Indonesia

Gunkarta Gunawan Kartapranata - CC BY-SA 3.0 Cakhairia - CC BY-SA 3.0 monica renata from jakarta - CC BY 2.0 PHGCOM - CC BY-SA 3.0 William Cho - CC BY-SA 2.0 User: (WT-shared) Shoestring at wts wikivoyage - Public domain Yves Picq http://veton.picq.fr - CC BY-SA 3.0 Lerdsuwa - CC BY-SA 3.0 frank wouters from antwerpen, belgium - CC BY 2.0 RaiyaniM - CC BY-SA 4.0 Charles J. Sharp - CC BY-SA 4.0 User: (WT-shared) Shoestring at wts wikivoyage - Public domain Bellabangsa23 - CC BY-SA 4.0 Bellabangsa23 - CC BY-SA 4.0 Aaron Rentfrew - CC BY-SA 4.0 Alfindra Primaldhi - CC BY 2.0 Kerildoank - CC BY-SA 4.0 monica renata from jakarta - CC BY 2.0 Ryan Gustiawan Putra - CC BY-SA 4.0 SOLOMONS, Thomas W.; FRYHLE, Craig B. - Public domain Bellabangsa23 - CC BY-SA 4.0 Thespacewanderer - CC BY-SA 4.0 MajaK. - CC BY 3.0 chensiyuan - CC BY-SA 4.0 Muhyiddin - CC BY-SA 4.0 Thespacewanderer - CC BY-SA 4.0 Dimas H (WMID) - CC BY-SA 4.0 Bellabangsa23 - CC BY-SA 4.0 Riza Nugraha ? from Utrecht, The Netherlands - CC BY 2.0 LukeTriton - CC BY-SA 4.0 Thespacewanderer - CC BY-SA 4.0 Official Website of Pariaman Indonesia's Regency - Public domain William Cho - CC BY-SA 2.0 Gunawan Kartapranata - CC BY-SA 3.0 Thespacewanderer - CC BY-SA 4.0 User: (WT-shared) Shoestring at wts wikivoyage - Public domain RaiyaniM - CC BY-SA 4.0 Bellabangsa23 - CC BY-SA 4.0 Riza Nugraha ? from Utrecht, The Netherlands - CC BY 2.0 TropicaLiving - CC BY-SA 3.0 Kerildoank - CC BY-SA 4.0 Gunawan Kartapranata - CC BY-SA 3.0 Gunawan Kartapranata - CC BY-SA 3.0 Lyonerov - CC BY-SA 4.0 Muhyiddin - CC BY-SA 4.0 No machine-readable author provided. Jayapura assumed (based on copyright claims). - CC BY-SA 2.5 Yon illahi - CC BY-SA 4.0 monica renata from jakarta - CC BY 2.0 PL09Puryono - CC0 MichaelJLowe - CC BY-SA 2.5 Gunawan Kartapranata - CC BY-SA 3.0 Kerildoank - CC BY-SA 4.0 No images

Context of Indonesia

 

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With around 280 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

As the world's third largest democracy, Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature. It has 38 provinces, of which nine have special status. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern pa...Read more

 

Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. Indonesia is the world's largest archipelagic state and the 14th-largest country by area, at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles). With around 280 million people, Indonesia is the world's fourth-most populous country and the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world's most populous island, is home to more than half of the country's population.

As the world's third largest democracy, Indonesia is a presidential republic with an elected legislature. It has 38 provinces, of which nine have special status. The country's capital, Jakarta, is the world's second-most populous urban area. Indonesia shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern part of Malaysia, as well as maritime borders with Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India. Despite its large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of wilderness that support one of the world's highest level of biodiversity.

