Visas & entry
Citizens of the US, UK, EU, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many other countries can generally obtain a 30-day Visa on Arrival or e-VOA, usually extendable once for a further 30 days; applying online avoids an arrival queue. ASEAN citizens often have visa-free access under different rules. Passports normally need at least six months’ validity and proof of onward travel; verify eligibility and current fees before booking, especially if entering via a smaller airport or land/sea port.
Getting in
- Jakarta — Soekarno-Hatta International Airport: Indonesia’s main long-haul gateway and the most useful arrival point for Java. Best for Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Central/East Java and onward domestic connections, though city traffic makes a same-day Jakarta sightseeing plan optimistic.
- Bali — I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Denpasar: The easiest international entry for Bali, Lombok and many leisure-focused first trips. It is also a major domestic hub for Labuan Bajo/Komodo, but allow a buffer night before separate international tickets.
- Surabaya — Juanda International Airport: A practical Java gateway for East Java, Bromo and Ijen, with some international regional service and strong domestic links. It is more useful than scenic: most travelers continue directly to Malang, Probolinggo or Banyuwangi.
- Medan — Kualanamu International Airport: The sensible entry for North Sumatra: Lake Toba, Bukit Lawang and the Karo Highlands. It has useful connections via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, avoiding a needless backtrack through Jakarta or Bali.
- Makassar — Sultan Hasanuddin International Airport: A key domestic hub for Sulawesi and eastern Indonesia, especially Tana Toraja and connections toward Maluku/Papua. International options are limited compared with Jakarta and Bali, so it is usually an onward stop rather than the long-haul arrival point.
Getting around
Treat Indonesia as a flight-and-island country, not an overland circuit. Java is the major exception: intercity trains make Jakarta–Yogyakarta–Surabaya/East Java an efficient, worthwhile route; elsewhere, domestic flights often save a full day. Use ferries and fast boats for deliberate short crossings such as Bali–Lombok or around Komodo, but do not build a tight itinerary around them: weather, rough seas and delays are routine. Remote regions such as Raja Ampat, Kalimantan and much of Sulawesi require flights plus boat or road transfers, so add buffers.
Money
The currency is Indonesian rupiah (IDR/Rp). Cards work well at established hotels, restaurants and shops in Bali, Jakarta and larger cities, but cash remains essential for warungs, drivers, markets, tips, ferries and smaller islands; carry smaller notes. Tipping is not compulsory, but rounding up and modest tips for drivers, guides and boat crews are normal when service is good.
Daily budget · IDR (Indonesian rupiah/Rp). Daily figures are per person, normally excluding international flights; domestic flights, diving, liveaboards and remote-island boats can materially raise them.
- Value
- IDR 500,000–1,000,000
- Mid-range
- IDR 1,300,000–3,000,000
- High-end
- IDR 4,000,000+; IDR 6,000,000–15,000,000+ is normal once private boats, diving or liveaboards enter the plan.
- Value travel works well in Java, Yogyakarta, inland Sumatra and parts of Lombok: simple guesthouses or dorms, warung meals, ride-hailing, trains/local buses and shared day trips. It is much less realistic in Canggu, Uluwatu, Komodo and Raja Ampat.
- The comfortable range covers solid hotels, restaurant meals alongside local food, private drivers where they make sense, and ordinary paid sights. Bali’s fashionable south and peak July–August dates sit at the top of it.
- Indonesia is not uniformly cheap. Domestic flights, private drivers, alcohol, premium villas, dive packages, Komodo boats, Raja Ampat transfers and national-park logistics are the budget breakers.
- For island-hopping, price transport separately rather than treating it as a daily incidental: a domestic flight often costs more than several days of food and lodging. On short trips, fly between distant island groups rather than sacrificing days to ferries.
- Komodo and Raja Ampat need destination-specific budgets. A reputable multi-day Komodo boat or a Raja Ampat resort/liveaboard can eclipse the rest of a Java or Bali itinerary; choose fewer islands and spend properly rather than trying to make remote marine travel cheap.
- Book Bali accommodation, Komodo boats and domestic flights early for July–August, Christmas/New Year and the Eid al-Fitr travel period. These dates push both availability and rates sharply upward.
Eating well
- Order regionally. Nasi Padang in West Sumatra, gudeg in Yogyakarta, Balinese roast and spice dishes in Bali, seafood in Makassar and rica-rica in North Sulawesi are better bets than chasing the same national standards everywhere.
- Warung are often the right choice: look for high turnover, a busy local lunch crowd and food that has not been sitting all day. Pointing at prepared dishes is normal in nasi Padang-style places.
- Ask about sambal before adding it; heat levels vary wildly, and regional food in Sumatra and North Sulawesi can be genuinely hot.
- Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, so pork and alcohol are limited or absent in much of Java, Sumatra and Lombok. Bali and parts of North Sulawesi are the clear exceptions; do not assume a menu represents the country as a whole.
