INDONESIA PRACTICALITIES

Key Facts & Figures

Population: 214,000,000

Capital: Jakarta

Area: 1,922,570 sq km/742,308 sq miles

Religon: Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1%.

Passport/Visa requirements

UK citizens require a visa. For stays of less than thirty days this is available on arrival at the major airports. Passports need to be valid for at least six months from date of entry.

Time

Divided into three time zones 7, 8 and 9 hours ahead of GMT

Money

Rupiah (Rp) is the official currency and is divided into 100 sen. Foreign currency can easily be exchanged at banks, hotels and money changers in major tourist destinations; US dollars is the most accepted currency.

Geography

Indonesia, with over 18,000 counted islands. It spans almost 2 million square kilometres between Asia and Australia. Positioned on the equator, across a region of immense volcanic activity, Indonesia has some 400 volcanoes within its borders, with at least 90 still active in some way. Many of the islands here are still uninhabited, with the larger islands of Java, Kalimantan (Borneo), Irian Jaya (Papua), Sumatra and Sulawesi home to most of the population base.

Climate

The country is hot and humid all year round, but cooler inland than along the coastal regions. Monsoons are frequent from December to March which bring heavy rains. The dry season from April to October is the best time to visit as some activities and road travel can be difficult during the rainy season.

Brief History

The Dutch were not the first Europeans to occupy Indonesia, the Portuguese and British had been here before them, but with little effect. From 1602 to 1799, the country was ruled by the Dutch East India Company.

Following Japanese occupation during the second World War, the colony declared independence in 1945 after a bitter war with the Dutch. In 1949 Indonesia became the Republic of Indonesia - with Jakarta on the island of Java, as the capital.

More recently in 1997 and 1998 Indonesia was the country hardest hit by the East Asian Financial Crisis. This increased popular discontent with the New Order.

Language

Bahasa Indonesian, some English is spoken in the tourist areas

Health

Visitors to Indonesia are typically advised to make sure they are up to date with their Diphtheria and Tetanus, Hepatitus A and Typhoid (also Malaria and Rabies depending on the area).

Food and Drink

Indonesian food has a varied influence, from Chinese and Indian, Dutch, Malay, Portuguese and the Middle East; the aromatic diversity of flavours certainly indicates this.

Tipping

Major hotels add a 10% service charge to bills. Where it is not included a tip of between 5% to 10% of the bill would be appreciated.

Special Events

There are many more festivals and events that take place in but this is a short list of the main ones.

January 1 New Years Day

April 21 Kartini Day (women's day)

May Waisak Day (movable Buddist festival)

May/June Idul Adha (movable Muslim 'festival of sacrifice')

June/July Muharram (movable Muslim New Year)

August 17 Independence Day

December 25 Christmas Day

Communications

The international access code for Indonesia is +62. The outgoing code is 001 or 008 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. 00144 for the United Kingdom); it is not necessary to dial the first zero of the area code. For operator-assisted international calls, phone 101. The local mobile phone operators use GSM networks and have roaming agreements with most international operators. Internet cafes are available in the main towns and resorts.

Electricity

Electrical current is 120/230 volts, 50 Hz. A variety of plugs are in use including the European two-pin and UK-style three-pin.