The Indonesian archipelago has been a valuable region for trade since at least the seventh century, when the Srivijaya Kingdom formed trade links with China. Indonesian history has been influenced by foreign powers drawn to its natural resources. Under Indian influence, Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms flourished from the early centuries CE. Muslim traders later brought Islam, and European powers fought one another to monopolise trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Following three and a half centuries of Dutch colonialism, Indonesia secured its independence after World War II. Indonesia's history has since been turbulent, with challenges posed by natural disasters, corruption, separatism, a democratisation process, and periods of rapid economic change.

Indonesia consists of thousands of distinct native ethnic and hundreds of linguistic groups, with Javanese being the largest. A shared identity has developed with the motto "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), defined by a national language, cultural diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. The economy of Indonesia is the world's 16th-largest by nominal GDP and the 7th-largest by PPP. It is a regional power and is considered a middle power in global affairs. The country is a member of several multilateral organisations, including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, G20, and a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, East Asia Summit, D-8 and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

More about Indonesia

Basic information
  • Currency Indonesian rupiah
  • Native name Indonesia
  • Calling code +62
  • Internet domain .id
  • Mains voltage 230V/50Hz
  • Democracy index 6.3
Population, Area & Driving side
  • Population 270203917
  • Area 1904570
  • Driving side left
History
  •  
    Early history
     
     
    A Borobudur ship carved on Borobudur temple, c. 800 CE. Outrigger boats from the archipelago may have made trade voyages to the east coast of Africa as early as the 1st century CE.[1]

    Fossilised remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago.[2][3][4] Homo sapiens reached the region around 43,000 BCE.[5] Austronesian peoples, who form the majority of the modern population, migrated to Southeast Asia from what is now Taiwan. They arrived in the archipelago around 2,000 BCE and confined the native Melanesians to the far eastern regions as they spread east.[6] Ideal agricultural conditions and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the eighth century BCE[7] allowed villages, towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the first century CE....Read more

     
    Early history
     
     
    A Borobudur ship carved on Borobudur temple, c. 800 CE. Outrigger boats from the archipelago may have made trade voyages to the east coast of Africa as early as the 1st century CE.[1]

    Fossilised remains of Homo erectus, popularly known as the "Java Man", suggest the Indonesian archipelago was inhabited two million to 500,000 years ago.[2][3][4] Homo sapiens reached the region around 43,000 BCE.[5] Austronesian peoples, who form the majority of the modern population, migrated to Southeast Asia from what is now Taiwan. They arrived in the archipelago around 2,000 BCE and confined the native Melanesians to the far eastern regions as they spread east.[6] Ideal agricultural conditions and the mastering of wet-field rice cultivation as early as the eighth century BCE[7] allowed villages, towns, and small kingdoms to flourish by the first century CE. The archipelago's strategic sea-lane position fostered inter-island and international trade, including with Indian kingdoms and Chinese dynasties, from several centuries BCE.[8] Trade has since fundamentally shaped Indonesian history.[9][10]

    From the seventh century CE, the Srivijaya naval kingdom flourished due to trade and the influences of Hinduism and Buddhism.[11][12] At that time, ancient Indonesian sailors had made long voyages to Madagascar and East Africa.[13] Between the eighth and tenth centuries CE, the agricultural Buddhist Sailendra and Hindu Mataram dynasties thrived and declined in inland Java, leaving grand religious monuments such as Sailendra's Borobudur and Mataram's Prambanan. The Hindu Majapahit kingdom was founded in eastern Java in the late 13th century, and under Gajah Mada, its influence stretched over much of present-day Indonesia. This period is often referred to as a "Golden Age" in Indonesian history.[14]

    The earliest evidence of Islamized populations in the archipelago dates to the 13th century in northern Sumatra.[15] Other parts of the archipelago gradually adopted Islam, and it was the dominant religion in Java and Sumatra by the end of the 16th century. For the most part, Islam overlaid and mixed with existing cultural and religious influences, which shaped the predominant form of Islam in Indonesia, particularly in Java.[16]

    Colonial era
     
     
    The submission of Prince Diponegoro to General De Kock at the end of the Java War in 1830

