Indonesia tours & travel

Passport holders for most nationalities are permitted to enter Visa Free for up to 30 days for tourism purposes. Please check with your relevant consulate or embassy.

Entry requirements: presentation of onward or return tickets, passport which is valid for at least 6 months. Visitors on Visa-free Short Visits must enter AND exit from certain airports and seaports in Indonesia including: Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport), Bali (Ngurah Rai Airport), Yogyakarta (Adisucipto Airport) and Surabaya (Juanda Airport). This currently excludes entry and exist from Lombok (Bandar Udara International Airport). Visa-free Short Visits cannot be extended and cannot be transferred to another type of visa.

Some nationalities are required to obtain a visa on arrival, or in advance. Citizens of countries who aren't on the visa on arrival or visa-free lists are required to apply for a visa overseas before travelling to Indonesia.

Nationals of all countries planning to stay for more than 30 days in Indonesia have to apply for the appropriate visa at an overseas Indonesian consulate or embassy before their departure.

Local laws require that you must always carry identification. We recommend taking a clear photocopy of your passport photo page and photo of your visa (after arriving), to carry with you.

Tipping isn't mandatory or customary in Indonesia, but a tip of spare change or another small amount would be appreciated by restaurants, drivers and other service workers, especially if the service has been particularly good.

Internet access is widely available in tourist areas like Bali, which has many internet cafes. Internet access is less common in rural and remote areas.

You'll be able to use your mobile phone in most urban areas of Indonesia, although some of the islands or more remote areas may not have network coverage. Ensure you have global roaming activated with your mobile carrier before you leave home if you wish to use your mobile while in Indonesia.

You'll have to adjust to different standards of hygiene and sanitation while in Indonesia. The standard toilet is of the squat variety and this may take some getting used to. However, western-style toilets can be found in large hotels and some tourist areas.

Indonesia is one of the world's favourite budget travel destinations. Here's what you can roughly expect to pay for a:

Street food snack = 2,000 IDR
Fresh juice = 5,000 IDR
Bottle of beer in a bar = 20,000 IDR
Souvenir sarong = 25,000 IDR
Dinner in a restaurant = 40,000 IDR

Drinking tap water isn't recommended in Indonesia. For environmental reasons, try to avoid buying bottled water. Fill a reusable water bottle or canteen with filtered water. Ask your leader where filtered water can be found, some hotels we stay in may have drinking water available. It's also advisable to avoid ice in drinks and peel fruit and vegetables before eating.

Major credit cards are widely accepted by large shops, hotels and restaurants in Indonesia. However, they may not be accepted by smaller vendors such as small family restaurants, market stalls or in remote towns and rural areas. Make sure you carry enough cash for purchases, since credit cards aren't always an option everywhere in Indonesia.

ATMs are found widely throughout Indonesia, so withdrawing cash shouldn't be problematic in most areas. Some smaller villages and rural areas may not have ATM access, so be prepared for this before venturing too far from a city or major town.

Absolutely. All passengers travelling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

For a current list of public holidays in Indonesia go to: http://www.worldtravelguide.net/indonesia/public-holidays

Intrepid is committed to making travel widely accessible, regardless of ability or disability. That’s why we do our best to help as many people see the world as possible, regardless of any physical or mental limitations they might have. We’re always happy to talk to travellers with disabilities and see if we can help guide them towards the most suitable itinerary for their needs and where possible, make reasonable adjustments to our itineraries.

Indonesia can be a difficult destination for travellers with disabilities because pavements are uneven and steps are frequent, paving is poorly maintained and footpaths are usually obstructed with parked vehicles, street stalls and debris. Accessible public toilets are rare other than in big modern shopping malls. Wheelchair accessible vehicles are available only through specialist tour operators, but cars and drivers can be hired readily and are good value. Local guides are easy to find in tourist areas. Bali has a wider range of tourism services and more developed facilities, including some accessible accommodation options. Some sights such as Borobudur and Prambanan in Yogyakarta are partially wheelchair accessible. Visitors generally find that Indonesians are very welcoming and willing to help those with access needs. The Asian Para Games took place in Jakarta in 2018 and have helped raise the profile of people with disabilities in the country as well as give new direction for making facilities more accessible in the capital.

Learn more about Accessible Travel with Intrepid

Everyone should feel comfortable when they travel with Intrepid and we know that many of our travellers are part of the LGBTQI community. It’s important for our travellers to be aware of the local laws and customs in the destinations we visit as some countries have laws that discriminate against LGBTQI people. We recommend you visit Equaldex and/or Smartraveller before you choose your trip for up-to-date advice and information about LGBTQI-related laws. 

Homosexuality is not currently illegal in Indonesia, other than in Aceh province (which is governed by Islamic law) however the LGBTQI community is routinely been targeted and harassed by police. Revisions to Indonesia’s criminal code being considered by parliament that would allow prison sentences of up to five years for sex between unmarried people. These changes would criminalise same-sex relationships and advocacy groups are fearing a profound setback to human rights in Indonesia as a result. A predominantly Muslim country, Islamic organisations have increasingly been pressuring the government on moral issues and in the past few years politicians and public figures have frequently been using anti-LGBTQI rhetoric as a means to win votes. Gay dating apps and media portraying LGBTQI behaviour as “normal” have been banned. Same-sex marriage, civil partnerships, and adoption are all illegal, and the lack of anti-discrimination laws means that attacks on the LGBTQI community in Indonesia regularly go unpunished.

For travellers to Indonesia, there are few gay-friendly venues outside of Bali, with the last gay club in Jakarta closed down in 2017. Because sex in general is a taboo subject in Indonesian society, the issue of sexuality is unlikely to arise while travelling here. The majority of the country is safe for LGBTQI travellers, provided you are willing to be discreet and cautious with public behaviour. Bali, with its Hindu majority, has always been more liberal, tolerant and relaxed in attitude, however public displays of affection are still not the norm for any couples anywhere in the country. Upscale hotels will likely not have any issues with same-sex travellers sharing a bed, however at budget or family-run businesses if you are allocated separate beds you might feel more comfortable not to draw attention to your relationship.  

For more information on LGBTQI travel in Indonesia, see:

https://queerintheworld.com/lgbt-rights-in-indonesia/

https://smartraveller.gov.au/guide/Pages/lgbti-travellers.aspx