Bali, Bali and more Bali (with a side-order of Lombok). About 950,000 of us will go to the island paradise this year, a place that, according to polls, 40 per cent of us don't even know is part of Indonesia.

Indonesia's new president-elect, Joko Widodo, though, wants more from us. He has issued a personal plea to Australians to spread their wings beyond one small island and sample some of the roughly 13,000 others.

"We have many many destinations in Indonesia but there is no promotion of these places, so I will promote them," he tells Fairfax Media.

So what are the other destinations on Jokowi's list?

Raja Ampat is at the top. It's a bit hard to get to, but this string of 1500 islands off the coast of West Papua is considered one of the world's most precious underwater ecosystems and offers exceptional diving and snorkelling.

Bunaken Island off the coast of Manado, at the top of Sulawesi, is also for divers: seven of the eight species of the world's giant clams can be found here.

Solo, also known as Surakarta — "my city," says the president-elect with a smile — with neighbouring Yogyakarta, is the seat of Central Javanese culture and is the home of thousands of batik cloth-makers.

Nearby temples Borobudur and Prambanan are stunning relics of Indonesia's long Hindu and Buddhist history, and are UNESCO world heritage-listed sites.

Bukittinggi in the mountains of West Sumatra is a cool-climate alpine town among the splendours of Indonesia's volcanic ranges.

And Aceh is as far west as you can go on the archipelago. Well, if you can get past the sharia law, there's the sweet brewed coffee, the tsunami museum, boats that still sit on top of houses 10 years after the devastating wave, and, in the highland village of Ketembe, Indonesia's best wild orang-utan trekking experience.

Mr Joko, in the guise of a tour guide, finishes his list, smiles, and throws his arms wide. "We are welcome for Australians. Thank you!" the new president says.