Travel advice for Indonesia
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Indonesia
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Indonesia has endured a torrid time of late, most recently with the July 2009 bombings of the Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriot hotels in Jakarta which killed nine and injuring more than fity people. Together with the 2002 Bali bombings which left more than 200 (mostly foreigners) dead and the violence that surrounded the political and religious upheavals of the past decade, it undermines the idea that Indonesia is a safe place to travel. Considering the scale of Indonesia and the vast number of international travellers, incidents involving Westerners are rare. Petty theft, however, is a fact of life, so don’t flash around expensive camera equipment, jewellery or watches. Don’t hesitate to check that doors and windows – including those in the bathroom – are secure before accepting accommodation; if the management seems offended by this, you probably don’t want to stay there anyway. Some guesthouses and hotels have safe-deposit boxes.
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Bali's Beaches and Temples
Experience Bali's brilliant beaches and temples with this stunning trip. Marvel at ancient temples like Tanah Lot and Pura Besakih, soak in stunning sunsets, stroll bare-footed along the best beaches in Bali and haggle at local markets – experience all of this, and much more, with this unique trip!
customize ⤍The Best of Bali
This trip will take you from the modern-day Bali to the traditional one. Bali has many adventures to offer, tour the countryside with a Vespa or glide through the hidden canyons. You will also be able to enjoy visits to enchanting villages, where you can take in the local way of life.
customize ⤍Java and Lombok - culture and beaches
Start your trip in Yogyakarta (also called Jogja) with its rich cultural past such as the Borobudur temple. From there continue to hike Mount Bromo and explore more of East Java in Malang and Surabaya. End your trip on the dreamy beaches of Kuta/Lombok, dubbed 'the next Bali'.
customize ⤍Singapore & Bali - A Unique Exploration
Combine Southeast Asia's smallest country Singapore with its largest country: Indonesia. Spend a few days exploring the metropolis before flying to the magical island of Bali. Temples, volcanoes and ceremonies are part of your itinerary, as are the gorgeous beaches of Nusa Lembongan.
customize ⤍Culture, volcanoes and dragons - Bali, Flores & Komodo
Combine several islands on one trip - start in Bali's cultural capital Ubud before heading to the rice fields in Sidemen. A short flight to Flores allows you to explore volcanoes and local villages before hopping on a cruise around Komodo and other islands close to Labuan Bajo. Dragons included!
customize ⤍Love trip to Bali
Celebrate your love union on this magical island. Included are couples massages at relaxing spas, a blessing ceremony by a Balinese priest, an authentic cooking class and of course - a beautiful white sandy beach on Nusa Lembongan to relax towards the end of your trip.
customize ⤍Unknown Java and Bali - an overland adventure
A fast-paced itinerary packing plenty of highlights: discover the temples of Prambanan and Borobudur and sunrises at Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen before heading to Bali: a beautiful underwater world and the landscapes of Ubud and Sidemen await.
customize ⤍Java Discovery
Experience the magic of Java, the third-largest of the Indonesian Islands, with this stunning trip! Discover stunning ancient temple complexes, ride a bicycle through idyllic rural villages, climb to Mount Ijen's crater at sunrise and laze around on palm-fringed tropical beaches!
customize ⤍Nature in Borneo and Relaxation in Riau
Experience the best of both worlds with this unique trip to Indonesia. Embark on a cruise up the Rungan River, where you will discover incredible wildlife and traditional villages, before continuing on to the Telunas Resort, a deserted island paradise that will be your home for a few days.
customize ⤍Exploring Bali's Culture & Gili's beaches
Dive deep into Balinese culture from Ubud and Sidemen. Visits include rice field walks, the Gates of Heaven, water temples like Tirta Empul and Tirta Gangga as well as a traditional cooking class. Your trip ends with the beaches of Gili Air and Jimbaran.
customize ⤍If you’re unlucky enough to get mugged, never resist and, if you disturb a thief, raise the alarm rather than try to take them on. Be especially aware of pickpockets on buses or bemos, who usually operate in pairs: one will distract you while another does the job. Afterwards, you’ll need a police report for insurance purposes. Try to take along someone to translate, though police will generally do their best to find an English-speaker. You may also be charged “administration fees”, the cost of which is open to sensitive negotiations. Have nothing to do with drugs in Indonesia: the penalties are tough, and you won’t get any sympathy from consular officials.
