Voyage To Indonesia: Dragons, Reefs, And The Spice Islands – With Smithsonian Journeys

Bali is an Indonesian island at the western-most of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east. It is one of Indonesia’s 33 provinces, with the provincial capital at Denpasar towards the south of the island. Bali is home to the most of Indonesia's Hindu minority, and also the largest tourist destination in the Archipelago. Read more about Denpasar (Bali), Indonesia

Badas is a district of the north coast of the island of Sumbawa, in the Indonesian province of West Nusa Tenggara. Sumbawa lies between Lombok to the west and Flores to the east. Ships tender to the bay at Badas, that faces the Java Sea. Read more about Badas, Indonesia

Maumere, population 50,000 and capital of the Sika Regency, is the largest town on Flores, the largest island in the East Nusa Tenggara province chain of islands. To the west on this ‘string of pearls’ are Java, Bali and Komodo (to name some of the better-known islands); and to the east are Sumba, West Timor, and independent East Timor. Maumere faces north to the Flores Sea. Read more about Maumere, Indonesia

Alor is the largest island in the Alor archipelago, located at the eastern-most end of the chain of islands that runs through southern Indonesia. The island is of volcanic origin with very rugged terrain, and the only town, Kalabahi, is located on the flat area facing the main harbour. The archipelago offers some of the best snorkelling and diving in Indonesia, but due to intriguing and often very strong currents it is best to snorkel or dive with someone who knows the area well. Read more about Alor Island, Indonesia

The Banda Islands are a volcanic group of ten small volcanic islands in the Banda Sea, about 2,000 km east of Java, and are part of the Indonesian province of Maluku. Until the mid-19th century the Banda Islands were the world's only source of the spices nutmeg and mace produced from the nutmeg tree. These days the islands are also popular destinations for scuba diving and snorkelling. Read more about Banda Islands, Indonesia

Pulau Aiduma is a small island on the south coast of the West Papua province of Indonesia. If you picture Papua New Guinea as a flying duck, then Triton Bay is just under its “neck”, and Aiduma Island is at the south end of the bay, two kilometres off the mainland. The island is in one of the most remote regions of the Indonesian Archipelago, only reached by sea as there are no significant ports nearby. Read more about Aiduma Island, Indonesia

Triton Bay lies on the south coast of the West Papua province of Indonesia. If you picture Papua New Guinea as a flying duck, then Triton Bay is just under its “neck” – does that make sense? The Bay is surrounded by tropical rain forests, rising on one side to a 1060m peak. Read more about Triton Bay, Indonesia

The Kei Islands of Indonesia lie on the edge of the Banda Sea, South of the Bird's Head Peninsula of New Guinea. Very few tourists visit the islands, but to many this adds to the attraction. The islands areas made of sand and coral, and as such are completely flat and covered with dense coconut tree foliage. Read more about Kei Islands, Indonesia

The new Darwin cruise ship terminal at Fort Hill Wharf is adjacent to the convention centre, only one kilometre from Darwin’s CBD. Modern amenities, hotels and parking are there, plus a mini-market with beautiful local productions – Aboriginal art and crafts, diamonds and opals, and eateries, distinctive of the Top End. Darwin is a home port for the small luxury vessels Coral Princess and Coral Discoverer that explore the Kimberley coast to Broome. Read more about Darwin, Australia