Indonesia beyond Bali: 7 places off the tourist trail

If you’ve been looking for an alternative to a Caribbean or South American vacation due to fears over the Zika virus, you may want to scratch Indonesia off your list as well. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Bali is a popular vacation destination for Australian travelers) recently issued a warning for pregnant women considering traveling to Indonesia, stating: “Given the possibility that Zika virus can cause severe malformations in unborn babies, and taking a very cautious approach, pregnant women should discuss any travel plans with their travel doctor and consider postponing travel to Indonesia.”

Soon after the turn of the 20th century, rumors began making their way west that man-eating lizards, 10 feet long and weighing up to 350 pounds, with fearsome talons, chain mail scales, and serrated teeth dripping with venom, had been found living on a remote Indonesian island. The source of the reports was Lieutenant Jacques Karel Henri van Steyn van Hensbroek, a Dutch colonial officer, who revealed the existence of Varanus komodoensis, the world's largest extant reptile, in 1910. But it was a 1926 American Museum of Natural History expedition to capture live specimens, led by a flamboyant Vanderbilt scion named William Douglas Burden, that caused interest in the creature to explode in popular culture. Burden's gripping account, Dragon Lizards of Komodo, inspired his friend Merian C. Cooper to dream up the primordial Skull Island for his classic 1933 film, King Kong. Civilization was steaming forward, and yet, in that era, the map still seemed to hold places that hid ancient secrets.

You might not expect an Italian luxury fashion designer to have a hotel in Bali, but the Bulgari Hotel in Uluwatu is actually one of the perfect places to spend your Bali vacation. The hotel sits in the heart of Uluwatu’s lush green hills, on Bali’s southern tip, and has stunning views of the Indian Ocean.

China Airlines has responded to a woman who said they locked her cat in its cage for 38 hours before sending them both back to the US, leaving her thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Modern Bangkok, historical Hanoi and tourism-boom town Siem Reap — home to the world-famous Angkor Wat temples — are some of Southeast Asia's best drawcards, and see thousands of visitors every year.

Life in the beautiful region of Sapulot is relaxed and uncomplicated, and the communities who live here want to keep it that way. They are inviting visitors to this remote part of Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, to show them the Murut way of life. Ros Walford went to find out why their homeland is worth protecting.

The Togean archipelago in the Gulf of Tomini, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, made the Rough Guide to 2018. However, Una Una, the northernmost and most secluded of the 56 Togean islands, is the one most definitely on the rise. The only volcanic island in the region, it has a fascinating story behind it.

Beyond the mystical sounds of gamelan and the intricate craft of batik, Bali boasts a world of subcultures often overlooked by visitors. The art makes bold statements, nightlife sometimes involves a new tattoo, and music is anything but serene.

Experienced surfers looking for a pristine break are heading to a remote archipelago somewhere between Hawaii and the Philippines. The Marshall Islands are hard to find and even harder to get to – and of course, that’s part of their appeal. Most of the 29 coral atolls that make up the Islands are unknown to western travellers, only one – Bikini Atoll – stirs a look of recognition.

The gentle Himalayan landscape here is famous for the rare and beautiful flowers that bloom during the monsoon, from mid-July until mid-August. Declared a National Park in 1982, the untouched meadows, snow capped peaks and alpine glaciers are only accessible if you hike in from Gangharia – and no one is permitted to stay overnight.

The Amish way of life has changed relatively little over the last century. In the town of Smicksburg, Pennsylvania, is an Old Order Amish community of about 800 members. Shops sell speciality Amish food and crafts, there is limited electricity, horse and buggies are the main mode of transport and farmers work out in the nearby fields with horse-drawn ploughs.

You told us which country you think has the best cuisine and now we’ve whittled it down to a top fifteen. Starting the countdown is Malaysia; Sharni Lutalica told us on Facebook that Malaysian cuisine is her favourite for the variety in flavours and spices.