Top 10 Beaches in Indonesia

Kuta Beach has been the epicentre of Bali's surf and backpacker scene since the 1970s, offering a 4-kilometre stretch of golden sand and consistent beginner-to-intermediate surf breaks. It handles over 4 million visitors per year, making it the busiest beach in Indonesia and one of the most visited in Southeast Asia.

Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) on Komodo Island gets its distinctive rosy hue from red coral fragments mixed with white sand, making it one of only seven naturally pink beaches on Earth. Located within Komodo National Park, it is accessible only by boat and offers exceptional snorkelling directly from shore.

Tanjung Aan on Lombok's south coast is a double-arced bay of powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water, ranked by CNN Travel as one of the best beaches in Asia. Unlike Bali's beaches, it remains relatively uncrowded and undeveloped, preserving a pristine natural environment.

Ora Beach in Seram Island, Maluku, is a remote paradise accessible only by speedboat, featuring overwater bungalows above luminescent turquoise waters. Featured in multiple international travel magazines as one of Indonesia's most beautiful and least-visited beaches, it attracts eco-conscious travellers seeking seclusion.

Pantai Tiga Warna (Three-Colour Beach) in Malang, East Java, displays striking bands of green, blue, and turquoise water caused by variations in water depth and coral cover. Access is restricted to preserve the ecosystem — visitor numbers are capped at 100 per day — which has kept it in pristine condition.

Nihiwatu Beach on the island of Sumba is home to the Nihi Sumba resort, which was voted the World's Best Hotel by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2016 and 2017. The beach's "God's Left" surf break is one of the most coveted — and most protected — waves in the world, with daily surfer access strictly limited.

Gili Trawangan is the largest and liveliest of the three Gili Islands off northwest Lombok, encircled by coral reefs that make it one of Indonesia's premier snorkelling and diving destinations. With no motorised vehicles permitted on the island, it offers a rare combination of vibrant nightlife and serene natural beauty.

Pulau Weh (Weh Island) off the northern tip of Sumatra is home to Sabang Bay, considered one of the best diving sites in the Indian Ocean with visibility exceeding 30 metres and a rich population of whale sharks, manta rays, and reef sharks. The island sits at the western edge of the Indonesian archipelago, marked by Kilometre Zero of the Trans-Sumatra Highway.

Derawan Island in East Kalimantan is a globally important nesting site for endangered green sea turtles, with the island and its surrounding waters hosting one of the largest turtle populations in Indonesia. The archipelago also features a famous jellyfish lake where visitors can swim harmlessly among thousands of non-stinging jellyfish.

Kuta Beach has been the epicentre of Bali's surf and backpacker scene since the 1970s, offering a 4-kilometre stretch of golden sand and consistent beginner-to-intermediate surf breaks. It handles over 4 million visitors per year, making it the busiest beach in Indonesia and one of the most visited in Southeast Asia.

Pink Beach (Pantai Merah) on Komodo Island gets its distinctive rosy hue from red coral fragments mixed with white sand, making it one of only seven naturally pink beaches on Earth. Located within Komodo National Park, it is accessible only by boat and offers exceptional snorkelling directly from shore.

Tanjung Aan on Lombok's south coast is a double-arced bay of powdery white sand and crystal-clear turquoise water, ranked by CNN Travel as one of the best beaches in Asia. Unlike Bali's beaches, it remains relatively uncrowded and undeveloped, preserving a pristine natural environment.

Ora Beach in Seram Island, Maluku, is a remote paradise accessible only by speedboat, featuring overwater bungalows above luminescent turquoise waters. Featured in multiple international travel magazines as one of Indonesia's most beautiful and least-visited beaches, it attracts eco-conscious travellers seeking seclusion.

Pantai Tiga Warna (Three-Colour Beach) in Malang, East Java, displays striking bands of green, blue, and turquoise water caused by variations in water depth and coral cover. Access is restricted to preserve the ecosystem — visitor numbers are capped at 100 per day — which has kept it in pristine condition.

Nihiwatu Beach on the island of Sumba is home to the Nihi Sumba resort, which was voted the World's Best Hotel by Travel + Leisure magazine in 2016 and 2017. The beach's "God's Left" surf break is one of the most coveted — and most protected — waves in the world, with daily surfer access strictly limited.

Gili Trawangan is the largest and liveliest of the three Gili Islands off northwest Lombok, encircled by coral reefs that make it one of Indonesia's premier snorkelling and diving destinations. With no motorised vehicles permitted on the island, it offers a rare combination of vibrant nightlife and serene natural beauty.

Pulau Weh (Weh Island) off the northern tip of Sumatra is home to Sabang Bay, considered one of the best diving sites in the Indian Ocean with visibility exceeding 30 metres and a rich population of whale sharks, manta rays, and reef sharks. The island sits at the western edge of the Indonesian archipelago, marked by Kilometre Zero of the Trans-Sumatra Highway.

Derawan Island in East Kalimantan is a globally important nesting site for endangered green sea turtles, with the island and its surrounding waters hosting one of the largest turtle populations in Indonesia. The archipelago also features a famous jellyfish lake where visitors can swim harmlessly among thousands of non-stinging jellyfish.