The island of Timor lies to the east of Sumna, and north west of Australia. It is an arid place, with a mountain range stretching across it, from end to end. Timor is divided into West Timor, which is part of Indonesia, and the independent state of East Timor. West Timor is a good jumping off point for the eastern Indonesian islands. Kupang, a busy, noisy city, is the capital of East Nusa Tenggara province. Beyond it, starkly beautiful, rugged countryside sweeps away, sprinkled with traditional villages of neat, beehave shaped, grass and bamboo nuts. Photo by: mikewhitton

While West Timor is, of course, Muslim, East Timor is about 90 per cent Christian, mainly Catholic, and churches, some well worth visiting, can be found across the whole island. Naturally however, pockets of animism still occur there. Photo by: N Takyo

Timor is ringed with unspoiled beaches, most of which are completely undeveloped. In the hills, maize, sweet potatoes and coffee are grown, while rubber, coconuts, tobacco and rice grow nearer the coast. The island has lots of potential: in time, East Timor will enjoy the financial benefits of having off- shore oil and gas fields, which are being developed with Australia and which are needed to rebuilt infrastructure and other war damage. Meanwhile, West Timor will no doubt see tourism increasing, now that hostilities are over. Photo by: Graham Crumb

When to go: The driest months are from May to November. Population: 2,220,000. How to get there: By air from Indonesia and Australia, or by sea from Indonesia. Photo by: yeowatzup

Venus Flytrap
The flytrap was introduced to the public in 1763 as the “fly trap sensitive” by North Carolina governor Arthur Dobbs, and ever since then it has represented a mysterious case in the evolution of flowering plants. Today it is the most well known species of a carnivorous plant that catches and digests animal prey – mostly insects. These insectivorous plants lure their prey using sweet smelling nectar. When an insect lands on the head of the fly trap, they seek the source of the nectar, and if the plant is lucky, it will touch one of the many trigger hairs located within the jaws of the trap. Once triggered, the trap snaps closed, trapping the victim. Venus flytraps live only in bogs in North and South Carolina.

Titan Arum
It is a true wonder of the Mother Nature. Discovered by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari in 1878, Titan Arum is a flowering plant with the largest inflorescence in the world, as its name suggests. The flowering structure rising over 2.5m above the ground and its single immense leaf. The plant blooms on an unpredictable schedule, when sufficient energy is accumulated, usually after several years. This spectacular plant is native only to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, but has been cultivated elsewhere.

Green Pitcher Plant
Green pitcher plants are carnivorous in the genus Sarracenia. They are the most endangered of all Sarracenia species. They have erect, trumpet-shaped, hollow leaves that fill with water. Insects are lured into their inner leaves by the plant’s sweet-smelling nectar. When an insect lands on one of the plant’s leaves, it gets stuck in a gooey liquid. Then it slides down the leaf into the plant’s hollow stem where the bug is digested like food in the stomachs. The Green Pitcher Plant can be found in swampy areas and is listed as endangered throughout its range of Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

The Bulgari Resort in Bali is located near the village of Pecatu and the stunning clifftop site of the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple, on the island’s far southwestern tip. Superbly situated at more than 150 metres above the sea shore, the resort offers unrivaled views across the Indian Ocean.  Nestled between the cliff and the ocean, a 1.5 kilometer long beach is accessible only through the resort’s inclined elevator.

The hotel has been constructed by using hand-cut volcanic stones, rich exotic woods and refined fabrics. Natural lava and palimanan stone are used for the garden and interior walls, refined bangkiray hardwood in the villas, natural green colored subakumi stone to clad outdoor showers, plunge and swimming pools. The furniture and accessories have been designed in Bali by a team of local artists and designers in collaboration with Bulgari and Antonio Citterio and Partners.

Each villa is decorated with Balinese antique pieces of art and features Bang and Olufsen audio and visual systems. All accommodations offer an extensive range of amenities and butler service to anticipate guest needs.

Reachable by a private access, the 1,300-sq.metre Bulgari Villa includes three bedrooms, a large living area with built-in bar, an oversized dining room, a home theatre and full service quarters with a state-of-the-art kitchen. A 20m lap pool surrounded by an extensive terrace and an outdoor meditation pavilion complete its unique layout.

