Facts at a Glance
Full country name: Republic of Indonesia
Area: 1,904,000 sq km
Population: 209,774,138 (growth rate 1.6%)
Capital city: Jakarta (pop 9 million)
People: There are 365 ethnic and tribal groups. The principal ones are Acehnese, Bataks, Minangkabaus (Sumatra); Javanese, Sundanese (Java); Balinese (Bali); Sasaks (Lombok); and Dani (Irian Jaya)
Language: Bahasa Indonesia (plus 583 dialects), English
Religion: 87% Muslim, 9% Christian, 2% Hindu
Government: Military-ruled republic
President: Jusuf Habibie
The Indonesian archipelago comprises more than 13,000 islands and shares borders with Malaysia and Papua New Guinea. Stretching like a backbone down the western coast of Sumatra is a line of active and extinct volcanoes. These continue through Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara and then loop through the Banda Islands of Maluku to north-eastern Sulawesi. Under 10% of the total land area is suitable for farming, while two-thirds consists of woodland, forests and mangrove swamp (mostly found in Sumatra, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya).
Kids playing in the water, Sulawesi (22K)
Indonesia's rich natural environment encourages a diversity of flora and fauna. The archipelago is home to elephants, tigers, leopards and orang-utans. Sea turtles are found in the waters around Bali and the world's largest flowers - Rafflesias - grow in Sumatra. The islands of Irian Jaya, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and Sumatra have national parks, while other parks protect special areas such as Komodo, home to the Komodo dragon. Rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, especially in Kalimantan where the mighty dipterocarp forests are being logged ferociously for their durable tropical hardwoods.
Off the record: Hey handsome
Draped over the equator, Indonesia tends to have a fairly uniform climate - hot. It's hot and wet during the wet season (October to April) and hot and dry during the dry season (May to September). Temperatures climb to about 31°C (88°F) in coastal regions, dropping further inland. The best time to visit Indonesia is from April to October.
Bathing in the river, Banjarmasin, Kalimantan (20K)
It is generally believed that the earliest inhabitants of the Indonesian archipelago originated in India or Burma. In 1890, fossils of Java Man (homo erectus), some 500,000 years old, were found in east Java. Later migrants (`Malays') came from southern China and Indochina, and they began populating the archipelago around 3000 BC.
Powerful groups such as the Buddhist Srivijaya empire and the Hindu Mataram kingdom appeared in Java and Sumatra towards the end of the 7th century. The last important kingdom to remain Hindu was the Majapahit, which was founded in the 13th century. The subsequent spread of Islam into the archipelago in the 14th century forced the Majapahit's to retreat to Bali in the 15th century.
By the 15th century, a strong Muslim empire had developed with its centre at Melaka (Malacca) on the Malay Peninsula. Its influence was shortlived and it fell to the Portuguese in 1511. The Dutch displaced the Portuguese and began making inroads into Indonesia. The Dutch East India Company based in Batavia (Jakarta) dominated the spice trade and took control of Java by the mid 18th century, when its power was already in decline. The Dutch took control in the early 19th century and by the early 20th century, the entire archipelago - including Aceh and Bali - was under their control.
Burgeoning nationalism combined with Japanese occupation of the archipelago during WW II served to weaken Dutch resolve and it finally transferred sovereignty to the new Indonesian republic in 1949. Achmed Sukarno, the foremost proponent of self-rule since the early 1920s, became President. In 1957, after a rudderless period of parliamentary democracy, Sukarno overthrew the parliament, declared martial law, and initiated a more authoritarian style of government, which he dubbed `Guided Democracy'. Sukarno's usurpation of power drew immediate response: rebellions that broke out in Sumatra and Sulawesi were eventually crushed in 1958.
Sukarno's consolidation of power did little to alleviate Indonesia's economic woes. His corrosive vanity led to a number of grandiose building projects - little more than chimeras of national rebuilding - which provided sharp contrast to the poverty of his people. Instability reigned for several years as Sukarno launched Konfrontasi against Malaysia, withdrew from the United Nations, and planned to socialise the economy. Events came to a head in 1965 when an attempted coup, allegedly by Communist groups, killed several army generals and threatened Sukarno's hold on power.
