Search Results for: indonesia
How to apply for Indonesian visa in Bangkok
The rules changed in 2016, so maybe the Indonesian visa system looks a bit confuse when you search information on the Internet. Basically, there are three types of Visa to enter in Indonesia for tourists:
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- Free visit visa:
- This visa is valid for 30 days, only
- You CANNOT extend this visa
- Check if your passport country is on the list of the 90 countries elected for free visa
- Passport must be valid for 6 months and must have at least one page free
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- Visa on arrival:
- Valid for 30 days
- You can extend this visa for more 30 days at the Immigration services in Indonesia; the processes can take three days to a week depending on the city where you apply, and you need to go 3 times to the Immigration office (apply and pay, give the passport, and collect the passport); is better to choose a Immigration office in a more touristic area as they are more prepared for foreigners that the small cities where the process get more bureaucratic; you don’t need a sponsor anymore
- You can arrange this visa at the immigrations services at the Indonesian international airports and seaports
- It costs: 35 USD (and must be paid in USD cash)
- Passport must be valid for 6 months and must have at least one page free
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- 60 days visa:
- to get the 60 days visa, you must apply for this visa before entering Indonesia, in one of the Immigration offices
- It costs: 50 USD (and must be paid in USD cash)
- Passport must be valid for 6 months and must have at least one page free
(see details of the application process below)
NOTE: If you have already been in Indonesia with a working visa, I got informations that the Indonesia Immigration services in Bangkok issues 60 day tourist immediately after business visa expires, without any problem!
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Overstaying in Indonesia
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If you really want to stay until the end of your visa in Indonesia, take into consideration that the day that you arrive counts as day 1, and the day that you leave the country must also be included.
If you overstay your visa you’ll need to pay a fee of 300.000 INR for each day.
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60 days visa application process at Indonesia immigration office in Bangkok:
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day 1: submit the application, give the passport and pay
- at the immigration office, you’ll find the application form (you don’t need to use the ones that are on the website)
- fill the form and proceed to the next room
- you must give at the counter:
- your passport, valid for 6 months and must have at least one page free
- 1 recent passport-sized photograph
- Copy of the flight ticket (they ask me for a return ticket but I told them that didn’t have any idea in which island I will be after two months)
- On the next counter, you must pay the visa fee: 50 USD that and must be paid in USD cash. The banks nearby the Indonesia embassy don’t exchange baht to foreigner currencies. The only one that I found was nearby the Platinum Fashion Mall. Is better to bring the USD with you to avoid stress and long walks.
- On the payment recipe, is written the day and hour (always in the afternoon) when you can pick your passport.
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day 2: pick your passport
After two working days (minimum) you must pick your passport with the visa stamp. For that just show the payment receipt.
note 1:
the Indonesian Immigration office in Bangkok don’t give a new 60 days visa if you already have been in Indonesia for a 90 days period. You must wait 90 days outside Indonesia before apply again for a 60 days visa... but the Immigration office in Singapore don’t apply this “rule” that in fact isn’t written on the official website.
note 2:
the Indonesian Immigration office at Kuching (Borneo) the 60 days visa can be arranged on the same day.
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Indonesia Immigration office in Bangkok
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Visa Application Submission:
Monday – Friday: 09:00-12:00
Visa Collection:
Monday – Friday: 14:00-16:00
Watch out for the holiday calendar, as the immigration services in Bangkok will be closed on Indonesia holidays as also in Thailand holidays.
Address:
The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia
600-602 Petchburi Road, Ratchatewi, Bangkok 10400
Phone: (66-2) 2523135-40
e-mail : [email protected]
The closest metro/subway line is the Ratchathewi BTS Station, about 800 meters, but there are a few buses passing just in front of the Indonesian embassy.
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Note:
Dress properly every time you visit the Immigration office, in Thailand or in Indonesia: no shorts, no short skirts, no bare shoulders… “dress modestly”!
Medan… where Indonesia meet Malaysia and China
Medan is not part of the tourist path being mostly used as an arrival point at North Sumatra, to visit Bukit Lawang and Lake Toba, or to catch a domestic flight to Padang, on the south coast.
