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Indonesia Travel Guide

Last Updated: August 23, 2023

With over 17,000 islands, Indonesia is the world’s largest island country. Home to over 261 million people, it boasts stunning landscapes, incredible beaches, amazing food, and affordable prices.

While most people just visit Bali, backpacking further afield in the country is an underrated activity. With so much on offer, it can take months to see everything because there is just so much to see and do here: hectic and chaotic cityscapes, cool white sand beaches, and violent volcanoes. Indonesia has it all.

And it’s easy to visit Indonesia on a budget too. It’s extremely inexpensive and your money goes far here.

While most travelers fly to Bali and visit the Gili Islands or head to Lombok, I encourage you to try to get to the less touristy destinations and off the beaten path. Find dragons in Flores, go hiking, see the historic ruins of Java, and go to Sumatra. You’ll find even cheaper prices and far fewer crowds once you escape the digital nomad hub of Bali.

This Indonesia travel guide can help you plan your trip, save money, and make the most of your time in this island paradise!

Table of Contents

• Things to See and Do
• Typical Costs
• Suggested Budget
• Money-Saving Tips
• Where to Stay
• How to Get Around
• How to Stay Safe
• Best Places to Book Your Trip
• Related Blogs on Indonesia

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Top 5 things to see and do in indonesia.

1. Relax in Bali

Bali is probably the most famous of Indonesia’s islands. Although often crowded with travelers, there is no escaping the fact that this place is beautiful. Try some surfing at Bingin Beach or visit the Pura Besakih, the Mother Temple, which is truly stunning to behold. Make sure you see some traditional Balinese dancing in Ubud too. You can also join a yoga retreat pretty much anywhere on the island and cooking classes are also plentiful and make for a great souvenir.

2. Dive in the Gili Islands

For a true sense of an island paradise, head to the Gili Islands . There are excellent (and cheap) scuba and snorkel facilities as well as great nightlife on Gili Trawangan. These islands are super popular with backpackers thanks to their super cheap accommodation and food, party scene, and stunning beaches for lazing around all day.

3. Admire Borobudur

Borobudur is a the world’s biggest Buddhist temple complex, dating from the 8th and 9th centuries. With 2,672 reliefs meant to highlight Buddhist teachings, it’s made from blocks of volcanic rock. Each level is supposed to describe the stages of life. It is said you can’t move on to the top until you discover the meaning of each relief. Admission for foreign adults is around 380,000 IDR.

4. See Komodo dragons

The subject of more nature documentaries than any other lizard, the Komodo dragon is a force to be reckoned with. Komodo National Park, part of the Lesser Sunda Islands, is the only place to see the world’s largest lizard in the wild, which grows up to 10 feet long and weighs over 135 kilograms (300 pounds). Admission is 150,000 IDR during the week, with prices rising to 250,000 IDR on Sundays and holidays (just note that there are additional fees for other activities including ranger fees, hiking fees, diving fees, and so on). The only way to really visit Komodo National Park is on a tour since the islands are over an hour away from Labuan Bajo port on Flores Island.

5. Visit Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park

Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park covers a total of 800 square kilometers (308 square miles) at the center of East Java and is the largest volcanic region in the province. Get up early to catch one of the most memorable sunrises of your life from the top of Mount Bromo or Mount Semeru. The easiest way to get here is from Probolinggo, through the village of Ngadisari. Although it doesn’t take long to get to the summit (around 45 minutes up a sandy slope) and access to the trail is free, a number of tour operators run guided trips through the park, which includes transport to and from the park.

Other Things to See and Do in Indonesia

1. explore hindi prambanan.

There are 244 temples at this 9th-century UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the central compound being the main attraction. There are eight minor temples and eight major temples here, with the tallest being 45 meters (150 feet) — which is actually taller than Borobudur. Located in Yogyakarta, there’s a lot to see, so schedule a full day here (it’s the second-largest temple complex in Southeast Asia, after Angkor Wat). Admission is around 380,000 IDR.

2. Wander Jakarta

Indonesia’s capital is a large, bustling city with a population of over 10 million. You could easily spend a few days here as there is a lot to see. Admire Istana Merdeka, the presidential palace (visitors are not allowed inside); see the Monas Tower, a symbol of Indonesia’s independence; check out Ancol Beach; visit the National Museum, and go shopping at the Jalan Surabaya Flea Market. For a moment of calm, people-watch from one of the cafes overlooking Fatahillah Square in the Old Batavia, the Dutch Quarter, where you can take in the historic architecture as you take in the local pace of life.

3. Snorkel or dive in Bunaken

The Bunaken National Marine Park is located in the Bay of Manado and it’s where you want to go if diving or snorkeling is your thing. These deep waters offer fantastic visibility and some of the world’s most biodiverse marine life. Keep an eye out for tuna, sharks, rays, turtles, sea snakes, and more. Entry to the marine park is 50,000 IDR per person, though children under 10 enter free.

4. Broaden your taste buds

Indonesia is home to 17,000 islands and over 260 million people. The country is brimming with diverse cultures, traditions, and beliefs. If you want some idea of how diverse this place is, there are over 700 languages spoken here! This diversity is very much reflected in the food. Javanese, Sundanese, Padang, and Balinese food are just some of your options. Hit the markets, participate in cooking classes, or take food tours to get a taste of what the country has to offer. Your tastebuds will thank you!

5. Visit Yogyakarta

Yogyakarta is Indonesia’s cultural hub and is a much less industrial city compared to Jakarta. There is an interesting blend of old customs with modern living here (the region still has a sultan/monarchy). It’s a hip place filled with street art, galleries, cafes, great nightlife, and a strong arts community. Yogyakarta is also a good jumping-off point for exploring the popular and picturesque Borobudur and Prambanan sites.

6. See the orangutans in Sumatra

A mysterious and rare primate, the orangutan finds its habitat on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. A visit to see these primates is a moving experience. And, given the rapid deforestation and fires in the area, you probably want to do this sooner rather than later as these animals are gravely endangered. If you go, make sure you’re traveling with an eco-friendly tour company. Reputable companies don’t let you get in close contact with the animals, as the risk of disease is too high. Even a common cold can knock out a baby orangutan. Nevertheless, seeing these majestic animals is an amazing and life-changing experience. Week-long guided treks cost around 20,000,000 IDR per person.

7. Experience village life in Kalibaru

Kalibaru is a small village on the southeastern side of Java. It’s quiet, secluded, and a great place to tour one of the many plantations (cacao, coffee, dragon fruit, rubber, and spices, among others) in the area on your way to or from Bali. It’s not as well-visited as many other places in Indonesia, meaning you can escape the crowds and get a chance to experience what local life is really like. You can stay here after a trip to Mount Bromo, or just visit on a day trip.

8. See the Bogor Botanical Gardens

Located 65 kilometers (40 miles) outside of Jakarta, the Bogor Botanical Gardens have over 200 acres of land and 15,000 species of plants and trees. The gardens are a lovely spot in which to lose yourself for a couple of hours with a book and some snacks. Admission is around 26,000 IDR. There is a commuter train between Bogor and Jakarta with a stop right next to the gardens.

9. See the Banyu Wana Amertha Waterfalls

These are some of the most beautiful waterfalls in Bali, and yet not many people make the trek here. They’re located about 90 minutes from Ubud, and then you have to hike through a banana plantation to reach the falls. It’s worth it as there are several sets of falls to explore. Just make sure to bring your swimsuit!

10. Explore the megaliths in Bada Valley

Near Lore Lindu National Park are 400 ancient stone megaliths scattered around the hills. No one really knows the origins of these structures, but they’re thought to be over 5,000 years old. No settlement remains or tools were ever found in the area. It’s best to hire a local guide here as the megaliths are not easy to find.

11. Visit the House of Danar Hadi

The House of Danar Hadi in Surakarta (Central Java) is considered one of the world’s best batik museums, with a handpicked selection of favorites from the owner’s collection of 11,000 pieces (batik is a cloth-dyeing method from Java). You have to take a tour to see it all, but it’s worth it. There are lots of antique and royal items on display. They also have batik demonstrations showcasing how these detailed pieces are made. Admission is 35,000 IDR.

12. See the lakes in Kelimutu National Park

Kelimutu National Park, on the island of Flores, is renowned for its tri-colored crater lakes. The crater lakes have continuously changed color over the years, likely due to the mineral makeup in the water. Sometimes they’re green, black, brown, red, blue, etc. The lakes are very sacred among the locals, who believe that they’re the final resting spots of departed souls. Moni is the closest town to the lakes; from there you can take public transportation to the park. Admission to the park is 150,000 IDR.

  For more information on specific destinations in Indonesia, check out these guides:

• Bali Travel Guide
• Gili Islands Travel Guide

Indonesia Travel Costs

Accommodation – A bed in a dorm hostel dorm can cost as little as 55,000 IDR but most places are closer to 100,000 IDR. For a private double room, prices start around 175,000 IDR. Free Wi-Fi is standard and some hostels offer self-catering facilities and free breakfast.

Most budget hotels begin at 300,000 IDR per night for a double room that usually includes free Wi-Fi and breakfast. For a three-star hotel, prices begin around 400,000 IDR per night.

Airbnb is also widespread throughout the country, with private rooms starting from around 300,000 IDR per night. For entire apartments, expect to pay at least 400,000 IDR per night. Book early, however, or prices can double.

If you’re booking through Booking.com, keep in mind that many of the listings are actually homestays and private residences.

Since hostels and homestays are so cheap, camping is not very common unless you’re on a guided trek.

Food – Food in Indonesia is heavily influenced by a number of cultures, most notably Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures. Lots of dishes have a rice (nasi) or noodle (mie) base and, in some cases, that’s the whole dish, such as with nasi ayam (chicken rice). Be sure to try the Balinese take on satay (where the meat is minced and wrapped on skewers) and babi guling , a delicious suckling pig that is roasted for hours. Another popular choice is oxtail soup. Be mindful that the food here can be a little spicy.

The food here is extremely cheap by Western standards, with street food costing under 10,000 IDR. It’s also delicious in part because much of it is based on fresh spices and herbs. Expect rice and noodle-based dishes such as nasi goreng (stir-fried rice with chicken, egg, and vegetables) and mie goreng (a spicy fried noodle dish with garlic, onion, meat, egg, and vegetables) as well as gado gado (comprising of steamed vegetables, tofu, tempeh, sometimes egg, and peanut sauce), and lots of satay.

For an inexpensive meal at a local restaurant, expect to pay around 25,000 IDR. For a meal at a mid-range restaurant with table service, prices start at 125,000 IDR per person. Western food is much more expensive but is still relatively affordable at under 100,000 IDR for a meal. For the cheapest food and a fun experience, head to the night markets.

Fast food like Mcdonald’s costs around 50,000 IDR for a combo meal. A beer at the bar costs around 30,000 IDR.

If you plan on cooking your own meals, a week’s worth of groceries costs between 450,000-500,000 IDR. However, food in the country is very cheap and I would encourage you to eat out as often as possible as kitchens are hard to come by!

Backpacking Indonesia Suggested Budgets

On a backpacker budget of 425,000 IDR per day, you can stay in a hostel dorm, eat some street food, cook some meals, rent a bicycle to get around, and do mostly free activities like hiking and enjoying the beach. If you plan on drinking, add another 30,000-60,000 IDR to your daily budget.

On a mid-range budget of 1,100,000 IDR per day, you can eat out at more restaurants, stay in a budget hotel or a private hostel room, rent a scooter to get around, drink more, enjoy some massages, and go diving.

On a “luxury” budget of 2,350,000 IDR or more per day, you can stay at a nicer hotel or villa, take taxis or private minivans to get around, eat Western food, drink more, and do any adventure activities you want. This is just the ground floor for luxury, however. The sky is the limit!

You can use the chart below to get some idea of how much you need to budget daily, depending on your travel style. Keep in mind these are daily averages — some days you’ll spend more, some days you’ll spend less (you might spend less every day). We just want to give you a general idea of how to make your budget. Prices are in IDR.

Indonesia Travel Guide: Money-Saving Tips

While Indonesia is super affordable, it’s also easy to splash out here (especially in Bali). To help you save money, here are some specific ways you can keep your spending down while you’re here:

• Eat on the street – You can pick up tasty local fare for under 10,000 IDR. Street-side snacks, soups, and noodles are super affordable and super tasty.
• Bargain hard – Nothing is ever at face value in Indonesia. Bargain with sellers as most of the time the prices they quote aren’t the prices you end up paying if you bargain!
• Drink cheap – Save money on alcohol by heading to the local happy hours (or just buying your drinks at a local store instead of the bar). This is the cheapest way to drink!
• Book online in advance – If you’re planning on hitting up some of Indonesia’s most popular destinations, such as Bali, it’s actually cheaper to book your accommodations (and sometimes tours) online in advance rather than showing up and trying to strike a deal.
• Pay bus attendants directly – When you’re taking an intercity bus, don’t purchase a ticket from a ticket window. It’s cheaper to pay directly on the bus.
• Rent a bike – In many places, such as Bali and Gili, you can easily get around on two wheels. Rent a bike for as little as 40,000 IDR per day. It’s a great way to get around on the cheap.
• Take taxis – Taxis are essential for getting around in some parts of Indonesia, and they can be cheap. Just make sure the driver puts the meter on before you depart (or agree on a price before you get in).
• Bring a filtered water bottle – Indonesia has a ton of plastic waste. It has so much that a lot of it just gets burned. You’ll see — and smell — it during your visit. Bring a reusable water bottle with a filter to save both money and the environment. I personally like Lifestraw .

Where to Stay in Indonesia

Looking for a place to stay during your trip? Here are some of my favorite places to stay in Indonesia:

• PADI Backpackers House (Ubud)
• Kememai Hostel (Ubud)
• Warung Coco Hostel (Kuta)
• Tribal Bali (Canggu)
• Gili Beach Bum (Gili Trawangan)
• My Mate’s Place (Gili Trawangan)
• Wonderloft Hostel (Jakarta)

How to Get Around Indonesia

Public transportation – Public buses aren’t really used for city transport except on Java. There’s an extensive network in Jakarta, known as the Transjakarta Busway. Fares cost 3,500-9,000 IDR for any destination in the network. You have to pay with a card that costs 40,000 IDR (it comes with a 20,000 IDR credit) from station ticketing offices.

Otherwise, most people get around by becak , a three-wheeled pedal or motor-powered cart. You should negotiate your fare before you get in; ask your hotel/hostel staff for up-to-date price estimates.

Taxis are also affordable, and they’re metered in major cities. Bluebird Taxis is available in most places, and they’re the most dependable company for metered taxis and English-speaking drivers. There’s a smartphone app that makes it really easy to order taxis. The starting rate is around 7,500 IDR and then 5,300 IDR per kilometer.

Grab (an Uber offspring) is a household name in Southeast Asia. It is convenient but sometimes costs even more than a taxi. Gojek is a similar option. Be forewarned: if you order a Grab or Gojek, you might wind up on the back of a motorbike.

Ferry – For traveling between islands, ferries start around 15,000 IDR for a ticket from East Java to West Bali, and the rates go up from there for other routes. Bali to the Gili Islands is 175,000 IDR (one way) on a speedboat.

While it’s not necessary to book in advance it’s a good idea to do so during peak season or on more popular routes. You can buy tickets on the ferry company’s website or via a ticket agent like 12go.asia.

Bus – Buses are the main way for locals and tourists to get around Indonesia. It’s a good idea to book your long-distance tickets in advance, especially if you want an air-conditioned ride. You can buy a ticket from a travel agent, or visit the bus terminal. Your accommodation may also be able to arrange your transportation.

A 12-hour journey on a bus costs around 170,000 IDR. A short journey, like the one from Kuta Beach to Ubud, is less than 80,000 IDR and takes one hour.

If your ride is a shorter one, you might end up on a bemos (mini-bus). In this case, negotiate your fare beforehand.

Train – In Indonesia, the cities of Java are well linked by train, including Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Probolinggo (for Mount Bromo), and Banyuwangi (the ferry terminal for Bali). Economy class from Jakarta to Surabaya takes 10.5 hours and costs about 190,000 IDR, while an 8-hour executive class trip can cost from 620,000 IDR. Surabaya to Probolinggo (for Mount Bromo) takes 2-3 hours and costs 27,000 IDR for economy or 240,000 IDR for executive class. Surabaya to Banyuwangi (for Bali) takes 6-7 hours and costs as little as 56,000 IDR for economy or 235,000 IDR for executive class. You can reserve your tickets at tiket.com.

Flying – Garuda Indonesia is the country’s main airline offering international service as well as domestic flights. Lion Air and AirAsia also offer plenty of domestic routes, although Lion Air’s safety record is spotty and I wouldn’t advise traveling with them.

Flights between Jakarta and Bali start around 900,000 IDR each way, while Jakarta to Lombok starts around 1,200,000 IDR. Lombok to Bali is around 1,100,000 IDR. However, this isn’t the cheapest way to travel and is only recommended if you have limited time.

When to Go to Indonesia

Indonesia has just two seasons: the wet season and the dry season. Dry season lasts from May to September while the rainy season occurs from October to April. The average daily temperature year-round is 28°C (80°F).

Overall, the best time of year to visit is between May and September when it’s dry and sunny. It’s still pleasant to visit during the rainy season, however, as rainfall usually comes as fast and intense downpours that only last a few hours.

The Nusa Tenggara region is more affected by the wet season which may sometimes result in flooding. The wet season may also be a problem if you’re looking to get off the beaten track in Indonesia, as muddy roads can sometimes keep you from getting around.

In Bali and Kalimantan, the extremes between seasons aren’t drastic. The dry season is the best time to climb the volcanoes, and the best time to dive is from April to September. (If you are expecting to do some climbing, remember to pack some warm layers. It gets cold at the top!)

How to Stay Safe in Indonesia

Indonesia is a safe place to backpack and travel. Violent crime is rare. Petty theft (including bag snatching) is the most common type of crime in Indonesia. It’s most common on public transit as it’s easy for thieves to grab your wallet or purse when you’re distracted by all the chaos around you. Staying alert and securing your valuables is the best way to prevent petty theft.

Credit card fraud is also common in Indonesia. To avoid this, it’s always best to pay with cash when possible. To avoid getting your information stolen at an ATM, enter a reputable bank to withdraw money from there.

There are a lot of small scams around the island and you can read about how to avoid these common travel scams here .

Solo female travelers should generally feel safe here but the standard precautions apply (never leave your drink unattended at the bar, never walk home alone intoxicated, etc.). The country is big and, while generally safe, there are certain spots you’ll want to stay more vigilant in. There are countless solo female travel blogs out there that can give you specific information on how to stay safe.

Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, owing to its location on the Ring of Fire (it experiences more earthquakes than any other country). Make sure you know where your exits are during an emergency. Also, download an offline map and languages translation pack in case you need it during an emergency situation where you don’t have mobile data/Wi-Fi.

If you experience an emergency, dial 112 for assistance.

When in doubt, always trust your instincts. If a taxi driver seems shady, get out. If your hotel or accommodation is seedier than you thought, go somewhere else. Make copies of your personal documents, including your passport and ID, in case of an emergency.

The most important piece of advice I can offer is to purchase good travel insurance. Travel insurance protects you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. You can use the widget below to find the policy right for you:

Indonesia Travel Guide: The Best Booking Resources

These are my favorite companies to use when I travel. They consistently have the best deals, offer world-class customer service and great value, and overall, are better than their competitors. They are the companies I use the most and are always the starting point in my search for travel deals.

• Skyscanner – Skyscanner is my favorite flight search engine. They search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites tend to miss. They are hands down the number one place to start.
• Hostelworld – This is the best hostel accommodation site out there with the largest inventory, best search interface, and widest availability.
• Agoda – Other than Hostelworld, Agoda is the best hotel accommodation site for Asia.
• Booking.com – The best all around booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. In all my tests, they’ve always had the cheapest rates out of all the booking websites.
• Get Your Guide – Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions. They have tons of tour options available in cities all around the world, including everything from cooking classes, walking tours, street art lessons, and more!
• SafetyWing – Safety Wing offers convenient and affordable plans tailored to digital nomads and long-term travelers. They have cheap monthly plans, great customer service, and an easy-to-use claims process that makes it perfect for those on the road.
• LifeStraw – My go-to company for reusable water bottles with built-in filters so you can ensure your drinking water is always clean and safe.
• Unbound Merino – They make lightweight, durable, easy-to-clean travel clothing.

Indonesia Travel Guide: Related Articles

Want more info? Check out all the articles I’ve written on Indonesia travel and continue planning your trip:

The 6 Best Hostels in Bali

Is Southeast Asia Safe for Travelers?

A Visitor’s Guide to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces

Kuta Beach: The Worst Place in Bali

How to Visit Borobudur in Indonesia

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Travel Advisory July 24, 2023

Indonesia - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise increased caution in Indonesia due to  terrorism and natural disasters.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do Not travel to:

• The provinces of Central Papua (Papua Tengah) and Highland Papua (Papua Pegunungan) due to civil unrest.

Terrorists continue plotting possible attacks in Indonesia. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting police stations, places of worship, hotels, bars, nightclubs, markets/shopping malls, and restaurants.

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis or volcanic eruptions may result in disruptions to transportation, infrastructure, sanitation, and the availability of health services.

Demonstrations occur frequently and have the potential to become violent.  Avoid demonstrations and crowds. 

Indonesia’s revised criminal code, which takes effect January 2026, includes penalties for defamation, blasphemy, cohabitation, and sex outside of marriage. It is unclear how Indonesian authorities will implement the revised criminal code.

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Indonesia.  

If you decide to travel to Indonesia:

• Monitor local media for breaking events and be prepared to adjust your plans. 
• Visit the websites for  Badan Geologi  (Indonesian Geological Agency, Indonesian language only) for the latest information from the Government of Indonesia on current natural disasters.
• Review the  CDC’s suggestions on how to prepare for natural disasters.
• Be aware of your personal safety and security at all times. 
• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program  ( STEP ) to receive alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Ensure your passport is valid for at least six months beyond your intended stay.
• Follow the Department of State Facebook  and Twitter .  Follow the U.S. Embassy Jakarta on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter .
• Review the Country Security Report  for Indonesia.
• Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .

Central Papua and Highland Papua– Level 4: Do Not Travel

In Central Papua and Highland Papua, violent demonstrations and conflict could result in injury or death to U.S. citizens. Avoid demonstrations and crowds. Armed separatists may kidnap foreign nationals.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Central Papua and Highland Papua as U.S. government employees must obtain special authorization before traveling to those areas.

Embassy Messages

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Quick Facts

Six months beyond arrival date. Indonesia does not accept the 12-page U.S. emergency passport for entry into Indonesia.

Two blank visa pages required for entry stamp

Yes, Visa or Visa on Arrival

100,000,000 Indonesian rupia (approx. $7,000 USD)

Embassies and Consulates

U.s. embassy jakarta.

Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan No. 3 - 5 Jakarta 10110, Indonesia Telephone: +(62)(21) 5083-1000 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(62)(21) 5083-1000 ext. 0 (operator) Email:  [email protected]

U.S. Consulate General Surabaya Jl. Citra Raya Niaga No. 2 Surabaya 60217 Indonesia Telephone: +(62)(31) 297-5300 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(62)(811) 334-183 Email:  [email protected]

U.S. Consular Agency Bali Jalan Hayam Wuruk 310, Denpasar, Bali Telephone: +(62)(361) 233-605 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: Please contact the U.S. Consulate in Surabaya:+(62)(811) 334-183 Email:  [email protected]

American Consulate Medan, Sumatra Uni Plaza Building 4th Floor (West Tower) Jl. Let. Jend. MT Haryono A-1 Medan 20231, Indonesia Telephone: +(62)(61) 451-9000 Emergency After-Hours Telephone: +(62)(61) 451-9000 Email:  [email protected]

The U.S. Consulate in Medan provides only emergency assistance to U.S. citizens and does not offer routine consular services.

Destination Description

See the Department of State’s Fact Sheet on Indonesia for information on U.S.- Indonesia relations.

Entry, Exit and Visa Requirements

Entry Requirements:  To enter Indonesia, your passport must have at least two blank pages and be valid for at least six months beyond the date of your arrival in Indonesia. If your passport does not meet these requirements, you will be denied entry into Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia will not admit travelers holding the 12-page U.S. emergency passport, issued by U.S. embassies and consulates overseas.

Visa-on-Arrival:  If you meet the requirements, you can apply for a visa on arrival at some international airports, seaports, or land crossings. To apply for the visa on arrival, you must have an ordinary (non-emergency) passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date you plan to enter and the date you plan to leave Indonesia and a return or onward flight booking to another country. There is a 500,000 Indonesian Rupiah fee (about $35). The visa on arrival is valid for up to 30 days. You may extend a Visa-on-Arrival once at the immigration office one week before it expires for an additional 30 days for a maximum of 30 additional days, for another 500,000 Rupiah.

• Official visit or government duties;
• Business meeting;
• Procurement of goods;
• Official meeting; or

Electronic Visa-On-Arrival:  You may also apply for an electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) in advance if you are entering Indonesia at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta or Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. Check the e-VOA requirements from Indonesian Immigration before applying. To apply for an e-VOA see  https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/ .

Visa:  Travel for more than 30 days and travel for non-VOA purposes, including employment and journalism, requires that the appropriate visa be obtained from an Indonesian embassy or consulate before arrival. If you are traveling on an emergency passport, you must obtain a visa before arrival in Indonesia.

If you overstay your visa, you are subject to a fine of 1 million Indonesian rupiah (about $70 USD at current exchange rates; fees may change at any time) per day and may be detained and deported. U.S. citizens have been jailed for visa overstays or entering the country on the wrong visa class for their purpose of travel . Travelers coming to Indonesia for non-tourism purposes are strongly encouraged to consult Indonesian Immigration’s website. Travelers should generally carry a copy of their passport with them whenever possible to establish their identity and proof of Indonesian visa.

You must exit Indonesia using the same passport that you used to enter.  If this passport is replaced for any reason before you depart Indonesia, you must apply with Immigration to obtain a “special pass” (exit permit) in your new passport prior to departing.

Dual-Nationality:  Indonesia has laws that prohibit Indonesian citizens from holding additional nationalities. If you are an Indonesian with dual nationality, you could be compelled to renounce your Indonesian nationality through a formal act of renunciation. Please research Indonesian nationality laws and consult with a local attorney regarding any specific circumstance.

The U.S. Department of State is unaware of any HIV/AIDS entry restrictions for visitors to or foreign residents of Indonesia. The Government of Indonesia screens incoming passengers in response to reported outbreaks of pandemic illnesses.

Find information on dual nationality , prevention of international child abduction , and customs regulations on our websites.

Safety and Security

Terrorism:  Terrorist groups and those inspired by such organizations are intent on attacking U.S. citizens abroad. Terrorists are increasingly using less sophisticated methods of attack – including knives, firearms, and vehicles – to target crowds. Frequently, their aim is unprotected or vulnerable targets, such as:

• High-profile public events (sporting contests, political rallies, demonstrations, holiday events, celebratory gatherings, etc.)
• Hotels, clubs, and restaurants frequented by tourists
• Places of worship
• Shopping malls and markets
• Public transportation systems (including subways, buses, trains, and scheduled commercial flights)

Extremists in Indonesia aspire to carry out violent attacks against Indonesian and foreign targets, and police have arrested more than 1,200 individuals on terrorism-related charges since 2018. Extremists may target both official and private establishments, including government offices, hotels, bars, nightclubs, shopping areas, restaurants, and places of worship. Be aware of your personal safety and security at all times.

Recent incidents of extremist violence include a December 2022 suicide bombing at a police station in Bandung, West Java that killed one police officer, a March 2021 bomb attack against a church in Makassar, South Sulawesi which injured 20 civilians, and May 2018 bomb attacks against three churches in Surabaya, East Java which killed 15 civilians and injured 50.

Demonstrations are very common in Jakarta, Surabaya, and other large cities, but less common in Bali. You should avoid demonstrations and other mass gatherings, since even those intended to be peaceful can become violent. U.S. citizens have been detained for participating in protests.  Demonstrations may become more frequent ahead of the Indonesian general elections scheduled for February 2024.

Currently, travel by U.S. government personnel to the provinces of Central Papua (Papua Tengah) and Highland Papua (Papua Pegunungan) is restricted to mission-essential travel that is approved in advance by the Embassy. Papuan separatists have kidnapped foreigners in the past and a New Zealand national was kidnapped by a separatist group in Nduga Regency in February 2023.

For more information, see our Terrorism page.

Crime:   In the last year several American citizens were victims of violent and serious crimes in Indonesia, particularly in Bali. As with any major tourist destination, U.S. citizens traveling in Indonesia are especially encouraged to always remain vigilant of their surroundings and read the following advisories carefully. Take sensible measures to protect yourself and your belongings.  Closely monitor bags and luggage and carry only essential items. Take particular care of your passport and bank cards and avoid traveling alone.

Police presence and responsiveness is less than it is in the United States, making it more difficult to report crimes quickly and receive police attention. U.S. citizens often cite language barriers as a major hindrance when reporting crimes.

Pickpocketing, sexual assault, vehicle theft, armed car-jacking, snatch and grab robberies of cell phones and purses, and residential break-ins are common. Avoid traveling to isolated areas late at night. Be aware of your surroundings, particularly vehicles or individuals that might be following you.

Use a reputable taxi company or hire a taxi either at a major hotel or shopping center and ensure the driver’s identity card is visible. If you are booking a car via a mobile app, always ensure that the driver is the same as the person on the app, share your journey with a friend via the in-app option, and know the contact information for the app’s security center. Be aware of drivers falsely claiming to be registered with online ride hailing apps.

Credit card fraud is a common problem in Indonesia. Criminals have “skimmed” credit/debit cards to access and drain bank accounts. Use an ATM in a secure location, such as a major bank branch, and check the machine for evidence of tampering. Monitor your account statements regularly.

Tourists and Indonesians have suffered from serious illness and have even died from "drink-spiking” and drink poisoning incidents, particularly in clubs and nightspots in urban and tourist areas. There have been reports of sexual assaults and drink spiking in Bali, Lombok, and the Gili Islands.  Make sure drinks are prepared in your sight and be careful about accepting drinks from strangers at clubs and parties or leaving drinks unattended. Tourists have also been robbed after taking visitors to their hotel rooms, and in some cases have found that their drinks were spiked. There have also been deaths and serious illnesses caused by drinking alcoholic drinks contaminated with methanol. These cases have occurred in bars, shops, and hotels in popular tourist areas like Bali, Lombok, the Gili Islands, and Sumatra.

Sexual Assault:  Women travelling alone may be subject to harassment and verbal abuse. Sexual assault, harassment, and rape occur. To minimize the risk, avoid travelling alone, especially at night; remain particularly vigilant in less populous areas; and be careful when dealing with strangers or recent acquaintances. Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum, or cigarettes from new acquaintances. These items may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery. Local authorities may not respond adequately to reports of sexual violence and harassment. If you are the victim of a sexual assault, you should report it immediately to local authorities and to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General.  

Demonstrations  occur frequently. They may take place in response to political or economic issues, on politically significant holidays, and during international events. 

• Demonstrations can be unpredictable. Avoid areas around protests and demonstrations. 
• Past demonstrations have turned violent.
• Check local media for updates and traffic advisories.
• Participating in demonstrations on a tourist visa can lead to deportation.

International Financial Scams:  See the  Department of State  and the  FBI  pages for information.

Internet romance and financial scams occur in Indonesia. Scams are often initiated through Internet postings/profiles or by unsolicited emails and letters. Scammers almost always pose as U.S. citizens who have no one else to turn to for help. Common scams include:

• Romance/Online dating
• Money transfers
• Lucrative sales
• Gold purchase
• Contracts with promises of large commissions
• Grandparent/Relative targeting
• Free Trip/Luggage
• Inheritance notices
• Work permits/job offers
• Bank overpayments

Victims of Crime:

Sexual assault:  U.S. citizen victims of sexual assault should seek prompt medical assistance, contact the Embassy or nearest Consulate, and call the local police at 112. For a criminal investigation to be initiated by the police, the victim must make a full statement to the local police, in person.  Remember that local authorities are responsible for investigating and prosecuting crime. U.S. citizen victims of sexual assault may choose to be accompanied by a translator.

See our webpage on help for U.S. victims of crime overseas .

• Help you find appropriate medical care
• Assist you in reporting a crime to the police
• Contact relatives or friends with your written consent
• Explain the local criminal justice process in general terms
• Provide a list of local attorneys
• Provide our information on victim’s compensation programs in the U.S.
• Provide an emergency loan for repatriation to the United States and/or limited medical support in cases of destitution. Follow this link for more information
• Help you find accommodation and arrange flights home
• Replace a stolen or lost passport

Domestic Violence:  U.S. citizen victims of domestic violence are encouraged to contact the Embassy for assistance.

Tourism: The tourism and recreational activity industries are unevenly regulated, and safety inspections for equipment and facilities do not commonly occur. Hazardous areas/activities are not always identified with appropriate signage, and staff may not be trained or certified either by the host government or by recognized authorities in the field.  Water sports, especially diving, can be hazardous in Indonesia with operators lightly regulated and hyperbaric chambers available only in Bali and Ambon.  Traffic is hazardous in Indonesia and U.S. citizens are frequently injured while riding rented motorbikes. Wearing a helmet is required by law. In the event of an injury, appropriate medical treatment is typically available only in/near major cities, and only basic stabilization may be available. Serious injuries require medical evacuation to another country. First responders are generally unable to provide urgent medical treatment or to access areas outside of major cities. Boat and ferry incidents are frequent; vessels rarely carry appropriate sizes and numbers of safety vests; passengers are encouraged to bring their own. U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to purchase medical evacuation insurance. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage ( http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/go/health/insurance-providers.html ).

Please note:   The U.S. Embassy and Consulates do not pay the medical expenses of private U.S. citizens in Indonesia. It is the traveler’s responsibility to ensure adequate medical insurance coverage or funds for medical expenses.

Local Laws & Special Circumstances

Criminal Penalties:  You are subject to Indonesian laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. Criminal cases can take months or even years to resolve, and suspects can be held without charges for up to 60 days, and in many cases longer. Indonesia‘s revised criminal code, which takes effect January 2026, includes penalties for defamation, blasphemy, cohabitation, and sex outside of marriage. Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to stay up-to-date.

If you are convicted of possession, use, or trafficking of illegal drugs in Indonesia, you may be subject to heavy fines, long jail sentences, and even the death penalty. Some prescription medications that are available in the United States are illegal in Indonesia. Some drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are illegal in Indonesia. Marijuana, Cannabis, hash, “edibles,” and products containing CBD or THC remain illegal in Indonesia, including for medicinal purposes. A medical prescription does not make it legal. If you take such products to Indonesia or purchase or use them in Indonesia, you can be arrested and face imprisonment, fines, deportation, or the death penalty. Illegal drug convictions often result in lengthy prison sentences, even at the simple possession level. Indonesian prison conditions are harsh and do not meet U.S. standards. Many prisons are overcrowded and provide minimal services. The costs of basic services, including healthcare, often must be borne by the prisoner.

Individuals establishing a business or practicing a profession that requires additional permits or licensing should seek information from the competent local authorities prior to practicing or operating a business.

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States regardless of local law. For examples, see our website on crimes against minors abroad and the Department of Justice website.

Arrest Notification:  If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy immediately. See our webpage for further information.

Counterfeit and Pirated Goods:  Although counterfeit and pirated goods are prevalent in many countries, they may still be illegal according to local laws. You may also pay fines or have to give them up if you bring them back to the United States. See the U.S. Department of Justice website for more information.

Faith-Based Travelers:  See the following webpages for details:

• Faith-Based Travel Information
• nternational Religious Freedom Report – see country reports
• Human Rights Report – see country reports
• Hajj Fact Sheet for Travelers
• Best Practices for Volunteering Abroad

LGBTQI+ Travelers:  LGBTQI+ status or conduct is not illegal, but local authorities sometimes take legal action against, or tolerate harassment of people engaging in LGBTQI+ relationships or openly expressing LGBTQI+ identity. Some local governments have passed laws criminalizing LGBTQI+ relationships. Same-sex marriages or civil unions recognized as valid in other countries are not legally recognized in Indonesia. The Indonesian Parliament revised the criminal code to include penalties for cohabitation and sex outside of marriage. These revisions, however, will not come into force until January 2026, and how they will be implemented is unclear.

See our LGBTQI+ Travel Information page and section 6 of our Human Rights report for further details .

Sharia Law:   Sharia law is enforced in Aceh province and may exist unofficially or through local legislation in other areas. The law is intended for Muslims and should not apply to non-Muslims or foreign visitors. You should be respectful of local traditions, mindful of social norms, and seek guidance from local police if confronted by Sharia authorities. 

Earthquakes and Tsunamis:  There are approximately 4,000 earthquakes per year in Indonesia, or more than 10 per day on average. While most earthquakes are mild, some cause significant destruction and can trigger tsunamis. Tsunami warning systems may not be operable, or reports of tremors and tsunamis may be delayed. Local construction standards are lower than in the United States, and many structures including hotels and malls are prone to damage or collapse in an earthquake. Access to disaster-affected areas is often difficult and assistance from the U.S. Embassy may be limited.

If a major earthquake or landslide occurs close to shore, you should follow the instructions of local authorities, bearing in mind that a tsunami could arrive within minutes. The Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning Centre issues tsunami warnings when a potential tsunami with significant impact is imminent or expected.

Volcanoes:  There are 127 active volcanoes in Indonesia. Eruptions frequently cause travel delays, displace local populations, and disrupt economic activities. 

Environmental Quality:  Air quality in Indonesia’s major cities can range from "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "unhealthy." Current air quality data for Jakarta can be found on the Embassy’s  Air Quality  page. Tap water is not potable throughout Indonesia and should not be consumed. 

Mountain Hiking:  When hiking in mountainous areas, obtain current information on local conditions, travel with a reputable guide, have overseas medical insurance, and carry a local mobile phone. Never go hiking or climbing alone. Particularly dangerous trails may not be clearly labeled as such. Hikers on Puncak Jaya in Papua should have realistic primary and backup plans for climbing down the mountain. Tour operators have abandoned climbers. Taking shortcuts through private property is considered trespassing and is not a safe or legal alternative to a proper plan. If possible, ensure your hiking plans are registered and known to local authorities and/or tourism operators, as this helps identify your presence in these areas in the event of an emergency. 

Dual Nationality:  Indonesian law does not recognize dual nationality for adults over 18 years of age. U.S. citizens who are also Indonesian nationals may be required to renounce their Indonesian citizenship and may also be deported.  Please visit our Dual Nationality page .

Travelers with Disabilities:  Persons with disabilities will face severe difficulties in Indonesia as most public places and transportation facilities do not accommodate disabled people. The law in Indonesia prohibits discrimination against persons with mental and physical disabilities, but the law is seldom enforced. Social acceptance of persons with disabilities in public is not as prevalent as in the United States. Expect accessibility to be extremely limited in public transportation, lodging, communication/information, and general infrastructure.

Students:  See our Students Abroad page and FBI travel tips .

Women Travelers:   Women traveling alone may be subject to harassment and verbal abuse. Sexual assault, harassment, and rape occur. To minimize the risk, avoid travelling alone, especially at night; remain particularly vigilant in less populous areas; and be careful when dealing with strangers or recent acquaintances. Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers. Be wary of accepting snacks, beverages, gum, or cigarettes from new acquaintances. These items may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery. While domestic violence is illegal in Indonesia, these laws are rarely enforced. Local authorities may not respond adequately to reports of sexual violence and harassment. If you are the victim of a sexual assault, you should report it immediately to local authorities and to the U.S. Embassy or U.S. Consulate General and seek medical attention. See our travel tips for Women Travelers .

The Government of Indonesia requires all non-Indonesian citizens entering the country to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 

Medical Care:  For emergency services in Indonesia dial 112.

Sanitation and health care conditions in Indonesia are far below U.S. standards. Routine medical care is available in all major cities, although most expatriates leave the country for all but the most basic medical procedures. Physicians and hospitals often expect payment or sizable deposits before providing medical care, even in emergency and/or life-threatening situations. See our  Embassy's  website for a list of English-speaking doctors and hospitals, but keep in mind that even in large cities the quality of English-speaking medical personnel will vary and there are often communication difficulties. In remote areas there may be no English-speaking medical personnel. Psychological and psychiatric services are limited, even in the larger cities, with hospital-based care only available through government institutions.

