Transport in Indonesia – How to Get To, From and Around Indonesia

Indonesia is located in Southeast Asia and has a land border with Malaysia on the island of Kalimantan. The country sprawls over some 17,000 islands and also straddles the equator, which means that it is one of the most time consuming countries to get around in the region.

General notes on getting around Indonesia

With this in mind, and as Indonesia is one of the largest island nations in the world, remember that getting around can be a little tricky and it can take a huge amount of travel time depending on where you want to go.

Due to the large distances that you need to cover in Indonesia, coupled with a rather hit and miss transport system in some parts of the country, this is definitely one country where slow travel is favoured. Even then, it will take several months to travel round most of the main sights in Indonesia due to the rather erratic public transport options in many of the more remote regions of the country.

As Indonesia is so vast, the preferred method of travel is flying by plane, but there are also some rail networks as well as long haul buses which service most of the country. Indonesia is also a country of islands, so ferries and boats are used to access many parts of this huge archipelago.

How to get to and from Indonesia

By air

Most people get to Indonesia by flying into one of the main airports. These are Kualanamu in Medan, North Sumatra, Sukarno-Hatta in Jakarta, Java and Ngurah Rai on the island of Bali. You can also fly internationally to other spots all over Indonesia including some of the other main tourist islands like Lombok or main cities like Banda Aceh.

Many travellers arrive in Indonesia from neighbouring countries such as from Singapore to Bali which takes around 3 hours and there are a huge number of carriers available such as Jetstar, Singapore Airlines and Air Asia.

Other popular routes include Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia to Jakarta which takes two hours and if you choose one of the low cost airlines like Batik Air or Air Asia then you can get tickets for around IDR 500,000 in low season or IDR 1,000,000 during busier periods.

You can also fly cheaply and easily from other places like Penang in Malaysia to Medan in North Sumatra which takes just 40 minutes and tickets can be as low as IDR 300,000.

By sea

It is also possible to arrive in Indonesia by ferry, particularly if you are traveling between Penang in Malaysia and Medan in North Sumatra which takes around 5 hours, although as ticket prices on low cost carriers are so inexpensive, there is no real reason to do this and the boats are usually high speed ferries which are enclosed so you can’t even enjoy the views. This is also true of other international ferry services to Indonesia.

By land

There are no main bus or train links to Indonesia other than across the land border between Kalimantan in Indonesia and Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia where there are three main border points which can be crossed by bus.

How to get around Indonesia

By air

Many people, locals and visitors alike, choose to get around Indonesia by air. Flying for the most part is affordable especially if you choose a low cost carrier such as Air Asia or Indonesian airlines such as Lion Air and Batik Air, or the national carrier Garuda Indonesia.

Ticket prices vary according to where you want to go, but you can fly between the capital city Jakarta and the island of Bali for around IDR 500,000 in low season and the flight takes 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Other popular routes are Bali to Lombok which takes 20 minutes and can cost as little as IDR 200,000. If you want to fly from Jakarta to Sumatra to visit famous spots like Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba then you can fly for around IDR 500,000 and the flight takes just over two hours.

One thing to note is that many flights operate through central hubs like Jakarta, so you can’t fly directly between islands such as Bali and Sumatra without transiting first.

By rail

There are a few rail networks in Indonesia but these are not well used by tourists as they tend to be rather uncomfortable and time consuming. The main rail networks are located on the island of Java and can be a good choice if you want to travel from Jakarta to other cities such as Bandung, Yogyakarta and Surabaya. There are also a few local train networks on Sumatra and up into Aceh but they are often slightly more expensive than taking a bus and can be quite basic.

By land

One of the most popular ways to get around Indonesia is to take a long haul bus which is usually the slowest way of getting around but also the cheapest. Some buses now offer premium seats which cost a little extra, and you can take buses pretty much all over the country, as well as between islands such as Sumatra and Java. You should note however that road safety is poor in Indonesia, roads are often not well maintained, drivers are reckless, and almost no buses have seatbelts.

