|
|||||||||||
|
Indonesia Travel Advice
Please read each of the sections below carefully. They provide important information relevant to your Operation Wallacea expedition in Indonesia, including travel recommendations prior to your expedition commencing. Of course, should you require further assistance please do not hesitate to contact your nearest Operation Wallacea office.
Updated: 21 December 2011
Start and Finish Information If your expedition commences at a forest site (either Lambusango or North Buton), the official start point of your expedition is the port town of Bau-Bau. You will need to be ready for departure from the Rajawali Hotel by 0900 hours on the morning of your expedition start date (always a Thursday). If you are leaving the expedition from a forest site your expedition will end in Bau-Bau at approximately 1600 hours on the day of your expedition finish date (always a Wednesday). If your expedition commences at the marine site (Hoga Island), the official start point of your expedition is Wanci, the main island for the Wakatobi National Park. You will need to be ready for departure at the Wisata Restaurant by 0800 hours on the morning of your expedition start date (Thursday).If you are leaving the expedition from the marine site your expedition will end in Wanci at approximately 1800 hours on the day of your expedition finish date (Wednesday).
Booking International Flights Most people enter Indonesia through either Jakarta or Bali. Please plan your international itinerary so that you arrive into country on the Tuesday prior to your expedition start date. Importantly, you will need to arrive into Jakarta or Bali at such a time as to ensure you can connect with a flight that day to Makassar. This will normally require you to arrive into country no later than mid-afternoon on the Tuesday. International return travel arrangements will differ according to whether you are departing from the forest or marine sites.
For those people departing from the forest site your domestic travel arrangements should enable you to arrive back in either Jakarta or Bali by no later than midday on the Thursday meaning you will be able to connect with outgoing international flights later that afternoon.
For those people whose expedition ends at the marine site your domestic travel arrangements will ensure that you do not return to Jakarta or Bali until late afternoon/early evening on the Thursday requiring international departures to be scheduled for later that evening.
The designated travel partner for Operation Wallacea is STA Travel who can arrange your international ticketing as well as all your domestic travel arrangements in Indonesia. Alternatively you may wish compare offers available at other travel agents or book directly with airlines who offer flight services to Indonesia. Please note that those people not booking their travel through STA will need to contact the Operation Wallacea office in Indonesia in order to seek assistance with organizing their domestic travel arrangements.
Domestic Travel Information Upon arriving in Indonesia you will need to fly initially to Makassar (where we recommend you overnight on the Tuesday) and then to Bau-Bau (on the Wednesday), with additional travel required for those people whose expedition commences at the marine site. If you are booking your travel through STA Travel they will also be able to confirm your domestic travel plans from Jakarta or Bali all the way through to the forest (Bau-Bau) and marine (Wanci) start points. If however you are booking your own international flights you will need to contact our Indonesia office for further advice on how to make your own domestic travel plans (email: Indonesia@opwall.com).
Operation Wallacea has purchased Medical and Repatriation cover to a value of £1 million per person for all individuals who join one of our expeditions. The cost of this insurance is paid in full by Operation Wallacea and is provided free of charge to all students. However, should we be required to make a medical claim on your behalf, there will be a £50 ‘claim fee’ that you will be required to pay in order for a claim to be processed.
You may also wish to consider obtaining additional travel insurance cover to guard against such issues as loss of personal belongings and the cancellation of flights.
Visas & Travel Documents
Passport
Visas
Stay of 60 days or less
More than 60 days
Other Documents
Money The expedition costs paid to Operation Wallacea cover all accommodation and food costs from the start of the expedition until its completion. It also includes transfers between sites, on-site dive training and participation in any of the research projects and training courses being offered.
The costs paid to Operation Wallacea however do not include:
You will need enough spending money to cover personal on-site expenditure only. This may include snack and souvenir purchases made at local shops and for those at the marine site, dive equipment hire and internet usage. Whilst difficult to predict, such expenditure could range anywhere from £10 up to £100 per week.