General Suharto, who was responsible for brutally quashing the coup, eventually seized presidential control. In stark contrast to the turbulent Sukarno years, Suharto sought to address Indonesia's economic problems, forge national unity, promote openness, and curb its worst excesses. But the contentious invasion and annexation of East Timor in 1975, the 1991 Dili massacre in East Timor, the prevalence of cronyism and nepotism in government and business and persistent human rights abuses showed that many of those excesses were still running rampant.
In 1997 and '98 Indonesia's economy took a dramatic downturn - by January 1998 the rupiah had taken the title of 'world's worst performing currency', 2.5 million people had lost their jobs and the International Monetary Fund was imposing austerity measures in return for sizeable loans. Many Indonesians believed the crisis was brought on by government nepotism, and a few brave souls suggested Suharto should quit his post.
The economic downturn coincided with a monsoon that never came and massive fires that destroyed millions of hectares of Indonesia's forests. Sulawesi and Kalimantan burned, and virtually the whole archipelago was choked in thick smoke for weeks as airports closed, ships at sea collided and residents gasped for air. The fires were particularly cruel to Indonesia's orang-utan population, as they wiped out vast reserves and killed an unknown number of those magnificent animals, putting the species in ever more danger of extinction in the wild.
In March 1998 the President decided to give himself another five years in office and appeared to become increasingly out of touch with the mood of the nation. Food shortages and price rises implemented under the IMF's economic bailout package sparked anti-government demonstrations, which peaked in May 1998 after six students were shot dead by the army. More than 500 people died in Jakarta in the ensuing riots, and Suharto eventually stood down on 21 May. Attacks on Indonesia's Chinese population were particularly fierce, and thousands of Chinese fled the country. In accordance with the Indonesia's constitiution, Suharto was replaced by his (none-too-popular) vice-president, Jusuf Habibie.
Habibie dabbled his toes in the waters of democracy with a half-hearted probe into Suharto's comings and goings, a promise of economic reforms, and an announcement of independence or autonomy for the beleaguered East Timorese, but opposition forces and Indonesian students still bristled. In November 1998 the brewing tensions again boiled over into mass rioting and a series of bloody confrontations between soldiers and students. Sectarian violence (particularly
intense on the islands of Ambon and Kalimantan) was thrown into the mix, with Muslims destroying churches and killing a number of Christians, while Dayaks and Madurese on Kalimantan turned on each other with horrific consequences. Pro-Indonesian militias, seriously disgruntled over East Timor's imminent independence and trigger-happy with it, have massacred scores of people, making the prospect of a stable transition to a more democratic style of government increasingly remote.
The collapse of the rupiah has rendered much economic information obsolete. Things change daily, so check news services for the latest information.
Annual growth: -10%
Inflation: 40%
Major products/industries: Oil, gas, textiles, timber, coffee, rubber, coal, tin, copper, rice, pepper, palm oil
Major trading partners: Japan, USA, Singapore
Culture
Social and religious duty has, over time, been refined to form a code of behaviour called adat or traditional law. Islam is the predominant religion of the archipelago but it's somewhat tempered by elements of Hindu-Buddhism, adat and animism. In Java, especially, there are hundreds of places where spiritual energy is thought to be concentrated and can be absorbed by followers. Despite a lengthy colonial period, missionaries were only successful in converting small pockets of the Indonesian population to Christianity - the Bataks of Sumatra, the Toraks of Sulawesi and 95% of the population of Flores being notable examples.
Over 300 languages are spoken in the archipelago and most belong to the Malay-Polynesian group. Within this group, many regional languages and dialects are spoken. The lingua franca of the archipelago is Bahasa Indonesia, which is almost identical to Malay. It uses a number of foreign words, indicating the long history of contact Indonesia has had with other cultures. In recent years, Bahasa Indonesia has been appropriated by teenagers into a new and trendy vernacular called Bahasa Prokem; it has proved mostly unintelligible to the older generation.
