Indonesia is a nation in Southeast Asia and the world's largest archipelagic state comprising 17,506 islands, of which about 6,000 are inhabited. These islands are scattered over both sides of the equator. Indonesia measures around 5000 x 1700 km2.
 

Climate
Main City
Population
Language
Religion
Fasting Month
Money
Transport
Shopping
Communication
Insurance



CLIMATE

Lying along the equator, Indonesia has a tropical climate, with two distinct monsoonal wet and dry seasons. For most parts of Indonesia the dry season is from April until October, and the wet season form November until March. Average annual rainfall in the lowlands varies from 1,780–3,175 millimeters (70–125 in), and up to 6,100 millimeters (240 in) in mountainous regions. The mountainous areas in the west coast of Sumatra, West Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, and Papua receive the highest rainfall. Humidity is generally high, averaging about 80%. Temperatures vary little throughout the year; the average daily temperature range of Jakarta is 26–30 °C (79–86 °F).


MAIN CITY

Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia, located on the northwest coast of the Java Island. Jakarta has a population of 12 million people.
Jakarta is served by the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.


POPULATION

With a population of 230 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority nation, although officially it is not an Islamic state.
Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support the world's second highest level of biodiversity (Source: Conservation International -2000-).


LANGUAGE

Indonesia has developed a shared identity defined by the national language ‘Bahasa Indonesia’. The knowledge of the English language is poor, except in Bali, certain areas of Lombok and the better hotels in tourist centers and big cities.
Live-aboard cruises have dive guides and cruise directors that speak English well.


RELIGION

The Indonesian government officially recognizes only six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Although it is not an Islamic state, Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation, with almost 86% of Indonesians declared Muslim. 11% of the population is Christian, 2% is Hindu, and 1% is Buddhist.

Fasting month (Ramadan) and Idul Fitri
In 2012 and 2013 the fasting month will cover the following periods:
2012: 21 July – 19 August (AH 1433)
2013: 08 July – 08 August (AH 1434)
Because the main part of the population follows the rules of fasting and praying during Ramadan, the pace of daily life slows down a little bit. Alcohol is not available during Ramadan, only in the big hotels. In Bali, parts of Lombok and Toraja the Ramadan has no effect at all. The celebrations after the fasting month (called Idul Fitri) cover officially two public holidays, but can disturb some operations (especially government offices) for more than a week. Idul Fitri is as well characterized by large amounts of people moving to (and later back from) their home areas. This causes over-full public transport facilities and huge traffic jams on the main roads (especially in Java).
For guests on live-aboards the fasting month does not have any noticeable influence.


MONEY

The currency in Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (Rp). There are Rp 1,000, Rp 500, Rp 200 and Rp 100 coins. Lower value coins are no longer common. Bank notes are printed with values of Rp 100,000, Rp 50,000, Rp 10,000, Rp 5,000 and Rp 1,000. Please be aware of the fact that the Rp 100,000 notes and the Rp 10,000 notes look quite similar!

Cash is the most common and easy way to pay your bills.
Cash withdrawal from ATM machines can easily be made in the bigger and medium-sized cities. The smaller cities and villages often don’t have these facilities or the available machines might be out of order. The most common banks giving access to Master, Cirus, Maestro or Visa are: Bank Mandiri, BCA Bank, Lippo Bank, City bank, Danamon bank and Permata bank. The maximum withdrawal varies between Rp 600,000 and 2,500,000 in one time, depending on the value of the bank notes dispensed. The maximum withdrawal per day normally is Rp 5,000,000.

Credit cards like Master and Visa are accepted in most shopping malls, hotels and restaurants in the big cities. Normally 2% or 3% is being charged for using credit cards.
In most cities money and traveler’s cheques can be changed at authorized money changers. They normally give better rates than banks. The notes however should be in perfect state with no wrinkles or writing on it. For American dollars the best to bring is from 10 up to 100 Dollar notes, Euros are normally accepted from 10 until 500 notes.
For actual rates of foreign currencies please visit www.xe.com/ucc


TRANSPORT

Airplane
The most important international airports are Sukarno Hatta near Jakarta and Ngurah Rai Denpasar on Bali. Through these airports you can easily connect to most destinations in Indonesia. We can issue tickets for you and send them to your home address. In case you decide to book your domestic flight tickets yourself, please note that flights can be full and you might have to stay over a couple of nights. Domestic flights between the bigger cities and most well known islands are scheduled on daily bases. For domestic flights you normally have to pay airport tax at special counters after checking in.