Sumbawa, which lies to the east of Lombok, is larger than Bali and Lonbok put together. It’s a poor rugged island, which, thank to an enormous gold and copper mining project that has recently begun operations, may well become more developed and much wealthier in the future. Meanwhile most of the inhabitants are farmers, and fishermen. Photo by: ndut’z

Sumbawa naturally divides into two parts, west and east, separated by the Tambora volcano. In 1815 Tambora erupted, killing thousands and reducing the peak from 4,200 m to the 2,850 m, it is today. The western Sumbawans lean towards Lombok in both looks and language, whilst the easterners lean towards Flores. Everyone however is strongly Muslim and has been since the early 1600s. Photo by: ameland 1732

The island’s attractions are mainly natural: the volcano can be climbed although it’s hard, two-day trek to the top. Once there on a clear day, the views are breathtaking, and the caldera, which is some 6 km wide, contains a two-coloured lake. Photo by: ndut’z

But most of the visitors to the island, however come for the world-class surfing at Hu’u and Lakey Beach, which is at its best between June and August. The island’s main town, Sumbawa Besar is small, dusty ans provincial -easy to explore on foot or by horse and cart. People are friendly and hospitable. Also within visiting distance are some fascinating megalithic, carved tombs, believed to be 2,000 years old. Sambawa may be fairly a low-key island, but it is well worth a few days of your time. Photo by: ameland 1732

When to go: May to October. Population: 1,000,000. How to get there: By air to Sumbawa Besar or to Bima from Bali, Sumba or Flores. By ferry from many others Indonesian islands.. You should know: Don’t dress skimpily unless you are at the beach, this is strongly Muslim island. Photo by: justinbastien

Komodo Island is a part of the Lesser Sunda chain and lying between the neighbouring islands of Sumbawa to the west and Flores to the east. Komodo is one of the many island, which make the Republic of Indonesia. The inhabitants of this barren volcanic land are descendants of former convicts who were exiled to the island and who have mixed themselves with the Bugis from nearby Sulawesi. Photo by: Dave_Davies

However the island is most famous not for its heritage of convicts, but for the unique fauna which inhabit it. The Komodo dragon (in the picture below), the world’s largest living lizard, takes its name for the island. A type of monitor lizard, the dragon inhabits Komodo and some of the smaller surrounding islands, attracting thousands of tourists every year. Photo by: ScottS101

The lizards are active during the morning and late afternoon, but burrow into dry steam beds during the heat of the day to keep cool. Guided tours take visitors to see the lizards and this is good bet if you want to guarantee spotting one. They can grow up to 3 m in length, and despite their short legs, they can run as fast as a dog. Visitors are advised not to wear red and to keep an eye out for their footprints while visiting the island, as they can bite. They can also swim form island to island, so even the sea is not a safe place. Photo by: Nelson~Blue

Komodo dragons were only discovered by Western scientists in 1910 when a Dutch officer, Van Steyan van Hensbroek, heard rumours of giant crocodiles and went to investigate. Today their range has contracted due to human activities, and they were listed as vulnerable by the World Conservation Union. Photo by: chillntravel

The Komodo National Park was set up in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, and the area is also now on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The national park features three large islands of Komodo, Rinca and Padar, as well as numerous smaller one. Later it was dedicated to protected other species as the three islands have a high marine biodiversity, inckuding whale sharks, ocean sunfish, manta rays, eagle rays, pygmy seahorses, false pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs, blue-ringed octopus, sponges, tunicates, and coral. The coral reefs, seamounts, seagrass beds and mangroves make the island a popular place for diving. Photo by: Joachim S. Müller

When to go: April to October. Population: 2,000. How to get there: By air to Labuanbajo from Bali, then by boat. You should know: All visitors to the Komodo National Park have to pay a contribution to protect the wildlife and support the local communities. Photo by: Nick Hobgood

Set among of 12 hectares of lush tropical gardens, with perfect beachfront location on popular Kuta beach, Discovery Kartika Plaza Hotel Bali will helps you to deliver the truly romantic of this paradise on earth for your wedding ceremony and reception. This luxury beach resort offers a mix of 312 Ocean Facing Rooms and Family Suites set amidst an oasis of shady coconut palms.

The resort has a wide choice of restaurants and excellent sporting facilities. Sport facilities include one sparkling swimming pool for adult and one for children, tennis and volleyball courts, two squash courts, fitness centre with sauna and massage services. Water sports include parasailing, cruising, sailing, water skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling and etc. Also you could explore Bali Island from above by taking a ride of helicopter flight.

It is a very strange and incredible plant. The Rafflesia is a disembodied flower, it produces no leaves, stems or roots but lives as a parasite on the Tetrastigma vine. It can be found primarily in the tropical forests of Indonesia. Almost one meter wide and weighing over 7kg it’s one of the world’s rarest and most endangered plants.

Inside the cauldron-like cup is a spiked disc. The blossom is pollinated by flies attracted by its scent, which resembles that of rotting flesh. For period of 12 months, it swells to a cabbage-like head that bursts around midnight under the cover of a rainy night to reveal this startling, lurid-red flower. But the full-grown flower lasts only about a week before it dies.

