This country of over 18,000 mostly uninhabited islands is huge so we spent three months just barely getting a taste of this diverse land. It has large populations of Moslems, Christians and Hindus as well as those practicing traditional religions (cannibalism??). The landscape is a stunning kaleidoscope of wild jungles, active volcanoes, ornate temples, and terraced rice fields lined with palm trees. Living in the Ring of Fire volcanic activity is part of daily life here and it is no wonder that some still make offerings to the volcano gods. We almost sacrificed ourselves in a suffocating hike down to the bottom of a noxious sulfuric crater.
Indonesia saw a large growth in tourism during the 1980s and 90s and then hit hard times after a pair of bombings in Bali in 2002 and 2005 nearly wiped out tourism. The top draws like Bali seem to have largely recovered, while everywhere else is nearly devoid of foreigners. There's certainly an impact on the locals and some places are a gauntlet of touts trying to sell anything they can. But people are generally friendly, honest and helpful. As usual, the farther from the tourist path we went, the less English was spoken and nicer the people were.
This is without a doubt the most varied and under-traveled country we've visited so far. It's a diver's delight, a nature lover's haven, and a culture connoisseur's feast.