Indonesia

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Indonesia

Erika! entering Aceh, Sumatra

[edit] Where to go

[edit] Flores Island, NTT

Flores is a marvelously mountainous island in the Nusa Tenggara region of Indonesia. The island is crossed by the Trans-Flores Highway which runs from the western town of Labuanbajo to Larantaka in the east of the island. Bring your mountain legs, as there are only two ways the road points to on Flores: Up or Down. The Trans-Flores Highway climbs up to 1,000 - 1,300 meters several times in between dropping down to see level again.

[edit] Sulawesi Island

Erika! riding into a wall of pain in Central Sulawesi

Sulawesi is another Indonesian island that offers great cycling. Whether you like it flat or mountainous, Sulawesi has it on offer. The south, along the coast is flat and there are a few beach towns, although mostly that part just offers normal Indonesian life and few 'sights'. If you want to do some climbing, then you should head towards the Tana Toraja and/or Lake Poso regions. They will not only offer you the climbing challenges you want, but also great places to stay and do some relaxing and/or sightseeing.

[edit] Kalimantan

It is possible to ride from Pontianak in Western Kalimantan to Kuching in Sarawak (Malaysia). Take the OLD Trans-Kalimantan Highway which is basically a two lane road which (at least in 2009) still is mostly palm oil plantation-free and runs through small villages, rice paddies and forests. It's not the most spectacular ride in Indonesia, but it's definitely better than Malaysian Borneo where all you will see is palm oil for hundreds of kilometers.

[edit] Sumatra

There are plenty of roads to cycle on Sumatra. The east coast is generally considered 'too boring' for a bicycle trip, as it is more or less flat and through many palm oil plantations. The true highlight of cycling on Sumatra are the mountains. One can cycle up the west coast to Padang and then by way of Buttiktinggi to Lake Toba. The western coast of Aceh has been devastated by a tsunami in 2004. The road between Banda Aceh (in the region's north) and the town of Calang has not yet (December 2009) been reconstructed completely. It may be possible to ride during the dry season, but before setting out in the rainy season, check if it has been completed as the road conditions get very muddy.

[edit] Accommodation

Standards and availability of accommodation in Indonesia obviously vary greatly. Generally speaking, you should have no problem to find a bed to crash in within riding distance on most major transit axis' such as the Trans-Flores, Trans-Sulawesi and Trans-Kalimantan Highways.

[edit] Hotels

Hotels are usually of decent enough standard to crash a night. Make sure you ask to see the room and remember, most likely, the price is negotiable. Many hotels offer to park the bicycles inside either the lobby or the room.

[edit] Losmen & Penginapan

Both establishments are usually family run guest houses. Quality varies from the dirty and smelly ones to immaculately clean, well run places. The guest houses are often a bit more friendly than hotels and often include a simple breakfast of coffee, a (chocolate) bread roll and maybe an egg. Sometimes you are served warm rice dishes for breakfast, which makes for better riding food.

[edit] Camping

Camping in Indonesia is really only necessary in the remotest of places - or if you want to save 3 US$ on accommodation. It can be hard to find secluded 'wild camping spots' as Indonesia is heavily populated and there's often somebody around. Camping in villages is possible. Ask for the Kapala Desa (village chief) and explain your situation, he'll most likely organize you a place to camp/stay. Alternatively, ask the local police chief to camp on the police station grounds which is usually a grassy area and relatively safe.

[edit] Food & Drinks

Indonesian food is great and also caters well to Vegetarians as Tahu (Tofu) and Tempe (also a soy-based dish) are not only available but part of the Indonesian staple. Rice obviously is the base to almost every meal. Being an archipelago, fish is found everywhere, usually as ikan bakar (barbequed fish). Nasi goreng naturally can be found in most restaurants, as can mie goreng, but be aware, it could very well be instant noodles! Depending on where you are riding, it might be recommended to bring at least some snacks with you, as you might not come across a warung (restaurant) in a while. There are tokos (small stands) strung along the main roads and almost always on top of mountain passes which sell water, isotonic drinks (Pocari Sweat and Mizone) and some biscuits and crackers. Indonesia is mostly hot (except in the mountains) so bring plenty of water as it is definitely better to carry a few kilos to much than running out of water. In many larger towns on Flores and Sulawesi, you will find Depot Air Minum (Drinking Water Depots) which are selling cheap, safe water (sometimes even free as cyclists only fill up a few liters rather than the massive containers the locals fill up). Make use of them, it safes money and reduces the amount of plastic bottles that land in the jungle.

