Health and safety are
top concerns for tourists when travelling abroad. Here
are a few tips to help you on your trip through Indonesia.
Money
The official monetary unit of Indonesia is the Rupiah.
It is possible to exchange money at bank counters upon
arrival at international airports or seaports. In town,
most of the foreign currencies can easily be exchanged
at banks and authorised money exchange counters. ATM’s
are widely available everywhere for cash operations,
even in smaller cities.
Health
The areas that most visitors want to go to are safe
for travel for health conscious tourists. Malaria today
is eradicated in all urban areas and most of the large
tourist areas. Malaria transmission can occur after
dark in rural, forested areas not usually frequented
by tourists, except in Papua (formerly known as Irian
Jaya), where risk is widespread.
However, over the past few years, malaria cases have
been observed in Central Java Province. Insect protection
measures (anti-mosquitoes cream or lotions) are advised
against mosquito-borne diseases like malaria or dengue
fever. They are available in any pharmacy or drugstore
in Indonesia. The country also has a large number of
well-equipped hospitals to international standards,
especially in the largest cities and tourist areas.
Safety
Indonesia is an exceedingly safe country for foreign
tourists and Indonesians will take pride and happiness
to help and give their best to a traveller. However,
as in any country in the world, in big cities such Jakarta,
Surabaya or very popular tourist areas like Bali or
Yogyakarta, it is advisable not to go out carrying too
much cash or flashing expensive jewellery. To travel
within a city, use only taxis with the name of the company.
They are all equipped with meters.
Which destinations to
visit?
Indonesia and is fully open to foreign visitors. The
regions receiving the most tourists are currently Bali,
Java, Lombok, Sumatra, Sulawesi and the islands of Batam
and Bintan across Singapore.
As Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago,
events happening in one specific part of the country
do not mean that the whole Indonesia is affected. For
example, the tsunami disaster affected only the Northwestern
tip of Sumatra island in Aceh. In Bali, Yogyakarta,
Jakarta or even in the rest of Sumatra, life continued
normally.
In case of any event, the Indonesian embassy will be
able to present detailed information on the affected
zone. Media will also be able to contact the Ministry
of Culture and Tourism to get the most updated information
as well as a map of the affected areas. A list of the
regions which might pose a threat to the safety of visitors
is available from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Visas
All travellers are welcome to Indonesia. However,
in most cases, travellers must obtain a tourist visa
to enter, and for many countries these can
be issued at the airport on arrival upon payment of
a small administrative fee.
Visitors fit into one of three categories: a few countries
(mostly ASEAN) where visas are not necessary; countries
whose citizens can obtain with visas on arrival (VOA);
and remaining countries where it is necessary to first
obtain a tourist visa from the nearest Indonesia embassy. All visitors to Indonesia must ensure that their passport has a validity of at least six months.
Countries which are entitled
to a Visa-on-Arrival (VOA) facility: There is in total a list of 64 countries which are eligible to to obtain a VOA. Australian and New Zealand passport holders are included in this list and can purchase a single 30-day VOA for a fee of US$25 at their point of entry . This visa may be extended for a further 60 days on application. To expediate immigration processes it is highly recommended to pay the visa administrative fee using US dollars.
For more details on Indonesian visa requirements and to obtain a list of the countries eligible for a visa-on-arrival contact your local Indonesian Consulate:
Sydney: www.indonesianconsulatesydney.org.au
Melbourne: www.kjri-melbourne.org
Perth: www.kri-perth.org.au
Darwin: www.kri-darwin.org
Climate
Indonesia's climate is tropical. There is no Autumn
or Winter and distinctive "dry" and "wet"
seasons share the year. The East Monsoon, from June
to September, brings dry weather while the West Monsoon,
from December to March is moisture laden, bringing rain.
Temperatures range from 21 degrees to 33 degrees celcious
except at higher altitudes which can be much cooler.
Heaviest rainfalls are usually recorded in December
and January and humidity is generally between 75% and
100%.
Languages
Bahasa Indonesia (official), English, Dutch, Javanese,
and more than 580 other languages and dialects.
Religions
Islam 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%,
Buddhist 1%, other 1%