At both the forest and the marine site it is requested that all payments are made in the local Indonesian currency (Rupiah). Whilst discouraged, the marine site may also accept payments using credit card, however, additional charges will be applied. Foreign currencies, including US Dollars and Pounds Sterling, and debit cards are not accepted at either site.
For School groups going to either site, it may be preferable to make payments in advance for items such as dive equipment hire and Forest Reserve/Marine Park entrance fees. If you wish to consider this option, please contact your closest Operation Wallacea office for further information.
Whilst payments made on site should be in Rupiah only, it is not recommended that you bring significant amounts of Rupiah currency in to country as overseas rates for Rupiah are likely to be poor. A far better option is to access Rupiah once you have arrived in Indonesia. By far the easiest way to do this is via ATMs which are readily found in both Makassar and Bau-Bau. Please check with your bank to ensure your existing ATM card is compatible with overseas ATMs. Alternatively, foreign currency can be converted at local ‘money changers’ although exchange rates are relatively poor in eastern Indonesia (Makassar). No money changing facilities exist in Bau-Bau. Traveller’s cheques are generally not accepted.
Do not forget to bring $25 with you, as required for payment of the Visa-On-Arrival and payable at time of entry into Indonesia.
Cultural Advice The lasting impression most volunteers take home from an Indonesian expedition is of the friendly, warm nature of the local people. Indonesians are typically laid back, gregarious and fun-loving and in any city, town or village people will want to talk to you or just say hello. Wherever you go in Indonesia you will be hear cries of 'Hello Mister', the standard greeting for any westerner (regardless of gender). This can be quite disconcerting if you have just arrived in the country but is intended as a friendly greeting and nothing more. Simply smile and return the gesture.
As with any country, Indonesia has its own cultural etiquette and most guidebooks include a list of “do's and don'ts”. These can cover any number of potential faux-pas including eating with your left hand, patting children on the head, pointing at people etc. Though you should bear these things in mind, they should not overly concern you. People understand that you are not used to the local customs and will forgive little mistakes in day to day social etiquette. The most important thing is to be respectful and be able to laugh at yourself when you make a blunder.
After only a short period of time in Indonesia, most expedition participants feel comfortable with the local customs and begin to feel at home. It is important that you don't forget you are in a new country, however, you must remember that while little mistakes will be forgiven a lack of respect is not acceptable. There are three areas that can potentially cause offence, especially when you begin to feel more at home. These are alcohol, dress code and relationships.
Alcohol; Though alcohol is widely available in this part of Indonesia, drunkenness is not acceptable and you should not drink in public. Though beer is available at both the forest and marine research bases, you will be asked to limit your consumption to a maximum of a couple of beers a night. Drunkenness is considered rude and creates a very bad impression of westerners. It is also important to remember that the sites are very remote and drunkenness poses a serious risk to health and safety. For this reason spirits are not permitted on any of our sites. Please note that locally brewed drinks such as "arak" are illegal in the areas we operate. If you are found in possession of such liquor you are breaking the law and will be asked to leave the expedition.
Dress Code; You should always dress conservatively by Western standards and, girls especially, should take care to cover up. Girls should keep their shoulders, cleavage, stomach and thighs covered at all times while men should keep their shoulders and stomach covered when in a social situation. Modest swimming costumes are perfectly acceptable on the beach or in swimming pools, but you should cover up as soon as you leave.
Relationships; The majority of volunteers will form friendships with local people and for many this is one of the highlights of the expedition. This is obviously a very positive thing which Operation Wallacea wholeheartedly encourages. It can also be a potential problem area. You will soon see that in Indonesia, physical contact between same sex friends is common but with friends of the opposite sex it is very unusual. Traditionally, there is a respectful distance between the sexes and you should bear this in mind when with friends of the opposite sex. Remember, what is a normal friendship in England can sometimes be misinterpreted as something more in Indonesia. If in doubt speak to one of the experienced staff members on site.
|
|
||||||||||