    The first Europeans arrived in the archipelago in 1512, when Portuguese traders, led by Francisco Serrão, sought to monopolise the sources of nutmeg, cloves, and cubeb pepper in the Maluku Islands.[17] Dutch and British traders followed. In 1602, the Dutch established the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and became the dominant European power for almost 200 years. The VOC was dissolved in 1799 following bankruptcy, and the Netherlands established the Dutch East Indies as a nationalised colony.[18]

    For most of the colonial period, Dutch control over the archipelago was tenuous. Dutch forces were engaged continuously in quelling rebellions both on and off Java. The influence of local leaders such as Prince Diponegoro in central Java, Imam Bonjol in central Sumatra, Pattimura in Maluku, and the bloody 30-year war in Aceh weakened the Dutch and tied up the colonial military forces.[19][20][21] Only in the early 20th century did Dutch dominance extend to what was to become Indonesia's current boundaries.[21][22][23][24]

    The Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation during World War II ended Dutch rule[25][26][27] and encouraged the previously suppressed independence movement.[28] Two days after the surrender of Japan in August 1945, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, influential nationalist leaders, proclaimed Indonesian independence and were appointed president and vice-president, respectively.[29][30][31][29]

    The Netherlands attempted to re-establish their rule, and a bitter armed and diplomatic struggle ended in December 1949 when the Dutch formally recognised Indonesian independence in the face of international pressure.[32][31] Despite extraordinary political, social, and sectarian divisions, Indonesians, on the whole, found unity in their fight for independence.[33][34]

    Post-World War II
     
     
    Sukarno (left) and Hatta (right), Indonesia's founding fathers and the first President and Vice President respectively

    As president, Sukarno moved Indonesia from democracy towards authoritarianism and maintained power by balancing the opposing forces of the military, political Islam, and the increasingly powerful Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI).[35] Tensions between the military and the PKI culminated in an attempted coup in 1965. The army, led by Major General Suharto, countered by instigating a violent anti-communist purge that killed between 500,000 and one million people and incarcerated roughly a million more in concentration camps.[36][37][38][39] The PKI was blamed for the coup and effectively destroyed.[40][41][42] Suharto capitalised on Sukarno's weakened position, and following a drawn-out power play with Sukarno, Suharto was appointed president in March 1968. His "New Order" administration,[43] supported by the United States,[44][45][46] encouraged foreign direct investment,[47][48][49] which was a crucial factor in the subsequent three decades of substantial economic growth.

    Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the 1997 Asian financial crisis.[50] It brought out popular discontent with the New Order's corruption and suppression of political opposition and ultimately ended Suharto's presidency.[25][51][52][53] In 1999, East Timor seceded from Indonesia, following its 1975 invasion by Indonesia[54] and a 25-year occupation marked by international condemnation of human rights abuses.[55]

    Since 1998, democratic processes have been strengthened by enhancing regional autonomy and instituting the country's first direct presidential election in 2004.[56] Political, economic and social instability, corruption, and instances of terrorism remained problems in the 2000s; however, the economy has performed strongly in the last 15 years. Although relations among the diverse population are mostly harmonious, acute sectarian discontent and violence remain problematic in some areas.[57] A political settlement to an armed separatist conflict in Aceh was achieved in 2005.[58]