Stone visages, Borobudur, Java (24K)
Batik, the art of applying wax to cloth and then tie-dying in colourful and dramatic designs, is produced throughout Indonesia, and the centre of this activity is Yogyakarta in Java. Other craft forms include: ikat, which is a type of weaving with tie-dyed threads; songket, a silk cloth with gold or silver threads woven into it; and kris, artwork often decorated with jewels. Javanese wayang (puppet) plays and gamelan (hypnotic music composed mostly of percussive instruments) are also popular artistic forms.
Rambutan hawker offers his wares (20K)
Many Indonesian dishes are Chinese-influenced, but some, such as Padang food from Sumatra, are distinctly home-grown. Wherever you travel in Indonesia you'll see vendors selling snacks such as potatoes, sweet nuts, biscuits or fruit. Rice is the basis of each meal, eaten as a soup or with an assortment of hot and spicy side dishes, salad and pickles. Nasi goreng (fried rice) is the most common dish, while sate (skewered meats with a spicy peanut sauce), gado-gado (bean sprouts and vegies in peanut sauce) and seafood are also popular. The variety of tropical fruits grown would make a greengrocer swoon. They include custard apples, durians, guavas, jackfruits, mangoes, papayas, starfruits and rambutans.
With such a multiplicity of ethnic groups, Indonesia has, unsurprisingly, a surfeit of cultural events throughout the year. On Sumba, mock battles that hark back to the era of internecine warfare are held in February and March. The day before Balinese Caka New Year (March-April) temple icons are taken to the sea to be bathed and drummers drive evil spirits back to the spirit world. During the Balinese festival of Galungan (moving dates) even the gods descend to earth and join in the revelry. There's a dramatic Easter Parade on the island of Larantuka, whip duels in Ruteng, Flores in August and Torajan funereal feasts are held in central Sulawesi, mainly between August and October. As most Indonesians are Muslim, many festivals are affected by the lunar calendar; dates are subsequently pushed back 10 or 11 days each year.
Visas: 60-day stay without visa
Health risks: Dengue fever, giardiasis, hepatitis, Japanese encephalitis, malaria, paratyphoid, rabies, typhoid
Time: There are three time zones: Sumatra, Java and West & Central Kalimantan are seven hours ahead of UTC; Bali, Nusa Tenggara, South & East Kalimantan and Sulawesi are eight hours ahead of UTC; and Irian Jaya and Maluku are nine hours ahead of UTC
Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz
Weights & Measures: Metric (see the conversion table.)
Tourism: 4 million visitors per year
Currency: Rupiah (rp)
Exchange rate: US$1 = 11,350 rp
Relative costs:
Things are in flux because of Indonesia's economic meltdown and the imposition of IMF economic reforms. Any list of relative costs would be no more than a wild guess, but rest assured that if you have US dollars they'll go a long way.
Travellers cheques and cash (preferably US dollars) are the way to go in Indonesia. Credit cards are accepted by expensive hotels, restaurants and shops, but not for day-to-day expenses. In major centres, you can always find a bank that will advance cash on Visa or MasterCard. Credit card advances through ATMs are possible, but limited.
Tipping is not a normal practice in Indonesia but is often expected for special service. Someone who carries your bag or guides you around a tourist attraction will expect a tip. Jakarta taxi drivers expect you to round the fare up to the next 500 rp. Hotel porters expect a few hundred rupiah per bag.
Many everyday purchases normally require bargaining but in the current economic turmoil you'd do well to look to your conscience before applying this too stringently. Tourism has taken a severe downturn in most parts of the archipelago and, despite price hikes, hotel rooms are liable to be discounted.
Though travel in the wet season is possible in most parts of Indonesia, it can be a deterrent to some activities and travel on mud-clogged roads in less developed areas is difficult. In general, the best time to visit is in the dry season between May and October.
