Jakarta is the main international gateway to Indonesia; for details on arriving here from overseas, see the Transport chapter . Jakarta is also a major centre for domestic travel, with extensive bus,...
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EATING
This is a terrific city for eating out. There are seriously stylish restaurants with international menus in the upmarket enclaves of southern Jakarta like Kemang and excellent inexpensive food...
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Kota
The old town of Batavia, now known as Kota, was once the hub of Dutch colonial Indonesia. Today it's a sad vision of a once-grand empire and dozens of historic buildings have rotted, crumbled or...
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Jakarta has some excellent deals in the mid-range and top-end hotel sectors, with promotional rates slashed as low as US$50 a night for luxury places; check websites or call the hotels direct for the...
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Of all the 17,000 islands that make up Indonesia, Java is king. It may not have the beaches of Bali, the jungles of Kalimantan, or the remoteness of Papua, but it’s the heart of the country, a hear...
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Air
The only airport in Bali, Ngurah Rai Airport (DPS) is just south of Kuta, however it is sometimes referred to internationally as Denpasar (which is 15km north) or on some internet flight booking...
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Denpasar has the island's best range of Indonesian and Balinese food. Savvy locals and expats each have their own favourite warung and restaurants.
Bhineka Jaya Cafe : Home to Bali's Coffee Co, tn's...
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Museum Negeri Propinsi Bali
This museum : is the main attraction of; Denpasar, and it's a good one. It gained prominence in 1932 when German artist Walter Spies and some Dutch officials revived the j...
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Bali has, without a doubt, the best range of accommodation in Indonesia, from US$5-per-night losmens to US$4,000-per-night super-homes.
Backpackers tend to head for Kuta, which has the cheapest (and...
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Bali may be small in size – you can drive around the entire coast in one long day – but its prominence as a destination is huge, and rightfully so. Ask travellers what Bali means to them and youâ...
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Once upon a time along the backpacker trail, travellers sailed the high seas to reach the island of Sumatra, touching down in one of the international ports: Batam, Belawan (near Medan), Pekanbaru or...
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Medan has the most varied selection of cuisines in Sumatra, from basic Malay-style mie (noodle) and nasi (rice) joints, to top-class hotel restaurants.
Lots of simple warungs (food stalls) occupy the...
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ISTANA MAIMOON
Having recently received a much-needed lick of paint, the Maimoon Palace (Jl Katamso; admission by donation; 9am-5pm) stands as grand as ever. Built by the sultan of Deli in 1888, the...
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The majority of accommodation is on or near Jl SM Raja. Most budget options have cold water only.
BUDGET
Ronna's Guesthouse I ( 732 4556; ronnasaloongyahoo .com; Jl Tengati 33; r with/without bathroo...
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Anchored tenuously in the deep Indian Ocean, this giant island is still as wild and unpredictable as the Victorian-era jungle-seekers dreamed. Millennia of chaos erupting from the earth’s toxic cor...
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AIR
Lombok's Selaparang Airport has a decent ter-minal with a few shops to keep you occupied when your flight is inevitably delayed (unless you're on the. first flight out). Domestic departure tax is...
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Most folks nest among Cakranegara's quiet streets off Jl Pejanggik/Jl Selaparang, east of Mataram Mall.
BUDGET
Ganesha Inn :Stylish exterior, nice location, but some of the rooms are yellow at the ed...
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MUSEUM NEGERI NUSA TENGGARA BARAT
This dusty museum : has exhibits on the geology, history and culture of Lombok and Sumbawa. There's an interesting collection of prehistoric pottery, massive bronze...
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Most folks nest among Cakranegara's quiet streets off Jl Pejanggik/Jl Selaparang, east of Mataram Mall.
BUDGET
Ganesha Inn : Stylish exterior, nice location, but some of the rooms are yellow at the e...
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Indonesia’s dazzling arc of eastern islands that stretches towards northern Australia is perhaps the most varied and rewarding part of the nation to explore. There are few regions of the world that...
