Located off Sumatra’s east coast, Belitung is almost surreal in its perfection. This quiet island is laced with sugar-white beaches, crystalline shallow waters, and surreal granite boulders that rise like sculptures from the sea. Tourist attractions are few, so life here unfolds slowly: wade through sparkling tide pools, snorkel above coral gardens, and settle into a beachfront warung for warm grilled fish topped with fiery Indonesian sambal.

Think of Bali, and you’ll likely picture the perfect beaches of the south—and certainly, Celukan Bawang has its share of those. But this modest harbor on the north of the island reveals a Bali shaped by nature and tradition. Once a 19th-century timber port shipping hardwoods from the island’s rainforests, Celukan Bawang now offers quiet entry into a region that is elemental and off the beaten path. Just 10 miles from the port, and you could be soaking in the mineral-rich waters of Banjar Hot Springs, long believed to hold healing properties.

If ever there was a place shaped by resilience and faith, it’s Semarang. This city on Java’s north coast is the gateway to Borobudur, the awe-inspiring 9th-century Buddhist monument and UNESCO World Heritage Site, buried for centuries beneath volcanic ash and only rediscovered in 1814. Bell-shaped stupas and intricate stone reliefs trace the path to enlightenment, drawing the faithful from around the world to its sacred walls. Not far away, the towering spires of Prambanan—Indonesia’s largest Hindu temple—rise from the plain, carved with scenes from ancient epics.