Indonesia Travel Guide: 4 Cities, Costs and Itineraries

Overview

Indonesia is not one trip, it's several stitched together by domestic flights. Bali runs on its own logic: scooters, surf breaks, rice terraces, and a tourism economy that's been polished for decades. Cross the water to Java and the country changes completely. Jakarta is a sprawling, humid megacity of over 10 million people, more about business and food than sightseeing. Yogyakarta, a few hours south by train, is the cultural center, home to Borobudur and Prambanan, the two biggest temple complexes in Southeast Asia. Bandung, a short hop from Jakarta, is cooler, higher up, and full of colonial-era architecture and volcano day trips. The mistake first-timers make is treating these four cities like a single loop you can drive. You can't. Bali is an island of its own; Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung are connected by a genuinely good rail network on Java. Budget flight time and a rail day or two, not a rental car, and the country stops feeling like a logistics problem and starts feeling like four very different, worthwhile stops.

Best time to visit

May through September is the dry season across most of the archipelago and the easiest window to visit Bali, Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung together. June and September avoid the July-August peak crowds and prices while keeping the same weather.

Jan-Mar

Wet season. Heavy afternoon downpours, flooding risk in Yogyakarta, cheaper hotels, fewer crowds.

Apr-May

Transition into dry season. Good light, lower humidity, Bali not yet at peak prices.

Jun-Aug

Peak dry season and peak tourist season, especially in Bali. Book Bali accommodation and Java trains well ahead.

Sep

Still dry, crowds thinning. Widely considered the best single month to be in Indonesia.

Oct-Nov

Wet season returns gradually. Jakarta's air quality is often worse in the dry months that precede this, so October can actually clear up.

Dec

Wet season, plus Christmas and New Year push Bali prices up despite the rain.

Visa

Canadians get a Visa on Arrival (VOA), valid 30 days and extendable once for another 30, for IDR 500,000 (roughly USD 30-35). You can pay this in person at the airport on arrival, or apply in advance as an e-VOA through the official government portal, evisa.imigrasi.go.id, which costs the same and skips the arrival queue. Apply at least 48 hours before you fly if going the e-VOA route. Your passport needs 6 months' validity from your arrival date. Extensions are done through immigration (imigrasi) offices in Indonesia, not at the border, and are worth arranging a week or so before your visa expires if you're staying past 30 days.

Money

Currency: IDR. Cards work at hotels, malls, and most restaurants in Bali, Jakarta, and Bandung. Warungs, markets, small guesthouses, and a lot of Yogyakarta still run on cash. QRIS (the national QR payment system) is widely accepted and often easier than a card. Carry cash as your default, card as backup. Not expected or built into local culture, but appreciated. Round up for taxis and Gojek/Grab drivers, leave 10,000-20,000 IDR for a good meal at a sit-down restaurant, and a few dollars a day for a driver on a multi-day trip. High-end hotels and restaurants often add a service charge already, check the bill before tipping on top.

Getting around

Domestic flights are how you move between Bali and Java, there's no road or rail connection, and driving isn't an option. Jakarta, Yogyakarta, and Bandung are linked by Indonesia's Java rail network: the Parahyangan train covers Jakarta to Bandung in about 3 hours, and the Argo Taksaka covers Jakarta to Yogyakarta in around 7.5 hours, both with executive and luxury classes. Within Bali, most travelers rent a scooter or use Gojek/Grab, though ride-hailing pickups are informally blocked by local driver cooperatives in central Ubud and parts of Canggu, you'll need to walk to a nearby pickup point. Within Jakarta and Bandung, ride-hailing apps work everywhere without restriction, and Jakarta also has the MRT and TransJakarta bus network for the worst traffic corridors.

Connectivity

eSIMs from Telkomsel, XL, or Smartfren cover the country well and can be bought before you land, typically USD 8-17 for a one to two week data plan. Physical tourist SIMs are available at every airport for around IDR 150,000-250,000 with 15-30GB, Telkomsel has the best rural and outer-island coverage if you're leaving the main cities. Wifi is reliable in hotels and cafes across all four cities; it's patchy in more remote parts of Bali outside the main tourist areas.

Where to go

Frequently asked questions