Exploring the Beaches of Indonesia
Dreamland Beach
Dreamland Beach is located on the island of Bali, on its Bukit Peninsula. Dreamland Beach is the biggest white sand beach on its peninsula. It is an ideal place for surfers, with its high waves, but not the best for snorkeling. Though relatively developed, it is not as crowded as some of the other beaches in the area. Dreamland is a famous, beautiful beach, but people should be careful of its dangerous shorebreak.
Kuta
Kuta is a former small fishing town that has turned into a big tourist destination. It is also located in Bali. It has a long sandy beach, and there is a good deal of development located in proximity. Many Australian surfers come up to Kuta for sport. Unfortunately there have been some terrorist attacks on Kuta within the past 10 years, but of course such instances are rare.
Jimbaran
Jimbaran exists as both a large tourist resort area and fishing village, and it is located south of Kuta, on the “neck” of the peninsula. It is famous for its seafood restaurants and kiosks. The bay has lots of white sand that is great for swimming, and the shore hosts an excellent sunset. Though there is development, there is hardly any nightlife around Jimbaran.
Thousand Islands
Thousand Islands is located north of Jakarta, off into the Java Sea. There are not actually 1,000 islands but 105, on a chain that stretches over 45 kilometers. Some of these islands are privately owned or devoted to resorts, but others are open to the public; some are even uninhabited. One nice island is called Pramuka Island, which is public. Lots of children commute to schools on this island, and you can watch them get out from class and take boats to go back to their home islands. It has great diving and snorkeling resources as well.
Weh Island
Weh Island is located northwest of Sumatra, on the Andaman Sea, and is a small active volcano island. It has a few beautiful beaches with diving and scuba resources, especially around the town of Iboih; there is a great coral reef to explore. The tsunami in 2004 affected the ecosystem around Weh Island, but much is still intact.
Bira Beach
Bira Beach is located in Sulawesi, and it has many coconut palms around the white sand beaches. It is quite the tourist spot, but many of the tourists are from elsewhere in Indonesia (not as many westerners). Sometimes goats even make it down to Bira Beach! Its water tends to be shallow, and there are amazing areas for scuba diving and snorkeling to look at the wonderful coral reef and sea creatures.