But the city isn’t totally deprived of charm. There’s the Masjid Raya, the more than one century old mosque with an exotic architecture, the Istana Maimoon, a palace built by a sultan that now a small museum, the old town with Dutch colonial building as also a touch of Chinese shop houses and Indian neighbourhood where you can make a break to the Indonesian cuisine.
But for me, what brought the biggest surprise and the most pleasant time in Medan was the visit to the Tjong A Fie Mansion, the house of a rich Chinese merchant, from the end of the IX century, build in a mix of European colonial style and a strong Chinese influence. The house is a mark in the cultural panorama of the city and the Tjong A Fie, that arrive at Sumatra as a worker, build a fortune with the trade of tobacco, tea, rubber and sugar, becoming and important figure in Medan supporting education, health arts and culture. The house, where his relatives lived until a few years ago, has a balanced energy that creates a special positive atmosphere… and is a quiet place in the busy center of the city!
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With all these Medan is a kind of melting pot of cultures, where Indonesia met Malaysia and China!
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What to see in Medan:
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- Istana Maimoon also called the Sultan Palace build in IX century by the Sultan Ma’moem Al Rasyid. You can’t see much of the interior of the palace but is a nice place where you can chill and enjoy the local people dress up with sultan customs to pose for a photo nearby the throne. Ticket 5.000 Rp.
- Masjid Raya is free but you need to dress properly (no shorts, no naked shoulders, etc…) and the women must cover the head.
- Tjong A Fie Mansion is located in the old town that is the most interesting area to walk around in Medan, Ticket 35.000 Rp, which includes a guided tour.
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Where to sleep in Medan:
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The prices at Medan are higher that the usual in Sumatra, and as this city is not on the backpacker’s circuit is difficult to find a cheap guest house or a hostel.
The K77 Guest House is located a bit far out from the center but offers very nice and clean rooms as also a dorm, in a quiet alley in front of a mosque. In fact, cleanness is the word to describe this guesthouse where the owners are super friendly and provide a lot of information in a good English.
A bed in the dorm is 125.000 Rp and the breakfast is not included.
//k77guesthousemedan.blogspot.pt/
In a more central area there’s the Yap Hostel, just for women with a bed in a dorm for 75.000 Rp, but book in advance as is usually full, especially at the weekends.
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Where to eat in Medan:
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As there’s not much to do in Medan, the food could be a great entertainment if you need to stay a couple of days in this city and location close to Malaysian bring a new input to the Indonesian cuisine. As any big city, in Medan there’s a few “classic” that you must try!!
- Lontong Kak Lin… it’s a simple and humble eatery that serves lontong, a classic Malasian dish, that is a soup where the base is compressed steamed rice. I try the Lontong Sayur, a very rich vegetarian version of the original, that is served with egg, a few noodles, some tapioca crackers and lots of fry onion!! (15.000 Rp)
- Zulaikha Bika Ambon… bika ambon is an Indonesia cake and apparently Zubaikha is the place to buy it in Medan, judging by the number of people that come here on the last week of the Ramadan to buy several boxes of this cake before visiting the relatives during the Eid al-Fitr (the holidays that mark the end of the fasting). Bika Ambon is made from tapioca flour, egg, coconut milk and sugar, of course! After cooking it results in a dense and wet texture with a lot of thin holes… and less sweet than it looks like! A small cake cost 23.000 p and the big one 43.000 Rp… there are different flavor but I just try the “original”!
- Rumanh Makan Nasi Campau Hj Uni Emi… this restaurant is a reference in Medan for Nasi Kapau, the traditional Minangkabau cuisine, from South Sumatra.
- Merdeka Walk… street food everywhere after 5 p.m.
Despite these places there’s a lot of restaurants in Medan and is very easy to find masakan padang restaurants; due to the presence of a big Chinese community is very easy to find noodles, cooked in soups or stir fry.
