Indonesia Travel Guide
These destination guides will give you a quick introduction to and overview of some of the destinations you might be travelling to after your stay in Singapore. This is a work in progress and we will keep adding highlights, operators and accommodations as we find them or as they are recommended to us.
Introduction
The Indonesian Archipelago, with more than 17,000 islands stretching over 5,000 kilometres, is one of earth's main volcanic belts. The lava from these volcanoes, together with the tropical weather, have made Indonesia one of the most fertile regions of the world.
Indonesia's natural attractions range from stunning reefs, the magnificent birds of paradise, the giant Rafflesia flowers, the pre-historic Komodo Dragons, to the rich forests of Borneo.
Indonesia's culture is as rich and diverse as its flora and fauna. There are as many as 300 ethnic groups and 365 different languages and dialects. This cultural diversity is a major attraction of the country, however it is also a source of trouble and unrest.
It is impossible for us to list all the highlights of Indonesia in this brief overview. Therefore we have made a selection of places we have either visited ourselves or heard about from other travellers and hostel guests. If you feel a major highlight is missing (and I am sure there are a few), just send us an email .
How to get to Indonesia from Singapore
Fly
Indonesia's budget airline, Lion
Air, has been offering reasonably-priced flights from Singapore to Jakarta
since mid November 2003. For other airlines flying from Singapore, have
a look at ZUJI
or the MisaTravel
website
Boat
If you wish to travel to Indonesia by boat, you will need to go via Pulau
Batam or Pulau Bintan in the Riau Archipelago in Sumatra, Indonesia. Penguin
Ferry Services) leave from the World Trade Centre for Pulau Batam and
from the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal for Pulau Bintan. Your best bet is to
go via Pulau Batam, from where you will need to take a Pelni
ship or other domestic ferry service to your desired destination within
Indonesia. When checking the ship schedules on the Pelni website, look for
Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Pulau Batam and Tanjung Pinang and Kijang on Pulau
Bintan. I have travelled on several Pelni ships in Indonesia and you should
keep a few things in mind when considering to travel through Indonesia by
boat:
- Watch your belongings, especially if you decide to stay in the “dorm” sections of the ship
- If you are only on a short holiday, I would not bother with Pelni ships; you would be wasting precious time
- Some locals use their time on the boat to get as drunk as they possibly can and therefore lone female travellers might not feel comfortable or safe
- Journeys are very long and there is not a whole lot to do onboard; definitely bring some books!
- Bring some extra food and fruits for the journey (food onboard is not very good...)
- Personally, I think it is a great experience to see life on the ship (people transporting anything and everything) and to arrive in a new port; you can look down on all the people loading and unloading their cargo. The views from the ships can be stunning while sailing past islands
Highlights
Culture & People
- Java – Borobudur stupa in Central Java is one of the wonders of the world
- Kalimantan - Samarinda and the Sungai Mahakam River
- Sulawesi – Visiting Torajaland in Central Sulawesi with its unique architecture and cultures
- Sumatra – Visiting the Minangkabau people in Western Sumatra
- West Papua – Hiking through the Baliem Valley (have a look in
our Around the Region Gallery for some pictures taken on my
trip to West Papua back in 2002) and visiting and staying in villages
belonging to the Dani tribes. You can organise your own hiking trips from
Wamena (main town for the Baliem Valley)
- Papua Adventures – Great website with information about the West Papua and the tours they organise
Nature
A great book about the natural history of Indonesia is The Malay Archipelago
by Alfred Russel Wallace, who explored the flora and fauna of the Indonesian
archipelago on more than 60 separate journeys in the late 19th century.
He collected more than 125,000 specimens including birds, mammals, insects
and butterflies, most of which he later donated to the British Museum in
London.
- Kalimantan – Tanjung Putting National Park, which houses the Orangutang rehabilition centres Tanjung Harapan and Camp Leakey
- Komodo Island – Home of the famous Komodo Dragons
- Sumatra – Danua Toba, Souhteast Asia's largest lake and the largest volcanic lake in the world, and the Bohorok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre
- West Papua – Home to spectacular Birds of Paradise, Blyth's Hornbill
and the Victoria Crowned Pigeon. Some statistics; there are more than
16,000 plant species, 2,770 orchid species, 643 bird species, 100,000
insect species, a 4,884 snow-covered peak (Puncak Jaya) and the seas around
the Raja Ampat Islands have recently been declared as the most species-rich
seas in the world, a record previously held by Palau in Micronesia
- Papua Adventures – Great website with information about West Papua and the tours they organise
- Papua Bird Club – Not quite for those travelling on a tight budget, but the website does have some interesting information and it gives you some idea of where to go and what to see in West Papua and northern Sulawesi
Scuba Diving
Scuba diving in Indonesia is amazing! There are many different dive locations
on most of the islands so you are spoilt for choice. Also have a look at
the website of the Asian
Diver magazine, which has useful reviews and information about the various
dive destinations in Indonesia.
Scuba diving is not a cheap hobby, especially if you consider joing a liveaboard cruise or would like to visit some of the more remote dive resorts. Some of the world-class dive destinations in Indonesia, such as the Wakatobi Dive Resort in southern Sulawesi and Papua Diving in West Papua, are not for travellers on a tight budget. If you are travelling on a tight budget and would like to go diving, your best bets are Bunaken National Marine Park and Lembeh Strait in northern Sulawesi, and Bali and Lombok.
In order to get the best price for your day trips or dive courses, it is best to have a look around once you get to the dive location of your choosing and see if any of the operators have special promotions or last-minute places available. Do keep in mind that it is worth paying a bit extra to go with a reliable dive operator, who knows the dive sites well and who uses reliable equipment.
- Bali & Lombok
- Kalimantan – Manta rays, manta rays and more manta rays...
- Sulawesi (Pulau Bunaken and Lembeh Strait in northern Sulawesi) – This is a great place to dive and prices are reasonable. I can highly recommend staying on Bunaken Island in one of the many cheap beach bungalows. I paid around US$5 per night for a basic hut next to the beach and the price includes all meals and coffee and tea. Unfortunately, most of those kind of places do not have websites (yet...), but check the travel guides for recommendations
Surfing
- Bali
- Sumatra
When to go
The best time to visit Indonesia is during the dry months from May until October. Many tourists visit places like Bali and Java during the Christmas holidays and the European summer months, so you might want to avoid the tourist hotspots during those months.
Useful links
Coral
Realm – Guide to coral reef marine life
Indonesia
Photos – Collection of photos and information on Indonesia
Indonesian
Nature Conservation Database – Information about the national
parks, reserves and wildlife of Indonesia
Indonesia
Tourism - Some useful information on the various destinations in Indonesia
Institut
Dayakologi – Detailed information and articles about Kalimantan
and the Dayak people of Borneo
Life
at the edge of the reef – Detailed information on reef life around
Bunaken National Park
Living
Travel – Picture gallery for Sumatra
Lonely
Planet Thorn Tree – Lonely Planet forum on the new visa requirements
for Indonesia
North
Sulawesi Information Pages (English) or North
Sulawesi Information Pages (German) - Detailed information on North
Sulawesi from Peter who had lived there for over 8 years.
Nusa
Tenggara Tourism Informations
Orangutan
Foundation International
ReefBase
– Website with information about the condition of reefs for various
dive destinations around the world, including Indonesia
Things
Asian – Offers a quick overview of the sights and attractions
of the main tourist destinations in Indonesia
Worldsurface.com
– Nice website with useful tips and recommendations for travelling
through Indonesia (and other destinations)