13 Ultimate Indonesia Travel Tips for 2026

Indonesia sits so close to Singapore that it is easy to under-prepare for it. Batam is about an hour from HarbourFront by ferry, Bali is under three hours from Changi, and Bali even runs on the same clock as Singapore. That closeness tempts people to treat a trip like a long weekend in Johor Bahru. Then they land without the arrival QR code, find that their Grab driver is not allowed to collect them outside an Uluwatu beach club, or lose a day because the afternoon swell cancelled the boat back from Nusa Penida.

The 13 tips below are the ones that genuinely change how a 2026 trip goes: new digital entry paperwork, the Bali tourist levy, a criminal code that took effect in January, rules about phones and scooters, and the calendar quirks (Nyepi, Ramadan and Lebaran) that can shut down an island or fill every seat on a plane. They are grouped by theme, each tip under its own subheading, with costs in rupiah wherever we could check them.

Entry paperwork for Indonesia in 2026: visa, arrival card and Bali levy

Indonesia moved its border formalities online in stages through 2025, and the three pieces below are separate systems run by different agencies. Paying for one does not cover the others. That single misunderstanding causes more stress in the arrival hall at Ngurah Rai than anything else.

Check whether you actually need a visa

Singapore citizens, like other ASEAN passport holders, can enter Indonesia visa-free for up to 30 days as tourists, with nothing to apply for and nothing to pay. The catch is that those 30 days are fixed: a visa-free stay cannot be extended once you are in the country. If there is any chance you will want longer, take the visa on arrival instead. It costs IDR 500,000, allows 30 days, and can be extended once for a further 30 days at an immigration office, giving 60 days in total.

Travellers on most other passports, including many Singapore permanent residents and work pass holders from outside ASEAN, need that visa on arrival or its online version, the e-VOA. The fee and rights are identical; the e-VOA is simply issued before you fly through the immigration department's official e-visa portal, so you skip the payment counter on landing. Two details trip people up. The e-VOA has an entry window that is longer than your permitted stay, and your 30 days start on the day you arrive. And every traveller needs their own visa, babies included, while a typo in a passport number can make the visa invalid with no refund from immigration.

Whatever your nationality, your passport should have at least six months of validity left from the date you arrive, plus blank pages, and officers can ask to see a return or onward ticket. Our Indonesia visa guide covers extensions and longer-stay options in more detail.

Fill in the All Indonesia arrival card within three days of landing

Since 1 October 2025, every international arrival has had to complete the All Indonesia declaration. It is one online form that replaced the old customs declaration and the SATUSEHAT health pass, covering immigration, customs, health and quarantine questions together. It started at the biggest gateways (Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta, Bali's Ngurah Rai and Surabaya's Juanda) and at Batam's international ferry terminals, which matters if you are hopping across from Singapore.

The form is free and can be submitted up to three days before you arrive. A QR code is then emailed to you and scanned at the border. You will need your passport details, flight or ferry number, the address where you are staying, recent travel history and anything you need to declare. Every person needs a separate card, children included, so a family of four fills it in four times. Do it the evening before you fly rather than in the immigration hall, and ignore lookalike websites that charge a "processing fee": the official version is free on the immigration department's own website and app.

Pay the Bali tourist levy before you fly

Bali charges every foreign tourist a one-off levy of IDR 150,000 per person per visit, with no exemption for children or babies. It is separate from both the visa and the arrival card, and the money goes to the provincial government for cultural and environmental protection. Payment is cashless only (card, bank transfer or QRIS) through the provincial government's Love Bali website or app, and you receive a voucher with a QR code by email. Keep a screenshot, because it can be checked at the airport and at some tourist sites. There are payment counters at Ngurah Rai airport and at the harbour in Tanjung Benoa if you forget, but pre-paying saves a queue after a flight.

When to go to Indonesia: weather, crowds and holidays

Indonesia is warm all year, so the real questions are rain, crowds and the handful of holidays that change how the country moves. Getting the month right matters, because many of the best experiences depend on calm seas and clear mornings.

Match your month to the dry season, not just the cheapest fare

Most of the places Singapore travellers head for, including Bali, Lombok, Java and Flores, lie south of the equator and follow a similar pattern. The dry season runs roughly from April to September, sometimes into October. The wet season runs from about November to March, with December to February usually the wettest stretch and January often the rainiest month. Temperatures barely move: Bali sits in the mid to high twenties Celsius year round, so the heat will feel familiar, just with noticeably drier air in July and August.

