Indonesia is probably one of the most diverse countries in the world, is the essence of a country which has a little bit of everything for everyone. Whilst Bali and Java are frequently visited by many tourists from around the globe, many other parts of Indonesia remain unexplored.
Although Indonesia offers many things from lush green rice fields, sandy beaches, wildlife, deep jungles, iconic temples, volcanos, food, textiles, underwater adventures and much more; many parts of this country is still undervalued and unrecognized. With better transport links connecting places in Indonesia, exploring these beautiful unexplored places is becoming easier.
Below are a few tips which might be useful to know before leaving for Indonesia:
Visas:
There are now 169 countries from around the world who can apply for a visa on arrival. This visa is valid only 30 days from the date of your arrival date and is not renewable. Overstaying penalty is costly, please ensure that you obtain a suitable visa for the duration of your stay in Indonesia.
If you wish to stay more than 30 days, you could also apply for this type of visa on arrival, making sure you explain this to the visa officer, usually located in a different visa counter.
Indonesian Embassy in the UK is located at 30 Great Peter St, Westminster, London SW1P 2BU. Telephone: +44 020 7499 7661
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (Rp) IDR
Vaccination:
Your Clinic will usually recommend standard vaccinations for Indonesia to cover you against Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus and Poliomyelitis. If you plan to travel to more rural regions of the country, you may need to consider taking cover against diseases like Hepatitis B, Japanese B Encephalitis, Rabies and Malaria. Talk to your GP about taking anti-malaria tablets prior to departure, usually, if you are taking anti-malaria tablets, you will need to starts up to 2 weeks prior to departure. Speak to your GP for details.
Languages:
Indonesia has thousands of spoken tribal languages, but Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, connecting Indonesian with other Indonesians. Most of Indonesians are bilingual, speaking their own tribal language and Bahasa Indonesia. A small percentage of Indonesian could communicate well in English and other languages.
Travel insurance:
Owning valid travel insurance to cover you for the length of your stay in Indonesia, is a must, in another word compulsory. Let’s hope that you stay healthy during your visit, but hospital treatments for the unexpected illness could land you very large bills. Don’t travel to Indonesia without your valid travel insurance.
First Aid Kit:
Please ensure that you take basic 1st Aid kit with you, particularly if you plan to travel to remote regions of the country. I recommend that you take some purifying tablets, they are great to purify water for washing fruits or vegetables and for drinking water you are unsure of its hygiene.
Keep some Indonesian Rupiah cash in your wallet.
Although there are many shops, hotels and restaurants that will take credit cards, the majority of business transactions in Indonesia are still using cash. Please make sure you have some Indonesian rupiah handy in your wallet and some rupiah coins, as these will be very useful when you visit small shops and markets.
Sim card/Internet:
Indonesia offers fantastic internet coverage, even in remote places around the country. Using your home mobile in Indonesia is possible if you have free Wifi nearby to access the internet. Sadly, using non-internet mobile calls from your mobile will cost a fortune. Buy yourself an Indonesian SIM card on arrival. This will give you access to the Internet, to enable you to send and receive emails and to make internet calls such as WhatsApp calls.
Respect the local culture & religions:
Indonesia is culturally and religiously diverse. It is good to understand the basics before you arrive there. Do a little research on the internet, just to cover yourself for the basic.
Travel light:
Indonesia offers so many amazing destinations, many travellers are hopping from one destination to the next. Having a large suitcase will make your travel less pleasant and expensive, as most of the local airlines are now operating much like Easy Jet system, where you are only allowed hand luggage not exceeding 7kg for free, the rest will be charged very expensively.
Drinking water:
Indonesian tap water is not safe to drink. Drink bottled water if you can. If you don’t have access to bottled water, use your purifying tablets (do make sure you read the instructions on how to use your purifying tablets and how much to use).
Electricity Socket: 230V AC electricity, using the two-pin plugs. It is best to ensure that you take a universal travel adapter to avoid getting into trouble finding an adapter when you get there.
Buy your toiletry items locally:
Toiletry items such as shampoo, conditioners, soap, facial wash, etc, can be very heavy to carry around. It is fairly easy to get these things locally, even in remote villages, they have little shops called “Warung” where you can purchase your toiletry items from.
Happy holiday and stay safe.