INDONESIA

INTRODUCTION TO INDONESIA

Geography: Indonesia is a land of mountains, coastal lowlands, and high plains. Indonesia’s tropical forest is the second largest in the world Brazil. Situates on the “Ring of Fire,” a crescent of volcanic formation which encircles the earth, Indonesia t has hundreds of volcanoes, continental shelves both Australia and Asia, and thus has flora and fauna characteristic of both.
Climate: Equatorial, but cooler in high lands. Temperature generally ranges from 20 to 32 degrees Celsius or 68 to 89 Fahrenheit. Humidity is from 60 % to 90 %. Wet season November –
April and dry season May – October.
Principal Islands: Sumatra, Java, Kalimantan (southern part of Borneo), Sulawesi and Iran Jaya (western part of New Guinea) and Bali.

Cities: Capital-Jakarta. Other major cities: Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Ujung Pandang, Semarang.

Population: 180 million, the world’s fifth most populous country, after the United States. More than 300 ethnic / linguistic groups represented.

Official Language: Bahasa Indonesia (a derivative of Malay). English as second language is thought in the school system and spoken in the major resort areas.Government: Unitary Republic with sovereignty in the People. President Soeharto is the head of state.
Health: International certificates of valid smallpox, cholera and yellow fever vaccinations required only for travelers coming from infected areas.

Time Zones: The Indonesia archipelago is spread over three time zones. Western Indonesia Standard Time, covering islands of Sumatra, Java-Madura, West Central Kalimantan; Central Indonesia standard time for East and south Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali, and Nusa Tenggara; and Eastern Indonesia Standard Time or Irian Jaya and the islands of Maluku. Each zone is one hour apart with Western Indonesia + 7 hour from GMT.

Clothing: Indonesia is largely Moslem, and therefore conservative in dress. Revealing attire is acceptable on the premises of resort – but should not be worn into town, temples, mosques or when attending ceremonial occasions. Because of the high humidity and tropical temperatures, synthetic are uncomfortable and natural fibers which breathe are preferable. Safari suit are popular for men, as are batik, shirt , both long and short sleeved.

TippingServices charges of 10 % are added to bills in most leading hotels and restaurants. Where not included, a tip of between 5 % of the bill would be appropriated, depending on service and establishment. An airport porter or hotel bellboy expect Rp. 2,000 per bag (depending on weight and size). Tip taxi driver Rp. 3000 - Rp.5000 or small change to the nearest Rp. 1000, hired cars, about 10 %.

VISA & CUSTOMS
Customs: on entry, per adult, two liters of alcohol, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco, and a reasonable amount of perfume. Cars, photographic equipment, typewriters, radios are admitted provided they are taken out on departure. These items must be declared to customs. No restriction on import or export of foreign currencies and travelers checks. However, the import or export of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp. 50.000 is prohibited.

Exit: Exit permit is required for person staying over six months. Airport departure tax levied for international flight is about US$5 and for domestic flight, about US$1.25.

Visa Requirements: Visa-free entry for two months for US and Canadian passport holders, as well as nationals of 26 other countries travelling as tourist.

The change in visa policy would be initially introduced on the first day of February for foreign visitors arriving by air in Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta (Central Java), Solo (Central Java), Lombok (NTT), Medan (Sumatra), Manado (North Sulawesi), and Padang (West Sumatra). On that same date, foreign visitors arriving by ship would experience the changed policy at the following ports: Batam, Sibolga, Belawan (North Sumatra), Jakarta, Surabaya and Jayapura (Papua).

11 Countries to Retain Visa Free Facility: Based on the strict application of reciprocity embraced by the new rules, the citizens of 11 countries whose governments extend visa free facility to Indonesian nationals would continue to enjoy visa-free stays. Included in the 11 countries and administrative districts to be granted the 30-day visa-free facility are: Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, the Philippines, Hongkong Special Administrative Region, Macao Special Administrative Region, Chile, Morocco, Peru and Vietnam.

Visa-On Arrivals for 20 Other Countries: The nationals of another 20 countries and one administrative district will be able to apply for a purchased visa on arrival valid for either 3 or 30 days upon arrival in Indonesia. In a service the Minister promised will only consume 7 minutes, visitors will be able to purchase a visa for a 3 day visit reportedly costing US$ 10 or US$ 25 for a 30 day visit.

The nations and districts eligible to purchase a visa on arrival are: the United States, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Denmark, the Arab Emirates, Finland, Hungary, United Kingdom, Italy, Japan, Germany, Canada, South Korea, Norway, France, Poland, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Taiwan.

Citizens of countries not on the visa on arrival or visa free lists will be required to apply for a visa before entering Indonesia.

Early reports are not clear on what procedures will apply for visitors wishing to stay more than 30 days making the wisest course for those visitors to apply for a visa beforehand with their nearest Indonesian Embassy or Consulate.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
Indonesia is one of the few countries in the world which offers a dedicated, satellite communications system, realizing an excellent quality of communication from the offices which offer direct links (e.g., Jakarta and Bali). However, Indonesia’s economy has grown so quickly that its telephone system overloaded and quite simply inadequate.

To remedy the situation, a major overhaul and expansion of the telephone system is already underway. In late 1990, the decision was made to award a massive $300 million project designed to introduce 325.000 new lines. Overall, the government has set a goat of 1.4 million phone lines by 1993.