Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 17,000 islands, holds a multitude of possibilities: from the beaches of Bali, to the rainforests of Sumatra, to the majestic temples of Java. However, planning a trip to this country requires some preparation. For anyone who is planning their holiday, this post provides some practical tips to follow and ideas for organising a comprehensive tour.
Required documents
Passport
A passport is an essential document. It must have a residual validity of at least six months from the date of entry.
Tips for trips: bring a photocopy of your passport and keep it separately, in case of loss or theft.
Visa
To enter Indonesia you need a tourist visa, the Visa on Arrival (VOA), which is valid for 30 days but renewable for another 30 (only in the same place you entered the country from).
It can be applied for online before departure. Here is the link to the official website. Just fill in the form with the required data and pay by credit card and the visa will be sent to you by email. Once at the airport, just show it at passport control.
Alternatively, you can do this on arrival at the airport. There are special counters where an employee, after verifying identity, asks the classic questions such as the date of your return flight (keep your reservation handy) or where you are staying. You can pay in cash or by card and, when you have paid, a nice holographic stamp is applied to your passport.
Bali Entrance Fee
As of 14 February 2024, all travellers in Bali must pay an entry fee worth IDR 150,000 (approximately €9.00). Payment can be made at the airport upon arrival or online before departure to avoid queues.
International driving licence
If you plan to drive in Indonesia, you need an International Driving Licence. This document is recognised and allows you to rent vehicles and drive legally in the country.
The cheapest way to get an international driving licence is to go to the DMV. On the MIT website you can find all the documents to be submitted. The cost is currently €42.20, but the real problem is the biblical times of Italian bureaucracy. To speed things up, you can go to any ACI and within ten days you will have your licence in your pocket. The cost is about €85.00.
Travel Insurance
In Indonesia, our health cover does not apply and the health system is not at the level of that of Western countries. The advice is to always take classic medical-baggage insurance that can cover you during your trip. We always use Heymondo, which offers cheap travel insurance with the possibility of eliminating the deductible and adding cancellation cover, as well as providing an App to communicate with the company easily and immediately.
Read our article on travel insurance.
Health: before and during your trip to Indonesia
Vaccinations
There are no compulsory vaccinations for travelling in the country, and as of June 2023 there are no longer any anti-Covid 19 health requirements. Before travelling, however, it is always best to consult your doctor or a travel medicine centre at your local health authority for up-to-date information on recommended vaccinations.
The recommended vaccinations are those against hepatitis A and B, typhoid and paratyphus, tetanus and yellow fever (if you come from a country with a risk of transmission), and rabies.
Drugs to pack
It is always a good idea to carry basic medication with you just in case. Prepare a small travel pharmacy with medicines such as painkillers, anti-diarrhoeics, broad-spectrum antibiotics (on prescription), plasters and hand sanitiser. We usually also pack a first aid kit in the hold luggage.
Precautions
During the trip, take preventive measures to avoid health problems.
- Drink only sealed bottled water and also use it to brush your teeth;
- Avoid ice in drinks and raw, unpeeled fruit and vegetables;
- Use insect repellents to prevent mosquito bites, which can transmit diseases such as dengue and malaria. We bought Jungle 4 very strong formula with a 50% DEET which is suitable for malaria transmission areas. It should be applied after putting on sunscreen and used every 8-9 hours;
- Wash your hands often or use hand disinfectant.
Honest? We followed these rules poorly, in fact we were purged! 😀
Payments in Indonesia
In Indonesia, the official currency is the Indonesian Rupee (IDR). The maximum denomination is 100,000 rupiah. This means that you will have to carry a ‘thick’ amount of cash with you.
Credit cards are accepted in major cities and tourist resorts, but it is always useful to have cash to pay for temple admissions, parking, scooter rental, fuel, restaurants outside tourist centres and souvenirs. Withdraw money from ATMs in the main cities and pay attention to bank fees.
Inform your bank about your trip to avoid transactions being blocked due to suspected fraud. It is also advisable to carry more than one credit or debit card for added security.
Connecting while travelling
If you want to be always connected, there are two solutions:
- buy a local SIM: the signal is present in almost the whole country, TelComCell, the state-owned company, seems to be the best. This solution, although cheap, is not very practical (it is necessary to physically insert the SIM into the phone, temporarily giving up your number or carrying a second smartphone).
- use an eSIM: this alternative, perhaps a little cheaper, eliminates the need for a physical SIM card, as it is essentially a digital version of the classic SIM card, but with identical functionality.
Read our article to learn more about connecting while travelling.
When to go to Indonesia
Indonesia, which straddles the equator, has a constant climate all year round, with 12 hours of daylight and temperatures ranging between 25 and 32°C. There are two seasons:
- Dry season (April to October): rainfall is sporadic, temperatures cooler and humidity relatively low.
- Wet season (November to March): rainfall is frequent, but concentrated in a few hours of the day with brief daily showers, higher temperatures and higher humidity.
The best time to visit Indonesia is during our summer, from June to September, with July and August being the least rainy months and, therefore, ideal for tourism.