The Christmas holiday period beings a wave of migratory Australians and there's an even bigger tourist wave during the European summer holidays. The main Indonesian holiday period is the end of Ramadan, when some resorts are packed to overflowing and prices skyrocket.
The riots in Jakarta in May 1998 sparked a mass exodus of expatriates and travellers. Despite the return of relative calm, the economic situation is still dire. Food shortages may lead to renewed demonstrations and violence - in July 1998, President Habibie asked Indonesians to fast twice a week to conserve rice supplies. If you are considering travelling to Indonesia in the near future, you should contact your embassy and get the latest update on the security situation.
The US Department of State is currently advising its citizens to defer non-essential travel. The British Foreign & Commonwealth Office and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade consider the security situation to be 'returning to normal', though they do encourage their citizens to stay abreast of developments.
Although there are no restrictions currently on travel to East Timor, the situation remains very tense. Any traveller intending to visit this area should contact their embassy beforehand to assess the security risk. Separatist guerrillas fighting for an independent Irian Jaya kidnapped 11 people, including six European expatriates, in January 1996 in Irian Jaya's Snow Mountains and held them hostage for four months. The Free Papua Movement's campaign for independence has been continuing for almost 30 years, but this was the first time expatriates were targeted. Tensions are also high in the Freeport mining area in Irian Jaya. Ethnic tensions have also flared in Kalimantan between Dayaks and Madurese trans-migrants; there have been reports of headhunting, cannibalism and other communal violence. Aceh, in northern Sumatra, has also been rocked by civil strife as massacres under military rule have been uncovered and the local independence movement gathers steam.
Bali is so picturesque that you could be fooled into thinking it was a painted backdrop: rice paddies trip down hillsides like giant steps, volcanoes soar through the clouds, the forests are lush and tropical, and the beaches are lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. But the postcard paradise gloss has been manufactured and polished by the international tourist industry rather than by the Balinese themselves - who don't even have a word for paradise in their language - and it pays scant regard to the hard reality of life on Bali, which is currently suffering the fallout from Indonesia's economic crisis and collapsing currency.
Java is the political, geographic and economic centre of the Indonesian archipelago. It's a relatively small island, (approximately the same size as England) but has a population of 112 million, accounting for 55% of the country's total population. The island is long and narrow in shape, with a string of volcanic mountains punctuating its spine. It was on Java that the Hindu-Buddhist empires reached their zenith, producing architectural wonders such as Borobudur and Prambanan. When Islam came to the island in the 15th century, it absorbed rather than erased local cultures, leaving Java with a mish-mash of historic influences and religions. A strong conciousness of ancient religious and mystical thought carries over into present-day Java, providing a bulwark against wholesale modernisation.
Lombok is a place of uncrowded beaches and tranquil countryside, dominated by the spectacular volcano of Mt Rinjani. The people are mostly Muslim (the Sasaks), though there are isolated groups of Balinese Hindus. The Sasak culture is noteworthy for weaving, its brilliant and dramatic dances, and its ritualised pageantry and contests. Balinese culture still survives in Lombok - a remnant of the time when Balinese princes once controlled the island - and Lombok's tourist businesses are largely run by Balinese.
Sumatra has a wealth of natural resources and wildlife, massive rivers like muddy facsimiles of the Amazon, and some interesting architecture. It is almost four times the size of neighbouring Java, but supports less than a quarter of the population. During Dutch rule, it provided the world with large quantities of oil, rubber, pepper and coffee, and these seemingly inexhaustible resources continue to prop up the Indonesian economy today. Sumatra is home to a number of different races and peoples: the former head-hunters and cannibals of the Batak regions; the matrilineal Muslim Minangkabau and the primitive groups of the Mentawai Islands.