Wet season does not mean a washout. Rain usually arrives in heavy afternoon or evening bursts, much like a Singapore thunderstorm day, and mornings are often clear. The rice terraces are at their greenest and rooms are cheaper. The trade-offs are muddier trails, rougher sea crossings and poorer visibility for snorkellers, so if your plans hinge on a boat day or a sunrise volcano trip, keep a spare day either side.

For the best balance, many travellers aim for May, June or September: dry-season conditions without the July and August peak, when European and Australian holidays and Indonesia's own school break land together and prices climb. Christmas and New Year are also busy in Bali whatever the weather. Sumatra and Kalimantan straddle the equator and are less predictable, so check regional forecasts there. Our guide to Indonesia weather by month breaks it down region by region.

Work around Nyepi, Ramadan and Lebaran

Three moments in the calendar can upend a trip. The first is Nyepi, Bali's Day of Silence, which marks the Balinese new year and usually falls in March. For 24 hours, from 6am to 6am, the island stops: Ngurah Rai airport closes to all flights, roads and harbours shut, nobody (tourists included) may go out on the streets, and in recent years mobile data has been switched off too. In 2026 it fell on 19 March. Hotels keep running quietly for guests and many visitors find the stillness oddly moving, but you cannot fly in or out, so check the date for your year before booking anything in March. The evening before brings the ogoh-ogoh parades of giant papier-mâché demons, which are worth planning to see.

The second is Ramadan, expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with the exact date confirmed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs shortly beforehand. In mostly Hindu Bali you will barely notice it. In Java, Sumatra and Lombok, daytime life slows, some small warungs close until sunset, and it is polite not to eat, drink or smoke openly in public during the day. Restaurants in malls, hotels and tourist areas stay open, and the evening markets selling snacks for breaking the fast are a highlight.

The third, and the biggest for logistics, is Lebaran (Idul Fitri) at the end of Ramadan, expected around 10 and 11 March 2027 with extra collective leave days around it. Huge numbers of Indonesians travel home in the annual mudik exodus, so flights, trains, ferries and roads across Java and Sumatra are packed for a week or more and fares jump. Avoid domestic travel in that window if you can, or book very early.

Money in Indonesia: rupiah, ATMs, QR payments and tipping

Money is where small mistakes add up fastest, mostly because of the zeros.

Carry some rupiah, but lean on QR payments and cards

At early October 2026 rates, one Singapore dollar bought a little over 14,000 rupiah. A quick mental shortcut is to knock three zeros off the price and divide by 14: the red IDR 100,000 note is worth roughly seven Singapore dollars, and the blue IDR 50,000 about half that. Count notes slowly when paying, especially late at night, because it is easy to hand over a 100,000 when you meant a 10,000.

Cash still matters for small warungs, market stalls, parking attendants, temple donations, boat fees and tips. Withdraw from ATMs inside bank branches, malls or hotels rather than standalone machines on busy streets, which are more likely to have been tampered with. When a card terminal or ATM offers to charge you in Singapore dollars, decline and pay in rupiah, since that conversion usually comes with a worse rate. If you change cash, use authorised money changers: Bali's official guidelines for foreign visitors ask tourists to use licensed changers and to transact in rupiah, and kiosks advertising suspiciously good rates are known for sleight-of-hand counting.

QR payments have changed the picture. Indonesia's national QR standard, QRIS, is everywhere from convenience stores to coffee carts, and it has been linked with Singapore's NETS QR system since late 2023, so some Singapore banking and payment apps can scan a QRIS code and charge your Singapore account directly. Support varies by app, so check yours before you leave and test it on a small purchase first. Our Indonesia currency guide covers exchange options and card fees in more depth.

Tipping is appreciated but not expected. Many restaurants in tourist areas list prices with "++", meaning a service charge and government tax are added at the end, so read the menu footer before you estimate the bill. Where no service charge is included, rounding up is normal, and full-day drivers, guides and spa therapists are usually tipped directly. At beachfront seafood spots, fish and prawns are often priced by weight, so ask how it is charged before your order is cooked; a pre-arranged option such as a seafood dinner on the sand at Jimbaran removes that guesswork. Bargaining is normal at markets and should stay good-humoured, but it is not done in malls, restaurants or app rides.

Staying connected: eSIMs, tourist SIMs and the 90-day phone rule

Sort out mobile data before you land

Ride-hailing apps, maps, your Bali levy voucher and your hotel's WhatsApp messages all depend on data, so have it working from the moment you land. An international eSIM bought before you fly connects through roaming agreements, works as soon as the plane touches down, and is not affected by Indonesia's handset registration rules. A local tourist SIM, sold by Telkomsel and other operators at airport counters and official stores, gives you an Indonesian number, which helps because drivers and guesthouses often prefer to message a local number. The counter staff register the SIM against your passport and handle the phone's IMEI whitelisting for you.

