Indonesia - Indonesië

Indonesia[1] is a very large archipelago in SoutheastAsia stretching across the equator between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. It has land borders with Malaysia in the north and with East Timor and Papua New Guinea on the east, and bordered by water with Australia to the south, and Palau, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand to the north, India to the northwest.

Info

This article or section does not comply with the style manual or needs other operations. Dive in , give it your attention and improve it !Proposed changes: The numbers mentioned here are different from those in "Geography", which are also different from numbers in "Regions"

Indonesia is the sleeping giant of Southeast Asia. With over 18,000 islands (of which 6,000 are uninhabited!) it is the largest archipelago in the world. And with more than 210 million inhabitants, it is the fourth most populous country in the world, after China, India and the US. It also has the largest Muslim population in the world.

The country likes to advertise itself as the ultimate variety and that slogan is correct, although not always in a positive sense. The tropical rainforest is the second largest in the world after Brazil, and this is being chopped down at the same terrifying speed as is happening on the other side of the world. And while the rich shop in Jakarta and Bali, it is the only OPEC country to import oil and meanwhile half of the population earns less than €2 a day. The infrastructure is also lagging behind and that means that you have to be patient, practical and flexible when traveling.

The Indonesians, like all people, can be either extremely friendly or very rude to foreigners. However, most belong to the first group and even if you go off the beaten track, you will generally receive a more than warm welcome.

climate

Indonesia has a tropical rainy climate and many dense rainforests. It is always humid and also warm in Indonesia, with an average temperature of about 30 degrees.

Geography

Indonesia consists of more than 18,000 islands that extend over a large part of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The country is no less than 5100 kilometers long. And because the vast country is also very green due to its rainforests, Indonesia is also called the belt of emerald.

Nature

The many volcanoes provide a beautiful landscape, islands like Bali are known for their beautiful beaches and, despite it becoming increasingly compromised, the tropical rainforest of Indonesia one of the most beautiful in the world. The tropical rainforests have an enormous diversity of both plants and animals. For example, on the island Komodo for example, the Komodo dragon can be observed. Also on the crowded Java one can visit protected nature reserves such as Ujung Kulon . National Park. Although one does not immediately think of Indonesia, one can also go to Glaciers in Papua, which is also home to Indonesia's highest mountain - the Puncak Jaya.

Culture

Historic Temples near Yogyakarta, such as Borobudur and Prambanan are definitely worth a visit for culture lovers. Another temple complex is located on the serving tray. Also the Tana Toraja is known for its unique religious culture and the funeral rituals associated with it.

Indonesia is very densely populated and half of the population works as farmers.

Regions

Indonesia is almost unimaginably big. There are 18,110 islands and 108,000 kilometers of beach in Indonesia. All 17,508 inhabited islands of Indonesia today have a name. The distance between Aceh and Papua is more than 4,000 kilometers, comparable to the distance between the European North Cape and SouthCrete. There are over 400 volcanoes in Indonesia, 130 of which are considered active. Papua is the second largest island in the world.

Provinces are usually grouped under a large island and its environs, as shown below:

Towns

• Jakarta, the capital in Java.
• Bandung
• Denpasar
• Medan
• Surakarta (Solo)
• Surabaya
• Yogyakarta - The cultural center of Java, gateway to the beautiful temple complexes Prambanan and Borobudur.

Other destinations

This is a limited list of highlights of the Indonesian islands.

• anyer - Beach in the Banten province, near the Krakatoa and the Ujung Kulon National Park.
• Bali - A beautiful island with culture, art 'and also some nice beaches'.
• Bunaken - One of the best diving destinations in Indonesia, if not in the world.
• samosir - Island in the beautiful lake toba in the North Sumatra province. The lake is actually a water-filled caldera, a huge volcanic crater.
• Lombok - The next Bali.
• Bromo - The most terrifying volcanic landscapes in the world.
• Tana Toraja - Highland areas of South Sulawesi famous for its funeral rituals.

