Packing list for Indonesia

Hello everyone, as you have probably noticed, Kristina and I have been in Indonesia for two weeks now. The country with the fourth largest population, the largest Muslim population and the third largest democracy in the world. 

At the moment, we can't get out of our amazement and first have to process all the impressions and let them take effect on us. Don't worry, even Europeans can cope with such extreme changes after a while, which I can of course assure from my own experience. 

In today's post, I would like to tell you everything behind the scenes of such a long trip. In the following I will give you tips & tricks for planning and organizing your trip, as well as "good to know facts", in case you should also visit another continent. 

Above all, patience, perseverance and structured planning are important. That is of course the be-all and end-all in order to really not forget anything. What exactly you have to consider and what you should take enough time for I will now explain in more detail. 

If you have never taken such a long trip, there is a lot to do and prepare. This was also true for me. Please do not panic, with a little tact and patience, it will not be a problem for you. I have done it and so have many others. "Planning" is simply the order of the day. 

Papers & Documents for Indonesia 

We start with the most important documents for your trip: Your papers and travel documents! It is best to make a copy of all the documents you leave at home. If something unexpected happens on the spot, your parents can send you everything you need. You should also have a copy with you in addition to the original. It can always happen that you lose one or the other bank card and then you need the account number to block the card. I have everything in a folder with transparent films together and then always carried in the backpack with me. 

Now I will go into more detail about the actual documents. 

1. Passport 

Most of you who have traveled before probably already have a passport. This should be valid for at least six months after entry. Otherwise, you should get a new passport in time. The cost of the application depends on the following factors: 

• Number of pages (32 or 48) 

• Validity (6 or 10 years)   

• Exhibition processing time (express or standard)  

The creation of your passport can take four to six weeks, depending on the processing time. For the express version, we are talking about a maximum of three working days. The costs range from 37.50 euros to 113 euros. 

Attention: At the entry you need both your passport + a valid visa on arrival

 

2. Visa 

If you spend less than 30 days in Indonesia, a simple Visa on arrival is sufficient. This was already issued to us in advance by the partner university, which facilitated the entry for us. You can easily extend the visa for another 30 days on site. You can get one in advance online, because since Corona, visa agencies are responsible for this. There are also counters at the airport where you can apply for the visa. You can find all the necessary information on Bali-Visa or here. 

 

3. Credit cards  

Here I can recommend Wise (prepaid credit card), as well 

as Revolut (prepaid credit card), Barclays Visa (credit card), 

GenialCard (credit card) and DKB (debit card).  

I recommend that you always take at least 2 credit cards 

with you to Indonesia. So that you have one with you every 

day and the other can be safely stored in your  

accommodation.   

 

4. Cash 

I personally only had 20€ with me, because I could only use the money at the Frankfurt airport and it was already gone at the first stopover in Jeddah. 

 

5. Vaccinations + vaccination card 

With the vaccination you should start early enough, because with some vaccinations (e.g. hepatitis and rabies) you must be vaccinated several times in time intervals. This can sometimes take months. Therefore, remember to make an appointment with your doctor early enough. Which vaccinations are recommended for Indonesia in any case, you can read here. 

To be on the safe side, you should have your complete COVID vaccination certificate ready for entry into Indonesia. I have listed all the important vaccinations below so that you can keep track of them. 

        _____________________________________________________________

OVERVIEW TRAVEL VACCINATIONS INDONESIA 

Vaccination requirements for Indonesia: 

• complete COVID vaccination  

• Yellow fever vaccination when entering from yellow fever endemic area (many countries in Africa etc.) 

Recommended travel vaccinations for Indonesia:

• Hepatitis A 

• Hepatitis B  

• japan. Encephalitis    

• Rabies 

• Typhoid 

• Malaria (this I have as a Profülake in tablet form that if I should have it, something against it can take) 

        _____________________________________________________________

6. Health insurance abroad 

In any case, you should have taken out this insurance at home before your trip to Indonesia. For a short vacation of less than six weeks, an annual health insurance is available for a few euros. Since I will be in Indonesia for more than 4 months, I took out a  Long-term international health insurance long-term international health insurance with ADAC. 

This includes rescue and recovery as well as medical transport back to the home country. 

 

7. International driving license 

You have to apply for this at a local driver's license office, which is done very quickly. The prices for the processing are between 15 and 20 euros. To rent a scooter you need an international driver's license + your national driver's license in combination. 

 

8. International Student Card  

It is not urgently necessary, because you will get a new student card from your partner university during your semester abroad. It is in itself a "NICE to Have" and you can apply here quickly and easily. The process does not take long and it will be sent within 3-4 business days. 

 

9. Liability insurance 

A copy is always good here, so that you have all important data and contacts ready in case of an accident. Generally, your private liability insurance from home is also valid abroad. However, it is good to check whether you have a current liability insurance or whether you are insured through your parents. What kind of coverage you have and whether longer travel stays are taken into account. 

 

10. SIM-Card 

To continue using your German number in Whatsapp, just get a normal SIM card in one of the stores. We have for our 10,000 rupiah. Since people sometimes try to sell you contracts, we ordered ours conveniently through Telkomsel.

 

 

11. Useful accessories/travel equipment for Indonesia  

Below you will find a few recommendations that we like to have on site. A link to buy I have also attached to you to simplify the purchase directly something. 

o Tatonka rain cover Luggage Cover: To protect the backpack from rain and dirt. 

o Drybags: Especially useful for boat trips or if you are traveling in regions where                                  the rainy season prevails. 

o Hut sleeping bag with insect protection: Practical in the high temperature, you have something to cover, but does not sweat directly and is protected against mosquitoes 

o Packing cube: Very helpful to reduce clothes to the minimum and thus to get space in the backpack. 

o Liquid containers: Especially when you want to go on spontaneous trips over the weekend, small transfer containers with a maximum liquid capacity of 100ml are very practical. 

o Sleep mask + earplugs: For the whole flight I was very grateful to have these with me, also some accommodations do not have shutters and especially the traffic and the daily praying can be loud 

o Face mask: As a corona protection measure as well as for scooter rides as protection against exhaust fumes as well as strong solar radiation 

o Mosquito net: Mosquito protection is very important in Indonesia as tropical     mosquitoes can transmit denque fever and malaria 

0 NOBITE Mosquito protection: The right mosquito repellent spray is to be considered. On some the mosquitoes here again do not react at all. I can highly recommend the one from "NOBITE" or the insect bite stick Bite away insect bite healer

o Travel locks: Especially when staying in a hostel or Airbnb, there are often no safes . Here a separate lock for private, important documents is quite useful 

o Belly bag: This fanny pack is highly recommended, especially in street markets. Since you are already looked at as a tourist either way, you should always pay attention to your personal things. This fanny pack can be worn comfortably under a T-shirt and is not directly noticeable 

o Apple Air Tag: Very helpful to keep track of your luggage, especially if you have a layover 

o Travel adapter: An investment that will definitely pay off in the long run, as you can customize the adapter for any country Traveling within Europe is definitely more comfortable, that I can say from my own experience. Nevertheless, it should not deter you to start this journey. Once all the organizational stuff is done, you can start. 

I hope my tips and comments help you with the next trip to Indonesia. I have linked you again a Packing list, which I personally found quite good and use as a template. I can only recommend you to work with this. In the next post, we will always be a little more on individual topics on the subject of packing. 

Be curious! 

Your Patricia ❀