Fines for overstaying your visa expiration date are 300,000Rp per day and include additional hassles.
Study & Work Visas
You can arrange visas for study, short-term research, visiting family and similar purposes if you have a sponsor, such as an educational institution. These social/cultural (sosial/budaya) visas must be applied for at an Indonesian embassy or consulate overseas. Normally valid for three months on arrival, they can be extended every month after that for up to six months without leaving the country. Fees apply.
People wishing to study or work in Indonesia must apply directly to the Central Immigration Office in Jakarta for a Limited-Stay Visa (Kartu Izin Tinggal Terbatas, or Kitas). First, though, contact your nearest embassy for the most direct avenue and to find out what qualifies as 'study'. Those granted limited stay are issued a Kitas card, which is much-prized among travellers.
If you're planning to work in Indonesia your employer will need to organise your visa – it's a long and complicated process.
Travel Permits
Special permits are required for travel in Papua.
RENEWING YOUR VISA
You can renew a 30-day Visa on Arrival once (but not usually a Visa Free). The procedures are complex:
At least seven days before your visa expires, go to an immigration office. These can usually be found in larger cities and regional capitals.
Bring your passport, a photocopy of your passport and a copy of your ticket out of Indonesia (which should be for a date during the renewal period).
Wear modest clothes, eg men may be required to wear long pants.
Pay a fee of 250,000Rp.You may have to return to the office twice over a three- to five-day period.
One way to avoid the renewal hassle is to use a visa agent such as ChannelOne ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0878 6204 3224; www.channel1.biz; Jl Sunset Road 100X, Kerobokan) on Bali who, for a fee, will do the bureaucratic work for you.
Volunteering
Indonesia offers many opportunities for volunteering; Lonely Planet does not endorse any organisations that we do not work with directly, so it is essential that you do your own thorough research before agreeing to volunteer with/donate to any organisation.
Women Travellers
Plenty of Western women travel in Indonesia either solo or in pairs, and most seem to travel through the country, especially on Bali, without major problems. However, women travelling solo or otherwise may receive unwanted attention. Some considerations:
Dress modestly, especially in conservative Muslim areas. Even the tourist islands of the Gilis have signs asking women not to walk around off the beaches in bikinis. In Aceh, women are expected to wear head scarves and cover their arms, whether they are Muslim or not.
Indonesian men are generally very courteous, however there is a macho element that indulges in puerile behaviour – horn honking, lewd comments etc. Ignore them totally, as Indonesian women do.
If you’re a solo female and you hire a car with driver for several days, it’s not culturally appropriate for a male Muslim driver to be travelling alone with you. A third party will come along as a chaperone.
Transport
Getting There & Away
Getting Around
Transport
Getting There & Away
There are many ways into Indonesia: by boat from Malaysia and Singapore, and overland to Kalimantan, Papua and West Timor. But most people will fly, landing at – or transiting through – Jakarta or Bali.
Flights, cars and tours can be booked online at lonelyplanet.com/bookings.
Entering the Country
Entering Indonesia by air is relatively simple and straightforward, once you navigate the complex visa options. Numerous sea ports are similarly easy; if you're arriving by land, you'll have no problems as long as you have a valid visa in advance.
Passport
Your passport must be valid for six months after your date of arrival in Indonesia. Before passing through immigration you may fill out a disembarkation card, half of which you must keep to give to immigration when you leave the country.
Climate Change and Travel
Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplanes, which might use less fuel per per person than most cars but travel much greater distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contributions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet offsets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.
Air
Indonesia is well connected to the rest of the world by numerous airlines. Many international flights, especially those to Bali, stop first in Singapore due to runway restrictions at Bali.
Airports & Airlines
The principal gateways for entry to Indonesia are Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport and Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport (which is sometimes shown as Denpasar in schedules).
Both are in the midst of expansion and projects. Other airports with international links – albeit limited – include Balikpapan, Medan, Surabaya, Lombok and Manado.
Multiple international airlines service Indonesia.
Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Australia and New Zealand.
AirAsia (www.airasia.com) Serves a wide range of Indonesian destinations from Australia, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Singapore.
Asiana (flyasiana.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Seoul.
Cathay Pacific Airways (www.cathaypacific.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Hong Kong.
China Airlines (www.china-airlines.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Taipei.
Emirates (www.emirates.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Dubai.
Eva Air (www.evaair.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Taipei.
Firefly (www.fireflyz.com.my) Serves major cities on Sumatra from Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia.
Garuda Indonesia (www.garuda-indonesia.com) Indonesia's main national airline serves Bali and Jakarta from Australia, Asia and Amsterdam.
Japan Airlines (www.jal.co.jp) Serves Jakarta from Tokyo.
Jetstar/Qantas (www.qantas.com.au) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Australia.
KLM (www.klm.com) Serves Jakarta and Bali from Amsterdam via Singapore.
