Indonesia Landmarks

Best time to go to Indonesia

Although rainy season travel is possible in most regions of Indonesia, some activities or travel to remote areas can be difficult. Generally, the best time to visit the dry season is between May and October.

Indonesian festivals are often the destination of travelers. Some of these festivals are so significant that it makes travel organization difficult. In the Tana Toraja funeral season in July and August, hotel prices rise significantly. In Java, it’s a good idea to avoid the last days of the Idul Fitri, when public transportation gets lost in chaos and many shops close.

The decline in the number of tourists means that the “high season” is no longer overcrowded in Indonesia. The December / January Christmas holidays and the school holidays in July and August still bring a wave of Australians and Europeans to Bali, Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi. But apart from climatic obstacles, you can travel to Indonesia at any time.

The main Indonesian holidays are at the end of Ramadan (domestic tourist resorts are crowded at this time, prices are rising sharply), Christmas and from mid-June to mid-July when busloads of high school students before their graduation complete various tourist attractions Visiting Indonesia (especially in Java and Bali).

Indonesia Sightseeing Places

Money

Currency: 1 Indonesian rupiah corresponds to 100 sen

Currency abbreviation: IDR (ISO code), Rp. – ABBREVIATIONFINDER.ORG

Banknotes are in circulation worth 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000 rupiah. Coins are widely used in amounts of 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 rupiah, less often coins in the value of 25 and 50 rupiah.

Exchange rate:
October 2009
1 US dollar = 9533 IDR
1 euro = 14013 IDR
1 Swiss franc = 9255 IDR

Sightseeing

A wide range of activities is offered to the various tourist groups in Indonesia. So you can z. B. in Indonesia observe wildlife very well, because there is almost untouched nature in the country, especially in the southwest of Java. Indonesia also has some interesting national parks to offer.

Indonesia Landmarks

Tourists can also go on various activities such as hiking, biking, trekking or kayaking. A highlight in Indonesia are the cave tours. In Indonesia, bathing vacationers also get their money’s worth. Everything is possible here, from swimming, various water sports or even sailing.

Indonesia can offer a special experience in terms of culture and archeology. The country has some of the most diverse sights and attractions to offer.

So you should definitely not miss the Dieng plateau. The plateau is about 100 kilometers northwest of Yogyakarta. For many tourists, the area with the volcanoes and temples is considered particularly mystical.

The cultural center of the island of Java and throughout Indonesia is the city of Yogyakarta. You should definitely have seen the city when spending your vacation in Indonesia. The city has some interesting sights to offer, such as the Kraton, an eighteenth-century city within the city. The Sultan’s Palace is also located in the Kraton. The water palace and the bird market are also worth a visit.

Another city that is an absolute must is the city of Surakarta. The city’s main attractions are two palaces, the Royal Mangkunegaran Palace, which is now a museum, and the great Kraton Kusunanan. But that’s not all Surakarta has to offer. There is still the great mosque to see here, the Pasar Klewer batik market, the Mangkunegaran prince’s palace and the Radya Pustaka museum.

An impressive building is the Buddhist temple Borobudur, which is one of the most important temples in Southeast Asia. Borobudur was built in the eighth century and for many years was one of the most important centers for Buddhist pilgrims. Today it is no longer possible to understand the reason for which the temple was built. The square-shaped temple has a side length of approx. 120 meters and is divided into nine terraces. So every higher terrace represents a further development of the human being.

Another interesting temple complex is the Prambanan Temple, one of the most important in the area. The temple complex consists of several individual temples and is seen as a counterpart to the Buddhist Borobudur.
Prambanan was built in honor of the Hindu gods Shivan, Brahma and Vishnu.
There used to be more than two hundred buildings in Prambanan. Much of this was destroyed in the 16th century.

