Travel Information

Geography & Climate
Indonesia consists of more then 17,000 islands, about 6,000 of them are inhabited. The five largest islands are Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan (the Indonesian part of Borneo), New Guinea (shared with Papua New Guinea), and Sulawesi. At 1,919,440 square kilometers (741,050 sq mi), Indonesia is the world's 16th-largest country in terms of land area. CLIMATE - the climate is generally warm and tropical. Board shorts and T-shirts are ideal, and for evening mosquito protection, lightweight long pants and a long sleeved shirt is suggested. A sloppy joe / windcheater is handy if we get a cold evening. Thongs and/or a pair of sports shoes/sandals or similar are sufficient for most situations. Sheets and pillows are mostly provided.
People - Language - Money
Indonesians population is around 230 million people. It is the world's fourth most populous country. Treat Indonesians with respect and keep your eyes wide open. Remember that the vast majority of Indonesians are good people who want you to be safe in their country and who themselves are strongly opposed to terrorism. The main language is Bahasa Indonesia, but on most islands co-exist several local languages and dialects. English has replaced Dutch as the main second language, and is widely spoken in government, business and tourism. The Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) is the basic monetary unit in Indonesia. Notes range from 1000 to 100,000 rupiah. Excange rate in 2010 was about 9000 IDR/USD
Visa & Passport Requirements
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from date of departure and must have at least 1 completely blank page (no stamps, nothing) upon arrival in Indonesia for Indonesian Immigration to attach the visa on arrival. Otherwise, your enty be denied. For most European countries, Australia, NZ and USA a US$25 30-day tourist visa is issued on arrival into Indonesia, payable in most currencies, or by credit card. Please check with the Indonesian embassy in your country to be sure. We suggest to bring minimum 2 photocopies of each traveller’s passport and also 2 passport pictures.
Vaccination - Health Insurance
VACCINATIONS - check that your vaccinations are up to date and get advice about anti-malaria treatment and vaccinations necessary for the trip. The ‘Travellers Medical & Vaccination Centres’, located in most capital cities, can help you, or your local Doctor. Ensure that your vaccinations against diseases such as hepatitis and tetanus are up to date. Bring and use insect repellent. A Travel Health Insurance to cover your medical expenses and evacuation costs to your home country in case of emergency or accident is strongly recommended. WATER – use of bottled water is suggested. Its available everywhere you go. Do not drink the local tap water.
Security - Illegal Drugs
SECURITY - common sense and care is needed for the care of your possessions. As anywhere, there are always people ready to relieve you of your valuables. In general you’ll be OK, but common sense should prevail. ILLEGAL DRUGS – very heavy penalties up to capital punishment apply for use & possession of illegal drugs in Indonesia. Surf Travel Bali and its partners do not permit use of such substances on their tours.
Internet & Phone
INTERNET - most hotels offer internet access. Also in tourist areas are many public internet cafes. The connection is mostly slow and don't expect to send bigger attachments. MOBILE PHONES – If you really need to have contact with home, you can purchase SIM cards and pre-paid phone cards for use in Indonesia. Text messaging is very cheap. Be aware that you might not get network coverage and internet in many of the remote places where you surf.
Airlines & Flights
Many International Airlines fly to and from Indonesian international Airports: Denpasar/Bali - Ngurah Ray Airport [DPS], Jakarta/Java - Soekarno Hatta Airport [CGK], Mataram/Lombok - Selaparang Airport [AMI], Sumatra/Padang - Tabing Airport [PDG], Surf Travel Bali does not offer any booking of flights or ticketing service at this stage. Please check directly the airlines official websites for further information. Here is a selection of most common ones: Garuda Indonesia Airways, Air Asia, Jet Star, Japan Airlines, Nippon Airways, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, China Airline, Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Thai Airways. Please get Information and surf luggage policies of the airline before booking your ticket to avoid unpleasant or expensive surprises. Make sure you have RP 150,000 left over at the end of your trip for airport departure tax when leaving Indonesia. Domestic departure taxes range between Rp15,000 and Rp30,000 per flight and are not included in any tour packages. You must pay in Rupiah.