Shopping
Overview
Popular souvenirs include handicrafts such as batik fabrics, wood carvings, silver jewellery, straw and raffia baskets, bamboo items, Kris (small daggers), paintings and woven fabrics. When buying antiques, you should seek advice from an expert. Bargain hunters are particularly drawn to the island of Java. The city of Yogyakarta is known for its tie-dye fabrics and paintings, but you should have a water test to check the quality of the tie-dye. In Bali you will find high-quality natural cosmetics such as massage oils, body lotions and peelings. Ubud is known as an artist village. In Celuk, numerous silversmiths offer their services in the small side streets, and individual orders are also possible. Jenggala pottery (Internet: www. jenggala.com) in Jimbaran combines Balinese tradition with modern design. In the big cities there are large, air-conditioned shopping centers where internationally known labels are offered at relatively reasonable prices. For example, the Plaza Senayan (Internet: www.plaza-senayan.com) in South Jakarta or the BeachWalk Mall (Internet: www.beachwalkbali.com) in Kuta on Bali are well known. There are numerous markets where textile goods are sold in addition to fresh fruit and vegetables or exotic spices. The Tanah Aban Market in central Jakarta, which has been held since 1735, is one of the largest textile markets in Southeast Asia.
- Searchforpublicschools: Offers schooling information of Indonesia in each level – compulsory, technical and higher education programs.
Opening hours
Mon-Sun 9am-9pm, some shops close earlier on Sundays. Markets are open either early in the morning or late in the evening. In the smaller towns, the shops close at lunchtime from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Shopping centers are usually open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Nightlife
Introduction
In the discotheques, nightclubs and bars you will find mainly tourists. The capital Jakarta and the island of Bali offer the liveliest nightlife. There is a branch of the legendary Hard Rock Café in both Jakarta and Bali (Internet: www.hardrock.com). International singers and groups often perform in Jakarta’s nightspots; nightclubs are open until 4am on weekends. The city has over 40 cinemas, some showing films in English or with English subtitles. There are discotheques, nightclubs and bars in all larger towns in Bali, where live music is often played. The town of Kuta in the south of the island is particularly popular with party-goers. For example, if you like dancing salsa, you can go to Cubana (Internet: www.cubanabali.com) or Bahiana (Internet: www.bahiana-bali.com). Friends of house music, on the other hand, are drawn to Bosche (Internet: www.boshevvipclub.com). Many larger hotels, especially in Bali, offer dance performances accompanied by the typical Indonesian gamelan orchestras. Moonlight festivals take place in many places throughout the year, it is best to inquire on the spot. Indonesian shadow theater is world famous. Beware of cheating gangs trying to cheat tourists out of their money. Since gambling is banned throughout Indonesia, the injured party is also liable to prosecution.
Culinary
Overview
Indonesian spices make the local cuisine, which is based on rice (nasi), incomparable. Indonesians like their food to be very well seasoned, the small red and green chili peppers, which are often found in salads or vegetables, are particularly hot. However, restaurants used to foreign tourists tend to cater to their tastes. Visitors who like to experiment also try the specialties of the many street stalls (warungs). Some warungs are fixed and have tables with benches for guests to sit at, e.g. B. Nasi Goreng (fried rice with vegetables) or Mie Goreng (fried noodles) and drinks, other warungs consist only of a larger glass and wooden box on wheels and specialize, for example, in tahu (tofu, soybean cheese) or tempe goreng (dish made from deep-fried, fermented soybeans), sate, fruit or sweets. Almost every flavor of international cuisine is represented in Jakarta.
Regional specialities
There are countless specialties including Rijstafel (Indonesian-Dutch mix of a variety of meats, vegetables, salads, fish and curry), Sate (spicy spiced grilled beef, fish, pork, chicken or lamb on a skewer with peanut sauce), Ayam Ungkap (Java; marinated chicken fried in oil), Ikan Acar Kuning (Jakarta; lightly marinated fried fish with a sauce of pickled spices), SotoAyam (soup with dumplings, vegetables and chicken), Gado-Gado (Java; salad of raw and cooked vegetables with coconut milk and peanut sauce), pempek (palembang; fried fish balls in warm sweet and sour vinegar sauce), babi guling (roasted suckling pig) and opor ayam (chicken cooked in mildly spiced coconut milk).Fish and seafood as well as tropical fruit complete the menu.
Tip
Tipping is customary but not mandatory. Some hotels and restaurants charge an additional 10% for service.
