Indonesia
General Information:
The name Indonesia has its roots in two Greek words: "Indos" meaning Indian and "Nesos" which means islands. It is an appropriate description of the archipelago as there are estimated to be a total of 17,508 islands, of which only about 6,000 are inhabited, stretching for 5,150 km between the Australian and Asian continental mainlands and dividing the Pacific and Indian Oceans at the Equator.
Five main islands and 30 smaller archipelagoes are home to the majority of the population. The main islands are Sumatra (473,6O6 sq.km), Kalimantan 1539,400 sq.km), Sulawesi l 189,216 sq. km), Irian Jaya (421,981 sq. km), and last but not least Java (132,187 sq.km), home to 70 percent of the country's population. Indonesia shares Irian Jaya with Papua New Guinea and two thirds of the island of Kalimantan with Malaysia and Borneo.
Climate:
Indonesia's
climate is definitely tropical. There is no Autumn or Winter and
distinctive "dry" and "wet" seasons share the
year. The East Monsoon, from June to September, brings dry weather
while the West Monsoon, from December to March is moisture laden,
bringing rain. The transitional period between these two seasons is
interspersed by the occasional heavy rain shower, but even in the
midst of the West Monsoon season, temperatures range from 21 degrees
(70_F) to 33 degrees celcious (190_F) except at higher altitudes
which can be much cooler. Heaviest rainfalls are usually recorded in
December and January and humidity is generally between 75% and 100%.
Religion
The majority [about 85%] of the population follows Islam. Freedom of religion is implemented by the Indonesian Constitution, however, which is defined in the First Principle of the State Philosophy' "Pancasila", which upholds a "Belief in One Supreme God"
Entry Requirements:
Passports:
To travel internationally you must be in possession of a passport. To obtain a passport please visit www.travel.state.gov/passport_services.html for instructions and an application form. Alternatively contact your local post office and they will advise you of your nearest passport issuing office.
All visitors traveling to Indonesia must be in possession of a passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival and have proof of onward passage.
Visas:
Tourist visas are issued for $25 upon arrival to Indonesia and are valid for 30 days. For stays longer than 30 days, visitors must apply in advance. Entry and exit must be made through certain specified gateways: By air through Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Manado, Biak, Ambon, Surabaya and Batam; By sea through Semarang, Jakarta, Bali, Pontianak, Balikpapan, Tanjung Pinang and Kupang. For other ports of entry and exit special visas are required. The maximum stay permitted is two months and is not extendible.
Customs/Duty Free:
Indonesian Customs allows on entry a
maximum of two liters of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50
cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume per
adult. Cars, photographic equipment, typewriters and tape recorders
must be declared to Customs upon entry and must be reexported.
'Prohibited from entry are TV sets, radios, narcotics, arms and
ammunition, printed matter in Chinese characters and Chinese
medicines.
Advance approval has to be acquired for carrying transceivers and all movie films and video cassettes must be censored by the Film Censor Board. Fresh fruit, plants and animals must have quarantine permits.
There is no restriction on import or export of foreign currencies. However, the export or import of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp.50,000 is prohibited.
Departure
Tax:
The Government of Indonesia has officially abolished the
exit permit required for people leaving the country, effective from
August 17, 1992. Airport tax levied on passengers for international
travel is Rp.21,000,- for travel within Indonesia regional variations
occur. Expect to pay an average of about Rp.8,000,-.
Currency:
The local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (Rp). While currency conversions fluctuate daily, US$1 is approximate Rp 7000. Major credit cards are generally accepted in most tourist facilities.
Further to the use of credit cards, we advise that before you depart the US, call your credit card company to advise them you will be traveling and to expect to see charges from the destination/s in which you will be using your credit card.
Vaccinations and Health:
International health certificates for smallpox and cholera are not required, except from travelers arriving from infected areas.
Although
you can check with your local doctor for recommended precautions for
travel into Indonesia, or the Center For Disease Control - CDC for up
to date information on health concerns in countries you are traveling
to.
Phone: 1-800-311-3435
Website:
http://www.gov/healthservices/immunize
Time
Zone:
Indonesia is located on the other side of the
International Date Line from the US, and on the southern side of the
equator. The Indonesian archipelago is spread over three time zones.
Western Indonesia Standard Time, which covers the islands of Sumatra,
Java & Madura, West and Central Kalimantan, is 7 hours ahead of
GMT; Central Indonesia Standard Time covers East and South
Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and is 8 hours ahead of
GMT; finally Eastern Indonesia Standard Time, which covers Maluku,
and Irian Jaya is 9 hours ahead of GMT.
Language:
There
are about 583 languages and dialects spoken in the archipelago. There
normally belong to the different ethnic groups of the population.
Some of the distinctly different local languages are: Acehnese,
Batak, Sundanese, Javanese, Sasak, Tetum of Timor, Dayak, Minahasa,
Toraja, Buginese, Halmahera, Ambonese, Ceramese, and several Irianese
languages. To make the picture even more colorful, these languages
are also spoken in different dialects.
Bahasa Indonesia is the national language which is akin to Malay, written in Roman script and based on European orthography. In all tourist destination areas English is the number one foreign language fairly spoken and written, whereas some Dutch is still spoken and understood in the bigger cities and French increasing in its popularity at the better hotels and restaurants. Here are some words to get you started:
Good morning Selamat Pagi
Good mid-day Selamat siang
Good evening Selamat malam
Good-bye Selamat tinggal (if you're leaving)
Selamat jalan (to someone who is leaving you)
Thank you Terima kasih
You're welcome Kembali or sama-sama
How are you? Apa kabar?
