Really, tourists find Bali a real paradise. Those who have not been to this island do not know that such paradise of pleasures can exist in Indonesia. Throughout centuries Bali has preserved surprising nature and unique culture. Even two waves of terrorist attacks, the likes of which normally affect international tourism, have not lowered number of foreign visitors, including Russians, visiting this magic island.

But do not think that Indonesia is only Bali. Actually Bali is only one of over 17,000 Indonesian islands, and Balinese only one of 485 ethnic groups living in the territory of Indonesia. One of distinctive features of Indonesia is the variety of it all. Visitors can be convinced of it, having visited various areas of the country, such as Sumatera, Java, Nusa Tenggara, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Moluccas, Papua and many other places.

On Sumatera you can visit the area of the province of Aceh damaged by the tsunami. This district is the most northern point of Indonesia and features a unique culture, and a religious originality. Aceh is different from Bali. But head a little to the south, and you reach the Bukit Lawang orangutan rehabilitation center, in the administrative district of Bahorok in North Sumatera province. Here tourists can see how orangutans are restored to their natural habitat. A similar rehabilitation centre for orangutans exists also in Tanzung Puting National Park in Central Kalimantan (Borneo).

On the island Java there are so many tourist attractions that it is impossible to list them all. This island hosts the capital of Indonesia Jakarta - the modern megacity, whose population at over 12 million is almost equal to Moscow. Other cities on Java include Bandung, called the Javanese Paris and Jogyakarta in Central Java, where there are two world famous temples: The Budhist Borobudur, a World Wonder Heritage site and Prambanan. Боробудур which name one of miracles of the world, and Prambanan acclaimed as the most beautiful Hindhu temple in the world.. To the north of Java the island of Sulawesi awaits, and tourists are advised not to visit it without their scuba diving equipment for Bunaken, is the best known of the 150 dive sites with 1,000 reef fish species in improbable corals attracting thousands of divers annually.

Farther East the more than 500 islands of the Nusa Tenggara chain, include attractions such as the Komodo dragons, giant lizards up to three meters long and said to be descended from dinosaurs. On Lombok, which is c lose to Bali and in its shadow as a destination, there are not only isolated white beaches but the 3,800 metre extinct volcano, Mount Rinjani with a lake in its crater.

Not only in Egypt do you find the ancient mummies - they are also on Papua, the easternmost frontier of Indonesia. Here you can see preserved remains of ancestors of the modern population. In a village of the Dani tribe, close to Wamena in Papua, tourists can feast their eyes on the smoke dried mummy of Akima, a powerful war chief.

Also on Papua, climbers can ascend the highest mountains between the Himalayas and the Andes to the west of the central highland called Jayawijaya and Sudirman Mountains.

To tell all about beauty of Indonesia, neither books, nor magazines are sufficient. As an increasing number of Russian tourists already know it is better to arrive in Indonesia much better and to see everything with your own eyes.

Merapi Borabudum, Central Java EFENDY BONG