If you are looking for a good supermarket where you can find top quality Indonesia products (is not so easy as we could imagine in a big city) the Brastagi Supermarket is the place!!! There’s a big choice of coffee and chocolates there!
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How to move around Medan:
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The city is big and with a lot of traffic but with a lot of public transport (angkot). At your guest house you can get information about the angkot numbers, as this is the best way to identify them, as the destination isn’t written most of the times. There are colours according to the destination. It isn’t difficult but you gonna need help. The traffic is intense so you can easily be stuck in a traffic jam.
Very popular are the bajaj, a kind of auto-rickshaw that can transport two passengers.
The best option, especially if you travel alone, is the ojek (moto-taxi). You can use the app service of GoJek or Grab companies, and a trip inside the city costs around 10.000 Rp… and is a good way to avoid the traffic jams. Usually, this kind of transport doesn’t go out of the city.
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How to go from Medan to the Airport:
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The closest international airport from the capital of Sumatra is the Kualanamu International Airport (also written as Kuala Namu), which is located more than 40 kilometers from the center of Medan. There are a few ways to reach the airport:
- Taxi: 150.000 Rp
- Travel Service arrange by the guesthouse/hotel: 200.000 Rp
- Train Rail Link: 100.000 Rp. It is the fastest option as it avoids the usual traffic jams of Medan. The train leaves from the Statsiun Medan close from the Merdeka Walk.
//www.railink.co.id/jadwal-kereta
- Airport Damri Bus: the DAMRI (Indonesian state-owned public transit bus company) operates buses from Amplas Bus Terminal in Medan to Kualanamu International Airport. The ticket costs 000 Rp, in modern air-conditioned buses, and the trip takes less than 45 minutes, but it can be more depending of the traffic. It isn’t the fastest option but is the cheapest!
To reach Amplas Bus Terminal (located in the southeast part of Medan) you need to take one of the angkot (small local bus) that will cost you 10.000 Rp. There are many of these angkots that end their trip at the bus terminal but is better to ask someone on your guesthouse as the destination on this angkots is not clearly written on the vehicle, but to help they all have a number to make it easy to identify. Watch out that this trip to the Amplas Terminal can take you about 2 hours… depending on the time of the day and the distance that you are from the terminal!!!!
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How to go from Medan to Bukit Lawang:
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Masakan Padang… the most popular Indonesian food
Here are good news for vegetarian travellers!!!
“Padang” is one word that will cross your way as soon as you arrive in Indonesia, written at many signs and restaurant windows. Masakan Padang, that means Padang food, is the typical cuisine of the Minangkabau people of West Sumatra, and Padang is the capital of this region.
But you don’t need to travel so far to try this popular Indonesia cuisine, as the padang food is a bit everywhere in Sumatra, as also Java, Bali and Lombok…. and already become international, being easily found in neighbouring Asian countries.
As Sumatra is a dominant Muslim region, the Minangkabau (also called Minang) cuisine follows halal rules rigorously… so no pork!!!
The Masakan Padang restaurants are easily identified be the way the food is presented: in plates carefully piled for more dry food or in big metal bowls or trays for more juicy dishes, like curries. The plates are exposed at a window and visible from the outside, and most of these restaurants open from the morning until the evening making the food available during all day. The food is served at room temperature and just the rice is kept warm.
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Serving systems
There are two types of serving in a Padang restaurant, the pesan (ordering) and hidang (serve) method. It took me time to understand how it works and sometimes I was surprised with the bill in the end, as a meal could cost 10.000 Rp or 50.000 Rp… without meat or fish dishes!!!
So the pesan is when the customer chooses the food from what is exposed at the windows, and the waiter takes a bit of each bowl and put on a plate with rice. This is the most common for people that are eating alone or at the more modest restaurants. At some restaurants is even the client that serves his own food. Depending on the number of dishes chosen, a meal like this can cost between 10.000 Rp and 20.000 Rp, for vegetarian/egg dishes.