Arrive

Passport and visa

For several years now, it is no longer necessary for Dutch people to purchase a tourist visa from the Indonesian embassy before departure. Today, there are 25 places in Indonesia, which are designated to facilitate tourist passes. On the plane you will receive a form to fill in and with your passport that must be valid for 6 months after arrival, you can buy a so-called tourist pass for a maximum of 30 days. The cost for that is $35 you have to, if you pay with Euros you get your change back in rupiahs, Euro-coins are not accepted. This pass consists of a sticker in your passport and half of the form you have completed. Don't lose this, otherwise you could run into problems when you want to leave the country again. This only applies to people who want to stay less than 31 days. For stays of 31-60 days, a visa must be applied for in advance. You can request this yourself or have one of the commercial companies that are available in this area assist you. For example Visa Service. People who want to stay longer than 60 days must apply for a "Social-Cultural = Social Budaya" visa. That is also valid for 60 days, but can be extended up to 4 x by a month in Indonesia. The maximum stay is therefore 6 months. This requires an invitation from Indonesia with guarantor from a person from Indonesia, with a copy of his KTP card.

With your tourist pass you can move freely in Indonesia with the exception of the provinces Aceh and Irian Jaya. The latter will be split into Papua and West Papua.

Furthermore, two anecdotes that indicate how people deal with visas in Indonesia:

• In 1990, shortly after the fall of the Iron Curtain, a family had left Hungary on holiday in Indonesia. At that time, the tourists from Hungary received a tourist pass with a validity of only 30 days, whereas most other peoples received it for 60 days. In pencil this family had changed the 3 into a 9 to be able to stay longer, but when they wanted to go home they immediately ran into the lamp because a 90-day tourist pass does not exist. They were allowed to extend their vacation for a week, but then in jail.
• Once upon a time there was a tourist from Canada with a 60-day tourist pass, and it had expired 6 hours when she stood at the Soekarno-Hatta airport to leave. That caused so much fuss that she missed her flight.

Moral of this story: make sure you don't stay longer than your visa allows, otherwise you can stay a little longer, but under unfavorable circumstances.

By plane

There are several airlines that offer flights to Indonesia from the Netherlands. For example, you can fly from Schiphol with KLM and Garuda Indonesia to Jakarta, respectively with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi. Other airlines also offer flights via their home bases, such as Emirates (Dubai), Singapore Airlines (Singapore), Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur) and Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong). There are less good options from Zaventem because Emirates, Garuda and Singapore Airlines do not fly here. The only option is to fly with multiple airlines.

By boat

Travel around

Keep in mind that when you travel around, it takes more time than you are used to in the Netherlands or Belgium. This can lead to long waiting times and surprises, especially in less well-known areas. Indonesia is a large country and not many people live everywhere, so it is not always profitable for entrepreneurs to maintain frequent scheduled services. Outside large cities, the so-called Indonesian "fullness principle" often applies, i.e. the bus only leaves when it is full, this can also happen with air travel. Ask frequently for information and preferably three times to different people. Don't be surprised if one gives completely different information than the other.

Many carriers offer all kinds of classes, with or without air conditioning and you often have to pay extra for the air conditioning. Be aware that almost nowhere is signposted. There are hardly any good cards.

A few tips: traveling by train (only on Java) is cheap, fast and comfortable as long as you travel first class. Taxis are everywhere in Jakarta. With the large passenger ships of PELNI you go somewhere and you meet someone again. It does take time. These ships also often have multiple classes. They are not very regular, but they are not expensive either. Lifting is not common. Neither do bicycles. It is also very hot and the locals will think you are crazy.

Recently, there have also been an increasing number of private airlines, but not all of them are equally reliable and they do not always fly on schedule (see the "fulness principle" above). The alternatives for moving around have increased, with flights being more frequent and to more destinations. And because of the competition it is also quite affordable. As a final tip: do not plan a tour on Java during Lebaran, which is the end of the Islamic fasting month. Then everything is overcrowded and there is a chance that you will end up in the luggage rack among the chickens.

By plane

The information below is a snapshot and should therefore be viewed with caution. Except for Garuda Indonesia, Batavia Air, Mandala Airlines and Indonesia AirAsia, all Indonesian airlines are on the international blacklist (no mention of Susi Air was found). Garuda Indonesia was also on it until recently, but has recently been removed from it. The fact that most are on the blacklist does not mean that it is dangerous to travel by plane, but there will undoubtedly be a reason why these companies have ended up on that list. Sometimes there is hardly an alternative and if people want to move, the airplane is the only (acceptable) option in some cases. Below is a non-exhaustive list of a number of companies with a short description.

Garuda Indonesia

This is traditionally the state airline that also operates international flights. Garuda's prices are on average somewhat higher than the others. In occasional cases there are significant delays without reason or too much information. Now that Garuda is allowed to fly to Europe again, they are making some progress and the service on international flights has improved. The service on local flights is quite variable.

