Best Indonesia Route

Hey Guys,

I am due to fly to Bali in a few weeks, after spending 9 months in Oz and have to admit i'm getting a little nervous about the culture shock. Anyway, I am entering with a 30 day visa on arrival and wanted people to suggest the best route to take as there is so much i want to see including :

Bali
Lombok / Gil Islands
Yogyakarta - Borobudur and Pramamban temples
Mount Bromo
Mount Rinjani
Jarakta
Padang
Lake Toba
Medan

After doing Java and Sumatra we have a pre-paid flight to Singapore from Bali, so will mean coming back on ourselves. I am thinking of cancelling this flight and getting a cheap flight from Medan to Singapore so i can head this far West without having to Back track....do you think this is all possible within 30 days

Any tips, tricks and useful info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

JD

An alternative to flying from Medan to Singapore would be taking the ferry from Belawan (near Medan) to Penang, Malaysia, and then the train south to Singapore. That way, you could see some of the S.E. Asia mainland, and probably save some money as well (if you have the time- it will add a couple of days to your trip).

Hi JD,
I did not see this post when I attempted to answer my PM from you.
You did not include the list you have put in the post
Pamela

JD,
Too much to see in 30 days- basically your trip through Indonesia will be sitting in transport- not much chance to sit still and enjoy the Indonesian people and the country and even chat with fellow western travellers and swap magic stories of experiences in Indonesia.

Isn't it possible for you to obtain a 60 day visa as I previously suggested here in Sydney at Maroubra? or have you only allocated 30 days to see Indonesia!!
I am completely exhausted thinking about what you want to do- Indonesia is a third world country and it does NOT operate like a western country therefore a worldwind trip through Indonesia like you are planning is definitely only going to leave you angry and frustrated with the slow pace the way things work along with the heat, change of food etc.
Pamela

[ Edit: Edited on 05-May-2009, at 04:38 by pPamela ]

We were going to get a 60 day visa, but didn't realise it WASN"T multi-entry, as we planned to go from Bali - Singapore - Borneo meaning we would have to get another 30 day visa when entering Borneo. We allocated 30 days on Java/Samuarta and 30 days on Borneo/Sarawak.

Quoting pPamela

I am completely exhausted thinking about what you want to do-

- Ha, join the club, its tiring all this planning and am only sat at my desk at work at the moment!

JD

Hey Jade,

well if I were you I'd definitely cancel that pre paid flight its already soo close to singapore from medan...

and yep 30 days seem really short if you want to take in the culture..but i would suggest taking up 10 day just for bali and lombok...then maybe one week to jogyakarta and bromo..lots of culture there..the candi etcetera...so now u have what 13 days..how are you moving from one place to another are u planing to take flights or train?dont take the bus..it will just take too long...train from yogya to jakarta is definitely doable...

mmhm...then maybe 3 days in jakarta or two depending whther ur up for some big city vibe..and then take a plane to padang coz otherwise it might take u almost 2 days to reach there from jakarta by bus..i done that once...personally i say there isnt that much to see there..except maybe lake toba..I hear Bintan is really nice good beaches..or weh island? its around sumatra as well..then go to medan and cross over to singapore..

aniwes I live in jakarta..hope this helps..=)

Hey Guys,

Cheers for all the info. I know 30 days is quite short, but will try our best to see as much as possible without having to rush and spoil the trip. I think we will be catching internal flights, purely to save time etc.

If we feel like we have missed something, would it be possible to fly out to Singapore and re-enter on a new 30 day visa. If so it might take a bit of the pressure off.

Thanks

JD

Met this crazy pommie guy at a petrol station in West Flores back in late Feb.
Helluva journey- check out his travel map. Lucky bugger!!!!
http://www.thepostman.org.uk/the-journey/
He caught a cargo boat from Darwin to East Timor to start his trip but

You could -

Fly Darwin to Kupang in the Indonesian territory of West Timor (flies twice a week I believe).
Ferry from Kupang to Maumere on NE coast of Flores.
Cruise through Flores stopping at Moni (Kelimutu volcano lakes are beautiful), Ende (coupla volcanoes overlooking town), Bajawa (laid-back place in the central mountains for traditional villages such as Bena and an in-your-face volcano), Labuanbajo (boats to Komodo or Rinca for live dragons - I was told that Rinca was better so did that and it was kool), ferry Labuanbajo to Sape on Sumbawa (spent 2 days in Bima and missable), bus to Sumbawa Besar (clapped-out sultan's palace is different), bus/ferry to Lombok.
Can trek Rinjani from Senaru which is NW of the mountain (nice place to relax) or trek from ??? on the east side. Have walked the foothills around Senaru but never trekked the whole thing.
Head for the Gilis (I prefer Meno cause it is so lotus-eating but I'm an old fart so Trawangan ain't my scene anymore). The snorkelling is great around those islands.
Sengiggi doesn't have much to offer so take bus/ferry to Bali. I always use Perama cause they give good service at a reasonable price.
You should be able to get a decent return flight Bali to Yogyakarta for Borobodur but don't know about Bromo.
That should be doable in 30 days, as the postman only had a 30 day visa and he was biking all the way to far-western Sumatra.
That would probably mean missing out on Lake Toba which is well out of your way if flying out of Bali at the end of your 30 days.
Got some pics and vids of these places on profile.

Enjoy

Anthony

P.S. If you want any more info, give me a hoy.