Bunaken is an island, which attracts many scuba diving visitors. The island is a part of the Bunaken National Marine Park and has a tremendous biodiversity in the world. Bunaken is located at the north of the island of Sulawesi, Indonesia. The waters of Bunaken National Marine Park are extremely deep (1566 m), clear and refreshing in temperature (27 to 29 °C).

The park has around 70 genera of corals; compare this to a mere 10 in Hawaii. Bunaken National Marine Park is such a treasure trove of biodiversity. A snorkeler or diver may spot over 33 species of butterfly fish and numerous types of groupers, damsels, wrasses and gobies.

Biologists believe that the abundance of hard corals is crucial in maintaining the high levels of diversity in the park. Hard corals are the architects of the reefs, without them, numerous marine organisms would be homeless and hungry. Whether you prefer wall dives, drift dives, night dives, muck diving, critter diving; whether you are an underwater photographer in search of the elusive pygmy sea horse, a fan of big fish; Rays, Sharks, Barracuda, Napoleons, Turtles or just enjoy diving in general, then you will not be disappointed with what you will explore in Bunaken.

Around 20,000 people live on the natural resources of Bunaken National Marine Park. At the  wmoment you arrived in Bunaken you will be charged to enter in the park, it’s a fee system, the first of its kind in Asia, and is being held up them as a model system by marine conservationists around the world.

Java is an island of Indonesia formed mostly as the result of volcanic events. The Losari Coffee Plantation was started in 1922 and during the years was expanded into a resort.

Central Java is both the agricultural center and the cultural heart of Java: the city of Yogyakarta is famous for its gamelan music, its kulit theater and its universities.

The Losari Resort is a mixture of older plantation buildings and newer villas.

The picture shows the Losari Coffee Plantation impossibly delicious dishes like ikan bakar colo colo, a spicy grilled fish with a sauce that is sweet, sour and spicy.

An owl at Yogyakarta’s bird market where you can find anything with wings.

The Water Palace in Yogyakarta today used for relax and meditation.

Workers stop for a break close to Sindoro Mountain in Central Java.

Steam rises from the active volcano, Mount Merapi.

Say Bali, Indonesia and think of paradise. That’s true! There are stunning sunsets, sculpted rice terraces and a beautiful temple on almost every corner. There’re great surfing clubs and lovely clubs for those of you who seek for bohemian lifestyle.

But there’s nothing like the Scared Monkey Forest Sanctuary. To visit it drive an hour north of Kuta Beach, to the town of Ubud, which is the cultural heart of Bali. The monkeys live in a dense, jungley stretch of green at the southern edge of town complete with its own temple. Some advice: Leave your snacks at home and do not buy any bananas.

When the night comes Bali is going to offer great experience of fire dances, mask dances, trance dances, monster dances and puppet shows, all of which have been refined over the centuries to the point that eyeballs, fingertips and toes all move in elaborate choreographed precision. On a typical night in Ubud you can take your pick from a half-dozen different shows.

Many of the stylish-luxury hotels in Ubud are built along the top of the gorge that the Ayung River runs through. There’s a good reason for that: the views are outstanding. Down on the river, climb aboard a rubber raft and watch the thick vines, low-flying swallows and waterfalls go by.

The Botanic Garden Ubud opened last summer — a magical park with extraordinary lilies, banana twist orchids and a miniature rainforest. Have a snack at the Chocolate House Cafe, which is housed in a 130-year-old jogglo, a traditional Javanese hut made of teak wood. The guava and passion fruit juices (12,000 rupiah) are garden fresh and the chicken kutu kaja, which is cooked slowly in banana leaves and served with red Tabanan rice, is a local specialty (42,000 rupiah). The menu rotates, but if it has it, don’t miss the coconut and jackfruit ice puter, ice cream made with coconut milk in a hand-cranked drum.

PARADISE WITHIN PARADISE

Alila Manggis is really a private place in the world. Hidden from the crowds, the hotel is sitted on the east coast of Bali to Alila Manggis. The place is extraordinary modern with stunning tropical nature all around it. The hotel has four two –story structures built with sense so that outdoors meets indoors. There’re palm-fringed pool and outstanding ocean views. Relax and nurture body and spirit with village temple walks, yoga and Tai Chi. Try your hand at the ALiLA Cooking School, capturing the taste of East Bali, its culture and traditions. Visit water palaces from ancient kingdoms, bike through rice fields and raft down rivers. Climb majestic mountains or dive and discover other worlds. Days at the Alila Manggis are filled with activity and regeneration, pampering at the Spa ALiLA and pursuits by the sea such as discovering East Bali’s legendary dive sites. This is the life, East Bali style. This is the private life.