How To Travel Indonesia Like A Pro

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How Indonesia Came Onto My Travel Radar.

Indonesia first came onto my travel radar when I was working in Malaysia as an expatriate, since Indonesia is a neighboring country and shares a similar language (Bahasa Indonesia) with Malaysia it made sense that some of my co-workers would be Indonesian nationals. What set my Indonesian co-workers apart from everyone else in the expatriate community was how hospitable they were. Me being the travel addict that I am left me wondering what Indonesia as a country is like, after all my co-workers had left such a good impression on me and that left me really wanting to visit their country. Later that year, during a short break from work I got a chance to visit the Indonesian capital, Jakarta and subsequently Bali. Much to my satisfaction, Indonesia turned out to be a great travel destination and I had an incredible time while I was there.

Jakarta has an impressive urban sprawl and is very cosmopolitan.

A Little About Indonesia

Indonesia is a country in South east Asia comprised of about 13,000 islands. It’s capital is Jakarta and the favorite tourist destinations in the country are Jakarta, Bali and for people in the know, “the Gili islands”. Formerly a Dutch, then Japanese colony, Indonesia was able to throw both colonial powers off and became an independent country in 1945. It is the world’s most populous muslim majority country but remains a culturally pluralistic secular country. As at the time of this writing, the population of Indonesia stands at about quarter of a billion people. Now that you know a little about Indonesia, let’s get you to travel Indonesia like a pro.

People Getting Off A Plane In Jakarta Indonesia

Start Your Travels In Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta is Indonesia’s capital city and has an urban sprawl that reminds me of my home city of Los Angeles. It is also very cosmopolitan and a traveler here will find that there is no shortage of things to do.

The Indonesia Rupiah Is The Currency In Indonesia. 1 U.S. Dollar Is About 14,000 Rupiah

If you are arriving by plane, you will most likely fly into Soekarno–Hatta International Airport (CGK). Another piece of good news about traveling to Indonesia is how affordable a trip to this country is. The last time I checked, one U.S. dollar was equivalent to 13,642.50 Indonesian Rupiah.

Jakarta Indonesia has a very impressive nightlife scene.

Things To Do In Jakarta, Indonesia

There are tons of things to do in Indonesia and I was rather pleasantly surprised that Jakarta has a nightlife scene that is so awesome that a blog post about it simply cannot do it any justice. For more information on Jakarta’s amazing nightlife scene please refer to Jakarta100bars Other things to do include visiting some of Jakarta’s museums, markets, shopping malls and Hindu or Bhuddist temples. For information about places to stay in Jakarta, browsing booking.com or hostels.com should give you a good idea of where to stay in the city. I was fortunate to spend my time in Jakarta at the Pullman Hotel in Central Jakarta.

The Island Of Bali In Indonesia Is The Most Popular In Indonesia

Head On Over To Bali Indonesia

Tourists And Locals Taking A Bath At A Hindu Temple In Bali Indonesia.

There is really no point traveling to Indonesia if you stay in the capital alone, while Jakarta is an amazing city, traveling to Jakarta alone would be like reading one page of a really good novel. For some sun and fun, you definitely have to head out to the other islands that make up Indonesia and there is no island destination in Indonesia more popular than the Island of Bali.

All Inclusive Resorts Are A Great Option For Accommodation in Bali Indonesia.

The island of Bali is home to Indonesia’s hindu minority population and it’s capital is Denpasar. While you are in Bali, it might be idea to indulge in the increasingly popular Hindu practice of yoga. There are also lots of resorts in this part of Bali that have all inclusive packages.

Bali Indonesia Is Home To Indonesia’s Hindu Minority.

I stayed at the Conrad Bali which is located in the quieter parts of the island. For you party animals your best bet while in bali would be to visit Kuta and Seminyak as they both have tourist strips lined with bars from one end to the other. For those with an affinity for culture, there are lots of temples like the Ubud monkey forest, and the Uluwatu temple. If you are up for it, you can also trek up Mt. Babur which doubles as a mountain and a volcano. It is also perfectly enjoyable to just lay on one of the many beaches they have in Bali.

Gili Trawangan is one of three Islands that make up the Gili Islands in Indonesia.

End Your Trip With A Visit To The Gili Islands in Lombok

As fate would have it, I couldn’t get to add the Gili Islands to my travel itinerary while traveling Indonesia, but I have heard and read nothing but marvelous things about this trio of islands mainly as a result of it’s sparkling turquoise waters and shining white sands. The Gili Islands are composed of three separate islands which include Gili Trawangan, Gili Melo and Gili Air. There are tons to do here like free diving, surfing, and other water sports. Gili Trawangan also has a great nightlife scene due to Japanese and western tourist that have chosen this little corner of the planet as paradise. The best way to reach the Gili Islands is by the daily fast boats that leave Bali for the islands.

Some More Places In Indonesia To Add To Your Travel Itinerary

If you are an avid traveler you must have heard of the ever growing “Banana pancake trail” which has Indonesia as one of the destinations on it’s trail. Traveling to Indonesia like a pro would be incomplete if you did not add Lake Toba, Yogyakarta, and Mount Bromo to the list of places you should visit if you traveled to indonesia.

Source article: partytrail.com