The world’s fourth most populated country with approximately 250 million people is a huge archipelago of 17,508 islands that runs along the equator for 5,000km. Lying across a region of immense volcanic activity, Indonesia has some 400 volcanoes, with at least 70 that are still active. The country shares land borders with Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, East Timor and Papua New Guinea, and maritime borders with Singapore, the Philippines and Australia. It is a land of so many cultures, ethnic groups, customs, fauna and flora that it is like 100 separate countries united under one flag. The main islands are Java, Sumatra, Bali, Lombok, Kalimantan (Borneo), Sulawesi (Celebes), Papua, Flores, Timor and Seram. The capital city of Jakarta lies in the lowlands of West Java –the most populated island in the archipelago. The tropical paradise of Bali is arguably the jewel in Indonesia’s crown. This is home to the only large-scale Hindu society in South East Asia and the island has attracted tourists, artists, and adventurers for generations. The island of Lombok lies close by and its untouched charm often earns the description:  “Like Bali 20 years ago”. Other popular tourism destinations include the island of Komodo, famous for the Komodo dragon, the largest species of lizard on the planet, and Borobudur, the site of the world’s largest Buddhist monument which is located on a remote hilltop in central Java. Adventure-seekers often head for Kalimantan’s remote jungle interior to visit the world’s foremost orangutan research and conservation centers, or explore Sumatra, with its teeming wildlife and abundance of tribal groups.