Indonesia

The main international airports are Jakarta and Denpasar, Bali. Flights from the UK land mainly in Denpasar, with connecting flights available around the archipelago. The national carrier is Garuda Indonesia. Sea travel is possible between Sumatra and Singapore, Sumatra and Malaysia or Sulawesi and the Philippines.

Depending upon how you look at it, getting around Indonesia is one of the greatest joys of travelling here — or one of the greatest challenges. Transport infrastructure is often poor, meaning it can take more time than you might expect to get from A to B, it will often be uncomfortable, and yes, it can be dangerous. Having said that, long boat and train journeys in particular can be special in their own way and a fabulous way to meet Indonesians. Plane Indonesia is home to a plethora of domestic carriers offering an extensive flight network, though the industry as a whole has a seriously questionable safety record. Among the most popular carriers, and with the most extensive routes, are national carrier Garuda Indonesia (last crashed in 2007 in Yogyakarta, killing 21; subsidiary Citilink), AirAsia Indonesia (last crashed in 2014, killing all 162 on board), and LionAir (last fatal crashed in 2004 but at least eight serious incidents since then; subsidiary Wings Air and Batik Air). Smaller carriers include KalStar, Malindo, Nam Air, Sriwijaya Air, TransNusa Air, Trigana Air and Susi Air. Booking domestic flights with smaller carriers can be a challenge from outside the country and you may need the assistance of a travel agent to do so. Train Indonesia’s train system is patchy, but where it exists — primarily on Java, with a less used stretches on Sumatra — it can be a pleasant and relatively quick way to get around. On Java, main stops include Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya and Yogyakarta. Sumatra has three non-connected train services: in Aceh and North Sumatra, then West Sumatra and finally Lampung and South Sumatra. For long distance trips, Java has a far better network and greater frequency of trains. As a general rule trains are faster than buses in Java, but also slightly more expensive. We like to think of train travel as a great compromise between scenery-skipping flights and stomach-churning buses. Occasionally it is possible to pick up an economy fare on a train with cramped bench seats for a slightly lower price than the bus, but be warned that the bus in this instance may well be more comfortable. Indonesian trains offer three different classes of travel: economy (Ekonomi), which used to be fan-cooled but is now mostly air-con and no longer available on many popular routes; business (Bisnis), which has larger coach-style seating in a two-two configuration; and executive (eksecutif), which has air-con, more legroom and power sockets for all your gadgets. On trunk routes the services tend to be primarily business and executive. In the economy and business carriages, sellers will regularly jump on the train to sell food, drinks and knick-knacks, meaning you don’t need to go hungry on your journey. In all carriages you will be regularly offered nasi goreng on plates from the train staff themselves, but you pay a premium for this service. All classes of carriages have clean squat toilets and racks for luggage which are large enough to fit even the biggest of backpacks. It is worth noting that theft on trains is not unknown in Indonesia so it’s best to keep valuables close especially if heading to the toilet or having a sleep.

The two most popular visas for Indonesia with foreign tourists are the 30-day visa on arrival and the tourist visa. Currently 169 nationalities are eligible for visa on arrival which is good for 30-days. This visa is now available in two distinct and different flavours (free or paid) depending on your nationality. Indonesian free visa on arrival This visa is currently available to 169 nationalities (see below) and is available at arrival at pretty much any mainstream air- or sea- port of entry. Importantly, this visa cannot be extended — meaning if you are planning on staying longer than 30 days in Indonesia, and you are eligible for the free visa, you will need to apply for a visa before you arrive in Indonesia or get the paid for visa on arrival. Indonesian paid visa on arrival This visa is available to most nationalities, costs US$35 and can be extended for another month (or longer depending on a myriad of random factors). Other currencies are accepted for the visa, but the exchange rate is dire, so you’re better off to use greenbacks.

