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úåéö÷øèàå äëéùî éã÷åî -
äøåáçú -
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: ìåáâ éøáòî ,úåéåøéøâù ,äñéðë úåøùà
Indonesia has land connections with Papua New Guinea via the border between Jayapura and Vanimo. Visas for Papua New Guinea can be obtained via the consulate in Jalan Percetakan in Jayapura, and Indonesian visas in Vanimo via the consulate just north of the Vanimo Beach Hotel. The border is open from about 10am (Indonesia time) each day and is pretty much hassle free. There is a K20 departure tax as you leave Papua New Guinea to Indonesia, but none in the other direction.
When travelling to Indonesia your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after your departure date. As my passport is only valid for 4 months (after my departure) I am unable to enter the country.
Indo Visas Update: sorry to inform all those who got excited about the 120 day Indonesian visa for A$100 - it's not actually available! :(
We were told by the guidebook and by letters to the LP newsletter that the four week visa necessary to enter Jayapura could be extended for two weeks, but this was not possible! We ended up paying the Rp25,000 a day fine for overstaying. We were told by immigration officials that the visitor visa is not extendable, and that you have to get your full time when you apply. Only the sponsor visa can be extended.
You can cross between Nunukan and Tawau; I just did it a few days ago. You don't need any special visa to leave Indonesia to go to Tawau (the boat takes two hours), but you need one to re-enter Indonesia. You can get a visa in Tawau for RM125. Easy, no problem. But you can only get one month.
The departure tax in Bali is now 50,000 rupiah.
We had to pay for a visa to exit Sabah to Indonesia. It's 120RM for the standard three month visa plus 10RM for four passport photos. So this is not a visa free entry point. The only one currently from East Malaysia to Indo is Entikong.
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In Bali, hotels will charge a goods and services tax on top of the price of a stamp. Always buy stamps at a postal outlet to avoid the charge.
In Sumatra buy batik and other readily available goods at the duty free shops at Medan Airport. They were 60/% cheaper than the market stall prices in Tuk Tuk. The real treasures in and around Tuk Tuk are the wood carvings. Bargain, but keep it good humoured.
Be reminded that in Rantepao, Sulawesi, all guides must be certified.
Sumatra: Bukit Lawang has turned into a bit of a boom town due to its popularity, and as a result everybody under the age of ten is a guide. Although there are registered guides in the town, the actual process of being registered is far from complicated. It involves paying a small amount of money to the local government. As a result, there are many guides who are far from worth the fifteen dollars a day. This is not good for the visitor, the park, and definitely not the orangutans. Many of the guides feed the orangs in order for the tourists to see them. This isn’t good for them as they are meant to be in rehabilitation.
After visiting outer islands of Indonesia in May 1999, I have to take the opposite opinion of most traveller’s for managing money. You basically have two choices: take literally millions of rupiah in cash with you from Bali, Surabaya or Jakarta, or rely on ATM machines. To my great surprise, I found that ATM machines were functional and gave decent exchange rates on Sulawesi (in both Ujung Pandang and up in Poso, with many machines in Rantepao and Makale). I used my Visa/ATM/debit card all over Indonesia with far fewer problems than in Thailand. On the contrary, my travellers’ cheques (American Express) and American currency were often devalued against the ‘official’ exchange rate, sometimes by as much as 30%. One warning though: most ATM machines in Indonesia, especially in Bali, can only dispense 30 notes per transaction, and the machines are usually only stocked with 20,000 rupiah notes. So the most you can get out in one go is 600,000 rupiah, which was US$66 at the time.
In Ampana there is no money changer any more. Next places to change money are Poso and Gorontalo!
Sulawesi: our recommendation is that travellers should pick up local Torajan-speaking guides and not package-type deals from tour guides based in Ujung Panadang, the provincial capital. The package-type guides we came across who were based in UP were not very knowledgeable or indeed respectful of the proud Torajans. They tended to turn up to the important cultural events (funerals, house blessings, weddings, etc) with between six and 12 tourists. They’d stay for photos, annoy the locals who generally welcome tourists very warmly since they want to preserve their (partly Animist, with Christian overlay) culture and bring good luck to their celebrations. It was strange being at several ceremonies with locals when the tour buses pulled up. They wondered why they weren’t invited in for food, palm wine or cakes! It was like being at the zoo.
Local Torajan-speaking guides make themselves available on Rantepao ‘High St’, or through hotels, wisma, losmen, etc in other areas. These locals can introduce travellers to the fascinating village ceremonies and provide sensitive and meaningful insights into them. Overnight stays can be arranged if desired. We liked our guide’s ethos of ensuring that local customs and ceremonies were fully respected. He prepared visitors with enough information about how to act (eg buying appropriate gifts), and he had a commitment to what we call low-impact tourism. He worked with small numbers of tourists and provided a high quality service that went along with their desires. For example, he took folks trekking in the beautiful areas surrounding Rantepao and visited important grave sites.
I would like to express a couple of concerns concerning tourists coming to Bukit Lawang, Sumatra, to see the orang-utans and to go jungle trekking. It is a great thing to be able to experience the beauty of the jungle and to witness the orang-utans in their native home. However, as a recent volunteer at the Orang-utan Rehabilitation Centre, I have witnessed some of the ‘fixable’ problems that have resulted from tourism.
Firstly, when going on jungle treks, please remember that it is illegal to feed or touch an orang-utan. It’s essential to the orang’s rehabilitation back into the jungle that we do not feed, touch or have our photo taken with them but rather keep our distance. By tourists continuing to feed and interact with the orangs in the jungle, this national park, which is supposed to be a sanctuary for wild orang-utans is being turned into a large petting zoo. Many other problems arise when wild orang-utans in the jungle get too used to humans, contact with them and getting fed by them. So we need to put our own interests and wants aside and consider what’s best for them.
A lot of the current guides will include an illegal orang-utan feeding during the course of their trek, believing this will increase the tourists’ enjoyment of the hike and, of course, many tourists love this experience without knowing the consequences of their actions. So when selecting a guide, ensure your guide is not going to feed or go near any orang-utans. Also, make sure your guide agrees to carry out all trash from the trek. It is becoming a problem as the overnight sites used during the treks are becoming a dumping site for trash.
We found the exchange rates in the south (of Sumatra) better than in Medan. I would advise changing cash in Medan rather than travellers’ cheques as we went to five banks before one changed our AMEX US$ travellers’ cheques. BNI seemed to be offering the best rates as we travelled south.
Unlike Bali, Flores is not a big tourist destination so we recommend being able to speak at least a little Bahasa Indonesian. Also, banking can be a tricky business on Flores. We recommend you bring as much money in Rupiah as you think you are going to need there. Cheques and travellers cheques should only be a back-up. When we arrived there, the bank did not have enough money for us to convert US$300.
The hawkers at Lagundri Beach, Sumatra, are at times quite unbearable. It is common to wake up to half a dozen of them sitting outside your losmen waiting for you to get up. If you didn’t rise, some would even yell to wake you!
There are practically no credit card facilities on Flores or Lombok, which is in marked contrast to the myriad facilities available on Bali. We got badly stuck in Labuanbajo with very little money, no travellers checks and only a piece of plastic between us. Pelni Shipping saved the day for us. They gave us cash on our card albeit for an outrageous 15% cut - but this was infinitely better than travelling seven hours in a ferry and then by land back to Bima on Sumbawa.
Bali Bird Park, near Gianyar: still wonderful but it now costs 57,000 rupiah. A better monetary deal can be had by going to both the Bird Park and the Reptile Park.
If drinking or karaoke isn’t your bag you can go and challenge Ujung Pandang’s best in chess over in Karebosi Park. There’s a shelter on the north end of the park and in the latter half of the afternoon tables are set up and the chess mania begins. Winner stays on and if you show an interest you will be invited to sit down and do battle.
Times are a little lean for the folks down on Bira Beach. The current economic and political crisis has scared away much tourism and has driven up prices of essential goods. It was also the wet season so that wouldn’t have helped either. During my seven day stay at Bira there was only ever a handful of foreigners down at the beach. Many guesthouses and cafes were closed or running on ‘skeleton staff’ who had almost nothing to do but lay around sleeping or smoking endless cigarettes. Even so, the people there are very easy going and friendly. The pace of life is deliciously slow. It’s a great place to put away those long pants and don the shorts and t-shirt and just relax. There is also much to see and do around Bira so if you’re feeling energetic you could easily while away a week or two.
While in Bali I discovered that money exchanging is best done using US$100 notes. You get a better rate for one US$100 note than for two US$50 notes. Some places didn't even accept US$20 or lower notes.
We went to Mount Merapi. We left Yogya at around 10 pm and drove to the volcano where we arrived around midnight and got a small snack. You'd better bring your own torch because they charge you like crazy and you cannot do anything but pay because there's no alternative. In addition, the batteries are, most of the time, not new and you end up with a very faint light in the middle of the night. It's a pretty steep walk especially near the top of the volcano where it's very slippery. It's a four hour climb (at least) but it's really worth it because you have such a wonderful view over the valley when you climb and then an amazing view of the volcano, the crater, the smoke and the surrounding peaks. It's very cold up there and one should bring a warm jacket. It was the first time I'd climbed a volcano and I was really impressed - strongly recommended.
We are having trouble getting money in Indonesia. We have a US$500 travellers' cheque, but the maximum banks will cash is $300. We also have $100 denomination travellers cheques (in Canadian dollars), but noone will accept these either. If it wasn't for friends we would be hungry by now! Take US cheques in small denominations.
The diving I did in Bali was brilliant! (Menjangan and Tulamben). BUT, be very careful about who you dive with. My guide at Tulamben had his share of dives but was only an advanced PADI diver, though he presented himself as a divemaster. Be sure you have some experience (not just an open water certificate you bought in Aruba where conditions are too perfect) because the sea around Bali can get pretty rough and fierce currents are not unusual. Be sure to prepare your dive (use the wheel or your own computer to set your limits). Do not rely on the local guides who bear no responsibility for you since they're just not qualified. But if you get the chance, try a night dive at the Liberty wreck in Tulamben: amazing fluorescent plankton and fish everywhere.
In general, diving in Manado is a bit more expensive than let’s say in Bali, the Philippines, or Thailand. This is mainly to do with local factors (all equipment has to be bought and maintained in Singapore; there are quite a few official and unofficial taxes and fees). Moreover, Manado’s licensed dive operations have founded an association that actively works for the protection of the reefs and donates money to the park authorities to help them with the upkeep of the National Park.
