The name Indonesia was derived from "indos nesos", meaning islands near India, The country is in fact the largest archipelago in the world with a thousand islands, 17,508 to be precise. Its capital is Jakarta, and the country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Malaysia and by sea Indonesia neighbours Singapore, The Philippines and Australia.

Indonesia’s vast size, tropical climate and archipelagic geography, supports the world's second highest level of biodiversity (after Braxill). 58% of the country is covered by forestsand its flora and fauna is a mixture of Asian and Australasian species. Surrounding thousands of islands with over 80,000 kilometers of coastline, the warm, tropical seas of Indonesia also boast a high level of biodiversity, with a corresponding diverse range of ecosystems that include beaches, sand dunes, estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, sea grass beds, coastal mudflats, tidal flats, algal beds, and small island ecosystems.

Upon arrival and disembarking from the plane, one immediately notices the sudden rush of warm, wet air. Indonesia is a warm place. It has no spring, summer, fall, or winter, just two seasons: rainy and dry, both of which are relative (it still rains during the dry season, it just rains less). While there is significant regional variation, in most of the country (including Java and Bali) the dry season is April to October, while the wet season is November to March.

The two main international airports are Soekarno-Hatta (CGK) at Tangerang, Banten, near Jakarta, and Ngurah Rai (DPS) at Denpasar, Bali.

Indonesia's currency is the rupiah (IDR), abbreviated Rp. US dollars are the second currency of Indonesia and will be accepted by anyone in a pinch, but are typically used as an investment and for larger purchases, not buying a bowl of noodles on the street. Many hotels quote rates in dollars, but all accept payment in rupiah.