Indonesia - Practical information

• ■  CLIMATE AND TEMPERATURE
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  Indonesia is situated around the equator and so has a tropical climate. Typical are the high temperatures the whole year round with an average day temperature of 29 degrees Celsius. At night this average temperature will go down to 22 degrees Celsius. The dry time starts in April till November, the rainy season from December till March.

• ■  PASSPORT
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  Participants need to be in the possession of a valid international passport that is still valid at least 6 months after your return home. A visa is necessary and will be given at the border upon arrival (US$ 25, 00). Make sure you always bring a copy of your international passport as a precaution.

• ■  HEALTH
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  There are no vaccinations required. We recommend you to have a vaccination against typhus and a repeated vaccination for tetanus. A product against mosquitoes, like a cream with a minimum of 10% DEET is recommended and can be taken from home or bought upon arrival. If you are going with us to Sumba, Papua, anti-malaria medicine is a must. In Bali, Java and Sulawesi there are good doctors and everywhere are western medicine available. Running water is non potable; most hotels provide drinking water in the room. If you like more information we kindly refer you to your own doctor at home.

• ■  CLOTHING
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  Light, cotton clothes are preferable. Summer clothing is all you will need. Easy shoes and a pair of easy walking shoes with good grip are recommended. In the dry season when in the mountains a summer sweater can be practical. Sunglasses, sun crème, and all weather sandals are also useful. For trips in Sumba, Sulawesi, Maluku, Papua you need to bring comfortable trekkingshoes. A scarve to protect the neck and shoulders in the air-conditioned busses and a raincoat against the sporadic rainfall are very useful. Nowhere is it necessary, not even in the hotels to dress “formal”.

• ■  ELECTRICITY
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  Electricity: everywhere is 220 or 110 V, plug-in like in Europe. An adaptor from home may be useful.

• ■  MONEY
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  The currency in Indonesia is the Rupiah (Rp.) Rupi­ahs are to be bought in Indonesia. It is not recommended to buy Rupiah in your own country (difficult and less profitable). You can change most currencies (with Euro and US Dollar the most common) at moneychangers, hotels and banks found everywhere.  If you take dollar bills with you they have to be in pristine condition, no tears or stains and you have to be careful that these dollar bills are not from the year 1996 or the code printed on them is not CA-CB-CC-CD-CF-DB-DH. For these kinds of dollar bills you will get a lesser value. US Dollar bills of 100 US$ will give you more in exchange then smaller bills. Trade (December 2013) 1Euro = 16.000 Rupiah 1US$ = 10.500 Rupiah All current credit cards are accepted for payments in the hotels and chops. Taking money out of the ATM machine is possible in most islands.

• ■  LUGGAGE
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  Airliners only allowed 1 suitcase a person with a maximum weight of 20kg. You may also take 1 piece of hand luggage a person with maximum measures of 55cmx40cmx20cm and max 5 kg. ­Pay attention, tax free –acquirements have to be stored in your hand luggage. Keep in mind that you cannot put cosmetics, liquids, gels, sharp objects like nail cutters, pocketknives, cissor, as well as batteries, umbrella in your hand luggage. A small backpack to store your daily things like camera, water, and mosquito- and sun crème is very handy during the daytrips.      

• ■  PHOTOMATERIAL
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  Negative films are not easy to get in Bali and Java, maybe better to take enough from home. Development of pictures analogue and digital is cheap and of good quality. Videotapes are sold everywhere in Bali and Java, and big cities.

• ■  EXPEDITIONS
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   When you want to make an expedition, please contact us for detailed information as these are extra ordinary tours into the remote jungle.