Transportation in Indonesia

How do you travel around in Indonesia?

Indonesia has more than 13,500 different islands, of which around 6,000 islands have a name and almost 1,000 are inhabited.
Indonesia is a large and vast country and 65% consists of sea.

The distance from the far West (in Sumatra) to the far East (Papua, Irian Jaya) is approximately 5000 km. To get an idea of this distance: If you drive 5000 km East from Amsterdam, you end up in Uzbekistan. The distance from the far North of Indonesia to the far South is approximately 1750 km.

vervoer Indonesië eilanden en zee

If you want to see a lot of Indonesia, you will have to travel. Depending on the time and budget you have, you choose the means of transport that suit you. An important mode of transport is the plane. Furthermore, ferries of different shapes and sizes sail between the islands. On the islands themselves, it is most comfortable to travel by car with a driver.

You can travel by train on three islands and in the cities you still have a number of traditional means of transport such as the becak and the bajaj. If you are planning your own trip, don’t be fooled about the distances. If you plan your trip in for example Google Maps, the time you need to travel is often estimated too optimistic . In practice, you cannot travel so fast, although the infrastructure is improving. For example, new toll roads are being built and since 2023 Java has a high-speed train.

Boat
Airplane
Train
Car
Motor en Bromfiets
Cycling
Bus

Feel free to ask about the possibilities>>>

Travelling by boat in Indonesia

09/12/202317/10/2023 by Dadang Supardi

Traveling by boat ✅

Indonesia is a country of islands and the sea is always close by. When traveling through Indonesia you will also travel by water.

By ferry from Java to Bali

Ferries sail between the islands. If you take a tour by car across Java and Bali, the ferry will take you from Bali to Java. This crossing is made so often that you do not need to book in advance: the ferries sail back and forth 24 hours a day. You can take the car on the boat. Your driver knows exactly how to do this. The crossing takes less than an hour

From Bali to Lombok, Gili and Nusa Penida

From Bali you can travel to the next island: Lombok. The regular ferry from Bali to Lombok takes about 6 hours. You can get there in 1.5 hours by fast boat. You can also option for a stopover on the Gili islands or on Nusa-Penida. It is a 35-minute boat ride to Nusa-Penida.
Fast boats go to the Gili Islands from various places in Bali. The crossing takes about 1.5 hours. You can also go to the Gili Islands from Lombok. Here there is no need to take a fast boat. The regular ferry sails back and forward. The crossing takes about 20 minutes. It is great to cycle on the Gili Islands.

From Java to Karimunjawa

The Karimunjawa Islands are located above Semarang. These islands are a wonderfully authentic alternative to Bali. Read more about the Karimunjawa Islands>>>
From Jepara you can take the regular ferry but also choose the fast boat. For the timetable of the fast boat, check the Express Bahari>>>

A ferry between the islands

Starting in 1888, the Koninklijke Pakketvaart Maatschappij (KPM) provided ferry services between many islands. At that time the boat was the main means of transport between the islands and the government wanted stable connections between all the islands. PELNI (Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia) was founded in 1952 and in 1958 PELNI took over the services of the KPM.
Although more and more people are taking the plane, PELNI remains important, especially for the more remote islands and for people who cannot afford the plane. PELNI mainly sails on the longer routes. PELNI does not operate on shorter distances.
The timetable can be found on the website of PELNI >>>. You can book the tickets 2 months before the departure date.

Tourist tours

If you are in Indonesia you should definitely take a boat trip. There are wonderful excursions and day trips on the water. Take a cruise on an old fishing boat in the port of Jakarta or in a small fishing port on the South coast of Java.
In Bali you can join the fishermen to spot dolphins at sunrise.
On Karimunjawa you can rent a boat with a crew for a day and have a BBQ on an uninhabited island. There are plenty of options. Do you like the idea?

Get in contact to learn more about the options >>>

Flores

Flores is not that touristy yet. Although it is easy to fly to Flores, the journey by boat is much more adventurous. The boat trip to Flores starts from Lombok. You sail on a simple wooden boat, where you sleep next to each other on mats. Depending on the tour you choose, you will be sailing for 2 to 4 nights. Along the way you will pass beautiful places including Komodo where the famous Komodo dragon lives. By boat you really get to know Indonesia, the country of the islands.

Domestic flights Indonesia booking

11/12/202315/10/2023 by Dadang Supardi

Traveling by plane ✅

Are domestic flights in Indonesia safe?

For a long time, local airlines in Indonesia had a bad reputation. Fortunately, this has changed. Safety has improved significantly over the years and in 2018 all Indonesian airlines were found safe by the European Union and removed from the list of unsafe airlines (the Air Safety list). This means that all airlines meet the European standard.

A total of 22 airlines provide relatively cheap domestic flights between the islands and cities in Indonesia. Traveling by plane is ideal for covering large distances quickly and thus saving time.

The main airlines are:

Garuda Indonesia

Garuda is the national airline of Indonesia and has a market share of around 25%. Garuda was founded in 1950 and is known for their good service.
Garuda is rated as a 5-Star Airline by Skytrax.
“Skytrax World Airline Star Rating” exists since 1999, and is an internationally recognized and renowned institute that assesses the quality of airlines worldwide. The highest possible score is 5 stars. Skytrax assesses the airlines on, for example, comfort, baggage, catering, hygiene and staff service.

Especially in the area of service Garuda distinguishes itself from other airlines The cost of the tickets is slightly higher than with the low-cost airlines, but this is reflected in the comfort and kindness of the personel.

Sriwijaya Air

Sriwijaya Air exists since 2003 and is named after the old Sriwajaya dynasty of the 7th century. It has a market share of 10%.
Skytrax has rated Sriwijaya 3-Star Airline.

Batik AirBatik Air Air bestaat sinds 2003 en is vernoemd naar de oude Sriwajaya dynasty uit de 7e eeuw. Het heeft een marktaandeel van 10%. Skytrax heeft Sriwijaya als 3-Star Airline gewaardeerd.

Batik Air

Batik Air made its first flight in 2013. It is a 3-Star Airline and the “sister” of the budget Airline Lion Air. Batik Air mainly has domestic destinations, but also operates flights to Singapore and Australia.

Low-Cost Airlines

Skytrax rates low-cost airlines as a separate category. When the score an airline they take into account the relationship between price and quality. Here too, the highest possible score is 5 stars.

Citilink

Citilink the “daughter”of Garuda, and has a market share of 10%. It mainly operates flights on Java and Bali.It is rated as a 4-Star Low-Cost Airline by Skytrax.

Lion Air

Lion Air was founded in 1999 and has grown into the largest airline in Indonesia with a market share of around 40%. Lion Air flies to more than 60 destinations, mostly domestically, but also a few abroad. Skytrax has rated Lion Air as a 3 star Low-Cost Airline. At Lion Air, baggage regulations are strictly enforced.

Indonesia AirAsia

AirAsia Indonesia” started in 2004 as a “daughter” of the Malaysian airline Air Asia. It has a 5% market share in Indonesia. Air Asia is listed as a 3-Star Low-Cost Airline with Skytrax.

Super Air Jet

Super Air Jet exists since 2021 and focuses on young price-conscious customers. Skytrax has not yet provided a review.

Book and compare domestic flights on booking.com>>>

Do you prefer to travel in a slower paste, enjoy the countryside and travel environmental friendly?
Take the train or rent a car with private driver >>>