The colonial city of Malang is also impressive. The city is at an altitude of five hundred meters. In Malang there are some colonial buildings to see, as well as a wonderful flower market and numerous avenues. In Malang you can see two interesting temples, the Candi Penataran or the Candi Singosari. There is also a tea facility north of the city that can be visited.
Indonesia has a lot of attractions to offer, so you should definitely have enough time to get to know the country properly.

Bali (Indonesia)

General
Bali has only been part of Indonesia since 1949. The island also forms the largest part of the province of the same name in the country. It has an area of ​​5,561 square kilometers and has approximately 3.3 million inhabitants. The capital of the Indonesian island is Denpasar.

The small island in the Indian Ocean and belonging to Indonesia offers tourists ideal holiday conditions. The climate is tropically warm all year round, a trip is recommended, especially in the dry season from May to October.

Bali has a varied landscape, from kilometers of sandy beaches with ideal waves for surfing, picturesque rice terraces, active volcanoes, rivers, caves to rainforest areas with exotic animals, the island fulfills all the dreams of a traveler.

Flora and fauna

Bali is one of the most popular holiday regions in Indonesia not only because of its beaches and landscapes, but also because of its impressive vegetation. The monsoon forest, which stretches across large parts of the island, is particularly special.

If you want to discover the originality of nature in Bali, you should treat yourself to a visit to the Bali Barat National Park. Here you can still find the vegetation that was originally widespread on the entire island of Bali, including the so-called screw trees in the Bali Barat National Park. In addition, visitors to the national park can look forward to plenty of hibiscus and bougainvillea. In addition, visitors can get to know different rare bird species. You can even find the almost extinct wild cattle here.

In addition to the humid monsoon forest yet zones exist on Bali tropical dry forest, tropical cloud forest and savannah. The mangrove forests form a contrast to the lava landscape and the cultural landscape in the area.

You can also observe animals in their natural habitat outside of the Bali nature reserves, such as monkeys, macaques and gray monkeys. In addition, lizards, agamas, monitor lizards, skinks, geckos and snakes are native to the island. Various large mammals such as red deer and wild boar are also represented on the island.

To preserve the marine flora and fauna off the coast, the architect Wolf Hilbertz created artificial coral reefs.

The Balitiger has been extinct on Bali since 1940. Unfortunately, you can no longer see a living specimen in the zoos on the island.

Attractions

Bali has a lot to offer its visitors in terms of culture, here you can visit Hindu temples, marvel at traditional handicrafts or find out about their history and culture in the many museums on the island.

The inhabitants of the island of Bali are largely of the Hindu faith. Therefore, there are some Hindu shrines to visit all over the island. So you should n’t miss the Besakih temple complex. The temple complex is located in the east of the island and covers an area of ​​three square kilometers. This complex includes twenty two temples. The temple is located at the foot of Mount Gunung Agung, which the Balinese believe is the residence of their ancestors. The impressive temple complex dates from the eighth century. Unfortunately, much of it was destroyed by the 1917 earthquake.

Other interesting sights of the island are the Pura Goa Lawah and the Pura Meduwe Karang.

Activities

Visitors to the island do not have to rush from one sight to the next all day, as the island is almost ideal for a beach holiday. Bali has a wide range of different activities for its visitors.
So diving in Bali is a popular activity. The most famous diving areas on the island are Snur, Kuta, Arnet, Candidasa, Tanjung Benoa, Jemeluk and Tulamben. Even surfing is possible on the island. The best area for this sport is the Kuta reef in southern Bali. Visitors will certainly not be bored on the island.

You shouldn’t miss trying the typical food of Bali, which usually consists of fried rice or noodles and Gado Gado, a vegetable mix with peanut sauce. This diversity makes it easy for Bali to enchant and win over every visitor.

Jakarta (Indonesia)

The capital of the Republic of Indonesia is Jakarta. The multicultural city of millions is the cultural, political and economic center of the country. So live in Jakarta, Indians, Chinese, Dutch and Arabs and everyone has brought part of their religion and culture to the Indonesian capital. Up to 8.6 million people live on 661.52 square kilometers.

