Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia

This review is not for the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia. It is a very high-​level review of travel in Indonesia and Bali.
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago consisting of over 18 000 islands. Jakarta is a huge and congested city located on Java. Java has 135 million people and is the most population dense island (place) in the world. The islands of Bali, Sumatra and Borneo surround Java. Indonesia is mostly muslim however Bali is mostly Hindu which makes its culture unique in Indonesia.
A taxi from the airport to the city will cost around $ 20 USD. Study conversion rates because with Indonesian currency (Rupiah) you will be dealing with millions (1.5M Rupiah is approx. $ 175 USD). There are many taxi companies — go for either silver bird or blue bird as these have English speaking drivers.
Flights from the US to Jakarta take about 20 hours and since it is on the other side of the world you can basically go either east or west to get there. I prefer flying West. In this case there is typically a stop in Taiwan, Seoul, Tokyo or Hong Kong before completing the last 5 or 6 hours of flight. The distances in this part of the world are huge.
It’s easy to get along with English here.
Motor scooter culture flourishes.
The food is fantastic and a little difficult to describe — lots of seafood and rice and chiles but not too hot — a mix of sweet and hot. Tropical fruits abound with melons, jackfruit, durian, mangosteen, guava and other exotics.
Hotel Mulia is fantastic in all regards. Obama recently stayed there.
If you want to motion someone toward you with your hand, point your hand down, not up.
Gents, don’t show the soles of your feet when sitting — rude.
It’s a 1 hour flight from Jakarta to Bali and cost is about $ 200. But there are lots of direct flights into Bali from all over the world.
Bali is a large island just south of Java.
You fly into Denpasar. Go to one of the taxi offices — in other words, don’t just walk to the curb and expect to get a taxi — they have a system. It is about $ 20 USD to Sanur (30 minutes).
I like Sanur. It is an older part of the island and the «strip» part of the town is well established with shops and many restaurants — the street is Jl Danau Tamblingan. However there are lots of full service resorts all over the place. In Sanur the Hyatt is nice albeit a little older — still, a full service resort within 5 minutes walking to the main road. I have also stayed at Emerald Villas which are very nice private and semi private. There are really hundreds of places to choose from so do your research. Recommend Hardy’s for groceries and Café Batujimbar for lunch or dinner — casual, outdoor seating and good food/​value. Be sure to get Monggo chocolate bars in Bali — Belgian choclatier using Java cocoa — highly recommend.
Bali’s economy is driven by tourism therefore plan on hooking up with a driver/​guide. Try to get a recommendation before you arrive. If not, the hotel can help and guides (drivers) are everywhere and will approach you. It’s not expensive and it gets you places faster and helps overcome language issues outside the city. Be sure to discuss price up front and tell them what you are interested in. They will try to take you on their route (silver, batik, other crafts, the volcano, the temples, culture, etc.) the key is to be sure to be very clear on what you are interested in. If you’re interest require lots of drive time and fewer stops (where you may be compelled to buy things), offer to pay more up front. The cost for a driver for the day is around $ 50USD (includes car, fuel, gas) — be courteous and buy waters, lunch, tea, etc. and also tip well.
Bali is a craft economy as well — everyone (and I mean everyone) is involved. Shopping is difficult to avoid and the values are outstanding. The road to Ubud is lined with small shops and walk-​ins. Translation — leave some room in your luggage to bring stuff back.
Pay careful attention to the Hindu customs and ask about offerings and the reason behind them. It is not a tourist gimmick — it is everywhere and you will be amazed.
Eat the curries and fruits especially mangosteen, jackfruit, pineapple and finger bananas.
Tip well if I didn’t already say this.