The culture of Indonesia is diverse and varied across the approximately 6,000 inhabited islands. There are over 300 different languages spoken across the islands, however most people can speak Bahasa Indonesian. Despite the diversity, Indonesian tends to have a strong cultural bond, with the national slogan meaning Unity in Diversity. Religion is a big contributor to cultural identity in Indonesia, with everyone needing to have an official religion, which will be listed on their national identification card. Generally speaking, you can only marry people of the same religion as you. The majority of the population are Muslim and, but Christianity, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism are also practised. Though known as being friendly and open as a country and people, awareness of customs and traditions may ease any culture shock, and it’s always good to be shown making the effort. If coming from a western country, you may find that many everyday behaviours differ from those you are used to. To avoid any faux-pas or misunderstandings, have a look at the following examples to make sure that your actions won’t be misconstrued. Greetings When meeting someone informally, as an expat a simple ‘hello’ will often suffice, although if you want to take your language abilities further, there are a myriad of ways to greet people, depending on time of day, and who you are meeting. ‘Selamat pagi’ is used as an equivalent to ‘Good morning’, although only before 10am, after which ‘selamat siang’ would be more appropriate. Before names, different titles or expressions can be used depending on the gender and status of the person. ‘Bu’ refers to married women, ‘mba’ to younger, unmarried women. ‘Pak’ is a formal way of greeting men, whilst ‘mas’ is more informal. Most initial greetings involve a handshake, but don’t hurry it, as this can be seen as being disrespectful. In some situations you may notice Indonesians bow slightly as well, which should be seen as a sign of politeness. Taking the handshake further into one of the manly back-slaps common in Europe and America is not a good idea!

January – (Gerebeg) Java’s three most colourful festivals are held annually in Yogyakarta at the end of January and April and the beginning of November. Huge numbers of people in traditional dress march in processions with garish floats, all to the tune of gamelan music. February – (Pasola) Nusa Tenggara’s biggest festival: vividly dressed teams of horsemen engage in mock, though sometimes bloody, battles in West Sumba. Often coincides with Nyale in Lombok, a huge fishing festival celebrated by the Sasaks. March – (Nyepi) This is the day that marks the beginning of the new year according to the Balinese calendar. The Saka new Year, commemorated every Isaaawarsa base on Balinese calendar, is mostly celebrated around the month of March but might change every year. This observes a day of fasting and meditation, so, you will find everything is closed in Bali that day. Many rituals, ceremonies, prayers are done on the days preceding it. This is celebrated by all the people of Bali, together. April – (Mappanretasi) Mappanretasi is one of the ceremonies carried out at the coast of Bugis, Pagaran, Tanah Bambu district and Kalimantan Selatan. Sea party is enjoyed for three weeks in the month of April and culmination is held in the last week of the same month. At the peak of the event, their fishing boats are sent to the sea as gratitude to the God Almighty Karana for abundant deep sea products that are obtained and used by the community, especially the Baruhan Pagatan. May – (Yadnya Kasada) Yadnya Kasada is a festival celebrated by the Tenggerese community in East Java during May and September. It is believed that a childless couple prayed to Mount Bromo and was blessed with 24 kids on a condition that they should sacrifice 25th kid. When they did not do sacrifice heir child, the volcano erupted and took the child away with it. Therefore, to appease gods, locals make a pilgrimage to all the way to Mount Bromo and make sacrifices of goats, vegetables, flowers, and money into the volcano. June – (Eid-Ul-Fitr) Indonesia has a significant Muslim population, therefore, Eid is one of the most important festivals of Indonesia. It is what Diwali is to us Indians. id-ul-Fitr is celebrated in the month of June when employees receive their bonuses and workers travel back home. People decorate their houses and make delicious food like lemang, dodol, sambal goring, and cookies to celebrate the spirit of Eid. July – (Tana Toraja Funeral Festivals) A Sulawesi highlight and an excellent reason to visit the island. Held during July and August, the ceremonies often shock first-time visitors. Toraja working throughout the country return home for celebrations and funeral rituals. August – (Baliem Valley Festival) This festival is celebrated around the month of August. This is celebrated by different groups of tribal people. There is a belief that streams in the heart of these people that war is not just a conflict but also a symbol of fertility and prosperity. The festival is about the mock war between the local tribes, around 30 to 40 people from 20 different tribes come in their traditional dress and fight against each other. September – (Bali Arts Festival) During the month of September, the Bali Arts Festival takes center stage. Thousands of art enthusiasts and culture buffs travel to the island for this several day event. Dance, arts, crafts, music and food are just some of the highlights. October – (Lampung Krakatau Festival) Indonesians celebrate weird festivals even the eruption of Mount Krakatau. In 1883, the eruption of the volcano destroyed over 70% of the island and the ash in the sky even spread 4500 km away to New York and Norway. Then, in 1991, locals began to celebrate life on the island between June to October to remember the day. Many cultural performances and events are held in the Lampung Province. It is one of the most happening festivals in Indonesia 2019. December – (Galungan & Kuningan) One of Bali’s major festivals, Galungan celebrates the death of the legendary tyrant Mayadenawa. Over 10 days the gods come to earth for the festivities. Barong (mythical lion-dog creatures) prance through temples and villages. Locals rejoice with family feasts. The date changes each year.