Ambulance services are not widely available, and training and availability of emergency responders may be below U.S. standards. Ambulances are not staffed with trained paramedics and often have little or no medical equipment. Injured or seriously ill travelers may prefer to take a taxi or private vehicle to the nearest major hospital rather than wait for an ambulance.

We do not pay medical bills.  Be aware that U.S. Medicare/Medicaid does not apply overseas. Most hospitals and doctors overseas do not accept U.S. health insurance.

Medical Insurance:   Make sure your health insurance plan provides coverage overseas. Most care providers overseas only accept cash payments. See our webpage for more information on insurance providers for overseas coverage. Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for more information on type of insurance you should consider before you travel overseas.

We strongly recommend supplemental insurance to cover medical evacuation, which can exceed over $100,000 per person.

Always carry your prescription medication in original packaging, along with your doctor’s prescription.  Be aware that Indonesian authorities may consider some prescription drugs as illegal narcotics. The Indonesian government does not publish a list of which pharmaceuticals are considered contraband, and these decisions may be arbitrary.

U.S. citizens are advised against mailing or shipping by courier any medications to Indonesia. Indonesian authorities pay close attention to packages containing pharmaceuticals and may detain or arrest recipients of both prescription and over the counter medications. Even if a medication is legal or has been prescribed in the United States, it may be considered an illegal narcotic in Indonesia. U.S. citizens are advised to only hand carry prescription medications into the country, in the original packaging with a copy of any prescription. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates cannot assist you with the importation and/or release of medications.  

Marijuana, Cannabis, hash, “edibles,” and products containing CBD or THC remain illegal in Indonesia, including for medicinal purposes.  A medical prescription does not make it legal.

Local pharmacies carry a range of products of variable quality, availability, and cost. Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a significant risk; patronize only reputable pharmacies. Malaria, dengue, Japanese encephalitis, and  Zika virus  are mosquito borne diseases in Indonesia.  Prevention of mosquito bites  is strongly encouraged; malaria preventive medication is needed in some areas. Pregnant women should be aware that Indonesia is a  CDC Zika risk area  and that Zika can be spread by mosquitos as well as  sexual contact . Diarrheal diseases are very common throughout Indonesia and  food and water precautions  are recommended. Rabies is prevalent in animals and animal contact should be avoided.

Vaccinations:  Be up-to-date on all vaccinations recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Further health information:

• World Health Organization
• U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Air Quality:  Visit AirNow Department of State for information on air quality at U.S. Embassies and Consulates. See the OPTIONAL stock language below for additional suggestions.

The U.S. Embassy maintains a list of doctors and hospitals. We do not endorse or recommend any specific medical provider or clinic.

Medical Tourism and Elective Surgery

• Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for information on Medical Tourism, the risks of medical tourism, and what you can do to prepare before traveling to Indonesia.
• We strongly recommend supplemental insurance  to cover medical evacuation in the event of unforeseen medical complications.
• Your legal options in case of malpractice are very limited in Indonesia.

Pharmaceuticals

• Exercise caution when purchasing medication overseas.  Pharmaceuticals, both over the counter and requiring prescription in the United States, are often readily available for purchase with little controls. Counterfeit medication is common and may prove to be ineffective, the wrong strength, or contain dangerous ingredients.  Medication should be purchased in consultation with a medical professional and from reputable establishments.
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration are responsible for rules governing the transport of medication back to the United States. Medication purchased abroad must meet their requirements to be legally brought back into the United States. Medication should be for personal use and must be approved for usage in the United States. Please visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Food and Drug Administration websites for more information.

Water Quality

• Tap water is not potable. Bottled water and beverages are generally safe, although you should be aware that many restaurants and hotels serve tap water unless bottled water is specifically requested. Be aware that ice for drinks may be made using tap water.

Adventure Travel

• Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about Adventure Travel .

General Health Language

The following diseases are prevalent:

• Tuberculosis
• Chikungunya
• Use the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended mosquito repellents and sleep under insecticide-impregnated mosquito nets. Chemoprophylaxis is recommended for all travelers even for short stays.
• Visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for more information about Resources for Travelers regarding specific issues in Indonesia.

Air Quality

• Air pollution is a significant problem in several major cities in Indonesia. Consider the impact smog and heavy particulate pollution may have on you and consult your doctor before traveling if necessary. People at the greatest risk from particle pollution exposure include:
• Infants, children, and teens
• People over 65 years of age
• People with lung disease such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema
• People with heart disease or diabetes
• People who work or are active outdoors

Travel and Transportation

Road Conditions and Safety:  Traffic in Indonesia is hazardous, congested, and undisciplined. Traffic signals are frequently ignored and often in disrepair. Motor vehicles share the roads with other forms of transportation such as pedicabs and pushcarts. Buses and trucks are often dangerously overloaded and travel at high speeds. Accidents between a car and a motorcycle are viewed as the fault of the driver of the car. Consider these risks before driving your own vehicle, especially if you are unaccustomed to Indonesian road conditions.  When an accident results in personal injury, Indonesian law requires both drivers to await the arrival of a police officer to report the accident.

Public Transportation:   Air, ferry, and road accidents that result in fatalities, injuries, and significant damage are common. While all forms of transportation are regulated in Indonesia, oversight is spotty, maintenance may not be properly performed, and rescue and emergency capacity are limited. Indonesia has experienced several fatal plane crashes and non-fatal runway overruns in recent years. Also in recent years, several ferry accidents and a train collision resulted in dozens of fatalities and even more injuries because of over-crowding and unsafe conditions.

See our  Road Safety page  for more information. Also, visit  Indonesia's national tourist office  online for road safety information.

Aviation Safety Oversight: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has assessed the government of Indonesia’s Civil Aviation Authority as being in compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards for oversight of Indonesia’s air carrier operations.  Further information may be found on the FAA’s safety assessment page .

Since 2014, several private pilots have inadvertently crossed into Indonesian airspace and have been detained and paid heavy fines. If you intend to fly on private aircraft through Indonesian airspace, get clearances from Indonesian aviation authorities before you depart. 

Maritime Safety and Security:   Inter-island travel by boat or ferry can be dangerous: storms can appear quickly, vessels may be over-crowded and lack basic safety equipment, and safety standards vary. Ferries have sunk, resulting in loss of life. The Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency records boat and ferry accidents resulting in injuries and deaths yearly. Boats and ferries used in tourism or general transportation frequently break down, stranding passengers or capsizing; not all boats are equipped with adequate life vests. Make sure you are satisfied with safety equipment and life jackets before travelling. 

Piracy:  Maritime piracy and other related crimes in and around Indonesian waters continue. Recent reports include thefts of valuables or cargo from boats that are in port and out at sea. Before traveling by sea, especially in the Strait of Malacca between Riau Province and Singapore, and in the waters north of Sulawesi and Kalimantan, review the current security situation with local authorities. Be vigilant, reduce opportunities for theft, establish secure areas on board, and report all incidents to the coastal and flag state authorities.

Maritime Travel:  Mariners planning travel to Indonesia should also check for U.S. maritime advisories and alerts on the  Maritime Administration website . Information may also be posted to the websites of the  U.S. Coast Guard  and the  National Geospace Intelligence Agency  (select “broadcast warnings”).

In recent years, private vessels have inadvertently anchored in Indonesian waters, especially near Singapore, and have been detained and paid heavy fines.

For additional travel information

• Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive security messages and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
• Call us in Washington, D.C. at 1-888-407-4747 (toll-free in the United States and Canada) or 1-202-501-4444 (from all other countries) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
• See the  State Department’s travel website  for the  Worldwide Caution  and  Travel Advisories .
• Follow us on  Twitter  and  Facebook .
• See  traveling safely abroad  for useful travel tips.

Review information about International Parental Child Abduction in Indonesia . For additional IPCA-related information, please see the International Child Abduction Prevention and Return Act ( ICAPRA ) report.

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With 17,000 Indonesian islands scattered between the Asian mainland and Australia, the archipelago has more than its share of natural wonders and curious wildlife. You’ll discover everything from the scorched landscape of Komodo to the lush volcanic slopes of Flores and the shimmering reefs of the Gili Islands. Spectacular crater lakes change colour before your eyes, while sparring dragons could be straight from a scene of Jurassic Park.

Indonesia travel facts

Where to go in indonesia, best time to go to indonesia.

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Lombok and Gili Islands

Around 35 kilometres east of Bali, Lombok has more unspoilt beaches than its neighbour, and less traffic and pollution. Visually it’s stunning, with the awesome bulk of Gunung Rinjani rising above turquoise crater lakes. Just off shore, the fabled Gili Islands are ringed by white-sand beaches and pristine coral reefs. Of the three, Gili Trawangan is the party island, while Gili Air and Meno have a mellower vibe.

Java ’s central spine is dominated by volcanoes, their fertile slopes supporting glimmering rice fields dotted with countless villages. To the south is the homeland of the ethnic Javanese and the centre of their traditional arts, culture and language, epitomized by the royal courts of Yogyakarta and Solo. To the east, the volcanic massif of Gunung Bromo offers excellent hikes, particularly at sunrise. Elsewhere are the ancient temples of the Dieng Plateau, the turquoise lake of Kawah Ijen and the palm-fringed beaches around Pangandaran.

An explorer’s paradise, much of Sumatra remains undiscovered. Most of the highlights on the beaten path are clustered to the north of the old Trans-Sumatran highway: the orangutan-filled jungles of Bukit Lawang; Danau Toba, the spiritual heartland of the fascinating Batak tribe; the twin volcanoes of Berastagi; and the diving sites of Pulau Weh. To the west you’ll discover Bukittinggi – the cultural capital of the Minangkabau Highlands – and the jungle-rimmed lake of Danau Maninjau.

Kalimantan, Borneo

Occupying the southern two-thirds of Borneo, Kalimantan remains largely untouched by tourism. With few roads, the interior’s great rivers are its highways and a boat trip along the waterways will offer a taste of traditional Dayak life. More intrepid explorers can spend weeks navigating their way through seldom-ventured tropical jungle, and a visit to one of the national parks could bring you face to face with wild orangutans.

Flores comprises one of the most alluring landscapes in Indonesia. The volcanic spine of the island soars to 2500m, and torrential wet seasons result in a lushness that marks Flores apart from its scorched neighbours. The most arresting sight is Kelimutu: the three craters of this extinct volcano each contain a lake of different, vibrant and gradually changing colours.

Off the west coast of Flores lies Komodo National Park, a group of parched but majestic islands that are home to the endemic Komodo dragon. The largest extant lizard in the world, this fearsome creature weighs up to 150lbs and has a toxic bite, allowing them to hunt far bigger prey. The two most-visited islands in the national park are Komodo and Rinca; received wisdom has it that the dragons on the former are bigger but harder to spot.

Sulawesi ’s unusual “K” shape means nowhere on the island is much more than 100km from the sea. Mountains isolate its four separate peninsulas from one another and from the outside world – invaders were hard-pushed to colonize beyond the coast, and a unique blend of cultures developed. The south is split between the highland Torajans and the lowland Bugis; various isolated tribes occupy the central highlands, and the Filipino-descended Minahasans reside in the far north. The mountainous Tanah Toraja is the island’s chief attraction, thanks to its beautiful scenery, unusual architecture and vibrant festivals.

Jakarta is Indonesia’s unrivalled megalopolis, home to almost 30 million people across its 700-square-kilometre concrete sprawl. Though many travellers don’t give the capital a second glance, there’s nowhere better to experience Indonesia’s pulsing dynamism and heart-rending contrasts. Give the city a chance and you’ll discover everything from fascinating ethnic and historical quarters and interesting museums to heady nightlife and gargantuan new malls.

Discover more places in Indonesia

• Komodo, Indonesia
• Lombok, Indonesia
• Sulawesi, Indonesia
• Sumatra, Indonesia
• Sumba, Indonesia
• Sumbawa, Indonesia
• Raja Ampat, Indonesia
• Nusa Penida, Indonesia
• Nusa Lembongan, Indonesia

The whole Indonesian archipelago is tropical, with temperatures always between 21°C and 33°C, although cooler in the mountains. In theory, the best time to travel to Indonesia is dictated by the wet and dry season, though it’s often hard to tell the difference. This is increasingly so with the effects of climate change, which has already altered seasonal patterns, sometimes shortening and concentrating wet seasons.

Very roughly, in much of the country, November to April are the wet months (Jan and Feb the wettest) and May through to October is dry. The most expensive time to visit Indonesia is between mid-June and mid-September and again over Christmas and New Year, when rooms can be fully booked for days on end. Read more about the best time to visit Indonesia .

This part of our Indonesia guide will look at how best to travel to the country and how to get around the islands.

Jakarta’s Sukarno-Hatta Airport and Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport are the main international air gateways into Indonesia, with direct flights from several Australian cities and destinations throughout Asia.

The archipelago also has international airports at Medan, Makassar, Manado, Padang, Surabaya and Yogyakarta – with connections mainly to other Southeast Asian airports.

For entering by boat, Indonesia has ferry connections with Malaysia and Singapore.

When considering how to get around Indonesia , bear in mind delays are common to all forms of transport, caused by weather, mechanical failure, or simply not enough passengers turning up. The best option is to keep your schedule as flexible as possible to save yourself a good deal of stress.

One of the cheaper ways to get around in Indonesia is by bus. However, you may find that you’re getting what you pay for in terms of comfort and safety. Another option are the tourist shuttle buses for the longer distances.

In Java, you will find trains which are likely to be more comfortable and reliable than buses.

Ferry routes run between the neighbouring islands of Indonesia offering short and long distance route options. Check up-to-date route information and buy tickets in advance at the local Pelni office.

Domestic flights can be a quicker and cheaper way to travel between the Indonesian islands. State-operated Garuda and Air Asia are the most reputable airlines, handling a range of international and domestic flights.

Read more travel advice for getting around Indonesia .

The biggest Buddhist stupa in the world, the ninth-century temple is the greatest single piece of classical architecture in the archipelago. The surroundings are just as spectacular, with looming volcanoes on three sides and jagged limestone cliffs on the fourth.

Tucked away on the easternmost fringes of Gunung Leuser National Park, Bukit Lawang offers some of the world’s best opportunities for seeing orangutans in the wild. To witness these incredible creatures performing gymnastics in the treetops is one of the most memorable experiences in Indonesia.

Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali, known for its talented classical dancers and musicians and for its prolific painters and artisans. Set amid terraced rice paddies, the seductive town brims with art galleries, museums and artisanal shops.

Rinjani, at 3726m, is one of Indonesia’s highest mountains. The climb to its summit is challenging but rewarding, taking in forest, rocky peaks and the magnificent crater lake of Danau Segara Anak.

To the south of Sulawesi, the mountainous highlands of Tanah Toraja is home to one of Indonesia’s most confident and vivid cultures: the Torajans, famed for their ghoulish burial rituals.

Clustered about 150km southeast of Ambon in the remote Banda Sea, the Bandas centre around the perfectly conical peak of Gunung Api. Divers from across the world are lured to these far-flung volcanic isles to swim among sea turtles, black marlins and hammerhead sharks.

The three craters of this extinct volcano each contain a lake of different, vibrant and gradually changing colours. Trek to the lunar-like summit at dawn to see the sun rise hazily over the mountains.

Off the west coast of Flores lies Komodo National Park, a group of barren but majestic islands that are home to the Komodo dragon – the largest extant lizard in the world.

On the borders of Alas Purwo National Park in the far southeastern corner of Java, the fishing village of Grajagan has become famous for its world-class surf. Better known as G-Land, it boasts awesomely long right- and left-handers and many kilometres of pristine beach.

This trio of jungly specks just off the northwest coast of Lombok are strikingly beautiful, with glorious white-sand beaches lapped by brilliant blue waters. Gili Trawangan best fits the image of party island, tiny Gili Meno is a honeymooners’ favourite, and Gili Air offers a mix of the two.

The laid-back town of Bukittinggi appeals with its flamboyant Minangkabau architecture, the beautiful scenery around Danau Maninjau and the rafflesia reserves in the hills.

South of Flores, Sumba is famous for its intricate fabrics, grand funeral ceremonies and its extraordinary annual pageant of horseback spear throwing.

With dense tropical jungle and abundant wildlife, Kalimantan provides opportunities for river travel in undiscovered territory. Cruise past mangroves, jungle and stilt villages along Indonesia's longest river, the Sungai Kapuas.

Yogyakarta ranks as one of the best-preserved and most attractive cities in Java, and is a major centre for the classical Javanese arts of dance, music, poetry and puppet shows.

Tangkoko National Park is the home of the world’s smallest primate, the tarsier. These nocturnal tree-dwelling creatures resemble bush babies or aye-ayes with their large saucer eyes and long, thin fingers.

Read our full guide on things not to miss during your Indonesia trip.

We’ve expanded our Indonesia travel guide to include an example of our Tailor-Made travel itineraries . These Indonesia itineraries can take you to every corner of the archipelago – and you’ll learn plenty about the Indonesian islands no matter where you want to go or what you want to do.

Travel ideas for Indonesia, created by local experts

6 days  / from 830 USD

Bali's Beaches and Temples

Experience Bali's brilliant beaches and temples with this stunning trip. Marvel at ancient temples like Tanah Lot and Pura Besakih, soak in stunning sunsets, stroll bare-footed along the best beaches in Bali and haggle at local markets – experience all of this, and much more, with this unique trip!

10 days  / from 1600 USD

Rest and Relaxation in Bali and Lombok

This unique trip will take you to some of Bali and Lombok's most traditional places. Look forward to driving through tropical landscapes and spending time in villages nestled in scenic spots of traditional luxury with infinity pools and stunning vistas over the ocean.

10 days  / from 2100 USD

Royal Bali - Culture & Beaches

Enjoy a luxurious stay in Bali, with hand-picked 5 Star Hotels. This trip includes privately guided tours as well as leisure time, ideal for families with kids. Highlights include sea temple Tanah Lot, Jatiluwih rice terraces and Uluwatu temple with its famous Kecak dance.

Rich wildlife, smoking volcanoes, pink beaches: the highlights of Indonesia can be covered in a two-week trip.

Two week itinerary : ULTIMATE INDONESIA

• Bukit Lawang, Sumatra. In north Sumatra, the thick, misty jungle of Gunung Leuser National Park shelters wild orangutans, which can be spotted cavorting among the treetops.
• Ubud, Bali. Browse the art galleries and craft stores of Bali’s cultural capital, before watching captivating performances by classical dancers and musicians. Spend another day at your leisure or on a cycling tour of the area.
• Mount Batur, Bali. Rising from a huge volcanic crater, Gunung Batur is a smouldering volcano with wisps of sulphurous smoke drifting across its slopes. Hike to the summit at sunrise for dreamy views.
• Penarungan, Bali. Penarungan is a remote village on the fringes of Ubud, where traditional rural Balinese life continues as it has for years.
• Komodo National Park. Go island-hopping across Kelor and Rinca for the chance to trek among lunar landscapes and spot the Komodo dragon, or ora as it is known locally. You may also spot other unusual wildlife like sulphur-crested cockatoos, brush turkeys and the megapode bird.
• Pantai Merah, Komodo. The candy floss-coloured sands of Pantai Merah are the reason for its apt nickname: Pink Beach. This rose-tinted stretch of sand hugs the coastline of Komodo, and is a great snorkelling spot for its tropical fish and manta rays.
• Kanawa Beach, Komodo. Spend the morning snorkelling in the crystal clear waters before your transfer back to Bali.
• Sanur, Bali. A laid-back beach resort hooking around the southern coast of Bali, this is a chilled spot to unplug on powdery sands.
• Tanah Lot, Bali. Framed by frothing white surf and glistening black sand, this elegant Hindu temple is marooned on a wave-lashed rock just off the Balinese coast.

Whether you have two weeks or a month, our local Indonesia experts can book a trip that gives you the flavour of travel in this extraordinary country.

Travel advice for Indonesia

From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Indonesia

• Culture and Etiquette in Indonesia
• Eating and drinking in Indonesia
• Getting around Indonesia: Transportation Tips
• Travel Tips Indonesia for planning and on the go
• Best time to visit Indonesia

In this section, we will look at Indonesia travel advice and tips to help you enjoy a stress-free trip.

Money and banks

The Indonesian currency is the rupiah (“Rp”). Notes come in denominations of Rp500 (very rare), Rp1000, Rp5000, Rp10,000, Rp20,000, Rp50,000 and Rp100,000. Coins, mainly used for bemos, come in Rp25 (rare), Rp50, Rp100, Rp500 and Rp1000 denominations. Officially, rupiah are available outside Indonesia, but the currency’s volatile value means that few banks carry it.

You’ll find banks capable of handling foreign exchange in provincial capitals and bigger cities throughout Indonesia, and almost every town has at least one or two ATMs, which are also found within most Indomaret and Alfamart convenience stores. These generally accept at least one from Visa, MasterCard or Cirrus-Maestro.

Medical care and emergencies

Pharmacies ( apotek or apotik ) can provide many medicines without prescription, but if you need an English-speaking doctor ( doktor ) or dentist ( doktor gigi ), seek advice at your accommodation or at the local tourist office. You’ll find a public hospital ( rumah sakit ) in major cities and towns, and in some places these are supplemented by private hospitals, many of which operate an accident and emergency department. If you have a serious accident or illness, you will need to be evacuated home or to Singapore, which has Asia’s best medical provision. It is, therefore, vital to arrange health insurance before you visit Indonesia.

Crime and safety

Indonesia has endured a torrid time over the past decade or so, most recently with the January 2016 terror attacks in downtown Jakarta, killing eight including the four assailants. Together with the July 2009 bombings of Jakarta’s Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott hotels, the 2002 Bali bombings which left more than 200 (mostly foreigners) dead and the violence that surrounded the political and religious upheavals of the past decade, it undermines the idea that Indonesia is a safe place to travel. However, considering the scale of Indonesia and the vast number of international travellers, incidents involving Westerners are rare.

Petty theft, however, is a fact of life, so don’t flash around expensive computer equipment, jewellery or watches. Be aware of pickpockets on ferries, buses or bemos, who usually operate in pairs: one will try to distract you. Have nothing to do with drugs in Indonesia: the penalties are extremely tough, and you won’t get any sympathy from consular officials.

Read more travel advice for Indonesia .

As of 2016, citizens from 169 countries, including all of Europe as well as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US, can enter Indonesia visa-free at any official immigration gateways and stay for thirty days. However, travel requirements for Indonesia are notoriously prone to change, so it’s worth checking before you travel. For a full list of official gateways see indonesianembassy.org.uk .

Once you have entered visa-free, you cannot extend your stay so if you’re planning to stay longer than thirty days, you’ll need to either purchase a visa in advance from an Indonesian consulate or buy one on arrival for $35, which can then be extended for another thirty days at an immigration office (for Rp250,000).

Alternatively, you could make a visa run to Singapore or Malaysia before returning to obtain another thirty days in the country. A visa is most easily obtained in Singapore, Penang or Kuala Lumpur. A fee of Rp300,000 per day is incurred if you overstay your visa.

Prices for the simplest double room start at around $5 (more in touristy areas like Bali), and in all categories are at their most expensive from mid-June through to August, and in December and January. The bottom end of Indonesia’s accommodation market is provided by homestays and hostels. Penginapan, or inns, are often simply spare bedrooms in the family home, and there’s often not much difference between these and losmen, pondok and wisma, which are also family-run operations. Rooms vary from whitewashed concrete cubes to artful bamboo structures – some are even set in their own walled gardens. Hard beds and bolsters are the norm, and you may be provided with a light blanket.

In remote, rural Indonesia, you may end up staying in villages without formal lodgings, in a bed in a family house. First ask permission from the local police or the kepala desa (village head). In exchange for accommodation and meals, you should offer cash or useful gifts, such as rice, salt, cigarettes or food, to the value of about $2 at the very least.

At first glance Indonesian food may appear to lack variety, but scratch beneath the surface to discover regional specialities from across the archipelago and beyond. Influences from Chinese, Middle Eastern, Malay, Indian and Polynesian cuisines find their way into kitchens across Indonesia.

While rice is the favoured staple, noodles are also widely popular. Chicken, goat and beef are the main meats in this predominantly Muslim country, though plenty of pork options feature in Christian areas and seafood dominates coastal menus. Many restaurants offer a handful of vegetarian options, including cap cay (fried mixed vegetables), tahu (tofu), and tempe (pressed, fermented soya beans), a Javanese speciality.

Spices are the backbone of all Indonesian cooking, fried to form a paste for curries or rubbed over ingredients prior to frying or grilling. Meals are often served with sambal, a sizzling blend of chillies and spices. Vegetarians should be aware that krecek , a type of sambal, contains cow skin.

Alcohol is often a touchy subject in Indonesia, where public drunkenness may incur serious trouble, though there’s no need to be paranoid about this in cities. The locally produced beers, Anker and Bintang, are widely available. Spirits are less publicly consumed, and may be technically illegal, so indulge with caution. Nonetheless, home-produced brews are often sold openly in villages.

Some of the most popular Indonesian food and drink include:

• Nasi goreng , fried rice with shreds of meat and vegetables and topped with a fried egg.
• Nasi campur , boiled rice served with a small range of side dishes.
• Gado-gado , steamed vegetables dressed in a peanut sauce.
• Sate , small kebabs of barbecued meat or fish, served with spicy peanut sauce.
• Roti , an Indonesian bread made from sweetened dough.
• Indonesian coffee is among the world’s best, sweetened with copious amounts of sugar ( gula ).
• Tuak (“ balok ”) or palm wine, made by tapping a suitable tree for its sap, comes in plain milky white or pale red varieties.
• Rice wine ( arak or brem ) and sopi , a distillation of tuak, either of which can leave you incapacitated after a heavy session.

Read more about the food and drink in Indonesia .

Most people who visit Indonesia come for the sea, either surfing across the breakers or delving beneath the water’s surface on snorkelling and diving excursions. Inland is an abundance of hiking and biking opportunities, from volcano treks to wildlife-spotting in national parks and cycling among the lush countryside.

Indonesia has many of the world’s best diving sites, including Pulau Bunaken off Sulawesi, Pulau Weh off northern Aceh in Sumatra, the Bandas in the Maluku Islands, and Raja Ampat to the west of Papua. Most major beach resorts have dive centres, but once you get further afield you’ll probably have to rely on live-aboard cruises. A day’s diving costs anything from $45 to upwards of $100.

One of the main reasons why people travel to Indonesia is for its pounding surf. The best-known waves are found on Bali, G-Land (Grajagan) on Java and around Krui in southern Sumatra. Further afield, Sumba, the Mentawai Islands, and Lhoknga in Aceh are also increasingly popular. Good websites include baliwaves.com , indosurflife.com , wannasurf.com and wavehunters.com .

There are endless trekking opportunities on the islands. The best places to travel in Indonesia for volcano treks include Gunung Batur on Bali and Gunung Bromo and Gunung Merapi on Java. More taxing favourites include Gunung Rinjani on Lombok and Gunung Sinabung in Sumatra. Also in Sumatra, the Gunung Leuser National Park is Southeast Asia’s largest, and includes the famous Bukit Lawang orangutan sanctuary. Guides are available from local villages and tourist centres, at a cost of about Rp250,000–300,000 per day.

Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim country, but the practice of Islam across the archipelago has been shaped by centuries of interaction with Hinduism, Buddhism and other faiths, as well as traditional animist practices. As a result, Islam in Indonesia has historically been buffered against the more austere, exclusivist ideologies of certain Middle Eastern states. The majority of Indonesians remain relatively open and tolerant in line with the state philosophy of Pancasila, which grants followers of all religions equal rights.

Although there are regional variations in accepted social norms, with Aceh among the most conservative provinces and Bali the most liberal, there are also differences within provinces. Outside the main tourist resorts, dress conservatively, especially when visiting religious sites, to avoid giving offence. Often you’ll be required to wear a sarong and a ceremonial sash around your waist (usually provided by the most-visited temples). Be especially sensitive during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.

Of the vast range of traditional dance and music across the Indonesian islands, the best known are the highly stylized and mannered classical dance performances in Java and Bali, accompanied by the gamelan orchestra. Every step is minutely orchestrated, and the merest wink of an eye or arch of an eyebrow has significance. Ubud on Bali and Yogyakarta on Java are the centres for these dances.

Although there are also more 250 native languages spoken throughout the archipelago, Indonesia’s national language is Bahasa Indonesia, a form of Bahasa Malay. Because it’s written in Roman script, has no tones and uses a fairly straightforward grammar, it’s relatively easy to learn.

Pronunciation

a as in a cross between father and cup

e sometimes as in along; or as in pay; or as in get; or sometimes omitted ( selamat pronounced “slamat”)

i either as in boutique; or as in pit

o either as in hot; or as in cold

u as in boot

ai as in fine

au as in how

c as in cheap

g always hard as in girl

k hard, as in English, except at the end of the word, when you should stop just short of pronouncing it.

Given the enormous cultural and ethnic mix that makes up Indonesia, it’s hardly surprising that the range of traditional music and dance across the archipelago is so vast.

Best known are the highly stylized and mannered classical dance performances in Java and Bali, accompanied by the gamelan orchestra. Every step is minutely orchestrated, and the merest wink of an eye or arch of an eyebrow has significance. Ubud on Bali and Yogyakarta on Java are the centres for these dances. Yogya is also the main place to catch a performance of wayang kulit , shadow puppet plays.

A gamelan is an ensemble of tuned percussion, consisting mainly of gongs, metallophones and drums, made of bronze, iron, brass, wood or bamboo, with wooden frames, which are often intricately carved and painted. The full ensemble also includes vocalists – a male chorus and female solo singers – and is led by the drummer in the centre. A large gamelan may be played by as many as thirty musicians, and is a communal form of music-making – there are no soloists or virtuosos.

Sundanese (West Javanese) degung is arguably the most accessible gamelan music for Western ears. Its musical structures are clear and well defined, and it is played by a small ensemble, but includes the usual range of gongs and metallophones found in all gamelan.

Top image © Akhmad Dody Firmansyah/Shutterstock

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Asia , Indonesia , Itineraries · November 25, 2020

Perfect 2 Weeks Indonesia Itinerary: Best Places to Visit

If you want to visit Indonesia for 2 weeks and have no idea where to start, this post is for you. Plan the perfect trip with this 2 weeks Indonesia itinerary, including all the best things to do and top tourist spots.

The “Emerald of the Equator” has everything a traveler could ever want – from stunning beaches and ancient temples to delicious street food and plenty to keep you busy. But with a myriad of places to go and see, planning the perfect itinerary in Indonesia can be overwhelming.

To help you find Indonesia’s best landmarks , this Indonesia travel itinerary for 2 weeks will take you from the capital Jakarta to the historic city of Yogyakarta and its famous Buddhist temple, Borobudur, all the way to Bali .

All in all, this route will give first-time visitors a great overview of what this incredible country has to offer.

Traveling on a budget? Here are 21 tips on how to save money in Indonesia .

Disclaimer: This post probably contains affiliate links. When you make a purchase through one of these links, I might receive a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Table of Contents

Indonesia 2 Week Itinerary Travel Essentials

While it’s relatively easy to explore Indonesia, there are a few things to know before setting foot in this fascinating country. 

• You might need a visa to visit Indonesia. See if you need one  here . 
• Indonesia’s currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), and 1 USD can get you roughly 16,000 rupiahs. While most touristy places accept cards, take enough cash with you when traveling off the grid. 
• Although most public spaces have wifi, these connections aren’t always the most reliable.  Grab a 4G Sim card  for pickup at the airport or this eSIM for Indonesia for a stress-free trip.  
• Unless you’re from the UK or South Africa, make sure to pack a travel adapter for your 2 weeks Indonesia itinerary.. Indonesia uses  plug types C and   F,  with a standard voltage of 230V and a frequency of 50Hz. This international travel plug  is a great option. Moreover, it comes with four USB ports and works in over 200 countries. 
• Remember to get travel insurance for your dream trip to Indonesia. I use (and recommend) SafetyWing .

How to Spend 2 Weeks in Indonesia: Quick Overview 

• Indonesia Day 1-2 : Start your Indonesia itinerary in Jakarta | Jakarta National Monument >> Batavia >> Glodok Chinatown Market >> Jalan Jaksa.
• Day 3-5 : Hop on a train to Yogyakarta | Malioboro Street >> Vredeburg Fort >>Borobudur Temple >> Mount Merapi. 
• Indonesia Day 6-10 : Fly out to Bali | Seminyak >> Canggu >> Kuta >> Ubud >>  Uluwatu Temple >> Nusa Penida.
• Day 11-1 4: Head out to the Gili Islands.

How long should you stay in Indonesia

Indonesia is a large country consisting of thousands of islands full of beautiful places to visit and tourist spots to explore. And to be honest, you could spend months here and still have things left on your Indonesia bucket list!

However, spending 2 weeks in Indonesia is the perfect time-frame to get a feeling of what the country is like and will allow ample time to visit some of the most popular places. 

With that said, if you can, extend your trip to 3 or 4 weeks to get a chance to explore other areas such as Borneo, Komodo, Raja Ampat, or even more of Java. 

When is the Best Time to Visit Indonesia 

Indonesia has a tropical climate with two distinct seasons – wet and dry. The best time to visit Indonesia is during the dry season, which runs  from April to October . During these months, the weather is ideal for swimming, surfing, diving, snorkeling, and exploring all of Indonesia’s best attractions. June to Septembe r is the peak tourist season, so if you must visit during these months, expect higher prices and lots of tourists. 

In contrast, the wet season runs  from November to March . It’s not the worst time to visit the country but prepare for frequent downpours. It’s best to avoid visiting Indonesia in January as this month sees up to 402mm in rainfall. 

An Epic 2 Weeks Indonesia Itinerary: What to Do and Where to Go in Indonesia

This 2 weeks Indonesia itinerary includes one of the best things to do in Java, the country’s most populous area. You’ll start your trip in Jakarta, the nation’s capital, where you can enjoy some sightseeing and really immerse yourself in the local culture.

Next, a train will take you across the country to the famous artists’ city, Yogyakarta. Once there, you’ll get to try some of Indonesia’s best street food and see the world-famous temple Borobudur.

After spending your first week of this Indonesia itinerary in cities, you’ll head to Bali, arguably the best island in the entire country. Here you’ll find some of the best beaches, cultural experiences, and wildlife.

After a quick visit to some of Bali’s neighboring islands and the beautiful beaches of Nusa Penida , you’ll conclude your 2-week itinerary for Indonesia in Gili Trawangan swimming with green sea turtles.

Day 1: Start your Indonesia itinerary in Jakarta

On the first day of your 2 weeks in Indonesia, you’ll probably still be dealing with jet lag and a fair bit of culture shock. Take this day to get your bearings and explore the area around your hotel or hostel. Make sure to go to bed early and get some rest as tomorrow will be an exciting day of exploring!

Where to Stay in Jakarta

Indonesia’s bustling capital city has heaps of choices when it comes to accommodation. Menteng is the city’s beating pulse and the best neighborhood to stay in Jakarta. Since you’ll be close to some of the city’s best attractions, such as Merdeka Square and the National Monument, it’s the perfect base for first-time visitors. 

• Luxury: The Hermitage is the crown jewel of 5-star luxury hotels in Jakarta. This gorgeous colonial-style property offers posh rooms accompanied by all the amenities you would ever need during this first bit of your Indonesia itinerary. See prices and availability here .
• Mid-range: Those who don’t want to sacrifice style over price should check-in at the Novotel . It’s a great mid-range option with clean, modern rooms. What’s more, the epic pool is a great place to cool down after a day out exploring Jakarta’s bustling streets. Check rates and availability here .
• Budget:   Konko Hostel  is a uber-cool hostel right in the heart of Menteng, and offers easy access to the city’s best hangouts. Both dorms and private rooms are available, making it easy to choose a space that’s right for you.  Check rates and availability here . 

Day 2: Go Sightseeing in Jakarta

Jakarta is a busy city, and it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. Use this day to see some of the most important sights around the city.

In the early morning, take a taxi to the Jakarta National Monument (MONAS). It represents the Indonesian struggle for independence and has a museum for visitors to learn about the country’s history. A ticket costs only IDR 15,000 (roughly $1), and you’ll have the best views of the city from the top of the monument.

Afterward, head to Jakarta’s old town, Batavia , to admire some of the colonial architecture. This is also a great spot for lunch. If you aren’t comfortable visiting the area independently, this guided tour is a great way to learn a little about the old town’s history and see its best bits.

Not too far from here is the Glodok Chinatown Market , which is a great place to escape the tourist crowds and immerse yourself in the busy streets of Jakarta. Join this great walking tour to explore all its nooks and crannies.

Finish off your day at Jalan Jaksa , Jakarta’s backpacker street, with a cold beer.

Recommended Jakarta tours

Day 3: take the train to yogyakarta.

Leave Jakarta behind and take an executive train to the beautiful city of Yogyakarta. While the journey takes around 6 hours and costs $20, it’s the perfect way to enjoy Java’s incredible scenery. Along the way, you’ll be rewarded with views of volcanoes and rice fields.

Since Indonesian trains are very safe and clean, you can relax or even sleep if you need some rest.

Where to Stay in Yogyakarta

There are many cool places to stay in Yogyakarta, but it’s best to stay close to the city center to maximize your time. If you can, stay near Malioboro Street. That way, you’ll be within walking distance to tons of restaurants, shops, and the city’s best nightlife spots.  

• Luxury:  If you’re looking for a posh hotel with beautiful rooms, an outdoor pool, a fitness center, and an onsite spa, then Jambuluwuk Malioboro Hotel  is just the place for you. Since the hotel is not directly on Malioboro Street itself, it’s a great place to get away from the crowds while still being close enough to all the action!  See rates and availability here . 
• Mid-range: Gaia Cosmo Hotel is a beautiful 4-star concept hotel close to Yogyakarta’s famous Malioboro Road,. With clean, modern rooms and friendly staff, it’s the perfect choice for midrange travelers looking for something a bit more upscale at exceptional rates. Check prices and availability here.
• Budget:   Liberta Malioboro  is a funky 2-star hotel. Don’t let the simple interiors fool you, because each room offers plenty of space and is exceptionally clean. Besides being one of the best-rated budget hotels in Malioboro, there’s also a beautiful pool in the cute courtyard.  See rates and availability here .

Day 4: Explore Yogyakarta

There is a lot to do in Yogyakarta. While this 2-week Indonesia itinerary definitely won’t give you enough time to see everything, you can still enjoy some of the best parts of the city. 

Walk along the famous Malioboro Street , where you’ll find the best street food in all of Java. Then, visit the historic Fort Vredeburg , a remnant of Dutch colonial times. Afterward, admire the old water palace and its incredible underground mosque.

In the evening, don’t miss the Alun Alun Square which is the best place to sample street food. A popular activity here is to a rent small, fluorescent car to drive around the yard. Don’t forget to try some of the famous Nasi Goreng, Indonesian fried rice.

Recommended Tours in Yogyakarta

Day 5: visit borobudur.

Seeing the sunrise at Borobudur Temple is an absolute must-do when you visit Yogyakarta. You’ll have to get up early to get to the temple in time, but it’ll be worth it. Don’t forget to bring a jacket as the mornings can get chilly. You’ll be amazed by the incredible sunrise at this mysterious Asian temple with volcanoes as a backdrop.

Next, hire an offroad jeep to take you around Mount Merapi , Java’s notorious volcano. After lunch, head to Prambanan Temple , which is almost as famous as Borobudur. Many visitors like to stay here until sunset, which is a spectacular sight.

If you want to see all three sights without the hassle of planning a thing, this full-day tour is your best bet.

Day 6: Take a plane to Bali

On your 6th day of this 2-week Indonesia itinerary, you’re finally heading to Bali. This is a tourist favorite with so many things to do that you’ll never be bored. 

The island is quite large, so picking a place to stay can feel overwhelming. As a first-time visitor, try to book a hotel or hostel close to either Canggu or Seminyak, which are some of the most popular areas for tourists.

Oh, and travel tip – Bali is the perfect place to rent a scooter if you know how to ride one. It’ll make getting around a lot easier.