The vibrant city of Jakarta is located on the northwest coast of the island of Java and at the mouth of the Ciiwang. The city’s surroundings are primarily used for agriculture, and if you are lucky you will still come across tropical rainforests.

The Ciliwang estuary has been populated for millennia, but Jakarta itself was only built on June 22, 1527.
The Dutch colonial era began in Jakarta around the end of the sixteenth century. In the centuries that followed, Jakarta’s history went up and down to Indonesia’s independence on August 17, 1945. Since 1950, Jakarta has been the capital of the Republic of Indonesia.

Such a multicultural city naturally also has many interesting sights such as churches, mosques, squares, temples and important buildings and quarters.

Gloderk
In this old quarter of the Chinese there are some shops, workshops and restaurants that still exude the traditional flair of the area.

Jalan Jakra
The colorful street Jalan Jakra is located in central Jakarta. It is not very long, but there are countless bars, cafes, restaurants, hostels and hotels on the vibrant street.

Jakartatower
This overwhelming tower was built between 2005-2009. At 558 meters, it is one of the tallest structures in the world.

Morumen Nsional
A symbol of the Indonesian struggle for freedom that can not be overlooked is the 137 meter high tower in Central Jakarta. An exhibition on the history of Indonesia and the country’s declaration of independence can be found inside the tower.

Independence building
The building was built in the style of classicism in 1830 and since 1918 the seat of the Volksrad has been in the house.

Jakarta Museum
In the oldest and still existing Jakarta building, there has been a historical museum since 1974, in which there is a gigantic collection of weapons, colonial relics, old maps and furniture. In 1710, Jakarta’s oldest house was initially built as a town hall.

National
Museum The museum is nicknamed the Elephant Building because there is a bronze elephant in front of the door, the Thai one King was given as a gift in 1871. In the museum you can find exhibitions about customs, handicrafts from Java, porcelain from the Ming Dynasty and exhibits such as two hundred year old ceramics and pottery.

Wayag Museum
In this exhibition the visitor gets to see the stick puppets and shadow play figures known throughout Southeast Asia.

Istiglul Mosque

It is the largest mosque in all of Southeast Asia. The Muslim church is a gigantic modern dome made of white marble.

Mesjid Kelon Jenik
This mosque was built by the Muslim Chinese Chan Tsin Whu in 1786 and houses a large number of beautiful tombs in the complex of the mosque, which were decorated in ornate Arabic and Chinese style.

Ba Do Dong Miao

It is the oldest temple in Jakarta, behind whose main building there are a variety of atmospheric tombs.

Jin De Yuan
The most important Chinese temple in Jakarta was built in 1650. The roof of the temple is decorated with numerous porcelain figures and the inside is also dominated by Buddhist and Taoist figures. A highlight of the temple is the figure “ruler of three worlds”, which dates from the seventeenth century.

Emmanuel church
The temple-like, magnificent church immediately catches the eye with its round dome structure. It was built in 1839.

Gereja Sion

The oldest church in the Indonesian capital was built between 1693 and 1695 by a descendant of a conqueror from Portugal. The beautiful carvings in baroque style on the altar, the benches and the organ offer an overwhelming sight.

Catholic Cathedral

The church, dating from 1900, has various Indonesian influences, although the cathedral was built in the neo-Gothic style.

Botanical Garden
One of the most popular destinations outside Jakarta is the quiet and relaxing botanical garden in Bogor. In the garden, founded in 1817, there are up to three thousand different types of plants, including 200 types of palm trees and up to 883 types of orchids.

Tamam Impian JAya Ancol
The largest amusement park in Indonesia extends over a total area of ​​137 hectares. The “Dunia Fantasie” fantasy world, opened in 1985, is a mixture of the different Indonesian architectural styles and epochs in which a fairground and Disney world are combined at the same time.
In addition to the fantasy world, the park also houses a swimming pool, bowling alley, golf course, an open-air theater and an aquarium.