Tips for Trips: although July/August is ideal, it is also the busiest time. The advice is to go in June: the days open up and the rains give way to clear skies.
What to pack
Considering the hot and humid climate during the day, bring light, breathable clothes, a hat to protect you from the sun, high-protection sun cream and insect repellent. If you visit temples or places of worship, wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. In the evenings, especially in inland areas, temperatures drop, so the advice is to bring something with long cotton sleeves or a sweatshirt. If you plan to go hiking in the volcanoes at night, you may need warmer clothes. With temperatures ranging between 5 and 10°C, it can be useful to bring a thermal long-sleeved shirt, a windproof jacket, heavy socks, gloves, a hat and a headlamp.
International Flight
From Italy there are no direct flights to Indonesia, so it is necessary to make at least one stopover (usually in Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi). The companies that offer the best routes are Emirates and Qatar. To find cheap flights, search well in advance using search engines (Skyscanner unrivalled friend).
Moving from one island to another
Internal Flights
Indonesia is a vast archipelago and internal flights are the fastest way to travel between the main islands. Companies such as Garuda (the national airline), Citilink (low-cost) and Air Asia offer frequent connections. Book in advance to get the best fares and make sure you have enough time for any connections. Some very cheap airlines, such as Lion Air, Batik or Wings Air, are not accessible via the company’s direct website, so use services such as eDreams to facilitate booking.
Trip for Trips: Lion Air is the companion with the most flights in the territory and the lowest price. If you book with them arm yourself with patience as schedules are constantly changing and flights are often cancelled, even within hours of your flight. You may be moved to other flights, usually with more inconvenient schedules so I advise you to always check the status of your flight. From the site you can easily change your choice. Surprisingly then, after 5-6 changes, you might end up on exactly the flight you originally chose. On 4 of the 4 flights booked with them we did this ‘tarantella’.
Ferry and Fast Boat
For shorter distances, ferries and fast boats are popular and scenic options.
- Ferries are operated by the state company Pelni, which offers regular connections between the main islands;
- Fast boats are faster but generally more expensive and mainly connect tourist islands such as Bali, Nusa Penida, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Check timetables and sea conditions, they can affect safety and punctuality of services.
Moving within the islands
Bus
In Indonesia, there is a dense network of buses and minivans covering most locations. There are few highways, so consider that bus travel takes a long time but is much cheaper. For timetables and tickets, you can use https://12go.asia/it. Keep in mind that timetables are not always reliable, especially for the smaller routes, where buses leave when full and are often not air-conditioned.
Renting a Scooter
Renting a scooter is a cheap and popular option, especially in Bali and Lombok. Make sure you have a valid international driving licence and always wear a helmet. Drive carefully, traffic in Indonesian cities can be very chaotic and road conditions very poor.
Hire with Driver
One of the most convenient options is to make arrangements with a local driver. It is certainly more expensive than hiring a scooter but offers the advantage of having an experienced local driver who knows the roads and sights well. We recommend using local drivers or small agencies that will save you money and together you can build a tailor-made itinerary.
In Lombok, for example, we turned to Gus Lombok Driver who accompanied us for four days. He is not just a driver but an attentive guide and a meticulous organiser. During the days we spent together, he told us about his land and customs, allowing us to get to know it in depth.
Taxi or Transfer
In city centres and tourist locations, taxis are readily available and relatively cheap. We used apps like Grab or Gojek to hail taxis safely. These apps are convenient and really easy to use. You just register and enter the place you want to go. Your position is detected by GPS. The app shows you possible solutions with drivers (both car and motorbike) close to the detected location and you simply select your preferred solution. The driver arrives quickly, takes you to your destination and payment can be made via the app or in cash.
Alternatively, book a private transfer from the airport or for day trips. Hotels often offer this service as an extra. It is convenient to have a driver waiting for you on arrival without having to worry about finding a taxi.
Itinerary and Excursions
Indonesia offers so many possibilities: there are active volcanoes such as Mount Bromo and Mount Rinjani, the crystal-clear waters of the many islands, the ancient temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, or the jungles of Sumatra to see orangutans in their natural habitat.
Here are some tips on possible destinations depending on your type of holiday:
- Temples and History: Java and Bali.
- Beaches and Sea: Gili, Lombok, Raja Ampat, Maluku.
- Culture and Traditions: Sulawesi and Borneo.
- Volcanoes and Nature: Java, Flores, Komodo, Sumatra.
- Diving: Raja Ampat, Komodo, Gili Maluku and Sumatra.
- Surfing: Bali, Sumatra and Lombok.
Planning excursions in advance is always advisable, there is more choice and you are sure to have tickets for all the attractions (the temples in Java for example are very famous and the risk is not to find a place). Seriously consider hiring local guides for a better understanding of the place and support in logistics (the traffic can be really devastating and the distances, although short at first glance on the map, could be very long).
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Organising a trip to Indonesia takes time and meticulous planning, but the experiences and sights that await you make every effort more than worthwhile.
Last modified: 7 April 2025