That IMEI detail matters for longer trips. Indonesia blocks phones that have not been registered with customs from local networks once they have been in the country for 90 days, leaving you on Wi-Fi only. Short-stay visitors on a tourist SIM will never notice. If you are staying longer, register the phone at the customs desk on arrival, and be aware that duty can apply on more expensive handsets.

Coverage is strong in cities, across south Bali and along main roads, but thins quickly in the mountains, on smaller islands and on boats. Download offline maps, and if your trip overlaps Nyepi, download films and books in advance, because mobile data in Bali has been switched off for the day. Our Indonesia SIM card guide compares the networks and their tourist packs.

Getting around Indonesia: ride-hailing apps, drivers and scooters

There is no single integrated transport network, roads are slower than the map suggests, and in Bali the rules on who can pick you up vary from village to village.

Use Grab and Gojek, but learn Bali's no-pickup zones

Grab and Gojek are the default way to get around Indonesian cities, for cars, motorbike taxis and food delivery, with fares shown up front and no haggling. In Jakarta, pairing an app ride with the MRT or TransJakarta buses is often the quickest way past the traffic. Blue Bird is the most trusted metered taxi brand and can be booked through its own app or flagged down in Jakarta and parts of Bali.

Bali is the exception. In several tourist areas, local transport cooperatives stop app drivers from picking up passengers, although drop-offs are fine. The best-known zones are parts of the Bukit peninsula around Uluwatu, Bingin and Padang Padang, central Ubud and pockets of Canggu, along with some temples and beach clubs. The restriction is a local arrangement rather than a government ban, but in practice drivers will cancel or ask you to walk to a pickup point outside the zone. Plan for it: walk a few hundred metres to a main road, ask your hotel or venue to call a local taxi, or agree a return time and price with the driver who dropped you off. Bali has also been tightening the rules on app drivers and fares, so expect prices closer to local taxi rates than a few years ago. Our Indonesia transportation guide covers trains, buses and ferries too.

For day trips, hiring a car with a driver is usually the most comfortable choice, especially for families. Drivers handle parking, temple donations and narrow village roads, and many double as informal guides. Agree the hours, the route and whether fuel, parking and entrance fees are included before you set off. In Java that might mean a full-day car rental from Jakarta into Central Java; in Bali, a short guided loop such as the two-hour Tabanan area tour takes in the rice country of the west without you navigating it yourself.

Only ride a scooter if you are properly licensed

Hiring a scooter in Bali looks cheap and easy, and that is the problem. To ride legally you need a motorcycle licence from home plus an International Driving Permit that covers motorcycles. A car-only licence does not count, so a Singapore Class 3 holder without a Class 2B, 2A or 2 licence is not covered. Traffic police regularly stop foreign riders around Canggu, Seminyak and Kuta, and fines for missing documents run from roughly IDR 250,000 to IDR 1,000,000, with a separate fine for riding without a helmet. There is no island-wide ban on tourist scooter hire, but enforcement has clearly stepped up.

The bigger risk is not the fine. Bali's roads are narrow, crowded, often wet and full of sand and potholes, and many travel insurance policies refuse claims for injuries sustained while riding without a valid licence or helmet. If you are not already an experienced rider, Bali is not the place to learn. Use app motorbike taxis for short hops, a driver for longer journeys, and get your throttle fix on a guided outing such as the ATV ride at Dadi Bali Adventure, from S$38.88, which keeps you off busy public roads.

Planning a route across the islands

Indonesia stretches roughly 5,000 kilometres from east to west and covers three time zones. Western Indonesia Time (WIB) covers Sumatra, Java, Jakarta and the Riau Islands, including Batam and Bintan, and runs one hour behind Singapore. Central Indonesia Time (WITA) covers Bali, Lombok, Flores and Sulawesi and matches Singapore exactly. Eastern Indonesia Time (WIT) covers Maluku and Papua, one hour ahead. The difference catches people out on Batam day trips, where the ferry time on your return ticket is local time.

Build in buffer days for boats, flights and volcanoes

A good rule for a first or second trip is roughly one base for every four or five days. A week in Bali can comfortably include a couple of nights in Ubud, a few by the beach and one boat day; squeezing Lombok, Java and Komodo into the same week means more time in transit than anywhere else. Domestic flights are frequent but can run late or be rescheduled at short notice, so never book a tight same-day connection onto your flight home.

