The water
Bottled water; brush teeth with bottled and keep your mouth closed in the shower. Tap water: Not drinkable.
Indonesia
The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, lives wild only in Indonesia (Komodo National Park)
RegionAsiaCurrencyIDRPowerType A/B/C, 220V (varies)Tap waterNot drinkable
Good
Eco Index
What to expect on the ground
At a glance
Food & farming
Indonesia is a major agricultural nation and one of the world's largest rice producers, broadly self-sufficient in its staple while importing wheat, soy and sugar. Smallholder farming, home gardens and wet-rice terraces remain…Read more
Indonesia is a major agricultural nation and one of the world's largest rice producers, broadly self-sufficient in its staple while importing wheat, soy and sugar. Smallholder farming, home gardens and wet-rice terraces remain widespread across Java, Sumatra and Bali.
Local staples
Rice, tempeh, tofu, cassava, chilli, coconut
Markets
Daily traditional 'pasar' markets in most towns
In season
Two rice harvests in many areas; main crop around March to April
Wildlife
Indonesia is one of a handful of megadiverse countries, home to orangutans, Komodo dragons, Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants, and thousands of endemic birds and plants. Endemism is exceptionally high across Sumatra, Borneo,…Read more
Indonesia is one of a handful of megadiverse countries, home to orangutans, Komodo dragons, Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants, and thousands of endemic birds and plants. Endemism is exceptionally high across Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua.
Found nowhere else
Orangutan, Komodo dragon, Sumatran tiger and rhino, birds-of-paradise
Natural phenomena
Two seasons: dry Apr–Oct, wet Nov–Mar; volcanoes occasionally issue ash advisories.
When to go
Dry season
Getting around
Domestic flights between islands, ferries, ride-hailing apps, trains on Java
Good to know
Cash widely used, cards in cities; IDR. Sarongs at temples; motorbike taxis (Gojek) everywhere.
Safety
Solo female travel: Take care. LGBTQ+: Low.
Only hereThe Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, lives wild only in Indonesia (Komodo National Park)
Assessed across 10 equally-weighted pillars
The Eco Index, pillar by pillar
67/100
Good
The Eco Index: Indonesia
12 pillars, equally weighted, from published sources. All 12 assessed. Blanks mean unverified, never estimated.
Only here The Komodo dragon, the world's largest lizard, lives wild only in Indonesia (Komodo National Park)
- Forest cover
- 47.7%%
- Land protected
- 12%%
- Sea protected
- 3%%
- Organic farmland
- 0.1%%
- Threatened species
- 1,716 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
- Found nowhere else
- Orangutan, Komodo dragon, Sumatran tiger and rhino, birds-of-paradise
- Renewable power
- 15.5%%
- CO2 per person
- 2.9 t
- Air quality (AQI)
- 20.8 µg/m³ (PM2.5)
- Cleanest air
- Remote highlands and eastern islands away from cities and peat fires
- Water from
- Bottled water; brush teeth with bottled and keep your mouth closed in the shower.
- Tap water
- Not drinkable
- Safe drinking water
- 30.5%%
- Cleanest water
- Upland spring-fed rivers in Bali and the eastern islands
- Springs
- Numerous volcanic hot springs such as Ciater and Banjar
- In season
- Two rice harvests in many areas; main crop around March to April
- Plastic ban
- No national ban; Bali (2019) and Jakarta (2020) ban single-use plastics
- Watch out for
- Palm oil, coal and unregulated mining
- Solo female travel
- Take care
- LGBTQ+ acceptance
- Low
- Best months
- May to September
- Getting around
- Domestic flights between islands, ferries, ride-hailing apps, trains on Java
- Power
- Type A/B/C, 220V (varies)
- Currency
- IDR
| Pillar | Score | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| WaterWhere the water comes from, and whether there is enough of it | 3/5 | Indonesia has abundant rainfall and major rivers across its islands, so raw freshwater supply is not the constraint. Full assessmentThe problem is delivery and quality: the WHO/UNICEF JMP figure for safely managed drinking water is only about 30% (2024), and Jakarta suffers severe groundwater over-extraction and land subsidence. Tap water is not safe to drink and most residents boil or buy it. |
| Food and farmingWhat the island actually grows, and what arrives by boat | 4/5 | Indonesia is a major agricultural nation and one of the world's largest rice producers, broadly self-sufficient in its staple while importing wheat, soy and sugar. Full assessmentSmallholder farming, home gardens and wet-rice terraces remain widespread across Java, Sumatra and Bali. |
| Plant based and real foodWhether you can eat unprocessed from local supply | 4/5 | Java is the birthplace of tempeh, and tofu, gado-gado, sayur and sambal make unprocessed plant eating easy and cheap. Full assessmentVegetables and legumes are central to everyday meals, though fish and meat feature widely. |
| OrganicCertified and chemical free growing, which is not the same thing as plant based | 2/5 | Certified organic land is about 0.1% of agricultural area (FiBL, 2020 data), among the lowest shares measured, even though much smallholder farming is low-input by default. |
| ConservationWhat is protected, and whether protection is enforced | 3/5 | Terrestrial protected areas cover about 12% and marine areas about 3% (World Bank, 2025), including flagship parks such as Komodo, Lorentz and Gunung Leuser. Full assessmentCoverage sits in the middle band, but enforcement is uneven and clearing for palm oil and mining continues inside and around reserves. |
