INTRODUCTION
Tanjung Pinang Beach Riau
Indonesia is a vast and beautifully diverse I country stretching for more than 5,000 kms across I the equator. It would simply be impossible to see everything that this, the world's largest archipelago, has to offer in a short length of time. This Travel Planner therefore, offers essential information by dealing only with major tourist attractions which are easily accessible by air, sea and land.
In the past most popular destination for visitors to Indonesia has undoubtedly been Bali. In recent years however, other areas are also becoming popular and 24 top priority areas have been selected by the Directorate General of Tourism to provide visitors with the quintessential soul of Indonesia. These are: Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, Yogyakarta, East Java, Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, East Nusa Tenggara, Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, South Sumatra, Riau Bengkulu, Lampung, South Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, Southeast Sulawesi, East Kalimantan, West Kalimantan, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, Maluku, and Irian Jaya.
Variety is the spice life and nowhere is this more true than in Indonesia. No two places are alike in unspoiled beauty, art, culture and people. The towering mountains and primitive cultures of Irian Jaya contrast sharply with the terraced hills, and highly sophisticated societies of Bali and Java and the animistic beliefs which still have a major influence on the way of life in South Sulawesi. "Unity in Diversity", which is the country's motto, accurately describe these diverse cultures and extraordinary people brought together to create one nation with one national language, Bahasa Indonesia. For the traveller, Indonesia offers a fine blend of scenic beauty, fauna and flora, culture, marine parks and a wide collection of modern accommodation.
International gateways providing easy access for travellers in Indonesia are: Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali) and Medan (North Sumatra) Other ports of entry and exit have been targeted as international gateways but are currently in the development stages. These include; Manado ( North Sulawesi), Ambon (Maluku), Batu Besar (Batam), Pekan Baru (Riau), Balikpapan (East Kalimantan), Surabaya (East Java), Kupang (East Nusa Tenggara), Pontianak (West Kalimantan) and Biak (Irian Jaya).
This Travel Planner presents each destination area separately, describing its sights, tours, hotel accommodation (where available) and shopping opportunities. Additional information on special interest tours, the arts, cultural history and other aspects of the country's development sector which might be of interest to visitors is also included. Other sections focus on travel agents, transportation and requirements for travel to and within Indonesia.
An extensive network of air services connects the gateways with destination areas. Fares for domestic travel are offered in local Indonesian Rupiah, while other rares are quoted in US Dollars. The publishers of this Travel Planner however, would like to point out that prices and exchange rates are meants as a guide and are subject to change, for which they cannot be held responsible.
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