Because Indonesia encompasses such a diversity of cultures, it can be very difficult to decide where to go. There is a well-worn overland travellers' route across the archipelago, however, which begins by taking a boat from Penang in Malaysia to Medan on Sumatra's northeast coast. From here, the classic itinerary runs to the orang-utan sanctuary at Bukit Lawang, the hill resort of Berastagi, the lakeside resorts of Danau Toba and the surfers' mecca of Pulau Nias. Further south, the area around Bukittinggi appeals because of its flamboyant Minangkabau architecture and dances. Many travellers then hurtle through the southern half of Sumatra in their headlong rush to Java, probably bypassing the exhaustingly overpopulated capital Jakarta, but perhaps pausing at the relaxed beach resort of Pangandaran in West Java. Next stop is always the ancient capital of Yogyakarta, a cultural centre that hosts daily performances of traditional dance and music and offers batik courses for curious travellers. Yogya also makes a good base for exploring the huge Borobudur (Buddhist) and Prambanan (Hindu) temples. Java's biggest natural attractions are its volcanoes: the Dieng Plateau, with its coloured lakes and ancient Hindu temples and, most famously, Gunung Bromo, where most travellers brave a sunrise climb to the summit.

Just across the water from East Java sits Bali, the long-time jewel in the crown of Indonesian tourism, a tiny island of elegant temples, verdant landscape and fine surf. The biggest resorts are the party towns of Kuta and adjacent Legian, with the more subdued beaches at Lovina and Candi Dasa appealing to travellers not hell-bent on nightlife. Most visitors also spend time in Bali's cultural centre of Ubud, whose lifeblood continues to be painting, carving, dancing and music-making. The islands east of Bali – collectively known as Nusa Tenggara – are now attracting bigger crowds, particularly neighbouring Lombok, with its beautiful beaches and temples. East again, the chance of seeing the world's largest lizards, the Komodo dragons, draws travellers to Komodo and Rinca, and then it's an easy hop across to Flores, which has great surfing and the unforgettable coloured crater lakes of Kelimutu. South of Flores, Sumba is famous for its intricate fabrics, grand funeral ceremonies and extraordinary annual ritual war, the pasola.

North of Flores, Sulawesi is renowned for the intriguing culture of the highland Torajans, whose idiosyncratic architecture and impressively ghoulish burial rituals are astonishing. West of Sulawesi, the island of Borneo is divided into the East Malaysian districts of Sabah and Sarawak, the independent kingdom of Brunei, and the Indonesian state of Kalimantan. For the overland traveller short on time, there's not much here that can't be experienced more rewardingly across the border in Sarawak, but there are opportunities for river travel in remote jungle.

Much of the recent news about Indonesia has emphasized the fragility of the state. The Bali bomb of 2002, which left over 200 dead and the country's entire tourist industry in tatters, was preceded by the horrifying chaos of the East Timor elections in 1999. What's more, riots in many parts of the archipelago have pitched Muslims against their Christian neighbours, while locals in other provinces, inspired by the success of East Timor in winning its independence, have begun to fight for the secession of their own province from the state. With all this upheaval, it's little wonder that the Indonesian economy has, for the past few years, continually teetered on the point of collapse, though signs of some sort of economic recovery are now beginning to appear.

One area that continues to suffer more than any other is the Maluku Islands, which since 1999 has been devastated by an internecine war that has left thousands dead; while a few travellers are trickling back to the Banda Islands, and one or two are even going further afield to Ambon and Halmahera, it's still considered unsafe to travel here, and for that reason the Maluku Islands have been omitted from this edition. The unpredictable security situation of other "troublespots" such as Aceh in northern Sumatra and the Poso region of central Sulawesi (see "Sulawesi" for more) mean that they, too, have been omitted from this edition. We also do not cover remote and little-visited West Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya), whose ongoing separatist struggle has in the past resulted in violence against foreigners, or East Timor's neighbour, WestTimor. If you insist on visiting Indonesia's more unsettled areas, make sure you are fully aware of the latest situation, and heed any warnings given out by your foreign office, as well as the local people who, along with your fellow travellers, are usually the best source of up-to-date information.

Climate-wise, the whole archipelago is tropical, with temperatures at sea level always between 21°C and 33°C, although cooler in the mountains. In theory, the year divides into a wet and dry season, though it's often hard to tell the difference. Very roughly, in much of the country, November to April are the wet months (Jan and Feb the wettest) and May through to October are dry. However, in northern Sumatra, this pattern is effectively reversed. The peak tourist season is between mid-June and mid-September and again over the Christmas and New Year season. This is particularly relevant in the major resorts, where prices rocket and rooms can be fully booked for days, and sometimes weeks, on end.