| Wildlife and endemicsWhat lives here and nowhere else on earth | 5/5 | Indonesia is one of a handful of megadiverse countries, home to orangutans, Komodo dragons, Sumatran tigers, rhinos and elephants, and thousands of endemic birds and plants. Full assessmentEndemism is exceptionally high across Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi and Papua. |
| Natural materialsWhat you can eat from and carry here instead of plastic, and who still makes it | 4/5 | Living natural-materials traditions are strong, including batik, ikat and songket weaving, rattan and bamboo craft, and banana and abaca fibre. Full assessmentThese skills remain in daily production, not just heritage display. |
| Pollution and plasticPlastic law and contamination | 2/5 | Indonesia is one of the largest sources of ocean plastic, and litter is visible on many rivers and beaches. Full assessmentPolicy is partial: Bali banned single-use plastics in 2019 and Jakarta in 2020 under a national marine-litter roadmap, but there is no comprehensive enforced national ban. Ambient PM2.5 averages about 21 µg/m³ (World Bank, 2023). |
| Recycling and wasteWhat actually happens to the rubbish once you have thrown it away | 2/5 | Formal municipal recycling is minimal, well below the level needed for a higher band, though an active informal waste-picker sector recovers plastics, metal and paper for resale. |
| Energy and climateClean power, carbon emissions per person and the pace of decarbonisation | 2/5 | Indonesia's per-capita CO2 emissions are relatively low at about 2.9 tonnes per person in 2024 (Our World in Data, Global Carbon Project), but its power sector is dominated by coal at rough… Full assessmenty 62% of generation, with renewables, mainly geothermal and hydropower, near a fifth (IEA). It is the world's largest thermal coal exporter, shipping a record 505 million tonnes in 2023. The country has pledged net-zero by 2060 and signed a Just Energy Transition Partnership intended to bring coal decline forward. The heavy coal dependence and export role weigh against its low per-capita figure. |
| Culture and peopleIndigenous and living communities, and who the money reaches | 4/5 | Indonesia has hundreds of living rooted cultures, from Balinese and Torajan to Dayak and Papuan communities, and community-based tourism is growing alongside conventional resorts. Full assessmentCraft, ceremony and village life remain central rather than staged for visitors. |
| Living heritage and ancestral traditionsNational dance and music, and the ancestral and spiritual traditions still practised | 5/5 | Indonesia carries an exceptionally rich living heritage across its islands, from gamelan orchestras and wayang kulit shadow puppetry to the Balinese Legong, Barong and Kecak dances and the … Full assessmentaman dance of Aceh. Batik, kris craft and angklung music remain part of daily and ceremonial life. Living ancestral and spiritual traditions include Balinese Hindu Dharma, Javanese Kejawen, and the distinct beliefs and rites of the Toraja, Dayak and Mentawai and other indigenous peoples. These traditions are practised widely and continuously. |
Before you go
Cash widely used, cards in cities; IDR. Sarongs at temples; motorbike taxis (Gojek) everywhere.
Where these figures come from
- World Bank, Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 — source
- World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area) ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2025 — source
- World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 — source
- World Bank, Renewable electricity output (% of total electricity output) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 — source
- WHO/UNICEF JMP via World Bank, People using safely managed drinking water services (% of population) SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 — source
- World Bank, PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (µg/m³) EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 — source
- FiBL & IFOAM, The World of Organic Agriculture 2022 (2020 data), organic share of agricultural land — source
- IUCN Red List via World Bank, threatened mammals, birds, fish and higher plants (summed), 2022 — source
- Food import share left blank: no reliably comparable import-dependency figure verified.
- Our World in Data (Global Carbon Project), CO2 emissions per capita, 2024. source
- IEA, An Energy Sector Roadmap to Net Zero Emissions in Indonesia (coal about 62% of power). source
- Argus/industry report, Indonesia thermal coal exports reach record 505 million tonnes, 2023. source
- UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Indonesia (batik, wayang, angklung, Saman dance, kris, gamelan). source
Living heritage and ancestral traditions
The culture still danced, played and believed
Indonesia carries an exceptionally rich living heritage across its islands, from gamelan orchestras and wayang kulit shadow puppetry to the Balinese Legong, Barong and Kecak dances and the Saman dance of Aceh. Batik, kris craft and angklung music remain part of daily and ceremonial life. Living ancestral and spiritual traditions include Balinese Hindu Dharma, Javanese Kejawen, and the distinct beliefs and rites of the Toraja, Dayak and Mentawai and other indigenous peoples. These traditions are practised widely and continuously.
- Gamelan music
- wayang kulit shadow puppetry
- Balinese Legong, Barong and Kecak dances
- Saman dance of Aceh
- angklung, batik and kris craft
- Balinese Hindu Dharma and Javanese Kejawen
- Toraja, Dayak and Mentawai indigenous ancestral traditions.
Sleep well, tread lightly
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