Indonesia - Travel advice?

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  1. #1

    Join Date
    Aug 2008
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    Indonesia - Travel advice?

    Hey everybody,

    I managed to catch a flight to Jakarta in a few weeks and was wondering if I could get some travel advice from you guys. Ill be there for a 5 days.

    I'm a native Canadian, and will be traveling with my Chinese gf.

    Are there any areas Westerners should avoid?


    Also, does anyone know any inexpensive beach accomodations and travel modes to get there? (Scuba would always be cool)



    Thank a bunch!

    Drew


  2. #2

    Join Date
    Jul 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by drew4u99:
    Hey everybody,

    I managed to catch a flight to Jakarta in a few weeks and was wondering if I could get some travel advice from you guys. Ill be there for a 5 days.

    I'm a native Canadian, and will be traveling with my Chinese gf.

    Are there any areas Westerners should avoid?


    Also, does anyone know any inexpensive beach accomodations and travel modes to get there? (Scuba would always be cool)

    Thank a bunch!

    Drew
    I have been in Jakarta a week ago and was very surprised that there is much less cheating going on than in Bali, the only place in Indonesia I had been before.

    For beach areas I can't help you since I was only in the city.

    One important thing if you carry cash: They fully refuse certain serial numbers and or give less for them. I am not sure what they are, but they were asking for bills from 2006 with the serial number starting with an H.
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  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 2008
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    1

    Basically there's a lot of scuba diving organizers in Jakarta, but maybe you can try Planet Diving a PADI certified scuba diving school at Sahid Jaya Hotel (you can ask any taxi drivers to get you there since it's in downtown).


  4. #4

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    If I were you I would get a connecting flight to Bali - which is lovely - since Jakata is really quite nasty. And nowhere near a beach.


  5. #5

    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Bali is one option, or you could also get a flight to Yogyakarta and visit Borobudur and Prambanan, you can also do a day trip to Solo (nearby Yogyakarta). or climb Bromo (volcano)

    If you stay near Jakarta, Bogor is worth a day trip (to see the botanical garden)

    Jakarta is not that nasty (I go there quite often), it is just very big and not that well developped (you can't really walk there, you always need a cab)...but you do not want to spend 5 days there anyway.

    For internal flights I recommend you stick with GARUDA, which is the "safest" you can get in Indonesia (they have plenty of fancy airlines, very cheap, but at your own risk....)


  6. #6

    Join Date
    Sep 2007
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    Quote Originally Posted by hktraveller:
    One important thing if you carry cash: They fully refuse certain serial numbers and or give less for them. I am not sure what they are, but they were asking for bills from 2006 with the serial number starting with an H.
    I've often wondered what the logic behind that was, the rate can also depend on the condition of the banknote.

    It's not as if the actual note has value