- In remote marine destinations such as Komodo and Raja Ampat, food is part of the logistics: choice narrows, prices rise and boat or lodge meal plans are often the sensible option.
- Reserve sought-after Bali restaurants in high season, but elsewhere prioritize timing and freshness over reservations; lunch is often the strongest, quickest local meal.
Book before you land
- Bali is not a stand-in for Indonesia. Java is rail-connected and urban-cultural; Sumatra and Sulawesi mean long roads; Komodo and Raja Ampat are flight-and-boat commitments. Keep a first trip to one island cluster.
- A domestic flight can consume most of a day once transfers, check-in, baggage and weather delays are included. Never schedule a separate-ticket international departure immediately after a boat trip or remote domestic flight.
- Avoid critical domestic transfers around Lebaran/Eid al-Fitr: flights, trains, ferries, roads and hotels fill during the mudik homecoming surge. Book early and add substantial slack.
- Nyepi closes Bali for 24 hours, including Denpasar airport; visitors must remain at their accommodation and observe restrictions on noise, lights and movement. Do not book a Bali flight that day.
- Pay Bali’s separate foreign-tourist levy of IDR150,000 through the official Love Bali system before or on arrival, and keep proof of payment.
- Dress modestly at temples, mosques and village ceremonies; use a sarong where required, ask before photographing people or rituals, and do not treat funerals or religious events as performances.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this country.
Season by season
January–March
Wet season affects Java, Bali, Lombok and much of western Indonesia, with humid heat, frequent afternoon storms, muddy trails and sometimes disrupted Komodo crossings; Raja Ampat is broadly in its calmer marine window.
Volcano hikes and boat itineraries are less reliable, and Komodo seas can be particularly unsettled in January–February.
April–June
Western Indonesia dries out, landscapes remain green, and trekking, beaches and boat trips become increasingly dependable before the main school-holiday rush.
Late June can already feel busy in Bali, while weather remains variable rather than guaranteed.
July–August
This is the driest, clearest period for Java, Bali, Lombok, Flores and Komodo, with strong conditions for outdoor travel but peak European and Australian holiday demand.
Bali accommodation, drivers, villas and reputable Komodo boats become markedly more expensive and need early booking; Komodo dragons can be harder to spot during their mating season.
September–October
Dry weather usually continues across Java, Bali, Lombok and Flores after the biggest crowds have thinned, while Komodo sea conditions remain generally workable.
Late October is a transition month, so rain and rougher conditions become more likely; Raja Ampat begins its preferred marine season.
November–December
Java and Bali turn hotter, wetter and stormier, though the landscape is green and visitor numbers are lower outside the year-end holidays; Raja Ampat is in a favorable sea-weather period.
Beach days and inter-island boats are less dependable, while Christmas and New Year trigger a major domestic-travel surge, especially in Bali and big cities.
Events worth planning around
Lebaran / Eid al-Fitr and the mudik homecoming · Moves annually; the most disruptive travel days are usually the days immediately before and after Eid. · Nationwide, especially Java and domestic air, rail, ferry and road routes.
Domestic flights, trains, ferries, highways and hotels can be overwhelmed. Book essential transfers early, allow substantial buffers, or avoid cross-country movement during the peak.
Nyepi, Bali’s Day of Silence · Movable Balinese Hindu holiday, usually around March. · Bali, including Denpasar and Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS).
The island effectively shuts down for 24 hours and the airport closes. It is culturally meaningful but a terrible day for arrivals, departures or moving around Bali.
What to eat
Treat Indonesia as several food countries, not a single national menu: Java is the easiest place to eat broadly and cheaply, Bali is the most internationalized, and Sumatra, Sulawesi and eastern islands reward travelers who order locally rather than defaulting to tourist staples. Eat at busy warung and specialist shops, and use each move between islands as an excuse to change your order completely.
Jakarta: A serious cross-country Indonesian food scene: use the capital to sample regional cooking without crossing the archipelago. · Betawi dishes, street food and late-night eating alongside polished contemporary Indonesian restaurants.
Yogyakarta and Central Java: Gudeg and the sweeter, gentler flavor profile of central Javanese cooking. · Traditional market snacks, Javanese meals and strong food-and-craft neighborhoods.
Bali: Babi guling, ayam betutu, satay lilit and Balinese sambals. · The country’s deepest bench of international restaurants and cafés, especially in Ubud, Seminyak and Canggu; look beyond them for local warung cooking.
West Sumatra: Bukittinggi and the Minangkabau highlands: Nasi Padang, rendang and the bold, chili-rich Minangkabau cooking described as among Indonesia’s finest regional food. · Padang restaurants are useful far beyond Sumatra, but eat it here for the full regional range.
Makassar, Sulawesi: Serious seafood, grilled fish and coastal Sulawesi cooking. · Coto Makassar and other hearty Makassarese soups and rice dishes.
North Sulawesi: Intensely flavored Minahasan food, especially chili-heavy rica-rica preparations. · A notably different food culture from Muslim-majority western Indonesia, with pork dishes common in many local restaurants.