Unfortunately Manado also has a not-so-new problem with growing numbers of diver operations that are not licensed PADI or any of the other dive associations and quite often are not even in possession of the necessary local licenses. Most of them are working with second or third hand equipment and unlicensed dive guides. I’m not a diver myself but go out to Bunaken a lot. Almost always I can see at least one of these operations anchoring at the reef (which is absolutely forbidden for members of the dive association), and I hear almost weekly reports from guests about near accidents with them. Unfortunately they can offer much cheaper prices than Manado’s licensed centres since they don’t pay taxes, license fees, PADI fees and don’t help with the upkeep of the reef. Still more unfortunate is that a lot of diving backpackers only see the price and go with them, not being aware that they are contributing to the destruction of our reefs. In the end many of them are quite disappointed because they get what they paid for: cheap diving. We will probably never see those guests again in North Sulawesi, and this is one of the reasons why diving in Manado has got quite a bad reputation.
Trying to communicate in Indonesian and Balinese made a huge difference to the attitude of the street and shop sellers. We left our shoes outside shops and houses, bargained politely and quietly, smiled and said 'No thank you; I don't need one' to the street sellers. Magically, we walked hassle-free. At one shop I had to bargain upwards, not downwards, so determined was the woman to give me something for nothing. After our deal was struck, a painter told me that he was glad his paintings were going with me - and I knew I was paying far less than the tourist price - because I speak quietly. Close your eyes and listen to some of the bargaining around you on the street, and you will appreciate what he meant.
Londa, Sulawesi: the boys with lamps offering themselves as guides are absolutely necessary, but will try and charge 15,000rp and up, telling you that there is a 10,000rp tax, which is a blatant lie. The actual price should be around 5,000rp. There is also an admittance fee of 3000rp at the gate.
Tanenbam is a very large, modern city. However, there is only one small loseman that was full at the time we were there.
Stopping at any place outside Dili still attracts the attention of the police; expect some sort of interview if you stop long enough to be noticed.
Bada Valley, Sulawesi: guides to visit the megaliths, or for the hike to Gimpu or Besoa can be hired locally. They may not speak much English, but they are surely cheaper than the guides from Tentena, and this way more of the tourist money stays in the area. Reaching the Bada Valley from Tentena requires no guide as you can take a jeep or walk on a wide track.
I suggest that every traveller to Indonesia invest in a small pocket calculator; this small item will help immensely when changing money. Beware of some money-changers' calculators: I was cheated out of US$20 by a changer in Kuta due to his calculator that miraculously came up with a lower figure every time. Also, if the money changer does not understand that giving a receipt is necessary, you know that you have walked in to the wrong money-changer.
You can purchase telephone cards from the money-exchange counter at the departure lounge in Denpasar. Beware of a semi-official looking man trying to sell you a used card for 40,000 rupiah.
Gunung Batur: the road around Lake Batur is impassable in the last few hundred metres when going counter-clockwise. The road becomes very rough after the village of Songan, and the last few hundred metres of the road to Penelokan takes a steep 45 degree angle and is completely broken with huge craters. If you want to drive around Gunung Batur, it is better to go clockwise.
We arrived at Pulau Batam from Singapore too late for the boat service to Sumatra - it finishes at 10 am. Rather than stay on the very expensive island, we took a boat to Tanjung Balai on Pulau Karimun, which was a very nice place to stay for a day before travelling to Sumatra. We caught the boat to Pekanbaru the day after. It was worth seeing a part of Indonesia off the beaten track.
A good way to visit the Singosari temples around Malang is by bicycle. You can rent one from the Toko Oen in Malang. It is best to start with Candi Singosari, then cycle to Candi Jago uphill. Afterwards you can cycle to Candi Kidal and from there on it is almost always downhill to Malang. This outing can be done easily in one day.
Ampana: Bendi is the local name for the horse and carts. There are no bemos within town; they are reserved for trips to other towns.
Mt Bromo, Java: although it can be foggy in the rainy season, it is still worthwhile to get up for the sunrise tour around Mt Bromo and the peak. We found the fog rolled in and somewhat blocked our view at the summit lookout point, but the trip to Bromo itself was fantastic and well worth the early morning wake-up.
Transport proved easy to arrange throughout Kuta, Ubud, Candidasa and Senggigi; you could not walk down the street without receiving numerous offers of 'transport, boss?'. The lack of road signs, some lunatic driving habits (especially at night) and the police looking for bribes made the option of hiring a driver more attractive. This was easy: it certainly was a buyer's market and strong haggling was expected. However, it should also be noted that once you have found a driver it is very hard to get rid of him!
Sulawesi: I stayed in Rantepao, Tanatoraja, for a fortnight and had a great time. I recommend that you take a trip out to Sadan to check out the local women's weaving. If you're interested in buying some, don't spend all your money at the first place; walk along the full length of 'shops' and see what is being offered first, then make your choice.
New ways of relieving you from your money at Gunung Batur in Bali: we climbed the mountain from the north-east, arriving by car. When we turned left at the sign 1.7km outside Toya Bungkah we were stopped by several men who wanted to be our guides. After telling them that we didn't want a guide, they told us that this is a private road and therefore we could not bring a car in without paying. For the same reason they said we had to pay for walking on the road and that we weren't allowed to climb the mountain without a guide. After paying 25,000rp we were allowed to drive and climb alone. On our way back we checked with the tourist office. They stated that although it is unusual to pay for driving, it is a private road so you probably should pay, but you should not have to pay for walking. Using a guide is not mandatory. So now we have found out what is right and what is wrong.
The Internet café in Kuta, Nayanana, has one line for each user. They let me connect my PC directly and call Sanur at the same rate they charge for normal Internet use. Their address is: Kuta Centre, E1 22.
Flores: make sure you don't do what we did and not take enough money. We way underestimated our spending (and did not take into account all the amazing ikat available to buy). Just because you have heaps of notes doesn't mean you have heaps of money. There are no cash advances on Flores, no ATMs and except at BNI, the exchange rate for travellers cheques is crap (less than half that of Bali).
Don't change your money at the airport in Indonesian countries. I recently visited Bali and changed all my money at the airport only to receive half the amount of rupiah I could have received if I changed my money at a money changer in the city.
Clean, crisp US$100 notes get you the best rates; there are lower rates for US$ travellers cheques, and also lower rates for US$50 notes. Shop around for the best rate. Places vary from door to door and the airport is obviously not the place to change money. Kuta, Bali, had the best rate I could find. When the US$ was getting up to 13,000 rp in Bali, in places like Lombok, Sumbawa and smaller islands, it was only getting 6500 rp at times, so change money in Bali before you go to the more remote places. Always check your money - sounds simple, but getting the correct amount is the exception, not the rule in Indo, at least in my experience. Change your money on a Tuesday or a Wednesday if possible; for some reason the rate is more favourable earlier in the week; something to do with the IMF and money markets I'm told, but it works. Lastly, as a safety precaution, some people recommend always carrying US$50 or US$100 on you at all times.
If you surf, you can only take three or fewer surfboards into Indonesia without incurring 'duties' at the airport. This is to prevent guys from bringing boards over and selling them to fund their trip and also to protect the Indo surf industry. Bring four or more boards and they'll hit you with a tax of 90% of the value of the boards (no joke). I spoke to quite a few guys that had to sweet talk their way out of this ludicrous tax at the airport.
Do your shopping early in the day - it's good luck to make an early sale for an Indonesian seller, and they'll often sell to you far cheaper (even at a loss sometimes if they're having a bad day) if you're the first buyer of the day.
Things that I would take with me next time:
I studied Indonesian in Yogyakarta for 11 weeks at Wisma Bahasa (Jalan Rajawali gang Nuri 4-6, Demangan Baru, Yogyakarta 55281; Phone/fax: (62) (274) 588 409; email: wisba@yogya.wasantara.net.id). Many diplomats send their staff here and it's also the place for Australian Volunteers Abroad and American VSOs. There are many courses you can do and tuition can be one on one or one teacher with two or three students. I paid 40,000 rp per hour and they have homestays where you can stay from US$50 a week with full board and laundry but they only calculate the US dollar to 6000 rp. Even a one week crash course would be extremely beneficial for travellers.
I have recently returned from Indonesia and found that the International Departure Tax went up on 1 August 1998 to 50,000 rp.
We recently travelled to Bali where we had reasonably good luck getting cash at ATMs. But we encountered a problem with changing cash (US$). It seems the exchange rate has more to do with denominations rather than the current market rate. For example, our $20 bills were worth maybe Rp3000/dollar, our $50 bills maybe Rp6000/dollar and our $100 bills Rp10,000/dollar. Had we known this beforehand, we obviously would have come prepared with only $100 bills.
Exchange rates in Indonesia are extremely variable right now due to the volatility of the rupiah. For anyone visiting Irian Jaya, I would advise either getting all cash elsewhere or maybe getting a credit card advance in Jayapura. While the official exchange rate is 14,500 right now, Jayapura is only giving around 8000, and Wamena only 4000 rupiah to the US$! Ujung Pandang rates are a reasonable 13,000+. Thankfully, I managed to squeak by during my stay in Wamena with the cash I had brought with me, but just barely.
Jendela Indonesia: this is an absolutely excellent site with links to everything you would want to know about Indonesia including lots of travel sites and other useful things like an interactive weather site and lots of newspapers and magazines. It also has a guest book that is visited by lots of Indonesian students - a good place to leave requests for info. The address for Jendela Indonesia is: http://www.iit.edu/~indonesia/jendela/
Catherine, The Thorn Tree (Jul 98)
Bali: on leaving, I was dismayed to find my bags X-rayed firstly on entering the airport, then on entering the departure lounge and for a third time before boarding the plane. I was able to walk my films around some of the machines but not all of them. The resulting developed pictures had a greyish tinge.
Everyone who has seen the crater lakes (Keli Mutu on Flores) raves about them. Be aware, though, that a few people never did see them because the cloud cover just never lifted (happens about one day in ten). Often you have to stand around on the peak and wait an hour, or even several hours, for the clouds to go away. But everyone says it's worth it, even the guy who had to wait five hours and missed his bus and had to stay an extra day in the mountains. Apparently it's a really spectacular view, even better than the photographs.
In Wamena, there are two banks that change money. Both of them had terrible exchange rates. The exchange rate was 50% under the exchange rate in Jayapura. And Jayapura have already a 20 to 25% lower exchange rate than Jakarta. Tourists should change enough money in Jakarta or Jayapura before going to Wamena.
The Sejahtera Bank Umum in Parapat is closed. This makes it especially important to change money before you get to Parapat. We were there during the rupiah crisis (Feb to Mar 98) and many touts offered rupiah for dollars but at 7000:1 when we'd just gotten 8600 in Medan.
