- With more than 13,000 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Only about 6,000 of the islands are inhabited, but that still leaves a lot of options for island-hopping. Most travelers know about Bali, the surf-and-sand island of "Eat, Pray, Love" fame, and Java, home to Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, and 60 percent of the country's population. But I recently traveled with friends to two lesser-known - though still tourist-friendly - islands, and from there, a few even smaller islands, that gave glimpses of local culture while offering heart-stirring views of serene aqua water, dazzling waterfalls and thrilling volcano peaks. In this August 2016 photo, a crater on Mount Egon is seen on the island of Flores in Indonesia. Home to more than 13,000 islands, Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Though only about 6,000 are inhabited, that still leaves a lot of island hopping for beach and scuba enthusiasts. (Kristi Eaton via AP) Paket Wi