Visiting Indonesia in January

One of the rainiest months across much of Indonesia, especially in Sumatra in the west and through the central islands, you’ve got more limited choices for a holiday in Indonesia in January.

If you’re looking for sunshine, you’ll need to head north to Raja Ampat and The Moluccas. You might not escape the showers entirely in Raja Ampat, but the seas are calm and there’s great visibility for diving. It’s also sunny and dry in the central Molucca islands, although rainier in the south-eastern isles and windy and wet in the southerly Banda Islands, so stick to places like Ambon and Seram.

In Java, the wet weather means that it’s not recommended to climb Mount Bromo or the Ijen Plateau as the paths can be very muddy and slippery, while it’s also the wettest month of the year in Bali – you can expect some sun between the downpours but it’s not the best time to visit if you’re hoping for beach time. The same goes for the Nusa Tenggara islands, where rough seas mean diving around Lombok is off the cards, and bad weather can stop ferries travelling between the islands, including to the Komodo National Park.

While rain isn’t as heavy in Kalimantan as some of the other islands, it’s not the best month for spotting orangutans, which are likely to be sheltering from the wet weather. In Sumatra, the rains are heaviest in the south, often making roads inaccessible, and still continuing in the north as well.

Festivals: Chinese New Year (date varies, usually late January/early February) is a public holiday in Indonesia with plenty of celebrations throughout the country to welcome the start of the new lunar year.

Best for: Raja Ampat, the central Molucca Islands