    ^ Brown, Colin (2003). A short history of Indonesia: the unlikely nation?. Allen & Unwin. p. 13. ISBN 978-1-86508-838-9. ^ Pope, G.G. (1988). "Recent advances in far eastern paleoanthropology". Annual Review of Anthropology. 17: 43–77. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.17.100188.000355. cited in Whitten, T.; Soeriaatmadja, R.E.; Suraya, A.A. (1996). The Ecology of Java and Bali. Hong Kong: Periplus Editions. pp. 309–412. ^ Pope, G.G. (1983). "Evidence on the age of the Asian Hominidae". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 80 (16): 4988–4992. Bibcode:1983PNAS...80.4988P. doi:10.1073/pnas.80.16.4988. PMC 384173. PMID 6410399. ^ de Vos, J.P.; Sondaar, P.Y. (1994). "Dating hominid sites in Indonesia". Science. 266 (16): 4988–4992. Bibcode:1994Sci...266.1726D. doi:10.1126/science.7992059. ^ Gugliotta, Guy (July 2008). "The Great Human Migration". Smithsonian Maganize. Retrieved 21 August 2011. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 5–7. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 8–9. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 15–18. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 3, 9–11, 13–15, 18–20, 22–23. ^ Vickers 2005, pp. 18–20, 60, 133–134. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 22–26. ^ Ricklefs 1991, p. 3. ^ Murray P. Cox; Michael G. Nelson; Meryanne K. Tumonggor; François-X. Ricaut; Herawati Sudoyo (21 March 2012). "A small cohort of Island Southeast Asian women founded Madagascar". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 279 (1739): 2761–2768. doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.0012. PMC 3367776. PMID 22438500. ^ Lewis, Peter (1982). "The next great empire". Futures. 14 (1): 47–61. doi:10.1016/0016-3287(82)90071-4. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 3–14. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 12–14. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 22–24. ^ Ricklefs 1991, p. 24. ^ Schwarz 1994, pp. 3–4. ^ Ricklefs 1991, p. 142. ^ a b Friend 2003, p. 21. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 61–147. ^ Taylor 2003, pp. 209–278. ^ Vickers 2005, pp. 10–14. ^ a b Ricklefs 1991, p. [page needed]. ^ Gert Oostindie; Bert Paasman (1998). "Dutch Attitudes towards Colonial Empires, Indigenous Cultures, and Slaves" (PDF). Eighteenth-Century Studies. 31 (3): 349–355. doi:10.1353/ecs.1998.0021. hdl:20.500.11755/c467167b-2084-413c-a3c7-f390f9b3a092. S2CID 161921454. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2017. ^ "Indonesia: World War II and the Struggle for Independence, 1942–50; The Japanese Occupation, 1942–45". Library of Congress. November 1992. Archived from the original on 21 August 2013. Retrieved 11 February 2013. ^ Robert Elson, The idea of Indonesia: A history (2008) pp 1–12 ^ a b Taylor 2003, p. 325. ^ H. J. Van Mook (1949). "Indonesia". Royal Institute of International Affairs. 25 (3): 274–285. doi:10.2307/3016666. JSTOR 3016666. ^ a b Charles Bidien (5 December 1945). "Independence the Issue". Far Eastern Survey. 14 (24): 345–348. doi:10.2307/3023219. JSTOR 3023219. ^ Friend 2003, p. 35. ^ Friend 2003, pp. 21, 23. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 211–213. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 237–280. ^ Melvin 2018, p. 1. ^ Robinson 2018, p. 3. ^ Robert Cribb (2002). "Unresolved Problems in the Indonesian Killings of 1965–1966". Asian Survey. 42 (4): 550–563. doi:10.1525/as.2002.42.4.550. S2CID 145646994.; "Indonesia massacres: Declassified US files shed new light". BBC. 17 October 2017. Archived from the original on 31 May 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2018. ^ Bevins 2020, pp. 168, 185. ^ Friend 2003, pp. 107–109. ^ Chris Hilton (writer and director) (2001). Shadowplay (Television documentary). Vagabond Films and Hilton Cordell Productions. ^ Ricklefs 1991, pp. 280–283, 284, 287–290. ^ John D. Legge (1968). "General Suharto's New Order". Royal Institute of International Affairs. 44 (1): 40–47. doi:10.2307/2613527. JSTOR 2613527. ^ Melvin 2018, pp. 9–10. ^ Vickers 2005, p. 163. ^ David Slater, Geopolitics and the Post-Colonial: Rethinking North–South Relations, London: Blackwell, p. 70 ^ Farid, Hilmar (2005). "Indonesia's original sin: mass killings and capitalist expansion, 1965–66". Inter-Asia Cultural Studies. 6 (1): 3–16. doi:10.1080/1462394042000326879. S2CID 145130614. ^ Robinson 2018, p. 206. ^ Bevins 2020, pp. 167–168. ^ Delhaise, Philippe F. (1998). Asia in Crisis: The Implosion of the Banking and Finance Systems. Willey. p. 123. ISBN 978-0-471-83450-2. ^ Vickers 2005, p. [page needed]. ^ Schwarz 1994, p. [page needed]. ^ Jonathan Pincus; Rizal Ramli (1998). "Indonesia: from showcase to basket case". Cambridge Journal of Economics. 22 (6): 723–734. doi:10.1093/cje/22.6.723. ^ Burr, W. (6 December 2001). "East Timor Revisited, Ford, Kissinger, and the Indonesian Invasion, 1975–76". National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 62. Washington, DC: National Security Archive, The George Washington University. Archived from the original on 5 October 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2006. ^ "Situation of human rights in East Timor". Relief Web. 10 December 1999. Archived from the original on 20 November 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2019. ^ "The Carter Center 2004 Indonesia Election Report" (PDF). The Carter Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 June 2007. Retrieved 14 June 2007. ^ Harsono, Andreas (May 2019). Race, Islam and Power: Ethnic and Religious Violence in Post-Suharto Indonesia. Monash University Publishing. ISBN 978-1-925835-09-0. ^ "Indonesia signs Aceh peace deal". The Guardian. 15 August 2005. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
    Read less
Stay safe
  •  
    Stay safe
    Travel Warning  WARNING: Indonesia treats drug offences severely. The death penalty or life in prison is highly possible for those convicted of trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 5 grams of heroin, morphine, cocaine or 1 kilogram of cannabis or opium. But bringing any type of drugs that potentially causes addiction is essentially forbidden in any way as even a small usage of them will result in conviction, regardless of an accidental or deliberate act of carrying them into the country. Penalty for carrying below that amount can still result in up to 15 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rp15,000,000,000 (about 1 million US dollars). Attempts of bringing them have caused lengthy prosecution and shaming on national television at best, and capital punishment at worst.

