Going to (Surabaya) Indonesia. My first trip out of the country! Advice? (also have a few q's)

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’m set to visit Indonesia from April 5th to the 26th.
I live in the US and I’ve never been out of the country before, this will be my first time. Got my passport about a month ago, booked the plane ticket today, so I seem to be all set and everything seems to be confirmed.
I’m excited as hell, but also a little nervous/scared. I’ve never been to a country before where the majority might not understand what I’m saying. It’ll be a huge, new experience for me, visiting another country.
A few questions: I don’t need anything other than ID and a passport to visit, right? I looked online as to whether or not I needed a visa of some kind, but it doesn’t seem like I do. Does anyone know if I will need anything else before being allowed to enter?
Also, about money exchanging…I was thinking of doing it here, before I got there. Is that possible? Do banks/airports do that or will I have to wait until I’m there to exchange my dollars into rupiahs?
And lastly, any suggestions or advice on where to go or what to do? I’m visiting a friend there, who lives in Surabaya, for the record, so she should know the area pretty well and where points of interest are…but I’d love to hear from dopers if they have any insights or experience with this country and/or city.

Almost feels like a dream. I never thought I’d ever visit another country. Always been my dream to someday and now it’s finally coming true.

2

ATM’s give excellent exchange rates. I’d just use an ATM and get the amount of spending money you anticipate using the ATM at the airport. I usually buy something cheap at the airport like a coke so you have some smaller change.

3

Whoa, you can use an ATM to exchange money? Any ATM (in the US) or just ones at the airport? And you can get any other countries currency?

4

You take the local currency out of the ATM and it converts it from the dollars in your account in the US, any ATM on your network should work. Have fun.

5

To clarify, they’re talking about using an ATM in Indonesia to exchange. If your debit card is with a major bank, you shouldn’t have a problem finding an ATM that will work. But be prepared for the ATM directions to not be in English. You may have to do some guessing on some of the screens.

I just returned from my first trip out of the US. I went to Asia. It was an eye-opening experience and so much fun. It’s great that you have someone familiar with the area to show you the ropes. That makes a huge difference. Have fun!

6

Timatic is the gold-standard database that the airlines use to ensure you have the correct documentation before boarding.

You can put your info into the form at https://www.united.com/web/en-US/apps/vendors/default.aspx?i=TIMATIC and it will tell you exactly what you require.

7

Anytime I travel to a country I’m not familiar with, I check the CDC site for health notices.
Here is the advisory for Indonesia.

8

Sounds very interesting, but it’s a nice, big, blank page in both firefox and chrome…

ETA: Worked in IE. Go figure.

9

I live in Indonesia (and madmonk28 used to live there, BTW, though we have never met and were on different islands). Surabaya is kind of a weird choice - it’s not a place that shows up on the tourist radar, compared to Bali, Tanah Toraja, Lake Toba, Yogyakarta and Surakarta, Raja Empat, Manado, Keli Mutu, Komodo, and other places on the list of Indonesia’s many spectacular locations. But if you have a friend there, it makes sense to go. Anyway, it will be authentic Indonesia - just as you would experience authentic America by visiting Detroit, even though it would be an odd first place to go as opposed to San Francisco, New York City, the Grand Canyon, Disneyland/World, or other places that attract foreign visitors.

See if you can make it to Mt. Bromo. It is a little ways away from Surabaya, but definitely worth the trip. Maybe your friend can make arrangements for an overnight nearby so that you can do what most people do and get up at 3:30 am or so, then hike up to see sunrise. (It’s a fairly easy trip, not nearly as strenuous as it sounds.)

Unless you hate spicy food, be sure to have padang food, especially rendang (originally from Sumatra but now available everywhere). Other foods to try include es cendol (a sweet drink/dessert), petai (a bean somewhat like a lima bean), nasi gudeg [a Yogya specialty but hopefully available in SBY too; it’s a jackfruit stew), krupuk, tempe…well, just about anything. And don’t forget the (in)famous durian, if there is any in season.

The fruits are great - see if you can sample salak, manggis, rambutan, longan and others.

Be a little careful - the wide-eyed sense of adventure that makes for an invigorating SDMB post will draw the locals to you. Most will simply like to talk to foreigners (and practice their English), or maybe sell you something at a somewhat higher price than the locals would pay. But if you seem like too easy a mark, you can end up WAAYYYyyy overpaying for things.