Where to stay in Seminyak

Seminyak is a lively area in Bali brimming with hipster hangouts, trendy cafes, cool beach clubs, and lots to keep you busy. It’s also really easy to explore the rest of Bali from there, making it a great base for this leg of your 2 weeks Indonesia itinerary. 

• Luxury:  Alila Seminyak  is unquestionably one of the best luxury hotels in Seminyak. It comes with all the mod cons you would expect from a 5-star resort. The best part? It’s located right on the beach!  See prices and availability here .  
• Mid-Range:  If you’re looking for something upscale without the hefty price tag,  Cross Paasha Bali Seminyak is just the place for you. The hotel is located right in the heart of Seminyak, so you’ll be close to lots of shops and restaurants. Besides the gorgeous rooms, the stunning rooftop pool is just the place to unwind after a day exploring Bali’s best attractions.  See prices or availability here.
• Budget:   Grandma’s Plus Hotel  is the perfect base for travelers looking for a funky place to stay at backpacker rates. The hotel features an intimate setting with comfortably-sized rooms and is located less than 5 minutes walk from the beach. On top of that, it’s a great Instagrammable hotel in Bali! Don’t miss sipping a cocktail at the gorgeous pool!  Check rates and availability here. 

Day 7: Relax at the Beach

On your first day in Bali, you should take it easy. Spend your day at the beach in Canggu or Seminyak , and learn how to surf . Bali has excellent surf conditions for beginners, so everyone can learn to stand on the board on their first day, even with no experience.

After a quick lunch in a local “warung” (a tiny restaurant), take some time to explore Kuta’s side streets filled with souvenir shops and little cafes. Take your scooter (or a taxi) to the Tanah Lot temple for sunset. This temple sits on a cliff in the ocean and is one of Bali’s most magical places.

Finish off your day with a few drinks in one of the many beach bars in Canggu.

Recommended Tours in Bali

Day 8: go to ubud.

Ubud is a beautiful little town in central Bali known for its rice terraces, artisanal products, calm atmosphere, gorgeous resorts , and great food scene . If you go in the morning, you’ll be able to escape traffic and make it to Ubud in under an hour. There are public buses available, but the easiest way to get to Ubud is to rent a scooter and drive yourself.

Enjoy the Campuhan Ridge Walk , which takes you through some beautiful rice fields. For lunch, head to the Ubud Market , which is also a great spot for souvenir shopping. Make sure to add a visit to the Monkey Forest to your list of things to do in Ubud , Indonesia. This sanctuary houses thousands of wild monkeys in a large park with multiple temples.

Spend your afternoon visiting all the beautiful waterfalls in Ubud , such as the Tegenungan Waterfall . If you’re feeling sweaty from a long day of exploring, you can even go for a swim here.

Once you’re back from your day trip, get ready for a night in one of Bali’s most popular rooftop clubs, the LXXY . They offer an all-you-can-eat BBQ with free-flow drinks every night. 

Day 9: Explore Uluwatu

Today you’re exploring Bali’s southern corners. Take your scooter down to Uluwatu, which boasts an incredible shoreline with steep cliffs and white-sand beaches . Visit Balangan Beach , Bingin Beach and Dreamland Beach for some of the best views and scenery. Make it a priority to visit the famous Uluwatu Temple , which is one of the most well-known attractions in all of Bali. The temple is one of the best places to catch an iconic sunset in Bali and it’s easy to join a guided tour .

If you prefer something less-touristy, head over to beautiful Thomas Beach . Suluban Beach is another gem. The view is simply incredible here and it’s a great place to watch the changing skies while enjoying a luxury dinner at one of the many beach clubs.

Day 10: Day Trip to Nusa Penida

On your last day in Bali, you’ll have to get up early to catch a fast boat to the neighboring island of Nusa Penida.

Nusa Penida is sometimes described as “Bali 30 years ago.” There is little infrastructure, but some of the island’s best spots are still largely undiscovered by tourists. Add places like Angel’s Billabong, Broken Beach, Crystal Bay, Kelingking Beach , and Diamond Beach to your list of things to do in Nusa Penida . These are some of the best beaches on this 2-week itinerary and in all of Indonesia. All in all, Nusa Penida is an absolute highlight of any trip to Bali!

Recommended Nusa Penida Tours

Day 11: take a boat to the gili islands.

On day 11 of your 2 weeks in Indonesia, this itinerary takes you to Gili Trawangan, one of the three Gili Islands. The boat journey will take you a few hours, but it will be more than worth it. Read my guide on how to get to the Gilis from Bali . Alternatively, grab a fast boat from Nusa Penida or Bali to Gili T here to save time.

Gili Trawangan is tiny, and there is no motorized traffic on the island. The best way to get around is either by bike or by horse-drawn carriage. Spend your first evening on Gili Trawangan in a beach bar enjoying the beautiful view off the coast of Bali.

Best Gili T Accommodation

For its tiny size, Gili T surprisingly has many accommodation options! You’ll find cheaper hotels and hostels inland, but to really experience island life at its best, stay at one of the beachfront hotels or resorts instead.

• Luxury:  Wake up in paradise every day with a stay at  Gili Eco Villas Resort . This gorgeous hotel offers a relaxing experience and is located mere steps from some of Gili T’s best snorkeling and diving spots. What’s more, the rooms feature beautiful, bright interiors with lots of traditional finishes. Of course, the private beach and glimmering pool are added cherries on the top!  See rates and availability here .
• Mid-range: If you’re looking for something upmarket at surprisingly affordable rates, you don’t need to look further than Pinkcoco . The hotel features luxurious rooms with lots of space and gorgeous pink interiors. In fact, you couldn’t find a more Instagrammable hotel even if you tried! There’s also a beautiful pool where you can sip cocktails poolside, an onsite spa, and of course a cool beach bar where you can catch the famous Gili T sunset every evening! Check rates and availability here .
• Budget:  Budget or solo travelers looking for a cheap stay without sacrificing comfort will find  Mad Monkey  an excellent option. It’s a cool hostel featuring a huge outdoor pool where it’s easy to make new friends. The best part, they have various room options such as dorms, private huts, and even teepees, so it’s really easy to still enjoy a bit of privacy.  Check prices and availability here .  

Day 12: Swim with turtles

There are many incredible things to do in Gili T . But arguably, the best way to spend your first day on this gorgeous island is by the beach. This island is famous for its green sea turtles, which you can spot right from the beach. Rent some snorkeling equipment from one of the vendors by the main road and go for a swim in the shallow area close to Turtle Point . You’re almost guaranteed to encounter sea turtles right there. Always remember to be respectful and never touch a wild sea turtle or swim too close to it.

After lunch at one of the restaurants on the beach, take some time to explore Gili Trawangan. Rent a bike from your accommodation and cycle around the island, which takes less than an hour. Along the way, take some photos at the famous Gili T swings or have a freshly-cracked coconut by the beach.

In the evening, go out for a few beers and experience Gili Trawangan’s famous nightlife. There is always live music around the main road and many bars and small clubs to try out.

Day 13: Day Trip to Gili Air

On your last day in Gili Trawangan, take the early morning boat to neighboring Gili Air . This island is a bit smaller and less crowded. Cycle around the island and enjoy the secluded beaches and beautiful views of the coast of Lombok. Rent a Stand-Up-Paddle board for only a few dollars and see some of the incredible underwater life Gili Air has to offer.

Take the last boat back to Gili Trawangan and enjoy a full seafood BBQ dinner on the beach for your final evening.

Day 14: Head home

On your final day in Indonesia, book tickets for a boat to either take you back to Bali or to Lombok, both of which have an international airport from where you can catch your flight back home.

2 Weeks Indonesia Itinerary in Conclusion

As you can see, there are a plethora of beautiful places to visit in Indonesia! Spending 2 weeks in Indonesia will give you a well-rounded glimpse of what to do and see, but to be honest, you’ll only scratch the surface of this stunning South East Asian archipelago!

That wraps up this epic Indonesia travel itinerary. Do you have any advice for fellow travelers planning a 2-week stay? Feel free to share you top tips, best places to visit, things to do, and everything in between below!

If you enjoyed this Indonesia 2 week itinerary, please pin it.

About the Author: Victoria Heinz gives practical travel information for trips from all around the world, including Indonesia on her gorgeous blog,  Guide Your Travel . She shares all the things she wishes she knew before traveling and enjoys teaching others how to travel on a budget. 

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May 28, 2021 at

Hi, a bit confused. You say the dry season is from April to September, but then say the wet season is from MArch to November…which includes those “dry” months. Is this a typo?

May 30, 2021 at

Whoops! Thanks for pointing that out, Bekki! It was indeed a typo – the dry season is from April to October, and the wet season is from November to March.

October 13, 2022 at

Hi, how does one get from Yogyakarta/Borobudur to Bali? Can you provide some information about flights, what pricing looks like, and best methods to book? Thank you!

October 17, 2022 at

Hi Jane, the easiest way to get from Yogyakarta to Bali is to fly. Flights are cheap and only take 1h30. Alternatively, you can also take a train and ferry but it will take much longer. I’m not a travel agent, so I suggest you do a quick Google search to get a better idea of pricing tailored to your exact dates. I personally use Skyscanner to compare flights and 12GoAsia or Klook to look for trains/ferries.

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The Perfect 3 Week Indonesia Itinerary: Best Places to Visit in Indonesia

Lush landscapes. Pristine beaches. Friendly locals. Indonesia is one of the most magnificent destinations in the world!

If you’re planning your Indonesia itinerary and looking for the best things to do in 3 weeks, you’ve come to the right place.

I spent over 12 months in the country and ventured from the volcanoes in Java to the rice terraces in Bali. I backpacked my way overland from Lombok to Sumbawa then to Flores and finally, Sumba Island.

But with only 3 weeks in Indonesia, you won’t have enough time to do everything!

So, to help you craft the perfect trip, this Indonesia travel itinerary will take you to those magnificent landmarks you won’t want to miss. It’s a great balance of adventure and culture for first-time visitors and can be easily customized into a 2 week or 1 month itinerary for Indonesia.

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How many days in Indonesia

You’ll need at least 3 weeks in Indonesia (or more)! The country is massive and with over 17 000 islands, there are endless amounts of things to do and see.

But not everyone has time on their side, so you need to decide where your priorities lie.

Are you planning a backpacking itinerary for Indonesia? Do you want to travel slowly? Are you in search of natural attractions or cultural sights?

When is the best month to plan your trip to Indonesia

April to October are the best months to visit Indonesia. This is the dry season so you can expect warm sunny days with little to no rain.

The peak tourist season runs from July to September. There are larger crowds and higher prices during these months.

If you’re planning your Indonesia itinerary for December to March, you can expect a fair bit of rainfall. This is the rainy season after all, and it also gets extremely humid during these months.

If you’re backpacking Indonesia or doing lots of hiking, island hopping and outdoor activities, then I recommend avoiding travel during the rainy season.

3 week Indonesia itinerary Summary

Below is a summary of where to go in Indonesia. This includes island hopping and seeing all the top attractions.

• Day 1 – 3: Seminyak, Bali
• Day 4 – 5: Ubud, Bali
• Day 6 – 7: Gili Islands, Lombok
• Day 8 – 9: Kuta, Lombok
• Day 10 – 13: Komodo National Park, Flores
• Day 14 -15: Uluwatu, Bali
• Day 16-20: Optional (Java, Bali or Flores)
• Day 21: Fly home

Indonesia itinerary: Where to go, eat, play, and stay

This 3 week Indonesia itinerary starts on the Island of the Gods, Bali!

You’ll spend 6 days exploring the best of Bali , from the beaches to the rice fields.

You’ll then hop on a ferry and head east to Lombok.

Here you’ll soak up the sun on the Gili Islands before making your way to the mainland of Lombok. You’ll choose between climbing an active volcano, exploring hidden waterfalls, or sipping on cocktails on the beaches.

After 10 days in Bali and Lombok, you’ll catch a flight from Lombok to Flores Island, the home of Komodo National Park.

Flores is my favorite island and something that should be included in every Indonesia itinerary.

Finally, your last 4 days in Indonesia are up for debate! You can either venture off the beaten path in Bali or Flores or hike Mount Bromo in Java.

I’ll leave that decision up to you.

Day 1: Start your Indonesia itinerary in Bali

It’s best to start your Indonesia itinerary in Bali as the tropical island vibes will quickly get you into holiday mode!

On the first day of your 3 weeks in Indonesia, you should keep your schedule empty. After a long flight, the last thing you’ll want is to spend more time in a car driving to all the main attractions.

Instead, beat the jetlag by exploring the area around your hotel or by sipping on cocktails on the beach.

Where to stay in Bali

During this Indonesia 3 week itinerary, you’ll be staying at 3 different places in Bali . The first of those is Seminyak.

Why Seminyak? Because it’s a lively area with some of the best beach clubs, trendy cafes, and fun markets in all of Bali.

It’s the perfect introduction to the island – plus is pretty close to the airport!

Luxury: Enjoy beachfront views and 5* service at W Bali Seminyak . This hotel is hard to beat and the location could not be better. If you’re planning your honeymoon or romantic getaway, this is the perfect place to stay.

Mid-range: If you want personal space in your own private villa, look no further than Mayaloka Villas . Set amidst a lush tropical garden in the quieter side of Seminyak, you’ll have your own pool and luxury open-plan living.

Budget: Sleepwell Seminyak is a great place to stay if you’re traveling on a budget. With large private rooms, air-conditioning, and breakfast included, you get a lot of bang for your buck when staying here.

Day 2: Seminyak

It’s day 2 and you should be ready and rearing to go!

Today, you’ll stay close to Seminyak and Canggu, exploring the coastline and bustling streets.

Things to do in Seminyak or Canggu

Hit a beach club. I love Finns Beach Club! With a swim-up bar in a pool overlooking the ocean, there’s no better place to celebrate life. Other popular beach clubs include Potato Head Beach Club, Ku De Ta, Mrs. Sippy, and more!

Day trip to Canggu. Just 30 minutes from Seminyak is the digital nomad capital of Bali, Canggu! Many people choose to include Canggu in their Bali travel route as it’s a great place to learn to surf and enjoy a seafood lunch at one of the many beachside restaurants.

Relax at Double Six Beach. Double 6 Beach is one of the most popular beaches in Bali. Bear in mind that the coastline here isn’t as pristine as the beaches in Uluwatu. But that’s ok because you’ll be going to Uluwatu a bit later in this Indonesia itinerary.

Sunset at La Plancha. You can’t miss La Planch at Double 6 Beach! Here’s where you’ll find the colorful beanbags and umbrellas. It’s a great place to watch the sunset and the vibe is awesome.

Visit Tanah Lot. Tanah Lot is a Hindu temple found in the sea north of Seminyak. During low tide, visitors can access the temple from the mainland.

Go shopping. Seminyak boasts some of the best shopping in Bali.

Day 3: Ubud

On your 3rd day in Indonesia, you’ll head to Ubud, the cultural capital of Bali.

Unlike the popular areas along the coast, Ubud’s main attraction lies in its lush surroundings that ooze tranquility and peacefulness.

Where to stay in Ubud

If you’re planning an Indonesia backpacking itinerary, I suggest you stay in central Ubud, near Monkey Forest Road. Ubud is a small village bustling with tourists and everything is within walking distance or a quick taxi ride away.

If you’re looking for a more relaxed stay, you can’t go wrong with picking a place near Campuhan Ridge Walk or the neighboring villages of Penestanan and Nyuh Kuning, all of which offer quaint bungalows with views of the rice paddies.

Luxury: The Kayon Jungle Resort sure lives up to its name! The infinity pools which overlook the jungle paired with spacious Balinese-inspired rooms, make this the best place to stay in Ubud if you’re looking to live in luxury.

Mid-range: Byasa Ubud is surrounded by rice paddies and is the perfect place to spend your time in Ubud. Situated in a quieter neighborhood, you’re guaranteed a remote escape if you stay here.

Budget: Surya Bagus Homestay is ideally located near the center of Ubud and is all you need if you’re traveling on a budget. The private room comes with a complimentary breakfast and the friendly owners will ensure you have a memorable stay in Ubud.

Things to do in Ubud

Take the Campuhan Ridge Walk. Campuhan Ridge Walk starts in the heart of Ubud and passes through rice fields and villages. It’s a leisurely nature walk that takes about 2 hours to complete and covers 9 km in total.

Visit Ubud Monkey Forest. Home to over 600 mischievous monkeys and 120 different species of trees, you’ll find the Ubud Monkey Forest right in the center of bustling Ubud.

Indulge in all the food. Ubud has some of the most delicious Indonesian cuisines, so be sure to visit one of the many local restaurants.

Day 4: Ubud

Today will be your first day trip from Ubud where you’ll visit towering waterfalls, lush forests, and ancient temples.

I recommend getting a private driver for the day

Things to do

Visit a rice field. Tegalalang Rice Terrace – the most famous of all rice fields in Bali, if not the whole of Indonesia! The Tegalalang Rice Terrace lies to the north of Ubud and is the source of those iconic photos you see all over social media. Jatiluwih Rice Field is slightly further and not nearly as crowded

Explore a waterfall. Leke Leke is one of the most picturesque waterfalls in Bali and is close to Jatiluwig Rice Terrace. If you’re looking for something closer to Ubud, Tegenungan is also a popular choice.

Visit a temple. There are several temples close to Ubud. The Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple is one of the most famous, but you may also want to check out Goa Gajah (The Elephant Temple).

Lunch in the rice fields. During your day trip, ask your driver for a restaurant recommendation. You’ll be spoiled for choice when it comes to restaurants offering sprawling views of the rice fields below.

Go for a massage. After a busy day of exploring, there’s no better way to relax than by going for a massage. You’ll probably go for quite a few during your time in Indonesia as they’re so affordable. Where else will you pay less than $10 for a full body massage!

Tip: Ubud is truly a magical place. If you had more than 3 weeks in Indonesia, I would recommend spending an extra night in Ubud. You will then have time to go river rafting and explore more waterfalls.

Day 5: Ubud to Gili islands

Day 5 of your Indonesia itinerary is going to be a long day (if you decide to climb Mount Batur) !

You’ll be heading to the Gili islands, a trio of spectacular islands located off the coast of Lombok. It’s just what you’re going to need after a busy few days of exploring Ubud and Seminyak.

But before you do that, I recommend that you climb Mount Batur . This is a sunrise hike to the top of an active volcano close to Ubud. You should be back at your hotel by 10 am, just in time to have a quick shower before going to Padang Bai Harbour.

To get to Gili Islands, you’ll hop on a fast ferry which will take 2 hours to reach the Gilis. Then it’s time to soak up the sun and relish in the island vibes!

Where to stay in the Gili Islands: Gili T, Gili Meno, or Gili Air?

All three of the Gili islands are tiny and there are no motorized vehicles allowed on any of them.

Gili Trawangan is the biggest and most developed of the three islands. It attracts a backpacker crowd and is perfect if you’re looking for a bit of a bustling vibe. In contrast, Gili Meno is the smallest and quietest island. Gili Air is a good mix between the two!

For this 3 week Indonesia itinerary, I recommend that you stay in Gili Trawangan.

Luxury: Looking for your dream island home? Majo Private Villas is for you! The tastefully decorated rooms are paired with floor-to-ceiling windows ensuring lots of natural light. With a gorgeous outdoor living area and private pool, this place oozes luxury.

Mid-range: The staff at Kaleydo Villas make this one of the best places to stay in Gili Trawangan. Start your day off strong with a complimentary breakfast from your very own porch and cool off in the large pool after.

Budget: Jimador’s Homestay is one of the cheapest places to stay on the island but it has everything you need for a peaceful sleep including a large double bed, air-conditioning, free wi-fi, and a private bathroom.

Things to do on day 5

Cycle around the island. The only way to get around Gili T is by foot or bicycle. As a result, the Gilis are best explored by bike. There are many hidden paths leading to untouched corners of the island and you can visit all of them in less than an hour.

Find a sunset spot. The best way to end your first day on Gili Trawangan is by watching the sunset from the western side of the island. The beach bars here are often bustling with tourists and offer live music. This is also where you’ll find the famous Gili T swings.

Visit the Night Market. This Gili T night market is located off the main road near the harbor. The food is absolutely delicious, and great value for money. The market is open daily from 6-10 pm.

Day 6: Gili Islands

Go snorkeling with turtles. Turtles are often seen in the shallow waters close to Turtle Point and you don’t need to swim out too far to encounter them. Snorkeling equipment can be rented from one of the many vendors near the beach.

Find underwater statues. The underwater statues are without a doubt the biggest attraction near the Gili Islands. The 48 life-size human sculptures are located just off the shore of Gili Meno.

Go scuba diving. The Gili’s are known for their vibrant underwater life which attracts beginner and experienced divers alike. With over 20 dive sites, great visibility, and turtles galore, scuba diving is one of the best things to do in Gili Trawangan.

Explore the other islands. Gili Meno and Gili Air are both a short 15 min boat trip from Gili Trawangan. You can spend the day soaking up the sun on one of their many beaches or exploring the island by bike.

There’s a lot more you can do around the Gilis! For more activities, check out my post on the best things to do in Gili Trawangan.

Day 7: Gili Islands to Lombok

And so, your 3 week Indonesia itinerary continues.

This time you’re on a quick ferry ride from the Gili Islands to Lombok. This is one of the most underrated islands in Indonesia and is a good mix of untouched beauty meets creature comforts.

It’s best to get an early start to your day. To get from the Gili Islands to Lombok, you’ll hop on a 15 minute fast ferry to Bangsal Harbour, Lombok.

After reaching Lombok, you’ll get a driver and make your way down south to Kuta, Lombok with a few exciting stops along the way.

Tip: I haven’t included Mount Rinjani hike on this Indonesia travel guide? Why? Because it’s a 3D2N hike and quite expensive. If you’re an adventure traveler who’s up for the challenge, I recommend you head to Senaru after arriving in Lombok. This is the starting point of the Mount Rinjani hike.

Where to stay in Lombok

Many people choose to stay in Sengiggi on the west coast of Lombok. Given that you only have 3 weeks in Indonesia, I recommend that you skip Sengiggi and head straight to Kuta, Lombok which is a 2-hour drive from the harbor.

But don’t confuse Kuta in Lombok with Kuta in Bali. They are two very different places.

Kuta, Lombok is the main hub for backpackers, honeymooners, and solo travelers. While it’s a small village, you’ll enjoy a great selection of restaurants, bars, and accommodation options.

Luxury: Segara Lombok may not be in Kuta itself, but it’s right on the beach which is even better if you’re looking for an ocean escape. With its outdoor showers, minimalist design, and seafront views, Segara Lombok is the perfect place to stay on the island.

Mid-Range: Rascals Hotel is a trendy hotel in the heart of Kuta, Lombok. You could spend all day here relaxing in the lounges alongside the pool. It’s within walking distance of the main street where you’ll find an array of restaurants and shops.

Budget: Galus Homestay is just the place to stay if you’re traveling on a tight budget. You’ll receive a warm Indonesian welcome from the hosts who are extremely kind and caring.

Things to do in Lombok

Visit Benang Stokel and Benang Kelambu waterfalls. These are the most incredible waterfalls I’ve ever seen! You’ll pass them on the way from the harbor to Kuta so there’s no excuse not to see them!

Laze on Tanjung Aan Beach. After you’ve checked into your accommodation in Kuta Lombok, rent a scooter and head to Tanjung Aan Beach, one of the best beaches in Lombok.

Sunset at Merese Hill. Alongside Tanjung Aan Beach lies Merese Hill which is a great place to watch the sunset.

Day 8: Kuta, Lombok

On day 8 of your Indonesia Itinerary, you’ll go on a scooter mission to find some of the best beaches in Lombok. Personally, I felt that the beaches here are way better than those in Bali so it’s really worth checking them out!

Things to do in Kuta, lombok

Go beach hopping. My faves are Mawun Beach and Selong Belanak which are both west of Kuta, Lombok. Here you’ll find the bluest water and soft white sand!

Learn to surf. Selong Belanak is a great beach to learn how to surf. The beach is lined with surf shacks where you can rent boards or organize a surf lesson. There are also sunbeds to laze on, and several warungs where you can buy fresh coconuts, beer, or food.

Views at Shu Restaurant. On your way back from the beaches, stop at Shu restaurant which offers one of the best views over Kuta Beach.

Day 9: Lombok to Flores Island (Komodo Islands)

On day 9 of your Indonesia itinerary, we’re heading to Flores! This is my favorite island and the highlight of my Indonesia trip.

I spent 2 weeks doing a Flores overland trip and while you won’t be able to fit that all in during this trip, you can see some of the highlights! These include the world-famous Komodo Dragons, manta rays, pink beaches, and epic viewpoints.

To get from Lombok to Flores, you’ll take a short flight from the airport in Kuta, Lombok to Labuan Bajo which is the gateway to Komodo National Park.

Where to stay in Flores

It’s best to stay somewhere close to the Labuan Bajo harbor. This area is bustling with tourists and offers a great variety of food options.

Luxury: If you’re looking for something more private (and more luxurious), you’ll love Villa Domanik . Set on a hillside with panoramic views over the Labuan Bajo port, it’s the perfect base for couples or those looking to escape the hustle and bustle.

Mid-range: Seaesta Komodo Hotel is the perfect place to spend your first night in Labuan Bajo. Not only is it situated in a prime location, but the views from the rooftop pool are also pretty epic! With shared dorm rooms and private ensuite alternatives, it’s a great option for all travelers.

Things to do in Labuan Bajo

I hate to break it to you, but Labuan Bajo isn’t too exciting! You’ll spend the night here before and after your liveaboard trip but that’s about it.

The best way to explore the Komodo Islands is on a liveaboard boat. Why? Because the national park is quite far from the mainland.

It takes just less than 3 hours to commute from Labuan Bajo to Komodo National Park. So while you can do a day trip, you’ll spend most of the day boating to and from the islands, leaving you very little time to explore.

Komodo liveaboard options

Because of just how big Komodo National Park is, I recommend booking a 2N 3D liveaboard. This is what I did and you can read all about my liveaboard experience here.

Below are a few things that will be included in your liveaboard trip.

• Komodo Dragon sighting at Rinca Island
• Climbing Padar Island
• Snorkeling at pink beach
• Swimming with Manta Rays at Manta Point
• Sunset from Gili Lawa

If you’re scuba diving certified, I highly recommend Dive Komodo’s liveaboard. Other snorkeling options include Wanderpus and Travass.

Day 10-11: Komodo Liveaboard

Day 12: return to lubuan bajo.

You’ll return from your liveaboard trip late in the afternoon.

Unfortunately, there are no flights from Labuan Bajo to Bali after 4 pm. But this is also a good thing as it gives you time to rest and recover after spending 3 days on the water!

Day 13: Komodo Islands to Uluwatu, Bali

You still have a week left of your Indonesia itinerary, and today you’ll fly back to Bali to visit Uluwatu.

Because you’ll need to fly to Bali anyway and Uluwatu is yet another must-visit destination in Bali.

With its dramatic coastline, stunning beaches , and local vibes, Uluwatu is the one place where many people wish they could stay longer.

Book an early flight from Labuan Bajo to Bali so that you have a full day to explore Uluwatu.

Where to stay in Uluwatu

Uluwatu lies in the far east of Bali, in the Bukit Peninsula. It spans a large distance consisting of 6 districts, each with its own unique charm. Unlike other areas in Bali, you could spend a few days here and still not see all the neighborhoods in the area.

As a first-time visitor to Uluwatu, you’ll love Bingin. If you’re not comfortable riding a scooter, then Padang Padang is a better option as it’s more centrally located.

I recommend that you read my Uluwatu accommodation guide to find the perfect area for you.

Luxury: The Anantara Uluwatu Resort is absolutely incredible – wait until you see the rooms. I spent two days here and didn’t leave the resort! With private access to the beach, and an infinity pool overlooking Impossibles surf break, this is the perfect place to sit back, relax, and sip on a cocktail or two!

Mid-range: In search of boho vibes in a tropical paradise? Hari Indah Boutique Hotel is within walking distance of Bingin Beach. The rooms are stunning and every detail is taken into consideration.

Budget: If you’re traveling on a tight budget but don’t want to compromise on accommodation, Wira Homestay & Spa is where you should stay in Uluwatu. Situated in a quiet neighborhood, you’ll be treated to a large private room with an ensuite bathroom, air conditioning, and a communal pool.

Things to do in Uluwatu

Visit the beaches. The beaches in Uluwatu are the best you’ll find in Bali. While there are more than 12 to choose from, Padang Padang Beach and Suluban Beach are more conveniently located so visit these 2 today and the rest tomorrow.

Watch the surfers at Uluwatu surf break. This is a world-famous wave for only those experienced surfers. Ulu’s is also the best place to watch the sunset! There are scores of warungs lining the cliffs – Give Single Fin a skip and walk down the stairs to find a local spot.

Watch Kecak Fire Show at Uluwatu Temple. This famous temple sits on the edge of a cliff with dramatic views of the crashing waves beneath. Pair this with the Kecak Fire Show, a local dance and musical performance.

Day 14: Uluwatu

Today you’ll explore more of Uluwatu. I recommend renting a scooter for the day or organizing a private driver.

Check out the Balangan Viewpoint. Not only is Balangan Beach the best beach in Uluwatu, but it also has an iconic viewpoint that Instagrammers will love.

Seafood BBQ at Bingin. Enjoy a sunset swim and take your pick from the massive seafood spread on Bingin Beach.

Go to a beach club. If you thought the beach bars in Seminyak were awesome, just wait until you see what Uluwatu has to offer. My top picks are Sunday’s Beach Club and Karma Kandara.

Day 15-20: Uluwatu and beyond

You’re on day 15 of your Indonesia itinerary and with only a few days left, you can take your pick of how you end your trip.

What I’ve detailed above at the must-dos on any Indonesia itinerary, no matter how much time you have.

Here are my recommendations for other things to do.

Option 1: Explore the Kelimutu Crater Lakes in Flores

Time needed: 2 nights

After your liveaboard in the Komodo National Park, take a quick flight from Labuan Bajo to Ende in Flores to see the Kelimutu Crater Lakes.

Ende is the main city near the smaller village of Moni. Moni is home to the stunning Kelimutu Lakes and the entire area off the beaten track. If you’re looking for raw and real experiences in Indonesia, be sure to visit the Kelimutu Crater Lakes before flying back to Bali.

Option 2: Visit Mount Bromo in Java

Forming part of the Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park in East Java, Mount Bromo is one of the best-known peaks of Indonesia. At almost 2,330 meters high, its summit isn’t as tall as some of the others in the range, but it attracts the highest number of hikers.

To get to Mount Bromo, you will need to fly from Bali to Surabaya on East Java. You then have the option of doing a day tour from Surabaya to Mount Bromo, which is a 2-hour drive away. Or you can take a bus (or train) and stay at Probolinggo which is the gateway to Mount Bromo.

Option 2: Nusa Penida, Bali

If you’ve got your heart set on seeing more Bali landmarks, then spend 2 days in Nusa Penida where you can visit the famous Ketiling Beach, Angels Billabong, Crystal Bay as well as Broken Beach.

You can also visit Nusa Penida on a day trip from Bali as it’s a short boat trip away.

Option 3: Munduk, Bali

This itinerary for Indonesia takes you to many seaside locations. But if you’re looking for lush forests, coffee plantations, and waterfalls, then Munduk is a great addition.

Munduk lies toward the northern part of Bali and offers a cooler climate and fewer tourists compared to those areas down south.

Day 21: The end of your 3 weeks in Indonesia

Today’s the last day of your Indonesia itinerary. Make sure you’re staying in the same area as the airport as there can be traffic or ferry delays.

What to pack for Indonesia

Bali has a tropical climate and you need to pack for this. Also, remember to pack lightly. If you’re following my recommended Indonesia travel route, you’ll be moving around quite a bit. here are a few must-haves

• A backpack: Don’t bring hard luggage if you’re traveling between islands.
• Trainers: Hiking shoes aren’t necessary, but be sure to bring a good pair of trainers for all the walking you’ll be doing.
• A light jacket: Although it will be hot, bring a light jacket to wear in the mornings, on boat trips, and for your flight.

Here’s my comprehensive Indonesia packing list which includes everything you need to pack (and leave at home)!

Is Indonesia expensive to visit

No, Indonesia is extremely affordable. You can easily get by on $50 per day! The flight and ferry costs are also really affordable.

Do I need a visa for Indonesia

Previously, if you were spending 3 weeks in Indonesia, you wouldn’t need a visa to visit the country.

This has now changed!

All travelers need to pay for a Visa on Arrival (VoA), which costs IDR 500 000 ($35 USD). This 30-day tourist visa can be extended for an additional 30 days.

You can pay in cash using USD, AUD, GBP and Euro. Alternatively, Visa or Mastercard payments are also accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Best time to visit indonesia.

The best time to visit Indonesia is during the dry season from April to October.

How long to spend in Indonesia

If you want to visit a few islands, I recommend planning a 2 to 4 week Indonesia trip itinerary.

Final thoughts on 3 weeks Indonesia itinerary

Planning the perfect Indonesia itinerary is no easy task! With so many amazing attractions, you’re going to have to make a few compromises.

From my personal experience, this guide includes the best of Indonesia and I have no doubt that after your visit, it won’t be long before you return.

Have you traveled to South East Asia? What destinations would you recommend for the perfect Indonesia itinerary for 3 weeks? Let me know in the comments section below!

Looking for more Indonesia travel inspiration? Check out my other posts!

• Living in Bali: Pros And Cons of Island Life
• Comprehensive Guide to Renting a Scooter in Bali
• 7 Incredible Bali Hidden Gems
• 26 Things I Wish I Knew About Backpacking Indonesia
• The Ultimate Bali Packing List

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Hi, I'm Carryn. I’m an adventure travel blogger trying to figure out my way through life by traveling and exploring. Join me as I share my travel guides and tips for life abroad. Find out more about me here .

Where to stay in Seoul for first time visitors: Best areas, hotels and more

Living in bali: pros and cons of island life [from an expat], 2 thoughts on “the perfect 3 week indonesia itinerary: best places to visit in indonesia”.

Hello Carryn, Thank you for this itinerary! it has been super helpful for me, I am planning my first solo trip, but I have a few questions for you:

– Did you book all your hotels before arriving there or can we do it there last minute? – Did you have to book any of the attraction with anticipation? – How is the security there (considering we are both females and I will be by my own)

I really hope to hear from you soon, Best Regards, Fernanda

Hi Fernanda, I’m so excited for your trip!

– I booked accommodation last minute (a day or 2 prior) through Booking.com . I recommend you do the same as you may have slight changes to your itinerary, depending on the people you meet (or the weather). If you’re short on time and you have a fixed itinerary, you could book in advance, but it’s not necessary (unless you’re really particular about where you stay) – Yes, I booked my Komodo islands boat trip about a week before, but for other tours, such as Mount Batur, Kelimutu Crater Lakes, day trips etc, I booked a day or two in advance. – I felt very safe in Indonesia and never had to watch my back. The locals are so friendly and helpful. Of course, there’s always the chance of petty theft, especially in Bali. So keep your valuables close, but you don’t have to worry about violent crime in the country.

Let me know if you have any more questions. Enjoy your trip!

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25 Beautiful Indonesian Islands: Best Places To Visit In Indonesia

Believe it or not, many of the best places to visit in Indonesia are still practically unknown to tourists. There are more than 17,000 beautiful Indonesian islands and most of them are still waiting to be traveled.

Everyone goes to Bali , which is a wonderful island for vacation (don’t get me wrong), but it’s been suffering from overtourism and overdevelopment for years.

If you branch out to the other islands in Indonesia, you can see smoking volcanoes, sulfur lakes, pink sand beaches , tropical rainforests, exotic wildlife, and so much more.

Since Indonesia is my second home (and my wife’s actual home!), we’ve been privileged to do a bunch of exploring in this beautiful country, including some of the most far flung Indonesian islands.

Here’s my complete list of the best places to visit in Indonesia that are not just Bali. If you’ve been to an Indonesian island that’s missing from this guide, you’re also welcome to recommend it in the comments at the bottom of the article!

25 Beautiful Indonesia Islands To Visit

1. bali island.

Of course, Asia’s favorite vacation island! Before I mention other places in Indonesia, I have to include Bali . It’s heaven for luxury seekers and budget travelers alike. There’s something for everyone here.

Adventure lovers in Bali will have easy access to waterfalls, jungles, cliffs, volcanoes, and more. Or, if you’re the more laid back type, Bali has beaches, temples, and rice terraces for you, along with an endless supply of good restaurants and massages.

If any of that sounds nice, then you’ll fall in love with Bali and its people, just like I did. The only con is that it’s overtraveled. The small island got more than 6 million tourists in 2019.

• Things To See: Ubud , Kintamani , Uluwatu , & More
• How To Get There: Fly to Bali’s international airport (DPS)
• More Info: Bali Travel Guide

Jatiluwih Rice Terraces in Bali, the most popular Indonesian island.

Mount Batur volcano in Bali

Sekumpul Waterfall in Bali

2. Nusa Penida Island

The wonderful Indonesian island of Nusa Penida lies just 25 kilometers from Bali, and it’s considered part of the Bali province.

It’s a much smaller island than Bali, but it has some of the most exotic and beautiful scenery anywhere in Indonesia. We’ve visited Penida at least a dozen times over the years, but it never gets old.

This island can be visited on a day trip from Bali (same day return), but I think it’s better to spend at least a few days seeing things here.

It’s home to some famous natural sights like the dinosaur-shaped Kelingking Cliff, and the appropriately named Diamond Beach.

• Things To See: Diamond Beach , Kelingking Beach , Broken Bay , & More
• How To Get There: 1 hour boat trip from Bali
• More Info: Nusa Penida Travel Guide

Rumah Pohon Treehouse in Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida is definitely one of the most scenic Indonesia islands!

Diamond Beach in Nusa Penida

3. Nusa Lembongan Island

In addition to the island of Nusa Penida, the province of Bali also includes two smaller islands near it called Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, respectively.

Popular sights on Nusa Lembongan include a white sand beach called Dream Beach, and the Devil’s Tears, a nice little cliff spot where you can watch the waves crashing on the rocks.

It’s easy to get to Nusa Lembongan from Bali, and you can also travel between any of the Nusa islands with a short and cheap boat ride. Some people even base themselves in Nusa Lembongan or Ceningan while touring Penida island.

• Things To See: Dream Beach, Devil’s Tears, & Mangrove Forest

4. Nusa Ceningan Island

Nusa Ceningan is the smallest of the three Nusa islands in Bali, but it still has some nice things to see and do.

The islands of Lembongan and Ceningan are connected to each other by a colorful yellow bridge, and even though they don’t have the epic cliffs and dramatic scenery of Nusa Penida, they’re still worth a visit for the nice hotels , seaside cafes, and laidback atmosphere.

You can get to Nusa Ceningan easily from Lembongan by driving across the iconic yellow bridge or taking a quick boat ride from Penida. From mainland Bali, it’s a 1 hour ride in a speedboat.

Blue Lagoon Avia Villas in Nusa Ceningan

Ocean views at the Blue Lagoon Avia Villas in Nusa Ceningan

5. Lombok Island

Lombok is Bali’s neighbor island. It’s the same size as Bali and way less traveled by tourists, but you could argue it’s just as scenic, and the infrastructure is pretty developed.

The main attraction in Lombok is Mount Rinjani, which towers over the whole island. It’s the second tallest volcano in Indonesia, and you can trek it in a few days with a local guide.

Lombok is also known for some stunning beaches and waterfalls scattered across the island, and unlike in Bali, most of these spots are still hidden and free of crowds.

Even though it’s not as popular as Bali, Lombok is undoubtedly one of the most scenic places in Indonesia, and it’s likely to become the next vacation island for people looking to move on from Bali.

• Things To See: Mount Rinjani, Tiu Kelep Waterfall , Tanjung Aan Beach
• How To Get There: Fly to Lombok International Airport (LOP)

6. Java Island

Java, the most populated island of Indonesia, is home to some of the most incredible volcanic landscapes in the world.

The smoking craters at Mount Bromo and Kawah Ijen have become famous tourist destinations in East Java, and the center of the island has ancient temples that look like something out of The Jungle Book.