The hidang is when all the dishes available are served in small plates that are placed at the client’s table… it can be more that ten different dishes. You don’t need to order anything and in the end, you pay just what you eat. This system is more common when people eat in groups, family or friends, as the portions served are much bigger that at the pesan system. I try once this system and a vegetarian meal cost me more than 50.000 Rp, for the same number of dishes!!!… but it doesn’t really worth if you are alone!
The takeaway system, locally called bungkus is always available at Masakan Padang eateries and is very popular with the locals. Most of the places just wrap the food in a paper (with one plastified side) but some restaurants the banana leaf is still used to parcel the food!!
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The Padang Meal
The typical Padang meal isn’t complete without these three things: rice (nasi), a juicy curry (gulai) and some green leaf boiled vegetables, that can be papaya leafs, spinach or cassava leaf. Then you can add meat, fish or egg, which can be fried or boiled, but usually seasoned with a red chilli sweet sauce. The omolete are also common, but sometimes they look more like a cake, cut in slices.
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The sambals, a spicy sauce made from chillies, usually with a bright red colour but that can also be pale green, are a must in any plate, and give a special touch to any meal. The sambals in Indonesia are not extremely spicy.
The most popular curry of Masakan Padang cuisine is made with unripe jackfruit (gulai nangka) that is cooked with coconut milk and seasoned with ginger, galangal and turmeric, with the kaffir leaves and the lemongrass giving a fresh flavour to this delicious dish, that range from sweet to spicy tastes. The gulai nangka can also be cooked with green beans and cabbage.
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Dishes at Masakan Padang
The dishes available at the Masakan Padang restaurants change from island to island, and from region to region, according to the availability of the ingredients and the local taste: in Sumatra the curries are usually spicy, but in Java they are a bit sweeter and is common the presence of tempeh (fermented soybeans compressed in a tender block) and tofu (tahu) dishes, that are also easy to find at the masakan padang eateries in Bali and Lombok
At Sumatra the eggplant is widely popular, grilled and seasoned with a chilli sauce… looks spicy due to the red colour but n fact is sweet and very tender.
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About meat, the chicken is the most popular option and can se cooked in thick gravies, with a big range of tastes and colours, or in a drier version, boiled or fried. Beef and buffalo meat curries are also common at the Masakan Padang windows; the internal organs can also be present in these curries.
The fish is very popular, no matter if you are close from the sea or not, as the dry fish is quite common in Indonesia. Most of the times these are small fishes that deep-fry, looking very crispy and dry. The very small ones are used dried are sometimes mixed with tempeh or with vegetables, but is almost impossible to spot them at the plates or food trays. But the bigger fishes can be found fried of floating in thick coconut curries.
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Due to the big vegetarian choices available, like tofu, tempeh and green leaf vegetables that you can’t find in western countries, vegetable curries, jackfruit curries, and eggs in many ways… the Masakan Padang restaurants are a great choice for vegetarians!!!! Note that tempeh and tofu are more common in Java, being unusual to find it in Sumatra.
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Curiously there is any sweets or deserts in the Padang restaurants… but I think that is part of the Asian style meals.
Southeast Asia
Nasi Campur… so simple and so delicious!!
In the Indonesian language “nasi” means rice and “campur” means mixture, and nasi campur is basically a dish that mix steamed rice with other dishes: meat, fish, vegetables or egg, seasoned with sambal (see below).
In Java, the nasi campur is usually served with a portion of fried noodles, a style that hardly be found in other Indonesian Islands, which probably is an old influence from Chinese gastronomy, as also the tofu that is a regular presence in the Javanese cuisine.
In a certain way, nasi campur (pronounce as “champoor”) is quite similar to what can be found in Sumatra Island, called nasi kapau or nasi padang, but with different ingredientes and recipes, with the Javanese food being cooked with less gravy, less spicy and more sweetness than the neighbouring island. The presence of noodles, tofu and tempeh also makes a difference from this rice dish served in Java and in other islands.