[edit] Budget

Generally, you will find a room in a hotel, losmen or penginapan for 50-80k a night, often including a simple breakfast. Food will set you back some 10-20k in a normal warung padang, a bit more in the restaurants. Isotonic drinks go for 4-6k per bottle. A large bottle of Bintang beer will set you back 18-24k, depending on where you'll buy it. The largest part of your budget will be spend on transfers between islands. However, compared to other countries ferries and flights are still cheap and if you have excess luggage because of your bike and panniers, don't worry, for 20-30 AU$ you'll be allowed to have it all flown to your destination of choice.

Note on Aceh (Sumatra): The state's west coast was hit by 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami. In the aftermath, an unprecedented aid effort was started. A combination of lack of available accommodation because many hotels were destroyed and cash-loaded NGO workers have led to inflated accommodation prices all the way from Banda Aceh to Tapaktuan. Standard rooms with attached bathroom that would usually cost 50-100k easily go for 200-250k Rupiah, making it the most expensive place in Indonesia outside of Jakarta and Bali.

[edit] Traffic

Indonesia road system

Local name for roads authorized to cyclists

To be completed

Local name for roads forbidden to cyclists

To be completed

Traffic in Indonesia is different from island to island, according the development of the respective island. One fact that holds true for most islands is, that traffic is made up mostly by scooters and small motor bikes, which is good news for cyclists because that leaves enough space for a bicycle.

[edit] Flores Island

There is generally very little traffic on the Trans-Flores highway, except near the main towns of Labuanbajo, Ende and Maumere. Most of the traffic they a cyclist encounters are bemos (small buses) and buses that shuttle goods and people from one town to the next. Usually, both are giving cyclist enough space to stay safe. However, some of the mountain roads are winding and a cyclist should take care around blind corners.

[edit] Sulawesi

There is plenty of traffic along the coast of South Sulawesi, all the way from Parepare through Makassar to Bulukumba. Makassar is a bustling city and it is recommended to leave the city very early morning to beat the morning rush hour. The traffic on much of the rest of Sulawesi is relatively light - especially between town. Especially Central Sulawesi has very little traffic and climbing the mountains through jungle without any traffic at all is fantastic experience. Plenty of tourist buses connect Tana Toraja with the rest the main cities, so keep looking out for them, although they usually give cyclists plenty of space.

Cycling rules in Indonesia

Wearing a helmet is optional.

Wearing a reflective vest is optional.

Bicycle lights are optional.

Reflectors on wheels and pedals are optional.

Bicycle bells are optional.

Cycling on the sidewalk is allowed !

[edit] Kalimantan

The traffic from the Malaysian border at Entikong all the way to Sosok on the Trans-Kalimantan Highway sees surprisingly little traffic. The closer one gets to Pontianak, the denser the traffic gets and riding into Pontianak is like riding into any city of that size.

[edit] Sumatra

There is considerable traffic around the Sumatran cities. The road from Medan to Lake Toba in North Sumatra is busy, but generally cars and buses give the cyclist enough space even on windy mountain roads. There is very little traffic on the roads of Western Aceh.

[edit] Public Transportation

Should you be in need of public transportation, then you will have no problem in Indonesia - even if you have a mechanical problem in between towns. Just look lost and start flagging down whatever comes your way. If there's room for you and your bicycles most trucks, buses and even bemos won't have a problem taking you - for money of course. Haggle for the price and don't hesitate to let a bus go...unless it's already 5 pm, there WILL be another one.