Java: Getting there & around

Jakarta is Indonesia's busiest international airport and is the hub of the domestic air network. The departure tax on international flights is around US$10.00 . On domestic flights it's around US$4.00 and is not included in the ticket price. Be sure to reconfirm bookings at least 72 hours before departure.

Indonesia has one of the most extensive ferry and passenger ship networks in the world, with regular boats running between all the main inhabited islands. A ferry shuttles between Ketapang in eastern Java and the west-Balinese port of Gilimanuk. Boat/bus combination tickets between Yogyakarta or Surabaya and Denpasar in Bali can be purchased. There are numerous ships and ferries between Java and various ports in Sumatra. The Merak-Bakauheni ferry is probably the most popular. There are also ships between Jakarta and Singapore via the Indonesian island of Tanjung Pinang.

There's no reason to fly around Java (although tickets are cheap and the route network is extensive) unless you want an aerial view of the island's spectacular volcanoes. There are a number of domestic airlines , including Garuda (the national carrier) Merpati, Mandala and Bouraq. A tax of 10% and a trifling domestic departure tax are added to the fare. It's essential to reconfirm your ticket since overbooking of flights is common.

are the main form of inter-city transportation. They range from slow, crowded, ordinary public buses to convenient, quick and comfortable luxury services. Small minibuses cover shorter routes, backroads and inner-city destinations. Like the buses, they range from pack-'em-in sweatboxes to a good network of door-to-door minibuses.

Java has a pretty good rail service running from one end of the island to the other. In the east (at Ketapang), it connects with the ferry to Bali; in the west (at Merak), it connects with the ferry to Sumatra. The two main lines run between Jakarta and Surabaya - one via Yogya and Solo; the other, shorter route via Semarang. Choose your train carefully for comfort and speed. They range from cheap, squalid cattle trains to reasonably comfortable expresses.

can be hired in Jakarta, but rates are triple those in the West and you'll need the patience of a saint and the concentration powers of a grand chess master to drive on Java's busy main roads. There appear to be no road rules, but a form of logic does exist: drive on the left, and give way to anything bigger than you, more or less sums it up. It's best to hire a car or minibus with a driver, and private operators can arrange this for a fraction of self-drive rates. Motorbikes are readily available for hire across Java, but make sure that you're a competent rider because your skills will be tested. Bicycles can be rented in tourist centres; they're mainly for nipping around town, not for touring the island.