Paradise Beaches Sit Empty as Indonesia Bets on Saturated Bali
Some 1,600 kilometers (990 miles) away in Bali — not that there's any direct flight — traffic snarls around temple corners, the air is thick with noise pollution from motorbikes, plastic trash is matted into gutters and the surge of visitors has, in many places, eclipsed the island's deeper spiritual essence.
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Travel + Leisure
6 hours ago
- Travel + Leisure
I've Spent 10 Years Exploring Indonesia—These Are the Most Breathtaking Beaches I've Found
When I first moved to Bali, Indonesia, in 2014, I found myself swiftly enchanted by the island—the charming locals, the singular Balinese Hindu culture, and the swoon-worthy, emerald green jungles and abundant rice terraces. But as a certified ocean addict and surfer, it was the beaches and sublime stretches of sand that had me completely wowed. To find my little slices of coastal paradise, I've hiked hundreds of steps down to Nyang Nyang on the Bukit Peninsula, past cows and monkeys, to reach a turquoise heaven where I hardly saw another soul. I fell so hard for the island, I eventually built a house and split my time there, later moving permanently with my family. It's no secret, though, that Bali has only gotten more popular in recent years, and now many of the places I once deemed 'secret' are busy. Exploring Indonesia—an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands—over a decade has led me to some truly jaw-dropping beaches, some gloriously desolate, others vibrantly alive with international travelers, expats, and locals. These are the seven best beaches in Indonesia that go beyond Bali. Idyllic Mawun beach in the Kuta area of south Lombok. Picture electric turquoise water so bright it's almost glowing, and soft, powdery sand that wraps around in a horseshoe shape between two shapely hills, and you have Mawun, an off-the-beaten-path beach. I sunbathed here years ago, and during my time, sweet local kids ran up with petite juicy pineapples (cut and held upside down like ice cream cones) and mangos to sell. Mawun is only about six miles (about a 15 to 20 minute drive) from Kuta, one of South Lombok's main tourist villages, where you'll find plenty of eateries, day spas, charming hotels, and resorts such as Pullman Lombok Merujani Mandalika Beach Resort. Sunset at Bwanna beach on Sumba. GregoriousOne of the most dramatic and exciting beaches I've ever laid bare feet on in Indonesia is on the idyllic island of Sumba, southeast of Bali, by a couple of islands—it's almost Bali's complete opposite in terms of development and tourism. A guide from the gorgeously designed resort Cap Karoso (it made Travel + Leisure 's 2024 It List, with its own long, beautiful beach) took us to the spectacularly secluded Mbawana Beach, about an hour away on the ultra-quiet isle, where we encountered locals cooking nasi jagung (rice with corn) amid corn fields before embarking on the steep but worthwhile descent down a cliffside. Pro tip: go at low tide for enough space to enjoy the beach and rock formations, which are otherworldly. A unique pink sand beach on Komodo the most Instagrammable beach in all of the archipelago is the famed Komodo Pink Beach (also called Pantai Merah, which translates to 'red beach') in Komodo National Park. And yes, it's truly, vividly pink, thanks to tiny fragments of red coral that blend with the sand. The popular spot is only accessible by boat, often a feature of day trips from hotels like Ta'aktana, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Labuan Bajo, or Ayana Komodo Waecicu Beach on the nearby island of Flores that include visits to the famous prehistoric-looking Komodo dragons. Be sure your phone is charged up to capture the extraordinary combo of pink and cyan. A boat approaches Padar Kecil on Padar of my all-time favorite beach experiences anywhere in the world is so under the radar it's not even Google-able. While sailing on the luxurious phinisi charter Vela, the captain dropped anchor near Padar Island (home to a fabulous 40-minute climb to the top for sensational 360-degree panoramas) and then ferried a few of us to Padar Kecil beside it, letting us off in crystalline shallows the color of topaz. The soft, sandy, shallow bottom made swimming and floating about absolutely divine, while the beach itself is the definition of perfection. Bring a picnic or some beverages and you could happily spend all day soaking in rays and views on what feels like an unknown private beach. Wild horses on Nihiwatu beach on Sumba. Besides one of my life's most unforgettable surfing experiences on the private wave beyond, Nihiwatu Beach—stretching along one of T+L World's Best Hotels, Nihi Sumba—is iconic for its band of horses that run freely atop its sands, frolicking, rolling, and splashing in the water each afternoon. The sandalwood ponies and other equine beauties are not the only creatures enjoying the wide, long white beach, of course, but they do add a dose of awe to every beach day. And there's nothing quite like riding one into the surf for a once-in-a-lifetime horseback swim. Looking down onto hidden Suwehan beach on Nusa beachgoers and adventurers should have no problem making it the 20-minute stair hike on foot to Suwehan Beach on Nusa Penida, technically part of Bali, even though it's a separate island to the southwest, accessible by fast boat. It's the stuff of postcards and paintings, hugged by cliffs with improbably radiant aquamarine water and a giant conical rock formation right in the middle of the bay. For the most enjoyment, visit during lower tides and, if you're planning on capturing photos and videos, in the morning for the best light. It's also worth swinging by Atuh with its own 166-stair descent and striking setting. Overwater villas at Bawah Reserve, a secluded eco-resort in Indonesia's Anambas Islands. Courtesy of Elang at Bawah Reserve In the far-flung Anambas archipelago, the Robinson Crusoe-gone-glam private island eco-resort Bawah Reserve has 13 virginal beaches on its own sparkling blue lagoons, but one in particular is particularly unspoiled, raw and perfect: Coconut Beach. There aren't any facilities and guests must hike to reach the north-facing beach with almost blindingly white sand, but the effort is more than justified by a paradisiacal setting with mangroves, the clearest water and palms—private picnics are available, too.