    If a stranger asks you to bring some stuff on your way to Indonesia, even in exchange for money, do not accept, as you are most likely implicitly asked to transport drugs....Read more

     
    Stay safe
    Travel Warning  WARNING: Indonesia treats drug offences severely. The death penalty or life in prison is highly possible for those convicted of trafficking, manufacturing, importing or exporting more than 5 grams of heroin, morphine, cocaine or 1 kilogram of cannabis or opium. But bringing any type of drugs that potentially causes addiction is essentially forbidden in any way as even a small usage of them will result in conviction, regardless of an accidental or deliberate act of carrying them into the country. Penalty for carrying below that amount can still result in up to 15 years of imprisonment and/or a fine of up to Rp15,000,000,000 (about 1 million US dollars). Attempts of bringing them have caused lengthy prosecution and shaming on national television at best, and capital punishment at worst.

    If a stranger asks you to bring some stuff on your way to Indonesia, even in exchange for money, do not accept, as you are most likely implicitly asked to transport drugs. Point-of-entry securities have found cases of these drugs found in strange places, from luggage handle to disguised as sachets of cereal, and thus have vigilant eyes for suspicious activities. If you need to bring any necessary medicine that looks unconventional or included in the narcotics and psychotropics category in Indonesia, you are highly advised to bring a doctor's prescription that is translated to English.

     
     
    Mount Semeru, a popular tourist attraction in East Java, erupting in 2004

    Indonesia has been and continues to be wracked by every pestilence known to man: earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, terrorism, civil strife, plane crashes, kwashiorkor, and corruption make the headlines on a depressingly regular basis. However, it is important to retain a sense of proportion and remember Indonesia's vast size: a tsunami in Aceh will not cause the slightest ripple on the beaches of Bali, and street battles in troubled Central Sulawesi are irrelevant in the jungles of Papua.