By sea

If you are traveling between islands from places like Bali to Lombok then it makes sense to take a boat. There are a number of different options available to you such as fast and slow boats from Padang Bai on Bali to Lombok and fares vary depending on which kind of service you choose.

If you are traveling to other islands in Indonesia like Flores, then you may also want to take a boat such as the local ferry from Lombok which is the cheapest way to get to some of the less visited islands in Indonesia, although this is also more time consuming.

Note that many of the ferries in Indonesia are also car and bus ferries, so if you choose to get a long haul bus around the country then you will probably be loaded onto a ferry at some point.

How to get around cities and towns within Indonesia

Becaks

How to get around cities and towns in Indonesia depends on where you are. Many parts of the country such as cities like Jakarta and Medan in North Sumatra have becaks which are motorized trishaws, although these do not exist on the island of Bali. If you can find becaks however then they are often one of the cheapest and easiest ways to get around towns in Indonesia and a short drive starts from IDR 10,000.

Bajaj

If you are travelling around Jakarta then you can also get a bajaj which is like a tuk-tuk in Thailand and is basically a motorized trishaw. Fares are around IDR 10,000 for a short trip but you should also note that bajaj have open sides which means that you will get wet if it rains and will have to breathe in exhaust fumes.

BTR, or Transjakarta Busway

If you are in Jakarta then you can also use the Transjakarta Busway or the Bus Rapid Transit which is a bus system that services most of the cities and starts at IDR 2,000 at off peak times and IDR 3,500 at peak times. There are 12 different bus routes around Jakarta and you can purchase single tickets at vending machines in the bus stations or at ticket booths.

Local buses

Other major cities in Indonesia also have bus systems although these are often made up of small local buses or mini vans called angkot which can be very uncomfortable and difficult to navigate. Unfortunately the main tourist hub of Bali does not have a bus service like the Tansjakarta Busway.

Taxi

One of the easiest ways to get around Indonesian towns and cities is to use a taxi and the main taxi service in the country is called the Blue Bird Group and operates a 24 hour service. In places like Bali you can also choose from other companies such as Bali Taxi. Fares usually start at around IDR 7,500 with an additional fare of IDR 400 every 100 meters. All official taxis in Indonesia should be metered although many taxi drivers will offer you a flat rate and will be reluctant to turn the meter on.

Ojek

One of the newest ways to get around Indonesia is to take an ojek which is a motorcycle taxi. Short fares are around IDR 10,000 and you can find informal ojek in many cities in Indonesia like Jakarta.

Uber and similar services

Recently however a new service has been provided called Go-jek which has a base rate of IDR 15,000 and can be booked through an app. They also operate Go-car which is similar to Uber. Another popular choice similar to Uber is Grab Car which has a flat rate of IDR 10,000 and charges IDR 4,500 per kilometre. For all of the above services, you may have to pay more during busy periods, but they are still some of the quickest, easiest and cheapest ways to get around many Indonesian cities. Note that in some parts of Bali Grab Car, Go-car and Go-jek are not allowed to operate.

Rent a private car

Another option that many people take in Indonesia to get around is to hire a private car for the day. Depending on where you are going and how far you plan to travel, this can be a cost-effective option, especially if you are traveling as part of a group. In many parts of Indonesia you can hire a car with a driver for around IDR 300,000 per day excluding petrol. It is less common to cars for hire without a driver but you may find some in Bali and these can be hired from the main airport.

Rent a motorbike or scooter

In tourist areas like Bali, it is also common for tourists to hire a motorbike or scooter as this is cheaper than hiring a car and it is also often quicker to use a scooter to get around than drive a car, as traffic jams are common. In order to rent a motorbike you are required by law to have an international driving license, although many establishments will rent you one without. Bear in mind however that if you have an accident you will not be covered by your insurance if you do not have the proper international license required. Accidents on motorbikes and scooters in Indonesia, especially Bali, are very common as the rules of the road are often not observed, so you should make sure that you always wear a helmet. If you do not wear a helmet and then have an accident then you may also find that your travel insurance is invalidated, and you could also get seriously hurt. As there are also so many other cheap transport options available in Indonesia, it often makes sense to choose another service rather than renting your own bike.