What Indonesian islands would best suit me?
Hi guys. So I’ve been traveling long-term in SEA and now my money is starting to run low. I arrived in Malaysia about a week ago and I’m currently in Georgetown, but I’d like to head somewhere cheaper as I’m finding it a little too expensive here for my liking. (Can’t wait to come back when I can though, I’m liking it a lot). Having been to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and cambodia, Indonesia sounds like the obvious next place to visit, but I don’t know which island(s) to visit. The criteria I would factor into this decision are the following (and in order from most to least important)
Cost. The cheaper the better. I’ve heard that prices in many parts of Indonesia are comparable to Vietnam. Is that true (it would be awesome if it was true 🙏🙏)?
It’s not that I dislike nature per se, but it’s not something I prioritize. I like interesting architecture, food, and other cultural things and just to see how people are living around the world. So a big ish island with lots of different places to visit would be nice and I can hop to other islands depending on how much money I have
Ease of access
Based on what I’ve seen on the internet, I think Sumatra, Java, or Sulawesi would best suit me. For those of you that have been, are these good choices? Does anyone have a better suggestion?
Ps: question about Sumatra specifically: is vaguely aware that there is a part of Sumatra that’s run by sharia law or something? If I were to go there as a male american citizen, is there anything I should consider or would I be able to exist as I usually do so long as I wear enough clothes?
PSs: I’m applying for my visa later today. I’d love if someone could tell me how long it took for theirs to get processed + approved. Google says around 5 business days but I’ve looked this up for other visas and had it be way inaccurate so it’s something I’d like to know to be able to plan around.
Thanks in advance to everyone 🙏🙏