Timor, Ambon, Ternate, Banda: we did find that the exchange rate in Timor and, especially Maluku, was much lower than the official rate. There were no money changers and only a few banks were interested in our Amex US$ travellers cheques. Next time I'll get cash advances on my visa card - presumably these will be converted at the official rate, or close to it.
Please note that charges by hotels in Bali for calling mobile phones can range from 20,000 to 50,000rp per minute, whereas from the local 'Wantel' office it only costs 500rp.
Do not recommend for people to use travellers' cheques in South-East Asia. Especially in Indonesia where the economy is so weak, they not only love Australian money, they give you much LESS for travellers' cheques. When trying to pay for accommodation the owner refused our travellers cheques, saying she only wanted cash.
Email is getting popular in Indonesia, and the main post offices in large cities double as 'Webcafes'. This is called 'warposnet' (Warun Kantor Pos Internet), provided by Wasantara. Some Web cafes, all located in or near the main post office in that city:
: úåéö÷øèàå äëéùî éã÷åî
Apo Kayan: most travellers would probably associate Kalimantan with vast virgin rain forest, but many are disappointed once they arrive and realise how the Indonesian exploitation of natural resources has turned most of the island into savanna. However, the dream of deep foggy impenetrable jungle comes through in the remote mountainous Apo Kayan, the centre of the Kenyah Dayaks who have been living in this extremely isolated place for millennia.
The area is most certainly off the beaten track, and if one expects commercial, pay-by-the-hour dayak cultural shows or long house tourist stalls selling dayak artefacts, a trip to the Apo Kayan would be a bad choice. In turn, it is possible to gain a realistic insight into the every day life of the kenyah dayaks. The isolated lifestyle of the kenyahs is probably not going to last for much longer since the Indonesian government takes steps to ‘upgrade’ to the 20th century. The heavily subsidised flights into the Apo Kayan is one way of making the kenyahs more familiar with the western lifestyle of Samarinda. Another government initiative is the TV sets given as presents to the village chiefs of the area. It is indeed an interesting sight when the village community gathers in front of the telly to watch commercials for things they haven’t even seen in real life.
Apo Kayan offers great trekking opportunities, however, one has to prepare for delays. The flights are particularly unreliable and are not always there on the day they are scheduled so allow a few days of safety margin since the only way out is by air. Only a single person in the Apo Kayan speaks English, Pebaya - the village chief of Long Ampung and caretaker of the air strip. He is the person to talk to regarding local guides of the area. If one isn’t fluent in bahasa indonesian, the better option is to bring a guide from Samarinda and make sure that he has a seat on the flight. The local guides charge around 40,000 rupiah a day. Guides are really only essential for the more serious jungle trekking; the villages are connected by tracks with none or very few branches and can be reached without a guide. However, an Indonesian guide makes contact with the local dayaks more easy and you’ll gets heaps of information about the dayak lifestyle.
Long Ampung is the starting point for trekking in the Apo Kayan. An obvious next stop is Long Uro, which is situated an easy two hours walk away from Long Ampung. There are some great carvings in front of the village and an exciting dayak cemetery. It is possible to stay in the communal house for 15,000 rupiah per person: a little rice is sometimes provided but it is a good idea to bring food supplies from Samarinda. From Long Uro it is possible to walk to Long Lindung Payau in a leisurely hour. This village has a traditional long house and some ancient stone dayak relics. The communal house is richly decorated and accommodation here is also possible. The villages are all situated by the Kenyah river, the Long Lindung Payay is the second last human settlement up river; the last one is Long Sungai Barang which can be reached in four and a half hours from Long Lindung Payau. The walk is quite demanding and very scenic; most of the way goes through hilly jungle bypassing lots of little springs and creeks. It is possible to spot wildlife such as deer, bears, monkeys and snakes en route. Long Sungai Barang is situated at a lake with a great mountain backdrop - a great place to idle away a few days.
The kenyahs are not unaware of the concept of money and they do need funding for the basic modern commodities the government has got them hooked on. The kenyahs might be tempted, if asked, to sell their blow pipes or ceremonial swords that used to belong to their grandfathers. Please do not take away too much of a culture that is already fading away because there isn’t room for tribal people in 20th century Indonesia. Buy your dayak souvenirs in Samarinda or Balikpapan: they might not be as nice, but they can be replaced.
I have wonderful memories of Sumba, especially the traditional villages (still almost untouched by tourists). In some villages, you can buy carved wooden statues or knives and in others there is traditional weaving. I was there during the rainy season and I had to wait for six days in Waingapu until a ferry (Pelni) finally left for Ende. So be sure you have plenty of time, especially since the planes don’t always fly on schedule either. Information is available at ASDP office. Tel: 61211.
The 'Peliatan Masters' give weekly performances of Gamelan Gong Kebyar at the ARMA museum in Ubud on Sunday at 7.30 pm. It is often said that these players are the best Gong Kebyar players on Bali. I have seen the show and can certainly say that it is well worth seeing.
Snorkelling in front of Windy Cottages has been ruined. A combination of dynamiting and boat anchors during a fishing festival last year has left the whole area a moonscape. Move south down to the point between Puri Mas and Blue Ocean - some of the best snorkelling I have seen close to shore. Contract the taxi driver to stay with you to watch your gear as the local ‘boys’ are known to dash out from the trees and pinch everything.
In Sumbawa Besar, a place where travellers usually only stop overnight, I was approached by a young student and asked if I could come to his English school and allow the students to practice with me. What followed was a couple of enthusiastic sessions with students asking me all manner of questions, a personalised tour of the wooden royal palace, and a couple of invitations to the students’ homes for dinner. The school would love to have more travellers pop in, native English speakers or not. The school’s name is Tambora and it’s located on Jalan Setia Budi (no number). The owner, Juhari, can be reached by phone on (0371) 22294 (not sure if the 03 is the area code or what).
After getting the information from Lonely Planet’s email newsletter, Comet, I spent ten days at Yudi Sujana’s home in Cianjur, West Java, teaching at his school. The experience was perhaps the best of any during my travels - I highly recommend it.
Kevin Meadowcroft, USA (Apr 99)
When in Bali don’t miss the Taman Burung Bali Bird Park. It’s halfway between Kuta and Ubud and houses over 1000 tropical birds in two hectares of beautiful tropical gardens.
In Sumatra make sure you have warm clothes when going into the mountains, especially Bukittinggi. Try to learn a couple of words of local dialects (Nias, Minnang, etc) - it will blow away the locals. Eating with your hands will impress and does make the food taste better. If visiting West Sumatra try rendung (buffalo cooked in various spices).
Views of the sunrise at Gunnung Sindoro are incredible, as are the view of Sumbing, the sister peak. If the weather cooperates you can see Slamet, Merapi and Merbabu. You get a great view into the exploding cone of Merapi; at night it looks like the tip of a lit cigarette. To get there, take the minibus from Yogyakarta to Wonosobo, and ask the driver to let you out at Kledung, which is two and half hours from Yogyakarta, and slightly before Wonosobo. From Kledung, it is about 300m to the registry post where there are a few places to buy snacks and water. From Kledung it takes nine to 10 hours to the summit. No guide is necessary.
Gunnung Kursi: this can be climbed from the rim of Bromo. Basically, all you have to do is circumnavigate the rim to the left. The crater is the most beautiful in Java, in my humble opinion.
I thought I would have to take lots of tours to find ceremonies, temples, villages and cultural life. In fact, Kuta itself was so full of opportunities that I ran out of time to do some grand tours. By taking an interest in the family life of those who owned the place in which we stayed, we were invited to a wedding, a house-warming, two cremations, and a tooth-filling! We tried without success to delay our return home for a second wedding. At these events, we saw dancing that tourists can't buy, heard gamelan that only the wealthiest family could afford, and made many friends.
Malenge: most people come here to see monkeys, but this is also the best place to see the babirusa. I saw them twice, and even saw some deer, as well as lots of hornbills.
Labuanbajo (Nusa Tenggara): we fell in love with this sleepy fishing town. Along the dusty road winding along the shore, the woven-walled houses seem to be either dangling their toes in the water or climbing up the steep hill for a better view. And what a view. At sunset the call to prayer resounds through the orange air, with the silhouettes of fishing boats like great insects on a pond, and rock islands that stick out of the silver water like the coils of a sea serpent. We stayed in a hotel up the hill just north of Gardena with fantastic rooms at ridiculously cheap prices with amazing views. Others went straight to the 'resort' islands which looked nice, but we think that no one should miss Lab - even for the lure of tropical islands. We could have stayed there for a long time.
Museums in Ubud: I went to the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), the Neka Museum and the Museum Puri Lukisan. All are excellent if you have the interest, but I was particularly impressed with the ARMA, now fully open. It follows much the same pattern as the Neka, setting out the development of Balinese and Indonesian paintings from times past into the present, and does it in very fine buildings with really excellent guides. Perhaps I struck it lucky, but I might well not have gone to the other two had I not been so well tutored at the ARMA.
Wanariset Orangutan Sanctuary located approximately 40km north of Balikpapan on the highway to Samarinda: established in 1991, it is now under control by the Balikpapan Orangutan Society (BOS) at the Pasir Ridge International School. Its aims are to re-introduce orangutans back to the wild as many are caught to be sold illegally as pets and their skulls, etc, as souvenirs. Furthermore, with the devastating fires and continuing land clearing they are really endangered. Reports are that the Kutai Game Reserve (north of Samarinda) has been virtually destroyed by the bush fires. The centre featured in an article "Orphans of the Fire Storm" by Dennis Schulz in The Bulletin, 31 March 1998. It is almost impossible to visit if you approach local tour operators. For members of the BOS there are tours every Saturday. To become a member it costs US$50 for 12 months. There are other forms of membership (for schools, businesses, etc) including 'adoption' of actual animals which costs thousands of dollars per annum. It is all managed from the International School by a Mr Peter Kosimo - just call into the school. There are also t-shirts, polo shirts, baseball hats, etc for sale at the International School that go towards assisting the sanctuary. Special tours can possibly be arranged providing membership is paid. Unfortunately, we were unable to arrange this because the employees at the sanctuary were out fighting fires, and we were not there for the next Saturday 'tour'. The contact is: BOS, PO Box 319, Balikpapan 76103, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia. Phone: 62 0542 413069; Fax: 62 0542 410365; Email: bosbpn@indo.net.id
A nice place to visit near Semarang (central Java, about 1.5 hours by bus taking the direction of Purwodadi), is Bledug Kuwu. It's a plain with an active mud volcano/geiser. It erupts night and day every minute or so, and is truly a bizarre place with only dry mud and sand (a lot smaller, but similar to the Bromo 'sea of sand'), and a couple of boiling pools in the middle surrounded by the usual ricefields, coconut trees and kampungs. There are viewpoints and set tracks to walk around the area, but it's a lot more fun to have a really close look. Getting sucked knee-deep into the mud is fun after you crawl out. It doesn't feel hot, only warm. Loose shoes may get lost. It IS scary.