Fast boats are how most people reach Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, Lombok and the Gili Islands. Sanur to Nusa Penida takes roughly 30 minutes to an hour, with more than ten crossings a day, so it works as a day trip; the Ocean Speed fast boat from Sanur starts from S$9.02. The Gilis are further, about an hour and a half to just over two hours from Padang Bai, on services such as the Wanderlust Cruise fast boat to the Gilis and Lombok, from S$41.92. Seas are usually calmer in the morning, so take an early boat, and never schedule your return for the same day as your flight home: crossings can be delayed or cancelled when the swell is high. Keep your passport and phone in a dry bag, because at Sanur and several island beaches you board by wading through shallow water.

Volcanoes are the other wildcard. An eruption elsewhere in the archipelago can disrupt Bali flights even when Bali itself is calm: in mid-2025, eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores sent ash high enough to cancel dozens of Bali flights, including services to Singapore. The national volcanology agency publishes alerts on a four-level scale, and the MAGMA Indonesia app shows each volcano's status and exclusion zone. Check it before booking a sunrise trip on Mount Batur, a jeep to Bromo or a boat trip around Flores.

Done well, volcano country is a highlight. In Bali, the dark lava fields around Mount Batur can be explored on a Black Lava Tour, and the 4WD jeep caldera sunrise experience is a gentler alternative to the pre-dawn summit hike for anyone with tired knees or young children. In East Java, Bromo jeeps leave around 2am to 3am to reach the Penanjakan viewpoints for sunrise. Bring a fleece: at that altitude dawn is properly cold, a shock after Singapore.

Health and safety in Indonesia

Most trips pass without anything worse than a mild upset stomach and some sunburn. The few serious risks are predictable, and a little preparation removes most of them.

Protect your stomach and keep your distance from animals

Do not drink tap water anywhere in Indonesia, including in good hotels, and use bottled or filtered water to brush your teeth if your stomach is sensitive. Many hotels and cafés in Bali offer refill stations, which also helps the island's push against single-use plastic, so pack a reusable bottle. Ice in established restaurants is generally made from purified water, but be more cautious at roadside stalls. The classic "Bali belly", a short bout of traveller's diarrhoea, is the most common complaint, so pack oral rehydration salts and ease into street food over a few days.

Avoid cheap spirits and unlabelled cocktails at bargain bars. There have been cases of methanol poisoning in Bali and Lombok linked to counterfeit or home-made arak, and early symptoms can look like an ordinary hangover. Buy drinks from reputable venues and get medical help quickly if someone becomes unwell after drinking very little.

Rabies is present in Bali's dog population and cases rose in 2025, with tens of thousands of animal bites reported in the first half of the year and several human deaths. Do not touch or feed stray dogs, cats or monkeys. If you are bitten or scratched in a way that breaks the skin, wash the wound with soap and running water for around 15 minutes, then go to a clinic the same day for post-exposure vaccination. A pre-travel rabies vaccine is worth discussing with your doctor if you are travelling for weeks, heading to rural areas, or bringing young children. At temple and forest sites such as Uluwatu and Ubud, macaques also snatch sunglasses, hats and phones, so keep bags zipped and snacks out of sight.

Dengue is carried by the same daytime-biting mosquito that Singapore residents know well, and it peaks in the wet season, so use repellent in the early morning and late afternoon. Bali's south and Jakarta have international-standard clinics, but facilities elsewhere are basic and serious cases are sometimes flown to Jakarta or Singapore, which is why travel insurance with medical evacuation cover is worth having.

Etiquette in Indonesia: temples, dress and everyday manners

Dress and behave for temples and conservative areas

In 2023 the Governor of Bali issued a circular listing what foreign visitors should and should not do. The headline points: respect temples, religious statues and sacred symbols; dress appropriately at sacred places, attractions and public areas; do not climb sacred trees or desecrate holy sites; do not litter or use disposable plastics; and only enter the innermost area of a temple to pray, in traditional Balinese dress. The guidelines also ask visitors to use licensed guides, accommodation and rental services. Bali has deported foreigners over disrespectful behaviour at sacred sites that went viral online, so the rules are more than advisory.

At temples, wear a sarong and sash (often lent or rented at the entrance) and cover your shoulders. Do not climb on shrines, walls or statues for photos, and do not stand higher than a priest during a ceremony. Signs at many Balinese temples ask women who are menstruating not to enter, and visitors are expected to respect that. On pavements you will see small palm-leaf offerings called canang sari; step around them, not over or on them. If a procession blocks the road, wait patiently and enjoy it rather than sounding your horn.

Everyday manners matter too. Use your right hand to give or receive money and food, point with your thumb rather than your index finger, avoid touching anyone's head, and take your shoes off when entering homes and mosques. Swimwear belongs on the beach; walking into shops or villages in a bikini or bare-chested is frowned on. Eating with your hands is normal at many warungs, again with the right hand.