Meanwhile, West Java has surreal crater lakes like Kawah Putih , and dozens of big waterfalls to discover in the Ciletuh Geopark. It’s easily one of the best places to visit in Indonesia!

• Things To See: Dieng Plateau , Prambanan Temple , Mount Bromo , & More
• How To Get There: Fly to Jakarta (CGK), Jogyakarta (YIA), or Surabaya (SUB)

Dieng Plateau in Java

Mount Bromo in Java — one of the best Indonesian islands!

Sewu Temple in Java

7. Flores Island

Flores is wild and wonderful, and there are a lot of good things to see and do, but it’s a very long island, so a road trip is the best way to take it all in.

The main tourist attraction here would have to be the Kelimutu Lakes , a pair of amazing turquoise colored volcanic lakes in central Flores, and you can see them without doing any hiking.

If you start from Labuan Bajo, you can do an overland tour of Flores from west to east and see sights like the spiderweb rice fields, Wae Rebo traditional village, Mount Inerie volcano, and the turquoise volcanic lakes of Mount Kelimutu .

In spite of the lack of publicity and infrastructure, Flores is definitely one of the best places to visit in Indonesia.

• Things To See: Kelimutu National Park , Koka Beach, Mount Inerie, Labuan Bajo
• How To Get There: Fly to Ende (ENE) or Maumere (MOF) from Bali (DPS)

Kelimutu National Park in Flores. One of the most beautiful Indonesia islands.

Goa Rangko Cave in Labuan Bajo

8. Komodo Island

Komodo Island is famous for being home to the beastly Komodo dragons (the world’s biggest lizard), and it’s full of other ‘bucket list’ travel experiences.

The UNESCO designated Komodo National Park has dozens of islands with white and pink sand beaches , scenic mountains for trekking and coral reefs for diving, and it’s the only place in the world where you can see Komodo dragons up close in the wild!

We’ve visited Komodo a bunch of times over the years and it’s always amazing. One of the great things about its gateway town, Labuan Bajo, is that it’s not far from Bali and it’s easy to reach with a short flight from there.

• Things To See: Komodo Dragons , Padar Island , & Pink Beach
• How To Get There: Fly to Labuan Bajo (LBJ) from Bali (DPS) or Jakarta (CGK)
• More Info: Komodo Travel Guide

The Komodo islands are the only place in the world where you can see Komodo dragons like this in the wild

Komodo has several pink beaches with bright pink sand and turquoise water

9. Padar Island

Even though Padar Island is one of the smallest islands in the Komodo National Park, the scenic viewpoint here has become a famous natural landmark of Indonesia, and it’s even been featured on the 50,000 Rupiah cash note.

You can visit this island easily on a boat tour of the Komodo National Park, and the hike up to the viewpoint is relatively quick and straightforward.

At the viewpoint, you can see a magnificent Jurassic Park landscape and three giant bays with a white beach, black beach, and pink beach.

Each of those sand colors is pretty special in itself, but to see all of them in one place is crazy. This is probably the only place in the world where you can witness that!

• More Info: Padar Island Guide

The famous Padar Island view in Komodo National Park

10. Sulawesi Island

Sulawesi is one of my favorite islands to explore in Indonesia. Many of the strangest things we’ve ever seen have been on this island.

You can see volcanic hot springs and megalithic stone faces , karst mountains, bug-eyed tarsiers, prehistoric cave art , and extreme meat markets.

Sulawesi is also home to one of the most bizarre cultures on Earth ( Tana Toraja ), where they dig up their dead relatives every year to wash the corpses and change their clothes.

• Things To See: Rammang Rammang , Tana Toraja , Tangkoko Nature Reserve , & More
• How To Get There: Fly to Makassar (UPG) in south Sulawesi, or Manado (MDC) in north Sulawesi

Sulawesi is one of the most beautiful Indonesian islands. Seen here is Rammang Rammang village .

Bukit Kasih in Sulawesi

Tangkoko Nature Reserve in Sulawesi

11. Banggai Islands

The Banggai area is one of the most underrated places in central Sulawesi, and there are a bunch of great islands to explore here.

Peleng island is easily reachable by ferry from Luwuk city in mainland Sulawesi, and it’s home to Paisu Pok Lake , one of the bluest lakes in Indonesia and possibly the world. Peleng also has some spectacular white sand beaches, limestone caves, and wildlife (including tarsiers).

Further southeast of Peleng island is the Banggai Laut regency, which has more beaches, caves, and sea arches. There’s even a lake where you can swim with stingless jellyfish on Mbuang-Mbaung island.

• Things To See: Paisu Pok Lake , Mandel Beach, Paisu Batongan Jellyfish Lake, & More
• How To Get There: Fly to Luwuk (LUW) in central Sulawesi, then take the ferry to Peleng or Banggai Laut
• More Info: Banggai Travel Guide

Paisu Pok Lake in the Banggai islands of Sulawesi.

Drone picture of the amazingly blue Paisu Pok Lake .

Mandel Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Banggai islands .

12. Labengki Island

Labengki Island (and its exotic neighbor Sombori) might be Indonesia’s best kept secret. This untouched tropical paradise in Sulawesi is impossibly beautiful. It’s one of the most enchanting places we’ve visited in our travels.

Labengki and Sombori haven’t been spoiled by tourism yet, and English documentation for these places is still almost non-existent on the web. We half expected to see dinosaurs as we explored the lagoons, caves, and jungle covered beaches.

It’s pretty remote, so the process of getting there takes a bit of effort, but this is one of the most fantastic Indonesian islands we’ve seen.

• How To Get There: Fly to Kendari (KDI) from Makassar, then take a 3 hour boat ride to Labengki island
• More Info: Labengki Travel Guide

Red Sand Beach at Labengki Island

Love Bay at Labengki Island

Blue Lagoon. Labengki was one of our favorite Indonesia islands.

13. Sombori Islands

Sombori Island has to be one of the most wonderful places we’ve seen in Indonesia. The hundreds of paradise islands and lagoons have earned it the nickname of ‘the Raja Ampat of Sulawesi’ because it looks just like the famous islands in West Papua.

This is a very remote island, but getting there is worth the hassle! We discovered several hidden lagoons and beaches that hadn’t even been named yet, and saw wildlife ranging from giant sea clams to hornbill birds.

• How To Get There: Fly to Kendari (KDI), take a 3 hour boat ride to Labengki, then a 2 hour boat ride to Sombori
• More Info: Sombori Travel Guide

Sombori Island

Endless lagoons

Tropical paradise of Sombori — one of the best places to visit in Indonesia!

14. Bunaken Islands

Bunaken is a small island north of Manado, the capital of North Sulawesi.

The Bunaken Marine Park has some of the most popular Indonesian islands for snorkeling and scuba diving, and there’s even a big sandbar you can walk around on when the tide is low.

We visited Bunaken on a day tour from Manado, but you can also come with a public ferry if you plan to stay longer. The main island has lots of accommodation so you can stay close to the action.

How To Get There: Fly to Manado (MDC) + 1 hour boat ride

Bunaken Marine Park

Snorkeling in Bunaken

Siladen island in Bunaken

15. Siau Island

Siau is a small volcanic island north of Manado, but it’s more remote than Bunaken and not as well known, even though it deserves to be.

The reason I’ve listed it as one of the best places to visit in Indonesia is because of its nature and scenery. It’s outstanding, but still pretty much unknown to international tourists.

Siau island is home to one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes (Mount Karangetang), and the island also has its own unique species of tarsier.

This is definitely one of the more obscure islands to visit in Indonesia, but that means you’ll be the only tourist around!

• Things To See: Siau Island Tarsier, Mount Karangetang, Mahoro Island
• How To Get There: Fly to Siau (NAH) from Manado (MDC), or take the 4 hour fast ferry
• More Info: Siau Island Travel Guide

Smoking twin craters on Mount Karangetang

Pulau Mahoro is one of the best islands you can visit off the coast of Siau, Indonesia

Tarsier spotting in Siau Island

16. Selayar Island

Selayar is a long, skinny island south of Makassar, the capital of South Sulawesi.

This is another good place for snorkeling and island hopping, or you can stay directly on a private white sand beach at Selayar Eco Resort .

Sadly a lot of the beaches in Selayar have been completely ruined by plastic trash (common in many Indonesian islands), but if you look around you can still find some good ones that are cleaned regularly by the resorts.

It’s easy to reach Selayar nowadays. You can get there from Bali by flights with a short transit stop in Makassar, and the last leg of the journey is only 45 minutes.

How To Get There: Fly to Selayar (KSR) from Makassar (UPG)

Bahuluang is one of the Indonesian islands you can visit on a day trip from Selayar

Snow white sand at Bone Malea Beach

Bukit Nane from above

17. Sumatra Island

Sumatra is the biggest island inside of Indonesian territory, and it has the biggest volcanic lake in the world (Toba). It also has some of Indonesia’s biggest waterfalls .

This is definitely one of the best places to visit in Indonesia. We spent 2 months in North Sumatra and barely scratched the surface of this island.

There are so many amazing things to see and do, but the critically endangered rainforests and wildlife would have to be at the top of the list.

On a short jungle trek you can see orangutans, gibbons, leaf monkeys, rare birds and lizards, and many other animals.

• Things To See: Lake Toba, Sumatra Waterfalls , Bukit Lawang Rainforest
• How To Get There: Fly to Medan (KNO) from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) or Jakarta (CGK)

Orangutan viewing at Bukit Lawang is a highlight of Sumatra

Lake Toba is the biggest volcanic lake in the world

Sumatra is one of the most beautiful islands of Indonesia. Seen here is Sipiso Piso Waterfall .

18. Belitung Island

Belitung is a Bali-sized island off the coast of south Sumatra, and just like Bali it has so many amazing things to see and do. It’s even been recognized as a UNESCO Geopark for its unique landscapes.

We spent two weeks here and were blown away by the picture perfect islands and white sand beaches with granite boulders. This is island hopping paradise at its best.

The main thing to do here is the island hopping boat tour in northwest Belitung. You’ll see perfect white sand beaches, turquoise water, rocky granite islands, underwater coral reefs, and even a Dutch lighthouse from the 1800s.

• Things To See: Island Hopping Tour , Tanjung Tinggi Beach , & Batu Baginda Rocks
• How To Get There: Fly to Tanjung Pandan (TJQ) from Kuala Lumpur (KUL) or Jakarta (CGK)
• More Info: Belitung Travel Guide

Tanjung Tinggi Beach in Belitung — one of the best places to visit in Indonesia!

Batu Baginda giant boulders. A spectacular hidden spot in the Indonesian island of Belitung .

Batu Berlayar island in Belitung

19. Banyak Islands

The Banyak Islands are a group of barely inhabited paradise islands northwest of Sumatra, Indonesia.

For accommodation, you have a basic bungalow on an almost private island, with white sand beaches and crystal clear water in all directions. Infrastructure is very limited, but that’s part of the fun.

This place is pretty remote, but if you’re looking for an Indonesian island where you can live out the Robinson Crusoe lifestyle, it doesn’t get much better than this!

• How To Get There: Fly to Medan (KNO), drive 8-10 hours to Singkil, then ride a boat 1-3 hours to Pulau Banyak
• More Info: Pulau Banyak Travel Guide

The Banyak Islands are full of fantastic beaches like this

Drone pic of this island paradise in Indonesia

Beach scenes near the Palambak Island Resort in Banyak Islands

20. Karang Island

Pulau Karang is a small island off the coast of North Sumatra that you can visit on a quick boat ride from Barus. It’s close enough to mainland Sumatra to be visible from the shore.

We went to Pulau Karang on a day trip from Singkil, shortly after our visit to the Banyak Islands . Like the Banyaks, this is a relatively remote island, but if you already happen to be passing through the area, it’s worth a detour to see it!

Even though there’s no hotel or other place to stay on the island yet, Pulau Karang has wonderful palm-covered white sand beaches, and there’s a little lighthouse on the south side of the island.

• How To Get There: Drive 3.5 hours from Singkil or 2 hours from Sibolga, then take a 30 minute boat ride
• More Info: Pulau Karang Travel Guide

Drone picture of Pulau Karang

Beautiful beach!

21. Borneo Island (Kalimantan)

Borneo is the third biggest island in the world, and it’s split between three countries: Brunei , Indonesia, and Malaysia .

The Indonesian part of Borneo is called Kalimantan, and it covers almost 75% of the vast territory on Borneo island. Kalimantan is a great destination for nature and animal lovers since it’s home to lots of endemic species, including the Bornean orangutan.

The island of Borneo is especially famous for its orangutans, which you can see on a river boat cruise at Tanjung Puting National Park , in Central Kalimantan. Sleeping on the river boat is a fun adventure in itself!

Aside from the national parks, there are other noteworthy sights in Borneo as well, like the Terinting Waterfall in West Kalimantan.

• Things To See: Gunung Palung National Park, Sebangau National Park, Tanjung Puting National Park , Terinting Waterfall
• How To Get There: Fly to Pangkalan Bun (PKN) or Pontianak (PNK) from Jakarta or Surabaya
• More Info: Tanjung Puting Travel Guide

A giant male Bornean orangutan at Tanjung Puting National Park in Kalimantan

The river boat cruise at Tanjung Puting is a great way to see wildlife

Mom and baby orangutan in the treetops

22. Ternate Island

This is a small, cone-shaped volcanic island in the North Maluku province of east Indonesia. Ternate isn’t likely to become the next big vacation island in Indonesia, but it has some interesting sights and history.

A long time ago, the island of Ternate was one of the most important kingdoms in the precolonial ‘Spice Islands’ of North Maluku, and it’s still one of the main gateways to the province today.

It only takes an hour to drive around the whole island in a circle, but there are several neat things to see. You can climb the active volcano in the center of the island (Mount Gamalama), or visit the scenic lakes and black sand beaches on the banks of the mountain.

• Things To See: Ngade Lake, Mount Gamalama, Tolire Lake
• How To Get There: Fly to Ternate (TTE) from Jakarta, Makassar, Ambon, etc

The north side of Ternate Island with Lake Tolire visible

Fort Tolukko was built by the Portuguese in 1512 to control the spice trade in Ternate

Ngade Lake with the Tidore volcano in the distance

23. Halmahera Island

Halmahera is the biggest island in the Maluku Islands, and it’s loaded with rainforests, volcanoes, and hidden beaches.

In my opinion though, the main reason to come to Halmahera is for the spectacular active volcanoes, Mount Dukono and Mount Ibu. You can visit either one on a day hike, but it’s more popular to spend a couple days on each mountain since they’re tough to reach and the views are incredible.

This is the closest you will ever get to an erupting volcano! Think Mount Bromo, except more intense and without the tourist crowds. Halmahera is definitely one of the best places to visit in Indonesia.

• Things To See: Mount Dukono , Mount Ibu, and Kahatola Islands
• How To Get There: Fly to Kao (KAZ) or Galela (GLX) from Manado, or take a speedboat from Ternate

Drone pic of the erupting Dukono volcano

Walking through old lava fields at Mount Dukono

The Dukono volcano has been erupting non-stop since 1933

24. Seram Island

Seram island is another uncharted paradise in Maluku with fantastic mountains and rainforests, including the highest point in the Moluccas (Mount Binaiya).

Seram island is best known for Ora Beach, a secluded private resort with views like Bora Bora. The island also has Manusela National Park, which is home to lots of exotic and colorful birds and butterflies, and the deepest known cave in Indonesia (Goa Hatusaka).

Seram island is a bit hard to reach, but it’s definitely one of the best places to visit in Indonesia!

• Things To See: Ora Beach, Manusela National Park, Mount Binaiya
• How To Get There: Fly to Ambon (AMQ) + 2 hour ferry from Tulehu to Amahai
• More Info: Seram Island Travel Guide

Ora beach views in Seram island. Is Indonesia beautiful or what?

Giant limestone cliffs in Seram island

Ora Beach Resort

25. Ambon Island

Ambon is the capital and main gateway of Maluku province, which holds many of the hidden gems in Indonesia.

While Ambon is not the greatest island in and of itself (it’s too rainy, dirty, and noisy), it does have some nice scenery and you’ll be passing through here anyway if you plan to see some of the best Indonesian islands in Maluku, like Seram island .

My favorite thing we saw in Ambon was the turquoise colored Telaga Pange Waterfall, which is an easy hike located just 15 minutes from the city.

• Things To See: Telaga Pange Waterfall, Pintu Kota Beach, Liang Beach
• How To Get There: Fly to Ambon (AMQ) from Jakarta, Makassar, Ternate, etc

The turquoise colored Telaga Pange Waterfall on Ambon Island

Liang Beach in northeast Ambon

Pintu Kota Beach in south Ambon

How To Visit Indonesian Islands (That Are Not Bali)

Now that I’ve listed some of the best places to travel in Indonesia that are not Bali, it’s time to go over some practical information.

If this is your first time traveling to new islands in Indonesia, here are some things you should know:

• Infrastructure. When you’re traveling in remote Indonesia islands, infrastructure may be limited. Oftentimes that means no WiFi or air-conditioning (fan only), and sometimes it means washing yourself with a simple water scoop instead of a shower. On more remote islands (such as the Banyaks), you may have no electricity at all except by generator in the evening. Living without these daily luxuries takes some getting used to, but it’s worth it to see some of the best places in Indonesia that are not just Bali. The infrastructure will catch up over time as tourism continues to grow in new areas. For now, enjoy the wilderness for what it is.
• Religion. Most of the Indonesian islands are Muslim majority, unlike Bali, which is Hindu. You’ll still come across some friendly people in your travels, but you might miss the smiles, warmth, and overall vibe of the Balinese people. Terrorism is not a significant issue in Indonesia anymore, and attitudes toward foreigners are generally welcoming, but the culture is much more conservative when you’re not in Bali, so it’s important to dress modestly. Alcohol is usually not easy to find in these places either. In Muslim areas, you can expect noisy loudspeakers from the mosques, often at all hours of the day and night, so it’s a good idea to pack ear plugs to help you sleep.
• Safety. In terms of crime, Indonesia is one of the safest countries in the world, with a very low murder rate of 0.5 per 100k inhabitants (92% lower than the global average), according to the United Nations yearly study . I’ve traveled alone in many Indonesian islands and haven’t really witnessed any crime. Just take normal precautions.
• People. If you travel outside of Bali, especially in remote parts of Java or Sulawesi, you’ll probably get lots of funny photo requests from the locals excited to see a rare ‘bule’ (foreigner).
• Mosquitoes. The Indonesian islands have made a lot of progress in getting rid of malaria, but many parts of the country still have at least some of it. Dengue fever is also common all over the islands, including Bali. Malaria is mainly a problem in West Papua and the Mentawai islands, as well as some parts of Kalimantan, Sumatra, and Sulawesi. You can find a helpful map of the main risk areas for malaria in this study from 2018. The malaria risk areas have shrunk quite a bit now, but there are still some places in Indonesia you may want to take anti-malarial pills (certainly not in Bali). Mosquito spray and bed nets are usually a good idea wherever you travel in Indonesia, especially in the rainy season and outside of the city.

Kabut Pelangi waterfall in East Java

More Indonesian Islands To See

Thanks for looking! I hope you enjoyed this list of the best places to visit in Indonesia that are not Bali!

We’re still missing many places like Sumba, Gili, Sumbawa, Rote, Madura, Karimunjawa, Mentawai, Nias, Simeulue, Pulau Weh, Riau (Natuna), Bintan, Bawah, Bangka, Derawan, Enggano, Sangihe, Togian/Togean, Wakatobi, Maratua, Morotai, Banda, the Kei islands, West Papua, and the beautiful Raja Ampat islands. I realize those are easily some of the best places to visit in Indonesia, but we haven’t had a chance to really explore them yet.

Hopefully we can visit more of those places soon! Check back for updates to this travel guide.

All of these roots are from one giant tree in Indonesia

Best Time To Visit The Indonesian Islands

The best time to visit the beautiful Indonesia islands depends on what you’re looking for:

☁ Rainy season runs from November to April. The weather during the day can be hot and humid, at 32 to 35 °C (90 to 95 °F), but it’s less crowded during this time, and the rain is mostly at night. Waterfalls come alive, and the landscapes are bright green.

☀ Dry season runs from May to August. The temperatures are milder and cooler, and it’s more breezy and sunny. This is the nicest weather, and it’s perfect for hiking, island hopping, and seeing some of the best places in Indonesia. It’s also the high season, so it’s generally more crowded with tourists, especially in Bali.

Regardless of when you decide to visit Wonderful Indonesia, you’re sure to see some spectacular sights. Happy travels!  

Indonesia Drone Video

Here’s a 4K drone video I filmed during our many travels across Indonesia.

This video includes some of the best places to visit in Indonesia, including Bali, Nusa Penida, Java, Flores, Maluku, Sumatra, Belitung, Sulawesi, Labengki, Sombori, and other islands.

• Best Hikes In Indonesia – Volcanoes, Jungles, & Waterfalls
• Indonesia Waterfall Guide – Best Waterfalls In Indonesia
• Indonesia Beach Guide – Best Beaches In Indonesia
• Best Things To Do In Indonesia – What To Do In The Islands
• Indonesia Travel Guide – Tips, Info, & Photos

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Fulidhoo island guide: shark & stingray beach in maldives, how to visit dhigurah island: budget paradise in maldives, how to visit tanjung puting national park in indonesia, sanur bali travel guide: 23 best things to do, coron vs el nido: which is better all differences explained, banggai islands travel guide & itinerary for sulawesi.

Hopefully tourism in Indonesia will recover quickly as before the pandemic because there are still many beauties that Indonesia has not visited by tourists.

Beautiful travel blog

Best Blog i’ve come across so far. Looking to visit in July/August and looking for inspiration and this blog has it all! Great work!

I really appreciate you taking the time to make those suggestions. We know it took a lot of thought and effort. I’m sure I’m going to have a great time in Indonesia

Outstanding blog! Bravo!

Just fabulous! Thank you. 🥰

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Home » Travel Guides » Indonesia » 25 Best Things to Do in Indonesia

25 Best Things to Do in Indonesia

The Republic of Indonesia, located in South East Asia, is the largest island country in the world, with over 17,000 islands and a population of over 225 million. Spanning over 1.9 million square kilometers, Indonesia stretches all the way from Aceh in the north down to Papua in the south east. Straddling the equator, Indonesia enjoys a tropical climate and is split into dry and rainy seasons, although temperatures and humidity remain high all year round. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, but other recognized state religions include Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.

Formerly colonized by the British, Portuguese, Japanese, and Dutch, Indonesia declared Independence in 1945, and Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian) was declared the national language. A form of Malay language mixed with loan words from Arabic, Dutch, and Portuguese, Indonesian was developed in an effort to provide the population with a standardized language as opposed to the hundreds of regional dialects that existed in each province.

Nowadays, Indonesia is famous for its diverse and multicultural islands, from deeply religious Aceh in the north; to the country’s center of government in Java ; to the tropical paradise of Bali ; and all the way down to the province of Papua on the border with independent Papua New Guinea. The 4th most populous country in the world and the 15th largest according to land mass, there is surely something for every traveler wanting to explore this vast and diverse nation. Let’s have a look at the best things to do in Indonesia .

1. Go surfing in Kuta

Visit the famous Kuta beach, a strip of beach in the south of Bali where the sea rests on a sand bar and provides gentle rolling waves which are perfect for beginners learning to surf. Surfing lessons by the hour are plentiful or visitors can rent a sponge board and ride the waves that way. For those not looking to get wet, crowds flock to the beach at night to take photos of the exquisite sunset and relax with a beer or a soft drink.

2. Visit Borobudur Temple

Borobudur Buddhist temple, located in Magelang, Central Java, is easily visited by travelers staying in the neighboring city of Yogyakarta. Dating from the 9th Century, Borobudur is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has a central dome surrounded by 72 sculpted figures of Buddha, making it the largest Buddhist temple in the world. People come to worship, scale the central platform, and marvel at the scenery that stretches beyond the central temple complex.

3. Sunbathe on Pulau Weh in Aceh

Pulau Weh, or Weh Island, is located at the tip of Sumatra, off the coast of Aceh. The island still experiences volcanic activity and sits in the Andaman Sea, and is home to Sabang, the northernmost town in Indonesia. Visitors travel to the island to go snorkeling in the crystal blue waters which have an abundance of tropical fish as well as rare Megamouth sharks. Visitor can chose to stay at Gapang beach near Sabang or visit Anoi Itam Beach, made famous by its uncommon black sand.

4. Eat Padang Food

Many Indonesians maintain that the best food in Indonesia hails from Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra. Padang food is still served in the traditional way all over Indonesia, and a Padang restaurant is easily spotted by the tower of dishes stacked in the window. Tiny individual plates of the different dishes, sometimes as many as 20 or 25, are placed before customers who mix them with rice at the table. Visitors only pay for the dishes they touch. Traditional Padang favorites include Beef Rendang, a spicy curry paste made with chilies and coconut and cooked with beef, pounded cassava leaves with coconut milk, and jackfruit curry with snake beans.

5. Say a prayer at Tanah Lot

Tanah Lot is famous as a rock formation emerging out of the sea with a Hindu temple, Pura Tanah Lot (Tanah Lot Temple), perched on the top. Over the years the ocean tides have carved the rock from the shore leaving it to stand alone at high tide, and be accessible on foot during low tide. Venomous sea snakes are said to guard the temple and now visitors travel to the site to worship or to observe the stunning sunsets over the ocean.

6. Enjoy the culture in Ubud

Ubud is a town in the Gianyar regency and is known as the major arts and culture hub of Bali. Distinct from other areas of Bali, Ubud does not have a beach, but sits instead amongst rice paddies, steep terraces, and lush forests located in the surrounding foothills. Ubud boasts an abundance of art galleries that now house the works of a host of prominent Balinese artists, and visitors can also watch a Tek Tok dance at the Bali Culture Centre in Ubud, a new style of Balinese dancing mixed with traditional elements that was created in 2013.

7. Meander around Lake Toba

Lake Toba in North Sumatra is a natural lake that sprung from the crater of a long dormant volcano. It is the largest lake in Indonesia as well as being the largest volcanic lake in the world. Visitors to Lake Toba can choose to swim or enjoy a variety of water sports on the lake, or visit the traditional houses of the indigenous people, the Batak. They can also visit ornate stone replicas of Batak houses which are the graves of long dead Batak kings and nobles, or spend the afternoon in a traditional Batak village and learn about Batak weaving techniques and other art and craft forms such as blowpipe making.

8. Go trekking in Bukit Lawang

Located a four hour drive from the capital city of North Sumatra, Medan, Bukit Lawang has the largest sanctuary of Sumatran orangutan in Indonesia, and also forms the entrance of Gunung Leuser National Park, which stretches all the way to Aceh Province in the north of Indonesia. Common activities in Bukit Lawang are trekking, tubing on the river, or visiting the orangutan sanctuary to learn about the habitat and conservations projects of this graceful protected species.

9. Get away from it all on the Gili Islands

The Gili Islands consist of three islands, Gili Meno, Gili Air, and Gili Trawangan, all located off the coast of Lombok. The largest and most populated of these is Gili Trawangan, but even there, there are only basic roads and transport comes in the form of bicycles or horses and carts. There are no cars and no police, which is why many travelers make the trip by ferry or speedboat from Bali to get away from it all and to find a peaceful retreat from the busier towns of Sengiggi in Lombok or Bali.

10. Marvel at the lakes of Kelimutu, Flores

Kelimutu is the name of a volcano in central Flores which has three crater lakes located within it. The lakes are famous for their differing colors of blue, red, and green, thought to be triggered by continued volcanic activity and gases beneath the surface of the water. Many visitors choose to visit the lakes to witness this natural phenomenon or to hike to and sleep near the volcano to watch the sunrise over the crater.

• 11.  Celebrate Independence at Monas in Jakarta

A national monument that stands at 433 feet tall in Central Jakarta, the Monas tower was built as a symbol of the Indonesian struggle for Independence. It is located in Merdeka (Freedom) Square and houses a museum which is open to the public. There is also an observation deck at the top of the tower with views over the city of Jakarta, and the tower is topped with a celebratory bronze flame called the ‘Flame of Independence’.

12. Observe the Komodo Dragons

Komodo Island, one of a group of islands located in Lesser Sunda, is most famous as the home of the fearsome Komodo dragons. The ‘dragons’ are actually the world’s largest lizards and have toxic saliva used to poison and kill their prey. Visitors can now see the lizards as part of a tour of Komodo National Park, established in 1980 to aid in their conservation and to perform ongoing scientific studies and breeding programs of these fascinating beasts.

13. Tana Toraja

Tana Toraja literarily translates as ‘Land of the Toraja’, and refers to the indigenous people of this area of South Sulawesi. Tana Toraja is described as the second most popular tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali, and visitors travel here to see traditional culture, ornate homes, and to glimpse how the local communities have lived and worked for centuries. Also of note are the traditional grave sites of the Toraja people which include carved effigies of the dead, as well as the local community markets that take place every Sunday.

14. Nusa Lembongan

For tourists wanting to get away from the hustle and bustle of Bali, Nusa Lembongan has proven a welcome relief in recent years. Famous for its crystal blue waters, Nusa Lembongan offers visitors an array of water sports such as diving, snorkeling, and swimming. There are also surfing opportunities and the unpolluted waters are home to a vast cross section of marine life and pristine coral. There are also tourist attractions such as working seaweed farms that focus on education and conservation of marine life in the region.

15. Climb Mount Rinjani

Located on the island of Lombok, Mount Rinjani is an active volcano and the second largest volcano in Indonesia. Atop the volcano is a lake that has formed in the crater and which is considered sacred by the local Hindu and Sasak people (the indigenous people of Lombok). Guests can trek up to the summit of Rinjani to check out the sunrise and sunset, however, as the volcano is active and still erupts frequently, the summit is often closed and the ash clouds have been known to disrupt flights in and out of Bali and Lombok.

16. Dive in Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat, meaning ‘Four Kings’, is a cluster of islands off the coast of West Papua in Indonesia. An emerging tourist destination in recent years, this archipelago is known for housing some of the most diverse marine life on earth including thousands of species of fish, turtles, and rare coral. There are four major islands in the archipelago, some of which feature ancient rock paintings, and tourists can ride on traditional wooden boats between the various islands, run by the local fisherman.

17. Climb Mount Bromo

Mount Bromo, located in East Java, is yet another of Indonesia’s active volcanoes and is one of the most visited tourist attractions in Java. Named after the Hindi god Brahma, visitors can climb Mount Bromo if the volcano’s activity status allows. Tours take visitors to the crater and early risers can trek to the summit and watch the sunrise over the Tengger massif, a group of mountains that includes Mount Bromo.

18. Explore the Mentawai Islands

The Mentawai Islands are actually a collection of over seventy islands off the west coast of Sumatra. Home to the indigenous Mentawai people, who lived in isolation until the 19th century, the islands have now gained a following because of the surfing opportunities on offer, and dedicated surfing holidays are now heavily promoted in the region. According to many hard core surfers, the Mentawai Islands provide some of the best surfing conditions in the world.

19. Watch a Kecak Dance performance in Bali

A popular dance dating from the 1930s, the Kecak dance is actually a mixture of dance and drama that tells the story of the battle scene from the Hindu classic, the Ramayana. Traditionally this dance was performed exclusively by men, although performances now include women, who stand in a circle and clap their hands in a ‘cak’ sound from which the dance gets its name. The musical accompaniment to the dance takes the form of a chant, which originates from a traditional musical performance called Sanghyang, which was part dance and part exorcism. Nowadays the dance is performed for tourists all over Bali.

20. Go Shopping in Jakarta

The capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is best known for its shopping opportunities. Whatever the budget or style, there are options for all travelers, from the famous flea market in Menteng, to high end malls such as Plaza Indonesia or Grand Indonesia that carry all the latest labels and designers.

21. Candi Prambanan

A temple complex in Central Java, Candi Prambanan dates from the 9th century and draws comparisons as the Hindu version of the Buddhist temple Candi Borobudur. As with Borobudur, Candi Prambanan temple complex is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the largest Hindu temples in South East Asia. Visitors can roam the temple compounds and explore galleries, smaller shrines, and the diverse temples each dedicated to a different Hindu god.

22. Shop for traditional Batik in Yogyakarta

Often referred to as the cultural capital of the island of Java, Yogyakarta is a university town and home to the famous Gajah Mada University. In addition to the university Yogya, as it is also known, is still headed by a Sultan who lives in his palace known as the Kraton. Yogya has a thriving arts scene which includes the famous Batik factories, a textile technique that involves dying fabrics that have been outlined using wax. Curious visitors can tour these factories, try their hand at Batik making, and buy traditional Batik dyed clothes or accessories.

23. Explore Manado

The capital city of North Sulawesi, Manado is the second largest city in Sulawesi after Makassar. A diverse region, Manado is home to famous Chinese temples, Christian churches, and the 4th tallest statue of Jesus Christ in the world. There is also a national park on the island of Bunaken where visitors can enjoy the various scuba diving or snorkeling activities on offer and explore the local flora and fauna. Manado is also famous for its food, and has been declared an Indonesian food tourism hub.

24. Venture to Papua

The easternmost province of Indonesia, Papua Province is not to be confused with Papua New Guinea, the independent neighboring region to the east. Papua is often not visited by tourists, but hosts some of the largest areas of untouched rainforest outside of the Amazon. There is a variety of unique flora and fauna in Papua as well as coral reefs and tribal art for intrepid travelers to explore.

25. Get a bird’s eye view at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah, which literally translates as Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park, is a theme park in East Jakarta. The park is divided into the 26 different provinces of Indonesia and visitors are given a whistle stop tour of the country with replicas of individual houses, traditions, customs, and snapshots of daily life. For visitors who don’t have time to explore much of Indonesia outside of the central areas, Taman Mini can provide an overview of one of the most interesting and diverse countries in the world.

25 Best Things to Do in Indonesia:

• Go surfing in Kuta
• Visit Borobudur Temple
• Sunbathe on Pulau Weh in Aceh
• Eat Padang Food
• Say a prayer at Tanah Lot
• Enjoy the culture in Ubud
• Meander around Lake Toba
• Go trekking in Bukit Lawang
• Get away from it all on the Gili Islands
• Marvel at the lakes of Kelimutu, Flores
• Observe the Komodo Dragons
• Tana Toraja
• Nusa Lembongan
• Climb Mount Rinjani
• Dive in Raja Ampat
• Climb Mount Bromo
• Explore the Mentawai Islands
• Watch a Kecak Dance performance in Bali
• Go Shopping in Jakarta
• Candi Prambanan
• Shop for traditional Batik in Yogyakarta
• Explore Manado
• Venture to Papua
• Get a bird’s eye view at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

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Latest update

Exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia overall due to security risks.

Higher levels apply in some areas.

Indonesia (PDF 699.19 KB)

Asia (PDF 2.21 MB)

Local emergency contacts

Fire services, ambulance and rescue services, medical emergencies.

Call 110 or 112.

Tourist Police, Bali

Call (+0361) 759 687.

Tourist Police, Jakarta

Call (+201) 526 4073.

Advice levels

Exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia overall.

Reconsider your need to travel to the provinces of Papua (Papua), Papua Highlands (Papua Pegunungan), Central Papua (Papua Tengah) and South Papua (Papua Selatan).

Reconsider your need to travel  to the provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah and Papua Selatan due to the risk of serious security incidents or demonstrations that may turn violent.

• There's an ongoing risk of terrorist attack in Indonesia. Be alert to possible threats. Take official warnings seriously and follow the advice of local authorities. Popular tourist areas may be the target of terrorist attacks.
• Public protests and events that draw large groups of people occur regularly and can turn violent with little notice. Expect traffic delays and restricted access to locations if there are protests. Avoid protests and demonstrations and monitor local media for the latest updates.
• Many of Indonesia's volcanoes are active and can erupt without warning. Adhere to exclusion zones around volcanoes, which can change at short notice, and follow the advice of local authorities. Domestic and international flights can be disrupted. Monitor Indonesia's  Volcano Observatory Notice  for the latest volcanic activity (Bahasa Indonesia and English),  Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System  and the  Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre  for updates. 
• There's been tension, including demonstrations and violence, in certain towns in the provinces of Papua,   Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah and Papua Selatan in recent years. Armed groups have stated that they're targeting foreigners, including Australians. Our ability to provide consular support in these provinces is limited. Armed groups have shot at aircraft, including commercial planes, in remote airports in Papua Pegunungan and Papua Tengah provinces.
• Petty and violent crime occurs in Indonesia. Opportunistic crime, such as pickpocketing occurs. Drinks may be spiked or mixed with toxic substances. Crimes involving taxis and taxi drivers occur. Solo women are at higher risk. Be alert in taxis, public transport, crowds, bars and nightclubs.
• Legal disputes over real estate are common, including in Bali. Before entering into an agreement or providing financial details, do your research and get legal advice.
• Natural disasters such as severe weather, floods, landslides, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis occur regularly. Weather conditions can change quickly during the wet season (October – April). Regularly check weather reports, monitor media and speak to your travel provider before continuing with planned activities. Follow the advice of local authorities.
• When undertaking adventure activities, ensure that functioning safety equipment is available, that you have travel insurance and that your policy covers you for these activities.

Full travel advice: Safety

• The standard of medical facilities in Indonesia is generally lower than in Australia. Many regional hospitals only provide basic facilities.
• Some medications, including prescription medications, drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), all cannabis-based products including medicinal cannabis, cannabis-based oils and creams, hemp-based products, CBD, THC, hash and edibles, are illegal in Indonesia. Harsh penalties, such as arrest and jail time, can apply even if you have a prescription. Make sure your  medication is legal in Indonesia .
• Purchasing prescription medication online or over the counter in Indonesia without an Indonesian prescription is illegal. Ensure you provide a valid prescription from an Indonesian doctor before purchasing prescription medication and confirm that it's accepted by the seller before your purchase.

Full travel advice: Health

• Indonesia has revised its criminal code, which includes penalties for cohabitation and sex outside of marriage. These revisions will not come into force until January 2026.
• Penalties for drug offences include heavy fines, long prison sentences and the death penalty. Police target tourist destinations. 
• Some medications are illegal in Indonesia. Harsh penalties can apply even if you have a prescription. It is also illegal to purchase prescription medications online or over the counter without an Indonesian prescription. Ensure you have a valid Indonesian prescription. See ' Health '.

The death penalty exists for some crimes in Indonesia.

• Standards of dress and behaviour are conservative in many parts of Indonesia. Learn about local customs. Take care not to offend.
• Aceh province upholds aspects of sharia law. Sharia law applies to everyone, including travellers. Inform yourself about the laws, and be careful not to offend or break local laws. If in doubt, seek local advice.

Full travel advice: Local laws

• The Bali Provincial Government has introduced a new tourist levy of IDR 150,000 per person to foreign tourists entering Bali. The tourist levy is separate from the e-Visa on Arrival or the Visa on Arrival. Cashless payments can be made online prior to travel or on arrival at designated payment counters at Bali's airport and seaport. See the  Bali Provincial Government's  official website and  FAQs  for further information.
• If you're travelling to Indonesia for tourism, official government duties or business meetings, you can  apply for an e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA)  online at least 48 hours before your travel to Indonesia. This also applies if you're transiting through Indonesia at international airports, seaports and land crossings. You can get a Visa on Arrival (VOA) at some international airports, seaports or land crossings.
• To apply for the e-VOA or VOA, you must have an ordinary (non-emergency) passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date you plan to enter (we also recommend having at least 6 months of passport validity from the date you plan to leave Indonesia, to avoid any issues for your departure or onward travel) and a return or onward flight booking to another country.
• You may need to apply for a visa in advance to enter Indonesia for purposes not covered by the e-VOA or VOA. Check the latest entry requirements with your travel provider or an  Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia  before travel. Entry, exit and transit conditions can change at short notice. Monitor media for the latest updates. 
• You'll be required to complete an  e-customs declaration  for arrival. You can complete this within 3 days of departure to Indonesia.
• Travel requirements may change at short notice, including travel to Bali and Jakarta by air, land or sea. Contact your travel provider and monitor media for up-to-date details.

Full travel advice: Travel

Local contacts

• The Consular Services Charter tells you what the Australian Government can and can't do to help when you're overseas.
• For consular help, contact the Australian Embassy, Jakarta , the Australian Consulate-General, Bali , the Australian Consulate-General, Makassar or the Australian Consulate-General, Surabaya .
• To stay up to date with local information, follow the Embassy's social media accounts.