Kerinci Seblat National Park, Jambi: this is easily accessible for tourists and trekking, and is eager to promote tourism. At present, the National Park is under increasing threat due to land clearance by small, local farmers, illegal logging, and pressure from plantation companies and transmigration programmes. One of the ways such activities can be reduced (at least in some areas), is to create an alternative source of income in the form of tourism. The more visitors, the greater the incentive to protect.
I realise that Sungai Penuh is not currently on the tourist route, and visiting the park may be more challenging than the areas like Bukit Lawang that are already set up for tourism, but it is definitely worthwhile with some lovely areas of primary rainforest left to see. It is only four hours from the Trans-Sumatran highway (Bangko), and eight hours from Padang, and there are plenty of hotels to stay at in town.
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On Sumatra, there is no need to travel overland from Belawan to reach the Island of Pulau We. There is a ferry from Belawan to Banda Aceh (northern tip of Sumatra) every second day and several ferries a day from Banda Aceh to Sabang, on the Island. Pulau We is a place with amazing beaches and world class diving.
The Merpati flights from Manado to Ternate are more often cancelled than going, so it might be a good idea to go by ship. Kota Terati leaves on Monday afternoon and you can get your own bunk to sleep. From Bitung a ferry leaves Wednesday afternoon or by Pelni passenger ships Ciremai and Umsini. Visit the Manado Pelni office, next to the BCA Bank and Post Office for a schedule.
From Lombok to Bali there is a new speedboat service which is called ‘Bounty’, at the same cost as ‘Mabua Express’, but is much more convenient as it departs twice daily (10:00 & 16:00) from Gili Meno and has another stop near Bangsal and arrives at Benoa/Bali two hours later.
When making the ferry crossing from Melakka (Malaysia) to Dumai (Indonesia) the ticket has to be purchased from the Indomal Express ticket office but the office is not at the port. It’s about a half hour drive away so get it the day before. The ferry usually runs late but once it eventually departs it takes you out to the middle of the sea, you then board a bigger ferry via thin wooden planks between the boats (it is not a common form of transport for tourists) Make sure you get your passport stamped when you arrive at Dumai or you could have problems getting out of Indonesia.
Bouraq’s flight from Palu to Ujung Pandang is often cancelled. Officially for technical reasons - unofficially because there are not enough people to make the flight profitable. I had to wait for two days for the next flight.
When purchasing a ticket at Ujung Pandang Airport staff will try whatever trick they know to refuse your credit card and ask for cash. If you insist on using your credit card there shouldn’t be any problems.
Pelni is a great way to get around Indonesia but I would strongly advise against getting a deck-class ticket. These ships are overcrowded (to the point of being dangerous at times) and you will be miserable beyond belief if you are on an overnight trip. Beds fill up and people sleep on the floor everywhere. And the food for deck-class passengers is horrible. Cabin-class tickets include much better food, and they’re not that much more expensive - well worth it.
The island of Sulawesi between Borneo (Kalimantan) and new Guines (Irian Jaya) is Indonesia’s best kept secret. It has much to offer and the infrastructure is improving. But the interior roads are still in very dubious shape. Those in the mountains are often clogged by mud- and rockslides. When traversing the island, allow plenty of time and extra days - it’s three + days from Manado back down to Ujung Pandang when everything works right. The so-called Trans-Sulawesi Highway is overstated - it’s really just a thinly paved rough track. Be that as it may, when you get to the village of Pendolo on the south shore of Lake Poso heading north, take a bemo around the left (west) side of the lake to get to Tentena. It is much more interesting and scenic, with spectacular views down across this wonderful freshwater lake.
Nias Island off the coast of Sumatra: contrary to the LP guide, there is no longer any ferry to the southern part of the island, Telak Delam, which is the main town closest to the most desirable beaches. We were told that a docking ship had ripped away part of the pier as it departed. As a result, we were forced to take a minibus on the ‘fast road’ to Lagundri, which took five hours and costs 25,000 rupiah per person. Our plight was not just that of the naïve tourist - the lack of a functional southern port was confirmed by an Indonesian professor we met on the ferry back to Sumatra. Also, a word on accommodation. Most are very basic beach huts, aside from the overpriced, swank resort. There’s not much in between. All seem to have suffered since the last time the pro surfing circuit visited a few years ago.
There are no Pelni boats to Pangkalanbun any more.
Warning: timetables for the Perama bus company give the time you are expected to be at the bus station, not the time the bus will leave. This is important to note for travellers with plane, bus and ferry connections. You will leave 30 minutes after the advertised time.
Getting to Komodo from Lombok: the one remaining ferry from Sape to Labuanbajo runs three times a week. While it’s supposed to leave Sape at 8 am, the actual time of leaving is dependent on the tide. Sometimes it can’t leave until almost 10 am if the tide isn’t in its favour. Also, it doesn’t stop at Komodo any more (if it ever did), so you have to go all the way to Labuanbajo and then hire a boat there. Also, there is no public ferry to Komodo any more.
It is now pretty easy to travel by boat between General Santos (Mindanao, Philippines) and Manado (Sulawesi, Indonesia). Go to General Santos and look for the shipping company:
Waingapu: the bus to Waikabubak now departs from terminal Baru, 5km from the centre. It’s wise to reserve a seat.
Togian Islands, Sulawesi: for anyone thinking of chartering a boat from Wakai (or any other island) to Marisa in North Sulawesi be warned. The journey took 10 hours even though we were told by our hotel (who arranged the boat) and by the boat driver that it would only take between four and five hours. The small, barely functioning boat combined with the large waves made the trip very long and uncomfortable.
If you don’t have a lot of time, fly to Labuanbajo on Flores first and organise the trip (to Komodo Island) from there so you end up back in Lombok, rather than the other way around like I did (trips are one-way only). Flights out of Flores are very unreliable and cannot be booked in advance, so we all ended up having to catch the gruelling ferry/bus/ferry combo back to Lombok, and many of us were in a hurry to catch planes, etc.
Bangsal Harbour for crossing to the Gili Islands: the boat hire facilities close at 3 pm every day, unless there is a lot of business around. We arrived in a tropical downpour, the office was closed and there was no telephone for 10km. Better to go from Mataram airport to Senggigi and arrange an onward taxi and boat from there at a pre-determined price. Otherwise, ring the hotel you are staying at on the Gili Islands and arrange the return travel with them. Or organise the boat from the next harbour south of Bangsal, called Permenegan, as the boatmen are a lot more accommodating and the rates are better.
Due to the economic crisis, trying to get from Ternate to Ujung Pandang by plane is very expensive. Pelni ships are a much cheaper option, however, the trip takes three nights. First, second and third class fill very quickly. To get a first class cabin we had to pay for it at the Pelni office in Ternate about 10 days before our ship sailed. A week later we were able to pick up the tickets.
One of the ferries that goes between Sumbawa and Flores is down so the remaining one no longer stops at Komodo. To get to Komodo, you have to charter a boat either from Sumbawa or Flores.
Airport tax out of Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (Jakarta) has been 50,000 rupiahs since August 1998.
Merpati currently runs two flights a week from Denpasar to Labuanbajo (stopping in Bima on Sumbawa along the way), and then back the same day. These flights are on Monday and Saturday.
Travel between Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya: although the road between Vanimo and Jayapura is complete, it is still not open to foreigners. This includes non-Irian Indonesians.
There are no flights from Maumere to Sulawesi. Maumere has severely limited most of its old flights so now only a few remain. You can still fly to and from Denpasar and from Ujung Pandang to Maumere.
Pulau Selayer, Sulawesi: when arriving at Pamatata harbour there are no bemos waiting to whisk you off to Benteng. The place is as hot as hell and you will frizzle hanging around waiting for a miracle on wheels. As far as I could ascertain there are five possible options to get you to the civilisation of Benteng once landing at Pamatata.
Air travel: as you probably already know, the economic crisis has played havoc with the small internal airlines. Bouraq and Sempati have gone bust and Merpati is even more unreliable than ever. Travel between islands has therefore become very difficult unless one flies Garuda and accepts that all journeys are via Jakarta, or possibly Denpasar, which is, of course, very expensive as well as slow.
Lombok, Getting There & Away: a new catamaran ferry service started in January, the Kencana Express from Lembar to Padangbai. It costs much more than the old ferry and is far more comfortable, but is only about 15 minutes quicker! We paid 65,000 rp each including a lunch box and a very comfortable connecting coach to Denpasar or Kuta. Padangbai is 50,000 rp. The Mabua express to Benoa is much better but much more costly. $25 diamond and $20 for emerald class. No land arrangements anymore.
Big lesson: never cut it fine getting back to catch a pre-arranged international flight or other important engagement. What should have been a one hour flight to Mataram and another couple of hours on to Denpasar took us nearly two days with an overnight stop.
The best new bus company is Simpatik. The buses are new, modern and air-conditioned and the routes are more direct (though not as extensive). Perama buses are run-down and tend to take long routes. I've heard Nomad is good but I didn't try it. It's worth asking about other companies when your schedule doesn't fit the times.
The national airlines of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and Brunei have launched an air pass targeted at long haul travellers from the US and Europe. All you have to do is fly to any of the above countries on the airlines mentioned above and you can buy a ticket to any other destination within the six countries for only US$90. You need to buy at least three tickets however.
The island of Flores is my favourite destination with Labuanbajo standing out as the best value for money although it is difficult to get there now from Kupang with the cancellation of Merpati flights. Probably the best way to travel there is to catch the ferry or Pelni boat from Kupang and then travel overland for two days through Bajawa and Ruteng from Ende.
Sumatra: when taking public transport in Sumatra, look out for the yellow licence plates on the vehicles. This means that the vehicle is licensed by the government to pick up passengers along a predetermined route. These operators pay for the right to operate on the roads and can be held accountable for damages in the event of an accident. Black-plate vehicles are privately owned and often are not offically sanctioned by the government. They do not pay for a licence and cannot be held accountable for damages. Most black-plate vehicles operate along popular tourist routes and most tourist minivans have no licence. The licensed operators have informed me that it constitutes unfair competition for their livelihood and most of the time tourists are the biggest culprits due to ignorance.
