Visiting Indonesia in June

If you’re wondering when to go to Indonesia, June is one of the best months of the whole year. School holiday visitors don’t start arriving before the end of the month, there’s sun across much of Indonesia, except Raja Ampat and the central Moluccas, and great weather for everything from spotting wildlife to exploring temples, climbing, trekking, and beaches.

Java

Now is when to venture into the Abode of the Gods, as the Dieng Plateau is known. Home to more than 400 temples among the volcanic peaks, it’s one of the most fascinating corners of Java. Don’t miss Borobudur as you visit Yogyakarta, as well as saving time for Bandung, which has some of its driest weather this month, and the beach at Pangandaran. You could team Bandung with a visit to the active Papandayan volcano, or challenge yourself to climb Mount Bromo. Or trek the less-visited Ijen Plateau, where you can get a taste of authentic Indonesian life with a stay at Kalibaru village, among the spice plantations. The dry season is well underway at Baluran National Park too, known as Little Africa and home to wildlife including Javan leopards.

Wildlife

Wildlife spotting is at its peak in Sumatra, where it’s the hottest month of the year and the only rain showers tend to fall in the jungle at Bukit Luwang – a price worth paying to spot orangutans. Then escape to the highland town of Berastagi to climb the Sibayak volcano, to Samosir Island in Lake Toba where you can learn more about local life and traditions, or to beautiful Lake Maninjau to discover Minangkabau culture.

Kalimantan is similarly dry this month, with occasional short, sharp showers in the rainforest towards late afternoon, but a higher chance of spotting orangutans during the drier months at Tanjung Puting National Park. Take a river cruise to watch them swinging through the trees at Bapallas Island, or head into one of the protected areas of Kalimantan, to look for orangutans there.

Snorkelling

June is also a fantastic month to discover Indonesia’s vibrant marine life, especially in the Komodo National Park – along with its most famous inhabitants, the Komodo dragons – and around the Gili Islands. You can find diving and snorkelling across Lombok and Flores too, along with island-hopping cruises. It’s not too hot or humid there this month either, although if you’re looking for somewhere a little cooler, head into the hills of Tetebatu or trek Mount Rinjani.

There’s more diving and snorkelling to be found on Bali, including at Pemuteran, Nusa Lembongan, Amed and Candidasa. And with sun, sun, and more sun, plus blue skies and pleasant temperatures of around 27C, it’s also a perfect time to relax on the sands at Sanur, Lovina, Jimbaran and Paradise Beach before the crowds of high season, or walk through the rice paddies of Ubud and Sidemen.

Festivals: The Bali Arts Festival takes place every year from mid-June to mid-July, with a string of performances and exhibitions, plus artwork on display and other cultural experiences to enjoy.

June sees the Summer Festival of Samosir taking place, on the island in Toba Lake, with concerts, food festivals and boxing matches among the events.

Best for: The Dieng plateau, trekking and climbing, beaches, diving and snorkelling, wildlife spotting, exploring without the crowds