Off the Beaten Track
Komodo & Rinca
These two small islands sandwiched between Flores and Sumbawa in eastern Nusa Tenggara are famous for their four-legged inhabitants - the ponderous Komodo dragons. The lizards can be quite fierce, and range from 20gm (0.7oz) pipsqueaks to 130kg (287lb) monsters. Non-squeamish visitors can watch organised feeding frenzies and join dragon-spotting treks on Komodo, but these can feel a bit stage-managed and gory. For a more do-it-yourself alternative, head for Rinca where there are no established feeding places so spotting monitors is more a matter of luck. Komodo is a hilly desolate island, but Rinca's wildlife is fairly abundant - there are several monkey colonies, wild water buffalo, deer, bush turkeys and eagles. Ferries run to Komodo from Sape in Sumbawa and Labhuanbajo in Flores. To reach Rinca, you'll need to charter a boat.
Goat muncher extraordinaire - the Komodo dragon, Komodo (18K)
The villages of Nggela, Wolojita and Jopu on the island of Flores are renowned for their beautiful ikat sarongs and shawls. The traditional whaling village of Lamalera on Lembata in the Solor and Alor archipelago east of Flores is a fascinating place to poke around the boatsheds and watch men making harpoons. The villagers are subsistence whalers and are therefore exempt from international whaling bans.
Keli Mutu's tri-coloured lakes are Nusa Tenggara's most fantastic attraction. The waters in the three volcanic craters have a curious habit of changing colour - most recently they were turquoise, olive and black, but a few years ago they were green-blue, maroon and black. No-one has managed to explain the cause of the colours or why they change, except to suppose that different minerals are dissolved in each lake. Local legend has it that the souls of the dead go to the lakes. Young people's souls supposedly go to the warmth of the green lake, old people to the milky turquoise one, and those of thieves and murderers to the black lake.
The only time to be sure of seeing the lakes from the 1600m (5248ft) high rim of the volcanic crater is at dawn before the clouds come down. Visitors negotiating the 13km (8mi) track from the nearby village of Moni can either walk, catch a ride on a truck or hire a jeep. If you're tempted by the horses for rent, check their health and make sure they come with saddles.
The technicolour waters of Keli Mutu, Flores (18K)
Most travellers head to the beautiful rugged hill country of Tanatoraja in central and southern Sulawesi, and the small town of Rantepao pulls in many of them. The rice-farming, pig-breeding, water-buffalo-loving Toraja who inhabit this region have become the focus of tourist attention thanks to their elaborate ceremonies, burial sites and traditional houses.
Of all the Torajan ceremonies, the most important are those concerned with sending a dead person to the afterworld. Without proper funeral rites, the spirit of the deceased will cause misfortune to its family. Funerals can be spread out over several days and involve hundreds of guests and the sacrifice of scores of buffalo. Feasting, dancing and singing may be supplemented by cock-fighting, sisemba (kick-fighting) and even buffalo fights in which the bulls, rightly agitated by the insertion of chilli up their behind, lock horns and strain against each other.
If you are invited to a ceremony, be sure to dress respectfully, bring gifts to hand around and don't sit in areas designated for guests or family members. Taking photographs is acceptable, but do it with restraint. The best time to visit Rantepao is between March and May, though most funeral ceremonies are held in the `party season' lasting from July to September. July and August is the high season and hotel prices skyrocket.
The prosperous town of Manado, in northern Sulawesi, is renowned as the gateway to the stunning coral reefs off nearby Pulau Bunaken. There's plenty of comfortable but basic accommodation on Pulau Bunaken and a number of low-key dive operators run services, though all the high-profile dive resorts are on the Sulawesi mainland. Much of the coral that once grew in Bunaken's shallow water has tragically been decimated by careless boat traffic, but the nearest drop-offs are within swimming distance of shore and remain unscathed.
You can hire dugout canoes or small motor boats to reach more isolated reefs around the nearby islands of Manado Tua, Pulau Siladen and Pulau Mantehage. A daily ferry connects Manado with Pulau Bunaken. Thankfully all the excitement isn't offshore since Manado has a fascinating Indonesian-Philippines-Southern Californian hybrid culture, some very interesting local food (anyone for fried forest rat?) and spectacular volcanoes.
