Lesser Sunda Islands: from Bali to Komodo through volcanoes, jungle and dragons

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Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago with 17,000 islands, and this itinerary covers the most dramatic of the Lesser Sundas. It starts in Bali, where Hindu temples sink into emerald rice paddies and melasti ceremonies fill the beaches with colorful offerings. Mount Agung looms over the island like a sleeping god. Lombok, the neighbouring island, offers deserted tourist-free beaches and the 3,726-meter Rinjani volcano with its emerald crater lake. The Gili Islands, free of cars and motors, are among the best snorkelling spots with turtles and coral reefs. Heading east, the islands of Flores reveal remote jungle, volcanoes and the animist culture of the Ngada communities. Finally, Komodo National Park holds the world's last dragon: the Komodo monitor, a 3-meter lizard that hunts deer and buffalo with bacterial venom. Each day mixes sailing, trekking and culture in an island setting that reinvents itself island by island.