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Thanks to the usual presence of vegetables (sayur in Indonesian language) like green beans, papaya and cassava leaf, bean sprouts, cabbage, spinach and other green leaf vegetables… the Indonesian cuisine, despite not being vegetarian (not even in Bali that is an island dominated by Hinduism) has a lot of options for vegetarians. And the frequent presence of tofu and tempeh especially in Java, Bali and Lombok create a wider range of options, even for the ones that want to avoid eggs.
But watch out if you are a “purist” about vegetarianism as there are a few animal products hidden in some of the Indonesian dishes, like the shrimp past that is used in the sambal… some super-small fishes mix in tempeh and vegetable dishes… and also in some crackers served with gado-gado and other salads that are flavoured with peanuts or shrimp past.
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Something about tempeh…
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But the Javanese cuisine as something unique to offer: the tempeh!! Tempeh is made from fermented soybean, that gets aggregated forming a soft but compressed block, sometimes warped in banana leaf, which is sold fresh in local markets all over Java but that can also be found in nearby islands of Sumatra, Bali and Lombok.
Due to its compact consistency, the tempeh can be cut in slices or chopped in small pieces. Unlike most of the soy products, the tempeh isn’t an influence from China, but an Indonesian product that is present almost in every restaurant that serves rice dishes.
Is difficult to identify the taste of the tempeh as it isn’t something that stands up in a dish despite being a fermented product, but it can be described as something between beans and mushrooms, resulting from the fermentation of the soybeans that creates a thin layer of mould. It has a heavy and thick consistency but smooth on the month, giving a feeling sensation in the stomach.
The same way as the tofu, the tempeh can be simply deep-fried (goreng) or simply fried in a pan, but can also be cooked with fry peanuts in a sweet and red sauce made from spices and sugar… that is one on the reason why the Javanese food is famous for the sweetness.
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Sambal?!?!
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Sambal (don’t mistake with “sambol” a Sri Lankan dish made from coconut) is a spicy condiment made from chilies, usually with a bright red colour but that can also be found in green. The sambal is a must in any nasi campur plate and gives a special touch to any meal. Sometimes a meal can just be some fried tempeh seasoned with sambal and served with a portion of steamed rice!
The sambals in Indonesia are hot but not extremely spicy and the recipe also includes tomato, garlic, shrimp paste and lime juice… but can have more other ingredients, with each restaurant having its own recipe.
The Indonesian sambal change from island to island, from market to market, from restaurant to restaurant… but are a mandatory presence at any rice dish served in Indonesia.
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Where to eat nasi campur?
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Basically, you can find nasi campur everywhere! It is served in a la carte restaurants, in informal eateries where the food is exposed in trays at the window, in a improvised stall set up in front of a house, in a hidden back street kiosk or inside the markets in a kind of food courts. The nasi campur can also be found in street hawkers that usually hang around the food markets, caring a basket loaded with the familiar paper cones that wraps the food.
Early morning is the best time to find this informal way to eat the nasi campur, as many housewives set up a table on the street selling food, most of the times for take-away by people on the way to the work, but where is always possible to ask for a plate and seat on the side walk, interacting with other customers and enjoying the movement of the street.
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Despite the fried rice being the dish easiest to find in Indonesia, mostly due to the easy and quick way to prepare, the nasi campur can be considered the most popular Indonesian food staples, including here all the variations resulting from the different cultures, traditions and climates that characterise this huge country!
22 days in Sumatra: itinerary & costs
Itinerary:
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- Ferry crossing Merak-Bakauheni (from Java to Sumatra by ferry)
- Bandar Lampung: 1 day
- Krui: 5 days
- Bengkulu: 1 day
- Padang: 3 days
- Bukittinggi: 4 days
- Lake Toba: 3 days
- Bukit Lawang: 3 days
- Medan: 2 days
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Costs:
13.4 €/day
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… considering traveling solo, eating just local (vegetarian) food, no a/c rooms, sometimes dorms, travel by public transport, no alcohol and no soft drinks, making my own laundry and walking a lot on foot… Shopping and souvenirs are also not included, as well health expenses and communications (SIM card, mobile, telephone, internet…).