Taxi
Most airports have special airport taxi services that can be ordered at a counter. They apply standard rates for different zones. Especially in Jakarta you will find people in the airport who offer you their transport services. We advise you to use the airport taxis or metered taxis instead. It is normal you pay extra for airport service tax and the toll roads between the airport and your destination.
In most cities there are sufficient metered taxies driving around that you can wave down. These are not expensive, but you should make sure they turn on the meter after you get in. Enough small value notes in your pocket will prevent change problems.

Bemo
All over Indonesia, in cities as well as in the countryside, you will find minibusses called Bemo or Pete Pete. Both are driving the same route all day and can be made use of against a very low rate. Their drivers try to put in as many customers and luggage as possible, so you probably will have no comfort at all, but you will find it an unforgettable experience being stuck in the back between bales of rice and sometimes even live stock. You can just wave this kind of minibusses down, but should be sure that you know where they are going.

Becak & Ojek
Also low priced, but more private, is transportation by Ojek and Becak. The Ojek (motorcycle taxi) is a small motorcycle that will take you anywhere you want to go. Sit on the back, use the plastic helmet and enjoy the ride. Make sure you agree upon the price before you take off. The same goes for the Becak (pedicab), a tricycle for carrying passengers, which you find plenty in the cities and villages. They cycle you around as long as you like. Their motto is: you take care of us, we take care of you!

Bus
You will find reasonably good quality long distance bus connections between the bigger towns. It is best to inform about their schedules at a local travel agency. Normally these busses depart from special bus terminals that are mostly located just outside town.

Private Car
If you like to rent a car and drive yourself we recommend to do this in Bali only. There you can rent cars everywhere against low rates. Please bring your international driving license. For the rest of Indonesia we advise you to hire a driver if you need a private car. Hotels and travel agencies can help you with finding a car and driver. Compared to western standards the rates are relatively low, however you still are able to negotiate the first offer. Make sure you know whether the fuel is included or not.


SHOPPING

Basic shopping can be done in the many small or medium shops you will find in nearly any place where people are living. Most of them open 7 days a week from early in the morning until early in the evening. The big and medium sized towns have shopping malls that will open at 10.00 am and close around 09.00 pm, 7 days a week. Please be aware of the fact that wine and spirits are expensive and are impossible to get outside the big cities.


COMMUNICATION

Phones
Depending on your provider you can use your own cell-phone in most inhabited parts of Indonesia but usage probably is expensive. If you intend to call or sms frequently you better buy yourself an Indonesian mobile number and put the SIM card in your own phone (ask your dealer if your phone is not ‘locked’ and will accept the Indonesian SIM card). New phone numbers are easy to obtain in every city. We advise the provider Simpati (Telkomsel) which has the best coverage over the country. A new number is around 2.- USD. You can top-up your phone credit by buying Simpati credit vouchers. These are commonly available for Rp 100,000.- , Rp 50,000.- or Rp 20,000.- .
An alternative is using a public phone shop, though these are becoming less common since mobile phones became popular in most areas. These shops are called ‘WARTEL’ (“Warung Telekomunikasi”) and basically are mall shops with one or more phone booths. The more remote your location is, the more difficult it will be to make international calls.

Internet
Internet cafés you can find in every big city and in all popular tourist places. Most 4 and 5 star hotels have internet facilities in their business centers.

Satellite Phone
Most live-aboard vessels have a satellite phone that can be used on request. If you expect that you will need this service, please inform about this facility and the additional costs before booking.


INSURANCE

Please make sure you have read the part “Insurance” under “Travel Advice”
(Click here for moving to page "Travel Advice")