With thousands of islands (and as many tourist options) the world’s largest Muslim country invites you to rest, relax and soak in the sights.
Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago with over 17,000 islands — over 6,000 of them inhabited by a diverse and welcoming population that speaks some 250 distinct languages. It is an equatorial country stretching across 5,150 kilometers of sea with cool high mountain peaks and hot, tropical coastlines.
With such diversity, it’s no surprise that Indonesia offers plenty of options for the traveler: From international five-star to family-owned no-star accommodations, from sun and surf to cool and high. The only thing the many Indonesian leisure options have in common is the color of the land: Green and lush year-round, dotted with multi-colored orchids and birds, a rainbow of tropical fruits and colorful chrome-topped mosques.
“Indonesia is an ideal place for the Arab tourist,” said Rita Sofia, deputy director for Middle East promotion for the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism, over an Arabic meal, complete with sheesha and Arabic coffee, at Jakarta’s luxury Le Méridien hotel. “As a Muslim country with shared values, Indonesia is a place where an Arab family can feel at ease.”
Malaysia is popular among Saudis, thanks in large part to an aggressive Middle Eastern marketing campaign. About 70,000 Saudis visit the country every year. Thailand and Singapore are the other players in the regional tourism market. Numbers, however, show that Saudis and Arab tourists as a whole are increasingly traveling to Indonesia because it is viewed as more economical while still offering the same leisure amenities. According to the Ministry of Tourism, nearly 46,000 Saudis traveled to Indonesia in 2005, an increase of 40 percent from the year before.
Jakarta is Indonesia’s sprawling capital city, and the transit destination for inbound traffic. Few tourists spend much time there, however, vying instead for the rural and more laid-back charms, such as the Ciater Hot Springs nestled amid placid and cool tea plantations about 200 km outside of the capital. A couple of nights in Jakarta at the beginning and end of a visit is worth scheduling in order to take in some urban exploration, shopping for bargains, to use as the base for exploring the scenic countryside surrounding the capital and visiting the city’s own museums and historic center.
All within a day’s drive of the capital is the national botanical gardens, Bogor, the country’s highest peak Puncak Jaya, a safari park and the soothing cafes and cool weather of Bandung, a calm, highland city filled with clothing outlet stores (Bandung is a center for the textile industry and offers great bargains on apparel). Jakarta itself offers luxury business-class accommodations, shopping, historical museums and beach resorts at the nearby Thousand Islands. Urban adventurers will find plenty to keep them busy and well-fed on the bustling streets of Jakarta. The locals are friendly and helpful for those who get lost. Because English is taught in all Indonesian public schools, there’s usually somebody around who can communicate in that language. As a Muslim country, a lot of locals know a little Arabic, too.
In fact, Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim country. Out of 234 million people, 88 percent are adherents of Islam. As such, it’s easy to find halal food even in the predominantly Hindu island of Bali, the country’s best-known tourist destination. Muslim tourists will find that many locals, often eager to engage in friendly conversation, will want to show off their Arabic or describe their experiences traveling (or plans to travel) to Saudi Arabia for Umrah or Haj.
A possible itinerary for a ten-day vacation to Indonesia would begin and end in Jakarta. Start the trip with a tour of the city and/or the surrounding countryside, including Puncak Pass and Bandung, followed by a quick jump to Bali for a little tropical rest and relaxation, complete with luxury spa treatments and a trek into the island’s lush interior for some souvenir shopping (wood carvings and textiles are a local specialty). Finally, end up back in Jakarta either for shopping or a visit to one of the city’s numerous museums.
How to Get There:
Garuda Airlines operates eight flights per week from Riyadh and Jeddah to Indonesia’s capital. The airline is in the process of upgrading its fleet and new planes for the pilgrim’s’ route to and from Saudi Arabia are coming soon.
What to Do:
It would be impossible to see everything in one go, even if you confined your exploration to the central region of Java Island.
In Jakarta:
Visit Sea World, explore the museums and main fish market of the Batavia historic center and, of course, cruise the city’s numerous shopping districts.
Near Jakarta:
Sixty kilometers outside the city is the impressive Bogor botanical gardens, which includes 15,000 species of Indonesia’s natural flora and a house with 3,000 varieties of orchids. Then continue on to the Puncak Pass Resort (once a popular retreat for the Dutch colonialists seeking respite from the tropical heat) for scenic vistas of Indonesia’s highland tea plantations. The following day you can visit the Ciater Hot Springs near Bandung, or take the kids to Safari Trek for some elephant riding. Bandung itself is a good stopover for a little café rest, eating and shopping. Return to Jakarta after a night in the highlands and depart for Bali the following day.
In Bali:
The island offers a myriad of options for all classes of vacationers, but first and foremost is sun and surf. Marintur, a tour operator, offers a day trip to Kintaman in the lush interior to see the island’s highest peak. There are many classes of hotels, including villas that start at about SR3,800 per night.
Where to Stay:
In Jakarta:
• The Grand Hyatt is a top class hotel located on Jakarta’s main roundabout. The amenities match the prices and meet the expectations of those that want to be treated like the visiting heads of state that often stay here. Close to everything.
Grand Hyatt Jakarta
(+62) 213 901 234
• Le Méridien Jakarta is ideally located near the city’s historic center, known as the Batavia, and near several major shopping areas within walking distance. The hotel has a Middle Eastern restaurant (including sheesha) and club situated below the lobby.
Le Méridien Jakarta
(+62) 212 513 131
• Le Grandeur is an Indonesian-owned and attractively priced four-star hotel located next to Dragon’s Head (Jakarta’s Chinatown) and connected by a concourse in the lobby to the Mangga Dua shopping district with thousands of shops accessible from the hotel without even going outside. Each room has wonderfully big and soft goose-down pillows.
Le Grandeur Jakarta
(+62) 216 128 811
In Bali:
• Melia Bali lives up to the Spanish hotel chain’s reputation for catering to Arab family travelers. The five-star hotel offers the largest number of private villas on their spacious grounds. Good for families, but the prices match the high-class service.
Melia Bali
(+62) 361 771 510
• The Hotel Bulgari Resort Bali is one of the more recent and exclusive additions to Bali hotels that specialize in offering numerous villas. The Bulgari is built on a cliff with a small beach below. Prices for villas are more moderate than in the larger luxury hotels.
Hotel Bulgari Resport Bali
(+62) 361 847 1000
• The Diwangkara Holiday Villa is a boutique family-owned spa hotel that’s ideal for young newlyweds, but also family-friendly with direct views of the Indian Ocean and plenty of beach space for the kids. The seafood is deliciously prepared and, of course, halal and fresh.
Diwangkara Holiday Villa
(+62) 361 288 577