    Unlike many other southeast Asian countries, scams are relatively unheard of in the less touristy areas, though be more cautious in Bali.

    Crime

    The crime rate has increased, but it remains mostly non-violent and guns are rare. Robbery, theft and pickpocketing are common in Indonesia, particularly in markets, public transport and pedestrian overpasses. Due to the increasing popularity of e-payment, criminals are switching to snatching smartphones BV rather than wallets and purses. Avoid flashing jewellery, gold watches, MP3 players or large cameras. Thieves have been known to snatch laptops and cellphones from Internet hotspot areas.

    Crime is rampant on local and long-distance public transport (buses, trains, ships). Do not accept drinks from strangers, as they may be laced with drugs. Choose your taxis carefully in cities (hotel taxis are often best), lock doors when inside and avoid using cellular phones, MP3 players, PDAs or laptops at traffic lights or in traffic jams.

    Do not place valuable items in checked baggage, as they may be stolen by baggage handlers. Do not leave valuable items in an empty hotel room, and use the hotel's safe deposit box instead of the in-room safe. Do not draw large amounts of cash from banks or ATMs. Guard your belongings carefully and consider carrying a money clip instead of a wallet.

    There are incidences of cards being skimmed or cloned at ATMs. 'Gallery ATMs' are where there are a number of ATMs in one room, often attached to larger branch of a bank. They sometimes have a security guard on duty, so there is a lower chance of someone being able to install a card skimmer into a machine. Cover your hand when entering the PIN. Pretty much all Indonesian ATM booths have a CCTV camera, supposedly for customer security, but who knows? If your card has a chip, there's a much lower chance of trouble.

    Corruption

    Indonesia is notorious for corruption. Officials may ask for uang suap (bribes), tips or "gifts" — the Indonesian terms are uang kopi or uang rokok, literally "coffee money" and "cigarette money" — to supplement their meager salaries; pretending you do not understand may work. Some officials have been known to ask for furniture or whatever your company sells, or adult films. Even members of the Department of Religion have been known to extort money from mixed-nationality newlyweds. Generally, being polite, smiling, asking for an official receipt for any 'fees' you are asked to pay, more politeness and more smiling, will avoid any problems. Keep your cool and be patient. If you feel you've been overcharged, be sure to write a polite letter of complaint or inquiry to the person's boss. Many expatriates have done so with positive results, including a formal apology and refund of money, and some offices will expedite matters in the future for you just to avoid any more loss of face. Also, if you are dealing with, say, Immigration or the Police, it is best to be aware of any laws that affect you and bring a photocopy with you. It is not uncommon for them to be unaware of the laws that directly affect them, or at least pretend to be, and some are so brazen as to thump a big book of laws down on the table and demand that you show them the law you are referring to.

    The going rate for paying your way out of small offences (not carrying your passport, losing the departure card, minor or imaginary traffic violation) is Rp50,000. It's common for police to initially demand silly amounts or threaten you with going to the station, but keep cool and they'll be more reasonable. If your taxi, bus or car driver is stopped, any fine or bribe is not your problem and it's best not to get involved. (If it's clear that the police were out of line, your driver certainly won't object if you compensate him afterwards though.)

    Giving one bribe can lead to a seemingly never-ending chain of demands, even if you were just giving a gift of thanks. Many government officials still feel it is their right to receive such money and feel not one lick of shame or guilt; they can be, in fact, outrageously brazen if you're on their hook. Just say no.

    Carrying identity documents on your person is important. However, it is recommended that if an official on the street asks for your passport, for example, you instead provide a photocopy. Some officials have been known to hold documents hostage to ensure compliance with what they want from you.

