Travel quotes
Like all great travellers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen. Benjamin Disraeli
In America there are two classes of travel - first class, and with children. Robert Benchley
Travelers never think that they are the foreigners. Mason Cooley
The traveler was active; he went strenuously in search of people, of adventure, of experience. The tourist is passive; he expects interesting things to happen to him. He goes "sight-seeing." Daniel J. Boorstin
There are only two emotions in a plane: boredom and terror. Orson Welles
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Indonesia : When and where to go ?
Click on a city for complete climate and weather tables
| Town | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | June | July | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Jakarta |  | | |  | |  |  | | | | | |
| Balikpapan (Borneo) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Padang (Sumatra) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Denpasar (Bali) | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Indonesia : Maps and Facts
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The climate is equatorial, hot and humid with a rainy season between October and April, which reaches its peak in January/February, there is a dry season from May to September. |
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What to do in Indonesia
There are strings of islands in the Indian Ocean, mosaics of cultures and religions, jungles with exuberant wildlife; everything is fascinating and dazzling in Indonesia.
Hindu Bali offers beautiful beaches, mountains and rice fields, villages and temples, and great surf spots for the surfers. Jakarta is no longer the poverty stricken megalopolis despite the slums that remain. You can visit the old port of Sunda Kelapa and the National Museum, the Chicken Market Bridge or the Lapangan Banteng square. In Sumatra you can choose between the famous Krakatoa gray volcano, Bukit Lawang with its orangutans, and the huge lake of Danau Toba, the largest volcanic lake in the world. The Lesser Sunda Islands are places of great interest: Beautiful beaches in Sumba, handicrafts in Lombok, the famous Komodo dragons, the beautiful and colourful lakes of Keli Metu in the volcanic island of Flores. Finally, Celebes (Sulawesi) will fascinate you with stunning landscapes inhabited by extraordinary animals and with some exceptional diving sites. Natural Resources and fascinating cultures make Indonesia a memorable destination, where dreams of adventures can come true like nowhere else. |
Indonesia : The basics
You must have a passport and a 30-day visa.
You can get there by air via Singapore and land in Jakarta or Bali. Once there, several airlines serve different areas. There are few trains, except in Java and Sumatra, but buses are very numerous though sometimes dilapidated! You can also rent a motorcycle if you feel up to riding on bumpy roads and tackling various obstacles... The Indonesian Rupee is the currency in circulation. In 2011, €1 was equivalent to 15,000 rupees. Living is fairly cheap: You can buy, at a ridiculous price, a simple dish based on rice at portable stalls, and lunch in small restaurants for €3. Regarding accommodation, you can find a hotel room for €6 and that of a luxury hotel for less than €50. It is advisable to take treatment against malaria, except in Bali. Also, take into account that water and food can transmit hepatitis A, or diarrhea. Do not forget to include antiseptics in your first aid kit and a good sunscreen. Only drink boiled water, do not swim in rivers, and treat carefully any cuts, even the smallest. |
Towns in Indonesia
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• Balikpapan (Borneo)
Balikpapan sits on the Straits of Makassar on the island of Borneo, known as Kalimantan. Kalimantan is the Indonesian part of Borneo, constituting four fifths of its surface. One of the attractions of Borneo lies in its extraordinary biodiversity, both plant and animal: Its forest is home to thousands of species, some yet to be discovered, and most of those identified are rare and not found elsewhere. Carnivorous plants, toads and chameleons flying monkeys inhabit the forest, which is nevertheless threatened by the twin evils tragic fires and oil palm cultivation, it encroaches for economic reasons over the jungle. The city of Balikpapan, east of the island, about 500 thousand inhabitants, and is an important seat for international oil companies. You can get there by an international airport, and can visit the Crocodile Farm, the craft market but also its beautiful beaches such as Manggarai or Lamaru. Animal lovers will discover the orangutan reserve. The city itself offers little of interest, if not calm and warm hospitality of its people and the relaxed pace of life and quiet under a sky of intense blue. Do not miss the village on stilts, however, Kampung Baru, with its narrow streets and wooden houses of every color, shops, mosques and the radiant smiles of its inhabitants engaged in various tasks they do not mind you sharing with good humor.
Capital of the Province of West Sumatra, Padang has about 800,000 inhabitants. Its port has made the city a commercial hub since the 16th century.
The city is served by an airport which connects Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, as well as other major cities in Sumatra. You can visit the old town, built along the mouth of the river, its Chinatown, its beautiful mosque and its colorful temples, visit the museum Adityawarman the beautiful traditional architecture with its collection of antiques and peaceful garden which take the air, and the Holland area with rows of colonial houses along wide streets, well shaded, but also enjoy the many beaches, or use the city as a starting point for access to surf spots Islands Mentawai.
But do not forget that the city has been strongly affected by the earthquake of September 2009 and that all has not yet been rebuilt. In contrast, the population had lost none of its warm and friendly despite its hardships.
The minibuses will ensure your move in and out of the city, where you can easily find accommodations at very affordable rates.
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