Many Indonesians who hear you have ventured beyond Bali to explore islands such as Java, Sumatra, Sumba or Komodo will light up.
That’s because most of the millions of annual tourists from around the globe don’t go beyond the beach bars of Seminyak, the cafes of Canggu or the lush, art-filled forests of Ubud.
While there’s an abundance of culture to be found on the Island of the Gods, its paths are well-trodden, and Indonesia is made up of more than 18,000 islands, so there is plenty more to discover.
Opening up the islands
Explore Raja Ampat's aquatic splendour, Lombok's rugged terrain and Jakarta's urban hustle, where scooters zip past skyscrapers – just remember to skip taxis to avoid the capital’s infamous gridlock.
There’s something for everyone, no matter your travel style, from dense jungles to golden beaches and ancient tribes.
And more visitors are venturing beyond the country’s resort towns as Indonesia's government invests heavily to shift its focus away from Bali and reduce its dependence on revenues from the tourist island.
The goal is to point visitors towards a wider range of experiences that benefit smaller local economies and spread out the burden of mass tourism, all while highlighting the diverse culture that Indonesia offers.
Sandiaga Uno, the country’s Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy, says several "super priority" destinations are planned for development, including Likupang with its active volcanoes, Mandalika's idyllic beaches and the vast Lake Toba.
Discovering Java
Central Java is only a one-hour flight from Bali and here Amanjiwo is a cornerstone of Indonesian luxury.
Although the property, the name of which translates to "peaceful soul", first opened its doors 30 years ago, the airport in Yogyakarta is new – and thanks to infrastructure upgrades, the one-hour car journey to the hotel is smooth along freshly tarmacked roads.
It is well known among locals and revered for its location opposite the Unesco-designated Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, offering a gateway to Indonesia's cultural and spiritual heart that is far from the familiar trails.
The hotel’s limestone colonnades sit under a giant bell-shaped rotunda mirroring the temple’s stupas, which can be glimpsed in the distance from the lobby terrace as the call to prayer echoes out each evening.
Amanjiwo also offers a range of activities that combine spiritual enrichment with exploration, from wellness journeys to helicopter tours and treks.
This includes a luxury train voyage through Java on selected dates throughout this year.
It begins in Jakarta Gambir station, taking guests on a seven-hour tour through Central Java, as the hotel's resident anthropologist shares the region's history and cultural highlights.
The package includes breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea, with drinks, alongside a three-night stay at the hotel with perks.
The hotel’s private tour of the ninth-century Borobudur Temple, where visitor numbers are capped, is also a must, as local guides explain its significance.
The temple’s design reflects the Gupta architecture of India, yet it remains uniquely Javanese, with more than 500 Buddha statues (many with their heads broken off due to theft) and more than 2,672 relief panels that offer an illustrative narrative of the religion’s teachings and tales.
The dragons of Komodo
To see a totally different side of Indonesia, hop on a flight to Komodo and head on a boat tour around the National Park, a place where legend meets reality between the islands of Rinca, Komodo and Pandar in Indonesia’s east.
The famed Komodo dragons, which grow up to three metres and walk with a prehistoric grace despite their grizzly faces and razor-sharp teeth, are a sight to behold among surroundings that display Indonesia’s diverse natural landscape.
Trek through the National Park to come face-to-face with thousands of these creatures.
Expert local guides, are armed with Y-shaped sticks to gently push them back on to a more suitable path if they stray towards tourists.
Although the venomous dragons can run at speeds of up to 19kph and there have been 24 attacks on humans at the park in the past 40 years – largely on those venturing without a guide and getting too close – most visits are safe.
Entry is $91 and so comparatively more expensive than many of Indonesia’s other tourist attractions, but this includes fees for snorkelling and trekking, and contributions to the local economy and wildlife conservation.
Komodo is also home to one of the world’s only seven beaches with pink sand, right next to the boundaries of the National Park.
The surrounding landscapes feature rugged, rich landscapes ranging from dry savannahs to thorny green forests and volcanic hills.
The island is also part of the Coral Triangle and a dream for divers due to its resplendent reefs.
Bali and beyond
Meandering through the forest trails alongside Komodo dragons and snorkelling among the colour and life just off the pink-sand beach, you couldn’t feel further from the packed streets of Bali.
Bali’s allure is undeniable – it brims with world-class venues, vibrant clubs and opulent hotels, not to mention the spiritual and cultural lifestyle it offers.
But limiting your Indonesia trip solely to here barely scratches the surface of the archipelago’s diversity.
The spiritual serenity of ancient temples in Java. The raw, prehistoric beauty of the Komodo dragons. The lush, untamed jungles of Sumatra. The urban chaos of Jakarta’s concrete jungle.
Indonesia is a country that offers visitors the world.
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster who has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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It's up to you to go green
Nils El Accad, chief executive and owner of Organic Foods and Café, says going green is about “lifestyle and attitude” rather than a “money change”; people need to plan ahead to fill water bottles in advance and take their own bags to the supermarket, he says.
“People always want someone else to do the work; it doesn’t work like that,” he adds. “The first step: you have to consciously make that decision and change.”
When he gets a takeaway, says Mr El Accad, he takes his own glass jars instead of accepting disposable aluminium containers, paper napkins and plastic tubs, cutlery and bags from restaurants.
He also plants his own crops and herbs at home and at the Sheikh Zayed store, from basil and rosemary to beans, squashes and papayas. “If you’re going to water anything, better it be tomatoes and cucumbers, something edible, than grass,” he says.
“All this throwaway plastic - cups, bottles, forks - has to go first,” says Mr El Accad, who has banned all disposable straws, whether plastic or even paper, from the café chain.
One of the latest changes he has implemented at his stores is to offer refills of liquid laundry detergent, to save plastic. The two brands Organic Foods stocks, Organic Larder and Sonnett, are both “triple-certified - you could eat the product”.
The Organic Larder detergent will soon be delivered in 200-litre metal oil drums before being decanted into 20-litre containers in-store.
Customers can refill their bottles at least 30 times before they start to degrade, he says. Organic Larder costs Dh35.75 for one litre and Dh62 for 2.75 litres and refills will cost 15 to 20 per cent less, Mr El Accad says.
But while there are savings to be had, going green tends to come with upfront costs and extra work and planning. Are we ready to refill bottles rather than throw them away? “You have to change,” says Mr El Accad. “I can only make it available.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg result:
Ajax 2-3 Tottenham
Tottenham advance on away goals rule after tie ends 3-3 on aggregate
Final: June 1, Madrid
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