Copyright L. Shuttleworth
Transportation
You can get an airline pass from Garuda Airlines for U.S.$300. This gives you three flights within Indonesia, so it saves you a lot of money on domestic air travel if you are in a hurry. Be very careful about reconfirming flgihts, though. Always confirm the flight number, the date, and the time. I missed a flight from Ujung Pandang to Jakarta because I didn't know that the time had changed from 6 p.m. to 12 p.m.
On most of the main islands there are different classes of buses. The most expensive buses have air conditioning, videos, and complementary buffets at nice restaurants. They cost only a bit more than the rickety old wrecks that constantly break down and are packed with three times as many people as their legal carrying capacity.
Riding in a becak, the open-air way to experience thrills and chills in heavy urban traffic.
Trains run on Java. They are no big deal. "Business class," for example, is not air conditioned, and costs the same as air conditioned luxury buses.
Buy your bus tickets from the bus company, not from a travel agency or a hotel. These middlemen always mark up the price by at least 30 per cent. If you get the right information from local people, you can flag down buses and pay when you get on, saving even more money.
Bemos are minivans that serve as public transportation in all the cities. The fare is usually between 200 and 500 rupiah. Usually, the drivers will try to get more money from tourists, but you don't have to pay extra. If they insist that you pay extra, get off and board another bemo. The only time they have a legitimate right to ask you for more money is if you have a huge suitcase or backpack that is taking up the space that would otherwise be paid for by a passenger.
Pelni is the name of the large company that runs ships between all the islands. Economy class is the cheapest, but if you don't like to be stared at and talked about for 24 hours a day, pay a bit more for a bunk in a cabin. The cabins are cooler and more private. Also, the food in economy and fourth class is horrendous -- mushy rice and cabbage for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Third, second, and first class all have decent food that you eat in diningrooms, served by waiters. In economy class, you eat off aluminum trays, which are then piled on the floor around you. If you must travel economy or fourth class, bring your own food, or be prepared to starve or gag. Note that you can haggle over the cost of your Pelni ticket, and that tickets are available to foreigners right up until about an hour before the boat is due to leave.
Trekking
Indonesia is very mountainous, and the trekking possibilities are endless. In all the major tourist areas, there are travel agencies and trekking companies that can take you on various tours that usually feature interaction with people who live in the villages.
It is not necessary to go with a trekking group. You can always set off on your own, especially on day trips. But sometimes hiring a guide and going with a group is better because you don't have to worry about getting lost, and you have a translator who can do all the work. Basically, going with a guide is the lazy way, and going on your own or with a friend is the adventurous way.
The cost of a trek will vary from place to place, but count on paying between U.S.$20 and $30 per day. That cost includes guide services, transportation, accommodation, and food. Find a guide who speaks good English, and knows a lot about the area and the culture.
If you do trek alone, be prepared for people to follow you and ask for money, for dogs that bark ferociously, and for dozens of startled villagers all staring solemnly at you. In Indonesia, it is considered weird to want to be alone, so if you trek alone, they think that there is something wrong with you.
What Indonesia is Like for Women Travellers
If you're the kind of woman who doesn't like a lot of attention from men, you shouldn't go to Indonesia. Especially if you are tall, blond and/or blue-eyed, you will be the subject of intense scrutiny everywhere you go.
Indonesian men are gentle aggressors. They are like little boys or puppies that you have to shoo away. There is very little danger of being raped or treated roughly, but you will often have to firmly tell men (and boys) that you really, really want to be alone and do not want their company. They will sit with you on buses, they will come over to chat with you in restaurants, they will invite you to come to their house to meet their mother, and they will want to escort you in your travels. They are extremely charming, funny, and intelligent, and it's difficult to get rid of them. Wearing a wedding ring and talking about your husband makes no difference to them; if you are alone, you are available.
One thing many Western women don't know when they first get to Indonesia is that a lot of men there are professional escorts or gigolos. If you meet a man who seems to have no job but a lot of time to hang around with you, chances are, he's a gigolo. If he's very good looking, wears a lot of jewellery, and talks about foreign girlfriends he's had in the past, he is definitely a professional.
There is a demand for the services of these men, and many women, particularly Australians, pay out good money, but the approach the men take is very subtle, and you won't always know what's happening.
