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The shadow puppets of Indonesian storytelling are some of the most fascinating and expressive two-dimensional characters you'll ever see. Commonly known as wayang kulit, the puppets are intricately-formed leather, bone, and wood creations remotely controlled by sticks to act out various fables from Javanese and Balinese history, and one of the best places to see them is at Jakarta's Museum Wayang (Puppet Museum). More than a thousand puppets are on display here, representing the different puppetry styles found in this diverse archipelago nation, ranging from the compact, nationalistic figures of Bali to the starkly realistic puppets native to Lombok. If possible, visit the museum on Sunday, when puppet performances are staged to the soulful strains of gamelan music. You might be amazed at how lifelike these little creatures can become. Starwood has four properties in Jakarta, including the luxurious Le Méridien Jakarta.

It can take a long time to visit all 17,508 islands that make up the Republic of Indonesia, so a few sightseeing shortcuts might be in order until your schedule opens up a bit. Fortunately, the port city of Jakarta has a unique attraction that can help visitors become familiar with the different regions of this diverse country in just one afternoon. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is an ethnographic museum with sections dedicated to 27 of Indonesia's provinces, representing regional architectural styles as well as the plants, arts, crafts, and native costumes from the different areas. The 250-acre park is divided among the country's six main island areas - Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, the Lesser Sunda Islands, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua - with 10 sculptured gardens, traditional dwellings, water features, museums, and a theater that hosts shows featuring native Indonesian music, dance, and drama. So enjoy a show, take a cable car across the entire mini-nation, or relax at one of the cafes and taste the differences between Javanese and Papuan cuisine.

Although a visit to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is lots of fun, the park is a highly-respected cultural landmark whose representations of the different aspects of Indonesian cultural life are praised for their accuracy and attention to detail. Starwood has three luxurious properties in Jakarta: the Sheraton Media Hotel & Towers, the Sheraton Bandara Hotel, and Le Méridien Jakarta.