Lombok Beach

Lombok (LOHM-bohk) is often compared to Bali. The neighboring islands have many similarities and many differences. They are only about twenty miles apart. Both islands have Hindu and Muslim influences, but in opposite proportions. Both islands have beautiful highlands and white sandy beaches, but Lombok is quieter and dryer than Bali for the most part. The administrative capital and largest city on the island is Mataram. Until 1987, few visitors made the trip to Lombok. Today, Lombok is growing in popularity, but it is still relatively quiet and undeveloped, although tourism is already the second-largest industry on Lombok. Mt. Rinjani, beautiful coastlines, coral reefs, and stunning waterfalls highlight the list of popular destinations on Lombok.

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Togean Islands - Sulawesi, Indonesia

Sulawesi (SOO-lah-WEH-see), or Celebes, is one of the most beautiful destinations in all of Indonesia. It is the world’s eleventh largest island. With its beauty and natural riches, Sulawesi could become one of the major nature-based tourism centers in Southeast Asia.

The island has a distinctive shape that has often been compared to a spider. It lies just east of Kalimantan and north of Bali and is divided into two regions, north and south. Makassar and Manado are the island’s major cities.

North Sulawesi is mountainous, with fifty-four peaks, some of which are active volcanoes. The coast features long stretches of white sandy beaches lined with thousands of coconut trees. The waters host magnificent corals and a wealth of colorful marine life. However, world-class muck diving also exists in the area. North Sulawesi’s Bunaken Marine Park is one of Indonesia’s pinnacles for underwater enthusiasts. Situated off the northeastern peninsula of the island, Bunaken is one of many smaller islands that form a dotted line between Sulawesi and the Philippines. Scientists consider the triangle between the Philippines, Bali, and Papua the cradle of maximum marine diversity. Northern

Sulawesi is located in the heart of this triangle. This relatively small region hosts more than three thousand species of fish, five hundred species of coral, and thirty species of whales and dolphins.

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