It usually starts when an Indonesian man who speaks good English and seems very sophisticated, asks if you want to go for dinner or tea with him. He will pay for all transportation, and for the food and drinks. He will not make any passes at you. You will be impressed by him. He will make vague reference to "business interests" that provide him with his income. This will go on for about three days. Then he will begin the sting. He will run out of money, and will ask if he can borrow some from you. You will pay for a meal, and maybe a beer. He will make a pass. You will either turn him down, or accept. Either way, you are now In Tow, and he will be strangely broke for the rest of the time you know him. You will cover all his expenses. After you get home, you will get a letter from him about some family medical emergency that no-one can pay for. You will feel emotionally blackmailed to send him the money, which he will use to buy designer jeans, beer for his friends, and a motorcycle.
The variation on this theme is that if you confront these men right away about their motives, they will tell you the truth. You can either stop seeing them, or you can retain them as paid escorts. They will be just as happy to be your guide/escort as your "boyfriend." Once you have a man in your employ, you will not be hassled or even noticed by any other men.
Costs
Indonesia is cheaper than Thailand and Malaysia, and about the same as Nepal. Transportation is ridiculously cheap. A 36-hour luxury bus ride from Jakarta to Bali costs only about U.S.$35. Fried rice is usually about $1 a plate, as is gado gado -- steamed vegetables with spicy peanut sauce. Street food is usually delicious and cheap. In Bali, you will get breakfast included with your room price. This is a jaffle, or toasted sandwich, fresh fruit salad, and coffee or tea. Western food is palatable only in Bali, and in the other major tourist areas, such as Bukittinggi, Sumatra. Beef or buffaloe is usually tough. Fruit is the best in the world. Vegetables are good, too. You can get yogurt in some places -- the best is sold in the supermarket beside the Pizza Hut near Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta. Padang food is spicy, but always excellent. If you are allergic to MSG, always say "Tidak angi-no-moto" so you won't be wrecked from the chemical for the next 12 hours. Beer costs about $1.50 for a large bottle. The best brand is San Miguel, but Bintang is the most common. In order of most expensive to least expensive, the islands rate like this: Java, Sulawesi, Bali, Sumatra. You can usually get a room with a private bathroom for $5 - 10 a night. There is rarely hot water, but it's not a problem in the hot areas.
Be aware that in Indonesia you can haggle over the cost of EVERYTHING. If you find a room you like but it's too expensive, offer half of what they want; often they will give it to you. Bus tickets, newspapers, postcards, guide services, fresh produce in the market, souvenirs -- all are open to haggling sessions. Most people will try to get more money from tourists, but they never get angry if you refuse to pay anything but the normal price ("harga biasa").
Medical Considerations
Never drink any water that hasn't been boiled. Safer is bottled water, which costs about 50 cents for a 1.5 litre bottle. Most ice that goes into drinks has been made from unpurified or unboiled water! Follow all the directions in the guidebooks about health, and you should return home unscathed. There are some nasty diseases you can pick up by swimming or bathing in fresh water lakes and rivers, so to avoid these, don't swim or bath except in pools or bathrooms. Sunstroke is a real danger for snorkellers -- the day after you snorkel you can be sicker than you've ever been in your life -- but it does only last a day or so. Before you go in the water, enquire about undertows and dangerous currents. People are always drowning in Indonesia because no-one has bothered to warn them that there's an invisible undertow that they won't be able to swim against. Always use sunblock, and bring some from home; they don't have very much sunblock in Indonesia, and what they do have is expensive and not strong enough. If you get sick, avoid doctors; they are known to misdiagnose and overprescribe drugs. Carry a medical kit, including sterile needles, and invest in a small guidebook on health in the tropics. And take your malaria pills -- travelers who say they don't need these drugs invariably get malaria. There are always lots of stories floating around about Westerners who have recently died of malaria. Same with typhoid fever shots, and all the other shots -- get them, or you'll be sorry (or dead).
Mainly, though, relax and forget about worrying -- after a couple of weeks, your system will get used to the climate and the food, and you'll be fine.
The People
Indonesians are some of the most friendly and humourous people on earth. They will always talk to you wherever you go. They are also the most nosy people I've ever encountered. Not only will they ask you all kinds of personal questions about your marital status and your income, they will also want to go riffling through your possessions to see what you have and how much it cost. They don't understand the need for privacy, and the only way to get away from them is to lock yourself in your room and bolt the door shut and pretend you are alseep. Even then, they will still be knocking on the door to see how you are.
Indonesians are very tolerant and non-judgemental, but of course you never really know what they are thinking, because they make a point of never expressing emotion in public. The only emotion they express is laughter. They are always laughing and joking and teasing, and foreingers are not exempt from this.
