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Travel and Tourism in Indonesia
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Indonesia.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+7 (12 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: Indonesia has three time zones
- Currency
- Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
- Climate
- The tropical climate varies with location, season, and altitude. Jakarta lies in the lowlands. Spanning the Equator, Indonesia experiences no real seasons. However, a wet season begins in November and lasts until March, followed by a dry season from April to October. Days and nights each last 12 hours. The tropical climate and rich soil support abundant flora and fauna. Mangrove swamps and marshes flourish along the coast; tropical rain forests cover most of the terrain up to 3,000 feet; and abundant subtropical vegetation, such as oak, pine, and hardwoods, thrives at higher altitudes. The abundant forest cover and favorable climate have stimulated a diverse animal life. Many endangered and unique animals, such as single”‘horn rhinoceroses, orangutans, saltwater crocodiles, Komodo "dragons," Sumatran tigers, giant monitor lizards, and anoa, the pygmy buffalo of Celebes, still find a home in Indonesia. Many species of snakes, insects, and birds abound.
- Language(s) Spoken
- The official language is Indonesian (a variety of Malay). However, some 300 other languages are also spoken in the country. One of them, Javanese is the most common with more than 70 million speakers. More than half the population speaks some Indonesian or Malay. Because Dutch was the official language until 1942, some older adults still speak it. English is the leading international language and is taught as a second language in the schools (after Indonesian). Ethnic languages are taught in special classes.
- Ethnic Groups
- Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%
- National Holiday
- Independence Day, 17 August (1945)
- Geographic Coordinates
- 5 00 S, 120 00 E
- Location
- Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
- Airports
- 661
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Bali: The Island of the Gods
No destination in Indonesia is more famous than Bali, and the island has earned its reputation many times over. Bali is the only Hindu-majority island in Indonesia, a fact that gives it a spiritual atmosphere unlike anywhere else in the archipelago. The island's approximately 4.4 million Balinese Hindus practice a form of religion that blends Hindu theology with Buddhist elements and deep currents of animism and ancestor worship that predate the arrival of Hinduism by thousands of years. The result is a spiritual culture of extraordinary richness and beauty, one that permeates every aspect of daily life.
The most visible expression of Balinese Hinduism is the system of daily offerings called canang sari. Every morning, Balinese women and girls prepare small palm-leaf trays woven into intricate shapes and filled with flowers, rice, incense, and small amounts of food. These offerings are placed at shrines throughout the home, at the entrance to businesses, at the base of significant trees, on temple steps, and at countless other locations.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
The general level of sanitation and health care in Indonesia is far below U.S. standards. Some routine medical care is available in all major cities, although most expatriates leave the country for all but the simplest medical procedures. Psychological and psychiatric services are limited throughout Indonesia. Medical procedures requiring hospitalization and/or medical evacuation to locations with acceptable medical care, such as Singapore, Australia, or the United States can cost thousands of dollars.