Latest Update Indonesia Travel Advice :
The history of Indonesia can be marked as the dawn of mankind since it is where the remains of the early man were unearthed. During the ancient age of kingdoms and empires, Indonesia saw the rise of the great empires that ruled over almost all of South-East Asia and regarded to play a key role in the history of the region. After gaining independence from foreign colonization and the wave of both World Wars, Indonesia emerged as one united country and continued to thrive amongst the top nations of the world to this very day.
Fossilized remains of Homo erectus and his tools, popularly known as the “Java Man” found in the archaeological site of Sangiran in Central Java, suggested that the Indonesian archipelago was already inhabited by “the early man” at least since 1.5 million years ago. Recently, the fossil of Homo floresiensis or nicknamed as ‘hobbit man’ was discovered in Liang Bua, Flores Island and also believed to be one of the ancestors of modern humans.
Chinese chronicles mention that trade between India, China and the islands within what today is the Indonesian Archipelago was already thriving since the first century AD. The powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya in southern Sumatra that ruled over the Sumatra seas and the Malacca Straits from the 7th to the 13th century was the centre for Buddhism learning and famous for its wealth. In the 8th- 9th century, the Sailendra Dynasty of the Mataram kingdom in Central Java built the magnificent Buddhist Borobudur temple in Central Java and followed by the construction of the Hindu Temple Prambanan.
From 1294 to the 15th century the powerful Majapahit Kingdom in East Java held suzerainty over a large part of this archipelago. Meanwhile, small and large sultanates thrived on many islands of the archipelago, from Sumatra to Java and Bali, to Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Ternate and the Moluccas, especially following the arrival of Islam in the 13th Century.
Following the arrival of Marco polo in Sumatra, successive waves of Europeans—the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and British—sought to dominate the spice trade at its sources which is at the Moluccas or Maluku Islands of Indonesia began in the 16th century. In 1596 the first Dutch vessels anchored at the shores of West Java. Over the next three centuries, the Dutch gradually colonized this archipelago until it became known as the Dutch East Indies.
Revolt against the oppressing colonizers soon built up throughout the country. The Indonesian youth, in their Youth Pledge of 1928 vowed together to build “One Country, One Nation and One Language: Indonesia”, regardless of race, religion, language or ethnic background in the territory then known as the Dutch East Indies.
Finally, on the 17th of August 1945, after the defeat of the Japanese in the Second World War, the Indonesian people declared their Independence through their leaders Soekarno and Hatta. Freedom, however, was not easily granted. Only after years of bloody fighting did the Dutch government finally relent, officially recognizing Indonesia’s Independence in 1950.
Living on more than 13,400 islands, the Indonesian nation today counts some 200 million population comprising over 200 ethnic groups with their own languages and dialects that range in population from the Javanese (about 70 million) and Sundanese (about 30 million) on Java to peoples numbering in the thousands on remote islands. After gaining Independence in 1945, inter-marriages among people of different ethnic groups have welded the population into a more cohesive Indonesian nation.
The majority of the population is Muslim, while in Bali the Hindu religion is predominant. Whereas in areas like the Minahasa in North Sulawesi, the Toraja highlands in South Sulawesi, in the East Nusatenggara islands and in large parts of Papua, in the Batak highlands as well as on Nias island in North Sumatra, the majority are either Catholics or Protestants. On the whole, Indonesian people are religious in nature.
And, true to the Pancasila, the five principles of nationhood, – namely Belief in the One and Only God, a Just and Civilized Humanity, the Unity of Indonesia, Democracy through unanimous deliberations, and Social Justice for all – Indonesian societies are open and remain tolerant towards each others religions, customs, and traditions, while faithfully adhering to their own. The Indonesian coat of arms moreover bears the motto: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, “Unity in Diversity”.
Bahasa Indonesia is the national and official language of Indonesia and is used in the entire country. It is the language of official communication, taught in schools and used for broadcast in electronic and digital media. Most Indonesians also have their own ethnic language and dialect, with the most widely spoken being Javanese and Sundanese. Some ethnic Chinese communities continue to speak various Chinese dialects, most notably Hokkien in Medan and Teochew in Pontianak.
English is not widely spoken, however, an acceptable level of English can be understood in a number of major cities and tourists’ destinations including Bali, Batam, Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Moreover, most hotel and airline staff can also communicate in English on a basic to moderate level.
Indonesian pronunciation is relatively easy to master. Each letter always represents the same sound and most letters are pronounced the same as their English counterparts. The following are examples of some of the common phrases in Bahasa Indonesia that can be useful in conversation:
Before departing on your exciting adventure across the various wonders of Indonesia, be sure you have all the necessary travel documents that you will need to bring along on your trip. It will also be wise if you are well aware of all the information regarding immigration and visas to Indonesia from your home country to avoid all the unnecessary inconveniences.