If you're expecting to see half-naked, heavily tatooed Dayaks striding down the streets of Balikpapan or Pontianak, you'll be disappointed, because your first impressions of Kalimantan, which occupies the southern two-thirds of the island of Borneo, are likely to be of oil refineries and timber mills. Timber and mining interests have penetrated deep into the jungles, bulldozing and chainsawing at an alarming rate, fouling rivers and leaving indigenous cultures reeling from the social and economic intrusions of the 20th century.
The popular images of Borneo stem from the exaggerated accounts of early European explorers, though the stories surrounding Kalimantan's inland Dayak villages are indeed the stuff of legend - tattooed head-hunters, `lost' tribes and exotic wildlife. Samarinda is the best starting point for fascinating longboat river trips to villages such as Tanjung Isuy, Muara Muntai, Melak (with its 5000-acre orchid forest) and Long Iram, though unfortunately in some tourist precincts packs of visitors in search of an `authentic' Dayak experience pay by the hour to see the `primitive cultures'. Tanjung Puting National Park, in central Kalimantan, is home to a vast variety of flora and fauna, including crocodiles, bear cats, orang-utan, monkeys and dolphins.
The equatorial river city of Pontianak, in west Kalimantan, is best seen at sunset, when its backlit houseboats and sweeping river vistas make Balinese sunsets look pathetic. Make use of the canals to explore the city and soak up its Chinese-Indonesian atmosphere. In the evening, young men crowd the wobbly wooden boardwalks along the south bank of the river to fly huge paper kites. Highlights include the wooden Mesji Abdurrakham royal mosque and the Javanese and Sulawesi-style schooners in Pinisi Harbour. Pasir Panjang's pristine beaches are close by, and the city is a great starting point for boat trips up the Kapuas.
The thousand islands of Maluku (formerly the Moluccas) were the fabled spice islands of history, which attracted Indian, Chinese, Arab and later European traders, who came in search of the cloves, nutmeg and mace which grew here and nowhere else. Today these islands, sprawled across a vast area of ocean, offer tropical scenery with a Polynesian feel, exotic bird life, old forts, lovely villages and beaches, good snorkelling and diving, and no touts or pollution. Most visitors used to head for Ambon, the Bandas and Ternate, all stepping-off points for a swarm of tiny islands far from the tourist trail. But Ambon was rocked by communal violence in 1998 and 1999, tens of thousands of refugees have fled and it has fallen off the traveller's circuit. You'll need at least five weeks to explore the islands in any depth if you travel by boat; a minimum of three weeks if you intend to fly. It's really best not to come here at all unless you throw away your watch before arriving.
Irian Jaya is one of the world's last wilderness areas. Sharing its landmass with Papua New Guinea to the east, its people - the Papuans - are culturally and ethnically related to the Papua New Guineans and are similar to the Melanesians of the South Pacific. They live in some of the most rugged terrain on earth - from snowcapped mountains to mangrove swamps - in a region which offers fantastic jungle scenery, equatorial glaciers, abundant bird and animal life and great trekking opportunities. Highlights include the Baliem Valley with its unique culture and numerous treks; Sentani for boat trips around the magnificent Sentani Lake; and Kota Biak for access to dive sites. Don't underestimate the size of Irian Jaya and the amount of time and money it will take to get around; there are no roads between major towns and boats are slow and irregular, so flying is often the only option. Incorporation into Indonesia, transmigration, and insensitive logging and mining have inflamed indigenous Papuans: a guerrilla force has been fighting for a Free Papua for well nigh 30 years - see the warning and be aware that permits from local police stations are required for travel to many areas.
