Essential Information

1. Legal

Kekayon Journeys with legal name PT. Travelhood Group Wisata is one of the legal travel companies in Indonesia registered to the Government of Republic of Indonesia with the below details:

• Ministry of Law and Human Rights – certificate number (AKTA): AHU.0024493.AH.01.01. Tahun 2016
• Indonesian Investment Coordinating Board – single business number (NIB): 912.0303.452.897
• Ministry of Finance, Directorate General of Tax – tax number (NPWP): 76.331.397.0-542.000

2. Passport and visa

Passport

Local laws require that you must always carry identification. We recommend taking a clear photocopy of your passport photo page and a photo of your visa (after arriving) to carry with you.

As a general rule, most countries expect your passport to have a minimum of 6 months of validity remaining. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking and airline tickets. Your passport details (easier if you send us the first main page of your passport) are required to complete your booking. Your Travel Advisor will contact you when this is required. Please ensure the name on your passport matches the name on your booking

Take a copy of the main passport pages and other important documents with you, and leave another copy at home with family or friends.

Passport holders for most nationalities are permitted to enter Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism purposes. Please check with your relevant consulate or embassy.

Visa

Visas are the responsibility of the individual traveler.

Entry requirements can change at any time, so it’s important that you check for the latest information. Please visit the country’s relevant consular website or countries you’re visiting for detailed and up-to-date visa information specific to your nationality. Your Travel Advisor will also be happy to point you in the right direction with acquiring visas. Visas can take several weeks to process, so familiarise yourself with any requirements as soon as you have booked your trip to allow for processing time.

• For those who travel to Indonesia within 30 days, you are entitled to a Free Tourist Visa. Some nationalities are required to obtain a visa on arrival or in advance. Citizens of countries who aren’t on the visa on arrival or visa-free lists must apply for a visa in their home country before traveling to Indonesia. The complete list of countries can be seen here:
  https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/general-information/visa-immigration
• Nationals of all countries planning to stay for more than 30 days in Indonesia have to obtain an appropriate visa at an Indonesian consulate or embassy before they arrive in Indonesia. You are required to arrange a Tourist Visa through the nearest Indonesian Embassy or Consulate in your home country.
  1. You will require the Visa Invitation Letter from us to complete the document. We will issue this letter in Bahasa Indonesia along with the travel itinerary.
  2. Please send us your passport copy to complete this document.

Entry requirements: presentation of onward or return tickets, a valid passport for at least 6 months. Visitors on visa-free short visits must enter and exit from certain airports or seaports in Indonesia, including Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta Airport), Bali (Ngurah Rai Airport), Yogyakarta (Adisucipto Airport and Yogyakarta International Airport), and Surabaya (Juanda Airport). Visa-free short visits cannot be extended and cannot be transferred to another type of visa.

3. Medical and Health Information

All travelers need to be in good physical health to participate fully on this trip. When selecting your trip, please make sure you have read through the itinerary carefully and assess your ability to cope with our travel style.

Any traveler who is unable to complete the itinerary without undue risk to themselves, please do check with your Travel Advisor for any refund policy, etc.

You should consult your doctor for up-to-date medical travel information or any necessary vaccinations before departure. We recommend that you carry a first aid kit as well as any personal medical requirements as they may not easily be obtained at the locations on this trip. Please ensure that you are adequately prepared.

Vaccination

After the COVID-19 9pandemic period, a vaccine is essential for everybody traveling abroad, not just Indonesia. For a visit to the main destination, Bali, Java, Lombok, Gili, etc., will not require a special vaccine. However, for those who wish to travel off-beaten track or inside the jungle / forest, it is recommended to take up the malaria vaccine. Please contact your local health authority for the complete restriction and recommendation.

Prescription Medication

Not all medications available over the counter or by prescription in your home country are available in Indonesia. Some may be considered illegal or a controlled substance, even if prescribed by a doctor. Always carry a copy of your prescription or a letter from your doctor stating what the medicine is, how much you take, and only for personal use.