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Costs in Sumatra:
- room (fan): minimum 60.000 Rp up to 100.000 Rp (one person); in Sumatra the accommodation is usually cheaper that other Indonesian islands. There are many places with dorms in the cities for 60.000 or 80.000 Rp; nearby the beach areas the prices increase reaching 100.000 Rp. Most of the times the breakfast isn’t included.
- meal: less than 20.000 Rp for a meal (local food, street-food, vegetarian meals). The water is usually free at the guesthouses, as also coffee and tea.
- rent a scooter: 70.000 Rp/day or 100.000 Rp/day; a litter of petrol: 10.000 Rp in road side shops (at the pump station is 8.500 Rp/l)
- angkot (small local bus): costs from 2.000 Rp to 10.000 Rp for an urban area trip.
- ojek (moto-taxi): 10 km cost around 15.000 Rp (but the price of the ojek depends on your bargain skills and the needs of the driver, weather, time of the day…).
At Medan the GoJek, Uber and Grab companies offer moto-taxi services, that are an easy way to move around. - There is only one passenger train service in Sumatra (Bandar Lampung to Palembang), so the bus is the most common option but the distances are big and sometimes the plain is the best option as the prices are not much higher than the bus, and a bus trip of 15 hours can be mande in 1 hour by plane. Still… all this Sumatra trip was done by land!!!!
- A bus trip of 680 km costs around 200.000 Rp, in a air-con bus.
- At Sumatra the cost with transportation increase significantly compared with Bali, Lombok or Java) as the distances are bigger. But the accommodation is cheaper than in the other islands that i visit.
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Note: this trip was made duriing Jun 2017, which still is still considered the low season, when the prices of the accommodation are lower, that can be significant at beach areas.
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Bukit Lawang… keep wildlife wild!
“keep wildlife wild” can be found in a sign at the settlement of Bukit Lawang, a tiny village located at the entrance of the Gunung Leuser National Park that depends totally on the tourism that comes here to watch the wildlife, especially the orangutans.
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There are rumours that the guides feed the animal to attracted them to the areas of the park that the tourists usually visit, a practice that is totally forbidden and that is a disrespect towards the wildlife. I didn’t saw trying to feed the orangutans. And the orangutans seem to me that they don’t care much about human, making any effort to get close. Also didn’t saw anyone feeding the animals… but… there’s always a “but”!!! I saw several pieces of sugar cane on the ground, chewed in a way that any human can do… and there isn’t any sugar cane growing in this jungle!
When asked the guide said that they only give fruits to a specific female that has the fame of being aggressive to humans…. but I spent one day walking in the Park and didn’t saw that animal… but saw a few chewed pieces of sugar cane.
Sad.
Also sad is to see the human pressure on the natural territory of these delicate creatures, with the rubber tree plantation reaching the border of the park, and all the way from Medan to Bukit Lawang surrounded by palm oil trees.
Sad.
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But despite the negative impact that a greedy tourist business can have on the balance of the delicate wildlife a visit to the Gunung Leuser National Park was a very rewarding experience, with the presence of a couple of orangutans females with their babies as also a shy gibbon that was unaware of being watched from the ground.
The walk in the jungle isn’t easy, not just because of the hot and humid climate, but because the trails are steep and sometimes muddy, but the contact with the magnificent jungle trees allow us to connect with nature in a way that only the jungle can do!
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Bukit Lawang jungle trek:
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I did the 1-day trek at Gunung Leuser National Park with Trek Sumatra. It looks a very reliable company, an Indonesian/Canadian partnership, with an ethical and environment concern, with local and skilled guides and with all the information clearly showed on their web page.
Can’t really recommend Trek Sumatra, as I felt disappointed with the guide, as he didn’t provide much information about the wildlife, being extremely bored during the hike. I ask for a vegetarian meal and they forgot that detail. But he spotted easily the orangutans and the gibbons and didn’t get lost! LOL
The prices are more or less the same between the different companies and usually all tour pack includes the ticket (150.000 Rp), accommodation, guide and food. Maybe you can get something cheaper locally hiring a local guide. You can’t visit Gunung Leuser National Park alone, as it’s lot allowed but also because the are many trails, and any of them is marked, making difficult the orientation in the jungle.