Tips from the licensed operators:
Irian Jaya: there is no longer a flight from Vanimo in PNG to Jayapura, but there is a boat that goes twice a week if there are enough passengers. It's the Narimo Express, costs K100 round-trip, plus K30 departure tax, and info and tickets are available via the Vanimo Beach Hotel (also called the Narimo Hotel). In Jayapura, the agent is Jaap van der Werf; tel: (967) 531 449; Jalan Raya Abepura 32, Entrop Kelapa 11; PO Box 1719, Jayapura. He speaks excellent English and Indonesian, and is quite helpful. You turn your passport over to him upon departure and he straightens everything out. On the PNG side, you give your passport to the Indonesian embassy in Vanimo along with a visa application, K20, and two photos. The boat staff pick it up and have it waiting the morning of departure. In Jayapura, you have to pay a Rp10,000 entry fee and another Rp10,000 exit fee.
The night buses from Java to Bali will take another hour or so, due to the police roadblocks at Banyuwangi, the ferry terminal.
The Perama shuttle buses no longer drop off in the centre of town like all the other companies; they drop you at their office down in Padangtegal, from which it is quite a hike up the hill into Ubud.
Pelni Ships: tickets are available from travel agents, but they are slightly cheaper at the Pelni offices. It is wise to get a cabin: first and second class are available on smaller ships; first to fourth class on larger ships. It is not expensive and well worth it for the comfort and security. Bedding and meals are provided.
Tanatoraja, Sulawesi: it is definitely worth paying a little extra for an air-conditioned bus to Rantepao as it is a long trip: six hours from Pare Pare; nine hours from Ujung Pandang.
You cannot take your rental car from Bali to Java on the Gilimanuk ferry, unless you have already hired a driver or you have specific papers from the car company, which we were unable to obtain.
In addition to the road from Tentena to Bada Valley (unreliable and expensive transport), and from Palu to Gimpu, there are also frequent minibuses from both Palu and Poso to Wuasa in the Napu Valley, and from there occasional jeeps to Besoa Valley (Doda).
Travellers flying from Manado, Sulawesi to Davao, Mindanao with Bouraq should check the validity of the flight ticket if it is a return; their return flights are valid for one month only, not three, as they sometimes tell you when booking. The only way to get a longer period of validity is to buy two singles, which is more expensive.
The Labuanbajo-Komodo ferry service only runs on Sunday and Thursday. It goes to Sape every day but does not stop at Komodo. If you need to get back before the next public ferry, you will have to charter a fishing boat or take an expensive tour package from Labuanbajo.
Going from Batam to Pekanbaru by boat is possible, but make sure that you get what you asked for when you buy your ticket: it should only have a picture of a boat if you want to go all the way by boat; if your ticket has a picture of both a boat and a bus, you will be kicked off in a small village called Tanjung Buton and then you are in for one hell of a drive to Pekanbaru.
Sulawesi: the Pendolo-Tentena boat is not regular. In fact, it had just recommenced service shortly before our arrival, but it only ran when demand was sufficient. It is possible to charter other boats, although these 'charters' often end up taking various locals. We suggest that travellers pay the public boat price of 5,000rp each. The trip is a very pleasant two hours.
Regarding the ferry from Medan to Malaysia: allow for delays as there is a rather inefficient process of lining up several different times for a variety of stamps and checks that take place one at a time. We were delayed by three hours, which meant arriving in Penang at 11 pm.
Merpati gives 25% student discounts on flights. You just need to give them some photocopies of your ISIC card.
SMAC Airlines no longer operates out of Pekanbaru, and their office has closed down.
For those interested in motorbikes, there's a place at the end of Jl Legian in Seminyak (Bali), close to Warung Tapas, that rents old British bikes from the 1950s (Norton, BSA, Matchless, etc). Go there and reserve some days in advance because they don't have many bikes.
Pelni no longer operates it's Tilongkabila ship from Manado to Davao city. Try to take a cargo ship. A copy of the Pelni timetable published in January 1998 can be found at:
The bus to Borobudur can no longer be caught at the bus stop on Jalan Magelang. It now follows a different route out of the city, so you have to go to the main bus station and catch it there.
You can expect chaotic scenes when trying to buy a ticket at the Pelni Shipping Office. It is far better to pay a little extra for the services of a travel agent to arrange the tickets. For reasons best known to themselves, Pelni Kupang will only sell economy class tickets and any attempt to upgrade to first or second class must by negotiated on board the ship. For those hardy souls who prefer economy class travel, I would suggest they take some food along as even the locals say the food supplied is inedible. You can also forget the idea of buying a beer on board as the ship is dry - a situation reinforced by the call to prayers that is broadcast throughout the ship at 4.30 am each morning.
Flores island: I never got to the crater lakes, although we really, really wanted to go. The problem is that Merpati has drastically cut its flights to and around Flores. I'm not sure why, but some people say it's because the currency crisis has reduced their access to spare parts and forced them to cut the number of planes in the air. Merpati is still flying, and there don't seem to have been any crashes lately, but they have sharply cut service to outlying and marginal areas, which Flores definitely is. As a result, in March and April there was not a single inter-Flores flight still actually flying. So, if you wanted to fly from one end of the island to the other, you had to fly back to Bima (on Sumbawa) or even all the way to Denpasar (Bali) or Kupang (Timor). To make matters worse, flights are not particularly reliable, and are often late or cancelled altogether.
What this means is that there are now two Floreses for the traveller: the east end, which has the famous crater lakes and lots of nice hiking and interesting villages and also the island's one large town; and the west end, with great beaches and snorkelling and scuba diving, and also quick access to Komodo and the other offshore islands. There aren't any flights between east and west now, so to get from one to the other means either a grim 17 hour bus ride over some fairly unpleasant roads, or a couple of days on a Pelni boat (Pelni is the national passenger boat service).
Getting across Lombok and Sumbawa without taking the tourist bus directly from Mataram to Sape proved to be very difficult. We wanted to do it in stages and visit a couple of places on the way so did not take the tourist bus. The journey was possible but very time consuming and not much cheaper than the tourist bus as we had to take about seven separate and very crowded small public buses to get across.
Sulawesi: the flight from Rantepao to Ujung Pandang is more often cancelled than going and nobody knows if it is coming or not until the moment of departure.
Yogyakarta town buses: in the northern part where I live and work, the Pemuda coop has lots of new routes, and they do not all start from the Umbulharjo terminal. Some are based at the Jombor terminal off Jl Magelang. The Tourist Office on Malioboro is nearly useless for bus information. They issue a thick town guide in Indonesian and will show you individual bus route maps, but both of these are incomplete: they cover only the first 17 routes and are not up to date with changes to those routes. There is no general bus map. Another vital piece of information is that the bus services peter out around 6 pm. The last services can have non-standard routes. The number 7 goes on longer than most, and several services close to the centre of town go on still later.
Make sure you have rupiah if your flight stops within the country on the way to your final destination. You will have to pay airport tax before taking off; they will take US$ but charge you twice as much!
There's a really useful, timesaving and affordable flight from Tambolaka to Bima on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings for only 58,200Rp. Great for those who don't need/want to head back to Flores. It flies on to Mataram (182,300Rp) and Denpasar (226,300Rp) which means it's not cancelled too often.
Yogya has two railway stations instead of only one, and some trains only call at the second station (Lepuyangan) without stopping at the main station. People who do not know this will not recognize this second station as a Yogya station, and they will not know that they have to get off here. This happened to me, causing a nightly two hour delay, and I was lucky to be able to get off at Kutoarko and organize a seat on the Bima passing through in the opposite direction.
It is essential that you have an onward or return ticket when you want to go to the Philippines from Sulawesi. If you don't have one you will be refused at the border and sent back, with a huge fine to pay! It is possible to buy an onward ticket (from Manila) in Manado at Wina Mulia, Jalan Sarapung 5, but of course you won't get the best price. We bought a Manado-Davao ticket (Bouraq) for US$40 and a Manila-Bangkok ticket (Philippine Airlines) for US$230. It's all a rather complicated process but it works out in the end.
All ferries to Bintan Island, Indonesia now leave from the new terminal at Tanah Merah in Singapore.
Jakarta, to/from the airport: there is absolutely no need to take an expensive taxi into Jakarta. From Terminal D (non-Garuda international arrivals), stay upstairs (taxi touts aren't allowed there). Proceed to Gate 3 (ask at the information counters if you're lost), and then go downstairs where the bus to Gambir station leaves. A taxi costs around Rp28,000; the bus is Rp4,000.
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Dumoga Bone National Park can be quite dangerous as there is frequent fighting and burning of houses at Dumoga village. Many young drunk guys hold up cars and ask for money, if they don’t get it, they throw stones. The problem results from gold mining in that area.
Beware Nias island: I was warned prior to going to Nias to avoid the place like the plague unless you’re into surfing. In hindsight this was good advice. I heard stories of tourists being dragged off ferries by police and accused of carrying drugs and when none were found they were accused of already having consumed them. The fee (bribe) for not having the drugs is said to be 500,000 rupiah just to be left alone. Stories abound that Nationals work with the police to set tourists up to extort money. I saw Nationals throwing hire surf boards onto rocks at Sorake Beach to damage them and then demand payment for the damage from tourists.
Touts have a free run and annoy the shit out of you when they see a new face, even while you are in restaurants or in your room. I spoke with an American who had been asked to pay his bill and did so, only to find that the person asking and collecting was in no way associated with where he was staying. When settling my bill at the place I’d been staying it appeared to be excessive and on checking, I discovered I had been overcharged by 117,000 rupiah.
My advice is that Lagundri/Sorake is a great surf beach, but keep a close eye on your possessions, don’t carry any illicit drugs, don’t tell anyone when you’re leaving and if you hire a surf board go over it with a fine tooth comb to ensure there is no damage to it already and then don’t let it out of your sight because if there’s any damage to it, you’ll be paying. I have travelled extensively throughout South-East Asia and Nias is now my least favourite place in this area of the world.
Warning about boat trips sailing from Lombok, Gili Trawangan, Meno and Air to Flores: these are really dangerous. The boats are too small for the big waves and strong currents in the sea.
While in Tetebatu on Lombok we visited one of the local waterfalls called ‘Air Terjun Jukut’, also called ‘Jeruk Manis’. We were warned by the locals not to take anything with us but were not told for what reason. When we got to the waterfall, three local men ran at us with machetes, held them to our throats and stole our bags, wallets and cameras. It wasn’t a pleasant experience but we were OK and only lost material goods. Apparently this happens quite a lot up there and they can be quite aggressive with females.