There is good diving and snorkelling off Bali (Nusa Dua, Sanur, Padangbai), between Komodo and Labuhanbajo in Flores, around the Banda Islands and off Pulau Biak off the north coast of Irian Jaya. The sea gardens of Sulawesi, particularly around Manado, are legendary. Renowned surf spots include Ulu Watu in Bali, Grajagan in Java and Nias off Sumatra, but there is surf along the southern coast of virtually all the islands in Nusa Tenggara. Windsurfing enthusiasts are well catered for in the southern resorts of Bali. Rafting is a new activity now offered on Bali's Ayung River.
Pulau Antuk Barat, one of the Thousand Islands off Jakarta (15K)
Sumatra has good jungle treks, particularly in Gunung Leuser National Park. Berastagi and Bukit Lawang are also popular trekking centres in Sumatra. More adventurous jungle trekking opportunities are available in Kalimantan and Irian Jaya. For those who want to reach for the skies, Mt Bromo in Java and Agung in Bali are day climbs; Gunung Rinjani, the volcano that dominates Lombok, is a strenuous but worthwhile three-day jaunt.
The principal gateways for entry to Indonesia are Jakarta and Bali. Jakarta is serviced by more airlines but, thanks to its huge tourist trade, Bali gets almost as much traffic. New Merpati flights from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory to Ambon (Maluku), Ujung Pandang (Sulawesi) and Biak (Irian Jaya) have opened up eastern Indonesia to travellers departing Australia. Airport tax on international flights varies between airports: US$9.70 from Jakarta; US$9.25 from Denpasar; and US$6.90 from most other airports. The only open land crossing is at Entikong, between Kalimantan and Sarawak. Visas are not required and a 60-day visa pass is issued on the spot. Most sea connections are on comfortable high-speed ferries running between Malaysia and Sumatra, though there is also a service between Manado in northern Sulawesi and Davao in the Philipinnes.
Indonesia has a variety of airlines servicing domestic routes including Garuda, Mandala, Merpati and Bouraq. Each airline publishes a nationwide timetable which can be obtained from their respective head offices in Jakarta. On more popular routes, book well in advance, especially in the peak tourist season around July and August. Airport tax on domestic flights is usually between US$2.50 and US$4.
Indonesia's main roads are generally excellent surfaced highways, though overland travel may be hampered by the IMF's insistence that the government remove price subsidies on petrol. Bus departures used to be frequent and most buses were air-conditioned and equipped with video - expect standards to fall during the current economic turmoil. Rail travel is restricted solely to Java and Sumatra. Indonesia's trains are pretty much a mixed bag: slow, miserable and cheap or comfortable and expensive. It's advisable to buy train tickets a day in advance to assure a seat. Cars, motorbikes and bicycles can be rented in the main cities and tourist centres. There are regular ferries between the various islands. Kalimantan has an undeveloped road system and internal transport is primarily by river or by air.
It's red and it's a convertible: it must be a death trap (18K)
Local transport includes the ubiquitous bemo (pick-up trucks with rows of seats along each side), opelets (minibuses), bajaj (auto rickshaws), becaks (bicycle rickshaws) and dokars (horse-drawn carts); most are ridiculously cheap. Many towns have taxis, but agree on a fare in advance.
- An Empire of the East by Norman Lewis is an informative account of travels through the troublesome parts of the archipelago in 1991, including Aceh and Timor.
- Drums of Tonki by Helen & Frank Schreider is an exhilarating travelogue of island-hopping from Java to Timor.
- Islands in the Clouds - travels in the highlands of New Guinea by Isabella Tree illuminates the tragic consequences of the colonial and post-colonial carve-up on a visit to the highlands of Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea. The book is part of Lonely Planet's travel literature series Journeys.
- The Year of Living Dangerously, by CJ Koch, is an evocative reconstruction of Jakarta life during the bloody and chaotic final months of Sukarno's rule.
- Twilight in Jakarta, by Mochtar Lubis, is a scathing account of political corruption in Indonesia, with much detail on life in the capital in the early 1960s.
- A History of Modern Indonesia, by M C Ricklefs, is a general history concentrating mainly on Java and the Dutch conquest.
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