4 Best Sights in Indonesia

Settled into the lee along the island’s south side, this quiet, friendly kampung (village) is a cluster of stilt-raised, thatch-roofed shacks by the bay that is home to about 600 ethnic Bugis, famed seafarers with roots in Sulawesi (Celebes). This Muslim community descends from convicts exiled from neighboring Sumbawa by a local sultan during the 19th century. Villagers mainly earn their living by fishing; colorfully painted bagan boats line the brown beach. The main catch is squid, and men head out at night to attract them by dangling lamps underwater. Some villagers are also skilled wood- and stone-carvers who hone models of the famous dragons out of local materials. The community is a rocky, 2-km (1-mile) walk around the coast from the Loh Liang dock—but the journey should be made at low tide only, as sections of the track are covered by water at other times.

This is the main entry point to the island. The single wooden dock has the park office at the end of it, where you get your permit, pick up a map, and hire a guide. A short trail leads to the visitor area, where deer, pigs, and even Komodo dragons often wander across the grassy field between the café and accommodations.

The first settlement for ethnic Chinese immigrants who arrived in Bintan sometime in the 1700s, this rustic village is home to some of Bintan's oldest temples: the complex of Lau Ya Keng and the unusual Banyan Tree Temple, a 200-year-old structure that's become intertwined with the trunk of an ancient banyan tree. The village is best reached via a 15-minute water taxi ride from Tanjung Pinang and can be combined with a visit to Penyengat Island.

Pronounced Johg-ja-karta—Johg-ja for short—this city is the center of traditional Javanese culture, still ruled by a sultan, as well as an intellectual hub of modern Indonesia.