Korean Air (www.koreanair.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Seoul.
Lion Air (www.lionair.co.id) Rapidly expanding carrier with services across Indonesia and the region. Wings Air is its regional subsidiary.
Lufthansa (www.lufthansa.com) Serves Jakarta from Frankfurt.
Malaysia Airlines (www.mas.com.my) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Kuala Lumpur.
Qatar Airways (www.qatarairways.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Doha.
Silk Air (www.silkair.com) Serves numerous Indonesian destinations from Singapore including Bandung, Balikpapan, Lombok, Manado, Medan, Palembang, Pekanbaru, Surabaya and Yogyakarta.
Singapore Airlines (www.singaporeair.com) Numerous flights to Bali and Jakarta daily.
Sriwijaya Air (www.sriwijayaair.co.id) Expanding airline with routes to Malaysia, Singapore and Timor-Leste.
Thai Airways International (www.thaiair.com) Serves Bali and Jakarta from Bangkok.
Tiger Airways (www.tigerairways.com) Budget carrier serving Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya from Australia and Singapore.
Virgin Australia (www.virginaustralia.com) Serves Bali from several Australian cities.
INDONESIAN AIRLINE SAFETY
There's no way around it: Indonesia's airlines do not have a good safety record. From 2014 to 2015 more than 350 people died in a string of aviation disasters. Flying conditions are often challenging (monsoons, volcanic eruptions etc), safe
ty standards can be lax and the airlines themselves run in a less-than-professional manner especially as some expand very rapidly outpacing efforts to instill a safety culture.
Many Indonesian airlines remain banned by the EU (www.ec.europa.eu/transport/air-ban/list_en.htm) from its airspace because of safety concerns. Notable exceptions are Garuda Indonesia and Indonesia AirAsia.
Should you be worried? The odds of a fatal flight in Indonesia are very small, even if they are higher than elsewhere. When possible, pick a major airline over a smaller one and in really remote locations, feel free to do your own inspection of the plane and crew before you fly.
Tickets
Check websites to get an idea of airfares to Indonesia. Don't limit yourself to major sites either; search for 'Indonesian airfares' and you may well find sites belonging to small travel agents who specialise in Indonesian travel. This can be particularly helpful when you are trying to book a complex itinerary to remote locations.
Asia Indonesia is closely linked to most of Asia. A plethora of airlines serves Bali and Jakarta.
Australia Australia is well served with numerous direct flights to Bali and Jakarta from all major cities on multiple carriers.
Canada From Canada you'll change planes at an Asian hub for Bali and Jakarta.
Continental Europe KLM and Lufthansa link Amsterdam and Frankfurt respectively with one-stop, same-plane service to Jakarta (and Bali for KLM). But a huge number of airlines such as Emirates, Qatar Airways and major Asian carriers, offer one-stop connections between major European cities and Jakarta, and often Bali as well.
New Zealand You can fly non-stop to Bali and Jakarta.
UK Options to fly to Jakarta and Bali from London (or Manchester) involve connecting through a major hub somewhere in the Middle East or Asia.
USA The best connections are through any of the major Asian hubs with nonstop service to Bali and Jakarta, although residents of the East Coast may find shorter routings via Europe or the Middle East. No US airline serves Indonesia.
DEPARTURE TAX
The departure tax at Indonesian airports is now almost always included in the price of the ticket.
Land
Border Crossings
There are four possible land crossings into Indonesia.
Regular buses between Pontianak (Kalimantan) and Kuching (Sarawak, eastern Malaysia) pass through the border post at Entikong. You can get a visa on arrival on this route. A crossing is possible between Lubok Antu, Sarawak and Badau, West Kalimantan provided you have a visa in advance.
The border crossing between West and East Timor (Timor-Leste) is open. Get a Timor-Leste visa in Kupang; a visa is required when travelling from East to West Timor.
The road from Jayapura or Sentani in Indonesia to Vanimo in Papua New Guinea can be crossed, depending on the current political situation. A visa is required if travelling into Indonesia.
Sea
There is currently no sea travel between the Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Indonesia.
Australia
Major cruise lines often run cruise ships between Bali and Australia.
Timor-Leste
There are regular ferry services between Dili in Timor-Leste and Oecussi (including a new fast ferry), which borders West Timor. If crossing into Indonesia from here you will need to have organised your visa already in Dili.
Malaysia
Regular and comfortable high-speed ferries run the two-hour journey between Melaka (Malaysia) and Dumai (Sumatra). Similar ferries travel between Penang (Malaysia) and Belawan (Sumatra), taking about five hours.
From Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia, daily ferries run to Pulau Bintan in Sumatra's Riau Islands.
Ferries connect Tarakan and Nunukan in East Kalimantan with Tawau in Sabah. For these routes you'll need a visa in advance.