Full travel advice: Local contacts

Full advice

The terrorist threat in Indonesia is ongoing. Attacks could happen anywhere and anytime. This includes places that foreigners visit.

Be alert to possible threats. Take official warnings seriously and follow the advice of local authorities. Remain respectful of religious and local customs.

Indonesian authorities continue to investigate and disrupt terrorist groups in Indonesia, including Bali.

Terrorist attacks are motivated by extreme beliefs. Both local grievances as well as events in other parts of the world could motivate extremists in Indonesia towards violence.

Recent terrorist attacks

In December 2022, an explosion occurred at a police station in Bandung, Jawa Barat, killing 2 and injuring 11.

In March 2021, 2 suicide bombers attacked a church in Makassar, injuring dozens.

In the past, police have said that terrorist suspects remain at large and may seek Western targets.

Indonesian security agencies continue to conduct operations against terrorist groups.

Terrorists in Indonesia may carry out small-scale violent attacks with little or no warning.

Be alert in places of worship, especially during periods of religious significance.

Terrorists have targeted places of worship in:

As well as places of worship, other possible targets by terrorists include:

• Indonesian government facilities, premises and symbols associated with the Indonesian Government
• police stations and checkpoints
• bars, nightclubs, cafes and restaurants
• cinemas and theatres
• shopping centres, public transport and transport hubs
• airports and airlines
• clubs, including sporting clubs
• tourist areas and attractions, tour buses and tour groups
• outdoor recreation events

Supporters have committed additional acts of violence in response to high-profile extremists being detained or killed.

To protect yourself during a terrorist attack:

• leave the area as soon as it's safe
• follow the advice of local authorities
• don't gather in a group after an attack
• don't gather in a group if you're evacuated from a building

Security remains at a high level at:

• the Australian Embassy in Jakarta
• the Consulates-General in Bali, Makassar and Surabaya

More information:

Civil unrest and political tension

Most events are announced before they happen; however, protests may occur with little or no notice.

Protests and events are often held near major government buildings and embassies in Jakarta, including the Australian Embassy.

Protests may also occur at any of Australia's Consulates-General in Surabaya, Bali and Makassar, at government buildings, or the offices of international organisations in Indonesia.

You can expect traffic delays and restricted access to locations if there are protests.

Phone or email ahead for an appointment before going to the Embassy or the Consulates-General (see  Local contacts ).

Demonstrations and acts of violence can happen when courts try and sentence extremists.

Conflict between different communities can sometimes occur, including in the provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah and Papua Selatan. Our ability to provide consular support in these provinces is limited.

Local violence can also be directed at minority groups in other parts of Indonesia, including in Java.

If you're found to endanger security or public order, you may be prosecuted under Indonesia's Immigration laws, which may result in imprisonment or deportation.

To protect yourself from possible violence:

• avoid protests and demonstrations
• monitor local media for the latest security updates
• plan your activities to avoid potential unrest on significant dates
• be prepared to change your travel plans
• Demonstrations and civil unrest

Armed conflict

The provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah and Papua Selatan experience regular violent clashes involving armed groups, civilians, Indonesian police, and the military. Armed groups have stated that they are targeting foreigners, including Australians. Our ability to provide consular support in these provinces is limited.

Many people have been killed and injured in clashes. This includes members of security forces, armed groups and civilians. Violent attacks have occurred in several areas of these provinces, including in and around Jayapura. There's a risk of more attacks.

On 23 February 2023, a riot broke out in Wamena, Papua Pegunungan, when a crowd attacked Indonesian security personnel following the arrest of two people accused of child kidnapping. 12 civilians and rioters were killed.

Violent attacks have occurred around the Freeport Mine in Papua Tengah.

Armed groups have:

• taken a New Zealand pilot hostage in Paro, Papua Pegunungan
• shot at aircraft, including commercial planes, at Beoga airport in Pupua Tengah province and Nop Goliat Dekai airport in Papua Pegunungan province. 
• killed people in attacks, including one Australian
• attacked vehicles using the road between Grasberg and Timika
• killed people in violent attacks in Puncak Jaya District, Papua Tengah
• more attacks are possible and could target infrastructure and national institutions.

A range of crimes, including violent crime, occur in Indonesia. Crimes can happen in popular tourist locations in Bali.

To protect yourself from crime:

• be aware of your surroundings
• be alert in crowds
• understand the potential crime risks

Theft, robbery  and bag and phone snatching have occurred. These crimes can sometimes involve violence. Opportunistic crime such as pickpocketing occurs.

Be careful of thieves:

• on motorcycles targeting pedestrians
• in upmarket shopping malls
• in crowded public transport
• at traffic lights targeting people in stopped cars
• at bars and nightclubs
• when entering accommodation, including villas in Bali

Keep bags and valuables out of sight in vehicles.

If you're travelling on foot, walk:

• on footpaths
• away from the curb
• with your bag held away from traffic

Sexual assault

If you're a victim of sexual assault :

• get immediate medical assistance. If you have any doubts about seeking medical assistance after a sexual assault, contact your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate in Indonesia (see  Local contacts ) as quickly as possible.
• make a full statement to local police, in person, so they can conduct a criminal investigation. You may wish to seek consular help before you visit the police station. Contact your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate (see  Local contacts ).

Local police can only investigate a crime after you've left Indonesia if you've reported it.

Your sworn statement, or statements by witnesses, can be used as evidence in criminal court proceedings.

You don't always need to be in Indonesia for trial. Neither do witnesses who live outside of Indonesia.

Counselling support

Should you wish to speak to a counsellor, you can call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your nearest Australian Embassy or Consulate (see  Local contacts ). They can connect you to counselling hotlines and services.

• Reducing the risk of sexual assault

Bars and nightclubs

Be alert in bars and nightclubs. Drink-spiking and snatching of valuables may occur if you're not alert.

Drinks may be contaminated with drugs or toxic substances. See  Health .

Don't leave your food or drinks unattended.

Never accept drinks, food, gum, cigarettes, vapes or e-cigarettes from people you've just met.

• Partying safely

Credit card and ATM fraud

Credit card, online banking and ATM fraud occurs in Indonesia.

Check your bank statements.

Make sure your bank doesn't block your cards. Tell your bank you'll be visiting Indonesia.

Never let your card out of your sight. This includes when you pay in restaurants.

Shield your PIN from sight.

Some vendors install hidden cameras and use card skimmers.

Don’t click on unknown links in WhatsApp or mobile phone text messages, particularly if your phone is linked to mobile banking.

Use ATMs at controlled and secure places, such as:

• shopping centres

Scams and confidence tricks

Beware of scams and confidence tricks.

Only exchange money at authorised money changers. Authorised money changers can also be found on the  Bali Foreign Exchange website . Unauthorised money changers have been known to scam foreign tourists in Bali and elsewhere.

All types of gambling are illegal in Indonesia.

Australians have lost large sums of money in card game scams run by organised gambling gangs, particularly in Bali. See Local laws

Some tourists have been robbed or planted with drugs after taking new acquaintances back to their hotel rooms. In some cases, their drinks were spiked.

Legal disputes over the purchase of real estate are common, including in Bali, involving:

• holiday clubs and resorts
• timeshare schemes

Before entering into an agreement or providing financial details:

• thoroughly research the proposal
• get legal advice and know your rights, especially before you sign any documents

Using taxis

Only use licensed official metered taxis. Crimes involving unregistered taxis include:

• taxis departing before the passenger can take their baggage from the vehicle
• taxi drivers robbing or temporarily holding passengers, including in urban areas
• taxi drivers forcing passengers to withdraw money at ATMs before releasing them

Lone female travellers are at higher risk of crime.

If you're in an incident involving a taxi, leave the taxi and the immediate area if it's safe to do so.

To protect yourself from overcharging and scams:

• only travel in licensed taxis with signage, a "taxi" roof sign and meters working
• ensure the driver's identification card is visible
• book via your phone, on an official taxi company mobile app, from inside an airport, or at stands at major hotels

See Travel .

Cyber security

You may be at risk of cyber-based threats during overseas travel to any country. Digital identity theft is a growing concern. Your devices and personal data can be compromised, especially if you're connecting to Wi-Fi, using or connecting to shared or public computers, or to Bluetooth.

Social media can also be risky in destinations where there are social or political tensions, or laws that may seem unreasonable by Australian standards. Travellers have been arrested for things they have said on social media. Don't comment on local or political events on your social media.

• Cyber security when travelling overseas

Kidnapping occurs across the world with political, ideological and criminal motives. Foreigners, including Australians, have been kidnapped overseas while travelling. Kidnaps can happen anywhere, anytime, including destinations that are typically at lower risk. 

On 7 February 2023, a New Zealand pilot was taken hostage by an armed group in Paro, Papua Pegunungan.

The Australian Government's longstanding policy is that it doesn't make payments or concessions to kidnappers.

Adventure activities

Many businesses don't follow safety and maintenance standards. This includes transport and tour operators, water sports providers, hotels, restaurants and shops.

It may affect adventure activities, such as:

• bungee jumping
• scuba diving and snorkelling 
• chairlift or gondola rides

In the past, Australians have been seriously injured or died while participating in adventure activities. If you require intensive care medical treatment, emergency surgery or medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

If you plan to do an adventure activity :

• check if your travel insurance policy covers it
• ask about safety, search and rescue procedures
• ask about and insist on minimum safety requirements
• always use available safety gear, such as life jackets or seatbelts
• check with your travel provider on vessel capacity limits before embarking on sea, land or air travel
• check weather and ocean conditions, and whether the vessel has had any mechanical issues, on the day and before continuing with water activities or sea travel
• check where the nearest medical facilities are

If proper safety equipment isn't available or you're unsure of the provider's safety or maintenance procedures, use another provider.

Trekking and climbing

Some mountain treks suit only experienced climbers. Travel with a guide and check the level of difficulty beforehand.

Many trekking options may be on or around an active volcano. Many of Indonesia's volcanoes are active and can erupt without warning. Volcanic and seismic activity may continue for some time. Adhere to exclusion zones around volcanoes, which can change at short notice, and follow the advice of local authorities. If you're planning to travel to an area near an active volcano, check with local authorities before climbing and check:

• Bureau of Meteorology  Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre  
• MAGMA Indonesia  (Bahasa Indonesia) for daily updates on status and alert levels
• National Disaster Management Authority (BNPB)  (Bahasa Indonesia)
• Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System

Swimming safety

People have drowned in coastal areas, including in Bali, due to rough seas, strong currents, or from swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving in areas where there is frequent passage of boats, resulting in collisions.

Local beach rescue services may not be of the same standard as in Australia.

Saltwater crocodiles are in rivers throughout Indonesia. Avoid swimming around river estuaries and seek local advice in other locations. 

If you plan to spend time in or on the water:

• regularly check weather reports as sea conditions can change rapidly
• take warnings seriously
• check media and local sources for information about potential dangers
• speak to your travel provider about safety equipment and weather conditions before continuing with planned activities
• take a friend or family member with you when you undertake swimming or water activities
• be careful when swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving near motor-powered boats or where there is frequent passage of boats
• ensure you have travel insurance and that your policy covers you for planned activities

Ensure you have travel insurance and that your policy covers you for planned activities.

Climate and natural disasters

Indonesia experiences natural disasters and severe weather , including:

• landslides and mudslides
• volcanic eruptions
• earthquakes
• storms resulting in turbulent sea conditions
• tsunamis and high wave events

If there's a natural disaster or severe weather:

• always carry your passport in a waterproof bag
• keep in contact with family and friends
• check the media and local sources for information
• don't undertake sea, land or air travel if it's not safe to do so
• Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG)  (English and Bahasa Indonesia)
• BMKG Multi-Hazard Early Warning System app  (English and Bahasa Indonesia) 

Floods and mudslides

Floods , landslides and mudslides occur regularly during the wet season from October to April, with some severe events resulting in injury, displacement, death or damaged infrastructure.

Heavy rains can cause significant flooding in urban areas, including the greater Jakarta region, causing disruption to transportation. Monitor the local media for updates.

Walking and driving in flooded areas can be dangerous. Flood waters may hide uncovered drainage ditches.

Volcanic activity may escalate with little or no notice, leading to flight disruptions and airport closures, including in surrounding provinces. Contact your airline for the latest flight information. 

There are 147 volcanoes in Indonesia. 76 of them are active volcanoes and could erupt at any time.

Volcanic alert levels and exclusion zones may rise quickly. You may be ordered to evacuate at short notice. Volcanic activity can disrupt domestic and international flights. There are 4 volcano alert levels in Indonesia; 1 - normal, 2 - advisory, 3 - watch, 4 - warning.

Before you travel to areas that are prone to volcanic activity, monitor media and ensure you read the Indonesian Government's latest advice on current volcanic activity, including:

• Volcanic Activity Report  by Indonesia's Multiplatform Application for Geohazard Mitigation and Assessment (MAGMA) (Bahasa Indonesia)
• Volcano Activity and Observatory Notices  (English and Bahasa Indonesia)
• MAGMA Indonesia Map of Latest Volcano Levels and Climate Information  (Bahasa Indonesia)
• Bureau of Meteorology's  Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre

If there's volcanic activity:

• avoid the area
• take official warnings seriously and adhere to exclusion zones
• follow the instructions and advice of local authorities
• follow evacuation orders
• read our advice on Volcanic eruptions while travelling

Volcanic ash can cause breathing difficulties. The risk is higher for people with chronic respiratory illnesses, including:

Recent and frequent volcanic activity has included:

• Mount Ile Lewetolok in East Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Timur)
• Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in East Flores Regency, Nusa Tenggara Timur
• Mount Marapi in West Sumatra
• Mount Anak Krakatau, to the south of Sumatra
• Mount Merapi, near Yogyakarta
• Mt Dukono in North Sulawesi
• Mount Semeru, near Malang, East Java
• Mount Agung in Bali
• Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra

Some trekking routes are on or near active volcanoes, including Mount Agung and Mount Batur in Bali, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, Mount Merapi near Yogyakarta, Mount Rinjani in Lombok, Mount Bromo and Mount Ijen in East Java. See 'Trekking and climbing'.

If you're planning to travel to an area near an active volcano, make sure you have comprehensive travel insurance and check if any restrictions apply.

If a volcanic eruption occurs:

• make a backup plan in case you're affected
• contact your airline or travel insurer to confirm flight schedules and get help
• keep in touch with family and friends
• Learn more about  volcanic eruptions  (Geoscience Australia)
• See practical advice and information about  volcanic eruptions  (US CDC)
• See worldwide  volcanic activity reports  in real-time (GDACS)

Earthquakes

Indonesia is in an active earthquake region. It has a high level of earthquake activity, that sometimes triggers tsunamis.

There are approximately 4,000 earthquakes across Indonesia every year. Around 70 to 100 of these are over 5.5 magnitude.

Earthquakes can cause death, injury and significant damage to infrastructure.

Strong earthquakes can occur anywhere in Indonesia. They are less common in Kalimantan and south-west Sulawesi.

To stay safe during an earthquake:

• know the emergency plans at your accommodation
• take precautions to avoid exposure to debris and hazardous materials, including asbestos
• MAGMA Indonesia  (Bahasa Indonesia)
• Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency  (Bahasa Indonesia) or BMKG Multi-Hazard Early Warning System app (English and Indonesia)
• Indonesia's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation  (Bahasa Indonesia)
• US Federal Emergency Management Agency advice on what to do before, during and after an earthquake  (English)

Forest fires and smoke haze

During the dry season in April to November, widespread forest fires can cause smoke haze resulting in poor air quality across parts of Indonesia, particularly the Riau Islands, central Sumatra and Kalimantan.

Smoke haze could affect your health and travel plans.

Keep up to date with local information and seek medical advice on appropriate precautions.

• ASEAN Regional Haze Situation
• Smartraveller advice on Bushfires

Tsunamis and high wave events

The Indian and Pacific Oceans experience more frequent, large and destructive tsunamis than other parts of the world.

There are many large earthquakes along major tectonic plate boundaries and ocean trenches.

High wave events can happen throughout coastal regions and between islands. They're caused by strong weather conditions and storms.

If you plan to surf, undertake water activities or travel by sea, check local conditions regularly.

If there’s a tsunami or high wave event: 

• don't travel by sea if it's not safe to do so
• Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning Centre  issues warnings when a potential tsunami with significant impact is expected
• Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency  with the latest list of earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5.0 on the Richter scale (Bahasa Indonesia) or  BMKG Multi-Hazard Early Warning System app  (English and Bahasa Indonesia)
• US Federal Emergency Management Agency page  on what to do before, during and after an earthquake

Piracy occurs in the coastal areas of Indonesia.

The  International Maritime Bureau (IMB)  issues weekly piracy reports.

If you decide to travel by boat in these regions:

• check  IMB piracy  reports
• get local advice
• arrange security measures
• Travelling by boat
• Going on a cruise
• International Maritime Bureau

Travel insurance

Get comprehensive travel insurance before you leave. 

Your policy needs to cover all overseas medical costs, including emergency treatment and medical evacuation. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs.

If you can't afford travel insurance, you can't afford to travel. This applies to everyone, no matter how healthy and fit you are.

If you're not insured, you may have to pay many thousands of dollars up-front for medical care.

Before you travel, confirm:

• what activities and care your policy covers
• that your insurance covers you for the whole time you'll be away, including on all forms of transport you plan to take
• whether it covers medical evacuation in the event of hospitalisation or injury
• any exclusions to your policy

Physical and mental health

Consider your physical and mental health before you travel, especially if you have an existing medical condition. 

See your doctor or travel clinic to:

• have a basic health check-up
• ask if your travel plans may affect your health
• plan any vaccinations you need

Do this at least 8 weeks before you leave.

If you have immediate concerns for your welfare or the welfare of another Australian, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on +61 2 6261 3305 or contact your  nearest Australian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate  to discuss counselling hotlines and services available in your location.

• General health advice
• Healthy holiday tips  (Healthdirect Australia)

Not all medication available over the counter or by prescription in Australia is available in other countries. Some may even be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by an Australian doctor.

Some drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are illegal in Indonesia.

If you plan to bring over-the-counter or prescription medication, check if it's legal in Indonesia by contacting the  Indonesian Embassy in Canberra  well in advance of your planned travel. Take enough legal medicine for your trip and carry it in its original packaging. Purchasing prescription medication online in Indonesia without an Indonesian prescription is illegal. Ensure you provide a valid prescription from an Indonesian doctor before purchasing prescription medication and confirm that it's accepted by the seller prior to your purchase.

Carry a copy of your prescription and a letter from your doctor stating:

• what the medicine is
• your required dosage
• that it's for medical treatment or use

If you're caught with illegal medicine, you could face detention, fines or harsher penalties. You could face charges even if an Australian doctor prescribed the medication.

Ask the Indonesian Embassy in Canberra for advice before you travel.

Medicinal cannabis and cannabis-based products

Cannabis-based products such as cannabis oil and creams, hemp, CBD, THC, hash and edibles remain illegal in Indonesia, including for medicinal purposes. A medical prescription does not make it legal. If you take such products to Indonesia or purchase or use them in Indonesia, you can be arrested and face imprisonment, fines, deportation or the death penalty.

• Medications

Health Risks

Critical care for Australians who become seriously ill, including in Bali, is significantly below the standard available in Australia. Medical evacuation may not be possible.

The Australian Government cannot guarantee your access to hospitals and other health services in Indonesia. 

Medical evacuation to Australia for medical conditions, is possible but is very expensive and may not be covered by travel insurance. Check your policy before you travel.

Ban on sale of liquid/syrup medication

The Indonesian Ministry of Health (MoH) has advised local health workers and pharmacists to stop selling liquid/syrup medication, including commonly used medications containing paracetamol and cough syrups. MoH and the Indonesian Paediatrician Association (IDAI) received reports of a sharp increase in cases of Atypical Progressive Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in children , especially under the age of 5 years.

Insect-borne illnesses

Insect-borne illnesses are common throughout the year.

To protect yourself from disease:

• research your destination
• ask locals for advice
• make sure your accommodation is mosquito-proof
• use insect repellent
• wear long, loose, light-coloured clothing

Dengue  occurs throughout Indonesia, including Bali, Jakarta and other major cities.

Dengue is common during the rainy season.

Australian health authorities have reported an increase in dengue infections in people returning from Bali in recent years.

Consult your travel doctor for further information on available vaccines and their suitability for your individual circumstances.

Zika virus  can occur in Indonesia.

Protect yourself from mosquito bites.

The  Australian Department of Health and Aged Care  advises pregnant women to:

• discuss any travel plans with their doctor
• consider deferring non-essential travel to affected areas

Malaria , including chloroquine-resistant strains, is widespread in rural areas, particularly in the provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah, Papua Selatan, Papua Barat Daya, Papua Barat, Maluku and Nusa Tenggara Timur. There is no malaria transmission in Jakarta.

• Consider taking medicine to prevent malaria.

Japanese encephalitis and filariasis

Japanese encephalitis  and  filariasis  occur in Indonesia, especially in rural agricultural areas.

Japanese encephalitis has been present in Australian travellers returning from Indonesia, including Bali.

Vaccination is recommended for certain groups of travellers. 

• Infectious diseases

Drink poisoning

People have been poisoned by alcoholic drinks contaminated with harmful substances, including methanol and arak (a traditional rice-based spirit). Locals and foreigners, including Australians, have died or become seriously ill from poisoned drinks.

Cases of drink poisoning have been reported in Bali and Lombok.

Contaminated drinks have included:

• local spirits
• spirit-based drinks, such as cocktails
• brand name alcohol

To protect yourself from drink poisoning:

• consider the risks when drinking alcoholic beverages
• be careful drinking cocktails and drinks made with spirits
• drink only at reputable licensed premises
• avoid home-made alcoholic drinks

Labels on bottles aren't always accurate.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning can be similar to drinking too much. However, they are usually stronger.

Symptoms of methanol poisoning include:

• vision problems

Vision problems may include:

• blindness, blurred or snowfield vision
• changes in colour perception
• difficulty looking at bright lights
• dilated pupils
• flashes of light
• tunnel vision

If you suspect that you or someone you're travelling with may have been poisoned, act quickly. Urgent medical attention could save your life or save you from permanent disability.

Report suspected cases of methanol poisoning to the Indonesian police.

Magic mushrooms

Don't consume magic mushrooms. They're illegal.

Australians have become sick or injured after taking magic mushrooms.

Australians have been in trouble with local police after taking magic mushrooms, particularly in Bali.

Magic mushrooms can cause major health problems, including:

• erratic behaviour
• severe hallucinations

Rabies is a risk throughout Indonesia, especially in:

• Nusa Tenggara Timur, including Labuan Bajo
• South Sulawesi
• West Kalimantan
• Nias, off the west coast of Sumatra

To protect yourself from rabies:

• avoid direct contact with dogs
• don't feed or pat animals
• avoid contact with other animals, including bats and monkeys.

Talk to your doctor about getting a pre-exposure rabies vaccination. 

If bitten or scratched by an animal:

• immediately use soap and water to wash the wound thoroughly for 15 minutes
• seek urgent medical attention.

Rabies treatment in Indonesia may be limited, including the rabies vaccine and immunoglobulin availability. If you're bitten, you may need to return to Australia or travel to another country for immediate treatment.

You're at risk of contracting rabies if you visit a market where live animals and fresh food are sold because:

• live rabies-positive dogs may be present
• rabies-positive dog meat may be sold as food

Selling dog meat for human consumption is a breach of government disease control regulations.

Avoid contact with monkeys, even in places where you're encouraged to interact with them. This includes:

• popular markets
• tourist destinations
• sanctuaries

Legionnaires' disease

Cases of Legionnaires' disease have been reported in people who have travelled to Bali. Travellers who are unwell with flu-like symptoms within 10 days of returning from Bali are advised to consult their GPs.

• Legionnaires' disease warning for Bali travellers  (Western Australian Government Department of Health) 
• Legionnaires’ disease  (Better Health Channel, Victorian Government Department of Health)
• Legionnaires' disease  (World Health Organization)

Cases of poliovirus (type 1) have been reported in the provinces of Papua, Papua Pegunungan, Papua Tengah and Papua Selatan. Poliovirus (type 2) cases have been reported in the provinces of Aceh, East, West and Central Java. There may be unreported cases in other provinces in Indonesia.

Ensure that you're vaccinated against polio.

• Factsheet on poliovirus types  (World Health Organization)
• Health emergencies information for Indonesia  (World Health Organization)

Periodic outbreaks of measles continue to be reported in Indonesia, including Bali.

You need 2 doses of vaccine 4 weeks apart to be fully vaccinated against measles.

If you have symptoms of measles, seek medical attention.

Measles is highly infectious. Call before attending a healthcare facility.

Nipah Virus and Yellow Fever

There are no cases of  Nipah virus  or  Yellow Fever  in Indonesia. You may be temperature checked on arrival at international and domestic airports. If you have fever symptoms, you may be referred to the airport clinic for further tests and asked to seek medical treatment. See your doctor or travel clinic before you travel to plan any vaccinations you need.

HIV/AIDS is a risk for travellers. Take steps to reduce your risk of exposure to the virus.

Other health risks

Waterborne, foodborne, parasitic and other infectious diseases are widespread. These include:

• tuberculosis

Serious outbreaks sometimes occur.

To protect yourself from illness:

• boil drinking water or drink bottled water
• avoid ice cubes
• avoid raw food, such as salads

To minimise the risk of food poisoning, only eat meat from reputable suppliers.

Seek urgent medical attention if you suspect food poisoning or have a fever or diarrhoea.

Seafood toxins

You can become sick from naturally occurring seafood toxins, including:

• ciguatera fish poisoning
• scombroid (histamine fish poisoning)
• toxins in shellfish

Avoid temporary black henna tattoos. The dye often causes serious skin reactions.

Before you get any tattoo, check the hygiene and safety of your tattoo provider.

Medical care

Medical facilities.

The standard of medical facilities in Indonesia is generally lower than Australia. Many regional hospitals only provide basic facilities.

Hospitals expect families to provide support to patients, including all financial support.

Psychiatric and psychological services are limited in Indonesia. Hospital staff may use physical restraints on patients.

When diving in Indonesia, there is a risk that you may experience decompression illness. An illness may occur when a diver ascends to the water surface too quickly and may have severe consequences. Understand the risks before you dive. 

Decompression chambers are available in various areas, including the following locations:

• Bali's Sanglah General Hospital
• Siloam Hospital in Labuan Bajo
• Hospitals in Jakarta, Balikpapan, Bintan, Medan, Makassar, Raja Ampat (Waisai), Maluku, Tual and Manado near popular dive sites 

Before admitting patients, hospitals usually need:

• guarantee of payment from the patient or their next of kin (family or friend)
• confirmation of medical insurance
• deposit payment 

There's no reciprocal healthcare agreement between Australia and Indonesia. 

The Australian Government cannot provide guarantee of payment, confirmation of medical insurance or a deposit payment for services.

If you become seriously ill or injured, you may need to be evacuated to a place with better care. Medical evacuation can be very expensive. Check your insurance policy before you travel. The Australian Government won't pay for these costs. It's best to check with your travel provider on the location and functionality of decompression chambers and other medical facilities available in the area before undertaking remote travel.

You're subject to all local laws and penalties, including those that may appear harsh by Australian standards. Research local laws before travelling.

Indonesian Parliament has passed revisions to its criminal code, which includes penalties for cohabitation and sex outside of marriage. These revisions will not come into force until January 2026.

Indonesia has signed into law revisions to the Electronic and Information Transactions Law (ITE Law). Tough penalties apply for defamation, hate speech, spreading hoaxes and uploading immoral content to the Internet. The law applies both within and outside Indonesia.

If you're arrested or jailed, the Australian Government will do what it can to help you under our Consular Services Charter . But we can't get you out of trouble or out of jail.

• Arrested or jailed

Penalties for drug offences are severe. They include the death penalty.

You may face heavy fines or jail for consuming or possessing even small amounts of drugs, including marijuana. Cannabis-based products such as cannabis oil and cream, hemp, CBD, THC, hash and edibles remain illegal in Indonesia, including for medicinal purposes. A medical prescription does not make it legal. If you take such products to Indonesia or purchase or use them in Indonesia, you can be arrested and face imprisonment, fines, deportation or the death penalty.

Some prescription medications that are available in Australia are illegal in Indonesia. Purchasing prescription medication online or over the counter in Indonesia without an Indonesian prescription is illegal. Ensure you provide a valid prescription from an Indonesian doctor before purchasing prescription medication and confirm that it's accepted by the seller before your purchase.

Magic mushrooms are illegal. Indonesian police work to prevent their distribution.

Police target illegal drug use and possession across Indonesia. Police often target popular places and venues in Bali, Lombok and Jakarta.

• Carrying or using drugs

Local labour laws can change at short notice. This can affect expatriate workers.

Under Indonesian law, you must always carry identification. For example, your:

• Australian passport; and
• Resident's Stay Permit (if applicable)

Gambling is illegal.

Property laws are strict, seek legal advice before acquiring property in Indonesia.

It's sometimes illegal to take photographs in Indonesia. Obey signs banning photography. If in doubt, get advice from local officials. See Safety .

Australian laws

Some Australian criminal laws still apply when you're overseas. If you break these laws, you may face prosecution in Australia.

• Staying within the law and respecting customs

Local customs

Standards of dress and behaviour are conservative in many parts of Indonesia. Take care not to offend.

Find out what customs apply at your destination.

If in doubt, seek local advice.

LGBTQIA+ information

Same-sex relationships are legal in Indonesia, except in the province of Aceh. Same-sex relationships in Aceh may attract corporal punishment. Visible displays of same sex relationships could draw unwanted attention.

Some laws and regulations can be applied in a way that discriminates against the LGBTI community, including for pornography and prostitution.

• Advice for LGBTI travellers

The Islamic holiday month of Ramadan  is observed in Indonesia. Respect religious and cultural customs and laws at this time.

During Ramadan, eating, drinking and smoking may be illegal in public during this time. If you're not fasting, avoid these activities around people who are. Seek local advice to avoid offence and follow the advice of local authorities.

Explore our Ramadan page to learn more, including dates for Ramadan.

Aceh is governed as a special territory, not a province, and has a degree of special autonomy.

Some aspects of sharia law are upheld. This includes regulations and punishments that don't apply in other parts of Indonesia.

Local sharia police enforce sharia law.

Sharia law applies to anyone in Aceh, including:

• foreigners (expats and travellers)
• non-Muslims

Sharia law doesn't allow:

• drinking alcohol
• prostitution
• same-sex relationships
• extra-marital sex
• co-habitation before marriage

It also requires a conservative standard of dress.

Learn about the laws in Aceh. If in doubt, seek local advice.

Dual citizenship

Indonesia doesn't allow dual nationality for adults, and you may be prosecuted by Immigration authorities should you be found to hold valid passports of two nationalities. If you entered Indonesia on your non-Australian citizenship passport, Indonesian Immigration will require you to exit Indonesia on that nationality's passport.

A child of Indonesian and Australian parents can maintain citizenship of both countries until the age of 18 years. Before a dual Australian-Indonesian citizen minor travels from Indonesia, additional identity documentation may be required from Indonesian Immigration. Check with Indonesian Immigration or the  Indonesian Embassy in Canberra  well in advance of your planned travel.

• Embassy and Consulate of Indonesia
• Information on limited dual citizenship
• Dual nationals

Visas and border measures

Every country or territory decides who can enter or leave through its borders. For specific information about the evidence you'll need to enter a foreign destination, check with the nearest embassy, consulate or immigration department of the destination you're entering. 

Bali Tourism Levy

The Bali Provincial Government has introduced a new tourist levy of IDR 150,000 per person to foreign tourists entering Bali. The tourist levy is separate from the e-Visa on Arrival or the Visa on Arrival. Cashless payments can be made online prior to travel or on arrival at designated payment counters at Bali's airport and seaport. Exemption from payment of the levy applies to transit passengers and certain visa holders. See the Bali Provincial Government's  official website and FAQs for further information.

e-Visa on Arrival and Visa on Arrival

You can  apply for an e-Visa on Arrival (e-VOA)  no later than 48 hours prior to travelling to Indonesia if you are travelling for tourism, business meetings, purchasing goods or transiting only. Check the e-VOA requirements from Indonesian Immigration before applying.

You can still apply for a regular Visa on Arrival (VOA) at certain international airports, seaports and land crossings, including Jakarta, Bali, Surabaya, Makassar, Lombok, Batam, Medan, Manado, Aceh, Padang, Tanjung Pinang and Yogyakarta, if you do not apply for an e-VOA at least 48 hours in advance of your travel to Indonesia.

The e-VOA or VOA can be used for tourism, official government duties, business meetings, or to transit through Indonesia. You cannot transit in Indonesia without an e-VOA or VOA.

Additional requirements apply if you are travelling on government duties.

For the latest list of entry points for the e-VOA or VOA, refer to the  Directorate General of Immigration's list of land border crossings, international airports, and international seaports .

The e-VOA and VOA cost IDR 500,000 (approximately $A 50), with the e-VOA charging a small online processing fee.

For the VOA, some airports, including Jakarta's international airport, are only accepting cash payment. Card payment facilities are available at Bali's international airport. ATM facilities may be in high demand. Be prepared to pay in cash if required. 

The visa is valid for a 30 day stay and can be extended once (for a maximum of 30 days) by applying at an immigration office within Indonesia. Ensure you extend your visa within the initial 30 days to avoid an overstay fine and deportation.

To apply for a regular VOA, you must show:

• your ordinary (non-emergency) passport with at least 6 months of validity from the date you plan to enter (we also recommend having at least 6 months passport validity from the date you plan to leave Indonesia, to avoid any issues for your departure or onward travel) 
• a return flight booking to Australia or onward flight booking to another country

Contact your travel agent, airline, or your nearest  Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia  for details.

Other visas

If you're entering Indonesia from a port or airport that does not issue a visa on arrival, or you're visiting Indonesia for a purpose not allowed under the e-VOA or VOA conditions, you must apply for a visa in advance of travel. Check the  Indonesian Immigration  website for further information, or contact your nearest  Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia .

Overstaying your permit may result in fines, detention and/or deportation.

• check your visa and permit, and contact the Directorate General of Immigration (DGI) for advice specific to your needs
• if you use an agent to extend your visa or stay permit, use only reputable companies
• if you have specific enquiries on visas or stay permits, contact DGI's Customer Service team via WhatsApp on +62 821 1295 3298

Entry and exit conditions can change at short notice. Contact the nearest Embassy or Consulate for details about visas, currency, customs and entry rules.

You can't work or conduct research in Indonesia unless you have the appropriate visa. Fines of IDR1,000,000 (approx. $A 100) per day apply for the maximum 60 day overstay period.

If you breach Indonesian immigration regulations, you may face:

• deportation
• re-entry bans

You may not be allowed to enter Indonesia if you have a criminal record. This is regardless of how long ago the offence took place. If you're concerned, contact an Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia before you travel.

Indonesian Immigration and visa decisions are final. The Australian Government can't help you.

• Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia

Border measures

You'll be required to complete an  e-customs declaration for arrival . You can complete this within 3 days of departure to Indonesia.

Check entry requirements with your travel provider or the nearest  Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia  before you travel.

You may be temperature checked on arrival at international and domestic airports. If you have fever symptoms, you may be referred to the airport clinic for further tests and asked to seek medical treatment. See your doctor or travel clinic before you travel to plan any vaccinations you need.

Departure from Indonesia

Indonesia, including Bali, currently has an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease affecting animals. In preparing to travel to Australia, read Smartraveller's advice on  biosecurity and border controls . Measures include cleaning dirty shoes, clothing or equipment before boarding your flight to Australia and not packing meat or dairy products. On your Incoming Passenger Declaration, you must declare any meat, dairy or animal products and any of your travel in rural areas or near animals (e.g., farms, zoos, markets).

Other formalities

If you're staying in a private residence, not a hotel, register when you arrive with both:

• the local Rukun Tetangga Office
• local police

If you plan to be in Indonesia for more than 30 days:

• register with the local immigration office
• make sure you have the right visa
• Embassy of Indonesia in Canberra

Indonesia won't let you enter unless your passport is valid for 6 months after you plan to leave Indonesia. This can apply even if you're just transiting or stopping over. You can end up stranded or returned back to your previous port overseas at your own cost, if your passport is not valid for more than 6 months from the date you enter and the date you plan to leave Indonesia.

Indonesia does not accept entry with an emergency passport, even if it is valid for more than 6 months. Ensure you enter Indonesia on a valid ordinary, official, or diplomatic passport.

Some foreign governments and airlines apply these rules inconsistently. Travellers can receive conflicting advice from different sources.

The Australian Government does not set these rules. Check your passport's expiry date before you travel. If you're not sure it'll be valid for long enough, consider getting a new passport .

Lost or stolen passport

Your passport is a valuable document. It's attractive to people who may try to use your identity to commit crimes.

Some people may try to trick you into giving them your passport. Always keep it in a safe place.

If your passport is lost or stolen, tell the Australian Government as soon as possible:

• In Australia, contact the Australian Passport Information Service .
• If you're overseas, contact the nearest Australian Embassy, Consulate or High Commission.

Damaged Passports

Indonesian authorities have strict standards for damaged passports, and travellers have been refused entry into Indonesia with a damaged passport. Normal wear and tear, including water damage, minor tears or rips to the pages, can be considered damaged. 

It's important that:

• there are no tears or cuts in the passport pages, especially the photo page
• everything on the photo page is legible and clear
• there are no marks across your photo or in the Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) on the photo page
• no pages have been removed
• there is no alteration or tampering

If you're not sure about the condition of your passport, call the Australian Passport Office on 131 232 or contact your nearest  Australian embassy or consulate overseas . We may need to see your passport to assess it.

• Passport Services  
• Damaged and faulty passports  
• Using and protecting your passport  

Passport with ‘X’ gender identifier

Although Australian passports comply with international standards for sex and gender, we can’t guarantee that a passport showing 'X' in the sex field will be accepted for entry or transit by another country. Contact the nearest embassy, high commission or consulate of your destination  before you arrive at the border to confirm if authorities will accept passports with 'X' gender markers.

More information: 

• LGBTQIA+ travellers

The local currency is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).

Declare cash in excess of IDR100,000,000 or equivalent when you arrive and leave. This covers all forms of currency, not only cash.

IDR100,000,000 is worth about $A10,000.

Local travel

Travel permits.

You may need a travel permit or Surat Keterangan Jalan to travel to some areas of the Papua provinces.

Check if you need a permit with the nearest  Embassy or Consulate of Indonesia  or with your travel provider.

Mobile Phone Reception and Wi-Fi

Mobile phone reception and Wi-Fi are not always available, including in remote areas and some resort islands. 

If you plan to stay in Indonesia for more than 90 days and would like to use your mobile phone purchased overseas, you'll need to register your mobile phone IMEI number with  Indonesian Customs  within the first 60 days of your stay. 

If you plan to stay in Indonesia for less than 90 days, you can visit the local cellular operator/provider booth at the airport to get an access period to use the Indonesian cellular network, which is only valid for 90 days and includes data roaming.

A customs payment may be required, or a tourist SIM card can be purchased for short-term stays. You can use Wi-Fi networks without registration.

To stay in communication and avoid mobile service interruptions: 

• check mobile coverage with your service provider
• register your mobile device with  Indonesian Customs  on arrival if you plan to connect to the mobile network 

Driving permit

To drive in Indonesia, you need either:

• an Indonesian licence
• an International Driving Permit (IDP)

Check that your licence or permit is appropriate for the type of vehicle you're driving.

Your Australian licence isn't enough.

Your travel insurer will deny any claims you make if:

• you're unlicensed
• you don't hold the correct class of licence

Road travel

Traffic can be extremely congested.

Road users are often unpredictable or undisciplined.

You're more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident in Indonesia than in Australia. Drive defensively. Some traffic incidents can escalate into violent disputes quickly.

Consider hiring a taxi or a driver who is familiar with local roads and traffic conditions.

• Driving or riding

Motorcycles

Motorcycle accidents have killed and injured foreigners, including Australians. This includes in tourist areas, particularly Bali, Lombok and the Gili Islands.

If you're riding a motorbike and there's an accident, you'll often be assumed to be at fault. You may be expected to compensate all parties.

