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Rica terraces in Bali, Indonesia

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Getting around in Indonesia

Air: 

Indonesia has a good internal air system linking most of the larger towns to Jakarta. Domestic operators include Garuda Indonesia (GA) (www.garuda-indonesia.com), AirAsia (QZ) (www.airasia.com), and Merpati Nusantara Airlines (MZ) (www.merpati.co.id).

Departure tax: 

Rp12,000-20,000 depending on airport of departure.

Road: 

Rickshaws include the motorised bajaj, which seats two passengers, with the driver in front; and the becak, which is pedal-powered by a rider sitting behind two passengers. However, the latter are banned from Jakarta city. Fares should be negotiated in advance. Motorcycles and bicycles can be hired; for motorcycles, an International Driving Permit is recommended and a helmet should be worn. Bemos and opelets are communal minibuses; fares should be negotiated in advance.. Chauffeur-driven cars are widely available and advisable as the standard of driving is poor.

Side of road: 
Left
Road quality: 

Nearly half of the road network is paved.

There are good road communications within Java and, to a lesser extent, on Bali and Sumatra.

The other islands have poor road systems.

Car hire: 

Available from a number of international and local companies.

Taxi: 

Widely available in cities and towns. Ojek (motorcycle taxis) are available in cities and towns and they congregate at road junctions. The driver should provide a helmet and you must agree on the fare before starting the journey.

Coach: 

Regulations: 

Speed limits are usually 30-40kph (19-25mph) on inner city streets, 60-70kph (37-43mph)on inter-city roads and 80-100 kph (50-62mph) on highways depending on the territory.

Documentation: 

An International Driving Permit is required.

Getting around towns and cities: 

Jakarta is the only city with an established conventional bus service of any size, and it has a comprehensive network. Elsewhere bemos (minibuses) are the main way to travel around.

Rail: 

The train operator in Indonesia is PT Kereta Api. There are three classes of travel, Eksecutif (Executive), Bisnis (Business) and Ekonomi (Economy), but first-class exists only on principal expresses. There is some air-conditioned accommodation. Children under three travel free in economy and business without taking a seat, and pay 10% of adult fare in executive class; children aged three to ten pay half fare in economy and business and full rate in executive.

In Sumatra, trains connect Belawan, Medan and Tanjong Balai/Rantu Prapet (two or three trains daily) in the north, and Palembang and Panjang (three trains daily) in the south, but are unreliable. An extensive rail network runs throughout Java. The modern, air-conditioned Argo Bromo Anggrek service, which is Eksecutif class only, with refreshments included, links Jakarta and Surabaya; it departs daily and nightly.

There are also other express services. Between Jakarta and Bandung there is a train every one to two hours, Eksecutif class (journey time - about 3 hours) and then twice-daily trains on to Surabaya.

By water: 

Main ports: Padang Bai and Benoa (Bali), Tanjung Priok (Jakarta), Belawan (Medan) and Sekupang (Batam).

PELNI (tel: (21) 633 4342; www.pelni.com), the state-owned shipping company, has good standard passenger liners serving all the main ports across the archipelago. ASDP (Kapal Ferry Cepat) operate fast boats on a small number of routes. Foreign cruise liners also operate on an irregular basis. Luxury cruise ships offer trips to various destinations, including the eastern islands (leaving from Bali).

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