Please refer to our Visa and Immigration information page to learn about the entry information to Indonesia and other related information.
The principal gateways for entry to Indonesia are Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang (just at the outskirt of Jakarta) and Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport. Both have undergone massive expansion and are now equipped with the latest and most convenient facilities. Other Airports that also serve international flights include Juanda Airport in Surabaya, Hasanudin Airport in Makassar, and Kuala Namu in Medan. The recently established West Java International Airport in Majalengka, West Java Province about 68Km from Bandung also serves numerous international flights.
Travel to Indonesia from the Americas can take as little as 20 hours and requires at least a transit in East Asia, Europe or the Middle East. Travel from most of Europe will take less than 20 hours. While there are direct flights to Jakarta from Amsterdam, London and Istanbul, for other cities a transit is required. Australia, though, is just 4–7 hours away. There are several flights from various cities in the Middle East to Indonesia. There are also short flights from Indonesian cities to nearby Malaysian cities, such as from Pontianak to Kuching, Tarakan to Tawau, and Pekanbaru to Malacca.
Garuda Indonesia, the flag carrier of Indonesia, serves flights to several cities in Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, Saudi Arabia, Amsterdam, and London. The airline also has extensive code-sharing agreements (Sky Team) and this assists in providing good flight frequencies from airports in countries near Indonesia.
Other international airlines that serve to and from Indonesia include AirAsia. Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Emirates, Eva Air, Firefly, Japan Airlines, KLM, Korean Air, Lion Air, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, and Qantas/Jetstar Airways.
Ferries connect Indonesia with the neighboring countries of Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Most connections are between ports in Sumatra and Riau Islands Province and those in Singapore and Peninsular Malaysia. The close proximity between Batam Island and Bintan Island in Riau Islands Province to Singapore and Malaysia has made the twin-island the third and fourth main entrance to the country. There is also a ferry service between Malaysia’s Sabah state and East Kalimantan. Onward boat connections to Jakarta and other Indonesian islands are available from these ports. Meanwhile, Roll On Roll Off (RoRo) ships connect General Santos and Davao in the Philippines with Bitung, in North Sulawesi.
Frequent ferries connect Singapore to various ports in Batam, as well as Tanjung Pinang and Bandar Bintan Telani Lagoi (Bintan Resorts) in Bintan. There are also daily ferries that connect Singapore with Tanjung Balai on Karimun Island. In Peninsular Malaysia, daily and frequent ferries depart from various ports including Johor Bahru and Port Kland Near Kuala Lumpur to Batam, Bintan, Tanjung Balai, as well as Dumai and Pekanbaru in Riau Province, and Tanjung Balai Asahan in North Sumatra.
Cruise Ships and Yachts
Cruise ships call at 5 ports: Tanjung Priok (North Jakarta), Tanjung Perak (Surabaya), Belawan (near Medan), Makassar and Tanjung Benoa (Bali). There are 24 schedules of regular cruise ships from Singapore, visiting Java and Bali, whereas irregular schedule cruise ships visiting Bali and Nusa Tenggara. You may take a cruise and stop at specific locations along the way with everyone else, in which case Immigration will be handled on your ship. It may be possible to end your cruise here, in which case you’ll need to visit an Immigration office after disembarking.
Committed to making it easier for yachters and cruise ships to enter the waters, the Indonesian government has implemented a number of policies that simplify procedures. These include the waiver of cabotage so that cruise ships are able to embark and disembark passengers at the appointed ports. The government has also eased the CIQP (customs, immigration, quarantine, and port authorities) procedures and simplified the sailing permit application from one month to just one day.
Furthermore, the Clearance and Approval for Indonesian Territory (CAIT) policy has been abolished, which means that yachters can now register online via http://yachters-indonesia.id.
Indonesia shares land borders with three countries: Timor Leste in Timor Island, Malaysia in Borneo, and Papua New Guinea in Papua. From Timor Leste, The border crossing to Indonesia is located at the town of Atambua with the main border post of Mota’ain. In Atambua, there are also the border posts of Matamauk and Napan.
From Malaysia, Regular buses between Kuching (Sarawak, eastern Malaysia) and Pontianak (West Kalimantan) pass through the border post at Entikong. The Aruk Border Post in Sambas Regency, connect West Kalimantan Province in Indonesia to Sarawak, Malaysia. The Nanga Badau Sanggau Border Post also connects West Kalimantan and the State of Sarawak in Malaysia.
The only land crossing that connects the Indonesian province of Papua and Papua New Guinea is the Skouw Border Post situated at Muaratami District which is about 60Km from Jayapura, the capital city of Papua Province.
As a massive archipelago, it is understandable that Indonesia has different time zones in its territory. There is the Indonesia Western Standard Time (WIB), Indonesia Central Standard Time (WITA), and Indonesia Eastern Standard Time (WIT). So what are these time zones and how do you calculate the differences from all over the world?