If you hire a motorbike:

• make sure your insurance policy covers you
• check if any policy restrictions apply, for example if you're not licensed to ride a motorcycle in Australia

Always wear a helmet.

Public transport

Buses, trains and the metro rail can be crowded, particularly:

• around public holidays
• during peak commute times

Safety standards may not be observed.

• Transport and getting around safely

Only use licensed official metered taxis. 

• only travel in licensed taxis with signage, a "taxi" roof sign and meters
• book via phone or an official taxi company mobile app

You can book licensed official metered taxis

• on the taxi company's official mobile app
• from inside airports
• at stands at major hotels

Unofficial operators can have taxis that look similar to those run by reputable companies. Make sure the taxi meter is working before you get into the taxi. 

See  Safety .

Rail travel

Inter-city rail networks operate on the islands of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.

Commuter trains operate in Java, including Jakarta.

Trains can be crowded, particularly:

• during peak commuter times

Travel between islands

Travel by ferry or boat can be dangerous.

Passenger and luggage limits aren't always observed.

Equipment may not be properly maintained, and they may not have GPS or emergency communications equipment.

There may not be enough life jackets. It's unlikely that the crew will have life jackets for children.

In March 2024, a ferry sank in the Thousand Islands off the coast of Jakarta, resulting in one death, and a liveaboard boat caught fire and sank in Raja Ampat, Papua Barat Daya, requiring several passengers to be rescued.

In August 2023, two crew died after a boat carrying passengers sank in the Banyak Islands, Aceh, and three people went missing after a ship sank in the Thousand Islands off the coast of Jakarta.

In July 2023, 15 people died after a ferry sank off Sulawesi Island.

In January 2023, 23 passengers and 6 crew were rescued after an inter-island ferry sank while returning from Nusa Penida to Sanur Beach, Bali.

In May 2022, 19 people died after a ferry sank in the Makassar Strait.

In June 2018, a ferry sank on Lake Toba in Sumatra and 100s of people died.

If you plan to travel by sea between islands:

• make sure any ferry or boat you board has appropriate safety equipment, GPS and communication equipment, and life jackets
• wear a life jacket at all times
• take enough life jackets for all children travelling with you
• ask your tour operator or crew about safety standards before you travel
• check sea, weather conditions and forecasts before embarking on boat or ferry travel, and delay travel if conditions are not safe

If appropriate safety equipment isn't available, use another provider.

Avoid travelling by water after dark unless the vessel is properly equipped. Avoid travel during wet weather or storms.

DFAT doesn't provide information on the safety of individual commercial airlines or flight paths.

Check Indonesia's air safety profile with the Aviation Safety Network.

The European Union (EU) has published a list of airlines that have operating bans or restrictions within the EU. See the  EU list of banned airlines .

Australian travellers should make their own decisions on which airlines to travel with.

Emergencies

Depending on what you need, contact your:

• family and friends
• travel agent
• insurance provider

Search and rescue services

Medical emergencies and ambulance.

SMS 1717 for Jakarta Police

Police Stations in Bali

Refer to the Bali Tourism Board’s list of  police stations in Bali

Always get a police report when you report a crime.

Your insurer should have a 24-hour emergency number.

Consular contacts

Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.

Australian Embassy, Jakarta 

Jalan Patra Kuningan Raya Kav. 1-4 Jakarta Selatan 12950

Phone: (+62 21) 2550 5555 Email: [email protected] Website: indonesia.embassy.gov.au Facebook: Australian Embassy Jakarta, Indonesia X: @DubesAustralia Instagram: @KeDubesAustralia

Make an appointment online or call (+62 21) 2550 5500 or (+62 21) 2550 5555.

Australian Consulate-General, Bali

Jalan Tantular 32 Renon Denpasar Bali 80234

Phone: (+62 361) 2000 100 Email: [email protected] Website: bali.indonesia.embassy.gov.au X: @KonJenBali Instagram:  @konjenbali

Australian Consulate-General, Makassar

Wisma Kalla Lt. 7 Jalan Dr Sam Ratulangi No. 8 Makassar South Sulawesi 90125

Phone: (+62 411) 366 4100 Email: [email protected] Website: makassar.consulate.gov.au Facebook: Australian Consulate-General, Makassar, Sulawesi X: @KonJenMakassar Instagram:  @konjenmakassar

Australian Consulate-General, Surabaya

Level 3 ESA Sampoerna Center Jl. Dokter.Ir. H. Soekarno No. 198 Klampis Ngasem, Sukolilo, Surabaya

Phone: (+62 31) 9920 3200 Email: [email protected] Website: surabaya.consulate.gov.au Instagram: @KonJenSurabaya

Check the websites for details about opening hours and any temporary closures.

24-hour Consular Emergency Centre

In a consular emergency, if you can't contact an embassy, call the 24-hour Consular Emergency Centre on:

• +61 2 6261 3305 from overseas
• 1300 555 135 in Australia

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Home » Southeast Asia » Travel Safety

Is Indonesia Safe for Travel? (2024 • Insider Tips)

Indonesia is a must-visit country.

There are thousands of islands to explore. It has some of the world’s best snorkelling and scuba spots.

Indo’s got great food, a genuinely interesting mix of cultures and different languages, a fascinating history AND an infectiously laid back lifestyle,.

You’ll also find international quality nightlife in Bali, spot giant lizards on Komodo, chill out in the Gili Islands and get lost in the megacity that is Jakarta.

However, Indonesia is not without its darker side. When visiting, there are quite a few things to consider.

There are violent protests, religious extremists, terrorist attacks and natural disasters such as devastating earthquakes and tsunamis. Then there is the threat of volcanic eruption, some harsh laws to keep in mind, poor air quality and occasional sinking ships!

So yes Indonesia can be bloody dangerous.

But thankfully, I’m here to help you navigate the cultural pitfalls, the petty crime, scams and sometimes scary natural world of this awesome archipelago.

The Broke Backpacker is supported by you . Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more .

There is no such thing as a perfect safety guide, as things change quickly. The question of “Is Indonesia Safe?” will ALWAYS have a different answer depending on who you ask.

The information in this safety guide was accurate at the time of writing. If you use our guide, do your own research, and practice common sense, you will probably have a wonderful and safe trip to Indonesia.

If you see any outdated information, we would really appreciate it if you could reach out in the comments below. Otherwise, stay safe friends!

Updated December 2023

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Is Indonesia Safe to Visit Right Now?

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Much of Indonesia is safe to travel. Around 5,889,031 tourists arrived in the country by 2022 as stated in Indonesia’s statistical report , and travellers mostly had a positive experience.

Visiting Indonesia is fantastic – it’s an amazing place.

Made up of an awesome 17,508 islands, the archipelago that makes up Indonesia would take any traveller an age to explore. It’s a cultural wonderland that is the result of the melding of different traders and conquerors throughout the ages.

However, in this country, there are some issues. There are the standard travel woes of pickpockets and scammers and some of the worst air pollution in the world.

Add to this severe social disparities between rich and poor. Oh, and then there are also violent protests and the threat of terrorism to contend with.

As if the human side of things in this vast nation wasn’t enough to deal with, there’s also nature to take into consideration here. There are many volcanoes in Indonesia like Bali’s Mount Agung (which has been simmering recently), as well as devastating earthquakes and recent tsunamis. It can be a scary prospect.

Generally, Indonesia is (or at least was) known more of a “backpacking” destination than one that’s primed for mass tourism. That said, tourism has been growing a crazy amount in this island nation – and the numbers speak for themselves.

With all this potential seeing these impressive numbers and rankings, the natural is to think, that Indonesia must be pretty safe. And whilst it generally is, learning how to travel safely is of utmost importance and relevance. Even in countries like Indonesia.

The likelihood of you coming into contact with something like a terrorist attack in Indonesia is very, very slim. You’re more likely to experience a seismic tremor.

So I’d definitely say that to answer the question of “ How safe is Indonesia to visit right now? ” would be… safe enough!

Check out our detailed  where to stay guide for Indonesia  so you can start your trip right!

When choosing where you’ll be staying in Indonesia, a bit of research and caution is essential. You don’t want to end up in a sketchy area and ruin your trip. To help you out, I’ve listed the safest areas to visit in Indonesia below.

Let’s start out with the crown jewel of backpacking in Indonesia – Bali. It’s probably THE safest place in Indonesia, thanks to incredibly friendly locals and a laid-back vibe.

Although it may look tiny on the map, there are many places to stay in Bali as it’s actually quite a large island with many different areas to explore. There’s much more to it than the beaches, including terraced rice fields, several lakes, and a couple of active volcanoes.

The buzzing digital nomad scene has triggered a whole load of coworking spaces to pop up all over the island. In the bubbly town of Pererenan is Tribal , an epic hostel and coworking spot!

Lombok is another Indonesian Island but offers a completely different vibe than Bali. While you can still do adventures like climbing the active volcano Rinjani (it’s a sketchy 2-day climb), Lombok is all about white sand beaches and relaxation.

Apart from the natural disaster threats like earthquakes, especially if you’re staying in good hostels in Lombok , it’s incredibly safe as well.

The only threat you’ll have to face in Flores is being eaten by a Komodo Dragon (which is VERY unlikely). Or, getting a sunburn while exploring the white sand beaches with its incredibly clear water. Flores might not have much to offer for adventure, but it’s the ideal getaway if you want to relax for a couple of days.

Places to Avoid in Indonesia

• Jakarta – Jakarta is a GREAT city to visit and pretty safe as well. But the air quality is definitely not ideal. Smog and dust pollute the air and traffic can be horrible.
• Canggu at night (Bali) – While Backpacking in Bali is totally safe during the day, travellers, especially females, have to take care of their valuables when walking or driving around here at night.
• Active volcanos – It’s not advisable to go within 4 kilometres of the Mount Agung crater in East Bali or within 7 kilometres of Mount Sinabung in Kalo Regency, North Sumatra. Local authorities have set up these exclusion zones due to increased volcanic activity and natural disasters.
• Drugs – not a place, but definitely something to completely avoid in Indonesia. Drugs are highly illegal and possession and use will be punished with the death sentence.

Keeping Your Money Safe in Indonesia

One of the most common things to happen to you whilst travelling is losing your money. And let’s face it: the most annoying way for this to actually occur is when it’s stolen from you.

Petty crime is pretty much a problem all over the world.

The best solution? Get a money belt.

Stash your cash safely with this money belt. It will keep your valuables safely concealed, no matter where you go.

It looks exactly like a normal belt  except for a SECRET interior pocket perfectly designed to hide a wad of cash, a passport photocopy or anything else you may wish to hide. Never get caught with your pants down again! (Unless you want to…)

Just because tourism is everywhere in Indonesia, doesn’t mean that it’s always 100% safe.

To help keep yourself as safe and as secure as possible I’m sharing my best safety tips for travelling to Indonesia…

• Keep your belongings close to you and don’t walk around looking flashy  – doing otherwise could easily make you a target of crime in Indonesia.
• Blend in  – wear low-key, modest outfits, especially around religious sites and in more local areas
• Don’t leave your belongings unattended on the beach  – they can easily go missing…
• Always keep an emergency stash of cash – Never keep all your cards/ currency in one place. And hide it all from thieves with a hidden money belt .
• Do not go swimming when you’re intoxicated – it seems like a good idea, but things can very easily go tragically wrong
• Be culturally aware  – read up on what you should and shouldn’t do during Ramadan and Balinese New Year
• Muslims and non-Muslims have to abide by Sharia law in Aceh Province – any rules will also apply to you!
• Only use ATMs that look legitimate  – and watch your back when you’re withdrawing money
• Keep away from drugs altogether – there’s a zero-tolerance policy her, DON’T RISK IT!
• Take a good medical kit with you – you never know when you might need it!
• Protect yourself against mosquitoes  – there is a risk of dengue virus, amongst other things
• Know what to do in the event of volcanic or seismic activity  – Keep up to date with local authorities, on local media and with official Indonesian government news .

Indonesia is a fantastic place to go and explore but, as you can see, it’s not always the easiest place to travel around.

The potential for natural disasters and petty crime in Indonesia shouldn’t be ignored.

Volcanic eruptions or other natural disasters can occur with little to no warning. Indonesian authorities are on top of this (for the most part).

If you’re sensible with how you travel, personal safety shouldn’t be an issue- you’ll be fine.

I solo travelled to Indonesia as a teenager. It was awesome. And, I survived!

Whilst solo travel is epic, it can be daunting. I hear you, I’ve been there.

Luckily Indonesia is a pretty good place for solo travellers. It’s been known for a while as a backpacking destination. Certain islands, like Bali, are strongholds of all sorts of travellers.

Indo can be easy to travel. That said, there are still a few things you should consider…

• There are a ton of hostels and homestays spread across the islands of Indonesia. This is a good way to make friends and maybe even get yourself a travel buddy; it’s a good way to start your trip. Make sure you do your research, however, and that places are rated highly by other solo travellers.
• Ask the local friends you’ve made, your taxi driver, or the staff at your accommodation for their insider knowledge .
• Carry around only the money that you need .
• Have different ways of accessing your money . Make sure you’ve got money set aside, stashed in a day pack etc.
• Don’t get really wasted . Not only women but also men can get into dangerous situations by losing their senses and good judgement by being completely drunk.
• Keep in touch with people back home – your mum will thank you!
• Travel light .

Solo travel in Indonesia is super fun. It is definitely worth your time exploring all the islands and finding the right places for you. Still, you will have to make sure you keep your wits about you, as you’ll be the only one looking out for you.

Make sure you stay aware of local customs and laws, too, and most importantly… TRAVEL SENSIBLY! You’ll be fine.

Psssst…. Searching for your Tribe?

Tribal Hostel – Bali’s first purpose-built co-working hostel and perhaps the greatest hostel in the world!

An ideal hub for Digital Nomads and backpackers, this very special hostel is now finally open…

Come on down and enjoy amazing coffee, high-speed wifi and a game of pool 😉

Is Indonesia dangerous for solo female travellers? Possibly. But generally not.

There are some important conversation topics here…

Even for female travellers, Indonesia is a fun place to travel. Solo female travellers flock to places like Bali to enjoy the beauty of the island.

In some areas of the country, you will need to pay more caution than in others. So, here are my tips for solo female travellers in Indonesia.

• Knowing what to wear , as well as where and when wearing certain clothes is appropriate, is important when you are travelling around Indonesia.
• In Aceh , for better or worse, Sharia law is in place. Women have to, by law, cover their hair with a headscarf, and cover their arms and legs.
• Horn honking and catcalling from Indonesian men does happen, unfortunately. When or if it does occur, it’s best just to ignore it and walk on.
• If someone is asking too many questions about where you’re staying, you’re itinerary or if you’re married, just lie. You don’t have to tell them the truth.
• Look up the places you will be staying at before you start out on your trip.
• Beware of drink spiking . This does happen and the best way to avoid is to keep an eye on your drink.
• There is nothing wrong at all with hiring a guide – just make sure the guide, or tour company, is well-reviewed (especially by other female travellers) and trustworthy.

Like everywhere in the world, women travelling by themselves in Indonesia are more at risk than their male counterparts. The usual rules apply, the same things you might do in your hometown anyway: trust your gut and don’t wander around at night by yourself.

Bali is one of the world’s travel hotspots at the moment. It’s a very safe island with an incredible amount of things to do and see. From stunning nature and action to white-sand beaches and digital nomad cafes, Bali a top place to visit.

Indonesia might not be the atypical destination to take your children on holiday, but why not?!

I met lots of families on my recent trip to Indonesia. It’s not always going to be straightforward though (depending on how you travel).

In fact, if you feel like dipping your toe into the diverse country of Indonesia and its myriad cultures – and want your children to be able to safely lap it all up – then Bali is a great starting point. Safety in Bali is significantly greater than in other of the country’s major cities or tourist destinations.

Here you will find a host of child-friendly facilities all across the island that will cater towards families. There are resorts and hotels in the southern part of the island and clean cafes with good food on offer.

In other parts of Indonesia, however, these kinds of child-friendly specialities are much harder to come by.

If you’re travelling with younger children, it’s best to bring some sort of carrier as opposed to a pram. This is the done thing in this part of the world anyway, plus getting a pram around on the non-existent pavements is just not going to be fun at all.

When it comes to breastfeeding, don’t do it in public, especially in more conservative places. It’s best to see what other local ladies are doing and follow suit.

Though it probably will be a challenge (unless you stay in a lovely resort or luxury accommodation in Bali ), Indonesia will be a rewarding place to travel with your children. It’s somewhere they aren’t likely to forget soon!

Indonesia can be a pretty… hair-raising place to drive.

Local drivers are not the best, the roads are not always the best, and the extreme weather that hits the islands can mean those roads only get worse – and more dangerous. Oh, and getting an international driving permit isn’t always a smooth experience.

People don’t always follow the traffic rules in Indonesia. This means that it can be a pretty stressful place to drive, especially if you have never driven in a place like this before.

Most people rent scooters or motorbikes when in Indonesia. I urge you to be careful when hiring a motorbike.

Make sure you have prior experience, know how to ride one, and that your travel insurance covers you in case of an accident. WEAR A HELMET!

Cycling in Indonesia is increasingly popular and a wonderful safer alternative.

Uber was but no longer is in operation in Indonesia. Instead, the Malaysia-founded, Singapore-based Grab moved in and got all the business.

Taxis are plentiful in Indonesia, normal to use, and are, in general, pretty safe to use. However, you should make sure that you only take journeys with a reputable taxi company; and definitely do not use unlicensed taxi drivers.

Buses come in all shapes and sizes in Indonesia. Large buses are mainly used as city transport on Java; Jakarta, for example, has a wide-reaching bus system that’s very cheap. It’s not always straightforward and can be plagued by pickpockets, so use it with caution.

Minibuses are the classic way to get around and are pretty ubiquitous. This is the mainstay for both locals and backpackers. They trundle both in and around cities, as well as between destinations. They go by many different local names, too.

Everyone’s packing list is going to look a little different, but here are a few things I would never want to travel to Indonesia without…

Hanging Laundry Bag

Trust us, this is an absolute game changer. Super compact, a hanging mesh laundry bag stops your dirty clothes from stinking, you don’t know how much you need one of these… so just get it, thank us later.

A decent head torch could save your life. If you want to explore caves, unlit temples, or simply find your way to the bathroom during a blackout, a headtorch is a must.

Yesim stands as a premier eSIM service provider, catering specifically to the mobile internet needs of travellers.

Monopoly Deal

Forget about Poker! Monopoly Deal is the single best travel card game that we have ever played. Works with 2-5 players and guarantees happy days.

This is a regular looking belt with a concealed pocket on the inside – you can hide up to twenty notes inside and wear it through airport scanners without it setting them off.

I always get asked “ Is Indonesia safe for tourists? ” If you’re worried about safety the best plan of action is to watch your own back by arming yourself with some good quality Indonesian travel insurance .

ALWAYS sort out your backpacker insurance before your trip. There’s plenty to choose from in that department, but a good place to start is Safety Wing .

They offer month-to-month payments, no lock-in contracts, and require absolutely no itineraries: that’s the exact kind of insurance long-term travellers and digital nomads need.

SafetyWing is cheap, easy, and admin-free: just sign up lickety-split so you can get back to it!

Click the button below to learn more about SafetyWing’s setup or read our insider review for the full tasty scoop.

Here are some quick answers to common questions about safety in Indonesia.

What should I avoid in Indonesia?

Avoid these things in Indonesia to stay safe: – Don’t disrespect the local culture – Keep your belongings close to you and don’t walk around looking flashy – Don’t keep your phone in your hand when walking on the street – Avoid using individual ATMs on the side of the road – opt for the ones inside shops and banks

Is Indonesia safe for solo female travellers?

If you use your common sense and don’t go looking for trouble, Indonesia can be very safe for solo female travellers. Local people are genuinely friendly and welcoming. Catcalling is hardly a thing but be prepared to be stared at quite a bit. Don’t worry, this is normal and no threat at all.

Is Indonesia safe to live in?

While it’s not easy to get the right visa, living in Indonesia can be a real treat and super safe if you adapt to the local culture – known for its cheap cost of living and laid back lifestyle. Nature will be the biggest safety concern, with mosquito-carried illnesses, earthquakes and tsunami threats.

What are the laws in Indonesia?

Laws and rules in Indonesia are strict. The number one aspect to be careful of is drugs. Many backpackers indulge in the occasional spliff or dosage of party powder. THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA IN INDONESIA! Gambling is also illegal. Indonesia is partly a Muslim country – and some regions such as Aceh Regiosn follow Sharia Law. If you’re unsure, dress modestly and look at Indonesian law websites or even better, investigate your own country’s or Indonesia’s Official Gov Website.

How much crime is in Indonesia?

There isn’t a great threat of organised violent crime from terrorist groups. It’s mainly petty crime such as pickpocketing. When visiting Indonesia, take caution to ensure personal safety, as crime is not popular here, but far from invisible. If you are suspicious or feel unsafe, alert local authorities or Indonesian authorities immediately.

Yup, Indonesia is definitely safe , especially if you follow my travel tips. The country isn’t completely without its issues but where isn’t? Your visit to Indonesia will most probably end safely and happily and you will be excited for your return.

Indonesia is one of my favourite places I’ve ever travelled to. Don’t let safety concerns discourage you from visiting what is truly a remarkable country. Just be sure to exercise caution and keep your wits about ya!

My final recommendation is to make sure you keep up to date with relevant government advice. I’m from the UK, so I always check the gov.uk website for travel advice, Wherever you’re from, your government should have its own alternative.

If you have any more questions or comments, feel free to drop them in the comments section below.

Looking for more info on traveling to Indonesia?

• Let me help you choose where to stay in Indonesia
• Swing by one of these fabulous festivals
• Check out my favorite Airbnbs in the centre of all the action
• Plan the rest of your trip with our fantastic backpacking Indonesia travel guide!
• Take a look at my expert travel safety tips learned from 15+ years on the road

Disclaimer: Safety conditions change all over the world on a daily basis. We do our best to advise but this info may already be out of date. Do your own research. Enjoy your travels!

Joe Middlehurst

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This a great blog Rose. Very nice to see information on traveling as a solo female backpacker. I hope you can come to flores and Komodo. We have the only locally woman owned dive center. As well we do Komodo Tours. I have been learning about blog writing as well…but i am now where near as good as you are …hehe. I hope you can make it to flores, please stop by our office in Labuan bajo and say hello. You can find us at komodoislandtour

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Ultimate Indonesia 1-Week Itinerary: Top Things to Do in 7 Days

Has a trip to Indonesia been on your mind?

Have you been plagued with the thought of what you could possibly explore during your vacation?

Fret not! We’ve got you all covered.

Consisting of over 17,500 islands and an Indonesian archipelago that is sure going to take you a lifetime to experience, the country has so much to offer!

Regardless of whether you’re travelling with family, friends or maybe are on your honeymoon: the region truly has something in it for everyone.

The cultural and ethnic diversity of the land, coupled with the stunning landscapes that follow, make Indonesia a must-visit destination on your to-do list.

Indonesia is also in the list of top 5 Asian countries to visit with a low budget !

To ease things out for you, we’ve jotted down a complete Indonesian package just for you! Find some of the great ways you can make the most of your Indonesian vacation and much more, right here.

Table of Content :

Best things to do in Indonesia

Best time to visit indonesia.

• Best Places to stay in Indonesia

How to get around in Indonesia

General tips on visiting the country, a journey to jakarta.

Popularly referred to as the ‘melting pot of cultures and cuisines,’ the capital city of Jakarta has been home to over ten million people .

Tourists who are looking to truly soak in the ‘Dutch colonial history,’ of the region – can make their way to the ‘Menteng district’ .

The district is filled with some amazing live music venues, hotels and great vibes altogether.

Be it the towering skyscrapers, world-renowned restaurants or maybe even the shopping malls; tourists are sure to be pleasantly surprised every step of the way.

Komodo Dragons

If you’re a wildlife enthusiast and can’t wait to explore the unknown, the ‘Komodo Dragons,’ could just interest you.

Commonly referred to as the world’s largest lizards , the ‘Komodo Dragons,’ can be found and viewed at any of the five Indonesian islands : island Flores and Indonesia’s four islands in Komodo National Park (Komodo, Rinca, Gili Montang and Gili Dasami).

Book a tour around the islands here :

So if you’re daring and wouldn’t mind doing something a tad bit adventurous, you could pay a visit and witness these creatures in their natural environment.

An adventure-packed Sumatra

Just when you think you’ve experienced all the adventure you possibly could, the hotspot of Sumatra , awaits you! The entire region is filled with all things adventure and is undoubtedly going to give an experience of a lifetime.

Whether it’s the ‘Northern rainforest of Tangkahan,’ that you consider exploring or the ‘orang-utans of Bukit Lawang,’ either way – you’re bound to jump into something adventurous.

Exceptional Diving spots

Much has been talked and acclaimed about when it comes to the famous Coral Triangle , located right in the midst of the extensive Pacific Ocean.

Known to be the best diving spots in the entire world , tourists are truly blinded when it comes to what’s in store for them here.

The sheer beauty of the underwater marine life, in addition to the stunningly clear waters of the ocean; makes the diving experiences in the region unexplainable and beyond words.

Home to over 75 per cent of the world’s coral species and about 2,000 species of reef fish, a dive here leaves you with just one word – ‘Speechless.’

The stunning Java mountains

With over whopping 140 million residents in its territory, the region of Java has remained one of the most populous islands in Indonesia.

Tourists in the region have a plethora of amazing attractions and opportunities of exploration to choose from.

Be it the ‘Unesco-listed Ujung Kulon,’ or the ‘National Parks,’ or maybe even the ‘Bromo and Merapi regions,’ – tourists are in for a treat when it comes to the wide array of things to do in Java.

Check some cool tours around Java here:

A paradise on Earth – Bali

Known to be one of the very few islands that offers tourists the perfect blend of hedonism and spirituality; Bali has got to be the haven you’re waiting for!

Filled with countless attractions, stellar landscapes, delicious food, a rich cultural heritage, amazing water sports and so much more – the list could just go on.

Don’t forget to check a separate itinerary around Bali !

Tourists are in for a vacation that they’re going to cherish for a long time to come, as they explore the pathways to this beautiful region.

Bali is home to some of the most unique and distinct textiles, silverware, sculptures, and so on. So if you’re looking to take a few laurels back home, the region is filled with a great number of options.

As you move towards the northern territory of Bali, you head towards Ubud – the cultural capital of Bali .

The entire region is home to lush green landscapes, breathtaking rice terraces, and some of the most talked-about National Parks.

Tourists could also look to explore the amazing islands that are located in close proximity to Bali. The island visit makes for some of the greatest of experiences and is filled with surprises every step of the way.

The extensive coastline, delicious food, beautiful Bali villas , and great vibes of the island – make it a definite must-visit, while on your Indonesian vacation.

Bali offers tourists the perfect blend of every single thing they’ve been looking for, during the course of their journey.

There could be nothing more integral when it comes to planning a vacation than the weather that is most likely to welcome you during your travel. It is extremely essential for tourists to ensure they’ve done their research and know what to expect, as they venture out on their journey.

When it comes to the weather in Indonesia, it is most recommended for tourists to travel between the months of April and October.

This is solely based on the fact that these months offer the best times for tourists to truly soak in the beauty of the place .

Regardless of what you’re looking for – maybe it’s snorkelling, island hopping or maybe even just relaxing days at the beach – these are your go-to months for travel.

Though Indonesia is primarily considered to be a rather hot destination, all year round, the region does witness some heavy showers during the months of November and March.

The southern territory of the land, in particular, witnesses the maximum amounts of rainfall during this season. So it’s important to keep in mind, when the rains could hit or when the weather could possibly go haywire and ruin your vacation altogether.

Check this summer vacation checklist not to forget any travel item!

The wet months of the year also give tourists an opportunity to witness the land, during a rather quieter time of the year. The cultural attractions and religious temples in the region remain less populated and thus, offers for a rewarding experience this time around.

Thus your Indonesian vacation, entirely depends on the kind of holiday that you’re looking to experience and what you would want most out of it.

Best Places to Stay in Indonesia

Whether you’re a backpacker looking for a budget trip, on your honeymoon and would love a luxurious stay or are with the family and would like something homely – Indonesia has just what you need.

The region is filled with some great properties, hotels and homestays that offer varied and distinct experiences, thus giving tourists the opportunity to choose for themselves .

For those of you looking to soak in the long stretches of white sandy coastlines, the southern regions of Kuta, or Uluwatu, in Bali could just be your ideal choice .

The region is bursting with life and even offers tourists the most renowned choice of adventure sports. Whether it’s your banana boat rides, kayaking, sea walking, deep-sea diving, surfing or much more; you’ve got everything right here!

For those of you who are looking for lush green landscape and hills filled with the most stunning views, the cultural capital of Ubud, has got to be on your bucket list .

The very charm of this region will provide tourists with a  new experience and most definitely transcend them into an entirely different world. Tourists can enjoy some of the most beautiful private pool villas , overlooking the best of landscapes in this region.

If a hotel with a cliff top view of the extensive ocean is what’s on your mind – head over towards the Jimbaran Bay , and enjoy the most spectacular of views. The hotels here are rather secluded and thus, offers for a private and romantic getaway altogether.

When it comes to luxury and maybe even a whole new atmosphere, the islands could be what you’ve been missing out on .

The Nusa islands are home to some of the most luxurious properties and offer tourists a stay they won’t want to miss out on. So if you don’t mind the extra buck or so, we highly recommend you opt for a luxurious island stay – during your vacation.

In any case, check Booking.com for the best accommodation option of your price level and preferences :

If you’re a first time tourist in the land and are wondering what your possible means of travel could be, well we’ve got that all figured out for you!

Indonesia is filled with a wide array of options when it comes to commutation and is undoubtedly one of the easiest places, for you to find your way around.

We’ve listed out some of the most common and most convenient means of transportation below. Tourists can avail any of these modes and travel through the region, with ease.

Airplane Transport

If you’re looking for the cheapest ways to travel, then the Domestic air travel , makes the most sense and is great value for your money. It is undoubtedly much better than a boat ride or even the thought of travelling outland.

The frequency of flights in the region is good and thus, gives tourists an opportunity to choose based on their requirements.

If you’re looking for a tip when it comes to booking your airline, we would most recommend you opt for the Garuda Indonesia , over and above your other budget airlines.

When it comes to airlines like the Indonesian Air Asia , or the Lion Airline , the catch that comes along with the low cost of the aircraft, remains the cancellation streak that they’re known for.

So if you don’t mind the bumps and the uncertainty over your travel, you could choose a low-cost carrier and eventually save on some bucks, as well.

Taxis in Indonesia

When it comes to the taxi rental scene in Indonesia, tourists are most definitely in for a rather weird experience. This is one of the major underlying factors for the wide popularity of the ‘Blue Bird,’ taxis.

If you’re a first time visitor in the region, you should be able to easily recognise and spot these taxis. The cabs from the company are all coloured in blue and have been graced with the unique ‘Blue Bird logo,’ as well. It’s practically impossible for you to miss out on any of these taxis, as they chart their way throughout the region.

It’s also important for tourists to be aware and keep their eyes open for the make do ‘Blue Bird,’ taxis in the land. Tourists will find that other taxi companies have taken advantage of the sheer marketing of the ‘Blue Bird Taxis,’ and have thus begun colouring their taxis blue, as well. This could lead to utter confusion and a lack of safety during your travel.

So be sure to be on the lookout for these fake logos and deceptive local taxi companies in the region. Tourists could check on the official company websites of these taxi operators, in order to ensure the complete authorisation of their transportation.

Renting a Scooter in Bali

If there’s one thing that’s sure to surprise you in Bali, it’s got to be the number of scooters that fill the region . Tourists can witness a large number of locals and international tourists, commuting through the land, in a scooter of their choice.

The percentage of scooters to cars in the region is evidently much higher than any other place. When it comes to the renting of scooters in Bali, tourists can go ahead with their rentals for a cost of about 60,000-90,000 IDR (~$4-6), on a daily basis .

Almost every other hostel in Bali has a scooter company associated with it and thus, makes it that much easier for tourists.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with riding a scooter, we would recommend you hire a cab with a driver for your travel. The intense traffic in the region, coupled with the heat and rather populated environment – could just make for an unpleasant experience.

So it’s essential for tourists to make timely choices, in order to truly soak in the essence of their vacation.

Tipping isn’t an Expectation

One of the best things about Indonesia is that the widely accepted culture of tipping isn’t exactly expected in the region. Though it is an extremely popular phenomenon, especially in America, the same isn’t a mandatory activity in Indonesia.

It entirely depends upon you and how comfortable or needful you think the act of tipping may be, at any given point of time. If you’re at a restaurant or at a shopping complex and think their service was exceptional – you could consider tipping them. The activity as such is optional and you can rest assured that you won’t be judged if you decide not to do so.

The land of Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim population , in the world. This is most often a surprise take away for most tourists , as not many travellers are aware of the same.

The entire region has continued to offer tourists a very chilled out vibe , and rather liberal nature of sorts . Tourists will have to keep in mind that it’s essential to dress appropriately if you’re in close proximity to a mosque or any religious place of worship .

Bali, on the other hand, is predominantly a Hindu island and is filled with a plethora of temples throughout the region. Tourists will find temples located at almost every nook and corner of Bali, a sight that isn’t exactly common through the rest of the country. The Hindu faith of the Balinese life forms an integral part of the culture and tradition of the folks in the region.

The Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of the country and is spoken far and wide by the folks of the land. The language is extremely popular and has been passed down from generation to generation, over the years.

Though there are about 700 indigenous languages spoken across various regions in the country , the Bahasa Indonesia is the most popular amongst them all.

When it comes to popular touristy areas and attractions in the country, tourists will find a number of local folks who are familiar with the English language . So if you’re unfamiliar with the common language in the region, don’t stress about it – you’re sure to find your way around.

When it comes to the food in the region – Indonesia offers tourists the most delicious and mouth-watering food, put together with the best of ingredients.

Both of these delicacies form an integral part of the everyday life of the local folks in the region.

Nasi goreng – meaning fried rice , and Mie goreng – meaning fried noodles , are two of the most famous delicacies – that you’re sure to love! The Gado-Gado , and the tidak pedas , are a couple of other Indonesian favourites.

Has a read through the blog, gotten you all excited and pumped up about your Indonesian vacation?

We can’t wait for you to truly soak in and experience the surreal beauty of this stunning land.

So what’s stopping you?

Customize your own itinerary on Pickyourtrail’s DIY platform or you choose from their pre-made Bali packages . Go ahead and plan your own personalised itinerary with Pickyourtrail.

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Great Indonesia Itineraries: How Many Days to Spend?

• 3.30K views
• ~ mins read

Known as the world’s largest island country, Indonesia is a fantastic travel destination that you shouldn’t miss out on. Home to picturesque landscapes, diverse flora and fauna, and a novel cultural richness, consider wandering through Wonderful Indonesia on your next Southeast Asian adventure. There’s no shortage of fun activities to do in Indonesia from hiking Mount Bromo, cycling through idyllic Yogyakarta, snorkeling with the manta rays in Nusa Penida, to relaxing in the famous pristine beaches of Bali. If you need some help planning your Indonesia itinerary, keep on reading to ensure you make the most out of the "Emerald of the Equator".

• Shailee Pusuloori

How much time should I spend in Indonesia?

With lots of ground to cover, the ideal trip to Indonesia should be no less than two weeks to truly explore the country’s vast geography. Spend five to seven days on each island before hopping onto the next – splitting your time between the gorgeous islands of Bali, Lombok, and Java.

If the most you can spare is a long weekend, you can plan a quick 3-day trip but keep it to a single destination. However, keep in mind that a 3-day Indonesia itinerary is really more for rest than exploration, and can only cover one to two activities at most. A longer trip is highly recommended and we suggest spending two weeks to maximize your stay, if not longer.

Indonesia in 3 days

You can make a three-day Indonesia itinerary work if you’re truly strapped for time. We recommend either cycling through Bali or Lombok in a guided tour, pedaling through breathtaking sceneries while immersing yourself deep in Balinese culture. Bike through the scenic countryside, visit historic temples, see the local villages, and enjoy delicious cuisines. While these islands are renowned for their stunning beaches, Indonesia offers more than sand and sea with a rich landscape of breathtaking rivers, lakes, volcanoes, and more.

Other three-day itineraries include exploring Indonesian wildlife, either with a scuba diving trip in Gili Islands or a wildlife tour to see the famous Komodo dragons. Nature lovers are in for a treat with these adventures that feature diverse land and marine animals such as lizards, orangutans, birds, dolphins, sharks, and mantas.

For more information read our recommendations on 3 days in Indonesia , or book any of our 3-day Indonesia itineraries .

Indonesia in 7 days

A seven-day Indonesia itinerary is still a fairly short stay, but you can make the most of your travel by concentrating on a single island. A week-long trip is ideal for an in-depth exploration of Bali. It should give you plenty of time to hit the usual tourist highlights, with enough breathing space to explore roads less traveled.

Start with a laidback journey through the coastal village of Canggu. Popular for its relaxed beach vibes that reflect the peaceful Balinese lifestyle, the charming Canggu has something for every kind of traveler. Spend a tranquil day at the beach, get your surf on, and take memorable travel snaps at the Tanah Lot Temple and Jatiluwih Rice Terraces. From a zen stay in Canggu, travel to Ubud to immerse yourself in the local art, culture, and history. Here you can admire the stunning architecture of the Saraswati Temple and Ubud Palace, and visit the ancient holy sites of Gunung Kawi and Goa Gajah. Finally, end your Bali trip with a wildlife escapade in the blissful seaside town of Sanur.

Check out our recommended 7 days in Indonesia article for more ideas. You can also browse through our 7 day Indonesia itineraries to book a hassle-free trip.

Indonesia in 10 days

Whatever kind of traveler you are, there’s sure to be a 10 day Indonesia itinerary that’s your perfect cup of tea. Whether you’re after thrill and adventure, a romantic getaway with a partner, or a sightseeing excursion centered on art and culture, you can explore the majority of the country’s highlights with 10 days at your disposal.

Begin your trip in Ubud which is an all-around travel destination on its own. Considered the art and cultural heart of Indonesia, this town is home to Bali’s most famous landscapes and cultural landmarks. From Ubud,  travel to Sanur to find seaside solace. Spend leisurely afternoons with golden sand under your bare feet or cycle around town and trek through lush rice fields. After a few days of zen in Bali, take a quick flight to Java and traverse the other side of Indonesia. See the magnificent Borobudur temple, go hiking up Mount Bromo, and immerse yourself in fine Javanese arts and culture in Yogyakarta.

Choose among our many 10-day Indonesia tours and itineraries for a memorable stay. You can also browse through our recommendations on  10 days in Indonesia .

Indonesia in 14 days

Two weeks is the perfect length of stay for an Indonesian trip and will allow you a richer and more complete experience of this destination. With a 2-week Indonesia itinerary, you can unlock the best of Bali and Java or chase picture-perfect sunsets at Bali and Lombok.

For the ultimate 14-day adventure, start your journey at stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites. See the iconic Borobudur Temple up close and visit the magnificent spectacle of Prambanan. After temple hopping in Java, explore the island’s rich landscape of caves, mountains, and forests. Trek through the awe-inspiring Jomblang and Grubug caves or hike the blue fire crater of Ijen Volcano. A sunrise tour at Mount Bromo is also one you shouldn’t miss before heading to Bali for the rest of your two-week trip.

Customize your perfect vacation with the help of our guide on 2 weeks in Indonesia , or check out your options for 2-week Indonesia itineraries .

Planning a Trip to Indonesia?

Get in touch with one of our travel experts in Indonesia for a customized trip. If you’d like to book a package trip or join a group, check out our Indonesia tours page .

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COVID-19: travel health notice for all travellers

Indonesia travel advice

Latest updates: Editorial change

Last updated: May 23, 2024 08:00 ET

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Safety and security, entry and exit requirements, laws and culture, natural disasters and climate, indonesia - exercise a high degree of caution.

Exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia due to political and social tensions and the threat of terrorism throughout the country.

Indonesian Papua - Avoid non-essential travel

Avoid non-essential travel to all the provinces of Indonesia Papua due to the regular occurrence of violent incidents, threats made against foreigners by militant groups and risk of kidnapping.

