Indonesia General
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You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
You are currently reading a thread in /trv/ - Travel
I'm traveling all around Indonesia this summer for about a month. Benkulu, Jakarta, Bali etc. Have never been out of the United States. Need advice on everything to know before traveling there/ stories from people who have been. Also what to do about money abroad general.
>>1079021
I visited my friend in Jakarta and had a fun time.
Go to take the train to Bandung, the scenery goes over terraced rice fields and is gorgeous. Visit Tangkuban Perahu, the volcano and surrounding park. There is a hot springs up there that is neat too. Bangdung itself is a pretty touristy city, there was an indoor/outdoor mall there with some nifty shopping and ambiance. Lots of cheap goods too.
Visit Puncak Bagor to get a feel for the highlands and to see country life. Driving up there with a cab is nice. I can't speak for the other islands since I only visited Java.
I've been to Jakarta, java and Bali + the gili isles
what do you want to know senpai
>>1079031
I was thinking about train riding around java, but i also am on a limited time schedule of a month for all the things i want to do. I've heard good and bad things about lion air in indonesia. They have cheap flights but bad customer service i hear. Anyone with experience with lion air?
>>1079039
I guess i'm just puzzled about the money aspect of traveling. I don't want to carry around thousands of dollars and don't have good credit for a credit card from my own bank. Also nightlife/ most memorable things you've done in jakarta?
>>1079041
I believe Lion Air has a monopoly over flights between the islands, but I'm not completely sure.
>>1079049
They have really cheap flights regardless of monopoly status. Like 30 USD roughly from jakarta to bali. But i see terrible reviews online
>>1079052
You have to realize Westerners are pampered. I read a blog of an expat whose husband was working in Indonesia, all she did was complain. Especially about the traffic and the food. Who cares? Try to filter 1st world complaints out, some may be legit like lost luggage, but if something says "no in house entertainment" or "it was smelly" theb I would disregard.
>>1079021
I've been there in October so I'll share some advice.
Of course, this really depends on your sensibilities, compared to mine, but anyway.
As far as general travel info goes, Indonesia has a ton of internal flight agencies. But take heed, only about 5 out of 60 or something like that have safety standards that barely meet European minimums. Lion Air is one of them.
Citilink and Garuda are also fine.
Note, fine doesn't mean the pilot won't cut the engines 5m above the runway and stomp you into the ground either way :^)
Trains are probably the best way to travel Java, the "first class" tickets are fairly cheap and they're comfortable (airplane style seats) for those longer rides.
Just ask no to be seated in the front of the carriage, the AC is usually there and set at 16°C.
If you manage to gather a group of people around you (3-5), it becomes financially comparable to just hire a guy with a passanger van to drive you, even when it's 7 hours or so.
For Bali, what I really recommend is renting a motorbike. If you rent it for a longer period, like 2 weeks, you can get the daily rent down to $1.
The island is small enough that you can go most anywhere with the bike, if you plan it out a bit (like, 6-8 hours to cross it North to South).
Note that around Denpasar and the touristic areas of Kuta and Seminyak, the cops can stop you, but the process is already streamlined and the bribe is standardised at about $3 :^)
cont.
>>1079068
anyway, as far as locations go.
Bali:
I really recommend the North (it's better for swimming as opposed to the southern part which is better for surfing) and central parts (around the Buyan and Tamblingan lakes), those tend to be less touristic.
The southern parts around Kuta and Seminyak are package holidays central, there's almost more tourists than locals and it stretches out along both sides of the coast.
Even something as Chenggu, described as "on the fringes and undeveloped" looks like little Melbourne with anglo night clubs and shit like that.
I mean, most of Bali is touristic anyway, it's Bali after all, but those parts are just horrible.
And that includes Ubud.
And finally, don't trust the trek guides too much, they tend to seriously overestimate the longetivity and diffculty of the tours.
>>1079072
Java:
It's cheaper to go "with the flow" (West to East) rather than the other way around.
Be sure to visit Yogjakarta and at least one volcano. Stay away from Surabaya, it's a shitty industrial/commerce town and unless you're really into cigarette histoy (the museum is really nice tbf), there's not much there for a casual traveler.
In Jakarta, stay away from the chinese quarter, only kitch and open swere smell will come to you, but make sure to visit the national museum, it's probably the only good museum on Java, but it is really good.
Read up on the Batik scam in Yogyakarta before buying any art.
Also, take into account that travel across Java (especially road travel) is really fucking slow and it'll take ages to get anywhere, so rather spend more time at fewer locations.
Generally, Java is the cheapest, Bali is about 2-3 times as expensive, Sumatra is probably between the two and Lombok is more comparable to Java.
