Introduction to Indonesia
- We visited Indonesia in May 1997 (Java, Bali and Gili) we liked it so much we decided to go back in May 1998 (Sulawesi and Flores).
- Steven Buvens updated and expanded the Java site after his visit in 8/2000
- The easiest way to read the Indonesia site is to start at "General info 1" and then simply follow the links at the end of each page.
Highlights
- Yogyakarta with Prambanan and Borobudur
- Bromo
- Bali: Bedugul temple, Gunung Kawi
- Gili
- Toraja
- Manado Seagarden
- Komodo dragons
- Kelimutu volcano
- Molucca if you fancy an off-the-beaten-track place
Travel guides
Indonesia Handbook- Price 24.95 US$
- This proved to be a very good guide book with an incredible amount of practical info on hotels and restaurants (definitely more info then the other guides). They sometimes "recommend" a hotel, and this is worth it. The advantage over the LP guides is that they are a bit less known, so the places they mention are not that much overrun. They are a bit less good for the less touristic islands like Flores.
Order the Footprint Indonesia Handbook now for only 17.47 US$Indonesia: a travel survival kit - Price 25.95 US$
- This is of course the classical book of every backpacker. Their maps are especially good.
Order the Lonely Planet Indonesia now for only 18.17 US$! Other Lonely Planet titles include:
-
Bali & Lombok (3/2001), price 14.39 US$: if you're only heading to Bali & Lombok this is the most up to date guide for the moment.
-
Indonesia Eastern Islands (10/98), price 14.36 US$-
Java (11/99) price 14.36 US$-
Indonesian phrasebook (9/95) price 4.76 US$-
Diving guide on Bali & Lombok for 13.59 US$ (3/2001)
Don't forget to go to their fantastic website where they have the "Thorn Tree". You can add your posting with practical questions about your trip:
http://www.lonelyplanet.comThey also publish an update of this book on their site at
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/upgrades/inex.htm The Rough Guide
IndonesiaI really like this series, they give very detailed info and often go further then LP. One disadvantage: they're not so strong in middle class and upper class accommodation as the Footprint f.i.
PS: I just had a look at this guidebook in preparation of my trip to Sumatra, and I can say it is indeed very detailed. I checked 2 items: Pulau Weh and rafting in Sumatra, and they were the most complete compared to LP and Footprint. They also had info on rafting in Java which I didn't find in the other books.
Order the Rough Guide Indonesia now for only 22.36 US$! Bali and Lombok- Price 16.95 US$
- This is the guide to go for if you only want to visit these islands. I've travelled a lot with the Rough Guides and I like them very much. They give a lot of historical, political and economical information, but at the same time they are very practical. They are not that popular, so they can give useful hints without that place getting crowded.
Order the Rough Guide Bali and Lombok now for only 11.87 US$!Other books 
If you can't make up your mind, click on the Amazon.com logo and search for more books
Wegwijzer
For those of you speaking dutch, it is definitely worth considering becomeing member of "Wegwijzer". This is a non-commercial organisation based in Bruges, Belgium. They have an incredible amount of info coming from guidebooks, leaflets but also reports from members. Since 2001 you can now get a lot of these reports online!! Membership is only 25 Euro a year, and this includes a good magazines they publish every 2 months. Have a look at
www.wegwijzer.be.
Covered topics
The following topics are covered (between brackets is the time I visited this particular island):
1) General info
- Money matters
- Transport
- Hotels
- Medical matters
- Weather
2) Java (May 1997)
3) Bali (May 1997)
4) Gili (May 1997)
5) Sulawesi (May 1998)
6) Flores (May 1998)
7) Komodo-Rinca (May 1998)
8) Molucca (December 1998 by David Sills)