    Civil strife and terrorism

    Indonesia has a number of provinces where independence movements have resorted to armed struggles, notably Aceh and Papua. But in 2005, after the tsunami in 2004, Aceh agreed to be a special region of Indonesia under Sharia Law. In addition, sectarian strife between Sunnis and Shias or Ahmadiyyas, as well as between the indigenous population and transmigrants from Java/Madura, continues to occur in Maluku, central parts of Sulawesi. Elections in Indonesia frequently involve rowdy demonstrations that have on occasion spiralled into violence, and the Indonesian military has also been known to employ violent measures to control or disperse protesting crowds. Watch the latest news for updates if a conflict is erupting. In 2015, many areas do its general elections on the same day and reduce open campaigns due to efficiency cost, together it will low the tensions.

    Although most demonstrations and strife occur in Jakarta, provincial capitals and even smaller places aren't immune. In the event that you see them, avoid it and go to a different part of town or return to your hotel. Bali with Balinese tourist concern is always calmer than the other site of Indonesia.

    While the great majority of civil strife in Indonesia is a strictly local affair, terrorist bombings targeting Western interests have also taken place in Bali and Jakarta, most notably the 2002 bombing in Kuta that killed 202 people, including 161 tourists as well as the Australian embassy and the J.W. Marriott hotel has been bombed twice. Bombings of non-tourist locations do happen, too, but low yield bombs are usually used. After 2002 bombing with about 1.2 tonnes explosive there are no heavy bombing anymore and individual bombing (sometimes without any relation with some certain groups) do bombing with only less than five kilograms low explosives and the target is not tourists anymore, but police or government places. To minimise your risk, avoid any tourist-oriented nightclub or restaurant without strong security measures in place.

    Nevertheless, you are far more likely to be killed in a traffic accident or due to a tropical disease than in some random terrorist attack in Indonesia, so while you should be prudent, there is no need to be paranoid.

    Drugs

    Visitors are greeted with cheery "Death to Drug Traffickers" signs at airports and offenders have received long jail terms for simple possession. In a high profile case, nine Australian heroin traffickers (known as the "Bali 9") were caught and two of them were executed while the other seven remain in prison. Other foreigners have already been executed for drug trafficking— but drugs are still widely available.

    The most common is marijuana (known as ganja, gele or cimeng), which is not only sold to tourists but is used as food in some parts of the country, notably Aceh. At some popular destinations, such as Kuta Beach, you may be offered drugs for sale repeatedly.

    Hard drugs are common in the nightlife scene, especially in Jakarta and Bali, but also elsewhere. Ecstasy, cocaine and crystal methamphetamine are widely available and dealt with equally harshly by the Indonesian police.

    Magic mushrooms are advertised openly in parts of Bali and Lombok and although the Indonesian legal position on these is unclear, purchase and consumption is unwise.

    It's highly advisable to steer well clear, as entrapment and drug busts are common and you really, really don't want to get involved with the Indonesian justice system; thanks to the anti-corruption drive, you cannot count on being able to bribe your way out anymore and escape a harsh or even far worse sentence. You're better off going to Amsterdam if you want to get high.

    Natural disasters
     
     
    Tsunami memorial in Aceh

    Indonesia is a chain of highly volcanic islands sprinkled along the Ring of Fire, so earthquakes occur often and tsunamis and volcano eruptions are all too common. On 26 December 2004, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake shook the coast of Aceh, sending tsunami waves up to 30 metres high across the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands perished and many more were displaced. Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta spews ash nearly every year or so. In some years, the ash can reach far into the Yogyakarta city and deadly hot smoke cascades down into the villages, as happened in 2010. Most of the country is, unfortunately, prone to these kinds of disasters, with the exception of Sumatra's east coast, Java's north coast, Kalimantan, southern Sulawesi, and southern Papua.