The western side of Indonesia follows Western Standard Time, known as Waktu Indonesia Barat (WIB). The area covered here is the whole of Sumatra Island, the whole of Java Island, West Kalimantan province and also Central Kalimantan. So if you’re visiting cities like Jakarta, Bandung, Batam or Pontianak, adjust your watches to the time of WIB. Jakarta is also the capital of Indonesia, therefore it has become a benchmark for time differences all over the world.
Just an hour difference from WIB, the central part of Indonesia follows WITA. Adjust your watches accordingly to this time zone if you’re visiting cities in South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, the whole of Sulawesi island, the whole of Bali Island, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara (like Denpasar or Makassar).
Visiting cities like Maluku or somewhere in Papua? Set your watches to the WIT time zone. It has a two-hour difference from WIB and applies to only Maluku and Papua (including North Maluku and West Papua).
| Time Difference between Jakarta And Capital cities of the world | Hours |
| New York | +12 Hours |
| Tokyo | +2 Hours |
London | -7 Hours |
| Seoul | +2 Hours |
| Beijing | +1 Hours |
| Abu Dhabi | -3 Hours |
| Berlin | -6 Hours |
| Amsterdam | -6 Hours |
| Paris | -6 Hours |
| Moscow | -4 Hours |
As a Muslim majority country, there is always a mosque nearby in every part of Indonesia that alerts the people with the call to prayer during the five prayer times. Prayer times all over the country differ due to the different time zones. The earliest prayer time is at 4 – 5 a.m at sunrise, continued to another around noon, the next would be 3 pm in the evening, then 6 pm at dusk and finally 7 pm at night.
The climate of Indonesia is almost entirely tropical. The uniformly warm waters that make up 81% of Indonesia’s area ensures that temperatures on land remain fairly constant, with the coastal plains averaging 28 °C, the inland and mountain areas averaging 26 °C, and the higher mountain regions, 23 °C. Temperature varies little from season to season, and Indonesia experiences relatively little change in the length of daylight hours from one season to the next.
The main variable of Indonesia’s climate is not temperature or air pressure, but rainfall. The area’s relative humidity ranges between 70% and 90%. Although air temperature changes little from season to season or from one region to the next, cooler temperatures prevail at higher elevations. In general, temperatures drop approximately 1°C per 90-meter increase in elevation from sea level with some high-altitude interior mountain regions experiencing night frosts.
Being a tropical country, Indonesia does not have spring, summer, autumn, or winter, instead of just the two seasons of Rainy and Dry, both of which are relative. While there is significant regional variation, in most of the country (including Java and Bali) the dry season is April to October, while the wet season is November to March. However, global warming has made the seasons less predictable.
In recent years Credit and Debit Cards have been commonly used as a method of payment in Indonesia. Indonesian people especially living in major cities have opted to bring less cash at hand and use Credit or Debit Cards for practical and convenient reasons. So foreigners traveling to Indonesia need not worry to use credit or debit cards for your traveling pleasure.
Most international credit card networks are acceptable in Indonesia’s major cities and tourist hotspots like Jakarta, Bandung, Bali, Surabaya, Medan, Yogyakarta, etc.
Cards such as JCB (Japan Credit Bureau) is acceptable in Indonesia because it is affiliated with some of Indonesia’s major well-known bank such as BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia), CIMB Niaga, Mandiri, BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia). While American Express (Amex) is also acceptable however Amex has fewer affiliated local banks in Indonesia. Bank Danamon is currently one of the local banks affiliated with Amex. The most widely accepted card in all merchants in Indonesia is Visa and Mastercard.
There will be instances where stores may not display the symbols of the cards they accept. Be sure to check with the salesperson in the store prior to using your card if your card is acceptable or not.
Although credit, debit and prepaid cards of well-known brands are generally accepted in the major cities, carrying rupiah in a sufficient amount at hand is highly advisable. Especially when traveling to smaller towns and remote areas, it would probably be quite a problem finding ATMs around and local stores could only accept cash.
The amount of cash allowed into Indonesia or taking it outside the country is in the amount of IDR100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiahs) or other currency equivalent to this amount. More than this amount, then travelers must declare it to Indonesian Customs.
ATM’s are widespread throughout Indonesia’s major cities. Cards with Cirrus, Maestro, Plus network seems to be the most prevalent card accepted and could withdraw cash nationwide in most of Indonesia’s major bank ATMs. Cirrus and Maestro logo are associated with Mastercard, while Plus is associated with Visa. Be sure to check if the Cirrus, Maestro or Plus logo is displayed in the ATM machine prior to inserting your card.
