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Indonesia at a Glance

Destinations and Transport in Indonesia

Temples are a very important part of the Indonesian landscape.

Where to?

In a country with almost 2 million square kilometers and 17,000 islands, it can be quite difficult to choose where to settle down as an expat. The largest islands in Indonesia, and those best known among tourists and expats alike, are Java and Sumatra. Both islands offer a host of different opportunities for leisure activities and daily life.

Jakarta

The capital city of Jakarta is located on the northern island of Java. With a population of over 9 million people, you can imagine how crowded and hectic it is. Yet Jakarta also offers a lot of cultural and natural highlights.

Jakarta is both the economic and political capital of Indonesia and as such has attracted a number of Indonesians from other parts of the country, who have brought along a rich variety of customs, foods and languages. For the art aficionados, Jakarta offers many museums, performing arts centers, as well as some prestigious international festivals.

Bali

The island of Bali is one of the top tourist destinations of the world and probably offers more in the way of outdoor activities and sightseeing than Jakarta. With a very large Hindu population, Bali mixes the local traditions and culture with Hindu beliefs.

Bali boasts Indonesia’s famous white sand beaches and its most intricate temples. Many expats on Bali live either in the capital city of Denpasar or in one of the exquisite beach towns. Due to Bali’s main economic resource being tourism, the island primarily offers job opportunities in the tourism industry. Therefore, it is mainly an island for the hoteliers and restaurateurs, or the retired.

Getting around

Due to the nature of Indonesia’s geography, getting around by plane may be the easiest way to go from one island to the next and on the islands themselves. There are 171 airports with paved runways in Indonesia, which facilitates domestic flights. The Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is Indonesia’s largest airport. The country’s third busiest airport, Ngurah Rai International Airport, is located 30 kilometers outside of Densapar in Bali.

Due to the sudden and considerable population surge in cities such as Jakarta, Bandung and Surabaya, the road transportation system in general has suffered. Despite substantial work on road and transport infrastructure, progress is still slow and was set back significantly after the Asian financial crisis in 1997.

Public Transport

There is no subway or street car system anywhere in Indonesia; all public transport is to be understood in terms of buses and taxis. Although on the rise, car ownership is not as predominant in Indonesia. Nevertheless, traffic is often congested and accidents are not uncommon.

Despite this, however, it is recommended that expats have their own car, be it with a driver or without one, as the little public transport there is, cannot be fully relied on to be either on time or even available. However, when living in Indonesia, one should not miss out on the opportunity to take a ride on one of the dozens of traditional tuk tuks, motorcycle-like vehicles with a top and several seating options.

Rail and Waterways

Other modes of transportation include rail and waterways. Being an archipelago, water transport is extremely important in Indonesia, although less so for the inhabitants themselves. There are several ferry services, such as the Pelni Company, which charter passengers from the larger islands to more remote ones. This is the best and most comfortable alternative to cover long distances at little cost.

All rail transport is operated by the government-run PT Kereta Api Indonesia. Most railways are located on the islands of Java and Sumatra and connect to major cities on each island. The trains accommodate several classes, from the executive, with air-conditioning and plush seats, to economy class, with wooden benches and no air-con at all.

Women-only train carriages have been implemented in 2010. Despite the fact that railways do not run across entire islands, with some not even having any train tracks, getting around by train is a relatively cheap and comfortable mode of transport.