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Travel + Leisure
a day ago
- Travel + Leisure
This Is the Most Important Etiquette Tip When Visiting Italy, According to a Longtime Resident
After more than 15 years of living in and traveling across Italy, I could write a whole book of travel advice, especially about visitor etiquette. But if I had to narrow it down to the one most important tip for being a better traveler in Italy, it would be two simple words. Dress nicely. Of course, that's in addition to being polite, respectful and patient, as you hopefully would anywhere you're a visitor. But in a country known for its fashion, design and sense of style, as well as its long-standing traditions, dressing decently in Italy is a way of showing respect and courtesy, not just for yourself, but to the people you'll encounter and the places you'll visit. This doesn't mean you have to invest in a suitcase full of designer clothes for your trip to Italy; it just means you should leave the shabby stuff at home, starting with this list of hard nos: Avoid flip-flops because the people dining at the table next to you don't want to see the bottoms of your grubby feet. Really, none of us do so save those pseudo shoes for the beach. Basketball shorts or sweat pants may be comfy on your long-haul flight, but most Italians wouldn't even go to the grocery store in such attire, much less to a museum. Baseball caps advertise that you're a foreigner. But if you must wear one, take it off and put it out of sight anytime you're indoors, especially in restaurants and churches. T-shirts with glaring logos, like your university or favorite sports team, are considered too casual for daily wear. Stick to plain, solid-colored tees instead. Mini-skirts, booty shorts, and low-cut tank tops may work for a night on the town, but they're too much for daytime wear, and may prohibit you from entering churches where dress codes are enforced. While there's no hard and fast dress code for touring Italy, here's a safe rule of thumb to follow: dress like you're going to brunch. For men or women, that simply means looking pulled together, with clean, neat, wrinkle free clothing, structured shoes, and nothing on your body that resembles pajamas or slippers. Not only will you blend in a wee bit more, but you'll look like you give two cents about your appearance and that you're courteous enough to show up looking decently. You just might find you're welcomed a little more warmly in a nice outfit versus something you'd throw on to take out the garbage.
Skift
a day ago
- Skift
I'll Miss My Passport Stamps
Part document, part conversation starter, stamps are a physical reminder of where you've been. Their demise may be progress for some, but it's a loss nonetheless. On Experience Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing Colin Nagy is a marketing strategist and writes on customer-centric experiences and innovation across the luxury sector, hotels, aviation, and beyond. You can read all of his writing here Last week, I landed in Bali after a long trip from the States. I expected a scrum at the airport based on my past visits. But this time, no one wanted to see much from me. The e-gates blinked green and waved me through. It was efficient and painless, and it's an experience coming soon to many other destinations. Biometric gates (already the default at most major airports) will quietly take over the world. Swipe your passport, stare into a camera, pass through. Progress, obviously. But it also marks the end of something tactile and oddly poetic: the humble passport stamp. I'm often obsessed with frictionless movement: cities with great transit, airport security checks – like in Portland, Oregon – that are incredibly well considered and flow nicely. But I also have to tip my hat to one of the last physical souvenirs of travel: proof of passage, memory in miniature, national bureaucracy as accidental art. I still keep my old passports in a drawer. They're soft at the edges and veering on delaminated in some places. They are bulging with extra pages with stamped ink and laden with colorful security stickers on the back. A red entry from Denmark, precise as everything else there. The beautiful Arabic from Oman, stamped before I headed into the Empty Quarter to camp. A crisp Hong Kong imprint from when it still felt independent, before Chinese politics tightened. Rugged Zimbabwe ink, smudged by a friendly female border agent's thumb on a hot afternoon near Buffalo Range. A full-page Tanzanian visa, glued in at a desk in Kilimanjaro after an arrival on KLM. Each one is a reminder that you went from here to there, and someone witnessed it. Stamps weren't just functional: they were meditative. Palau stamps used to be a full-page environmental pledge into every visitor's passport (they've since been made smaller). They're a promise of stewardship you must sign, a stamp as a moral contract. One of the few places that asks not just where you're coming from, but what kind of guest you plan to be. The use of passport stamps began in the 1800s, and became widespread in the early 20th century. Stamps tracked movement, yes, but they also became soft power made visible. What countries let you in easily? Which made you wait while they cross-referenced Cold War databases? The stamp was the state, condensed as tight as a bouillon cube. And like all analog signals, stamps contained beautiful accidents and personal touches. The European Union is phasing out physical passport stamps for travelers entering Schengen countries, and its e-gates promise none of these memories: just a scan and a silent swing. Maybe a barely audible click if you're lucky. The new way is more secure. Given wait times and surges in travel, it is probably better for everyone's sanity. But I miss the ceremony and the quiet ritual (and occasionally stressful moment) where your passport gets studied, the stamp gets pressed, and for a second you're acknowledged. I used to really love the gentle accumulation of stamps over time. They told you who'd been where, and when. A passport was part document, part conversation starter. As the physical world goes ephemeral (signatures become biometrics, keys and cards become phones, stamps become scans), we decide which traces matter. Passport stamps never pinged or tracked or lit up. It was colored ink and the odd signature, layering upon other ink into a quiet little mosaic sitting in a book. And I am very happy I lived during a time to experience and collect them.