Excuse me Permisi or maaf
Good Baik
Do you speak English? Bisa bicara Bahasa Inggris?
I don't speak Indonesian. Saya tidak bisa bicara bahasa Indonesia.
I don't understand. Saya tidak mengerti.
Can you help me? Bisa bantu saya?
Where is the bathroom? Di mana kamar kecil?
Where is . . . Di mana. . .
How much is this? Berapa harganya ini?
I want this. Saya mau ini.
I want to eat. Saya mau makan.
My address is ... Alamat saya...
Please take me to ... Tolong, antar saya ke ...
Tipping:
Major hotels usually add a 10% service charge to bills. Where it is not included a tip of between 5% to 10% of the bill would be appropriate if the service is satisfactory.
Airport porters expect Rp.2,000,-for a small bag and Rp.3,000, for bags weighing more than 20 kg.
Tipping taxi and hire-car drivers is not mandatory, but if service has been satisfactory a basic Rp.1,000,- tip is sufficient for a taxi driver, Hire-car drivers would normally expect a larger tip.
Telecommunications:
The telecommunications infrastructure includes an inter-island microwave system. Domestic service is fair; international service is good.
Electricity:
Power
supply is usually 220 volts/250 cycles in large cities, but 110 volts
is still used in some areas. Normal outlets are plugs with two
rounded pins. It is advisable to check electricity supplies before
using any appliances.
Business Hours:
Business offices are usually open either
from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm or 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, with a break for lunch
between 12.00 noon and 1.00 pm. but on Saturday many business offices
are closed.
Government office hours are from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm from Monday to Friday and on Saturday many Government offices are closed.
Normal banking hours are from 8.00 am to 2.30 pm from Monday to Friday. Some bank branches in hotels, however, keep longer hours.
Jakarta has several international banks but money can also be changed at hotel cashiers, and authorized money changers. Daily exchange rates are published in newspapers. The US dollar is the most readily accepted currency.
Most major tourist destination areas have foreign exchange facilities, but for travel to remote areas, it is advisable to change money and travelers checks in advance. Credit cards are acceptable only at major hotels, restaurants and travel agencies.
Travel Insurance:
We highly recommend travel insurance to protect you and your travel investment if you need to cancel your trip for covered reasons prior to departure, or if other covered unforeseen circumstances arise during your trip.
Excellent medical care is available in the South Pacific, but the cost of transportation from a remote area to a local hospital, or in extreme cases, repatriation, is high and generally not covered by your regular medical insurance.
Clothing/Packing List:
Dress is normally informal in Indonesia due to the warm, humid climate and clothing of light fabrics is recommended. Traveling in highland areas is noticeably cooler, however, and carrying a light sweater may prove useful. Accepted attire for men is a shirt and long pants. A jacket and tie are required for official calls or for more formal occasions. Long sleeved batik or hand-woven shirts are acceptable for evening functions. For ladies, dresses, blouses, and long pants are appropriate. Shorts, halters or tank tops should only be used at sports facilities or on the beach.
If you use the layering system (several layers that can be worn alone or in combination, rather than taking one heavy jacket for cold weather) you’ll be ready for any conditions and won’t have to over-pack.
Driving:
In Indonesia, people drive on the left – not the wrong – side of the road. The steering wheel is on the right hand side of the car, and most important road rule to follow is to Give Way (Yield) to your right. A current English language driver’s license complete with your photo is all you need – don’t bother getting an international driver’s license.
Many Westerners amaze with the way Indonesians drive, reckless. Yet, accidents are not that many. How could that be? It was once said they drive like a "school of fish".
School of fish Theory: A British professor went to an Indonesian university. He was amazed with the traffic. After standing in a corner analyzing the traffic for a few hours he said that there's no accident because the way Indonesians drive is like a school of fish. Picture a school of fish. They don't go straight, yet you don't see them hitting each other. When you drive you know that the car in front of you can make a quick left or right turn, then you adjust your car, just like the other cars around you. So... that's the school of fish theorem. Make sense to Indonesians.
Speed/distance Reckoner:
Pleading ignorance of conversion values will not save you from getting a speeding ticket!
Km per hour = Miles per hour
10 6
12
38
50
60
120 75
Metric Conversion:
South Pacific countries went metric in the 1960’s so anyone born after that will only be familiar with metric measures.
Here is a rough conversion chart:
To convert from to divide by
Centimeters inches 2.5
Meters yards 0.9
Kilometers miles 1.6
Liters gallons 3.8
Grams Ounces 28
Kilograms Pounds .45
Hectares acres .4
Sports
Traditional
sports in Indonesia include bull races, bull fights, rowing, and
unique ram fights, all of which are held as part of special
festivities.
Silat, a martial art, can be performed as a dance or
an exercise and is comparable to Karate or Kung Fu. However, the most
popular sports in Indonesia are soccer, badminton, and table tennis.
Golf is becoming more and more popular and a number of excellent golf
course can be found across the archipelago.
Most major hotels have
their own tennis and squash courts, swimming pools, health clubs and
those at seaside resorts provide equipment for sailing, surfing,
scuba diving and windsurfing. There are also a growing number of dive
shops which provide necessary equipment and professional services.