Mosquito-borne Illnesses

Several mosquito-borne illnesses occur in Indonesia, including malaria, dengue fever, and Japanese encephalitis. The risk of infection remains low. Protect yourself against mosquito-borne illnesses by taking measures to avoid insect bites, including using insect repellent and wearing long, loose-fitting, light-colored clothing. Speak to your doctor about prevention and vaccinations before you travel.

Rabies

Rabies is a risk throughout Indonesia. Avoid direct contact with dogs and other animals, including monkeys. Please don’t feed or pat them. This includes monkeys in popular markets, tourist destinations, and sanctuaries where you may be encouraged to interact with them. If bitten or scratched, immediately use soap and water to wash the wound thoroughly. Seek urgent medical attention or call us and/or the hotel for assistance.

A pre-exposure vaccine is available, but receiving a rabies vaccine before travel does not preclude the need for post-exposure medical evaluation and additional doses of rabies vaccine.

Poisoning from Alcoholic Drinks

There are known poisoning cases from alcoholic drinks contaminated by harmful substances, most recently in Bali and Lombok. Drink only at reputable venues, avoid home-made alcohol, and seek urgent medical attention if you suspect poisoning.

Prohibited Substances

Do not consume any non-prescription drugs in Indonesia, including magic mushrooms. They are highly dangerous and illegal. Indonesia carries high penalties, including the death penalty.

4. Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend for any traveler to take the travel insurance, which covers cancellation, curtailment, personal liability, and loss of luggage, against personal accident, death, medical expenses, emergency repatriation, etc. We don’t arrange insurance, but you can contact your own insurance agency in your country.

5. Flexibility

You appreciate and acknowledge that the nature of this type of travel requires considerable flexibility, and you should allow for alternatives. The itinerary provided for each trip represents the types of activities contemplated. However, it is understood that the route, schedules, itineraries, amenities, and mode of transport may be subject to alteration without prior notice due to local circumstances or events.

6. Acceptance of risk

You acknowledge that the trip’s nature is adventurous, and participation involves a degree of personal risk. You will be visiting places where the political, cultural, and geographical attributes present dangers and physical challenges greater than those present in our daily lives. We use information from government foreign departments and reports from our own contacts in assessing whether the itinerary should operate. However, it is also your own responsibility to acquaint yourself with all relevant travel information and the nature of your itinerary. You acknowledge that your decision to travel is made in light of consideration of this information, and you accept that you are aware of the personal risks attendant upon such travel.

7. Claims & complaints

If you have a complaint about your trip, please inform our Operation Team or contact the emergency numbers at the time immediately so that they can attempt to rectify the matter. Our Operation Team will immediately update the progress in rectifying the matter as soon as reasonable.

8. Photos

The guide, driver, or representative will ask your permission to take any photo of you regarding the trip. You have the right to refuse any photo taken by our guide or representative upon the trip.

9. Privacy policy

Any personal information that we collect about you may be used for any purpose associated with a trip’s operation. The information may be disclosed to our agents, service providers, or other suppliers to enable us to operate the Trip. We will otherwise treat your details per our privacy policy.

10. Food and Dietary Requirements

While traveling with us, you’ll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility.

Indonesian Food

Here are 10 quintessential dishes you have to try while traveling in Indonesia:

1. Nasi Goreng (fried rice, please note that some vendors served in the boiling dish)
2. Ayam Goreng (the traditional Indonesian-style of fried chicken)
3. Sate / Satay (chicken and lamb in skewers, most of them are accompanied with peanut and sweet soy sauce)
4. Gado Gado (A mélange of steamed veg and boiled eggs, drizzled in a sweet peanut sauce)
5. Rendang (the typical Sumatran beef stewed with Indonesian spices)
6. Bakso (meatball soup)
7. Soto Ayam (chicken with yellow broth served with either steam rice or rice cake)
8. Sambal (a side dishes consisting of very hot chili and spices – be careful to taste this dish as most of them are extremely hot)
9. Martabak (sweet fillings thick pancakes / savory fillings with eggs and meat adopt the shape of Indian-style roti)
10. Babi Guling (this spit-roast pig can be popularly found in Bali)

Vegetarians & Vegans

Strict vegetarians should be aware that much Indonesian cooking contains fermented shrimp paste (terasi) as a basic ingredient. Chicken and eggs are also common in many dishes. Although there are many vegetarian options available, please ensure you are specific as possible when ordering food to ensure that your meal suits your dietary needs. If you are traveling to Ubud, see our guide to vegan and vegetarian eats.

