5 Most Beautiful Cities in Indonesia

Our country of Indonesia is a large one—extending from Sabang to Merauke, filled with numerous lands and seas.

Along this territorial of Indonesia lies 34 provinces, and a total of 98 cities.

Enriched with diverse nature and many travel destinations, no wonder many cities in Indonesia have become a sophisticated place for tourism.

Out of these 98 cities, some have continued to stand out beautifully, with more breathtaking sceneries and travel spots.

Added with crucial historical values, these cities have then attracted many tourists around the world to come and witness the beauty.

Here is the list of five most beautiful cities in Indonesia—the must-visit places that you should know in our beloved country.

1. Yogyakarta

This so-called city of students is among the top list of the most beautiful cities in Indonesia.

Known as the capital city of Special Region of Yogyakarta, Yogyakarta is said to be a suitable city for students to obtain education for its high-quality educational institutions like Gadjah Mada University, one of the best state universities in Indonesia.

It is also mentioned to be the home for classical Javanese fine arts and culture.

This is a city full of cultural and historical values, along with well-developed commercial sectors and natural sceneries.

The city of Yogyakarta is centralized in Kraton, the Sultan’s place, and spreads to all other directions from this core.

You can enjoy the series of commercial vendors along Jalan Malioboro for shopping essence, one of the Instagrammable tourist attractions in Yogyakarta.

Recreational activities are available through such as the ruins of the Taman Sari water castle and Prambanan temple, one of the historical but not-so-hidden temples in Yogyakarta. All possess unique historical values of Javanese culture.

2. Bogor

Located on the south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is one beautiful Sundanese city located in West Java province.

Becoming the home to a presidential palace and a botanical garden, Bogor serves not only in terms of aesthetical aspects, but also important economic, cultural, scientific, and tourist sectors.

In terms of cultural and historical aspect, the city of Bogor is filled with numerous museums, where some have existed since decades ago like the Zoological Museum which opened in 1894.

The museums collect many valuable artifacts and reflect many historical events since the Dutch colonization.

Aside from museum exhibition, tourists will be mainly attracted by the Bogor Botanical Garden—a habitat to 6,000 species of plants and 42 bird species, most are preserved and used for scientific studies.

The lake Gede and Jaksa Waterfall as well as religious places like the Bogor Cathedral and Pura Kajatkarta Hindu temple are also among the must-visit list when you are in Bogor.

3. Malang

Malang is a part of the East Java province known for its mild climate and economic influence.

Keeping many cultural and historical relics and heritants, Malang continues to become a popular destination for people from around the world.

With very nice weather, sceneries, and travel spots, Malang is undoubtedly another beautiful city worthy to visit in Indonesia.

This city is enriched with cultural and historical aspects through the various landmarks and monuments.

Visitors can visit the Mpu Purwa Museum to find the historical relics from the ancient Hindu-Buddhist Kingdom and the Dutch era, also the Tugu Monument and the Monument of Hamid Rusdi which mark the historical struggles in Indonesia.

Becoming the top five cleanest city in Asia, Malang is then a comfortable place to walk around and explore—a perfect atmosphere to enjoy recreational parks like the Firefly Park (Taman Kunang-Kunang).

4. Ubud

Becoming a part of the famous island of Bali, Ubud is certainly a very attractive city especially for tourists coming to Bali.

It is a city surrounded by agricultural sectors and filled with deep historical and cultural values.

The city has attracted more than 3 million foreign tourists every year, with well-developed tourist accomodations and travel spots.

This beautiful city of Ubud also has many museums like the Blanco Renaissance Museum and Puri Lukisan Museum which store various historical heritages as well as local art crafts, presenting the history of Bali architecture.

It is also a home to many Hindu temples like Pura Desa Ubud and Pura Taman Saraswati.

Since it has managed to serve tourists well, Ubud also focuses on economic aspects of shopping, resorts, zoos, and others, with many local commercialization of Bali-grown brands with eco-friendly materials.

Tourists can also enjoy visiting Ubud Monkey Forest and the Campuhan ridge walk for recreational activities.

5. Manado

Manado is the capital city of North Sulawesi—a large city surrounded by the bays and mountainous area.

With adequate direct accesses to other countries like Philippines, Singapore, and China, Manado with its high tourist attractions have then become one of Indonesia’s top-five tourist destinations.

Manado has continued to grow beautifully and peacefully with its remarkable sceneries.

Visitors are mostly intrigued to visit the popular tourism spots like Ban Hin Kiong Temple and walking along the iconic Sam Ratulangi Street to enjoy witnessing the cultural and religious places.

Sightseeing will also be highly satisfied by visiting places like Lake Tondano and Bunaken national Park—the island where scuba diving and snorkeling are practiced.

Becoming a city dominated by Chrisitians, Manado also possesses the world’s 4th tallest statue of Christ which is located in Citraland.

This then wraps the list of five most beautiful cities in Indonesia.

Indonesia is indeed the home to beauty—and these cities turn to stand out with its unique and aesthetic places. Make sure to try a visit!