Some Indonesians have a bizarre idea that all foreigners are rich and thus must be relieved of some of their possessions. Even middle class people will surprise you by asking for your goretex jacket that it took you three years to save up to buy, or your silver bracelet that your mother gave you when you turned 21. People have no shame in asking you for things, because it's normal in their culture to do this; they are always borrowing money and things from each other, and they expect foreigners to chip in and do their part.
Lots of Indonesians like to have foreigners stay in their homes. This can be a perfect way to gain insight into how they live, but it also means that you are constantly in the spotlight. An endless parade of people will appear to view the exotic tourist, and you will not be left alone except to sleep. You will be made to eat more food that an elephant eats in a week, and you will be entreated to entertain by singing and/or dancing or playing a musical instrument.
One way foreigners can have an advantage in a culture where no emotion is displayed and where no-one likes a scene is to get angry and cause a scene if you are being unfairly treated. Indonesians will always cave in when they see a foreigner ranting and raving at them. It always works because they hate to see you so upset; it destroys the equilibrium.
Money
Indonesians never have any money. They make about $1,000 per year, and they have to cover the expenses of their large families. So foreigners are always perceived as being rich.
Rates for changing money are always better in tourist places than in places where no tourists go; a lot of towns won't even change money, so get as much cash as possible before you venture into an out-of-the-way place. Also, make sure you have enough money if there's a public holiday when everything is closed down. Credit cards are useful only in the big cities at big department stores and hotels. There are no bank machines linked up to the international network. American dollars are the best currency to carry.
Crime
The most common crime against tourists is theft, though most people are honest. Still, do not leave anything valuable laying around where it can tempt people who make less money in a year than you make in a month. Bali is probably the most notorious place for ripoffs, especially Kuta Beach. Be very careful in Bali where you leave your valuables. If you do get ripped off, go to the police immediately, and have them type up a police report which you will need for insurance claims. Note that travel insurance often does not cover things that you would like it to cover; for instance, it does not cover the theft of eyeglasses or cash! If your passport is stolen, phone your embassy in Jakarta so they can get clearance from home to issue a new passport; by the time you arrive there, the new passport will be waiting for you.
Ramadan
This is the Muslim one-month fasting period that happens every 10 months. During this time, everybody travels home to visit their families and all public transportation is impossibly overbooked and overcrowded. In some places, you won't be able to get a meal in a restaurant between dawn and dusk, and if you eat in public, you will be jeered at. Try to avoid travelling during the month of Ramadan, or stay in a Christian area, such as North Sumatra or Torajaland in Sulawesi.
Clothing
In public, Indonesians keep their entire bodies covered. That means men always wear pants and long-sleeved shirts, and women either wear the same, or they wear dresses and skirts with long-sleeved blouses. Some Muslim women wear veils to further cover up. In their homes, people wear shorts, tank tops, and the men go shirtless. Tourists can usually get away with wearing long shorts, but for some reason bare arms are considered more obscene than bare legs. Female travellers should wear a calf-length skirt, or jeans, and a blouse that covers at least half their arms. There is no law against wearing a mini-skirt and a low-cut top, but if you go out dressed like that, you will get even more than the usual amount of attention, and will be considered a prostitute. Within the grounds of hotels, male and female tourists can wear whatever they want. Levi's jeans and jean jackets are considered very hip and cool in Indonesia, as are t-shirts from abroad. Indonesians swim in shorts and t-shirts, but I have never given in to that; I swim in my bathing suit, and if there are no other tourists around, I wear bike shorts as a concession to popular taste.
Indonesians are very clean; they take showers two or three times a day and are constantly washing their clothes. If you don't want them talking about how dirty and smelly you are (and they will), bathe and wash your clothes frequently, too.
The Language
Most people in the country speak Bahasa Indonesia, which means "Indonesian Language." Only a few old people in isolated spots won't be able to speak Indonesian. It is an extremely easy language to learn, because (a) there are no tenses, (b) there are no articles, (c) there is no division of masculine and feminine nouns, and (d) it is the second language of most Indonesians, so they speak it slower than their first language.
Indonesians speak a little bit of English. They have a set repertoire, and will always throw this out at you: what is your name? where are you from? where are you going? are you married? and where have you come from? Beyond that repertoire, they are lost. They often pretend to understand what you are saying, but actually they don't have a clue. Only a few people are fluent in English; make sure your guide speaks and understands more than a few stock phrases. Remember that it is easier for people to say things in English than to understand what you are saying.
The isolated dive resort at Donggala, Central Sulawesi, a perfect place to swim with thousands of colourful tropical fish.
Highlights
After nine months of travel around Indonesia, I have compiled a list of my favourite spots:
Copyright: Lynne Shuttleworth