Indonesia
Imigration
All visitors travelling to Indonesia must be in possession of a
passport valid for at least six months from the date of arrival and
have proof of onward passage. Visas are not required for nationals
of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Canada,
Chile, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Greece, Germany, Ice land,
Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg, Malaysia,
Malta, Morocco, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway,
Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom {Great
Britain), United States of America, United Emirate Arab and
Venezuela.
Visa free entry is also allowed for registered delegates attending a
conference which has received official approval For those not
belonging to the above categories, tourist visas can be obtained
from any Indonesian Embassy or Consulate. Holders of a Certificate
of Identity (CI) from Hong Kong can obtain visas for group travel,
with a minimum of 5 persons, from the Consulate General of
Indonesia in Hong Kong for visits not exceeding 30 days. Travel
and accommodation should be arranged by a tour operator. Entry
and exit must be in groups, and through Soekarno-Hatta
International airport of Jakarta, "Ngurah" Rai- Bali or Polonia Medan.
Entry and exit must be made through certain specified gateways:
By air through Jakarta, Bali, Medan, Manado, Biak, Ambon,
Surabaya and Batam; By sea through Semarang, Jakarta, Bali,
Pontianak, Balikpapan, Tanjung Pinang and Kupang. For other ports
of entry and exit special visas are required. The maximum stay
permitted is two months and is not extendible.
Health
International health certificates for smallpox and cholera are not
required, except from travellers arriving from infected areas.
Customs
Indonesian Customs allows on entry a maximum of ONE liters of
alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of
tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume per adult. Cars,
photographic equipment, typewriters and tape recorders must be
declared to Customs upon entry and must be reexported. 'prohibited
from entry are TV sets, radios, narcotics, arms and ammunition, printed
matter in Chinese characters and Chinese medicines.
Advance approval has to be acquired for carrying transceivers and
all movie films and video cassettes must be censored by the Film
Censor Board. Fresh fruit, plants and animals must have quarantine
permits.
There is no restriction on import or export of foreign currencies.
However, the export or import of Indonesian currency exceeding
Rp.50,000 is prohibited.
Transportation from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport to the
city V.V
Taxi fares are metered and will cost between Rp.15,000,- and
Rp.20,000,- to the downtown area of the city where most large hotels
are located. The air conditioned airport bus service will cost
approximately Rp.3,000,- to any of the five city zones. Hotel limousine
servicesare provided by some of the leading hotels in the city, offering a
city-airport-city transportation service on a complimentary basis to hotel
guests. At all major airport terminals, inquires about local transportation
should be directed to the information counter.
Exit
The Government of Indonesia has officially abolished the exit permit
required for people leaving the country, effective from August 17, 1992.
Airport tax levied on passengers for international travel i Rp.100,000,-
for travel within Indonesia regional variations occur. Expect to pay an
average of about Rp.8,000,-.
Tipping
Major hotels usually add a 10% service charge to bills. Where it is
not included a tip of between 5% to 10% of the bill would be
appropriate if the service is satisfactory.
Airport porters expect Rp.2,000,-for a small bag and Rp.3,000, for
bags weighing more than 20 kg.
Tipping taxi and hire-car drivers is not mandatory, but if service
has been satisfactory a basic Rp.1,000,- tip is sufficient for a taxi
driver, Hire-car drivers would normally expect a larger tip.
Clothing
Dress is normally informal in Indonesia due to the warm, humid
climate and clothing of light fabrics are recommended. Travelling in
highland areas is noticeably cooler, however, and carrying a light
sweater may prove useful. Accepted attire for men is a shirt and
long pants. A jacket and tie are required for official calls or for
more formal occasions. Long sleeved batik or handwoven shirts are
acceptable for evening functions. For ladies, dresses, blouses, and
long pants are appropriate. Shorts, halters or tank tops should only
be used at sports facilities or on the beach.
Office Hours
Business offices are usually open either from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm or
9.00 am to 5.00 pm, with a break for lunch between 12.00 noon
and 1.00 pm. but on Saturday many business offices are closed.
Government office hours are from 8.00 am to 4.00 pm from Monday
to Friday and on Saturday many Government offices are closed.
Banking Click Here For Currency Exchange
Normal banking hours are from 8.00 am to 2.30 pm from Monday to
Friday. Some bank branches in hotels, however, keep longer hours.
Jakarta has several international banks but money can also be
changed at hotel cashiers, and authorized money changers. Daily
exchange rates are published in newspapers. The US dollar is the
most readily accepted currency.
Most major tourist destination areas have foreign exchange
facilities, but for travel to remote areas, it is advisable to change
money and travelers cheques in advance. Credit cards are
acceptable only at major hotels, restaurants and travel agencies.
Shopping
Major cities in Indonesia have shopping
complexes, supermarkets and department
stores where prices are fixed. Shops are
usually open all week including Sundays.
Shopping hours are usually between 9.00 am
and 9.00 pm for department stores and
supermarkets in the large cities with shorter
hours on Sundays. In smaller cities, shops
may be closed between 1.00 pm and 5.00
pm.
Bargaining is customary in small shops and markets, the art of
which is to start at half the asking price and slowly increase your
offer until a compromise is reached. Remember it helps to smile
while bargaining.
Sports
Traditional sports in Indonesia include bull races, bull fights,
rowing, and unique ram fights, all of which are held as part of
special festivities.
Silat, a martial art, can be performed as a dance or an exercise
and is comparable to Karate or Kung Fu. However, the most
popular sports in Indonesia are soccer, badminton, and table
tennis. Golf is becoming more and more popular and a number of
excellent golf course can be found across the archipelago.
Most major hotels have their own tennis and squash courts,
swimming pools, health clubs and those at seaside resorts provide
equipment for sailing, surfing, scuba diving and windsurfing. There
are also a growing number of dive shops which provide necessary
equipment and professional services.
Time
The Indonesian archipelago is spread over three time zones.
Western Indonesia Standard Time, which covers the islands of
Sumatra, Java & Madura, West and Central Kalimantan is 7 hours
ahead of GMT; Central Indonesia Standard Time covers East and
South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and is 8
hours ahead of GMT; finally Eastern Indonesia Standard Time,
which covers Maluku, and Irian Jaya is 9 hours ahead of GMT.
Electricity
Power supply is usually 220 volts/250 cycles in large cities, but
110 volts is still used in some ares. Normal outlets are plugs with
two rounded pins. It is advisable to check electricity supplies
before using any appliances.
