We have been in Indonesia for almost three months. We had high expectations before we arrived in the country but the beginning was quite disappointing. The worst part was getting used to the dirty and smelly rooms and that for the same price as our clean rooms in Thailand. Starting from Bali our feeling about Indonesia improved, we have seen remarkable natural scenery and encountered lots of friendly people. Now we’re outside Indonesia we can look back with a positive feeling on our stay and feel that we have missed out on a few things, such as Papua, the Molukken, Sulawesi and the eastern part of Flores.

The Traffic
The main roads in Indonesia are generally in a good condition or they are working on it. Once you leave the main roads, roads can still be good but they can also be very bad. Traffic in Java and parts of Sumatra are very busy. Very annoying is the slowness with which Indonesians perform their manoeuvres. This creates huge traffic jams because most main roads consist of only one lane in each direction. There are some good highways in Java but no two-wheelers are allowed on it. It can be crowed on the main roads in Bali but these roads can easily be avoided by taking back roads, because all roads in Bali are in a good condition. Eastern Indonesia is less populated and it shows on the road. Especially in Sumbawa and Flores we often had the feeling that we were alone on the road. In Indonesia, both driver and passenger wear a helmet and this is monitored almost anywhere in the country. If you want to drive around in the country then definitely make sure you have an international driving license, police checks and also tourists are fined. Red lights are sometimes ignored and scooters often drive on the wrong side of the road. In Indonesia, you have to pay for parking almost everywhere, in most cases you do not even see somebody‘s watching but when you drive away they come for the money. In busier areas there are men who help to drive off a parking by stopping the traffic. These people work for themselves and live of the gifts that people give them. It is striking how easily Indonesians sly money to these men, even if there is no traffic.

Food
The food in Indonesia was disappointing. Just as in Malaysia they really have the culture to serve cold food. We ate fried rice / fried noodles almost every day. In many cases you get crackers with your fried rice. At tourist spots you have more choice: European or (hot) Indonesian dishes. Fresh fruit juices can in some places be very cheap, but in the east they tend to use too much sugar.

People and Language
The people here are the friendliest we have encountered on our trip. We never had to wave and smile as much as here. Indonesia is the only country we have never had the feeling that the people had to do something against their will. It often happened that we were not charged for small chores, eg on the bike. Except for Bali, people speak very little English.

Prices
Indonesia is a very cheap country. For one euro you can easily eat, and things like laundry and car wash can be really cheap. A huge money saver was the gasoline that costs only 0,40 euro here. For everyday things, especially for drinks, head to the supermarket because in the local stores they'll charge you more. As in most countries in Asia, they also have dual pricing, but here they really exaggerate. The temples of Borobudur and Yogyakarta are as expensive as a day Angkor Wat. The biggest difference was at the Kelimutu Volcano where we paid thirty times the price of an Indonesian! Strange was the prices at the waterfalls which were really cheap, also for tourists.

Hotels
We had heard that accommodations in Indonesia would be similar to those in India. We didn’t really look forward to it but at least we thought it would be good for our budget. It already became clear in the first town that the prices didn’t follow the standards. We had to pay 12 euros in Medan for a room with a shared bathroom but it was clean though. The other hotels in Medan may have had an ensuite bathroom but they were plain filthy, for at least 10 euros. If you want to have more or less value for money, try looking for a new hotel. Otherwise, prepare for smelly rooms, sheets with holes and spots, mold on the walls, toilets without toilet seat, no toilet paper / towels, bucket instead of a shower head, cigarette butts under the bed and in the bathroom and cobwebs around. At tourist spots you can always find better value for money but you have to look for it.

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