Lonely Planet Indonesia: Plan the Trip of a Lifetime | Detailed Itineraries & Maps | Insider Tips | Covers Java, Bali, Sumatra and more (Travel Guide)

I backpacked through Europe in the 90's with nothing but a Lonely Planet Europe guide. It was a life saver! And for it's time, it was amazing. But over the past few years I've found myself caring less about pages and pages of restaurants, hotels and places to do laundry, and more about general guidance on what a particular place has to offer and how to make the most of my time there.That's why I think the new format of the Lonely Planet guides is perfect for today... I'm generally always connected to the internet on my trips overseas these days so finding up to date information is easy. It would be a waste (IMO) to spend half of a guide book describing places and things that might not even be there in a month or year.Instead I think the new format is much better if you're trying to figure out how to maximize your limited travel time making the best memories possible. I own both the 2021 and 2024 Indonesia guide and I've honestly gotten the most use out of the latter. I've actually bought a number of other newer Lonely Planet guides for upcoming trips just because I like the new format better!

Not as clear and forward as Lonely Planet used to be. I was missing travel connections to/from remote areas in Indonesia as well as a "flowing" travel throughout Indonesia. I realise now, that Tripadvisor uses AI to create travel itineraries. Fantastic.

Some people are down on this new Lonely Planey format but I like it. There are more photos. Leas space is spent on hotels and restaurants. It works with modern travel planning, where a lot of the specifics around hotels and restaurants will be more up to date online. So a book like this helps you plan your trip out in broad strokes and once you know where you’re going and what you’re doing (thanks to the format of a printed guide book), you can dive into more details online. That’s my personal take on the new Lonely Planet format.

Waste of money. Better information in seconds searching for hotels, activities, attractions on Google Maps.

I read two pages , then go to sleep. The print is also too small. Photos are superb. It also is very up to date, reflecting continued editing by the company.

Really useful, but also, doesn't give you the full picture -- I traveled to Yogyakarta (amazing, recommend) and Bali in 2024, I relied a lot on this (there's been a more recent edition since the one I used) but I would for sure advise also use the web (trip advisor) -- for example, this doesn't explain that tickets to the Borobudur temple are now timed entry and it's closed some days, really crucial. Also the travel times by car or scooter anywhere are very long if you're used to North America, this doesn't explain that. It over-sells some things -- double check everything on the web. Also it doesn't explain but LGBTQ travelers should read up on the web before you go -- all this guide says is avoid PDAs which, yes, but it's a lot more complex, there's a total ban on pornography in Indonesia and other things you probably ought to know. LGBTQ travelers should visit Indonesia but read (not just this guide) before you go.