National Holiday
2010
1 Jan New Year’s Day.
14 Feb Chinese New Year.
26 Feb Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet).
16 Mar Nyepi (Hindu New Year).
2 Apr Good Friday.
28 Apr Waisak Day (Buddha’s Birthday).
13 May Ascension.
17 Aug Indonesian Independence Day.
9 Jul Lailat al Miraj (Ascension of the Prophet).
11 Sep Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan).
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).
7 Dec Islamic New Year.
25/26 Dec Christmas Day/Boxing Day.
Note
Currency
Currency Exchange
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
Traveller’s Cheques
Currency Restrictions
Banking Hours
Exchange Rate Indicators
| Date | Apr 09 |
| £1.00= | Rp16,787.31 |
| $1.00= | Rp11,264.07 |
| €1.00= | Rp14,957.50 |
Duty Free
The following goods may be imported into Indonesia by persons over 18 years of age without incurring customs duty:
• 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100g of tobacco.
• 1l of liquor.
• A reasonable quantity of perfume.
• Gifts up to a value of US$250 per person or US$1,000 per family.
Note: Cameras must be declared on arrival. Video cameras, portable radios, tape recorders, binoculars and sport equipment may be imported provided exported on departure. Films, tapes, CD/DVDs, records and computer software must be screened by the censor board. There are also restrictions on fruits and animal, fish and plant products.
Prohibited Imports
Cordless telephones, Chinese medicines or printings, pornography, and non-prescription drugs.
Food and Drink
The staple diet for most Indonesians is nasi (rice), which is replaced on some islands with corn, sago, cassava and sweet potatoes. Indonesia’s spices make its local cuisine unique. Indonesians like their food highly spiced – look out for the tiny and fiery hot red and green peppers often included in salads and vegetable dishes. Seafood features highly on menus (with salt and freshwater fish, lobsters, oysters, prawns, shrimp, squid, shark and crab all available). Coconuts are often used for cooking. A feature of Jakarta is the many warungs (street stalls); each specialises in its own dish or drink.
National specialities:
• Rijsttafel (a Dutch-invented smorgasbord of 12 various meat, fish, vegetable and curry dishes, sometimes served by 12 ‘maidens’).
• Sate (chunks of beef, fish, pork, chicken or lamb cooked on hot coals and dipped in peanut sauce).
• Rendang (west Sumatra; buffalo coconut curry).
• Gado-gado (Java; a salad of raw and cooked vegetables with peanut and coconut milk sauce).
• Babi guling (Bali; roast suckling pig).
National drinks:
• Es (ice drinks with syrups, fruits and jellies).
• Brem (Bali; rice wine).
• Tuak (palm-sap wine, a famously potent local brew).
• Arak (rice or palm-sap wine).
• Kelapa muda (young coconut juice).
Things To Do
Surfing
The best surf spots are in Bali, Flores, Java, Lombok, Sumatra, Sumba and Sumbawa. Some well-known surfing beaches, such as Ulu Watu on Bali, tend to get overcrowded, and are for very experienced surfers, but organised trips to isolated areas are widely available.
Diving
Indonesia’s coastline is reputed to contain 15% of the world’s coral reefs. Bunaken National Park and Lembeh Strait, both in North Sulawesi, are magnificent. Beginners can even go wreck-diving to Tulamben Wreck off east Bali.
Ujong Kulon National Park
Trek or paddle in a dugout canoe through Ujong Kulon National Park at the extreme south western tip of Java in search of the elusive Java rhino.
Mahakam River
Take a tour up the great Mahakam River in Kalimantan, Borneo (www.visitborneo.com), which is dissected by a network of rivers running from the mountainous interior to the coasts. Starting from the port city Samarinda, such tours continue deep into the upper jungle reaches, where tribal communities have largely preserved their traditions.
Volcanoes
Trek up an active volcano: on Java island, hike Mount Bromo, (the most visited of Indonesia’s volcanoes) and Kawah Ijen crater lake (www.central-java-tourism.com). Take a boat trip to view Krakatoa located between Java and Sumatra.
More volcanoes
Dormant volcanoes include Gunung Agung in Bali, Gunung Rinjani on Lombok island (www.lomboksumbawa.com) and Keli Mutu on Nusa Tenggara Barat (www.ntb.go.id), which has lakes with different coloured waters.
Rainforest
Jungle trek through the Indonesian rainforest – Irian Jaya, Kalimantan and Sumatra offer the most remote and untouched terrain. The best trails include trips to Bukit Barisan National Park, a remote and beautiful peninsula in Sumatra and the Muller Mountain in Kalimantan.
Komodo and Rinca islands
Take a boat to Komodo and Rinca islands in search of the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo Dragon. But don’t get too close as their bite can be fatal.
Orang-utans
Visit and give your support to the rehabilitation centres on Sumatra and Kalimantan that rescue orphaned, injured and captive orang-utans and return them to their habitat.
Tsunami Museum
This museum, in the province of Aceh (one of the areas worst hit by the 2004 tsunami), is an educational centre that will also be able to serve as an emergency disaster shelter in case the area is hit by a tsunami again.
Istiqlal Mosque
The modern Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Java (www.jakarta-tourism.go.id) is one of the largest in the world.