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• Indonesian Papua

Political tension and regular violent incidents continue to occur in Indonesian Papua.

In February 2023, militant groups threatened to attack and take hostages, specifically referencing foreigners. You may also face increased threats of violence or kidnapping if you travel to Indonesian Papua.

Labour disputes at the Freeport-McMoRan mine near Timika have led to demonstrations, public transportation disruptions and violence.

Fatal attacks have occurred on roads near the mine. Foreigners have been targeted by local militants.

There is a heightened police and military presence in this area.

There is a threat of terrorism in Indonesia.

While effective counterterrorism measures by Indonesian authorities are in place, terrorist cells are active and have the capacity to carry out attacks throughout the country.

Attacks have targeted:

• military and government facilities
• tourist attractions and popular public places
• nightclubs and entertainment venues
• public transportation

Further attacks are likely, and terrorists may also target:

• crowded places
• places with high pedestrian traffic and where foreigners may gather
• commercial establishments
• local government offices
• public transit stations
• busy streets
• long lineups at tourist attractions
• places of worship

Stay at hotels that have robust security measures, including metal detectors, guards and security cameras. Keep in mind, however, that even the most secure locations cannot be considered completely free of risk.

Be particularly vigilant during religious holidays and other public celebrations, as terrorists have used such occasions to mount attacks.

• Always be aware of your surroundings when in public places and identify ways to leave the area in case of emergency
• Monitor local media
• Follow the instructions of the local authorities

Violent crime

Violent crime, such as armed robberies, occurs regularly. Be particularly cautious on the road from Banda Aceh to Medan, where armed robberies have occurred.

Foreigners travelling alone and those travelling at night are at particular risk.

Standards of police services differ considerably from those in Canada.

• Avoid showing signs of affluence
• Ensure that your personal belongings, including your passport and other travel documents, are secure at all times
• If you’re travelling by car, keep valuable belongings out of sight, windows closed and doors locked

Petty crime

Petty crime, such as pickpocketing and purse snatching, occurs throughout Indonesia, specifically in tourist areas, such as Bali and Lombok. Criminals sometimes force people to withdraw cash from ATMs.

Merchants don’t always honour pricing agreements. Use good judgment in engaging services of tourist guides, especially in places that tourists rarely visit.

There is a threat of kidnapping, particularly in the provinces of Indonesian Papua and Aceh province. Foreign travellers have been kidnapped and killed. Terrorist groups have also kidnapped tourists in East and West Kalimantan.

• Be extra vigilant if travelling in these areas
• Avoid travelling alone and after dusk
• Use varied routes and schedules when moving from one place to another

Women's safety

Women travelling alone may face some forms of harassment and verbal abuse.

Advice for women travellers

Demonstrations

Demonstrations take place from time to time. Even peaceful demonstrations can turn violent at any time. They can also lead to disruptions to traffic and public transportation.

• Avoid areas where demonstrations and large gatherings are taking place
• Follow the instructions of local authorities
• Monitor local media for information on ongoing demonstrations

Mass gatherings (large-scale events)

Political and social tension

There are long-standing sectarian and social tensions throughout Indonesia, particularly in the provinces of:

• Central Sulawesi, in Palu, Poso and Tentena
• Maluku, especially in Ambon

Sectarian violence targeting civilians has occurred. The potential for violence remains, despite ongoing security operations efforts from local authorities. Be aware of your surroundings.

There is a very high rate of credit and debit card fraud in Indonesia, including online fraud.

 When using debit or credit cards:

• pay careful attention if other people are handling your cards
• use ATMs located in public areas or inside a bank or business
• avoid using card readers with an irregular or unusual feature
• cover the keypad with one hand when entering your PIN
• check for any unauthorized transactions on your account statements

Romance scams

If you’re travelling to Indonesia to meet someone you’ve only met online, keep it mind that you may be the victim of a scam. Be wary of unsolicited emails or requests for a wire transfer.

Don’t send money to someone you have never met in person.

Overseas fraud

Spiked food and drinks

Even if the wrapping or container appears intact, snacks, beverages, gum and cigarettes may contain drugs that could put you at risk of sexual assault and robbery.

• Be wary of accepting these items from new acquaintances
• Never leave food or drinks unattended or in the care of strangers

People have died after drinking methanol-adulterated alcohol. Counterfeits of well-known alcohol brands often contain dangerous amounts of methanol. Poisoning incidents have happened at hotels, bars, and shops in tourist areas like Bali, Lombok, the Gili Islands and Sumatra.

• Be cautious if you choose to drink alcohol
• Be wary of lesser-known or illegal brands
• Avoid buying alcohol from individuals
• Seek medical assistance if you begin to feel sick

Alcohol, drugs and travel

Road safety

Road conditions and road safety vary greatly throughout the country. Driving conditions may be hazardous during the rainy season.

Road travel in Indonesia can be very challenging due to:

• reckless driving
• perilous road conditions
• inadequate lighting
• poor signage
• high traffic congestion

If you plan to rent a car, consider hiring a driver.

Avoid driving after dark outside of major cities or major roads as some drivers do not use lights.

You may face mob anger if you are involved in an accident that causes serious injury. In such cases, remain in your vehicle and wait for a police officer to arrive.

Motorcycles and scooters

Motorcycle and scooter accidents are the main cause of death and serious injury among foreigners visiting many parts of Indonesia, including Bali.

Rental motorcycles are also often targeted and stolen. In such cases, you may have to pay the replacement cost for a new motorcycle.

Public transport

Public transport can be crowded and safety standards are poor. Many remote parts of Indonesia have poor transportation networks.

Crashes involving overcrowded buses are common. Large buses are generally available only on Java. Minibuses are available elsewhere.

If you choose to travel by bus,

• keep in mind that minibus drivers may try to overcharge foreigners
• keep your belongings secure due to pickpocketing

The condition of taxis varies. Foreign travellers using taxis have been victims of armed robbery, either by the driver or other passengers.

• Pre-arrange transportation with a safe and reliable taxi company
• Only use a taxi company whose vehicles are equipped with a meter
• Never enter a cab if it already has one or more passengers
• Don’t hail taxis off the street and avoid using unmarked taxi services

Reliable taxis are available from Bluebird, Thunderbird and Express. Be careful of “lookalike” taxis from competitors.

Ferry accidents are common and are often caused by poor safety practices or extreme weather conditions.

If you choose to travel by ferry:

• make sure the vessel you are boarding is carrying appropriate safety equipment and that life jackets are provided for all passengers and accessible at all times
• don’t board vessels that appear overloaded or unseaworthy
• verify the safety standards of ferries with your tour operator

We do not make assessments on the compliance of foreign domestic airlines with international safety standards.

Information about foreign domestic airlines

Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet your destination’s entry or exit requirements.

We have obtained the information on this page from the Indonesian authorities. It can, however, change at any time.

Verify this information with the  Foreign Representatives in Canada .

Entry requirements vary depending on the type of passport you use for travel.

Before you travel, check with your transportation company about passport requirements. Its rules on passport validity may be more stringent than the country’s entry rules.

Regular Canadian passport

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the date of entry into Indonesia and must contain at least one blank page for the placement of the Indonesian visa or entry stamp.

Passport for official travel

Different entry rules may apply.

Official travel

Passport with “X” gender identifier

While the Government of Canada issues passports with an “X” gender identifier, it cannot guarantee your entry or transit through other countries. You might face entry restrictions in countries that do not recognize the “X” gender identifier. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Other travel documents

Different entry rules may apply when travelling with a temporary passport or an emergency travel document. Before you leave, check with the closest foreign representative for your destination.

Useful links

• Foreign Representatives in Canada
• Canadian passports

Tourist visa: required Business visa: required Social-cultural visit visa: required

Indonesia strictly enforces its immigration and visa requirements. Foreign travellers have been detained in immigration detention centres for visa violations or overstays. Those in violation may be subject to substantial fines and deportation.

A round-trip or onward airline ticket is required to obtain all types of visas.

Tourist visa

If you are travelling for tourism with a regular Canadian passport, you may obtain a visa in advance or on arrival at select points of entry.

Business and social-cultural visas

If you are travelling to Indonesia for business or social-cultural purposes (e.g. volunteer work), you must obtain a visa prior to your arrival. You must provide a letter from both the sponsoring organization in Indonesia and the sending organization in Canada to obtain your visa.

A business or social-cultural single-entry visa is extendable from within Indonesia.

Aid workers

Aid workers must have a sponsor in Indonesia to obtain a visa. Those going to Aceh also require prior authorization from the Directorate General of Immigration in Aceh or Jakarta.

Journalists

Journalists visiting Indonesia for reporting and filming purposes must obtain authorization from the Directorate General of Immigration in Jakarta before applying for a visa.

Directorate General of Immigration  – Ministry of Law and Human Rights of Indonesia

Restricted areas

You must obtain a permit to travel to Indonesian Papua.

Entry regulations and permission to remain in Indonesian  Papua may change at any time.

Other entry requirements

Starting February 14, 2024, tourists entering Bali will be subject to a new tax, the Love Bali Tourist Levy. This fee will be in addition to the visa fees paid to enter Indonesia.

If your are travelling to Bali, you must pay directly though the Provincial Government of Bali website.

Levy for Foreign Tourists – Provincial Government of Bali

Customs officials may ask you to show them a return or onward ticket and proof of sufficient funds to cover your stay.

Children and travel

Learn more about travelling with children .

Yellow fever

Learn about potential entry requirements related to yellow fever (vaccines section).

Relevant Travel Health Notices

• Global Measles Notice - 13 March, 2024
• Zika virus: Advice for travellers - 31 August, 2023
• COVID-19 and International Travel - 13 March, 2024
• Polio: Advice for travellers - 6 May, 2024
• Dengue: Advice for travellers - 6 May, 2024

This section contains information on possible health risks and restrictions regularly found or ongoing in the destination. Follow this advice to lower your risk of becoming ill while travelling. Not all risks are listed below.

Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic preferably 6 weeks before you travel to get personalized health advice and recommendations.

Routine vaccines

Be sure that your  routine vaccinations , as per your province or territory , are up-to-date before travelling, regardless of your destination.

Some of these vaccinations include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella (chickenpox), influenza and others.

Pre-travel vaccines and medications

You may be at risk for preventable diseases while travelling in this destination. Talk to a travel health professional about which medications or vaccines may be right for you, based on your destination and itinerary. 

Yellow fever   is a disease caused by a flavivirus from the bite of an infected mosquito.

Travellers get vaccinated either because it is required to enter a country or because it is recommended for their protection.

• There is no risk of yellow fever in this country.

Country Entry Requirement*

• Proof of vaccination is required if you are coming from a country   where yellow fever occurs.

Recommendation

• Vaccination is not recommended.
• Discuss travel plans, activities, and destinations with a health care professional.
• Contact a designated  Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre  well in advance of your trip to arrange for vaccination.

About Yellow Fever

Yellow Fever Vaccination Centre

* It is important to note that  country entry requirements  may not reflect your risk of yellow fever at your destination. It is recommended that you contact the nearest  diplomatic or consular office  of the destination(s) you will be visiting to verify any additional entry requirements.

There is a risk of hepatitis A in this destination. It is a disease of the liver. People can get hepatitis A if they ingest contaminated food or water, eat foods prepared by an infectious person, or if they have close physical contact (such as oral-anal sex) with an infectious person, although casual contact among people does not spread the virus.

Practise  safe food and water precautions and wash your hands often. Vaccination is recommended for all travellers to areas where hepatitis A is present.

Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. It can spread quickly from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

Anyone who is not protected against measles is at risk of being infected with it when travelling internationally.

Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are fully protected against measles.

Japanese encephalitis is a viral infection that can cause swelling of the brain.  It is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Risk is very low for most travellers. Travellers at relatively higher risk may want to consider vaccination for JE prior to travelling.

Travellers are at higher risk if they will be:

• travelling long term (e.g. more than 30 days)
• making multiple trips to endemic areas
• staying for extended periods in rural areas
• visiting an area suffering a JE outbreak
• engaging in activities involving high contact with mosquitos (e.g., entomologists)

  Hepatitis B is a risk in every destination. It is a viral liver disease that is easily transmitted from one person to another through exposure to blood and body fluids containing the hepatitis B virus.  Travellers who may be exposed to blood or other bodily fluids (e.g., through sexual contact, medical treatment, sharing needles, tattooing, acupuncture or occupational exposure) are at higher risk of getting hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B vaccination is recommended for all travellers. Prevent hepatitis B infection by practicing safe sex, only using new and sterile drug equipment, and only getting tattoos and piercings in settings that follow public health regulations and standards.

 The best way to protect yourself from seasonal influenza (flu) is to get vaccinated every year. Get the flu shot at least 2 weeks before travelling.  

 The flu occurs worldwide. 

•  In the Northern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs from November to   April.
•  In the Southern Hemisphere, the flu season usually runs between April and   October.
•  In the tropics, there is flu activity year round. 

The flu vaccine available in one hemisphere may only offer partial protection against the flu in the other hemisphere.

The flu virus spreads from person to person when they cough or sneeze or by touching objects and surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus. Clean your hands often and wear a mask if you have a fever or respiratory symptoms.

Malaria  is a serious and sometimes fatal disease that is caused by parasites spread through the bites of mosquitoes.   There is a risk of malaria in certain areas and/or during a certain time of year in this destination. 

Antimalarial medication may be recommended depending on your itinerary and the time of year you are travelling. Consult a health care professional or visit a travel health clinic before travelling to discuss your options. It is recommended to do this 6 weeks before travel, however, it is still a good idea any time before leaving.    Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times:  • Cover your skin and use an approved insect repellent on uncovered skin.  • Exclude mosquitoes from your living area with screening and/or closed, well-sealed doors and windows. • Use insecticide-treated bed nets if mosquitoes cannot be excluded from your living area.  • Wear permethrin-treated clothing.    If you develop symptoms similar to malaria when you are travelling or up to a year after you return home, see a health care professional immediately. Tell them where you have been travelling or living. 

In this destination, rabies is commonly carried by dogs and some wildlife, including bats. Rabies is a deadly disease that spreads to humans primarily through bites or scratches from an infected animal. While travelling, take precautions , including keeping your distance from animals (including free-roaming dogs), and closely supervising children.

If you are bitten or scratched by a dog or other animal while travelling, immediately wash the wound with soap and clean water and see a health care professional. In this destination, rabies treatment may be limited or may not be available, therefore you may need to return to Canada for treatment.  

Before travel, discuss rabies vaccination with a health care professional. It may be recommended for travellers who are at high risk of exposure (e.g., occupational risk such as veterinarians and wildlife workers, children, adventure travellers and spelunkers, and others in close contact with animals). 

Polio (poliomyelitis) is an infectious disease that can be prevented by vaccination. It is caused by poliovirus type 1, 2 or 3. Circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus 2 (cVDPV2) is present in this country. Polio is spread from person to person and through contaminated food and water. Infection with the polio virus can cause paralysis and death in individuals of any age who are not immune.

Recommendations:

• Be sure that your polio vaccinations are up to date before travelling. Polio is part of the routine vaccine schedule for children in Canada.
• One booster dose of the polio vaccine is recommended as an adult .

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious viral disease. It can spread from person to person by direct contact and through droplets in the air.

It is recommended that all eligible travellers complete a COVID-19 vaccine series along with any additional recommended doses in Canada before travelling. Evidence shows that vaccines are very effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death from COVID-19. While vaccination provides better protection against serious illness, you may still be at risk of infection from the virus that causes COVID-19. Anyone who has not completed a vaccine series is at increased risk of being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 and is at greater risk for severe disease when travelling internationally.

Before travelling, verify your destination’s COVID-19 vaccination entry/exit requirements. Regardless of where you are going, talk to a health care professional before travelling to make sure you are adequately protected against COVID-19.

Safe food and water precautions

Many illnesses can be caused by eating food or drinking beverages contaminated by bacteria, parasites, toxins, or viruses, or by swimming or bathing in contaminated water.

• Learn more about food and water precautions to take to avoid getting sick by visiting our eat and drink safely abroad page. Remember: Boil it, cook it, peel it, or leave it!
• Avoid getting water into your eyes, mouth or nose when swimming or participating in activities in freshwater (streams, canals, lakes), particularly after flooding or heavy rain. Water may look clean but could still be polluted or contaminated.
• Avoid inhaling or swallowing water while bathing, showering, or swimming in pools or hot tubs. 

Travellers' diarrhea is the most common illness affecting travellers. It is spread from eating or drinking contaminated food or water.

Risk of developing travellers' diarrhea increases when travelling in regions with poor standards of hygiene and sanitation. Practise safe food and water precautions.

The most important treatment for travellers' diarrhea is rehydration (drinking lots of fluids). Carry oral rehydration salts when travelling.

Typhoid   is a bacterial infection spread by contaminated food or water. Risk is higher among children, travellers going to rural areas, travellers visiting friends and relatives or those travelling for a long period of time.

Travellers visiting regions with a risk of typhoid, especially those exposed to places with poor sanitation, should speak to a health care professional about vaccination.  

There is a risk of schistosomiasis in this destination. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic disease caused by tiny worms (blood flukes) which can be found in freshwater (lakes, rivers, ponds, and wetlands). The worms can break the skin, and their eggs can cause stomach pain, diarrhea, flu-like symptoms, or urinary problems. Schistosomiasis mostly affects underdeveloped and r ural communities, particularly agricultural and fishing communities.

Most travellers are at low risk. Travellers should avoid contact with untreated freshwater such as lakes, rivers, and ponds (e.g., swimming, bathing, wading, ingesting). There is no vaccine or medication available to prevent infection.

Insect bite prevention

Many diseases are spread by the bites of infected insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas or flies. When travelling to areas where infected insects may be present:

• Use insect repellent (bug spray) on exposed skin
• Cover up with light-coloured, loose clothes made of tightly woven materials such as nylon or polyester
• Minimize exposure to insects
• Use mosquito netting when sleeping outdoors or in buildings that are not fully enclosed

To learn more about how you can reduce your risk of infection and disease caused by bites, both at home and abroad, visit our insect bite prevention page.

Find out what types of insects are present where you’re travelling, when they’re most active, and the symptoms of the diseases they spread.

There is a risk of chikungunya in this country.  The risk may vary between regions of a country.  Chikungunya is a virus spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Chikungunya can cause a viral disease that typically causes fever and pain in the joints. In some cases, the joint pain can be severe and last for months or years.

Protect yourself from mosquito bites at all times. There is no vaccine available for chikungunya.

Lymphatic filariasis , also known as elephantiasis, is caused by filariae (tiny worms) spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can cause a range of illnesses. Risk is generally low for most travellers. Protect yourself from mosquito bites. There is no vaccine available for lymphatic filariasis although drug treatments exist.

• In this country,   dengue  is a risk to travellers. It is a viral disease spread to humans by mosquito bites.
• Dengue can cause flu-like symptoms. In some cases, it can lead to severe dengue, which can be fatal.
• The level of risk of dengue changes seasonally, and varies from year to year. The level of risk also varies between regions in a country and can depend on the elevation in the region.
• Mosquitoes carrying dengue typically bite during the daytime, particularly around sunrise and sunset.
• Protect yourself from mosquito bites . There is no vaccine or medication that protects against dengue.

Zika virus is a risk in this country. 

Zika virus is primarily spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. It can also be sexually transmitted. Zika virus can cause serious birth defects.

During your trip:

• Prevent mosquito bites at all times.
• Use condoms correctly or avoid sexual contact, particularly if you are pregnant.

If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, you should discuss the potential risks of travelling to this destination with your health care provider. You may choose to avoid or postpone travel. 

For more information, see Zika virus: Pregnant or planning a pregnancy.

Animal precautions

Some infections, such as rabies and influenza, can be shared between humans and animals. Certain types of activities may increase your chance of contact with animals, such as travelling in rural or forested areas, camping, hiking, and visiting wet markets (places where live animals are slaughtered and sold) or caves.

Travellers are cautioned to avoid contact with animals, including dogs, livestock (pigs, cows), monkeys, snakes, rodents, birds, and bats, and to avoid eating undercooked wild game.

Closely supervise children, as they are more likely to come in contact with animals.

Human cases of avian influenza have been reported in this destination. Avian influenza   is a viral infection that can spread quickly and easily among birds and in rare cases it can infect mammals, including people. The risk is low for most travellers.

Avoid contact with birds, including wild, farm, and backyard birds (alive or dead) and surfaces that may have bird droppings on them. Ensure all poultry dishes, including eggs and wild game, are properly cooked.

Travellers with a higher risk of exposure include those: 

• visiting live bird/animal markets or poultry farms
• working with poultry (such as chickens, turkeys, domestic ducks)
• hunting, de-feathering, field dressing and butchering wild birds and wild mammals
• working with wild birds for activities such as research, conservation, or rehabilitation
• working with wild mammals, especially those that eat wild birds (e.g., foxes)

All eligible people are encouraged to get the seasonal influenza shot, which will protect them against human influenza viruses. While the seasonal influenza shot does not prevent infection with avian influenza, it can reduce the chance of getting sick with human and avian influenza viruses at the same time.

Person-to-person infections

Stay home if you’re sick and practise proper cough and sneeze etiquette , which includes coughing or sneezing into a tissue or the bend of your arm, not your hand. Reduce your risk of colds, the flu and other illnesses by:

•   washing your hands often
• avoiding or limiting the amount of time spent in closed spaces, crowded places, or at large-scale events (concerts, sporting events, rallies)
• avoiding close physical contact with people who may be showing symptoms of illness 

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) , HIV , and mpox are spread through blood and bodily fluids; use condoms, practise safe sex, and limit your number of sexual partners. Check with your local public health authority pre-travel to determine your eligibility for mpox vaccine.  

Tuberculosis is an infection caused by bacteria and usually affects the lungs.

For most travellers the risk of tuberculosis is low.

Travellers who may be at high risk while travelling in regions with risk of tuberculosis should discuss pre- and post-travel options with a health care professional.

High-risk travellers include those visiting or working in prisons, refugee camps, homeless shelters, or hospitals, or travellers visiting friends and relatives.

Medical services and facilities

Heath care is inadequate.

Most medical staff don’t speak English or French. You may have to pay in advance, in cash, to obtain medical services.

Medical evacuation can be very expensive and you may need it in case of serious illness or injury.

Make sure you get travel insurance that includes coverage for medical evacuation and hospital stays.

Travel health and safety

You must abide by local laws.

Learn about what you should do and how we can help if you are arrested or detained abroad .

Overview of the criminal law system in Indonesia  

Penalties for possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs are severe. Convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences. They can also be detained for long periods, without the possibility of release on bail, while police conduct investigations prior to prosecution.

Police have arrested tourists after random drug testing throughout the country.

Drugs, alcohol and travel

Some prescription and over-the-counter medications that are legal in Canada, such as those containing morphine and codeine, are classified as controlled substances in Indonesia. It’s illegal to bring them into the country, even in small quantities, without prior permission from the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the required documentation.

If you attempt to bring banned pharmaceuticals into Indonesia without prior authorization and proper documentation, Indonesian authorities may confiscate them. You may also be subject to fines and imprisonment.

In some areas, Islamic practices and beliefs closely adhere to local customs, laws and regulations.

Religious police enforce sharia law in Aceh. Specific applications of sharia may differ by region and apply to non-Muslims as well.

Be aware of the relevant provisions specifically related to the region, regardless of your religion.

Dress and behaviour

To avoid offending local sensitivities:

• dress conservatively
• behave discreetly
• respect religious and social traditions

In 2025, the lunar month of Ramadan is expected to begin on or around February 28.

In public, between sunrise and sunset, be discreet when:

2SLGBTQI+ travellers

Indonesian national law doesn’t criminalize sexual acts or relationships between persons of the same sex. However, they are prohibited and punishable under local laws in some provinces.

In Aceh, Sharia law is enforced and sexual acts between Muslim individuals of the same sex is punished by caning. They could also face arrest under charges related to immoral behaviour, prostitution or social ills.

2SLGBTQI+ travellers could be discriminated against based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics.

2SLGBTQI+ individuals should carefully consider the risks of travelling to Indonesia.

Travel and your sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics

Dual citizenship 

Dual citizenship is not legally recognized in Indonesia.

If local authorities consider you a citizen of Indonesia, they may refuse to grant you access to Canadian consular services. This will prevent us from providing you with those services.

Indonesia allows minors to carry dual citizenship until the age of 18. After this time, they must choose between their Indonesian citizenship and foreign citizenship.

General information for travellers with dual citizenship

International Child Abduction

The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction is an international treaty. It can help parents with the return of children who have been removed to or retained in certain countries in violation of custody rights. It does not apply between Canada and Indonesia.

If your child was wrongfully taken to, or is being held in Indonesia by an abducting parent:

• act as quickly as you can
• consult a lawyer in Canada and in Indonesia to explore all the legal options for the return of your child
• report the situation to the nearest Canadian government office abroad or to the Vulnerable Children’s Consular Unit at Global Affairs Canada by calling the Emergency Watch and Response Centre

If your child was removed from a country other than Canada, consult a lawyer to determine if The Hague Convention applies.

Be aware that Canadian consular officials cannot interfere in private legal matters or in another country’s judicial affairs.

• International Child Abduction: A Guidebook for Left-Behind Parents
• Travelling with children
• Canadian embassies and consulates by destination
• Emergency Watch and Response Centre

Imports and exports

Local customs authorities may enforce strict regulations concerning temporary import or export of items such as audiovisual material.

Gambling is illegal in Indonesia.

Identification

You must carry adequate identification, such as your passport and your stay permit, at all times.

You may be detained and fined if you don’t have the original on you.

Traffic drives on the left.

You must carry an International Driving Permit along with your Canadian driver’s licence.

If you got your International Driving Permit outside of Indonesia, local authorities may ask to approve it.

If you’re involved in an accident, you must stop and exchange information with and provide assistance to other drivers.

• International Driving Permit registration  – Traffic Police, Government of Indonesia (in Indonesian)
• More about the International Driving Permit

The currency is the rupiah (IDR).

Credit cards are not widely accepted outside of large urban centres and tourist areas.

Carry cash when visiting remote areas.

Climate change is affecting Indonesia. Extreme and unusual weather events are becoming more frequent. Indonesia is located in a very active seismic zone and is prone to natural disasters such as:

• earthquakes
• volcanic eruptions

Monitor local news to stay informed on the current situation.

Earthquakes and tsunamis

Each year, Indonesia experiences thousands of earthquakes. Some trigger tsunamis and cause significant damage. Deaths and injuries occasionally occur.

A tsunami can occur within minutes of a nearby earthquake. However, the risk of tsunami can remain for several hours following the first tremor. If you're staying on the coast, familiarize yourself with the region's evacuation plans in the event of a tsunami warning.

• Earthquakes  - What to Do?
• Tsunami alerts - U.S. Tsunami Warning System

Indonesia has 129 active volcanoes and periodically experiences major volcanic events that can be dangerous, even life-threatening. Ash clouds can disrupt air travel, including on the island of Bali, and cause or worsen respiratory problems.

Active volcanoes are monitored to provide residents with an early warning should unusual activity occur. Local authorities can raise alert levels and order evacuations on short notice.

If you are near active volcanoes:

• take official warnings seriously and respect exclusion zones
• monitor local media to stay up-to-date on latest developments
• follow the advice of local authorities, including evacuation orders
• be prepared to modify your travel arrangements or even evacuate the area on short notice
• National Disaster Management Authority
• Map of active volcanoes in Indonesia – MAGMA Indonesia

Rainy season

The rainy season extends from November to March, but heavy rains are common throughout the year. Flooding and landslides can occur with little warning, especially in remote areas where extensive deforestation is common, but also in major cities, including Jakarta. Such incidents have led to fatalities and destruction of property.

Seasonal flooding can hamper overland travel and reduce the provision of essential services. Roads may become impassable and bridges damaged.

• Be aware of health risks associated with flood waters
• Keep informed of regional weather forecasts as well as road closures or detours
• Avoid disaster areas
• Follow the advice of local authorities

Tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, typhoons and monsoons

Air pollution

Unrestricted burning in Sumatra and Kalimantan sometimes causes air pollution to rise to unhealthy levels, especially from June to October.

Monitor air pollution levels closely, as they change quickly.

During periods of high pollution:

• limit your activities outdoors
• monitor local media
• follow the instructions of local authorities

Local services

In case of emergency, dial 110 for police.

Research and carry contact information for local medical facilities.

Consular assistance

Timor-Leste

There is no Canadian government office in Bali. You can obtain consular assistance from the Australian Consulate General of Australia, in Bali, under the Canada-Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement.

Sign up to receive email updates from the Australian government on situations and events that could affect your safety while in Bali.

Smartraveller  - Australian travel advice

For emergency consular assistance, call the Embassy of Canada to Indonesia, in Jakarta, and follow the instructions. At any time, you may also contact the Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa.

The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad. We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our Travel Advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.

The content on this page is provided for information only. While we make every effort to give you correct information, it is provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, expressed or implied. The Government of Canada does not assume responsibility and will not be liable for any damages in connection to the information provided.

If you need consular assistance while abroad, we will make every effort to help you. However, there may be constraints that will limit the ability of the Government of Canada to provide services.

Learn more about consular services .

Risk Levels

  take normal security precautions.

Take similar precautions to those you would take in Canada.

  Exercise a high degree of caution

There are certain safety and security concerns or the situation could change quickly. Be very cautious at all times, monitor local media and follow the instructions of local authorities.

IMPORTANT: The two levels below are official Government of Canada Travel Advisories and are issued when the safety and security of Canadians travelling or living in the country or region may be at risk.

  Avoid non-essential travel

Your safety and security could be at risk. You should think about your need to travel to this country, territory or region based on family or business requirements, knowledge of or familiarity with the region, and other factors. If you are already there, think about whether you really need to be there. If you do not need to be there, you should think about leaving.

  Avoid all travel

You should not travel to this country, territory or region. Your personal safety and security are at great risk. If you are already there, you should think about leaving if it is safe to do so.

The Cost of Travel in Indonesia: My 2023 Budget Breakdown

You haven’t lived until you’ve traveled to Indonesia. 

Known as the land of over 1800 islands, this wonderful country has so much to offer its visitors. You can have any type of vacation in Indonesia, whether you want to spend some time on one of the many beaches in Bali, experience a chaotic city like Jakarta or roam through the jungles of Sumatra.

I was gifted with spending a whole month in this glorious country, and since I have returned home, I haven’t been able to stop raving about it. I backpacked through the island of Java for two weeks before taking a ferry to Bali for ten days and then finished my trip on Gili Trawangan. Most travelers who visit Indonesia will visit Bali and leave it there, but let me tell you, this vast country has parts you have never even heard of waiting to be discovered.

Indonesia is a very cheap country to travel to, especially when you get outside of Bali. You’ll meet so many travelers along the way who have been spending months exploring Indonesia because it’s so affordable.

Over the month-long trip, I stayed in a mix between hostels and guesthouses and only used public transport to get around. I found Bali to be the most expensive stop on my trip, and even at that, it was nowhere near western European prices. Plus, Bali is a big enough island, so once you leave the likes of Canggu, the price of everything drops.

Indonesia has its own currency, the Indonesia Rupiah (IDR). Cash is widely used throughout the whole country, so be sure to have some on you at all times. In Bali, cards are more widely accepted than in other islands. I always ensured I had some hidden away somewhere just in case I ever found myself in a situation where I needed it.

The weather in Indonesia varies. Between April and October is the best time to visit because the rainy season has passed. This is by far the busiest time to go there. The prices of everything go up, you’ll see a lot more tourists, and availability for buses and ferries can be hit or miss.

Indonesian food is delicious. When you try your first nasi goreng, you’ll never be able to eat fried rice in another country again. The country’s cuisine varies from region to region, and even if you find a dish you like in, say, Yogyakarta, it might taste different in Indonesian Borneo. 

I found getting around Indonesia to be pretty straightforward. It wasn’t always the most comfortable experience, but I arrived safely wherever I went, which was all I cared about. Java has a brilliant train line that stops in a lot of the main cities. Local buses are readily available and can bring you just about anywhere. If you can ride a moped, they’re easy to rent and give you more access to the place you’re visiting.

In this post, I’m going to fill you in on all of the costs of my trip through Indonesia so you can start planning the holiday of a lifetime.

The Cost Of Accommodation In Indonesia

When it comes to accommodation in Indonesia, you get your money’s worth. Even if you’re traveling on a budget, you can still stay in guest houses most of the time. There are various options for you to splash your cash on too. A fancy villa with a pool in Ubud only cost me $66 for one night, and that’s still a bargain compared to what you’d pay somewhere in the USA.

How To Save Money On Accommodation When Traveling In Indonesia

If you’re not too fussed about spending too much on accommodation, plenty of cheap or free options are available that you’ll love.

Would you like to get a taste of local life? Sign up for Couchsurfing to chat with people that live in the cities you’re visiting and request to stay with them for a couple of days. Some hosts will let you stay on their sofa, and others may have a spare bedroom. It’s free to use and has a review system to see guests’ thoughts about their hosts.

Another way of finding a free space to stay is housesitting . This is where you’ll take care of somebody’s house for free while they’re away, and usually look after their pets, too. It’s best for long-term travellers or retirees as you can’t pick and choose dates and destinations, so you need to have a lot of flexibility as to where you go and at what time of year. If you do have that freedom, though, it’s a wonderful way to cut down your travel expenses, soak up some home comforts, and live like a local for a while.  Trusted Housesitters  is the best site for getting started with housesitting.

These days, travelers are searching for more than just tourist attractions. They want to experience local life in the countries they’re traveling to. WWOOFing is one way to do this. It’s a platform that gives people the opportunity to volunteer for organic projects like eco retreats in Denpasar or family farm work in Surabaya .

Hostels In Indonesia

Next up, we’re going to talk about hostels.

Hostels aren’t as widespread in Indonesia as in other Southeast Asian countries. Yeah, they’re in all the touristy spots, but hostels can become scarce once you start going off the tourist trail. Surprisingly, hostels often cost more than guesthouses. I found this was the case in Canggu and Ubud. Even if they are pricier in certain places, they can be worth it, especially if you’re a solo traveler looking to meet new people.

• I loved my stay at the Wonderloft Hostel in Jakarta. A bed in an 8-person dorm is priced at $7 per person, and a budget twin room is only $16 a night. It’s a very social hostel, and they even hold Netflix parties in the evenings.
• Were you thinking about stopping by Yogyakarta? The Wonderloft Hostel there is even better than the one in Jakarta. It’s almost like a five-star hotel with a Jacuzzi outside. Single beds in a dorm cost $6 per person, and a private double room with a garden view is only $20.
• Stay in the middle of nature at WW Backpackers in Ubud . This hostel is right in the middle of a forest but only a short walk away from the center. A bed in a 10-person dorm is only $7 per night. Sadly, there are no private rooms available.
• The Farm Hostel is where you must stay when you’re in Canggu. It’s pretty chilled out, and the common areas always have people mingling. A bed in a dorm is reasonably priced at $13, and breakfast comes with your booking.
• A more relaxing hostel option in Gili Trawangan is Gili Pirates . The beach is only a two-minute walk, and there’s a lovely pool that you can swim in when the sun is shining. A single bed in a dorm costs $9 a night, and a private double room is $29.

Staying in a hostel in Indonesia is cheaper than a mid-range hotel and will help you cut back on costs. Dorm prices usually range between $6 and $13 a night, whereas private rooms range between $16 and $20. Privates are an excellent option if you’re traveling with somebody but still want to socialize with others.

The average cost of a bed in a hostel per night is $6.

Where To Stay When Traveling In Indonesia

For anyone who doesn’t want to sacrifice their comfort, I have a list of the best-reviewed hotels and guesthouses in Indonesia that are worth the extra bit of money. I stayed at a few guesthouses and hotels during my trip because they were so cheap, so I found it hard to resist. It’s not every day you get to wake up to an infinity pool overlooking a lush green rice terrace.

Most of my time travel planning goes into choosing accommodation. When I’m paying for somewhere to stay, I want to know I will be comfortable, safe, and close to everything, so I don’t have to take a taxi when I want to eat out.

How do I always find the best accommodation? When I log on to Booking.com, instead of scrolling through the “top picks” suggestions they have given me, I click “best reviewed” instead. At least then, I know past travelers like myself have stayed there and enjoyed their experience.

Thankfully, you won’t have to do that when you book accommodation in Indonesia because I have done everything for you. Here are my top picks.

Jakarta: Loewys Home Tanjung Duren Jakarta Barat – $33 a night for a queen room with a balcony. Whoever plans on traveling through Java typically starts their journey in the bustling capital of Jakarta. Get over your jet lag at this gorgeous guesthouse with the most welcoming staff and polished white look. 

The rooms are spacious and comfortable, equipped with a flat-screen TV and bathtub to spend your time unwinding. Loewys Home is embedded between central and west Jakarta and is only 1.9 kilometers from the Central Mall.

Yogyakarta: Palem Kipas Homestay – $27 a night for a double room with a balcony. The staff at this homestay is what makes it so special. The owner is incredibly helpful, adding to the chill atmosphere, and will provide you with so much information about Yogyakarta. 

It’s situated in an adorable residential area with the Palace of Yogyakarta only a few blocks away. The ample beds are extremely snug and can be difficult to leave in the mornings. There’s no better place to stay when you’re in Yogyakarta!

Ubud: Sabana Ubud – $58 a night for a deluxe room with a queen bed and balcony. Ubud takes trendy accommodation to a whole new level. Sabana Ubud is a class example of this. The beautiful boutique hotel offers guests an outdoor swimming pool, a tranquil garden, and a bar where you can enjoy a nightcap. The rooms are fully air-conditioned and have charming views that you won’t be able to get enough of. Take a trip to the famous monkey rainforest that’s only an 18-minute walk away.

Canggu: D-Anyar Stay and Surf Canggu – $52 for a double or twin room with a private bathroom. This cute homestay is the perfect location if you’re a lover of the beach and want to try your hand at surfing. You have access to an outdoor swimming pool, free private parking, and free Wi-Fi at this peaceful spot. 

If you’d like to book surfing lessons or onward travel arrangements, the staff at the front desk will be more than happy to help you out. When booking accommodation in Canggu, it can be such a challenge because there are so many options to choose from. You won’t be disappointed when you spend a night at D-Anyar Stay and Surf Canggu. 

Gili Trawangan: Lost Paradise Gili – $38 for a one-bedroom standard bungalow. Live it up island style at Lost Paradise Gili. This is one of the top-rated places to stay in Gili Trawangan for a low price. With an excellent location close to South West Beach and Sunset Point, alluring, stylish rooms with modern touches, and tasty food served from the bar, all that you need to have a fabulous stay is waiting for you. 

The hosts, Kiting and Darsen, are only one call away if you need help. Be sure to avail yourself of the complimentary breakfast every morning. Sometimes free breakfast can be hit or miss, but here it was delicious.

The average cost of a mid-range per hotel/homestay per night is $27 a night.

The Cost Of Transportation In Indonesia

Indonesia is a massive country with a decent public transportation system. Getting around is mostly easy but sometimes requires some help from a local. That’s when you should utilize your hosts, as they’ll know how to get you where you want to be for the lowest price.

On my travels to Indonesia, I used trains, buses, and boats to get around. And boy, was it an adventure. Some of the things you’ll see on a local bus are interesting, to say the least. It’s all a part of the experience, right?

Low-cost airlines give you access to all corners of Indonesia cheaply. Indonesian Air Asia, Lion Air, and Citilink are the more known ones and operate frequently. These are great for anyone on a tight schedule who wants to fit in as much as possible. A one-way flight from Jakarta to Denpasar in Bali can cost as little as $53.79, saving you from taking a 26-hour bus journey.

Buses in Indonesia are the cheapest way to get around. They run 24/7 around the clock, which provides you with flexibility. You have so many bus companies to choose from, some more luxurious than others. Personally, I used the Agra Mas bus company. 

They have an extensive network, and you can rely on them compared to other privately owned companies. Their buses are comfortable with modern features like sockets and central multimedia, and the drivers don’t drive like they’re in Mario Kart.

When booking your bus and train tickets in Indonesia, use Traveloka. It finds you the cheapest tickets and saves you the hassle of having to bargain with merchants. The language barrier in Java can sometimes be challenging, so Traveloka cuts out that stress.