11. Time Difference

There are three timezones in Indonesia: the Indonesia Western Standard Time (WIB), Indonesia Central Standard Time (WITA), and Indonesia Eastern Standard Time (WIT).

Timezone: GMT +7 to +9 hours depending on location (Jakarta is 12 hours ahead of EST)

Western Standard Time (WIB): GMT +7
Area covered: the whole of Sumatra Island, the whole of Java Island, West Kalimantan province, and also Central Kalimantan.

Central Standard Time (WITA): GMT +8
Area covered: South Kalimantan, East Kalimantan, North Kalimantan, the whole of Sulawesi island, the whole of Bali Island, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

East Standard Time (WIT): GMT +9
Area covered: Maluku, West Papua, and Papua.

12. Culture and Religion

Most people in Indonesia are friendly and much ethnic diversity throughout the Indonesian archipelago. As a foreign traveler, you’ll often receive extra attention while roaming in remote parts of Indonesia. Even in major tourist hubs such as Bali, you’ll probably be asked to pose with strangers for photos. Many of these Indonesians are traveling domestically from places where they don’t see many tourists.

The government recognizes six official religions: Islam, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Islam is the largest religion, with more than 87% of the Indonesian population, making Indonesia the largest Muslim state globally.

The Muslim population is spread over Indonesia’s region even though some region has its majority of religion. Hindus are the majority religion on Bali Island, while Christians are found mostly in North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, Moluccas, and Papua.

13. Climate and Seasonal Information

National Independence Day

Indonesia’s national day falls every 17th of August. Around this time, you may experience some delays to transport due to events, or alternative accommodation may need to be sourced due to it being a peak time.

Eid Mubarak (Lebaran)

Like other Muslim countries, every year, the Muslims in Indonesia also celebrate Eid Mubarak or locally called “lebaran.” There will be an escalation of road transport during this period as the big city people do the mudik or homecoming.

Although the mudik homecoming travel before Lebaran takes place in most Indonesian urban centers, the highlight is on the nation’s largest urban agglomeration; Greater Jakarta, as millions of Jakartans exit the city by various means of transportation, overwhelming train stations and airports and also clogging highways, especially the Trans-Java toll road and Java’s Northern Coast Road.

It takes 2 days of main dates. The date varies every year. Please contact your Travel Advisor for the exact date. Normally, the density falls 5 days before and 5 days after the main dates. We strongly suggest avoiding the 5 days before and after lebaran for traveling to major destinations.

Rainy Seasons

The rainy season in Indonesia occurs in October or early November up to March. The peak will be in mid-January until February. Heavy rains during this time may result in areas of the Jakarta region being affected by floodwaters. Key services, such as emergency and medical care, telecommunications, transport, and food and water supply, are often disrupted during floods and mudslides. Should your trips be affected by floods during this time, we may need to reroute the itineraries

(subject to further discussion with the traveler).

Volcano

Indonesia has many active volcanoes that can erupt at any time and cause widespread disruption. Alert levels may be raised and evacuations ordered at short notice. Follow the instructions and advice of local authorities, including any evacuation orders. In or following an eruption, you should contact your travel insurance provider directly to ask if your policy is affected by the volcanic activity.

The most recent eruptions are Mt. Sinabung (North Sumatra), Mt. Merapi (Yogyakarta), and some other volcanoes. Please contact your Travel Advisor if you need an accurate situation of the volcanoes.

Earthquakes

Indonesia is situated along the Pacific, the ring of fire. Thus volcanoes and the possibility of earthquakes can occur at any time. Indonesia is in an active earthquake region with a high level of earthquake activity, sometimes triggering tsunamis. Earthquakes can occur anywhere in Indonesia. In the event of a natural disaster, follow the advice of local authorities. In the event of or following an earthquake, you should contact your travel insurance provider directly to ask if your policy is affected by the event.

14. Local law

There is numerous of travel-related local law in Indonesia which you can refer:
https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/general-information/local-law