JCB cardholder could withdraw cash in Indonesia’s affiliated banks such as BNI (Bank Negara Indonesia), CIMB Niaga, Mandiri, BRI (Bank Rakyat Indonesia). Be sure to check if the JCB or Cirrus Logo is displayed in the ATMs. While American Express cardholders could use the facility of express cash and withdraw cash from Danamon Bank ATMs throughout Indonesia.
Although it is practical to carry credit or debit cards around for your traveling pleasure, when traveling to remote areas and visiting local or traditional markets, it is highly wise and preferable to have some small change at hand for purchasing purposes. This way you are set to have a smooth and fun vacation in Indonesia. Enjoy your stay!
In this digital era, staying connected is an everyday need, anytime, anywhere. Whether it’s for business-related matters, keeping in touch with loved ones, updates in current issues or traveling pleasures, having an accessible online connection is a necessity. In Indonesia, the Wi-Fi connection is available in many major public areas. Here is some useful info on Wi-Fi accessibility throughout public spaces in Indonesia.
Soekarno–Hatta International Airport is the primary airport serving the Jakarta metropolitan area on the island of Java in Indonesia. As reported by the Jakarta Post, the airport has recently made Wi-Fi accessible for all visitors in Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 of the airport with the Wi-Fi Corner facility. This Wi-Fi Corner is provided in cooperation with state-owned telecommunications company PT Telkom.
Most International airports in Indonesia provide Wi-Fi connection. For information on Wi-Fi connections in other airports, contact the local information desk at the airport once you arrived.
Most major hotels in Indonesian cities have free Wi-Fi connection for its guests. Each are usually protected by passwords and the guest will obtain the password info when checking in the hotel. For smaller hotels in small towns, Wi-Fi connections are also commonly provided, but to be sure, you should check ahead prior to booking.
There are currently facilities that support Wi-Fi in a few stations in Indonesia’s capital city, Jakarta. However, PT KAI, Indonesia’s state-owned train company announced in 2018 that they plan to provide free internet connection installed on all trains gradually.
In February 2019, PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI), the local public transportation in Jakarta’s commuter line, has launched free Wi-Fi for passengers in stations and on its trains in the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi area. The service is available at 46 stations in Jakarta and followed by 37 stations in Greater Jakarta in March.
PT KAI will also expand the service to trains and stations outside Greater Jakarta, such as the Argo Parahyangan train with the Gambir – Bandung route.
Most public places in Indonesia’s major cities have Free Hot Spots for Wi-Fi such as malls, restaurants, café’s, tourist attractions, etc. However in public areas, they are not always secured networks, so you might want to be really careful and read the terms and conditions more thoroughly before signing in.
If finding a Free Hotspot for Wi-Fi is less practical for you, you might want to opt for a Pocket Wi-Fi Rental. This way, you are sure to stay connected anywhere and anytime. There are plenty of rentals to choose from the net, where you can order the pocket size portable Wi-Fi online, and have the device mailed to you or arrange a pick up when you arrived in your Indonesian city destination.
Keeping in touch with the outside world is rarely a problem in Indonesia as mobile phones are a common thing that almost everyone owns. To get a local SIM card during your stay in Indonesia is a more economical and practical option.
You could find SIM Card in airports where they held a number of local cell phone company providers booths for you to choose from such as Telkomsel, XL, Smartfren, 3/Tri, Axis, Indosat/IM3, etc. The prices vary for each provider starting from IDR 10,000.
Foreigners will need either their Passport, or KITAS, or KITAP (the last two is for visitors with a long term stay) to register the local SIM Card. The officer in the provider’s booth will guide you through the registration process for your SIM card.
The official currency of Indonesia is Rupiah which is Issued and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia. The currency code for Rupiahs is IDR, and the currency symbol is Rp. By law, all transactions are required to be conducted in rupiah, and information on the daily exchange rate can be found in newspapers or from the internet and online apps. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, large restaurants, and large stores.
Indonesian banknotes come in denominations of IDR1000, IDR2000, IDR5000, IDR10000, IDR20000, IDR50000, and IDR100000. Coins in circulation include IDR1000, IDR500, IDR200, IDR100, and IDR50.
You can exchange foreign currency in major cities throughout the archipelago at banks and money changers. Most tourists’ resorts have money changer facilities; however, if you are traveling to more remote areas it is advisable to exchange your money beforehand. If you need a large amount of foreign currency, and you don’t have a foreign currency account at your bank, it is best to order the money the day before. Local banks keep a limited amount of foreign currency in their smaller branches.
ATMs on the international Plus/Cirrus or Alto networks are common in all major Indonesian cities and tourist destinations. Limitation withdrawal is depending on your respective home bank. Machines are loaded with IDR50,000 denomination notes or IDR100,000 denomination notes, as indicated on the machine; however keep in mind that the bigger notes can be harder to split, especially in rural non-tourist areas. It is also best to withdraw some money from an ATM in major cities before venturing onto more secluded destinations.
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