Indonesia Tour

Indonesia Tour Packages: The Complete Island-by-Island Travel Guide

Indonesia comprises 17,000 islands that span across a distance greater than the contiguous landmass of the US. Opting for a Indonesia tour package without planning will either involve you flying back and forth throughout the trip or having your schedule so jam-packed.

Here’s what you need to know about the places to visit, the visa process and how you can create an itinerary tailored to your needs.

Entry Visa, Tourist Levy, and the All Indonesia Arrival Card

Your entry documents should be sorted out first, and then Indonesia made some important changes to its entry documentation system, and old travel books still refer to forms that no longer exist individually.

Visa on arrival: Citizens of most countries, including US, UK, EU, Australia, India, and most of Southeast Asia, are eligible for visa on arrival facilities in major airports of Indonesia. It costs USD 35 per person for a period of 30 days, which can be extended for a further period of 30 days. E-VISA on arrival services are also available online prior to the journey on the immigration website. Only a few nationalities need a regular visa through the Indonesian embassy.

All Indonesia Arrival Card: All Indonesia Arrival Card would replace both e-CD and SATUSEHAT Health Pass in Indonesia. It is mandatory for all travelers to fill up this common digital form not more than 72 hours prior to their arrival in Indonesia. Upon submission, an individual will receive a QR code through his/her email address.

Bali tourism tax: In case your trip involves Bali, then there will be a tourist tax of IDR 150,000 (approximately USD 9 to 10) charged per visitor per visit. The good thing is that you can make payment in advance on the Love Bali site or application, hence saving yourself from standing in a long queue at the airport.

Bali: The Core of Most Indonesia Tour Packages

Bali tour packages work as a base for most first-time visitors to Indonesia, and for good reason. It has the infrastructure, the variety, and enough geographic range to fill a week on its own.

Ubud is the inland cultural hub of Bali. The Ubud Monkey Forest is located right in the middle of town and contains a monkey forest with more than 700 macaques. The macaques are not tamed, so be careful with your belongings and obey the guide’s orders. Outside the monkey forest, Ubud is your go-to location for rice terrace hikes and cooking classes.

Uluwatu is the place to be when sunset arrives. The Uluwatu temple sunset on the cliff with the Indian Ocean at its backdrop, together with the Kecak fire dance in the amphitheater below, forms the best sunset experience you will have in Bali. Get there 90 minutes before sunset in order to get a good vantage point. You should carry a sarong because this is a Hindu temple.

Kuta and Seminyak have distinct roles. Kuta Beach is the original party strip, surfing lessons, budget lodgings, beach bars. In contrast, Seminyak nights are more high-end, complete with rooftop cocktail lounges and beach clubs that now make up a major attraction on their own. You don’t have to do either, but if you want to see what makes Bali such a popular destination, you should try a night in Seminyak.

Getting to Nusa Penida takes about 45 minutes by a fast boat from Sanur. The impressive cliffs of the island can be seen while traveling there from the sea, and the best way to witness them is from Kelingking beach with its stunning promontory resembling a T-Rex that emerges into a beautiful blue water. Reaching the beach itself is difficult since it takes an hour to reach it, and tourists take pictures of it from the top of the cliff.

Mount Batur trekking is initiated by leaving from the Kintamani village at around 2am. The duration of reaching the summit takes around two hours in order to witness the sunrise atop the crater, which overlooks the crater lake of Batur. Technical equipment is not needed, but there are several steep sections. Usually breakfast served during the hike comes from steaming the ingredients using the geothermal heat from the volcano.

Gili Islands snorkeling: Three Gili islands are located on the northwest side of Lombok Island: Gili Trawangan, Gili Meno, and Gili Air. To get to any of them, one must either take a speedboat from Bali Island or travel to Bangsal Harbor from Lombok. Bars and diving centers can be found in Gili Trawangan while Gili Meno provides good beach snorkeling.

Java: Temples, Volcanoes, and Urban Contrast

Java is where Indonesia's historical and geological weight concentrates. Most Bali tour packages can be extended within a few days in Java without much additional complexity.

The city of Yogyakarta represents the cultural heart of Java and the home of its two most significant temple sites. One such temple is the Borobudur temple, a Buddhist structure constructed around the year 800 and located on a series of nine terraces adorned with 2,672 reliefs and 504 Buddha figures. It stands out as the largest Buddhist temple ever built. Be sure to reach there as early as possible to have ample daylight and avoid extreme weather. The other site to see is the Prambanan temple complex, located 17 kilometers away from Borobudur and dating back to the same period but belonging to the rival faith of Hinduism.