Outside Bali, Indonesia is majority Muslim and expectations are more conservative. In Java and Lombok villages, cover knees and shoulders, and women may want a scarf for mosque visits. In Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra, sharia-based bylaws shape public life and visitors are expected to dress modestly. A few words of Bahasa Indonesia earn real goodwill: terima kasih (thank you), permisi (excuse me), berapa? (how much?) and selamat pagi (good morning). And expect some flexibility with time, which Indonesians cheerfully call jam karet, or rubber time.

Laws visitors should know in 2026

Know the rules that catch visitors out

Customs allowances. Each adult can bring in up to 1 litre of alcohol and 200 cigarettes (or 25 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco). Personal goods bought abroad are duty-free up to USD 500 per person, and cash of IDR 100 million or more, or its equivalent, must be declared, all through the All Indonesia arrival card. The alcohol limit is the one Singapore travellers most often break with a couple of bottles from Changi duty-free; anything over the allowance can be taxed or confiscated.

Drugs. Indonesia has some of the harshest drug laws in the world, including the death penalty for trafficking and long prison terms for possession. Never carry a bag or parcel for anyone else, and carry prescription medicines in their original packaging with a copy of the prescription or a doctor's letter.

The new criminal code. Indonesia's new criminal code took effect on 2 January 2026, replacing a colonial-era code. It includes offences for sex outside marriage (up to a year in prison) and for unmarried couples living together (up to six months). These can only be acted on if a spouse, parent or child of one of the people involved files a complaint, so the practical risk to tourists is low, but the law exists. The code also criminalises insulting the president and state institutions, so keep political opinions out of public posts while you are in the country.

Visa conditions. A tourist visa or visa-free entry does not allow you to work, including paid content creation for local businesses. Overstaying, even by a day, brings a daily fine and can lead to deportation, so note your exit date and leave a margin for delayed flights. Finally, carry a photo of your passport when out and about and keep the original in your hotel safe; offer a copy or cash deposit rather than leaving your passport with a rental operator.

Frequently asked questions

Do Singaporeans need a visa for Indonesia in 2026?

No, not for a normal holiday. Singapore citizens can enter visa-free for up to 30 days as tourists, at no cost. The limitation is that a visa-free stay cannot be extended inside Indonesia. If you might stay longer than 30 days, pay for the visa on arrival or e-VOA instead (IDR 500,000), which can be extended once for another 30 days. You still need the All Indonesia arrival card, and the Bali levy if you visit Bali.

Do I need the All Indonesia arrival card for a Batam or Bintan ferry trip?

Yes. The All Indonesia declaration applies to international arrivals by sea as well as by air, and Batam's ferry terminals were among the first seaports to use it. Fill it in online within three days before your crossing, one card per person including children, and keep the QR code ready on your phone. It is free, so ignore any website that asks for a fee. Batam and Bintan also run one hour behind Singapore.

Is the Bali tourist levy the same as the visa on arrival?

No, they are completely separate. The visa (or visa-free entry) is handled by national immigration and lets you enter Indonesia. The IDR 150,000 Bali levy is a provincial charge that every foreign tourist pays once per visit to Bali, children included, through the Love Bali website or app. Paying one never covers the other, and the All Indonesia arrival card is a third, free requirement on top of both.

What is the best month to visit Indonesia?

For Bali, Lombok and Java, May, June and September offer dry-season weather without the peak crowds of July and August. April and October can also be good, with occasional showers. The wet season, from about November to March, brings heavy afternoon rain, cheaper rooms and greener landscapes, but rougher seas. Avoid booking Bali on Nyepi, usually in March, and avoid domestic travel during the Lebaran holiday at the end of Ramadan.

Does Indonesia's new criminal code affect tourists?

The code took effect on 2 January 2026 and includes offences for sex outside marriage and unmarried cohabitation. Prosecution requires a complaint from a spouse, parent or child of one of the people involved, so the practical risk to holidaymakers is low. More relevant day to day are the drug laws, customs allowances, visa conditions and the rules on insulting state institutions, all of which apply to visitors in full.

Can I pay with Singapore apps in Indonesia?

Sometimes. Indonesia's QRIS standard has been linked with Singapore's NETS QR since late 2023, so some Singapore banking and payment apps can scan QRIS codes and charge your Singapore account directly. Support differs between apps, so check yours before travelling and test it on a small purchase. Carry some rupiah anyway for small stalls, parking, temple donations and tips, and always choose to be charged in rupiah on card terminals.