Lombok's Gili Islands are a prime backpacker hangout

If the crowds on Bali seem a little much to handle, hop on a Pelni boat and travel east to Nusa Tenggara, a string of islands that run from Lombok to Timor.

Lombok, Bali's neighbour is worth visiting for the chance to climb Gunung Rinjani (3726m).

Another highlight of Lombok is the Gili Islands, three white-sand islands that have long been known as a backpacker hangout. There are cheap bungalows everywhere, not a car in sight and all the seafood and burgers you can eat. The 'Gilis' are also great for diving, snorkeling or just taking in the view from a glass bottom boat.

Traveling east eventually brings you to Pulau Komodo and Rinca, home to 100kg monitor lizards, known popularly as Komodo Dragons.

Next is Flores, a name meaning flowers, so named because of the lush landscape that covers the volcanic terrain. The eastern end of the island contains one of the highlights of Nusa Tenggara - the colored lakes of Kelimutu. Amazingly, these are three lakes, almost side-by-side, each have a different color - brown, turquoise and black.