Q: I’m planning my honeymoon in Bali for 3 nights in the month of December. So how is weather there in December and suggest me some unique places in Bali for Honeymoon couple which we can explore – Pratik
A: The weather in Bali for December is a little unpredictable. It is part of the wet/monsoon season in Bali but there will also be days of sun. It also rains more in the night or at least late evening, so plan your outdoor activities early and keep the rest for indoors and relaxation like spa and massage. Check out our Top 10 Bali Honeymoon Ideas . Have a romantic and good honeymoon!
Below are the two types of most common visas for non-professional longer term stays.
You should note that the date of arrival in Indonesia is counted as day one of the permitted stay and the date of departure is also counted as a full day even if the flight leaves just after midnight.
Visa on Arrival
As the name states, this is a visa you can purchase when you arrive in Indonesia at designated entry points by paying US$35. The VOA is a single entry visa good for up to 30 days and can be extended ONLY ONCE for an additional 30 days for another $35. So essentially its $70 visa for a maximum stay of 60 days. You can also apply for this visa before you travel at your respective country’s Indonesian embassy/consulate if you’re not a slacker.
Social/Cultural Visit Visa
For people who want to stay longer than 60 days, a social/cultural visit visa may be your best bet. Commonly used for those overseas coming to study, for research, training programs or to visit family members, the visa allows you to stay for 60 days, but can be extended up to four more times, for a maximum of 180 days total. Applying for this visa takes a little more effort because all good things in life must be earned and you must do it while you’re out of the country.
You’ll need:
A letter of invitation/sponsorship from
an Indonesian citizen
a foreigner with a Temporary (ITAS)
Permanent (ITAP) Resident permit
A photocopy of the sponsor’s ID card (KTP or ITAS /ITAP)
A photocopy of the Kartu Keluarga (family card)
A copy of your bank statement from the last two weeks, or a letter from the bank stating that the applicant has a sufficient fund
Proof of return or onward ticket booked for a date no later than 6 months after your date of entry into Indonesia for the maximum stay
Your passport
Two passport photos
Completed application form which you can get here
Visa fee
The letter of invitation/sponsorship must include:
The full names and addresses of the visitors
Visitor’s passport numbers
Description of the purpose of the visit
Principal addresses during the stay
A guarantee that the sponsor will cover all living expenses, transportation costs, and any other costs incurred during the visitor’s time in Indonesia
The validity of the social/cultural visit visa will be three months from the date of issue. If you want to extend this particular visa, you must apply for the extension in the same wilayah (district) as the address stated by your sponsor’s identity card. This means that if the KTP of your sponsor has been issued in Java, you must apply for all extensions in Java and not Bali.
If you do happen to overstay your visa, you will be fined Rp 200,000/day for every day, then deported once you have paid the fine. The maximum fine for overstaying a visa is Rp 25 million and 5 years in jail, so just don’t do it!
1st January (Friday) – New Year’s Day
19th January (Monday) – Chinese New Year
9th March (Wednesday) – Nyepi – Balinese New Year
25th March (Friday) – Good Friday
1st May (Sunday) – Labour Day
5th May (Thursday) – Ascension of the Prophet
5th May (Thursday) – Ascension Day of Jesus Christ
22nd May (Sunday) – Waisak / Vesak Day
4-5th July (Monday-Tuesday) – Cuti Bersama – extra holiday by government
6-7th July (Wednesday-Thursday) – Eid al-Fitr / Hari Raya Puasa
8th July (Friday) – Cuti Bersama – extra holiday by government
17th August (Wednesday) – Independence Day
12th September (Monday) – Idul- Adha
2nd October (Sunday) – Muharram / Islamic New Year
12th December (Monday) – Maulidur Rasul
25th December (Sunday) – Christmas Day
26th December (Monday) – Cuti Bersama – extra holiday by government
Being an independent traveler myself, I have to say that one of the best decisions I made was to get a travel insurance whenever I go traveling to anywhere in the world, and Indonesia is no exception.
There are many times that I had unexpected things happening which caused me to be thankful that I had bought a travel insurance in retrospect.
Personal accounts on travel insurance
Travel curtailment
On my first extended backpacking, it was in Europe and with Murphy’s law, I got called from my family back home that my dad had to undergo a heart surgery (don’t worry my dad is healthy and well now), so I had to cut short my trip and pay to change my return flight to earlier. Also, I had to waste a few of the pre-bought domestic flights in Europe. I manage to recover all the extra expenses needed to get back early and also money spent but unable to use. The few thousands redeemed is worth so much more than the few hundreds worth of insurance that I bought.
Loss of belongings
In another time I was back in Netherlands for work and at the most unlikely place, which is in a well-known hotel, my handbag got stolen right in front of my friend at the breakfast table. There are some really professional thieves out there and you can never be too careful sometimes. This is where the travel insurance comes in and helped me recover some of my losses from the valuables in my handbag.
Minor accident
During the trip in Cambodia, I took the liberty to rent a motorcycle to explore around a small village and an island. Everything went well on a whole day exploring but who would have thought, a short trip out the next day got me falling off the bike due to a flat tyre that I had overlooked. Lucky for me there was nothing major, but in retrospect, if there is anything that would have me ended up in a hospital there, then I would definitely be glad that I have a travel insurance to cover for it.
Foot infection
In my most recent independent traveling, it was in Myanmar which I, unfortunately, got a foot infection. This is possibly due to the many times we had to go barefoot in many of the temples and prior to that, I had some blisters due to trekking in hills. With this, of course, I had to seek medical treatment after and once again the travel insurance came to the rescue.
Why you need a travel insurance for Indonesia
So as you can see anything can happen despite our best intentions to keep safe. There are many external forces and sometimes it is due to our own negligence. If I needed travel insurance anywhere in the world from Europe to Asia, then I believe Indonesia is of no exception. In your travel to Indonesia, a travel insurance is a must although we all do wish we do not need to do any claims on it. Above all else, the best value from a travel insurance is that it buys us peace, it let us know that we are covered in the event of anything major that is unexpected.
Why World Nomads
For independent travelers who are always on the go and sometimes be gone from their home country for an extended period of time, World Nomads which you can deal with online from anywhere seems to be the answer. They also cover for residents of Indonesia and many other countries in the world that are traveling to anywhere else, depending on the insurance coverage that you bought of course.
Few of the things you should know about World Nomads travel insurance:
What does the travel insurance cover
Besides the usual medical care, lost or stolen personal belongings, trip cancellation or curtailment, personal liability and medical expenses, you should check what does the policy covers. Take note of any extra add-ons and also any clause to all those claims you are entitled to. The best advice about buying a travel insurance is to read the policy properly before deciding.
Adventurous activities World Nomads is also different from quite a number of travel insurance because they insure adventurous activities. But do check out first what are covered and which plan that would suit your appetite for adventure.
Making a claim online
With World Nomads, it is one of its kind where you can actually make your claims online from anywhere in the world and not just from your home country. This is definitely good to know for long terms travelers of the world. This would also mean you can do your claim right from Indonesia itself if there is a need while traveling there.
