Indonesia

Indonesia is not a destination so much as a continent in disguise. The archipelago strings across three time zones, from the Buddhist temples of Java to the painted longhouses of Borneo, and no two islands keep the same rhythm. For the luxury traveller, the question is rarely whether to go — it is which Indonesia to choose.

Bali remains the gateway, and rightly so: nowhere else combines this density of world-class hotels with culture, surf and ceremony. But the country rewards going further. The Komodo islands offer some of the planet’s best diving from a handful of design-led resorts; Lombok and the Gilis deliver the beaches Bali has largely paved over; and Java’s cities reward the curious.

Below, our guide to where to base yourself, the stays we’d book, and the reading to do before you fly.