Upon arrival and disembarking from the plane, one immediately notices the sudden rush of warm, wet air. Indonesia is a warm place. It has no spring, summer, fall, or winter, just two seasons: rainy and dry, both of which are relative (it still rains during the dry season, it just rains less). While there is significant regional variation, in most of the country (including Java and Bali) the dry season is April to October, while the wet season is November to March.
In highland cities/resort the temperature is somewhat cooler. In Papua island, there are snow covered peaks: Jayawijaya Mountains: Peak Trikora (Mt. Wilhelmina) - 4730 m. Sudirman Mountains: Peak Jaya (Mt. Carstensz) - 5030 m.
Time
Since the country is very large, Indonesia is divided into three time zones:
GMT +7: Western Indonesian Time (WIB) Sumatra, Java, West/Central Kalimantan.
GMT +8: Central Indonesian Time (WITA) Bali, South/East Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara.
GMT +9: Eastern Indonesian Time (WIT) Maluku Irian Jaya.
Visa
American can get a visa on arrival for US$10/25 at most common points of entry (Java, Bali, etc) Transit visa is 7 days maximum stay and Tourist visa is 30 days maximum stay.
Please be advised that Visa On Arrival may only be extended upon approval from the Director General of Immigration of the Republic of Indonesia in case of natural disaster, illness or accident, but cannot be transferred to another type of visa. Overstay visitors incur to pay a penalty of US$20.- per day/person (for under 60 days stay) whilst over 60 days stay will be a 5 (five) year prison sentence or a fine of IDR25.000.000 (local currency).
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR VISA ON ARRIVAL (VOA)
Passport must be valid for a minimum of 6 (six) months as from the date of entry into Indonesia.
Please note that these regulations do not apply for foreigners/expatriates (including members of their family) who are assigned/based in Indonesia.Visa is required and should be applied for before hand.
Changing money
Banks and money exchangers are widely available on Java, Bali and Lombok, but can be a major headache anywhere else, so load up with rupiah before heading off to any outer islands. Money exchangers are very picky about bill condition, pre-1999 dollar bills or imperfect bills (ripped, wrinkled, stained, etc) will often be rejected. Banks frequently won’t change any 1996 dollars. Counterfeit US dollars are a huge problem in the country and as a result the older your dollars are, the lower the exchange rate. You will get the highest exchange rate for dollars issued in 2001 or later and the exchange rate drops for 1999 and 1996 dollars. There are even different exchange rates according to the serial number for dollars from 1996. Banks and money exchangers on outer islands are sparse and frequently offer drastically reduced exchange rates of 10-20% or more.
In the reverse direction, moneychangers will be happy to turn your dirty Rupiah into spiffy dollars, but the spread is often considerable (10% is not unusual). Be very careful dealing with moneychangers, who are very adept at distracting your attention during the counting process and short-changing you as a result. As a precaution, consider bringing a friend along to watch over the transaction very carefully.
ATMs
ATMs are common in the larger cities on the islands of Java, Bali and Lombok and are generally reliable. They are non-existent on most other islands.
Credit Cards
Be careful when using credit cards, as cloning and fraud are a major problem in Indonesia. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, but American Express can be problematic. At smaller operations, surcharges of 2-5% over cash are common.
Eating by hand
In Indonesia eating with your hand (instead of utensils like forks and spoons) is very common. The basic idea is to use four fingers to pack a little ball of rice, which can then be dipped into sauces before you pop it in your mouth by pushing it with your thumb. There’s one basic rule of etiquette to observe: Use only your right hand, as the left hand is used to clean yourself in the bathroom. Don’t stick either hand into communal serving dishes: instead, use the left hand to serve yourself with utensils and then dig in. Needless to say, it’s wise to wash your hands well before and after eating.
Eating by hand is frowned on in some “classier” places. If you are provided with cutlery and nobody else around you seems to be doing it, then take the hint.
Indonesian Food
Rice is the basis of many Indonesian meals, seafood is also prominent in many dishes, and often restaurants offer a wide array of fresh seafood. There is a strong Chinese influence in many foods especially meat dishes in Indonesia. Pork is not commonly used in Indonesian cuisine due to the country’s population being largely Muslim. Indonesian food is generally rich in flavour and heavily spiced. Hot peppers feature in many dishes or as a condiment at many meals. Each province of Indonesia has its own cuisine some areas have a strong Chinese influence, others Dutch or Japanese, or a combination of the three. Javanese food is thought of as the most palatable.
Javanese cuisine uses a variety of fresh spices that give the dishes a wonderful aroma. Javanese cuisine consists of vegetables, chicken and fish with rice. Padang food originally from the Northern region of Sumatra, is severed in many restaurants throughout the archipelago. Nasi Padang is cold rice served with a variety of dishes mixed in one plate. Sumatrans tend to eat more beef than the other provinces of Indonesia. Fried rice and noodles are common as is satay and gado-gado, a dish that consists of bean sprouts, various vegetables and spicy peanut sauce, throughout Indonesia.
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