Indonesia

Indonesia in May

May is one of the best times to visit Indonesia.

Great time Shoulder season

May and October, too, are months you may want to consider, in fact they are the best ones among those that do not fall in the high season: they are a bit more muggy and rainy, but they are still out of the actual rainy season. However, in inland and mountainous areas, thunderstorms are frequent. Dry season. In Bali, there's plenty of sunshine in the dry season.

Festivals in May

Galungan & Kuningan Celebration (approximate dates)

Bali's most important festival, streets lined with towering penjor bamboo poles. Recurs on the 210-day Balinese calendar.

Recurs every 210 days on the Balinese Pawukon calendar: Galungan always falls on a Wednesday and Kuningan ten days later.
Next date: 13–23 Jan 2027

Waisak at Borobudur Celebration (approximate dates)

Buddhist Vesak: monks and lantern releases at Borobudur temple. Lunar date, usually May.

Full moon of the month of Vesak, usually in May; in years with an extra lunar month it can move to late April or June.

Where to go in Indonesia

Makassar
MakassarMakassar (formerly Ujung Pandang) is the capital of South Sulawesi and the largest city of eastern Indonesia, a historic spice-trade port where Bugis and…
 Tana Toraja
Tana TorajaTana Toraja is a highland region of South Sulawesi inhabited by the Torajan people, one of Indonesia's most culturally distinctive groups, known worldwide for…
 Lombok
LombokLombok is an island east of Bali that has long lived in its neighbour's shadow but offers equally compelling attractions at a fraction of the crowds. The Gili…
 Raja Ampat
Raja AmpatRaja Ampat ('Four Kings') is a remote archipelago of over 1,500 small islands and cays off the coast of West Papua, home to the highest marine biodiversity ever…
 Borobudur
BorobudurBorobudur is a 9th-century Mahayana Buddhist temple in Central Java, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest Buddhist monument in the world, comprising…
 Jakarta
JakartaJakarta is Indonesia's sprawling capital on the northwest coast of Java, a megacity of 30 million people that serves as the country's political, economic, and…
Indonesia in April Indonesia in June

Other places with good weather in May

Burma in May Malaysia in May Philippines in May Singapore in May
Indonesia all year round Which visa do you need for Indonesia? Best time to visit Southeast Asia, month by month

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