Destination Indonesia

Travelling in Indonesia

Transport in Indonesia is an adventure in any sense of the word! With traffic moving at often breakneck speed, it is amazing how the country managed to shift 200 million people around every single day, but it somehow works!

Java, and in particular, Jakarta, has by far the most advanced and varied forms of transport in the country. With trains, Ojek (motorcycle taxi), Ojek Sepeda (bicycle taxi), Becak (rickshaw type of thing), Bajaj (known as a ‘tuk tuk’ in Thailand), Bis (bus), Dokar (horse and cart), Mikrolet (small van for up to 9 people, but often fitting 20) and finally Taxi. With all of those to choose from, you can have a different experience every day of the week and still have change!

Traveling in Bali can get frustrating at times, but the best thing to do is to hire a private driver, or take a taxi. With reasonable rates and friendly service, both of these modes of transport are the most recommended way to get around. Public transport in Bali is scarce, and does not use regular routes, so taking private transport is much easier and less stressful.

Sumatra, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and Sulawesi are all connected by a regular ferry service, and these ferries are able to be used to island hop all the way from the far east of the country to Sumatra. Other sea routes are covered by Pelni, a passenger line run by the government. It can be difficult to find reliable information about traveling with Pelni, and the routes are often only run every two weeks, so forward planning is required.

In Kalimantan, the Longbot (longboat) is a long and narrow boat which is powered by outboard motors. These boats are not particularly comfortable, but they are a regular form of transport on this large island.

Prahu, an outrigger type of canoe with an outboard motor and sail. Are commonly seen in Bali and on Lombok, where they are used to ferry guests from the ‘mainland’ of Lombok, to the smaller islands.

Motorcycles are another form of transport, but you should be aware that some travel insurance companies will not cover you if you do not have a full motorcycle license in your home country. The risk of accidents is quite high, and being a non-Indonesian, you will be seen as at fault almost immediately.

Taking the more luxurious route

Luxury Yachts sail regularly from island to island, stopping off in some amazing bays and beaches. Tall sailing ships often sail from Bali to the eastern island of Komodo, on surfing safaris and diving adventures.

There are now many flights connecting what were once far removed places, to the rest of the country. If the flight schedule is not to your liking, why not charter a light aircraft or helicopter to take you? The days of ‘roughing it, or roughing it’ are well and truly over now, and even the most discerning traveler has many options for their travel in Indonesia these days.