Merpati Nusantara

Merpati [2] is a veteran who has a considerable fleet and reaches many places. Time schedules are not always followed closely. Merpati forms an alliance with Garuda.

Mandala

[3]Mandala was recently acquired by Singapore-based Tiger Airways and after that reports appeared in the newspaper that it no longer flies. What exactly is going on is unclear. In the future, the Mandala brand name is likely to disappear in favor of Tiger Airways. Mandala has been flying again between Jakarta and Medan since the end of 2012 as part of Tiger Airways.

Lion Air

This is a prize fighter. Consumptions on board only against payment and pay for extra pieces of (hand) luggage. In addition, the devices are only suitable for people of 1.75 meters or smaller, because otherwise you will be folded three times. Lion Air [4] has a significant fleet and is constantly expanding it.

Wings Air

Wings works closely with Lion.

Sriwijaya Air

Fairly reliable in terms of departure times and not expensive. The interior of the aircraft has seen better days. All devices from Sriwijaya [5] are of the Boeing 737 type.

Batavia Air

[6]Batavia Air has a reputation for not always being punctual.

Susi Air

Susi Air [7] is owned by a German who is married to an Indonesian and is characterized by the use of foreign pilots. As a result, this company, which only flies small propeller planes of the Cessna Caravan type, has built such a trust among the local population that they have outcompeted other companies. Susi only flies to Papua, West Java, East Kalimantan and Sumatra. The equipment is new and well maintained. The rates are relatively high.

Express Air

Express Air is mainly active in East Indonesia and offers many flights between themselves and also some flights to Java.

Trigana Air

Trigana Air [8] operates some short services in Papua with small propeller planes and some Boeing 737s.

MAF

MAF [9] is the missionary company in Indonesia that is really only used to transport and supply missionaries, but sometimes they take other passengers with them.

Pelita Air

Pelita [10] was founded by and 90% owned by the Indonesian state oil company Pertamina.

By boat

In South Sulawesi often take the boat. This is very cheap and you get to know the friendly people. Many people fly from Bau-Bau to Wanci.

Take "a boat" that leaves from Bau-Bau in the direction of Wanci. The boat leaves at 9 o'clock in the evening and takes about 8 to 9 hours. It saves you an overnight stay and an expensive plane ticket.

It is great to see that everything can be carried on such a boat, it is not a luxury boat but certainly doable.

Language

You communicate in Indonesian because hardly anyone speaks English. In very touristic areas you sometimes find someone who speaks a different language, but often poorly or poorly understood. Indonesian is already a second language for many people in Indonesia. Learning a little Indonesian beforehand will greatly increase your holiday fun, it opens doors and if people understand you, they are also better able to help you. Moreover, it can lower the prices, because if you speak Indonesian then you will live in Indonesia and so knowing the right prices is the common thought. In the Netherlands there are many institutes where Indonesian courses are offered. In the east in particular, there are still elderly people who try to keep Dutch alive.

To look at

To do

To buy

The Indonesian Rupiah (rupiah, abbreviated Rp) is the national currency and is denoted by IDR. 1 euro is about 12,444 Rp (March 2013).

Cost

Food

Whether you eat cheaply or dine expensively, there are people who sit on the toilet after the first meal in a five-star hotel for the entire holiday, there are also people who eat on the street and are not bothered by anything. Beware of anything "icy" (ice cubes, soft serve ice cream, ice cream, etc.). You never know what water it comes from. Anything recently cooked, such as tea or coffee, is usually OK. It is not always advisable to consume milk and milk products.

The good news is that the culinary variety in Indonesia is great and there are a lot of regional dishes available. The quality can vary and it is therefore wise to have someone on site inform you. Also be careful about consuming pork. In a predominantly Muslim society, pork is not very popular and that is why it is sometimes kept longer than is good.

Indonesians often eat fried banana (pisang goreng), fried rice with vegetables and meat/fish (nasi goreng) and also satay. So dishes that we in the West will mostly know from Chinese are in reality Indonesian.

Budget

Especially in large cities you will find many street vendors and due to the strong competition the price-quality ratio is often favorable. Varying from small snacks to complete meals, you can prepare very tasty things in a very short time at the craziest times of the day. The way of preparation is sometimes pure entertainment.

Average

In this class one can find many western and Japanese fast food restaurants, for example those of McDonald's, KFC, Wendy'sburger king, Texas Fried Chicken and Hoka-hoka Bento.