The militant Islamic Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist group has been responsible for numerous bombs in Indonesia, most notable, of course, the Bali bomb of 2002, which left more than two hundred dead and the country’s entire tourist industry in tatters. Since then the Marriott hotel in Jakarta was bombed in August 2003, the Australian embassy in Jakarta in September 2004, Bali again in October 2005 and Jakarta’s JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton hotels in July 2009. Terrorism remains a threat, though there is no need to be alarmed here more than you would be anywhere else frequented by tourists in Southeast Asia.
Caution is advised in the trouble spots around the Maluku Islands and central Sulawesi where the situation remains unsettled. Much of the trouble dates back to 1999, and the horrifying chaos of the elections of the newly independent state of East Timor. Riots in many parts of the archipelago pitched Muslims against their Christian neighbours, while locals in other provinces, inspired by the success of East Timor in winning its independence, began to fight for the secession of their own province. The Maluku Islands in particular were devastated by an internecine war that left thousands dead. A measure of calm is returning to the islands, and travellers are now trickling back.
The security situation can also be unpredictable in other trouble spots such as Aceh in northern Sumatra, and the Poso region of central Sulawesi – where the beheading of three Christian schoolgirls in October 2005 provoked some serious sectarian violence – though the situation in both places has improved dramatically. We also do not cover remote and little-visited West Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya), whose ongoing separatist struggle has in the past resulted in violence against foreigners, or East Timor’s neighbour, West Timor. If you insist on visiting Indonesia’s more unsettled areas, make sure you are fully aware of the latest situation, and heed any warnings given out by your foreign office, as well as the local people who, along with your fellow travellers, are usually the best source of up-to-date information.
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You can get a sixty-day visa, but only by applying in advance from an Indonesian consulate; the cost is US$55 and the process takes three to five days, though this varies from one consulate to the next. A visa is most easily obtained in Singapore, Penang or Kuala Lumpur. Note that you must show your ticket out of the country when applying for a visa, whether you’re applying at the embassy or the port. A visa can be extended once for up to 30 days for a fee of Rp250.000; this process also usually takes a few days. When applying for an extension of your visa, bring photocopies of the photo page in your passport, your Indonesian visa, and your flight ticket out of Indonesia.
Those entering the country via a non-designated gateway must get a visa from an Indonesian consulate before travelling. Further details on the latest situation can be found at wwww.indonesianembassy.org.uk.
To call abroad from Indonesia, dial t001 or t008 + country code + area code (minus the first 0) + number. For international directory enquiries call t102; the international operator is t101. Some Telkom offices and airports also have home-country direct phones, from which you can call collect (reverse-charge calls), or settle up after the call; they cost more than IDD phones.
Mobile phone coverage is good across most of Java, Sumatra and Bali, but elsewhere is confined largely to the main cities and populated areas only. If you are intent on spending more than a week or so in Indonesia, strongly consider purchasing an Indonesian SIM card, available from wartels from Rp11,000. The dominant operators are Telkomsel, Three and Indosat. There’s a complicated registration process, so ask the sales assistant for help to set up your phone after you’ve purchased the card. You shouldn’t have to pay to receive calls.
Internet access is becoming increasingly widespread in Indonesia, and there are now tourist-friendly internet offices and cafés in many towns and cities; prices vary widely from Rp3000 to Rp30,000 per hour. For travellers with laptops, free wi-fi has become a common feature in tourist cafés, shopping malls and hotels.