The haze that shrouded Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia two years ago is back. The haze is caused by plantation and forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra. Up until now the PSI index is still below the hazardous level (in Singapore and Malaysia at least), but there is definitely a strong and irritating burning smell in the air. Concerned parties should check out the following Web site: www.gov.sg/metsin/home.html
Beware all travellers to Mount Rinjani, Lombok! On 6 August 1999, I hiked into the crater to camp beside the lake with my porter. I had met a Dutch guy and five other Indonesian travellers and was sure to camp near them as I was alone. At midnight, four mountain bandits started rustling my tent and the next thing I knew there was a machete slicing through it. I was lucky to be sleeping on the other side of the tent and not have my leg sliced open.
I managed to get out of the tent and run to my porter who sat with his sleeping bag over his head telling me to go away at which point I ran to the Dutch guy's tent. The Indonesian travellers would not let me into their tent as they were aware that the bandits were probably after foreigners' money and were hiding the Dutch guy. The bandits ran over to me upon not finding my money belt in my tent or bag and started to pull my clothes off. Eventually they found my money belt and thankfully handed my passport, ticket, visa card and a travellers’ cheque back. They did get away with about A$300 and my gold ring, which they threatened to cut off my finger for. They also took my bag, clothes and food.
I am quite sure that if these Indonesian travellers had not been there, I would have been raped and murdered. Worse still, after talking to several local guides, I have discovered that this happens regularly - not just thieving, but injuring and threatening people's lives. Just a couple of weeks before, ten foreigners were camping at RIM I above Senaru and so the thieves just increase their numbers to ten people with ten machetes. The Indonesian travellers tell me that the worst thing you can do is fight back, become aggressive or volatile. That is what makes the thieves panic and become dangerous.
I have also since found out that my porter was probably involved. I am absolutely convinced it was a conspiracy, but at the risk of incriminating innocent people, can only warn people to be absolutely careful. I am still awaiting news from the local police who had an appointed interview with my porter who did not show. The police feel that the bandits were from the closer of the two towns, Sembalum, so avoiding Senaru will not mean you are safe. I have also heard of attacks at RIM II, the base camp used by Sembalum departers as well.
Sibolga (aka Land of the Scam): all travellers should be given a stern warning about this town. It is a most dreadful place, filled with con-men, aggressive touts and outright liars. Unless you take a Pelni ship, you end up going through Sibolga to get to Nias Island and a lot of people in Sibolga make their living preying on tourists who are heading for this island. Every, and I mean EVERY traveller I met on Nias had been threatened with physical violence in this town or had stuff ripped off. This place gets my vote for the most hideous town in all of Asia.
A word from an expat Kuta resident with a warning about money changing. I suppose it’s just a sign of the economic times in Indonesia, but money-changer rip-offs are really getting chronic. Every trick from the rigged calculator to blatant theft seems to be standard practice for the Kuta boys. My advice: got to a bank. Although it may have a lower rate, the dodgy arithmetic will be eliminated. It’s only a loss of around $2 to $3 in the end. If you do catch someone trying to work a fast one, don’t lose your cool (remember all that ‘saving face’ stuff). Just smile, pick up your cash or traveller’s cheques and walk out. They won’t try anything; they’re smart enough to know you caught them!
There are heaps of money changers in Kuta and elsewhere that offer really good rates but will rip you off. Be careful. Know how many rupiah you should get (many of the rates that appear to be really good on the boards outside won’t include commission, usually around 10%, so take this into account). Count the rupiah in front of them and don’t give it back to them to recount, or it’s highly likely some will disappear. Once you’ve double checked that you have received the correct amount, hand over the US dollars or whatever. If they start messing you about and not giving you the right amount the first time, leave with your cash. There will be another money changer next door. They tried this on with me but I saw what was happening. I met others who did not realise they’d been ripped off until they got back to the hotel, by which time it’s much too late.
We needed to change a US$100 note. Outside the changer’s office (in Kuta, Bali) was a board displaying not just the exchange rates but also the licence number of the dealer. The rate was 8999 to the dollar so I should have received 899,000 rupiah. It took a long time to assemble the money but eventually it was set in piles on the table in front of me. Back at our guesthouse, I recounted the money - sure enough, we were some 90,000 rupiah short. The contents of one bundle had been removed by sleight of hand as the money was passed across the table to me. We went back to the dealer and threatened them with police action. To our surprise the dealer handed us back our $100. We then went down the street to another dealer and despite us both watching closely we found that, again, an amount of the money had been removed from the pile on handing it over (this time 200,000 rupiah).
Some money changers can and will try to rip you off on Bali. We travelled with some friends who have been coming here since the 70s and, in spite of their experience in these matters, were ripped off when changing money and lost a third. The first three money changers I went to tried to short-change me as well, and almost succeeded. Be very careful. They have techniques whereby you are distracted as you count all those hundred of thousands of rupiahs. Sometimes they recount as you are counting: they add more notes to yours - it can be very confusing, especially when arriving from another place and time zone. Do yourself a favour and change money at a bank or hotel.
Visting Indonesia now? Expats have been asked to leave by the end of April 1999. Most overseas missions (including the South-East Asian ones) have asked their citizens to leave Indonesia by this time as a precautionary measure. This is in view of the coming Indonesian elections. Campaigning has already begun and there is concern that there may be accompanying disturbances by people out to create trouble for the government. Most travellers were also advised by their embassies to avoid travelling in the streets in small groups after dark. This is unfortunate because it is a great place to visit, even for the package tour traveller. LP clients may want to take this into consideration when planning a visit to Indonesia.
Monkeys on Lombok: a cautionary tale for anyone who is visiting Lombok in the near future. I just returned from a wonderful holiday there, staying at the Sheraton Sengiggi Beach (a beautiful, if expensive hotel). One day we hired a jeep and among other places visited Pusuk, and the Monkey Forest just north of the village. I got out of the car and happily fed two of the monkeys for quite some time, offering them bits of cereal bar, biscuits etc. It was so much fun I decided to head back there again two days before leaving the island (last Saturday). This time I had a load of chopped up apples, and was immediately surrounded by about 30 of the bloody things. As I backed off one of them ran at me and took a great chunk out of my leg - ouch. There was blood everywhere. Following an 'interesting' drive down the coast road back to Sengiggi, we contacted the clinic located in the Sheraton hotel. They bandaged the wound and said that everything would be OK - 'tourists get bitten all the time'. We asked about the risk of disease such as rabies or hepatitis but the Sheraton clinic said not to worry.
Back home two days later I checked on the Internet for rabies sites, and it turns out that while Bali is rabies-free, Lombok is a high risk area. In addition, monkeys are notorious for being carriers of the disease. Shit ... so I then went through the worst eight hours of my life, arranging vaccines and HRIG (Human Rabies Immuno Globin) to be couriered across London for my doctor to inject. These vaccines are supposed to be given on the day of the bite but by this time I was four days late so I am now at risk of developing the disease (which is almost always fatal). So all and all not a pleasant end to an otherwise great holiday.
So the lessons are: if you must feed the monkeys, wear jeans and long sleeves and don't turn your back on them; if you get bitten, seek medical attention immediately; if HRIG is not available on Lombok, go to Bali or even Singapore immediately; do not trust local medical advice - Lombok is definitely considered a rabies high risk area. Otherwise enjoy Lombok, it’s a beautiful place.
There is a scam at Lagundri Beach, Sumatra, where a local will walk along with a turtle. He will then approach tourists and start torturing the turtle. He will ask the tourists to give him 150,000 Rp to make him stop and let the poor animal go. Do not pay them any money if approached, as this will only encourage them to continue with this horrific practice.
Use of credit/debit cards in Indonesia: I was very careful with the use of my cards. They were never stolen or misplaced and not usually out of my sight. However, when my bank statements finally caught up with me, I found to my horror that some £2000 (or the equivalent in rupiah) had been spent without my knowledge and two of these transactions were over the counter bank withdrawals (which require a passport as proof of identity). I was led to believe that operators in Indonesia only need a name and card number and can create a duplicate card for fraudulent use. It is with thanks to Lloyds Bank Card Services that most of the money has now been refunded to my account. Be careful with your cards! And have someone check your statements regularly.
Java: One of our group contracted Dengue fever and was hospitalised for over a week. There were reports in the papers of it becoming extremely common all over Java, especially in March-April. It is just another reason to warn people to use their "Rid" (tropical strength insect repellent) and wear long pants.
In Bukit Lawang I would strongly urge lone female travellers to stay towards the village end of the place as opposed to the Jungle Inn end. I was there in August and made the mistake of staying at Queen’s Resort. There were virtually no tourists at this end of town and I experienced great problems with a stalker - this made me so nervous I couldn’t sleep for two nights.
Around noon on New Year's Eve 1998, an Australian family was ambushed by knife-wielding bandits wearing balaclavas at Jeruk Manis waterfall near the south-west entrance to Mt Rinjani National Park about six km from the tourist village of Tetebatu, Lombok. The picturesque waterfall is situated in a narrow canyon which offers cover for thieves and no escape for victims. A regular armed robbery scam against unsuspecting tourists operates openly in the region.
Rip offs on buses are also a problem on the Yogya-Bali overnighters. I had my camera chained through the zips to the seat in front and someone still managed to bust the zips - luckily I woke up.
Bali warning: I saw a girl walking along the street get her bag snatched by a guy speeding past on a motorcycle. She was pulled onto the busy road. Always hold your bag tightly to the side that's not next to the road. Also watch out for pickpockets and watch stealers outside Bali bars and clubs who prey on drunk, unaware tourists.
Monkeys on Lombok: just a warning for anyone who is going to Lombok for a holiday - do not feed the monkeys in the monkey forest near Sengiggi. One took a dislike to me and took a bite from my leg (I ended up in hospital for a week - it was not a fun experience, and I now have a huge scar). Lombok is a great destination - the people are very friendly, but not the monkeys! We were with some locals who thought that feeding the monkeys was an OK thing to do ... but give them a miss.
A warning for all those arriving at Jakarta's Sukarno-Hatta airport or using taxis elsewhere in Jakarta. Taxis have become a favourite place for muggings in Jakarta. Typically, the driver will 'break down' at a pre-determined place and his accomplices will storm the taxi and mug/rape/murder the passenger. Bluebird taxis (along with a few subsidiary firms like Gamya) are the best and safest in Jakarta and are run very strictly.
Several Singaporeans returning from the resort island of Bintan in Riau have recently died of malaria. Anti-malaria drugs are highly recommended.
