ON THE GO
Traveling by plane
According to youremailverifier, Indonesia has a good national flight network that connects most of the major cities with Jakarta. Domestic flights depart from Terminal 1 of Jakarta’s Soekarno Hatta International and also from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport near Jakarta. Garuda Indonesia (GA) (Internet: www.garuda-indonesia.com) and Lion Air (Internet: www.lionair.co.id) operate the domestic air traffic.
Note on air travel
Airport
fees : Rp 40,000 at Jakarta Airport (Soekarno-Hatta), Rp 30,000 in Denpasar (Ngurah Rai).
Up to Rp 30,000 at all other airports.
An additional 10% tax is added.
Children under two years of age and transit passengers are excluded.
On the way by car / bus
About half of the 378,000 km road network is paved. Java has the best road network; Bali and Sumatra follow in second place. The road conditions on the other islands are partly unsatisfactory. There are tolls on some main roads.
Bus: Long-distance buses run between most cities, but for awkward journeys with multiple changes you often have to calculate more than a day. The bus trip from Jakarta to Bali takes 2 days. Public buses are often overcrowded, but private companies also operate more comfortable coaches on many routes, for which tickets usually have to be booked the day before (Lorena Transport (Internet: www.lorena-karina.com) operates an extensive bus network in Java and Sumatra, for example.) Small meals are often included in the price on long journeys, and many of these private buses have air conditioning, video and toilet facilities. Air-conditioned buses can also be rented for whole tourist groups. Bis Malam night buses, bemos and colts (minibuses) are available at hotels, airports, in cities and in tourist areas.
Taxis can be found in all small and large cities – only a few have taximeters. For safety reasons, it is advisable to order taxis at the hotel reception or by calling a taxi company, and not to call them in the open street. Becaks also operate in many cities (except Jakarta)(Bicycle rickshaws). Becak fares must be negotiated in advance.
Rental cars: are offered by local companies. Cars with drivers, motorcycles and bicycles can be rented by the hour or by the day at a fixed price. The prices for rental cars with a driver are relatively cheap, which is why, given the difficult traffic in Indonesia, this variant should always be preferred to driving yourself.
Documentation: international driver’s license.
Traffic regulations: left-hand traffic.
Speed limits:
Urban: 30-40 km / h (60-70 km / h on some city streets).
Out of town: 80-100 km / h.
Traveling in the city
Jakarta is the only city in the country with a well-functioning public bus network. Double-decker buses run here. Bajaj ( motorized, three-wheeled vehicles with space for two passengers), which can be rented by the hour or for individual trips, also operate in Jakarta. The price should be agreed before departure. There are also taxis and minibuses.
On the go by train
The Indonesian rail network covers around 7000 km of rail on Sumatra, Madura and Java.
On Sumatra there are train connections between Belawan, Medan and Tanjong Balai / Rantu Prapet in the north (2-3 times a day) and Palembang and Panjang in the south (3 times a day). An extensive rail network is available on Java. The rail network on Java and Sumatra was originally built by the Dutch. Little has been done to maintain it since then.
There are several express connections; the Argo Bromo Anggrek, which has dining and sleeping cars, connects Jakarta with Surabaya.
There are three different classes, 1st class (Eksekutif) is always air-conditioned and a meal is offered. 2nd class compartments (Bisnis) mostly have fans. There is also the Ekonomi class (Economy). Train journeys should be booked 4 days in advance if possible, as trains are often overcrowded on some routes, especially on weekends, such as the Jarkata-Bandung route.
On the way by ship
There are ferry connections to Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan. There are also regular ferry connections between Java and Sumatra and between Ketapang (Java) and Gilimanuk (Bali). The Kapuas River to the west of Kalimantan is an important link between different areas. On some rivers, cultural festivals such as the Jalur race and the bono riding in Riau take place.
The state-owned shipping company PELNI (Internet: www.pelni.co.id) calls at all major ports in Indonesia with its six modern ferries. Luxury cruises are offered to various destinations, including from Bali to the eastern islands.
Further information from Indonesia Tourism Promotion Office (see addresses).
