Indonesia

The short version

Indonesia runs more than 5,000 kilometres from Sumatra to Papua, so the first decision is subtraction, not selection. Java and Bali are the one pair that link overland: trains run the length of Java, and a short ferry crosses at the eastern tip. Everything else — Flores, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, the Malukus — is a domestic flight of one to three hours away, which means each island you add costs a travel day at each end. Two islands in two weeks is a trip; four is an itinerary of airports.

Pick a region

Four ways to split it

Compare the cities

Where the days go, and what they cost

Cost per day is a mid-range, per-person figure for a bed, food and local transport, before the bigger paid experiences. It converts to your selected currency.

What it costs

A day, by how you travel

• Hostel & warung ≈€22–34/day Rate 2026-08-26

  A dorm bed, warung meals, public transport or shared app rides, mostly free sights.

• Private room & moving ≈€44–77/day Rate 2026-08-26

  A simple private room, warung and sit-down meals mixed, app rides and train, ferry or flight costs averaged in.

• Hotel & restaurants ≈€97–169/day Rate 2026-08-26

  A good small hotel or apartment, restaurants most nights, private transfers and the odd boat day or excursion. Not luxury.

Indonesia is cheap while you stay on one island and eat locally. Domestic flights, speedboats, diving, volcano jeeps and wildlife trips are what move the total; the international flight is excluded.

When to go

Month by month

• Jan Mixed
• Feb Mixed
• Mar Mixed
• Apr Good
• May Prime
• Jun Prime
• Jul Prime
• Aug Prime
• Sep Good
• Oct Good
• Nov Mixed
• Dec Wet

Prime Good Mixed Wet

A national calendar is only a baseline here. Java, Bali and much of Nusa Tenggara are usually driest from April to October, while Maluku, Papua and parts of Sumatra and Kalimantan run on different patterns entirely.

Eat here

What to order, and the tell

The reliable cheap meal comes from a busy warung with a short menu and visible turnover. Tourist-front strips charge twice as much for air-conditioning and an English menu, not for twice the cooking.

• Nasi goreng ≈€1–2 Rate 2026-08-26

  A warung cooking each plate in a hot wok. Egg, chicken or seafood move the price; a landmark terrace moves it more.

• Sate ayam ≈€1–2 Rate 2026-08-26

  Skewers grilled continuously over charcoal, peanut sauce made at the stall. Check whether rice or rice cake is included.

• Gado-gado ≈€1–2 Rate 2026-08-26

  A stall assembling it to order, vegetables still distinct, sauce ground fresh rather than poured from a tired tray.

• Soto ayam ≈€1–2 Rate 2026-08-26

  A breakfast and lunch specialist with one simmering pot. Add sambal gradually; that is easier than repairing the bowl.

The essentials

Before you go

Visa and entry

Eligible passports can use the B1 visa on arrival: Rp500,000 for 30 days, extendable once for another 30. Check your own eligibility before travel, and submit the electronic arrival card in the three days before you land.

Money and cards

The rupiah. Visa and Mastercard work in cities, hotels and tourist centres; carry cash for warungs, markets, drivers and the smaller islands. Use bank ATMs, withdraw less often and decline home-currency conversion.

Getting around

Rail is genuinely useful on Java and nowhere else. Domestic flights link the island groups, ferries are slower and weather-exposed, and supported ASDP routes are bookable through Ferizy. Leave slack between separate tickets.

Connectivity

Local SIMs require passport registration. Tourist prepaid offers run roughly Rp100,000–150,000 for about 25GB over 30 days; official pickup points and rural coverage vary, so check before relying on eSIM alone.

Language

Bahasa Indonesia is the national language. English is workable in the visitor hubs and much thinner elsewhere; save addresses, ferry names and hotel details as map pins or in Indonesian.

Water and health

Do not assume tap water is drinkable: use sealed, boiled or reliably filtered water. Dengue is a mosquito risk and malaria advice varies by island, so use repellent and check current guidance for your route.

Plan the shape

Routes by trip length

1. 7–10 days

   Java core

   The rail spine and one overland transfer. Adding Bali at this length mostly buys another airport day.

   Yogyakarta · Malang · Banyuwangi

2. 12–14 days

   Java into Bali

   East across Java, one ferry crossing, and a finish near the departure airport instead of doubling back.

   Yogyakarta · Malang · Banyuwangi · Ubud · Sanur

3. 14–18 days

   Bali plus Komodo

   Two distinct Bali bases, then one return flight for Labuan Bajo and a properly buffered Komodo trip.

   Ubud · Sidemen · Sanur · Labuan Bajo

4. 21–28 days

   Java, orangutans and Bali

   Java's overland corridor, one Kalimantan wildlife flight and a slower Bali finish. More islands would make it airport collecting.

   Yogyakarta · Malang · Tanjung Puting · Ubud · Sanur

Read the fine print

Book with your eyes open

• Choose the Borobudur access level

  The ground ticket covers the courtyard only; the temple-structure ticket adds upper-level access, a guide and the required footwear. Buy that one in advance if climbing is the point.

• Book Komodo by the detail, not the deck photo

  Confirm which park fees, ranger or guide, cabin type, meals and transfers are included. July and August are busiest, and you want a weather buffer before the onward flight.

• Treat Nyepi as a full closure

  For twenty-four hours Bali stops: the airport closes, traffic ceases and visitors stay inside. The date moves each year, so check it before buying flights or ferries.

• Treat the big holidays as transport events

  Lebaran, school breaks and the year-end weeks tighten trains, flights, ferries and family rooms at once. The dates move; check the current calendar before locking a non-refundable route.

• Protect separate-ticket connections

  Airlines, ferries, boats and drivers do not protect one another. Buy supported ferry routes through Ferizy and leave a night, not an afternoon, before an international flight.