Visa/Customs, Money, Insurance, Health Care, Transport, Shopping, Communication :
NOTE : All mentioned in this page is merely information and advice and should be interpreted as such. VIFA HOLIDAY INDONESIA will not take any legal responsibility for any actions taken or their consequences, based on the information given in this page.
VISA / CUSTOMS
For most countries Indonesia allows
travelers to obtain the tourist visa upon arrival. This visa
is valid for 30 days only and costs around 25 usd. However
this procedure can take some time at the airport of arrival,
depending on the number of applicants before you. 2 hours of
waiting is not an exception, therefore we advise to get your
visa arranged before departure at your Indonesian Embassy.
Since January 2010 the visa upon arrival can be extended
with another 30 days.
On most international flights,
attendants will hand out the necessary entry/departure cards
and customs declaration forms you need to fill out. Upon
arrival customs will take these forms but the departure card
you will have to keep until you leave the country.
You are allowed to bring 2 liters of wine or spirits and 200
cigarettes per person. Be aware that bringing in drugs can
lead to severe penalties and even death sentence!
MONEY
The local currency is the Indonesian
Rupiah. The actual exchange rate can be checked at
http://www.xe.com/ucc/. Bank notes exist in values
of Rp 100,000.-, Rp 50,000.-, Rp 20,000.-, Rp 10,000.-, Rp
5,000.- and Rp 1,000.-.
Please be aware that the Rp
100,000.- notes and the Rp 10,000.- notes are quite similar!
Coins exist in values of Rp 500.-, Rp 200.-, Rp 100.- and Rp
50.-.
Cash is the most common and easiest way to
pay your bills.
Cash withdrawal from ATM machines can easily be made in the
bigger and medium-sized cities. The smaller cities and
villages often don’t have these facilities or they can be
out off order. The most common banks giving access to
Master, Cirus, Maestro or Visa are: Bank Mandiri, BCA Bank,
Lippo Bank, City bank, Danamon bank and Permata bank. The
maximum withdrawal each time varies between Rp 600,000.- and
Rp 2,500,000.-. The maximum withdrawal per day usually is Rp
5,000,000.-.
Credit cards like Master and Visa are accepted in most shopping malls, hotels and restaurants in the big cities. Normally 2% or 3% is being charged for using credit cards.
In most cities money and traveller’s cheques can be changed at authorized money changers. The notes however should be in perfect state with no wrinkles or writing on it. For American dollars the best to bring is from 10.- up to 100.- dollar notes, Euros are normally accepted from 10.- until 500.- notes.
INSURANCE
We advice a travel cancellation insurance
and a normal travel insurance which covers loss and damage
of goods and health care including emergency return
transportation home.
As a diver please check if your
insurance covers medical treatment for diseases and/or
injuries caused by diving and extra costs for emergency
transportation to Australia, Singapore or home if necessary.
The Divers Alert Network (DAN -
http://www.danasiapacific.org) offers special
services for divers all over the world. Please visit their
website for more details.
HEALTH CARE
This is a very personal issue. The
necessary precautions that you should take for travelling in
a tropical country like Indonesia depends on your personal
health situation, and your travel destinations. Therefore
please consult your private doctor or official health care
centre. It is advised to do this in time for some treatments
can take more than several weeks.
Diarrhea stopper like Imodium, insect repellant, sun
protection and car/sea sickness medication is recommended to
be part of your outfit.
Drink boiled or bottled water only, never drink water from a
tap not even in the best hotels!
Bottled water is available everywhere, please check the
plastic seal before using.
TRANSPORT
Airplane
The important international airports are Sukarno Hatta
Jakarta and Ngurah Rai Denpasar (Bali). Through these
airports you can easily connect to most destinations in
Indonesia. We can issue tickets for you and send them to
your home address or you can book the domestic tickets
yourself but be aware that flights can be full and you might
have to stay over a couple of nights. Domestic flights
between big cities and most well known islands are scheduled
on daily bases. Most regular flights you will find on our
flight map. For domestic
flights you normally have to pay airport tax at special
counters after checking in.
Taxi
Most airports have special airport taxi services that can be
ordered at a counter. They apply standard rates for
different zones. Especially in Jakarta you will find many
people in the airport who offer you their transport
services. We advise you to use the airport taxis or metered
taxis instead. It is normal you pay extra for airport
service tax and the toll roads between the airport and your
destination. In most cities there are sufficient metered
taxies driving around that you can wave down. These are not
expensive, but you should make sure the driver turns on the
meter after you get in. Enough small value notes in your
pocket will prevent change problems
Bemo
All over Indonesia, in cities as well as in the countryside,
you will find minibusses called Bemo or Pete Pete. Both are
driving the same route all day and can be made use of
against a very low rate. Their drivers try to put in as many
customers and luggage as possible, so you probably will have
no comfort at all, but you will find it an unforgettable
experience being stuck in the back between bales of rice and
sometimes even live stock. You can just wave this kind of
minibusses down, but should be sure that you know where they
are going before you enter.
Becak & Ojek
Also low priced, but more private, is transportation by Ojek
and Becak. The Ojek (motorcycle taxi) is a small motorcycle
that will take you anywhere you want to go. Sit on the back,
use the plastic helmet and enjoy the ride. Make sure you
agree upon the price before you take off. The same goes for
the Becak (pedicab), a tricycle for carrying passengers,
which you find plenty in the cities and villages. They cycle
you around as long as you like. Their motto is: you take
care of us, we take care of you!
Bus
You will find reasonably good quality long distance bus
connections between the bigger towns. It is best to inform
about their schedules at a local travel agency. Normally
these busses depart from special bus terminals that are
mostly located just outside town.
Private Car
If you like to rent a car and drive yourself we recommend to
do this in Bali only. There you can rent cars everywhere
against low rates. Please bring your international driving
license. For the rest of Indonesia we advise you to hire a
driver if you need a private car. Hotels and travel agencies
can help you with finding a car and driver. Compared to
western standards the rates are relatively low, however you
still are able to negotiate the first offer. Make sure you
know whether the fuel is included or not.
SHOPPING
Basic shopping can be done in the many small or medium shops you will find in nearly any place where people are living. Most of them open 7 days a week from early in the morning until early in the evening. The big and medium sized towns have shopping malls that will open at 10.00 am and close around 09.00 pm, 7 days a week. Please be aware of the fact that wine and spirits are expensive and are impossible to get outside the big cities.
COMMUNICATION
Phones
Depending on your provider you can use your own cell-phone
in most inhabited parts of Indonesia but usage probably is
expensive. If you intend to call or sms frequently you
better buy yourself an Indonesian mobile number and put the
SIM card in your own phone (ask your dealer if your phone is
not ‘locked’ and will accept the Indonesian SIM card). New
phone numbers are easy to obtain in every city. We advise
the provider Simpati (Telkomsel) which has the best coverage
over the country. A new number is around 2.- USD. You can
top-up your phone credit by buying Simpati credit vouchers.
These are commonly available for Rp 100,000.- , Rp 50,000.-
or Rp 20,000.- . An alternative is using a public phone
shop, though these are becoming less common since mobile
phones became popular in most areas. These shops are called
‘WARTEL’ (“Warung Telekomunikasi”) and basically are mall
shops with one or more phone booths. The more remote your
location is, the more difficult it will be to make
international calls.
Internet
Internet café’s you can find in every big city and popular
tourist places. Most 4 and 5 star hotels have these
facilities in there business centers.
Satellite Phone
Most live-aboard vessels have a satellite phone that can be
used on request. If you expect that you will need this
service, please inform about this facility and the
additional costs before booking.