Here’s a list of some popular bus journeys you could take while in Indonesia and their prices.

• Jakarta to Yogyakarta with Agra Mas – $17.54
• Yogyakarta to Bandung with Daltrans Travel – $19.86
• Yogyakarta to Malang with Malang Indah – $13.24
• Jakarta to Bali Denpasar with Kramat Djati Jakarta – $38.39
• Malang to Bali Denpasar with Mtrans – $19.47

Some of these journeys are quite long, like Jakarta to Denpasar is over 24 hours. Don’t forget to bring something to entertain yourself.

I suggest using trains in Indonesia when you can. As I stated before, the island of Java has a fully functional train line operated by PT Kereta Api Indonesia that stops by many of the island’s top destinations, including Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Malang. If you want to get to Bali from Java by train, the last stop you can get off at is Ketapang. From there, you’ll have to take a 45-minute ferry over to the island.

Please take a look at the price of these train journeys to compare them with buses. Also, factor in convenience before making your decision.

• Jakarta to Yogyakarta – $21.50
• Yogyakarta to Bandung – $21.50
• Yogyakarta to Malang – $15.22

If you have already been to Southeast Asia before, you’ll know that tuk-tuks are a handy way of getting around. Tuk-tuks are motorized versions of rickshaws that compete with taxi drivers for your hard-earned cash. 

You’ll see the drivers relaxing in the vehicle at the side of the road when they’re not driving, sometimes even sleeping. You’ll often hear them whistle when you walk past. They’ll know you’re a foreigner and chance their arm to get a sale. If you ever use a tuk-tuk, negotiate a price with the driver before you depart, so they don’t try to scam you. Better to be safe than sorry.

Avoid using taxis in Indonesia; instead, use applications like Grab or Gojek that follow the same concept as Uber. All you have to do is tap in where you want to go, and the driver will be with you in minutes. Rides are very affordable, and if you opt to go with a motorbike cheaper, they’re half the price again — a great way to save money.

When traveling between islands, you can take ferries. You can book tickets online through websites like 12Go Asia or from travel agencies wherever you are. The benefit of booking online is that you can see the reviews. 

It’s important to note that boat safety in Indonesia is a controversial topic. The safety standards aren’t like in the western world, and accidents are a regular occurrence. Read reviews of companies before you book a journey with them. 

I had a situation from Gili Trawangan back to Bali where the speed boat (not so modern) I was on almost capsized in high waves. The crew was acting recklessly, and a part of the wall started to come through mid-journey. It was a frightening ordeal altogether. 

Unfortunately, I don’t have the name of the company because I booked it from a stall at the side of the road.

The average cost of transportation per day in Indonesia is $15.

Cost Of Food In Indonesia

Indonesian food is a blend of influences from countries worldwide, including Eastern Asia and the Middle East. Before we look at some flavourful Indonesian dishes, we need to remember that because the country is so big, the cuisine is so diverse.

Even if you’re on a budget, it’s cheaper to eat out than buy food and cook it at an Airbnb. Street food is inexpensive. A portion of fried rice (nasi goreng) and chicken satay will only set you back $1.50, or some soto ayam, a broth-based soup that’s just $1.20. 

I loved Indonesian street food and ate it more often than not. It’s great for the budget and tastes terrific. Diving into it can be difficult if you’re not used to eating from street stalls, but trust me, once you have your first dish, you’ll never go back.

Breakfast in Indonesia can be heavy. Typically, it consists of rice and some meat, usually chicken, and costs, on average, between $1 and $3. Don’t feel rude if you can’t stomach a Bubur Ayam at 7 am. In the big cities, you’ll be able to find western food available for breakfast as a backup plan. 

Standard Indonesian breakfasts:

• Gudeg (unripe jackfruit cooked with coconut milk) – $1 to $2
• Kupat tahu (rice cake and tofu in peanut sauce) – $1.50 to $3
• Nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) – $0.8 to $2

You’ll notice a running trend in Indonesia; meat is in pretty much everything, so brace yourselves. I ate a lot of chicken satay at lunchtime. It was so hard to resist walking past a street food vendor putting on a fresh batch and the smell hitting me in the face.

Standard Indonesian lunches:

• Bakso (meatball noodle soup) – $2
• Rawson (a nutty beef stew) – $2 to $3
• Ayam goreng (fried chicken) – $1.50 to $3

For dinner, I sampled a variety of different dishes, but my favorite was beef rendang. It’s a slow-cooked beef that’s cooked in several spices and coconut milk. You can’t leave Indonesia without trying it. Other mouthwatering dishes that you should try include ikan bakar and gado.

Standard Indonesian dinners:

• Nasi uduk – (boiled rice cooked in coconut milk) – $2 to $3
• Ayam taliwang – (roast chicken) – $3 to $4
• Mie -(spicy curry noodle) – $2 to $3

Alcohol isn’t as big in Indonesia as in other Southeast Asian countries. Yes, you can still purchase it, but a good proportion of Indonesians don’t drink alcohol at all. Why is that? 

Well, Indonesia is a predominantly Muslim country and is home to the largest population of Muslims in the world, so that explains it. Because of this, alcohol is quite highly-priced compared to other countries in the region. 

Expect to pay $3 for a large bottle of Bintang, Indonesia’s famous beer. It’s so good; you need to try it when you’re there. For a spirit and a mixer, the price is usually $5. Local wine is cheap but not that great in taste. A glass will cost $3, and for a higher quality imported wine, it will cost between $5 and $10.

Food budgets for different types of travelers

It will cost you more to cook and eat local food in your apartment. Supermarkets are costly, so if you wanted to do it, you’d have to go to a local market. When you’re shopping for one person, it’s better to eat from street food stalls because they’re so affordable. But if you’re adamant, that’s how you want to do things, expect to spend $10 per day.

Some travelers aren’t into street food, and that’s perfectly fine. I found international restaurants almost everywhere I visited in Indonesia. You won’t go hungry. If this is you, set aside $20 to $25 daily for your meals.

Non-drinkers who want to stick with street food will only spend $5 to $6 a day. Or if you eat at international eateries without a beer in the evenings, $17 will be fine.

The average cost of food per day is $6 for a budget traveler and $17 for a mid-range traveler.

The Cost Of Activities In Indonesia

Indonesia offers something for every traveler. Enjoy thrilling hikes to active volcanos, boat trips to islands with komodo dragons, and days out spotting wild orangutans.

For a real hit of adrenaline, take a climb to see Mount Ijen, an active volcano famous for its large turquoise-blue acidic lake and blue flames that stay lit due to the sulfur emitted from the earth, forming sulfur dioxide gas. You’ll have to wear a gas mask if you want to get right up to the gas. It’s fascinating to see. 

A tour from Bali will cost $147.94, which includes everything, from entrance tickets to transport. I did the tour from Malang before making my way to Bali, and it cost me only $80 through my hostel.

Hop on a four-day boat trip to see Indonesia’s island inhabited by Komodo Dragons. Trek through forests, sail around breathtaking islands and get some snaps of the drags on in the wild. The excursion costs $865 for an all-inclusive four-day tour. Yes, it’s pricey, but for what you get, it’s well worth the splash. 

Fancy getting up close and personal with some orangutans? Head off on a day trip to Mount Leuser National Park in Sumatra, home to Indonesia’s famous Orangutan Care Center. A local ranger will take you on an adventure through the Sumatran rainforests to see the great apes with your own eyes. A full-day tour is priced at $140. With your booking, you get return transport, permits for the area, and lunch.

Swimming with Manta Rays on a day trip from Bali to Nusa Penida was incredible. I visited Crystal Bay, Manta Bay, and Mangrove Point and snorkeled in deep blue Indonesian waters, spotting Manta Rays. There are many tours you can take that have different itineraries, but I’d recommend you do this one for $70 if you really want to get the most out of your time.

If you’re interested in seeing some authentic Indonesian temples, check out Borobudur in Yogyakarta. I took a half-day sunrise tour to see this unbelievable Buddhist temple. It’s the largest one in the world. Wait until you see how big it is. You’ll be blown away. 

The tour cost me $40, including return transport from my accommodation and a local guide, but an entrance fee of $25 had to be paid when I arrived. You could possibly do this on your own for cheaper if you’re confident enough to drive a moped in Yogyakarta’s hectic traffic.

Other must-have experiences in Indonesia:

• Get up early to see a sunrise at Mount Bromo
• Spend some time with monkeys at the Monkey Forest in Ubud
• Watch a native Balinese fire dance show in Uluawatu

The average cost of activities per day is $25.

Total Expenses Per Day When Traveling To Indonesia

I have covered every cost you could possibly have when traveling to Indonesia. Now let me show you how much you’re going to spend every day on travel expenses so you know how much to budget for your trip.

• Accommodation – $6 (budget traveler) or $27 (mid-range traveler) per night
• Transportation – $15 per day
• Food – $6 per day (budget traveler) or $17 (mid-range traveler)
• Activities – $25 per day

Total expenses for each day: $52 (budget traveler) or $84 (mid-range traveler).

Lauren Juliff

Lauren Juliff is a published author and travel expert who founded Never Ending Footsteps in 2011. She has spent over 12 years travelling the world, sharing in-depth advice from more than 100 countries across six continents. Lauren's travel advice has been featured in publications like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Cosmopolitan, and her work is read by 200,000 readers each month. Her travel memoir can be found in bookstores across the planet.

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Elon Musk launches Starlink satellite internet service in Indonesia, world’s largest archipelago

Elon Musk has arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. The billionaire head of Tesla and SpaceX and owner of social platform X arrived Sunday by private jet on the idyllic “island of the gods.”

Indonesian Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin, second from left, and Elon Musk, second from right, sign an agreement on enhancing connectivity at a public health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

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Elon Musk gesture upon his arrival at a public health center at Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Indonesian Minister of Health, Budi Gunadi Sadikin, second from left, and Elon Musk, second from right, pose after signing an agreement on enhancing connectivity at a public health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Elon Musk center, talks to press media during the launch of Starlink satellite internet service, at a public health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

Elon Musk talks to press media during the launch of Starlink satellite internet service at a public health center in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia on Sunday, May 19, 2024. Elon Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Firdia Lisnawati)

FILE - Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition in Washington, Monday, March 9, 2020. Musk arrived in Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Sunday, May 19, 2024, to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

DENPASAR, Indonesia (AP) — Elon Musk traveled to Indonesia’s resort island of Bali on Sunday to launch Starlink satellite internet service in the world’s largest archipelago nation.

Wearing a green Batik shirt, Musk was greeted with a garland of flower petals at a community health clinic in Denpasar, the provincial capital of Bali, where he launched the Starlink service alongside Indonesian ministers.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 17,000 islands sprawled across three time zones with a population of more than 270 million, has been trying for years to secure deals with Musk’s Tesla on battery investment and for Musk’s SpaceX to provide fast internet for the country’s remote regions.

During the ceremony, Musk took a speed test of the Starlink internet service with several health workers in Indonesia’s remote regions, including in Aru, one of Indonesia’s unserved and outermost islands in Maluku province.

“This can make it really a lifesaver for remote medical clinics, and I think it could be a possibility for education as well,” Musk told reporters.

“If you can access the internet and then you can learn anything and you can also sell your business services worldwide. So, I think it’s going to be incredibly beneficial,” he said.

He also signed an agreement on enhancing connectivity in the country’s health and education sectors. Details about the agreement between the Indonesian government and Musk’s SpaceX, the aerospace company that operates Starlink services, were not provided.

Launching the service at a health clinic aligns with Starlink’s broader mission of providing affordable access to high-speed internet services, particularly in underserved and remote regions, said Coordinating Minister of Maritime and Investment Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.

“Our remote regions need Starlink to expand high-speed internet services, especially to help with problems in the health, education and maritime sectors,” Pandjaitan, a close ally of Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo, told reporters. He held separate talks with Musk on Sunday.

Communication and Informatics Minister Budi Arie Setiadi said earlier that local internet providers, which rely on base transceiver stations to transmit signals, are unable to reach outer islands because they have limited coverage. Starlink’s satellites, which remain in low orbit, will help them deliver faster internet with nationwide coverage.

Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said of the more than 10,000 clinics across the country, there are still around 2,700 without internet access.

“The internet can open up better access to health services as communication between regions is said to be easier, so that reporting from health service facilities can be done in real time or up to date,” he said.

During his first in-person visit to Bali, Musk is also scheduled to participate in the 10th World Water Forum, which seeks to address global water and sanitation challenges.

Musk spoke in 2022 at the B-20 business forum ahead of a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies that took place in Bali. He joined the conference by video link weeks after completing his heavily scrutinized takeover of Twitter.

Musk’s visit comes just weeks after Apple CEO Tim Cook met Widodo on April 17 and said the company would “look at” manufacturing in Indonesia. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella visited on April 30 and said the company would invest $1.7 billion over the next four years in new cloud and artificial intelligence infrastructure in Indonesia.

Indonesia under Widodo has promoted development of the digital technology and information sectors, aiming to achieve the government’s Golden Indonesia 2045 Vision. The country hopes to become one of the world’s top five economies with a GDP of up to $9 trillion, exactly a century after it won independence from Dutch colonizers.

Karmini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Indonesia mulls ban on investigative journalism, LGBTQ content

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s parliament is proposing changes to its broadcast law that would ban investigative journalism and LGBTQ content, sparking criticism from civil society groups and filmmakers over restrictions to press freedom and creative expression.

Changes to the 2002 broadcast law were first discussed in 2020 but the details in the latest revisions have spurred concern, with Indonesia’s Press Council saying it would undermine media independence.

“The impact on press freedom is very serious,” said Arif Zulkifli, head of the council’s law and legislation division. “Indonesia’s press law says there must not be any censorship or banning of journalism. So this is contradictory.”

The government is yet to receive the draft bill, communications minister Budi Arie Setiadi told Reuters, adding the revisions must not muzzle media freedom.

The planned curbs on journalism in the world’s third-largest democracy would harm freedom of expression and hard-won liberties since Indonesia emerged from decades of authoritarian rule in 1998, journalism and civil society organizations say.

The bill does not provide details on the proposed ban on investigative reporting and how it might work, but journalist groups were concerned about censorship.

“It will mean that we as journalists will no longer be able to reveal important stories, such as on corruption, nepotism and environmental crimes,” said Bayu Wardhana, head of the association of independent journalists, of the bill.

“If the bill is implemented, there will be no press independence,” the chair of Indonesia’s Press Council, Ninik Rahayu, said, adding that the council had not been consulted during the bill’s drafting process.

The bill has drawn criticism also because it seeks to ban content displaying violence, mysticism, LGBTQ or “negative behavior or lifestyles that potentially harm the public”.

Prominent filmmaker Joko Anwar slammed the proposal, describing it as “dangerous” and “impossible” to implement.

“The ban on such content not only impedes the creativity of the creative industry, and freedom of the press, but also undermines people’s capacity to filter what they watch,” he said.

Legislators from commission 1, which is overseeing the bill, have stressed the bill’s revisions are in the initial phases and subject to change.

“We don’t want to give the impression that we are homophobic, and monitor excessively,” said Nico Siahaan, a commission 1 member, adding the law would be strongly debated.

Homosexuality is a taboo subject in Indonesia, one of the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nations, where it is illegal in the sharia-ruled Aceh province.

If passed, the changes would apply to all content broadcast in Indonesia, including online streaming platforms.

The Indonesian parliament has been deliberating a series of controversial legal revisions in recent weeks, including changes to the  constitutional court law  that would allow the government greater power to remove sitting judges.

Middle East Crisis Israeli Officials Challenge Netanyahu, Laying Bare Government Divisions

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Netanyahu may face little risk from a rival’s political ultimatum, analysts say.

With his emergency war cabinet on the brink of disintegrating over what opponents view as his dithering prosecution of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been challenged to make some stark choices by his two main partners in running the military campaign.

Mr. Netanyahu’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, from his own conservative Likud party, and Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief and Netanyahu rival who joined the government soon after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack that prompted the war, have demanded that the Israeli leader come up with a decisive strategy. While their demands laid bare the divisions in Mr. Netanyahu’s wartime government, analysts said they were unlikely to bring about major change.

Both Mr. Gallant and Mr. Gantz have implicitly accused the Israeli leader in recent days of putting his political survival ahead of national security. They are demanding that Mr. Netanyahu choose between an endgame that would leave postwar Gaza under Israeli military control, as his far-right coalition partners want, or, as they suggest, have some kind of Palestinian alternative to Hamas take over with international support.

More broadly, they have called on him to stop appeasing his hard-line political allies at the expense of any semblance of national consensus, even as he continues to send Israeli soldiers into battle.

Mr. Gantz set an ultimatum , saying on Saturday that his National Unity party would quit the government by June 8 should Mr. Netanyahu choose “the path of the zealots” and fail to pave a strategic path forward.

But his party’s exit alone would not loosen Mr. Netanyahu’s hold on power: The far-right and religiously ultraconservative coalition he formed after the November 2022 election would still command a majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Parliament. Still, it would leave Mr. Netanyahu in a more precarious position, reliant on his hard-line partners and with less domestic and international legitimacy.

“Gantz’s problem is that he can’t alone produce a war and postwar strategy, pressure Netanyahu to come up with one or create enough pressure to bring down the current Israeli government,” said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The demands presented by Mr. Gantz and Mr. Gallant come as pressure is growing in Israel for clear government decisions that will bring home the 128 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom an unknown number are already dead, and also dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and ability to lead in Gaza.

Those goals may be mutually exclusive, analysts say, since Hamas is demanding an Israeli commitment to end the war as a condition for any hostage deal.

Some critics saw Mr. Gantz’s move as too hesitant, calling into question his credentials as an electable alternative to Mr. Netanyahu.

“A three-week ultimatum? That’s ridiculous!” said Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and analyst who worked as an aide to Mr. Netanyahu in the 1990s.

Between now and June 8, Mr. Barak said, any number of things could happen in Israeli politics, in Gaza and elsewhere. “It makes him look not serious,” he added.

Mr. Gantz left the parliamentary opposition in October out of a sense of national responsibility, he said at the time, and joined the war cabinet as one of its three principal members, along with Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant.

Mr. Gallant has demanded that Mr. Netanyahu engage in a serious discussion about who, or what, should replace Hamas in a postwar Gaza. He challenged the prime minister to state clearly whether or not he supports his far-right partners’ agenda of Israeli military rule in the enclave and said last week that he had tried to advance a plan for a “non-hostile Palestinian governing alternative” to Hamas, without elaborating.

Some analysts also said that Mr. Gantz’s demands were largely amorphous and that his own suggestions lacked clarity.

Mr. Gantz called for the hostages to be brought home, for Hamas control to end and for the Gaza Strip to be disarmed — without saying how to achieve those goals.

Even as he called for a day-after strategy for Gaza, Mr. Gantz went along with Mr. Netanyahu in saying that the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, should not take over Gaza — flouting the position of the United States, Israel’s most important international ally.

Instead, Mr. Gantz called more vaguely for a U.S.-European-Arab-Palestinian administration that would run civilian affairs in Gaza and “lay the foundations for a future alternative that is neither Hamas nor Abbas.”

— Isabel Kershner reporting from Jerusalem

The U.S. national security adviser met with Netanyahu.

The U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday as the United States and other countries push Israel to limit its incursion into Rafah, where Israel had initially encouraged Palestinians to seek safety.

The United States has repeatedly called on Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Although Israel has labeled its current operation “limited,” about 800,000 people have fled after evacuation orders, while satellite imagery shows widening destruction .

The prime minister’s office said after the meeting that the two men had discussed the fighting in Gaza, with an emphasis on Rafah, humanitarian aid and efforts to return the hostages held in Gaza.

Mr. Sullivan was expected to stress the need for a targeted approach to fighting Hamas in Gaza and to emphasize American opposition to a full-scale attack on Rafah. Earlier this month, President Biden said in an interview with CNN that the United States would not supply weapons for a major Israeli offensive in Rafah. In a hearing in the Senate in May, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that the United States had paused a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel, citing concern about a sweeping invasion of the city.

The Israeli military said its forces were pressing on in the eastern outskirts of Rafah on Saturday, and aid officials in the western part of the city said they heard strikes and artillery fire. Hamas said its fighters had fired on Israeli troops in eastern Rafah and close to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned that recent gains in getting desperately needed humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip risked being undone by the fighting in southern Gaza, and he called for a “clear concrete plan” for postwar governance in Gaza.

At the same time, talks for a cease-fire to release at least some Israeli hostages appear to be stalled. The prime minister of Qatar, which has been acting as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas, said last week that negotiations were at “almost a stalemate” and had been set back by Israel’s military offensive in Rafah.

Mr. Sullivan’s trip to Israel followed meetings in Saudi Arabia, a visit that was scheduled to happen last month but was delayed after he cracked a rib. In the interim, tensions between the United States and Israel over the Rafah invasion and Israel’s conduct of the war have escalated.

Mr. Sullivan visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to discuss a possible Middle East peace deal that would normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and create a Palestinian state. The deal would also involve a U.S.-Saudi mutual defense pact and cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom .

During their meeting, Prince Mohammed and Mr. Sullivan reviewed a “nearly-final draft” of strategic agreements between the two countries, which are “almost finished,” according to a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency. It said the two governments continued to work on a “credible pathway” toward creating a Palestinian state that will “satisfy the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

But Mr. Netanyahu has been resistant to the deal, pushing back on talks of a Palestinian state. Mr. Sullivan was expected to try to advance the deal in his meeting with the Israeli leader.

Vivian Nereim contributed reporting.

— Matt Surman

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‘We’re still afraid’: Gazans flee Jabaliya as Israel’s military launches a new offensive.

The northern town of Jabaliya had already come under fierce attacks from the Israeli military earlier in the war, killing many civilians and demolishing large parts of the suburb. So, as Israeli ground forces moved to other parts of the Gaza Strip and military strikes focused elsewhere, residents thought they had experienced their worst days.

But last week, the Israeli military dropped leaflets again over Jabaliya, where tens of thousands of people are living, ordering them to leave as it prepared to launch a renewed offensive.

“When the Israelis dropped the leaflets, people were terrified, especially given what they experienced previously,” said Iman Abu Jalhum, 23, who graduated from medical school two months before the war began and has been volunteering in hospitals treating the wounded. “We thought given that we have already been attacked that we were safe; the Israelis have already been here.”

Soon after the leaflets dropped, so too did the bombs, she said. Ms. Abu Jalhum, her 16-year-old sister and her parents fled their home under bombardment. She only had time to throw a few items of clothing into a bag and put on her prayer shawl.

Her father, who has back issues, struggled to walk along the road. Eventually, they found a donkey cart to take him the rest of the way, a few miles south.

Israel said it had renewed the offensive in Jabaliya on May 11 because Hamas was trying to reassemble its infrastructure and operatives in the area. Hamas accused Israel of “escalating its aggression against civilians all across Gaza” and vowed to continue fighting.

At least 15 civilians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday in Jabaliya and 30 others wounded, according to Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency. Ambulance and emergency crews have been unable to reach the area to rescue the injured and retrieve the bodies, it reported.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it had “engaged and eliminated” Hamas fighters in Jabaliya in a number of battles and located several tunnel shafts. Hamas said that its fighters destroyed an Israeli tank south of Jabaliya.

Ms. Abu Jalhum and her family are among at least 64,000 people who were displaced from Jabaliya and a neighboring town in the past week, according to the main U.N. agency aiding Palestinians, UNRWA.

They are now sheltering a few miles south in a bombed-out building, where the smell of dead bodies that have not yet been recovered hangs in the air. Strikes still hit nearby, she says, but there are fewer explosions and no clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters.

On Thursday, Ms. Abu Jalhum tried to go back to Jabaliya to check on her home, walking for 45 minutes along streets covered in debris. But as she neared her neighborhood, explosions were hitting too close to continue, she said.

“Yes, we have some courage, but we’re still afraid,” she said. “You might see martyrs killed in the street that no one can reach. You’re afraid there could be a sniper. The drones might target anyone there walking in the streets.”

Her family has had to flee several times during the course of the seven-month war, and they have always gone to stay with relatives in the same area. This time, the offensive is more expansive and intense, she said.

“We just want to go home,” she said, adding, “We’re so exhausted. You see it in our faces. We want to cry at times, but we’re unable to.”

— Raja Abdulrahim

In Israel, Stefanik denounces Biden and praises Trump.

Representative Elise Stefanik on Sunday addressed some lawmakers at Israel’s Parliament, denouncing President Biden for delaying some military aid to the country and praising former President Donald J. Trump as a true ally of the Jewish state.

Ms. Stefanik, Republican of New York, defended Israel’s military campaign and urged the country to pursue total victory in the war against Hamas.

“There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel,” said Ms. Stefanik, who addressed the gathering at the Knesset. “I have been a leading proponent and partner to President Trump in his historic support for Israeli independence and security.”

Ms. Stefanik’s speech — which she said was made at the invitation of Amir Ohana, the speaker of Israel’s Parliament — builds on Republican attempts to capitalize on Democratic divisions over Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks.

A spokesman for Mr. Biden said there was “no better friend to Israel” than the current president.

“He was the first American president to visit Israel during wartime — in the aftermath of the horrific Oct. 7th terrorist attacks — and the first president to order the U.S. military to defend Israel from a foreign nation’s attack,” a White House spokesman, Andrew Bates, said in a statement. “President Biden’s support for Israel’s security is ironclad. Unlike some figures on the right, President Biden did not rail against the Israeli government in the days after Oct. 7, nor has he ever praised terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, and he will not be lectured by any person who was silent in the face of those offensive statements.”

The Israeli Parliament is currently in recess. Ms. Stefanik addressed the Knesset Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students on Campuses Around the World, according to The Times of Israel . Her remarks, in which she also attacked U.S. colleges for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, appeared intended to curry favor with Mr. Trump, who has mentioned Ms. Stefanik as a potential running mate.

Ms. Stefanik was once a Trump critic but has reinvented herself over the past few years as one of his most outspoken defenders — echoing his policies and his rhetoric alike. In recent months, she has been the face of a House panel that has interrogated university presidents over allegations of antisemitism on campus.

Ms. Stefanik, a former George W. Bush White House aide, has positioned herself as one of Mr. Trump’s most loyal defenders in Congress, a role she initially staked out during his first impeachment in 2019.

Her prepared remarks for Sunday mentioned Mr. Trump by name several times while highlighting several of his administration’s accomplishments, including a package of Middle East deals known as the Abraham Accords and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Michael C. Bender

Remote flights, chartered boats, and eight-hour driving shifts: How far do surfers travel to catch the perfect wave

We asked pro surfers about the furthest distance they have travelled for a great wave and whether the hours spent searching were worth it.

What is the furthest you have ever travelled to get to the beach?

Lucca Mesinas took four flights and drove for eight hours across the Indonesian island of Sumatra to reach his dream beach destination.

“By the time you get there, you are dead," the Peruvian said of his journey to Krui. "But after a couple of days you are fine and then it's worth it."

What made the trip worth it, however, was not the beach. A Tokyo 2020 Olympian in surfing , Mesinas had his sights set on the spectacular waves at Krui rather than its sandy shores.

Mesinas is not alone among surfers in his willingness to go to any lengths to reach the perfect surf spot. From Indonesia to the Philippines and South Africa, Olympics.com asked surfers about the longest journeys they have taken for a wave and whether the ride at the end of the road was worth it.

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The Indonesian surfing itinerary

Tahiti's Teahupo’o wave will be the longest distance in history between an Olympic host city and an Olympic venue. Located 15,000km from Paris , the South Pacific island is also the most remote location to host an Olympic event.

No matter where athletes are travelling from, the famous reef break will not be quick to reach. But Teahupo'o is not the only wave that requires a bit of extra effort to get to. Travelling to Krui can also seem like a quest.

"It's a really far place in Indonesia. I took maybe four flights or five," Mesinas said of his journey, which started in Lima, Peru. "Once we arrived on that island, I had to drive maybe eight hours to the wave. It was for a competition. It was in Krui, Indonesia, and probably that was the furthest."

Icah Wilmot made the trip from his native Jamaica to Indonesia with family in tow. It took them five flights: Kingston to Miami, Miami to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to Taipei City, Taipei City to Kuala Lumpur, and onwards to Bali .

Once there, the Wilmots made sure to make the long trip count.

"Me and my brothers and my dad went, and we just surfed our brains out, basically,” Jamaica's national champion said. "We ended up staying there for like a month and just surfing every single wave. It was really fun. It was really worth it."

Hiding out with surfboards in the Philippines

For 2017 World Surfing Games champion Jhony Corzo , it is another South Asian country that holds the most allure.

The Mexican surfer has tackled Siargao's Cloud 9 wave in the Philippines twice now in competition, and it has become his favourite spot to surf in the world - even with the long treck it takes to get there.

"I had to go to Mexico City, LAX, and then I flew LAX-Hong Kong, then I flew Hong Kong, Cebu, and then Cebu-Siargao," he recalled. "That's so many flights, like a 13-hour flight to Hong Kong, then four-hour flight to Cebu and then smaller flights to Siargao. That was long."

Latvia’s Santa Vevere also took four flights to reach the Philippines. With the flight portion of the trip behind her, she then needed to take a boat to go around the island and reach the remote spot her local friends had invited her to try.

"I think it was in total 55 hours. I was counting on the way," Vevere said. "It was a long trip. But once I got there, because I was on the island and there was no one else - it was not a touristic island, so it was just some locals where I was living - and it was amazing. Definitely worth it."

Friends from the island are already inviting Vevere back for another visit, as long as she continues to honour their only condition - not to reveal the exact spot where she is going.

"It's really not touristic and they are keeping it a secret ," the Latvian surfer explained.

At world's end: Chartered boats and travel sprees

Mexico’s Sebastian Williams also wanted to avoid battling for position in a crowded line-up. So he took a couple of flights and chartered a boat to get to India's Andaman Islands and ended up surfing there for more than a week with only one other athlete, South Africa's Jordan Alexander , for company.

"I was living in South Africa, and from South Africa it's a little closer than anywhere else in the world," Williams said. "This local magazine from South Africa put together this surf trip, so we hopped on a flight to India, then a local flight, and then we chartered a boat, and then we drove across the island.

"Only two of us surfing at all times. Just little perfect reef passes, like in Indonesia. Only two of us throughout 10 days and epic waves."

Located in the Indian Ocean north of the Mentawai Islands Regency , the Andaman Islands are unofficially considered an extension of the famous Indonesian islands chain, which Williams described as “every surfer’s dream”.

Erin Brooks is another surfer who took advantage of the comparatively closer distance from South Africa to the Mentawai, except for her it was an extension to an already long trip.

The Canadian teen started her trip in Hawaii, passing by Toronto, Canada for some media activities, and then travelled to South Africa via Dubai, for a competition in Ballito.

"After that, I had lost out, so I was like, OK, all I want to surf is perfect waves so my dad booked us a flight and we went all the way to the Mentawai," Brooks said. "And that was so far, so many plane rides, plus a long boat ride. That whole round trip was probably the longest flights and boat ride I had ever had."

Anat Lelior of Israel, who has surfed in both Indonesia and South Africa, has a simple explanation for why such long trips always pay off.

"Being connected to the ocean and having that gift of being on a good wave is something not a lot of people, unfortunately, get to do," Lelior said. "It's worth it."

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How to get around Indonesia – tips for smooth island-hopping

Dec 6, 2023 • 7 min read

With these tips on how to get around Indonesia, you'll reach the region's most stunning locations © Konstantin Trubavin / GettyImages

With tens of thousands of islands scattered some 5000km (3100mi) from east to west, Indonesia looks like anything but a single country. Vast seas, impenetrable jungles, rugged mountains and rough roads require extra patience for those who want to explore this fascinating archipelago.

But the good news is, traveling has been easier in recent years. Airplanes have replaced boats and highways have reached remote areas. But you can always choose some other slower – yet evocative – traditional ways to get around. Here is what you need to know to navigate Indonesia with ease. 

Fly to reach the far-flung islands

As low-cost carriers usher in flying, almost everyone now flies between and within islands. Budget-conscious travelers usually fly Citilink , Lion Air , and Sriwijaya Air , but typically those who value punctuality and reliability opt for the national airline Garuda Indonesia. Airfare prices vary greatly, depending on the distance, frequency, and airline standards. From Jakarta , it can be as low as US$35 to Bali , but a whopping US$350 to Papua one-way.

The government has recently pushed the construction of new airports in hard-to-reach tourist destinations such as Labuan Bajo (gateway to the Komodo Islands ), Silangit (to Lake Toba ), and Toraja. Days of grueling journeys are over; you can now reach your dream destinations in hours from Jakarta. Most flights to Maluku or Papua transit in Makassar , the aviation hub for eastern Indonesia.

Take a boat for a genuine island experience

The primary sea transport operator – government-owned Pelni – connects hundreds of coastal cities all over Indonesia. It would be wise to book early to reserve seats. Tickets from Jakarta to Papua are as low as US$70, but it is an arduous seven-day journey. You have been warned.

If you fancy shorter, more reliable boat trips, your best bets are the ferry crossings between islands. The classic island-hopping route is to travel overland through Java, then cross to Bali, Lombok , and all the way eastward to the Komodo Islands.

Riverboats used to be the main transport in heavily-forested Kalimantan , but they were quickly replaced by cars with the emergence of new roads. Nevertheless, you can still take a four to six-day boat tour package along the Mahakam River to visit traditional Dayak villages deep in the jungle.  

Trains are a pleasant way to enjoy the rural scenery

Trains may be the most comfortable and reliable way to travel overland across Java, where most of Indonesia’s railways are located. The actual irresistible highlight is the unrivaled scenery of mystical Javanese volcanos and lush rice paddies visible from your train window. 

Train tickets can be booked even a month in advance through the KAI website. The Executive Class has reclining seats and freezing air-conditioning that makes you forget that you are in a tropical country (remember to bring jackets). The Economy Class seats are non-reclining and can be very crowded.

You can also explore some parts of Sumatra , including Aceh and North Sumatra , by rail. The Trans-Sulawesi railway project has kicked off around Makassar as well.

Rent a vehicle to explore off-the-beaten-track destinations

The public transport network in Indonesia is considerably limited, even in the most developed Java and Bali. Having your own vehicle will give you more freedom to explore remote areas.

Renting a car is sweat-free: all you need is a passport and an international driving license, and remember that Indonesians drive on the left. Car rental starts from US$40 a day. Be prepared for varying road conditions, from potholes to heavy traffic jams. It can be much better to hire a local driver.

In Bali and Lombok, renting a moped may be the easiest way to explore the islands. Don’t forget to wear a helmet, even if you just sit on the back of a motorcycle.

Buses are affordable and convenient

Buses are still the main land transport in Indonesia as they’re cheap and readily available at almost any time. Advance booking is generally unnecessary, except during the Eid holidays when millions of Indonesians flock to their hometowns.

Among the numerous bus operators across Indonesia, the government-owned DAMRI promises a vast network and reliable service. You can book tickets from their website or through its apps.

The economy buses are the cheapest, but they're slow; expect frequent stops as passengers get picked up along the way. Some touristic areas like Yogyakarta and Toraja have executive bus services with comfortable reclining seats similar to that of business class flights.

Beat Jakarta’s traffic jams by using public transport

Jakarta is notorious as one of the world’s most congested cities, but its extensive (albeit not fully integrated) mass transport system helps to reduce the pain of getting around.

The Transjakarta buses run in dedicated tracks, avoiding frustrating traffic jams. With so many corridors, routes can be confusing, but you can use Trafi apps to help you navigate. Most tourists stick to Corridor 1, as it traverses Jakarta’s main attractions such as Kota Tua, Monumen Nasional , Museum Nasional , and Roundabout Hotel Indonesia .

The newly built MRT Jakarta is the most modern mode of transport in Jakarta today, but its short track distance is yet the concern of most foreign visitors. The same goes for LRT Jakarta . 

Be mindful that public transport in Jakarta runs on a cashless payment system. You can get a transport card at the MRT stations or some Transjakarta bus stops. Top-up can be done at MRT stations or any Alfamart convenience stores all over Jakarta.

For a touch of nostalgia, hail a becak

The traditional manual tricycle rickshaw, becak , used to rule Indonesian streets, but as it has been banned on the main roads of many cities, it’s now almost just a memory. But becaks have not entirely disappeared. You can still find them   in some tourist destinations in Jakarta and Yogyakarta for visitors who want to experience a bit of Indonesia’s past.

Becak also has evolved into motorized tricycles – the bajaj in Jakarta or the bentor ( becak -motor) in Sumatra and Sulawesi . It still provides locals with affordable and practical short-distance transport. If you want to learn the history of becak , the best place to start is the Indonesian Becak Museum in Bali.

Ridesharing apps make life easier

As Indonesians have embraced digital technology, ridesharing apps have become an everyday lifestyle in urban areas. The biggest, Indonesian-owned Gojek was initially created to make ordering motorbike-taxi ( ojek ) convenient. It then grew into a super-app, where you can order anything from taxis, cars, food deliveries to groceries.

The app is bilingual; there’s an automatic chat translation feature to help you communicate with non-English speaking drivers. Gojek is in more than 160 cities across Indonesia, even in remote Papua. No matter where you are, getting around is as easy as tapping your fingers on a smartphone screen.

Accessible travel in Indonesia

Indonesia can be quite challenging for people with disabilities. The potholed and uneven sidewalks are quite a hassle, and street vendors often block the special lanes for blind pedestrians. However, Jakarta's main streets of Thamrin and Sudirman and most modern malls are designed with accessibility in mind.

Transjakarta bus is not recommended for those with mobility issues since most bus stops involve climbing an overpass via stairs, and you literally have to jump into the bus. However, MRT stations, including the Railink airport trains in Jakarta and Medan, are accessible in a wheelchair. 

Despite being the most popular international tourist destination, Bali is not yet wheelchair friendly. You can check specialist tourist operators, such as Bali Access Travel , and don’t forget to visit Lonely Planet’s Accessible Travel  page to download the complete guide for accessible travel.

Why I love getting around Indonesia by boat

Many people end their travels in Indonesia without even taking a single boat trip. Such a shame as water dominates almost 80% of Indonesia’s total area, after all. Boat trips may be slow, but they open an opportunity to dive into the spirit of Indonesia as an archipelagic nation.

A sailing trip from Labuan Bajo to Komodo on a traditional pinisi sailboat would be magical, combined with some short snorkeling stops as you wallow in the company of an impressive squadron of manta rays. I believe no Indonesian trip is truly complete without experiencing the embrace of its vast ocean.

This article was first published Mar 25, 2022 and updated Dec 6, 2023.

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Mouly Surya, Garin Nugroho Projects Among First Recipients of Annual Indonesian Film Grant – Cannes

By Naman Ramachandran

Naman Ramachandran

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Indonesia has unveiled the four film projects that will be the pilot recipients of the country’s first government-funded film grant, Film Matchfund, at the Cannes Film Festival .

Popular on Variety

These four projects have received international support from various eligible international grant schemes such as the Hubert Bals Fund, CNC Cinema du Monde, World Cinema Fund, Sørfond, IMDA, and several other sources amounting to €1.38 million ($1.5 million). The amount will be matched by the Indonesian grant. Following the announcement of the four pilot projects, the scheme is being opened to all Indonesian filmmakers who are developing projects with the support of international grants.

The announcement was made during the Indonesian Night in Cannes on Monday. Hilmar Farid, director general of culture, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, said: “We hope that this fund will not only support Indonesian filmmakers in manifesting their creative ideas, but will have an impact on expanding international networks and increasing the capacity of Indonesian filmmakers to [attain] world standards, various transfers of expertise, then in the long run they will produce films about Indonesia’s diversity for the world.”

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The Garfield Movie

After Garfield's unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist... Read all After Garfield's unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist. After Garfield's unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist.

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• Trivia Frank Welker , who's voiced Garfield since 2007, expressed his disappointment at not being asked to voice the character for this film.

Jon : Say when!

[as he starts grating parmesan cheese on lasagne; from teaser and official trailers]

Garfield : Never, Jon! Bury me in cheese!

• Crazy credits At the end of the credits, there is a three-strip comic with Garfield asking the audience why they are still here, then he tells them they are waiting for a sequel.
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• May 24, 2024 (United States)
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