For unlimited Wi-Fi on the go whilst travelling Indonesia, buy a Skyroam Solis, which works in 130+ countries at one flat daily rate, paid for on a pay-as-you-go basis. You can connect up to five devices at once. Prices start from as little as €5 a day.
The Indonesian currency is the rupiah (abbreviated to “Rp”). Notes come in denominations of Rp500 (rare), Rp1000, Rp5000, Rp10,000, Rp20,000, Rp50,000 and even Rp100,000; coins, mainly used for public telephones and bemos, come in Rp25 (rare), Rp50, Rp100, Rp500 and Rp1000 denominations. Officially, rupiah are available outside Indonesia, but the currency’s volatile value means that very few banks carry it. At the time of writing, the exchange rate was Rp14,200 to £1 and Rp9000 to US$1.
In less-travelled regions, provincial banks won’t cash travellers’ cheques, but will take US dollar notes. Over-the-counter cash advances on Visa can be used for getting the best possible exchange rate.
Sometimes prices for tourist services, such as diving or organized trips, are quoted in dollars, or increasingly in euros, but you can pay in rupiah at whatever the exchange rate is on the day.
Ramadan, a month of fasting during daylight hours, falls during the ninth Muslim month, which changes from year to year. Even in non-Islamic areas, Muslim restaurants and businesses shut down during the day, and in staunchly Islamic parts of rural Lombok, Sumatra and Kalimantan’s Banjarmasin, you should not eat, drink or smoke in public at this time.
January 1 New Year’s Day (Tahun Baru)
Jan/Feb Chinese New Year
Muharam (usually Jan) Islamic New Year
March/April Nyepi, Balinese New Year
March/April Good Friday and Easter Sunday
Maulud Nabi Muhammad (usually March or April) Anniversary of the birth of Muhammed
May/June Waisak Day. Anniversary of the birth, death and enlightenment of Buddha
May/June Ascension Day of Jesus
Lailat al Miraj (usually between July and Sept) Ascension Day of Muhammed
August 17 Independence Day (Hari Proklamasi Kemerdekaan)
Idul Fitri (usually Oct or Nov) The celebration of the end of Ramadan
Idul Adha (Hajhl, usually between Dec and Jan) Feast of Sacrifice
December 25 Christmas Day
Erau Festival Tenggarong, Kalimantan. September. A big display of indigenous Dayak skills and dancing.
Funerals Tanah Toraja, Sulawesi. Mostly May to September. With buffalo slaughter, bullfights and sisemba kick-boxing tournaments.
Galungun Bali. Takes place for ten days every 210 days to celebrate the victory of good over evil.
Kasada Bromo, East Java. Offerings are made to the gods and thrown into the crater. Held on the fourteenth day of Kasada, the twelfth month in the Tenggerese calendar year (Dec).
Krakatau FestivalLampung, Sumatra. October. Five days of events highlighting Lampung’s cultural heritage, including Tuping Karnaval (Lampung Mask Carnival); part of the celebration occurs on the island of Anak Krakatau itself.
Nyepi Throughout Bali. End of March or beginning of April. The major purification ritual of the year.
Pasola West Sumba. Held four times in February and March, this festival to balance the upper sphere of the heavens culminates with a frenetic pitched battle between two villages of spear-wielding horsemen.
Sekaten Central Java. March or April. The celebration of the birthday of the prophet Muhammed, includes a month-long festival of fairs, gamelan recitals and performances.
In June and July, during the best and most consistent surf, you can expect waves to be crowded, especially in Java and Bali. Several surf companies in Kuta in Bali offer all-in surf safaris to other destinations in Indonesia. Try to bring your own board, though in the popular surf spots you can rent some decent boards on the beach. Most public transport charges extra for boards, but many surfers simply rent motorbikes with board-carrying attachments.
For detailed reviews of surf breaks, see the book Indo Surf and Lingo, available from wwww.indosurf.com.au and from surfshops and bookshops in Bali. Good surf websites include wwww.baliwaves.com, wwww.wannasurf.com and wwww.wavehunters.com
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Indonesia
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