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Where to sleep in Bukit Lawang:
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The village itself there’s nothing to offer to the visitors, not being more than a settlement of houses. The tourist accommodation as also restaurants, shops and other facilities are all located along a narrow path that runs along the river.
Usually, people arrive at Bukit Lawang already with a tour booked and the accommodation is most of the times included in the “orangutan pack”, which also includes the ticket and the guide.
I stay at Suma Guesthouse that has a dorm with good and comfortable conditions just in front of the river. A bed there is 50.000 Rp but doesn’t include breakfast.
This guesthouse is linked to the www.treksumatra.com
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Where to eat in Bukit Lawang:
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From the more than dozen of places, there was one that caught my attention as also my belly: the Jungle Hill Restaurant, with the standard Indonesian food, but cooked also in several vegetarian options. The best was the “rendang” in a tempeh version! Delicious food served with friendliness.
There are a few grocery shops at Bukit Lawang that provide all the basic stuff that you may need during the trek and during your stay at Bukit Lawang. Lot’s of cookies, chips, chocolates, mosquito repellent, toilet paper… not much choice of dry fruits.
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How to arrive at Bukit Lawang from Medan:
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If you arrive at Medan by bus you’ll probably end up at Amplas Terminal, located southeast of the city center, and quite far out.
If you arrive at Medan by plane, you can find a Damri Bus (public bus company with air-con vehicles) that drop you at Amplas Terminal.
- At Amplas Terminal, after you get ride of the ojek drivers, you’ll see a yellow angkot (mini bus). It has a sign saying “Baris” that is the name of the bus terminal nearby. But tell the driver that you want to go to Bukit Lawang and he will drop you directly at the place where the buses stop, at cross road Jalan Gatot Subroto/Jalan Pinang Baris. The angkot cost 10.000 Rp and the trip takes 1.45 minutes, as it needs to cross Medan from East to West, and traffic jams are common in Medan.
- The public buses to Bukit Lawang departure every 15 minutes. They are orange colour and they stop just in front of the Mawar Bakery. That is an important reference point.
- The trip to Bukit Lawang takes more than 5 hours through a dusty and very bumpy road, along an endless palm oil trees landscape, in an old and crowded bus. The ticket cost 25.000 Rp. Pay only at the end of the trip to the driver’s helper. There are lots of people hanging around the place from the Bukit Lawang buses departure… stay way from everyone, as there’s a scam with the tickets involving people that are not working on the bus. Watch out your luggage.
- It will drop you at Gotong Royong. From here you need an ojek to reach Bukit Lawang that is 2.5 km further. The best option is to ask a transportation from your guesthouse… believe me, after all this trip you’ll need this treat… and probably you’ll arrive close to the sunset, that makes more difficult to find your accommodation.
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How to arrive at Bukit Lawang from Lake Toba:
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From Lake Toba to Bukit Lawang
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How to move out Bukit Lawang:
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- By public bus:
You must try to get a ride from your guesthouse to Gotong Royong otherwise you have a strong chance to be ripped off by the ojek drivers that hang around Bukit Lawang.
At Gotong Royong there are local buses to Medan every 15 minutes. The ticket cost 25.000 Rp and the trip takes at least 3,5 hours to make the 75 km, along with a very bumpy and dusty road.
The bus drops you nearby Pinang Baris Terminal. There you find a lot of angkot to different parts of Medan, but can be confusing to know the best one for you. So is better to call a GoJek or Grab moto-taxi.
- By travel service:
It cost 120.000 Rp and the car will drop you at your accommodation in Medan.
This service can be arranged everywhere in Bukit Lawang, from guesthouses to shops and restaurants.
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ATMs and Money exchange in Bukit Lawang:
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There isn’t any ATM at Bukit Lawang. The closest one is at Gotong Royong.
There are many moneychangers but be prepared for a bad rate.