Regional drinks
Local (e.g. Bintang) and imported beer is available in almost every restaurant, and spirits are also available in the larger restaurants. The alcoholic specialty of Bali is the rice wine Brem, in South Sulawesi there is the high-proof Tuak. Tea and coffee are mostly drunk black and sweet. Everywhere in Indonesia many different, extremely tasty fruit juices are offered, e.g. B. Pineapple, papaya, avocado and durian juice.
Minimum age for consumption of alcoholic beverages
In Indonesia, you can drink alcohol from the age of 21.
Accommodation
Hotels
There are international hotels in all major cities and tourist centers, most of which also offer a conference service. Hotel taxes are high (10% service plus 11% tax). In many tourist areas, e.g. In Bali, for example, almost every type of accommodation is available, from international luxury hotels to beach huts. Even middle-class hotels often have swimming pools and rent the most common sports equipment. Categories: Hotels are classified according to the facilities available. For more information, please contact the National Hotel Association, Wisma Nugra Santana, 4th Floor, Jendral Sudirman 8, ID-Jakarta 10220. (Tel: (021) 570 69 09).
Culture
Religion
86.1% Muslims, 8.7% Christians, 1.8% Hindus (mainly in Bali), 3.4% Buddhists and followers of natural religions in remote regions.
Social Rules of Conduct
General: Since independence, many Indonesians have developed a strong sense of national pride. Traditional dances and traditional painting, wood carving and sculpting techniques play an important role in Indonesian culture. Dancing is an important art form in Indonesia and is encouraged and practiced from an early age. The comprehensive repertoire is based on old legends and traditions. Performances take place in village halls and squares and in some of the leading hotels. Some of Bali’s most famous dances are the legong, a slow, graceful dance performed by divine nymphs; the Baris, a fast-paced, noisy display of masculine warlike behavior, and the Jauk, captivating solo dance of a masked and richly costumed demon. In the dramatic Kecak dance with 100 or more participants, young men dressed only in loincloths act as wild flock of monkeys, subjects of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman. Indonesian gamelan orchestras are primarily composed of various xylophone-like percussion instruments, flutes and harp-like instruments. These sounds can be heard in many Indonesian shops and restaurants and are part of every dance and shadow theater performance. Shadow theater plays are performed across the country using traditional wood and leather wayang kulit shadow puppets. The subjects of the plays are often the stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, famous ancient Hindu legends. However, modern pieces are also shown. For visitors, For those who don’t understand Indonesian, it is most interesting to sit backstage because that is the best place to watch the puppeteer at work. Appropriate manners: When booking tickets and hotels within Indonesia, often only the first name is used. Social gatherings are often quite formal, for example at a meal one should not start eating or drinking until the host says so. Never point fingers at people or objects, or touch other people’s heads. Food or money is always taken or given with the right hand. Indonesians are polite and friendly, and offer countless favors and courtesies to foreigners they trust. Shaking hands as a greeting is common. When invited to a private home, a gift is welcome. Before entering a private house, one takes off one’s shoes. Dress: Casual attire is common, but some elegant establishments expect evening wear at mealtimes. Islamic customs and customs concerning women’s clothing should be observed. Temples should only be entered with a sarong and tops that cover shoulders/arms. Swimwear belongs on the beach. Away from the beach, knees and shoulders should be covered. Photography: Cultural sites may not be photographed. The basic rule is that you should ask permission before taking a picture. Smoking: In Jakarta and Bali, smoking is prohibited in closed, public places such as hotels and restaurants. Tipping: In restaurants and hotels, tips are usually included in the bill. If you still want to tip, you usually give 5-10%. Maids and taxi drivers expect tips. In taxis, it is customary to round up the fare. Prohibited Plastic Items: The sale and purchase of single-use plastic items such as plastic cutlery and bags will be banned in Bali from June 2019.
Climate
Best travel time
Tropical monsoon climate with pronounced regional differences. The east monsoon brings the driest weather (June – September), the west monsoon brings the rainy season (December – March). There is precipitation all year round. cooler in the mountains. The average temperature is 23-28°C all year round. Mostly it is a humid heat with a humidity of 70-90%. The best travel time falls on the months of June, July and August, which are also the most expensive months. In the mid-season in May and September you can be lucky with both the prices and the weather.
During the rainy season, muddy roads can bring traffic to a standstill. It should be noted that public transport is often congested, shops are closed and accommodation in resorts is almost fully booked on regional official holidays.
Country data
Phone prefix
+62
Area (sq km)
1,904,569
Population
273,523,615(Source: homosociety)
Population density (per square km)
140
Population statistics year
2020
Main emergency number
112
