Indonesia - Related Books

Indonesia FAQs

Pre-Arrival - Boat:  Anyone intending to enter Indonesia by yacht must first register with the Vessel Declaration System (VDS). See Clearance for details.
Pre-Arrival - Crew:  Everyone on board must have an Indonesian Visa - either a 30 day Visa on Arrival  or a C1 Visa. Some visas require a Indonesian sponsor/guarantor and an agent can assist if required. Crew changes are not permitted unless there are "emergency" circumstances. See Immigration for full details.
Where can I enter?  Currently there are 28 Customs approved Ports of Entry for Indonesia. However, some of the more “remote” ports may not have the ability to do full CIQP clearance or officials may not be fully aware of formalities requirements which are subject to change. Some of the more popular ports of entry are Kupang,  Belitung, Sabang, Batam, Bitung, Ambon, Medana Bay Marina and Marina Del Ray. See Clearance for details.
Are fees high to enter by yacht?  Under Indonesian law there are no fees for clearing in or out of the country. However, at some ports, it may be difficult to avoid having to pay a “local” fee. Be prepared to bargain over whether you have to pay and if you do, how much it needs to be. There are fees payable for both the Visa on Arrival (VOA/eVOA) and C1 Visa. There is a small fee to obtain the “Green Book” for health officials. Agents will charge a fee to assist with clearance formalities and this can vary greatly depending on the port of entry or exit.  See Fees for more information.
What security concerns should I know about?  Most cruisers visiting the country report having no real security or safety fears. However, travellers should be alert to possible threats and check their own Government websites for current security warnings. If anchoring in remote regions, be prepared to be boarded by villagers who may ask for an “anchoring” fee. See Security for more details.

Indonesia Facts for Sailors

• The Republic of Indonesia stretches more than 2250NM from Kilometre Nol on Pulau Weh in the northern hemisphere to Kupang, East Timor in the southern hemisphere.
• The Indonesian archipelago is the largest island group in the world. The number of actual islands claimed varies from 14,752 (official UN figure) to 18,108 (Indonesian Government).
• With a population of more than 260 million people, Indonesia is the world's most populated Muslim-majority country and the fourth most populous country in total.
• Indonesia has hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups, with the largest ethnic group being the Javanese.  The country's official language is Bahasa Indonesia.
• The currency is the Indonesian Rupiah.  For more details see General Info.
• Indonesia has three time zones.  For more details see General Info.
• Straddling the equator, Indonesia has a hot and humid climate with two main seasons - the Rainy Season and the Dry Season.  See the Weather section for more details.
• The thousands of islands are popular cruising grounds for sailors.  However, it is prone to earthquakes and tsunamis because it lies along the "Ring of Fire", an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin. Anyone planning to sail in the area should be well aware of the risks and plan accordingly.
• The largest islands are Java, Sumatra, Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya - the western part of Papua New Guinea) and Kalimantan (formerly Borneo).
• Most yachts cruise the islands from east to west, each island different from its neighbour.
• Benoa Harbour in Bali is a popular port of call for cruising yachts as is the adjacent island of Lombok which has two marinas at Medana Bay and Gili Gede Island.
• FADs, or Fish Aggregating Devices, are a major navigational hazard in Indonesia. These can range in size from a bathtub to a football field. They tend to be close to shore, are never lit, do not show up on the radar and can make night sailing through the archipelago challenging. See this useful blog entry by SV Totem for images and further details.
• Paper charts and GPS can vary up to 500m. Please take care when using paper charts for primary navigation here. Experienced cruisers strongly advise using satellite images with charts when cruising through the archipelago.
• For details on the availability of fuel, water, provisions and repair facilities etc. see Yachting Essentials.
• If you want to sail through the Indonesian islands WITHOUT stopping, then formalities can be avoided by using the International Archipelagic Sea Lane through Indonesian waters. This allows non-stop "innocent" passage through the archipelago within 20 nm of an arbitrary centre line and not within 12 nm of any Indonesian coastline. Sailing Directions such as those produced by the U.K.'s Admiralty publications give the details.