The sunrise at Mount Bromo is another experience you cannot miss on your Indonesia tour package. At Penanjakan, the viewpoint, when the clock strikes four in the morning, the landscape of the Tengger caldera slowly comes into view through layers of fog and shadows until dawn comes. Access to the Bromo crater will then be made available until the early hours of the day via a jeep ride and walking through the desert sands.

The Blue Flame of Ijen Crater is a unique natural spectacle in all of Java. There is a sulfuric lake with an intense acidic content, with a turquoise shade in the crater of Kawah Ijen. The blue fire comes from the ignition of sulfuric gas near the rim of the crater during nighttime hours. To see the blue fire, trekkers who wear gas masks have to begin their journey at midnight, with arrival at the rim of the crater by 1-2 am, before dawn catches up with the sulfur miners and the other crowds.

A visit to Jakarta is optional and somewhat underestimated. Tourists typically leave from the country’s capital without making a stopover. A trip to the National Museum, Kota Tua district, once a center of the Dutch colony, and Pasar Baru with its Chinese market atmosphere gives an entirely new insight into Indonesian culture. In case you stay in Jakarta for at least six hours, it is worth exploring.

Komodo Island: Dragons and Pink Sand

The Komodo Island Dragon tour from Labuan Bajo (access point to Flores) is based in Komodo National Park. The Komodo dragons, which are the largest lizards alive today, grow up to three meters in length and exist only on Komodo Island, Rinca Island, and some other islands within the national park. Rovers escort all visitors during the treks in the park, not because it is suggested, but due to regulations, since dragons move quickly, are poisonous, and show no interest in tourists like zoo animals do.

Komodo Pink Beach lies within the park area, one of a few beaches in the world with sand that has a distinctively pink tint, caused by fragments of red corals mixing in white sand. Snorkeling right from the beach provides some of the most stunning views of reefs within Indonesia. The duration of Komodo tours is normally between two and three days, starting from Labuan Bajo on a liveaboard boat, with dragon treks, snorkel spots, and Pink Beach included.

Raja Ampat and Sumatra: For Specific Interests

If you are an avid diver and have selected an Indonesia tour package, then diving at the Raja Ampat region in West Papua ought to be top on your agenda. It lies within the Coral Triangle, which happens to be the richest and most diverse marine habitat known to man. Visibility can exceed 30 meters, while the density of fish species per square kilometer surpasses any other place on record. You will get there by taking a 45-minute flight from Sorong. You'll mostly find divers living aboard or on the many eco resorts that have emerged here.

Wildlife tourism and orangutan trekking is done at Bukit Lawang in North Sumatra, which is the entrance gateway to the Gunung Leuser National Park. It is possible to trek through the jungle to trace the presence of orangutans in semi-wild state, either for a few hours or even for three days with overnight camping. Sumatran tigers and elephants also inhabit the park, although it is rare to see them. The orangutans can be seen here.

Island Hopping: How to Structure an Indonesia Tour Package

Indonesia's geography rewards a directional itinerary rather than a hub-and-spoke approach. The most practical route flows west to east:

• 10 to 14 days: Bali (5 days including Nusa Penida and Mount Batur), Yogyakarta (3 days for Borobudur and Prambanan), East Java for Mount Bromo and Ijen (2 days), return via Bali or fly direct from Surabaya
• 14 to 21 days: Add Komodo (3 days from Labuan Bajo) by flying Bali-Labuan Bajo and returning Labuan Bajo-Bali
• Extended or specialist: Raja Ampat diving (minimum 5 days) or Sumatra orangutan trekking (3 to 4 days from Medan) as standalone legs attached to a Bali base

May to September is the optimal period for Indonesia tour packages within most parts of the archipelago. Bali and Lombok are good throughout the year but the rainfall will be higher during January and February. For Manta Point on Komodo Island, the best period would be between October and April.

The finest beach luxury resorts in Indonesia are found on the coast of Bali’s Nusa Dua and Gili Islands. Bali's villa accommodations can also provide luxury holiday rentals in Seminyak and Canggu, which have private pool properties that cost much less compared to their equivalents in other parts of Asia.