Indonesia is diverse and has plenty to offer visitors who want a unique experience. The island is filled with friendly people and loads of things to do. Like in any country, even home, there are bad people and bad things still happen, but still my experience in Indonesia is something I won't forget.
Here is a rough breakdown of my expenses during my entire stay in Indonesia:
*In Indonesian Rupiah
*11,000 IDR = US$1 (as of December 2013)
Jakarta (3 days)
309,500 - Transportation
145,733 - Food
360,000 - Accommodation at Six Degrees Hostel
5,000 - Monas Monument Museum Entrance Fee
10,000 - Top of Monas Monument Fee
40,000 - Domestic Airport Tax
5,000 - Miscellaneous
875,233 - Total
Yogyakarta-Solo (8 days)
441,000 - Accommodation Edu Hostel
408,100 - Food & Water
392,000 - Transportation
108,600 - Souvenirs
170,000 - Borobudur Entrance Fee
150,000 - Prambanan Entrance Fee
130,000 - Sunrise (4AM) Tour Package for Borobudur & Prambanan
30,000 - Hill Entrance for Sunrise
100,000 - Tour to Plaosan, Kalasan, Sari, and Sambisari Temples
23,000 - Laundry
26,500 - Utilities
25,000 - Danar Hadi Museum Entrance Fee
15,500 - Postcards
13,500 - Kraton Fee & Camera
10,000 - Tamansari Fee
10,000 - Plaosan Fee
15,000 - Solo Kraton
10,000 - Sukuh Fee
11,000 - Cetho Fee
2,000 - Candi Sari Fee
2,000 - Sambisari Fee
5,000 - Parangtritis Fee
1,000 - Saraswati Fee
35,000 - Domestic Airport Tax
2,142,200 - Total
Bali (6 days)
600,000 - Accommodation Cafe Locca Sanur
402,000 - Food & Water
200,000 - Airport Transfers
200,000 - Car Rent Day Tour
250,000 - Motorbike Rent with Driver 2 Days
10,000 - Souvenir
40,000 - Stamps
30,000 - Ulundanu Entrance Fee
32,500 - Tanah Lot Entrance Fee
15,000 - Taman Ayun
30,000 - Laundry
20,000 - Sacred Monkey Forest Fee
20,000 - Besakih Fee
50,000 - Guide Besakih
50,000 - Sarong Rent
15,000 - Goa Gajah
15,000 - Turtha Empul Fee
20,000 - Uluwatu Fee
70,000 - Kecak Dance
4,000 - Miscellaneous
150,000 - International Airport Tax
2,223,500 - Total
Indonesia is an inexpensive country if you plan your budget accordingly. I ended up spending more on transport because Indonesia is hard to travel around in. I spent a total of 17 days in Indonesia, I would have loved to stay longer and explore more of what this beautiful country has to offer.
Itinerary
I mostly visited the temples in Yogyakarta and Bali, since I don't get to see any of those back home. Went to a few beaches namely Parangtritis in Yogyakarta, Jimbaran, Seminyak, Kuta, and Sanur in Bali. You don't have to see all of the temples in Yogyakarta, a visit to Borobudur and Prambanan are enough. Candi Sukuh and Cetho in Solo are worth a visit if you stay more than just two days in Yogyakarta. In Bali, a stop to Bedugul, Tanah Lot, Taman Ayun, and Uluwatu are must-dos for me. If you can, stay more than just a day in Ubud, it's a nice place to chill and hang out in, it's quite an artsy place to stay in.
Thoughts on Indonesia
Indonesia reminded me so much of the Philippines. Both countries are religious, Indonesia is the largest Islamic country while the Philippines is predominantly Catholic. The landscapes and some of the culture are also quite similar. I can see why Indonesia is a rising economy despite the reports that the Philippines is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Indonesia has better infrastructure and more developed rural areas compared to the Philippines. Although poverty is still a problem, it is not as prevalent as back home.