Puppet shows
Puppet shows are staged throughout Java, in which traditional wayang golak and wayang kulit marionettes act out stories based on well-known legends; performances can sometimes last all night.
Prambanan temple complex
The Prambanan temple complex was built in honour of the Hindu gods Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. Do not miss Borobudur (www.borobudurpark.com), probably the largest Buddhist sanctuary in the world, which contains more than 5km (3 miles) of relief carvings.
Places To Visit
Sulawesi
The beautiful Sulawesi (www.north-sulawesi.org) is a land of high mountains, misty valleys and lakes. In the south is Bantimurung Nature Reserve, which has thousands of exotic butterflies and a waterfall. The island has geysers and hot springs at Lahendong and Leilem.
Torajaland
Visit Torajaland, known as the ‘Land of the Heavenly Kings’, on Sulawesi, and note the inhabitants’ buffalo horn-shaped houses and custom of burying the dead in vertical cliffside tombs.
Samosir
An inhabited island in the middle of Lake Toba, Samosir was once a volcanic crater, 900m (3,000ft) above sea level in Sumatra. The island is home to the Batak people, an ancient tribe who preserve many of their traditions.
Sultan’s Palace
Don’t miss the Sultan’s Palace in Yogyakarta, a masterpiece of understated Javanese architecture, and still home to the sultan and his family.
Bali
A chain of volcanic mountains stretches from east to west on Bali, dominated by the mighty Gunung Agung (Holy Mountain), whose conical peak soars more than 3,170m (10,400ft) into the sky.
Tanah Lot
Travel to the Sea Temple of Tanah Lot on the west coast (a short drive from Kediri), one of the most breathtaking sights of Bali.
Pura Besakih
Do not miss Bali’s Pura Besakih, a temple that dates back originally to the 10th century and stands high on the volcanic slopes of Gunung Agung. Nowadays, it is a massive complex of more than 30 temples, and the setting for great ceremonial splendour on festival days.
Getting Around
Getting Around by Rail
In Sumatra, trains connect Belawan, Medan and Tanjong Balai/Rantu Prapet (two or three trains daily) in the north, and Palembang and Panjang (three trains daily) in the south, but are unreliable. An extensive rail network runs throughout Java. The modern, air-conditioned Argo Bromo Anggrek service, which is Eksecutif class only, with refreshments included, links Jakarta and Surabaya; it departs daily and nightly. There are also other express services. Between Jakarta and Bandung there is a train every one to two hours, Eksecutif class (journey time – about 3 hours) and then twice-daily trains on to Surabaya.
Getting Around by Air
Departure Tax
Travel Advice
Travellers are advised against all travel to Central Sulawesi Province and Maluku Province, especially Ambon. Both provinces have been subject to outbreaks of internal violence and the security situation continues to remain unsettled.
Travellers are advised to exercise caution when travelling to Aceh, which is emerging from a long-running internal conflict. Visitors should exercise particular caution when travelling to remote areas, and should also monitor all available information on the local situation.
There remains a high threat from terrorism in Indonesia. Foreigners and locations and buildings frequented by foreigners are particularly attractive potential targets to terrorists. Terrorists have shown in previous, recent attacks that they have the means and the motivation to carry out successful attacks.
Travellers should take sensible precautions for their personal safety and avoid large crowds, political gatherings and demonstrations.
Those visiting or resident in Indonesia should exercise caution at all times. Travellers are strongly advised to ensure that they are comfortable with, and regularly review their own and their family’s security arrangements.
Developments in Iraq and on the Middle East Peace Process do affect Indonesia. Travellers should follow news reports and be alert to developments, which might trigger public disturbances. Travellers should take sensible precautions for their personal safety and avoid large crowds, political gatherings and demonstrations.
Indonesia is located in an active earthquake zone, and major earthquakes can occur at any time. In 2007 there have been a number of major earthquakes, most recently on 12 and 13 September 2007.
Travellers should be aware of concerns about the safety of Indonesian airlines. The EU announced that all Indonesian airlines, including the national carrier Garuda are banned from entering the EU. Travellers should use other airlines if possible.
Outbreaks of Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) in Indonesia have led to over 90 reported human fatalities. The last fatality was in 2008. As a precaution, travellers should avoid live animal markets, poultry farms and other places where they may come into close contact with domestic, caged or wild birds; and ensure poultry and egg dishes are thoroughly cooked.
Poor sanitation and eating contaminated food can increase the risk of cholera, diphtheria, typhoid and other diseases. Travellers should not drink tap water or water that is not bottled and sealed. Wherever possible, bottled water should be bought from reputable sources.
Anthrax is endemic in East Nusa Tengarra province in Indonesia. It is an acute infection that usually only affects livestock, but it can be transmitted to humans who handle or eat infected animals. On 30 October 2007, three villages in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, were closed to outsiders after a number of people fell ill from eating anthrax-infected buffalo meat.
On 28 October 2007, an outbreak of leprosy was reported in East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara. Health officials said that poor sanitation, malnutrition and the water shortage in the area caused the disease.
Penalties for illegal drug importation and use are severe and can include the death penalty.
This advice is based on information provided by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in the UK. It is correct at time of publishing. As the situation can change rapidly, visitors are advised to contact the following organisations for the latest travel advice.
