Social ConventionsSince independence, many people have developed a strong sense of national pride, and maintain traditions of dance, painting, woodcarving and stonecarving. Social courtesies are often fairly formal. In particular, when drink or food is served, it should not be touched until the host invites the guest to do so. Never pass or accept anything with the left hand.
Public displays of affection between men and women are frowned upon and kissing in public will attract a great deal of unwanted attention. Touching a stranger of the same sex while in conversation is very
common. Pointing is considered impolite and patting children on the head should be avoided. Indonesians are polite and will extend endless courtesies to visitors whom they trust and like. Smiling is a cultural tradition and Indonesians smile frequently, even in an uncomfortable or difficult situation. Visitors should avoid losing their temper.
When invited to a home, a gift is appreciated (as long as it is given with the right hand). Informality is normal, but a few smart establishments encourage guests to dress for dinner. Muslim customs, especially those concerning female clothes, should be observed.
International Travel:Getting There by AirThe national airline is
Garuda Indonesia (GA) (
www.garuda-indonesia.com)
.
Departure TaxRp100,000 from Jakarta and Denpasar; Rp75,000 from other airports; transit passengers continuing their journey on the same day, and infants under the age of 2 are exempt.
Main AirportsJava: Jakarta (CGK) (Soekarno-Hatta) (
www.angkasapura2.co.id) is 20km (13 miles) northwest of Jakarta city center (journey time - 45 minutes).
To/from the airport: A bus goes to the city every 30 to 60 minutes. Buses leave Jakarta from Gambir railway station and from Rawamangun, Blok M and Pasar Minggu bus stations. Taxis are also available to the city center.
Facilities: Banks/bureaux de change, a post office, internet, duty-free shops, gift shops, restaurants, snack bars, car hire, left luggage and medical facilities.
Bali: Denpasar (DPS) (Ngurah Rai) (
www.ngurahrai-airport.co.id) is 13km (8 miles) southwest of Denpasar city center, is the main airport on Bali (journey time - 30 minutes).
To/from the airport: A bus goes to the city center. Taxis are available to the city and to Kuta, Urud, Nusadua and Sanur.
Facilities: Restaurant/bar, newsagent, bank/bureau de change, left luggage, post office, internet and car hire.
Getting There by WaterMain ports: Belawan (Medan),
Dumai and
Padang on Sumatra.
High-speed
ferries run between Sumatra and Malaysia. The most popular route is Belawan (Medan)-Penang (journey time - 4 hours), operated by
Langkawi Ferry (tel: (61) 452 1111;
www.langkawi-ferry.com). There are also services between Dumai-Malacca and Mandalo (Sulawesi).
Many
cruise lines serve Indonesia.
Getting There by RoadIndonesia's international land borders are between Kalimantan and the Malaysian state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo, West and East Timor and Papua and Papua New Guinea. There are no road links with Sabah. It is always worth checking if the borders are still open and whether a visa is required in advance to enter Indonesia by road, as the situation fluctuates.
OverviewThe 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 ImportsCordless telephones, Chinese medicines or printings, pornography, and non-prescription drugs.
Internal Travel:Getting Around By AirIndonesia has a good internal air system linking most of the larger towns to Jakarta. Domestic operators include
Garuda Indonesia (GA) (
www.garuda-indonesia.com),
AirAsia (QZ) (
www.airasia.com), and
Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MZ) (
www.merpati.co.id).
Getting Around by WaterMain ports: Padang Bai and Benoa (Bali),
Tanjung Priok (Jakarta),
Belawan (Medan) and
Sekupang (Batam).
PELNI (tel: (21) 633 4342;
www.pelni.com), the state-owned shipping company, has good standard
passenger liners serving all the main ports across the archipelago.
ASDP (Kapal Ferry Cepat) operate fast boats on a small number of routes. Foreign cruise liners also operate on an irregular basis.
Luxury cruise ships offer trips to various destinations, including the eastern islands (leaving from Bali).
Getting Around by RailThe train operator in Indonesia is
PT Kereta Api (tel: 424 1370;
www.infoka.kereta-api.com). There are three classes of travel,
Eksecutif (Executive),
Bisnis (Business) and
Ekonomi (Economy), but first-class exists only on principal expresses. There is some air-conditioned accommodation. Children under three travel free in economy and business without taking a seat, and pay 10% of adult fare in executive class; children aged three to ten pay half fare in economy and business and full rate in executive.
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 RoadTraffic drives on the left. Nearly half of the road network is paved. There are good road communications within Java and, to a lesser extent, on Bali and Sumatra. The other islands have poor road systems. Chauffeur-driven cars are widely available and advisable as the standard of driving is poor.
Bus: Indonesia is the land of jam karet (literally ‘rubber time'), and complicated journeys involving more than a single change should not be attempted in a day. Bus fares are relatively low; most are fixed, with a higher price for the air-conditioned buses which have more room than on the cramped regular buses. There are night buses on a number of long-distance routes; pre-booking is essential. Visitors should note that buses can be extremely crowded, and that drivers are reckless.
Lorena Transport (tel: 634 1166;
www.lorena-karina.com) operate an extensive network of routes on Java and Sumatra.
Taxi: Widely available in cities and towns.
Ojek, motorbike taxis are available in cities and towns and they congregate at road junctions. The driver should provide a helmet and you must agree on the fare before starting the journey.
Car hire: Available from a number of international and local companies.
Regulations: Speed limits are usually 30-40kph (19-25mph) on inner city streets, 60-70kph (37-43mph)on inter-city roads and 80-100 kph (50-62mph) on highways depending on the territory.
Documentation: An International Driving Permit is required.
Alternative transport: Rickshaws include the motorized
bajaj, which seats two passengers, with the driver in front; and the
becak, which is pedal-powered by a rider sitting behind two passengers. However, the latter are banned from Jakarta city. Fares should be negotiated in advance.
Motorcycles and
bicycles can be hired; for motorcycles, an International Driving Permit is recommended and a helmet should be worn.
Bemos and
opelets are communal minibuses; fares should be negotiated in advance.
Getting Around Towns and CitiesJakarta is the only city with an established conventional
bus service of any size, and it has a comprehensive network. Elsewhere
bemos are the main way to travel around.
Journey TimesThe following chart gives approximate journey times (in hours and minutes) from
Jakarta to other major cities and towns in Indonesia.
| Air | Road | Rail |
| Denpasar | 2.45 | 25.00 | - |
| Yogyakarta | 1.05 | 12.00 | 8.00 |
| Medan | 2.25 | 30.00 | - |
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