I live in Indonesia and I hear of a rapidly increasing number of bad experiences in taxis in Jakarta, even for locals. Apart from the usual problems of fares and taxi meters, robbery is now becoming more frequent. If arriving at the airport in Jakarta, from arrivals, go to the Silver Bird taxi stand who have high quality cars, with reliable drivers and with meters which are now the same price as the disreputable ones outside. Expect 35,000 IDR plus tip to the city centre. In Jakarta, use Bluebird taxis and avoid others.
I was just in Tumpang in East Java, where there were mobs of implement wielding people lining the roads. They mean foreigners no harm; just be careful and don't do anything stupid. Remember to smile - always the key in Javanese society - bring identification, and don't dress all in black.
There is a high incidence of theft on Rinjani mountain.
There is a scam operating on the long haul bus rides from Java to Denpasar. My friend and I caught a luxury overnight bus thinking it was safe. In the early evening, one of the passengers said it would be more comfortable for us to separate and have a seat each in order to sleep better. I thought he was just being kind, but the next morning we woke up only to find that all of our money and travellers' cheques had been stolen; someone had gone through our bags whilst we were asleep. Thus, the rule is: don't separate on buses and take it in turn to keep watch.
Be careful when travelling on public buses in Flores: I had two thefts from my backpack on the roof of a local bus en route to Ende from Maumere and Moni.
Beware of touts at the bus station in Probolinggo. Two very pleasant and friendly men pretended to help us organise our bus tickets and escorted us hurriedy on to the bus, assuring us that tickets were cheaper if purchased directly on the vehicle and not at the station. Once on the bus they quickly took control and ordered our tickets from the ticket seller on board. They received the tickets from the seller and then demanded a very inflated price (about triple the regular fare we later found out) from us. Of course, after the exchange was complete, they hopped off, presumably to find their next victims.
In Sumatra, we saw boys going through the dustbin of an ATM machine looking for receipts (because account numbers are printed on them). So keep the receipt, or burn it - don't throw it in the dustbin near the money machine at the bank.
I have been backwards and forwards to Indonesia for the past two and a half years. Much of my time has been spent on the Gili Islands, off the coast of Lombok. During my time, I have encountered a rise in violent episodes, particularly between the young guys and female tourists. I myself have been subjected to being kicked quite severely and slapped. During my last trip, I met several travellers who had experienced similar problems, particularly on Gili Air and Gili Trawangan. For the most part, the situations arise over money and unfortunately, such incidents appear to be on the increase.
For anyone thinking of heading to the northern coast of Bali in the months of July and August, be careful in the water off the coast of Permuteran. July and August tend to bring strong coastal winds that blow literally thousands of Portuguese man-o-war towards the coast and on to the beach. These are incredibly poisonous and even if you remain alert in the water, the risk of getting stung is still high as the tentacles trail up to two metres from the floating sail. They are about 5 to 8cm in length and clear in colour with a blueish-purple hue.
The Lonely Planet mentions not to stop for any reason if someone flags you down in Bali. I heard this story at least five times when I was there in July 1998. It seems to be particularly common in the Gunung Batur, north coast area. It goes something like this: you get flagged down by someone telling you that your rear passenger side wheel is loose (most jeeps' steering feels pretty dodgy so this is plausible!) While your friend kindly tightens the nuts, his pal is around the other side clamping the fuel line. You get back in and can't understand why all of a sudden the car won't start. He'll offer to fix this too. Of course, he'll do a grand job of fixing it and it will cost you normally around $30. Don't be fooled. If you do stop, make sure you know where the fuel line is to check for the clamp (under the wheel arch, driver's side, rear).
Ubud's various dances are good, but note that entrance prices have been rising. People on the street are often selling tickets at the old price and you have to pay the difference at the door (could be two to three times as much as you were led to believe). It never makes for a good scene so it would be worthwhile to check ahead of time. Tourist information would be a good place.
Be careful in Bali when using debit/credit cards at ATM machines. I was nearly ripped off for
1,500,000 rupiah by Bankbali ATMs. It seems the bank's computers in Jakarta set some ATMs to refuse you your requested amount, and then debit your account anyway. It was lucky I kept all of my receipts from the machines so that I was able to claim back my losses from the reluctant bank. The moral to this story is to keep those receipts!
I recently lost my boyfriend (aged 26). He drowned right in front of our resort hotel Jayakarta, Legian, Bali. He was the fourth person to drown in five days. He was a surfer, body builder and an excellent swimmer. I want to warn all other travellers about the dangers of the sea in Bali, as there are no warning signs on the beaches.
Possible dangers in Sibolga, Sumatra: we were very nastily robbed by the crew of one of the Sibolga-Nias boats last September. We subsequently read in a travellers tip book in Berastagi of two other incidents on the Sibolga Boats. My advice, particularly in the current climate, is to fly to Nias or take the Super Jumbo (four hours) which I believe leaves once a week on Saturday. One should also be wary in Sibolga itself - we met a lone French girl who had just been robbed in the street.
Tuktuk, Lake Toba, Sumatra: several of the hotel restaurants were reusing straws, in some cases without even washing them. It might be an idea to break and tie a knot in your straw after use, like I did.
One word of warning (on climbing Gunung Agung, Bali): look out for the occasional falling rocks. I managed to acquire a large gash in my head, and consider myself quite lucky, since if I hadn't been wearing a thick woolly hat, or if the falling rock hadn't been pumice, and hence relatively light, I think I would have suffered more than a bit of blood and a headache for a day.
I recently returned from a trip to Indonesia, and wanted to warn other travellers going there about taking the boat trips to see Krakatoa. I hired a boat from Cerita, and after reading the guidebook, arranged for life jackets and a radio to be on the boat in case of problems. I paid extra for these items. However, the boat did break down about an hour from shore, and it transpired that not only were there insufficient life jackets and no radio, but there were not even any lights on board with which we could signal for help. Anchor was eventually laid, and we waited eight hours to be rescued in the middle of the night by a fishing boat. The 'tour operators' had made no attempt to search for us, even though there were speed boats available.
Caution: travel companies make you pay at the bus station for a fare up to Bromo. They put you on the bus with no ticket then half way up the mountain the driver asks for the fare. Make sure you get a ticket or a receipt for the money you paid.
Mark Donohue, Australia (Oct 99)
Oliver Palyart, France (Oct 99)
It's printed in the travel agents visa booklet, but when I got him to check with the Indo Consulate, they told him it had been withdrawn. Apparently it was available up until last year?
Michael, The Thorn Tree (Jan 99)
Aaron & Vanessa Petty, Papua New Guinea (Dec 98)
William, Thorn Tree (Dec 98)
Steve Lueke, USA (Nov 98)
Sophy D'Angelo, UK (Apr 98)
Carl Davies, New Zealand (Oct 99)
Trevor Skingle, United Kingdom (Oct 99)
Frederic Boulier (Aug 99)
Dan Stewart (Aug 99)
Dewey Vanderhoff, USA (Jul 99)
Gunter Quaisser, Germany (Jul 99)
Paul Croucher & Fiona Ross (Jul 99)
Will Vandervelde, Canada (Jun 99)
Nerida Phelan, Australia (Jun 99)
Tom Hamill, USA (Apr 99)
Iain Ferguson, Australia (Mar 99)
Caoimhe McCabe, Australia (Mar 99)
The Denpasar bird market is worth visiting if you’re into birds, monkeys, chooks, etc. It has a very wide variety of species from Indonesia and beyond.
Marion Massam, Australia (Mar 99)
Steve Mabey, Netherlands (no date)
Tjeerd Stevens (Mar 99)
Marie Lesaicherre, Singapore (Feb 99)
Beth Brown, Canada (Feb 99)
Darja Tjioe, The Netherlands (Dec 98)
Peter Blumtritt, Indonesia (Dec 98)
Cassandra Perry, Australia (Dec 98)
Susanne Rose, Australia (Dec 98)
If you want to see manta rays, ask a dive operator in Sanur to take you to Manta Point on the east side of Nusa Perida. However, you need to go between 15 December and the end of February.
Lauren Bauer, USA (Dec 98)
For a day trip from Labuanbajo to look for dragons, Rinca is a better option than Komodo, as you are more likely to get there before they trot off for a siesta.
Singapore Airlines have moved their office from Sanur to Denpasar; they are now located in the Bank Bali building, located on the corner of Jl Diponegoro and Jl Dewi Sartika.
Dennis Collins, Australia (Dec 98)
Laszlo Wagner, Hungary (Dec 98)
Sarovara, Taiwan (Dec 98)
Ture Alsvik, Denmark (Nov 98)
Guido Faes, Belgium (Nov 98)
Lore Lindu National Park: Sedoa is the most northern city of Napu Valley and has naturally occurring hot water springs flowing just 20m from the road. There is a sign ('Air Panas') on the road showing the path.
Andrew Cossen & Mark Nussbaum, Australia (Nov 98)
There are two train stations in Yogyakarta. We accidentally dismounted the train at the wrong station, which is 4km outside the city centre.
Bukit Lawang (Sumatra): you definitely need a flashlight to walk around at night. This small village has very little in the way of electricity and the power often goes out. There are also very few lights on around the town at night, so getting back to your room can be difficult unless you have a torch handy.
Martin & Christina Semler, Canada (Oct 98)
Carol O'Gorman & Donal Kane (October 98)
Tamara Hewett, Australia (Oct 98)
Anders Madsen, Denmark (Oct 98)
Glen Ewers & Jessica Kerstjens (Sep 98)
Karin Stahel, New Zealand (Sep 98)
Buy your booties at home - there were none above size five or below size 11 in Kuta when I was there in August, and the second hand sellers want too much for what you get. When you take small boats or outriggers out to the reefs, pay one way in each direction only; if you pay your return price straight away you may well be waiting out in the sun a while longer than what you agreed with the boat driver. Don't wear green boardshorts. Just don't.
ear drops (especially if you surf or dive)
thermometer
a few clothes pegs
more sunscreen
more insect repellent
foam rubber mattress (cool for lying on on ferries)
a sheet to sleep under/on
pocket Indonesian phrase book
goggles and snorkel (almost all the surf breaks have amazing coral bottoms, with beautiful fish)
sting and bite lotion
cheap ball-point pens (give them to school teachers - the kids need them at the schools)
a few good books (there are book shops but half the books aren't in English and the rest are trashy novels)
Things I would leave at home next time:
sleeping bag
lace up shoes
jeans and long pants
t-shirts (I only wore short-sleeved shirts, unbuttoned due to the heat, for the entire month)
socks
Carl Warburg, South Africa (Sep 98)
Markus Ogilvie, Indonesia (no date)
Karen Goddard, Australia (Aug 98)
Michael Condran, USA (Jul 98)
Ron Miller, Canada (Jul 98)
Paul Holt, Australia (Jun 98)
Doug Muir, USA (Apr 98)
Before tourists decide on a (tourist) guide, it's a good idea to go to the police headquarters and ask for the Tourist Police - they have a black list of bad guides. This service is also available at the airport police office branch.