Singapore
From Batam speedboats travel to Tanjung Buton with minibus connections to Pekanbaru on the Sumatran mainland. Otherwise, Pelni ships pass through Batam to and from Belawan (the port for Medan) and Jakarta.
Boats also travel between Pulau Bintan and Singapore. Service includes Bintan Resort Ferries (www.brf.com.sg).
Getting Around
Air
Airlines in Indonesia
Getting reliable information on Indonesian domestic flights is a challenge – many airlines don't show up on travel websites, although traveloka.com is fairly complete. You can also check with local airline offices and travel agents; local hotel and tour operators are often the best sources.
The domestic flight network continues to grow; schedules and rates are in a constant state of flux.
Small carriers servicing remote routes often operate cramped and dated aircraft.
With tiny regional airlines, reconfirm your ticket and hang around the check-in desk if the flight is full. Sometimes reservations are 'lost' when another passenger with more clout shows up.
Almost a dozen major airlines fly domestically.
Citilink (www.citilink.co.id) Budget subsidiary to Garuda Indonesia which links major cities.
Garuda Indonesia (www.garuda-indonesia.com) Serves major destinations across the archipelago. Tickets are easily bought online.
Indonesia AirAsia (www.airasia.com) Fast-growing budget carrier that is a subsidiary of its Malaysian-based parent.
Kalstar (www.kalstaronline.com) Serves Kalimantan, with links to Jakarta.
Lion Air/Wings Air (www.lionair.co.id) Fast-growing Indonesian budget carrier (Wings Air operate prop planes to small destinations) with myriad flights. Has a premium-service subsidiary Batik Air.
Sriwijaya Air (www.sriwijayaair.co.id) Services across Indonesia.
Susi Air (fly.susiair.com) Routes across Indonesia.
Transnusa (www.transnusa.co.id) Good for flights within Nusa Tenggara and for flights from Denpasar to places like Labuanbajo.
Tickets
The larger Indonesian-based carriers have websites listing fares, however it may be hard, if not impossible, to purchase tickets over the internet using non-Indonesian credit cards. Consider these methods:
Travel Agents A good way to buy domestic tickets once you're in Indonesia. This is often the best way to get the lowest fares.
Friends Get an Indonesian friend or guesthouse owner to buy you a ticket using their credit card, then pay them back.
Airport After airline employees were found selling bootleg tickets, sales by airline offices in airports were banned; however, some airlines will still sell you a ticket at the airport, although travel agents and airline city offices are more reliable.
Online Sales
Large international booking websites such as expedia.com may only show Garuda Indonesia flights and then only offer very expensive airfares. Try the following to purchase tickets online:
Airline Websites Some carriers, notably Garuda Indonesia and Indonesia AirAsia, have websites that accept foreign credit cards. Lion Air is a notable exception.
skyscanner.com Accepts foreign cards but doesn't show all airlines.
tiket.com Not all foreign cards work but shows most domestic airlines.
traveloka.com Lists many domestic airlines although foreign cards don't always work. A good source for schedule info.
DOMESTIC DEPARTURE TAX
Most domestic departure tax fees are now included in ticket prices.
Bicycle
If reasonably fit, and with a bit of preparation and a ton of common sense, a cyclist will enjoy an incomparable travel experience almost anywhere in the archipelago. The well-maintained roads of Bali, Lombok, East Java and South Sulawesi are suitable for cyclists of all ability levels, while the adventuresome can head for the hills along the length of Sumatra or Nusa Tenggara.
Considerations include:
Rest during the hottest hours of the day to avoid the tropical heat.
Avoid most traffic problems by keeping to back roads or even jumping on a truck or bus to cover dangerous sections.
Expect to be a consta
nt focus of attention.
You can rent bikes fairly easily in tourist centres – just ask at your accommodation. Rates range from 20,000Rp to 60,000Rp per day.
Many tourist areas, particularly Bali, Lombok and Yogyakarta offer organised, vehicle-supported bicycle tours.
At major sights you can usually find a parking attendant to keep an eye on your bicycle for 5000Rp.
Bicycling is gaining popularity among Indonesians and bicycle clubs will be delighted to aid a foreign guest. Bike to Work (www.b2w-indonesia.or.id) has an extensive national network.
Boat
Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi are all connected by regular car ferries, and you can use them to island-hop all the way from Sumatra to West Timor. Local ferries run several times a week or daily (or even hourly on the busy Java–Bali–Lombok–Sumbawa routes). Check with shipping companies, the harbour office, travel agents or hotels for current schedules and fares.
Going to and between Kalimantan, Maluku and Papua, the main connections are provided by Pelni, the government-run passenger line.
Pelni
Pelni (www.pelni.co.id) has a fleet of large vessels linking all of Indonesia’s major ports and the majority of the archipelago’s outlying areas. Pelni’s website is a good resource, showing arrivals and departures about a month in advance.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 151