Expensive

Expensive food in Indonesia does not always guarantee good quality food. Often you pay for the name and location of an establishment. Expensive restaurants are often found in five star hotels or in five star locations. Kuningan, in the business center Jakarta is such a location.

Going out

Drink a lot, because you lose a lot of fluid. Do not drink too much alcohol because it has a diuretic effect. Also, do not drink too many ice-cold drinks because of the temperature difference. Tea is a good moisture supplement and also safe because it is prepared with boiled water. Furthermore, you can get water in plastic bottles almost everywhere, which is a very good alternative, also for brushing your teeth. Water in plastic bottles must be sealed. If it is not present or broken, don't take it.

Be aware that tea and coffee are often served with 10 scoops of sugar per glass and if you ask for less sugar you often get 9 scoops instead of 10. Milk is sometimes also served with sugar. Beer can sometimes be served lukewarm with ice cubes and a straw.

stay overnight

Budget

When you sleep in a budget guest house, you may find that the bed linen is not changed after the last guest has left. In most cases you can just ask for clean bedding, but that won't happen automatically. Apart from this shortcoming, there is often not much wrong with budget pensions, except that they are noisy. The partition walls are often made of plywood, so you can read along when the neighbor is reading the newspaper. You will often also find civil servants who are out for work and save their daily allowance in the cheapest guest houses. the value for money excellent. You run a little more chance of "surprises" because people are less used to western guests.

Average

This class is on the rise in larger and medium-sized cities.

Expensive

In this price range, the hotels are not inferior to comparable accommodations elsewhere in the world. All expected amenities are available in the hotel.

To learn

To work

It is not easy to get a work permit for Indonesia.

Safety

Security is a precarious subject and therefore the following information should be considered with due critical approach. Indonesia is relatively very safe. The population in general is very hospitable and cherishes a natural trepidation towards everything that is Western. There are, of course, always exceptions, and although these are very minor, there is a possibility that you will run into unpleasant things.

Furthermore, Indonesia, with its diversity of peoples, almost inevitably has a number of political movements that use violence sporadically and often in remote areas. There have been several riots in the larger cities, often affecting the Chinese minority.

Now that the relations between Islam and the Western world have become more acute as a result of various events, small groups are occasionally seen agitating against Western powers, usually at embassies and consulates. Often these small groups do not enjoy the sympathy of the entire Indonesian population and they are therefore in most cases not representative.

Most people have to fear from bacteria, viruses and parasites. Proper preparation can minimize the risk of disease. This risk is smallest in the calibrated tourist areas on Java and Bali and somewhat larger in the so-called "outer areas" such as Irian Jaya.

Health

respect

Contact

This is a usable article. It contains information on how to get there, as well as the main attractions, nightlife and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but dive in and expand it!

Countries in Asia

Central Asia: Afghanistan · Kazakhstan · Kyrgyzstan · Uzbekistan · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan East Asia: China(Hong Kong · Macau) · Japan · Mongolia · North Korea · Taiwan · South Korea Middle East: Bahrain · Iraq · Iran · Israel · Yemen · Jordan · Kuwait · Lebanon · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Saudi Arabia · Syria · Turkey · United Arab Emirates Russia and the Caucasus : Armenia · Azerbaijan · Georgia · Russia South Asia: Bangladesh · Bhutan · India · Maldives · Nepal · Pakistan · Sri Lanka South East Asia: Brunei · Cambodia · Philippines · Indonesia · Laos · Malaysia · Myanmar · East Timor · Singapore · Thailand · Vietnam

Islands in the Pacific
Island States: Philippines · Indonesia · Japan · New Zealand · Papua New Guinea · Taiwan Oceania: Micronesia · Melanesia · Polynesia Other major islands and archipelagos: Aleutian Islands · coconut island · Galapagos Islands · Juan Fernandez Archipelago

Islands in the Indian Ocean

Island States: Comoros · Indonesia · Madagascar · Maldives · Mauritius · Seychelles · Sri Lanka Overseas Territories: Agalega · Andaman and Nicobar Islands · Ashmore and Cartier Islands · British Indian Ocean Territory · Christmas Island · Cocos Islands · French Southern and Antarctic Lands · Bassas da India · le Europe · Juan de Nova · Glorious · Tromelin · Laccadives · mayotte · Rodrigues · reunion · Socotra