Don't know about the other islands, but people claimed Borneo is quite expensive and Papua even more so.
If you want to know anything more specific, I'll try to help, if I can.
>>1079043
oh also, about the credit card and money.
I'm not sure how it's done in USA, but you could try to open an account for a debit card or something like that.
ATMs are everywhere in the more urban parts of Indonesia. Maestro worked more than Visa. Also, the exchange rates are all over the place and I felt as if ATMs offered the best rates.
Theft is a thing, I personally felt like no one would try to steal anything from me, but everyone else I know that went there had something stolen, from wallets to phones to cameras, so at least use a fanny pack or something if you're gonna be carrying massive amounts of cash.
>>1079068
>>1079072
>>1079080
>>1079083
Quality advice man, i appreciate every bit of knowledge i can get on this trip. I've looked up a decent amount already but finding some tips from someone first hand is great. I probably will get a debit card and possibly a duplicate card incase that one gets stolen.
This trip is overwhelming being that i've never been out of my own country. Thanks m8 :^]
>>1079043
There's ATMs out there mate
nothing is expensive
I spent ~£1000 but that was doing everything I wanted to without regard for finance
I only spent 2 nights in Jakarta. It's a big city and a lot of it is shit but there are nice areas, I didn't go out thought because I was only there on my first and last night. I did go to a 'businessman spa' which was great, you can swim, shower, shave, hot tub etc and there's 'special' massaged upstairs if that's your thing (not for me Tbh)
I got a train/taxi/bus through Java, it's piss easy. I just waited at the side of the road, a bus rocked up and some guy was like where you going senpai, told him and he was like I got you bruv, hopped on and off I went. You can get like halfway across the island in a taxi haha
To get back from Bali to Jakarta I flew with Air Asia which was so cheap and really quite nice Tbh
Thanks /trv/ for the advice, all things i like to know.
Also is anyone interested in the story behind me picking Indonesia as the country i'm travelling to? It's a pretty good tip for any traveller.
Has anyone bought a motorbike in Indonesia? Do you think it's easy to get something for $500 and then sell it in another city like they do in Vietnam?
>>1079417
I never have, I assume it's possible though.
Not a bad idea to have an international licence if you intend to ride in Jakarta or Bali, especially Bali, it gives you a much better chance of getting out of a fine/bribe.
The thing about buying a bike for transport is that Indonesia is an archipelago, so that's not really practical. Have a talk to the desk at whatever hostel you wind up at, guaranteed they will know someone who will either sell you or more likely rent you a scooter for as long as you want. The informal market in Indo knows no bounds.
Also I vote Lake Toba/TukTuk in Sumatra. Clean lake to swim in, pleasant temperature year-round, and lots and lots of weed.
>>1079560
Australian here, the cops won't give a fuck about international licence or not you'll be coping a fine for uninsured or any other bullshit they can pull.
Op if you ride a scooter keep small amount of change in wallet, rest in shoe or card what ever. You'll be doing bribing regardless, if you aren't good at the hustle but expect to be stung.
Just say big boss my third time here, $3 all I have all I have. Worst I ever had to hand over was $20 after having 2 girls on the back, all highly under the influence and all without helmets.
Lomboks clean and amazing scooter territory around the island if you end up there. Gillis are a blast but Gilli T is a bit dirty. Same as Kuta etc really but..
>>1079560
>archipelago
But it's quite well connected with ferries, bikes usually shouldn't be that expensive to transport across.
Mt Bromo seems really beautiful, but if surabaya is as uninteresting as people say, perhaps its not worth flying to surabaya then hacw 3+hour journey to the park where it might be closed fir eruption or something?
>>1079836
You could go to Bali or Yogya afterwards.
Hey man, didn't sound like it was on your radar, but I did a trip east of Bali, island hopped from Lombok to Flores to Sulawesi. The latter two are pretty out of the way but I'd highly recommend hiking Mt. Rinjani on Lombok if you have the chance.
I'll keep an eye on this thread if you have any questions.
>>1079856
Op here, and i was thinking about flores a little bit. I was very interested in finding a boat that would take me to komodo island. Slightly east of bali, if anyone has any information on the national park on komodo island.
>>1080029
Also i'm pretty interested in not getting malaria, don't really want to take the tablets and trying to base my trip around places where malaria is not prevalent. Has anyone in this thread had the threat of malaria? Or does everyone just take the precautionary measures like taking the medication beforehand.
>>1080029
There's definitely a number of groups that offer a boat tour from Lombok to Flores, with stops in Komodo. There's probably a price range, but the one I took was very fairly priced and very basic.