As a rule of thumb, when you bargain try to let the vendor go first, and then don’t settle on a price that is more than 50 (at most 75) percent of the opening offer. Believe me, the seller will walk away very happy. If they aren’t, they won’t accept your price. So don’t be afraid to haggle and don’t be afraid to be firm about the final price you are willing to pay.

I could go on for days, but let me just say that I’ve lived in Indonesia for a total of about 13 years off and on since 1993, and I love the place. It will seem incredibly exotic to a Westerner who has never traveled in Asia. Hopefully you will enjoy every moment of your time.

10

Regarding visas: as an American you can get a 30-day tourist visa on arrival (VOA) for a cost of about USD 25 as I write this (best to pay in American dollars so you know you are paying the exact fee).

The payment for the VoA is the only time you will be able to use US dollars unless they are 100 dollar bills in pristine, and I do mean pristine - not a single hint of a fold anywhere, condition. Even then, there are certain series that aren’t accepted. So do NOT plan on changing USD to rupiah while there.

11

Ah, Surabayu! Carol’s right it’s an odd choice for exotic Indonesia, but so what? That just means your experience will be less like everyone else’s. That’s an awesome thing, truly! And since you’ll be staying with a friend you’ll get an ‘in’ to the culture few Bali tourists ever will.

I am jealous of all the home cooking you’ll be privy to, lucky fellow! Surabaya has a lovely zoo, not like many squalid ones sprinkled through Asia. And a great showing of Komodo dragons, if you’re not up for trekking off to the island.

Besides it’s well located to see lots of the sites, only a train or bus ride away. Mt Bromo is an awesome experience and really not that difficult - there are stairs once you reach the volcano proper!

Consider learning to speak some Behasa before you go, it’s quite a simple language, and you will impress your hosts. (Bonus: if you ever visit Malaysia, your language skills will come in very handy!)

Have a great trip and do return to share your adventure with us! Bon voyage!

12

Plan ahead for your finances. Notify your bank(s) before your trip to expect ATM transactions and/or purchases there.

There may be a per transaction maximum that an ATM can dispense. I see Lonely Planet says many ATMs dispense up to 2,000,000 rupiah (about US$170) but some the limit can be as low as 400,000 (about $34). Not sure how accurate that is.

Many US banks charge a foreign transaction fee of $2 to $3 each time you use your card overseas. (Capital One credit cards don’t, IIRC). If you are getting hit for a $3 fee each time you withdraw $34 then that is quite a bite. Then the owner of the ATM in Indonesia may charge an additional fee.

13

Is your friend meeting you at the airport? If not, don’t let anyone to help you with your bags unless you truly need help and want to pay someone to do so. A common tactic is for people to grap you suitcase and carry it for you. They then expect a tip. They can be aggressive so don’t feel bad about just saying no and taking your bag back.

I think the only things missing from CairoCarol’s tips is that you have to try Indonesian hot sauce (kind of like siracha but sooo much better) and corn and crab soup. I have literally had dreams about both since I left Indonesia.

14

Excellent advice. Also, be prepared for it not to work - so figure out how to call your credit card company from Indonesia and explain that yes, that AT&T Mastercard purchase of a batik in Surabaya really WAS legit, and please will they not block additional use of the credit card in Indonesia?

15

My bits of advice, for what they are worth:

  1. Visit your local travel clinic before you go, if you can, to see what diseases may be a problem there, and what innoculations and advice they can give you. Nothing is shittier than visiting somewhere exotic and spending the whole time sick, or bringing something serious back with you.

  2. Inform your credit card company as others haves said; and get their contacts.

  3. Figure out your insurance situation. Are you covered for travel? You may be, through your credit card. Find out. Check restrictions and limitations.

  4. Be sure to have some sort of back-up if perchance you lose your documents or credit cards somehow. Note down details, make photocopies, store seperately from your documents/cards/cash. I like to have a small emergency stash in currency available, just in case.

16

Also, about communication: I travelled trough Indonesia a couple of decades ago, found it wasn’t a huge proplem. Generally, if the locals are not annoyed by tourists, and you aren’t acting like a jerk, I found the people there extremely friendly and helpful, and among friendly and helpful folks communication was never a huge barrier for basic stuff, even with no languages in common.

17

My first rule for international travel: At some point during your trip you will have to carry everything you have with with you yourself – Pack Light.

18

Don’t take anything you don’t mind losing.

19

Is she cute? :smiley:

20

In addition to xerox copies in the other pocket (ie. the one without your wallet):
Take photos or scan your documents–(passport especially) and send the pics to a yahoo email address that you can always access from any computer. Might be handy in case of an emergency.