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Visa on arrival is available at Balikpapan's Seppingan Airport, Pontianak's Supadio Airport, and West Kalimantan's Entikong land border crossing from Sarawak.
For all other entry points from outside...
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Eating
Fresh ingredients, Chinese influence, and street culture make Pontianak Kalimantan's best destination to travel your tastebuds. Warungs and stalls abound along major streets and surrounds, wit...
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TAMAN ALUN KAPUAS
This riverside park (Jl Rahadi Usman) includes the ferry crossing to Siantan and vistas of Kapuas activity. At night, it swells with families, kid" die rides, hawkers and food stall...
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BUDGET
Hotel Patrisia : Clean, sparse rooms, all with private {some Western) bathrooms and two beds. Higher rate buys air-con and TV.
Mess Hijas : Every room at this business-traveller favourite incl...
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Deep, dark and exotic, the very notion of Borneo rouses something in the subconscious. Summoning visions of mythical people and ancient forests, it tugs at the adventurer within. It’s a romantic no...
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Air
DOMESTIC
The three transport hubs are Makassar and Manado, which are well connected with the rest of Indonesia, and Palu, which offers connections to Balikpapan in Kalimantan. It is possible to a...
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For many, it's the food that makes Makassar a great destination. There's an abundance of seafood, Chinese dishes, local specialities such as coto Makassar (soup made from buffalo innards), and a few...
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Fort Rotterdan
One of the best preserved examples of Dutch architecture in Indonesia: Continues to guard the harbor of Makassar. A Gowanes fort dating back to 1545 once stood here, but failed t...
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The most pleasant area to stay is along the waterfront south of the port (which also has the best nightlife), while choices a few blocks away from the sea or around Jl Ahmad Yani are central and a sh...
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The first thing everyone notices about Sulawesi is its strange shape. There must have been some serious tectonic action in this region to produce an island so bizarre. But bizarre is beautiful and in...
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Air
Ambon and Ternate.are the region's air hubs. Both have several daily connections to Jakarta, mostly via Makassar or Manado (Sulawesi). There are several connections from Ambon to Papua but only o...
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EATING
Rumah makan (eating houses) offer cheap eats around the markets with several shacks north of the bemo terminal serving local specialities ikan gohu (raw-fish morsels in a tangy peanut-edged ma...
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Keraton (Istana Kesultan)
Built in 1834 and restored in semi-colonial style, the Sultan's Palace is still a family home. However, there is a museum section (donation appropriate) containing a small b...
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You'll probably value a powerful new air con-ditioner given Ternate's oppressive heat and sauna-like humidity.
Budget
Accommodation under 150,000 Rp is plentiful around Ahmad Yani Port but conditions...
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Formerly known as ‘the Moluccas’, these petite little morsels of paradise are a dream-come-true for seekers of superb snorkelling and picture-perfect white-sand beaches. Protected from mass touri...
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You must first get to Jakarta, Makassar, Denpasar, Manado or Ambon, then take an onward domestic flight. Visitors heading straight for the Baliem Valley must fly first to Jayapura, which is served by...
Most of the best eateries cluster on and just off Jl Yos Sudarso near Hotel Tanjung. Restaurants in Sorong are generally better stocked with alcohol (beer, at least) than those elsewhere in Papua. Fo...
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Pantai Kasuari (Cassowary Beach), 5km north of grubby Pantai Lido, is a long, sandy strand with some coral, ideal for swimming and snorkelling (bring your own gear). You can get there by public taksi...
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Breakfast is included at all these places.
Hotel Tanjung : Situated on the Pantai Lido waterfront, popular Hotel Tanjung has a range of acceptable rooms, though the cheapest ones share bathrooms and...
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Even a country as full of adventure as Indonesia has to have its final fr Papua, half of the world's second-biggest island, New Guinea. Here th still clawing at the edges of a very traditional one, w...
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