Basically, it's a small rectangular boat, everybody sleeps together on the covered roof together and hangs out/eats on the deck below. I would really recommend something like that, certainly a highlight. Plenty of opportunities to get off the boat, did some snorkeling with manta rays and generally just relaxed.
We went to two parts of Komodo on two consecutive days, you spend a few hours walking through the island with the rangers. They're big lazy lizards but pretty neat to see.
Everyone on the boat was really chill and friendly, it was a great experience overall.
>>1080031
Like I said, I was in Lombok/Flores/Sulawesi and was surprised no see almost no medications. I thiiiink I had taken the bills, but it was honestly a pretty non issue. Some tour guide actually ripped me off in selling a mosquito net because he had me convinced there'd be a lot.
Could have been a weird season, I don't know.
>>1080079
I should say that I did quite a bit of research and the boat tour seemed like the best option. There's no public ferries to the island from as far as i could find.
If you have the whole summer then absolutely visit Jaya, and of course Bali. Get out and away from the tourist haunts, BUT, be aware. Befriend a local and if you can afford it, take them along, especially if they're open to it and knowledgeable. Otherwise do solos, as necessary.
Always, centralize my trips of Indonesia through Bali(center on Ubud, always!).
Surabaya is NOT as nasty as some of the uninformed posters would have you believe. But, you should have a local or Indonesian traveller to assist. Sumatra is a trip, well worth the travel. Also, head timur(east). East and West Timor are worth the time, both similar and DIFFERENT! Irian Jaya worth the trip, if you have the time and patience.
Peace
>>1079836
If you're going West to East, you can take the train from Yogyakarta to Malang, then get a cabbie to Cemoro Lawang.
Now, I don't know how it is in Malang, but from the other side, at Probolinggo, they run a huge transport racket, where they want to arrange every part of the trip for you for expensive monies obviously.
Don't take any combination transport+lodging things or the jeep tour (you learn that that one is just silly).
It's about 40min of walking from Cemoro Lawang to the viewpoint and about 1h from the village to Bromo itself.
If you start early enough, the "park rangers" are gonna be asleep and you might dodge the park entrance fee, but then you have to dodge them on the way back again.
>>1080031
Been to Kenya, where Malaria is present especially when you leave Nairobi and get closer to the seaside.
Before going there, I did a bit of literature review with my academic friends (although none of us is in the field of medicine).
It turned out:
1. Artemisinin = some kind of Chinese tea that is super-effective. WHO suggests not to use it because they want to prevent Malaria from building resistance to it. They prefer to keep it as the ultimate resource against malaria in case nothing else has worked. Some people don't give a shit about WHO and use it anyway.
2. MalarOne (Atovaquone/Proguanil) = you take it 1 or 2 days before reaching an area and you keep taking it for the next couple of days. There are some side effects advertised, but nothing of concern. It is also the drug of choice in case of diagnosed malaria infection, and a stronger does works not just as a preventative, but also as a cure if taken early enough.
3. Doxycycline (an antibiotic) is the cheapest option. But remember it's like taking antibiotics and you HAVE to keep taking it for 20 days after leaving the area. It is suggested also if you have to stay there for a lot of time... but people who do doxycycline for something like "years" will have bad side effects (e.g. tooth decay)
Among the least effective / bigger side effects:
4. Mefloquine: basically superseded. Still used by the American Army in Somalia in the late 80s, early 90s... but now MalarOne guarantees better results with lower risks.
5. Chloroquine: no bad side effects, but effective only in certain areas of the world. It's one of the oldest antimalarial agents.
I don't know about Indonesia. Maybe 5 is viable and effective. In Kenya it is not.
We chose MalarOne (Atovaquone+Proguanil) because our stay was short and we didn't want to be dependent on antibiotics intake for some 30 days just because we spent a couple of days at the seaside. None of us had side effects.
>>1080627
[continued]
I think atovaquone+proguanil was a lucky because later in life I was treated with doxycycline and suffered from heavy reaction. I currently have to avoid doxycycline and have to inform all my treating GPs when I travel that I cannot take it.
But that's a personal idiosyncrasy and I'm telling this story just for the sake of completion.
I strongly advice taking antimalarial agents if you visit areas. Of course, prevention from stings is always the best way... but you want to be safe and not gamble with your future life just because you are too lazy to pay some bucks for a decent preventative and take it regularly.
>>1080084
Speaking of befriending a local, that is exactly what i did already. Mainly the reason why i'm going to indonesia. We've been talking for months on the internet, she lives in bengkulu. Would recommend finding a girl in the country you plan on going to.