Stefan di Buciari (Mar 98)
Lynn & Michele Patterson, USA (Mar 98)
Greg Dare (Mar 98)
Simon Carr-Smith, Indonesia (Feb 98)
Lynn Garrett (Jan 98)
Malang; Bandung; Yogya; Semarang; Jakarta (this one is the worst of all: not enough terminals to cope with demand and very cramped).
Also Ubud, Bali has two privately run Webcafes: one in Jalan Raya, and 'Rodanet' in Jalan Bisma. Some business class hotels offer Internet services, but prices are high.
Marcel Kroes, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Theis Sølling, Denmark (Jul 99)
Linda Bürgen, Switzerland (Jun 99)
Marc Paelinck, The Netherlands (May 99)
Winston Bamford, Australia (May 99)
Elise van Vliet (May 99)
Chris (Feb 99)
Alex Riley, Indonesia (Dec 98)
Cassandra Perry, Australia (Dec 98)
Laszlo Wagner, Hungary (Dec 98)
Glen Ewers & Jessica Kerstjens (Sep 98)
J R Purey-Cust, New Zealand (Aug 98)
David Grieve, Australia (Apr 98)
Johan Verstraeten (Mar 98)
Kate Studd, UK (Nov 97)
Kate Studd, UK (Nov 97)
Omri Livny (Oct 99)
Katrin Weise, Germany (Sept 99)
Rob Hayes, United Kingdom (Sept 99)
Frederic Boulier (Aug 99)
Will Hall, USA (Jul 99)
Dewey Vanderhoff, USA (Jul 99)
Matt & Sonya Stover, USA (Jul 99)
Balikpapan: it is possible to fly to Manado from Balikpapan now (with Bouraq).
The Paradipta Darma boat to Mamoju in Sulawesi now leaves daily, not three times a week.
There is a Pelni boat to Toli Toli and Bitung (Manado) from Banjarmasin as well, which is a good way to go to northern Sulawesi (24 hours to Toli Toli and 36 hours to Bitung).
Gunter Quaisser, Germany (Jul 99)
Chalet Lynchet, Spain (Jun 99)
Steve Rhodes, Australia (Jun 99)
EPA Shipping Lines
Makar Wharf (near Negros shipping company office)
Tel: (083) 380 3591
The boats leave on Monday evening from GS and arrive on Wednesday in Bitung, Manado. To come from Indonesia, the boats leave on Saturday.
By the way, the boat between Davao and Manado does not exist any more.
Jerome Comment, Switzerland (Jun 99)
Linda Bürgen, Switzerland (Jun 99)
Karl Thaiss (no date)
Jo Lynch, Australia (May 99)
Winston Bamford, Australia (May 99)
The Sidongoli - Tobelo road is greatly improved resulting in a less than regular boat service from Tobelo to Ternate.
George Stevenson, England (May 99)
Kevin Meadowcroft, USA (Apr 99)
Yum Shoen Liang, Singapore (Apr 99)
Merpati is not computer interconnected. If you book flights from Denpasar to any destination (apart from Jakarta) and back, the Merpati office at the location you plan on flying back from will not know you hold tickets for that flight. It is imperative that you let Merpati know you have tickets for that flight and get on the list of travellers for that day. Even if you have tickets, you could still end up being number 36 on that list.
Tom Hamill, USA (Apr 99)
There are no flights any more between Vanimo and Sentani - the only route is by jet boat. The journey takes three hours in either direction. The boat is the MV Narimo Express although the ticket will probably say MV Libby II. The cost is around US$40 single, US$70 return, plus an agent's fee of around US$2.
Melvyn Maltz (Apr 99)
The Pelni from Maumere to Ujung Pandang only goes once every two weeks on a Friday night. We are on a limited time frame and after coming all the way over to Flores it doesn’t look like we can wait for the Pelni! We checked the other smaller port just out of town but the ships are all pretty small and it’s a bit of a risk as apparently the sea between Flores and Sulawesi can get pretty rough.
The Pelni ships no longer run from Ujung Pandang to Bali or Lombok. Cutbacks and all that crap have meant that they only run to Jakarta and Surabaya. However, a flight from Ujung Pandang to Denpasar only costs 555,000 rupiah, so it’s not so bad.
Nick Thompson, UK (Mar 99)
1. When hanging around Bira harbour waiting for the ferry ask the truck drivers and jeepers who might be delighted to take you under their wing to Benteng. Remember to offer payment.
2. Early on in the voyage sneak into ‘Kelas 1’. Someone will inevitably make your acquaintance. Use this as an opportunity to ask around for a ride into Benteng. Or just go in and start asking outright.
3. Try to locate the ‘UP - Selayer’ bus drivers while on board, or better still, at Bira harbour and ask if there are any free seats/standing room. If you’re lucky you’ll get something sorted.
4. If you’re adventurous like me, disembark quickly and start walking up the incline in time for the trucks, buses and jeeps to start rolling off, and try flagging them down. The sight of a poor stranded foreigner should be enough to stop someone. If you’re really lucky like I was, you’ll get a lift directly to the Berlian Hotel in Benteng in an air-con jeep driven by two Telecom engineers!
5. The only other option is to attempt to charter a bemo right at the top of the rise where a few unattended bemos sit and sizzle in the heat. Walking is out of the question as the journey to Benteng by jeep is an hour.
None of the above options is easy. Getting to Selayer is easy. Getting out of Pamatata is not. Don’t get stuck there - there is nothing but a couple of huts, a few fishing boats and very little shade.
Steve Mabey, Netherlands (no date)
Oliver & Sue Gillie (Feb 99)
Eveline Wu (Feb 99)
Magdelene Lim (Feb 99)
Dennis Billingham, Australia (Jan 99)
1. Try to catch buses from the terminals;
2. Always ascertain the fare from the licensed operator at the terminal if you can;
3. Contrary to myths, there is no extra charge for baggage (just look at the amount of goods the locals bring on the bus);
4. Stand up for the correct price, and report price discrimination to the operator at the end of the journey; and
5. In the event of any problems, take note of the licence plates of the bus.
Raymond Ang, Singapore (Jan 99)
Aaron & Vanessa Petty, Papua New Guinea (Dec 98)
Alex Riley, Indonesia (Dec 98)
Wendy Silva, UK (Dec 98)
Susanne Rose, Australia (Dec 98)
Lauren Bauer, USA (Dec 98)
Laszlo Wagner, Hungary (Dec 98)
Adam Stott, UK (Dec 98)
Harnam Sudan, UK (Dec 98)
Ture Alsvik, Denmark (Nov 98)
There is an overnight bus going from Palu to Ampana. The Palu-Poso stretch is undergoing a combination of landslides and road works; expect delays and disasters.
Andrew Cossen & Mark Nussbaum, Australia (Nov 98)
Martin & Christina Semler, Canada (Oct 98)
Glen Ewers & Jessica Kerstjens (Sep 98)
Henry Brownrigg, UK (Sep 98)
Michele & Tiziana Bindi, Italy (Sep 98)
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/rotsaert/pelstart.html
Johan, The Thorn Tree (Aug 98)
John & Margaret Northcote, Canada (Jul 98)
Dennis Billingham, Australia (Jul 98)
Doug Muir, USA (Apr 98)
Lennie Beattie, Australia (Apr 98)
Marinus Bergsma, The Netherlands (Mar 98)
Richard Pickvance (Feb 98)
Phil Tucker (Feb 98)
Brian Cogswell, USA (Feb 98)
Marcel Kroes, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Joris Postema & Kim den Boer, The Netherlands (Jan 98)
Ben Peacock, Japan (Dec 97)
Mike Wallace, Scotland (Nov 97)
Katrin Weise, Germany (Sept 99)
Anon, The Thorn Tree (Sep 99)
Jessica Kopsen, Sweden (Aug 99)
Samantha Kay, UK (Aug 99)
Thng Hui Hong, Singapore (Aug 99)
Sarah Downs, Australia (Aug 99)
Will Hall, USA (Jul 99)
Tim Birkett, Australia (Jul 99)
Beren Patterson, New Zealand (Jul 99)
Matt & Eileen Erskine, UK (Jul 99)
Robin Simenauer, New Zealand (Jun 99)
Yum Shoen Liang, Singapore (Apr 99)
Peter Nixon, The Thorn Tree (Apr 99)
Iain Ferguson, Australia (Mar 99)
Sue Masters, UK (Mar 99)
My overall observation of Yogyakarta is that it still appeared to be an exceptionally safe place to visit by present Indonesian standards.
Andrew Riseley, Australia (Mar 99)
Rachel Andrews, UK (Feb 99)
Karen Crawford, Graham Aubourg & Kate Aubourg, Australia (Jan 99)
In Sumatra we found the people incredible friendly and anxious to prove they are not all looters. Having said that, watch out for the gigolos and touts of Tuk Tuk at Lake Toba, they are getting more extreme.
In Medan women should watch out for young lads on motorcycles snatching bags off your shoulder.
Sumatra: I endorse what one traveller has said about eye and ear infections. At Iboih beach all the water comes from a well, which is contaminated by sewage - this appears to be the source of the problem. It is worth knowing that at Pulau We (and many other places in Indonesia) it is possible to buy 19 litre bottles of aqua - the ones used on water dispensers in offices.
Paul Bigland & Lynn O'Donoghue, UK (Feb 99)
Hannah Boehm, Australia (Feb 99)
Andrew, The Thorn Tree (Jan 99)
GT, Thorn Tree (Dec 98)
Thng Hui Hong (Dec 98)
John Reed, Indonesia (Dec 98)
Alex Riley, Indonesia (Dec 98)
Dennis Collins, Australia (Dec 98)
David Coleman (Dec 98)
Harnam Sudan, UK (Dec 98)
Martin & Christina Semler, Canada (Oct 98)
Marlies Havik (Sep 98)
Julie Mayhew, UK (Aug 98)
Jim Trotter (Aug 98)
John & Margaret Northcote, Canada (Jul 98)
Terry White (Jul 98)
Maxine Davis, Australia (Jul 98)
Simon Waters (Jun 98)
Stuart Anderson, UK (Jun 98)
Boyd Gilchrist, UK (Feb 98)
Louise Molodynski (Nov 97)
Darren Scott, New Zealand (Nov 97)
1999 (C) Cly-on ì úåøåîù úåéåëæä ìë