lakes of different colors next to each other let alone seeing a lake change color? What an amazing thing to witness!
To see the Lakes Of Mount Kelimutu you do, of course, have to hike up to the top of Mount Kelimutu which is quite a walk. Once at the top though, and along the way, you’ll see amazing views of the surrounding islands and of the ocean too. People often opt to camp at the summit of Mount Kelimutu so that they can see the sunrise out of the Banda Sea and watch it come over the lakes as they change in color.
The Lakes Of Mount Kelimutu sit on the western Indonesian island of Flores and getting there isn’t so hard as you can get a direct flight from Bali or Jarkata to Flores and then it’s a matter of booking a hike to the top of the mountain with a guide or going solo.
Ulun Danu Beratan Temple
The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is one of the most famous landmarks of Bali and Indonesia. You have probably seen a photo of this floating temple on Lake Beratan in central Bali as it’s one of the most known postcard images of the island.
The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is famous because the temple looks like it’s floating on the lake especially when you see it during the calm waters of sunrise when the light catches it in the rising mist and the reflection is to die for.
The Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is a Shaivite water temple and was built in the 1600s as a place of worship for Hindus to bring offerings to the lake and river goddess Dewi Danu. It was built on the shores of Lake Bratan as the lake is the primary source of the water needed in Bali to grow food and it made sense to worship the goddess of rivers and lakes in such a place.
The temple isn’t just dedicated to Dewi Danu but also to the Hindu gods of Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma. You’ll find multiple shrines at the temple complex along with carvings, megalithic structures, and gates. The surrounding mountain areas are also stunning and great for exploring.
Getting to the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple is very easy, just hop on a bus from wherever you are in Bali. Some routes might require a change but otherwise, it’s pretty simple.
Lake Toba & Sipiso-Piso Waterfall
These two famous landmarks of Indonesia have been clubbed together as you can see them both in the same location. The Sipiso-Piso Waterfall flows into Lake Toba thus seeing both at once is one of the best ways to tick them off your list.
Lake Toba and the Sipiso-Piso Waterfall sit in the center of northern Sumatra. Lake Toba is the biggest volcanic lake in the world and is one of the biggest lakes in Southeast Asia. It was created from a crater of an old dormant volcano and is absolutely stunning with blue waters and deep green forested hills and mountains surrounding it.
While visiting Lake Toba you should also have a little look into the Batak culture of the area. The Batak people were cannibals and you’ll find graves of Batak kings and stone replica houses in the village of Batak.
The Sipiso-Piso waterfall is the tallest waterfall in Indonesia and it stands a whopping 120 meters. It’s not just remarkable for its size but also for how it’s created. The waterfall is fed by an underground river that runs deeply through the Karo Plateau until it pops out at Sipiso-Piso waterfall and eventually falls into Lake Toba.
There is a wonderful viewpoint to gaze at the waterfall from and the views are spectacular as the water cascades down 120 meters surrounded by jagged rocks and lush green foliage. You don’t have to stick to the viewpoint either and if feeling adventurous will be able to climb down for more of a close-up view. Be careful though as the rocks are slippery and the fall is long and deadly if you do slip.
Getting to the Sipiso-Piso waterfall involves getting to the northern end of Lake Toba and then hiking through a pine forest to reach the viewpoint. Once you’re done with the waterfall you can hike to the edge of the hills for an amazing view over the blue waters of Lake Toba.
There are also numerous guest houses, villas, and hotels between the waterfall and Lake Toba so staying at one of those would make seeing these two famous Indonesian landmarks very easy.
About the Author Anna Timbrook
Anna is the co-owner of expert world travel and can't wait to share her travel experience with the world. With over 54 countries under her belt she has a lot to write about! Including those insane encounters with black bears in Canada.