    Realistically, there is little you can do to avoid these risks. You need to brace yourself in the event of an earthquake. But volcanoes, unlike earthquakes, are much more predictable. The local media & authority usually has good warning of how active the volcano is and will be. Steer clear of the areas around the volcano and change your travel plans if the situation is imminent.

    In the event of being near a volcanic activity - take note of what media reports say about where things are dangerous, check warning signs and fire escape routes in hotels. Always be aware of areas experiencing volcanic activity and evacuate when prompted. However, should you be caught in a cloud of volcanic ash from a far-away eruption, cover your mouth and nose immediately, then seek shelter in an enclosed place with a strong roof.

    In the event of earthquakes, hide under sturdy objects if indoors or run outside if near the door, and stay away from tall objects if outdoors. Any earthquake bigger than a 6.5 magnitude that lasts a long time usually triggers a tsunami warning (usually by siren or loudspeaker). Even if you don't hear a warning, if you feel a persistent & violent shaking, get away from the coast and seek higher land immediately.

    Indonesia is not prone to organised tropical systems, yet the rain can be heavy with thunderstorms and (sometimes swirling) winds, especially during the rainy season when it happens pretty frequent. Landslides occur in mountain slopes or cliffs, and flooding in lowlands or former deltas can be serious and ongoing. While there are rarely weather reports in any form of media, it's a good idea to pack an umbrella if it is said to rain or be vigilant for any signs of incoming storm, such as dark, towering and puffy clouds.

    In heavy rain when there is an accumulation of volcanic ash in recently erupted volcanoes, it can result in lahar dingin (a very dangerous of slurry with stones and boulders).

    Wildlife

    Crocodiles and poisonous snakes are present throughout Indonesia, although they are uncommon in most areas. Cobras and green tree snakes are generally the most common. Since most locals don't know the difference between poisonous and harmless snakes, snakes are aggressively slaughtered in many places, and some places sell them as food, especially cobra and python meat.

    Komodo dragons can be very dangerous if harassed, but are only found on Komodo National Park islands and in neighbouring island of Flores.

    Scorpions, whip scorpions, crabs, spiders and certain other critters, among them rove beetles can be found around the country and, while an encounter can produce unpleasant results, they are generally not fatal. Despite this, seek professional help if you are bitten or develop a mysterious rash.

    Large predators are increasingly rare, with Sumatran tigers being seriously endangered along with most other large animals, and even small jungle felines are hard to find now. Birds, excepting certain types that have little commercial value, are absent in areas once flush with a variety of species.

    LGBT travellers

    Attitudes toward homosexuality vary vastly. There are no laws against homosexuality in most of Indonesia, with the notable exception of Aceh. Cosmopolitan Jakarta and Bali boast gay nightclubs, and bencong or banci (transvestites and transsexuals) seem to have a special place in Indonesian culture, even as far as being hosts and MCs of TV programs, as well as special districts where these types of Pekerja Seks Komersial {PSK} (prostitute or gigolo) offer services - albeit illegally. In staunchly Islamic areas such as Aceh, however, homosexuals can legally be caned. As a general rule, gay visitors should err on the side of discretion; while violence against homosexuals is a rarity, they may be met with nasty comments and unwanted attention.

    Directions

    Indonesians like to try to be helpful when you are lost - even when they don't really know where your destination is - but be careful to check directions received with at least one other person, and this problem extends to drivers of private transportation, such as taxis. You may find yourself in the general area you want to be in before the driver will admit they don't know where to go.

    Read less

Phrasebook

Hello
Halo
World
Dunia
Hello world
Halo Dunia
Thank you
Terima kasih
Goodbye
Selamat tinggal
Yes
Ya
No
Tidak
How are you?
Apa kabar?
Fine, thank you
Baik terimakasih
How much is it?
Berapa harganya?
Zero
Nol
One
Satu

Where can you sleep near Indonesia ?

Booking.com
487.377 visits in total, 9.187 Points of interest, 404 Destinations, 3 visits today.