Indonesia is one of the world’s favourite budget travel destinations. Here’s what you can roughly expect to pay for a: Street food snack = 2,000 IDR Fresh juice = 5,000 IDR Bottle of beer in a bar = 20,000 IDR Souvenir sarong = 25,000 IDR Dinner in a restaurant = 40,000 IDR

Major credit cards are widely accepted by large shops, hotels and restaurants in Indonesia. However, they may not be accepted by smaller vendors such as small family restaurants, market stalls or in remote towns and rural areas. Make sure you carry enough cash for purchases, since credit cards aren’t always an option everywhere in Indonesia.

ATMs are found widely throughout Indonesia, so withdrawing cash shouldn’t be problematic in most areas. Some smaller villages and rural areas may not have ATM access, so be prepared for this before venturing too far from a city or major town.

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

Indonesia can be a difficult destination for travellers with disabilities because pavements are uneven and steps are frequent, paving is poorly maintained and footpaths are usually obstructed with parked vehicles, street stalls and debris. Accessible public toilets are rare other than in big modern shopping malls. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available only through specialist tour operators, but cars and drivers can be hired readily and are good value. Local guides are easy to find in tourist areas. Bali has a wider range of tourism services and more developed facilities, including some accessible accommodation options. Some sights such as Borobudur and Prambanan in Yogyakarta are partially wheelchair accessible. Visitors generally find that Indonesians are very welcoming and willing to help those with access needs. The Asian Para Games took place in Jakarta in 2018 and have helped raise the profile of people with disabilities in the country as well as give new direction for making facilities more accessible in the capital.

Its now easier to travel to Bali Again! As per today 07 March 2022, Visa on Arrival has returned for 23 nationalities visiting Bali, namely: Australia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France, Qatar, Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines

Not yet, but this is planned to be implemented by 1 April or possibly earlier. After April 1st, 2022 you can freely travel to Bali. Bal Re-opens without quarantine today and welcomes back visa on arrival Great news from Bali, as of today the island of Bali welcomes back tourists again without quarantine. Furthermore, to ease entry into the islands of the gods, visa on arrival has been re-introduced for 23 initial nationalities: Australia, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Germany, Netherlands, France, Qatar,  Japan, South Korea, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey,  the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, and the Philippines  In a bid to re-opening tourism to Indonesia, as of today, Bali has opened its doors to travelers from all over the world without quarantine, simplifying the process of entry. After having had a negative PCR test on arrival, travelers are free to explore all of Bali, and after 4 days, all of Indonesia. Please kindly refer to below generic flow of the new way to visit the Island of the Gods: Day 1 - Arrival in Bali: Upon arrival PCR Test at Bali Airport Transport to the hotel, awaits the negative result in the room Day 1 - Onward, after the negative result received: Enjoy all of Bali with applicable health protocols. No quarantine/bubble requirements. Day 3 - Final PCR Test: A final test will be conducted Day 4 - Onward: Enjoy all of Indonesia, Travel freely within all of Indonesia. Note: inter-area testing may be required Important: Not all final details as per the new regulations have been published yet, and are expected to be further clarified in the upcoming days. These include also the regulations related to minors.

The costs for 2*PCR are approximately 750.000 IDR per pax, per 2 PCR so +/- 55 USD.

Below is our cancellation and refund policy: 🔸 60 days prior to arrival date: No cancellation charge for the land cost. We guarantee 100% of the land cost back. The airline cancellation fees are applied according to the airline's policy. 🔸 59 - 30 days prior to arrival date: 5% cancellation charge + airfare cancellation fees 🔸 29 - 15 days prior to arrival date: 10% + airfare cancellation fees. 🔸 14 - 8 days prior to arrival date: 40 + airfare cancellation fees. 🔸 7 days prior to arrival date: 100% 🔸 No show: 100% Please note that the domestic flight tickets in the package are non-refundable