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Getting Around Indonesia

Your main options for getting around Indonesia are by air, if you're in a hurry, or by sea, if you have plenty of time to get from place to place.

Indonesian Airlines

As a huge country made up of a huge number of islands, it's no wonder that Indonesia hosts a plethora of domestic air carriers. Some are small. Some are big.

Batavia Air

Small domestic airline. At last check, web site had no English language version and no online reservation capability.

Garuda Indonesia

Garuda is the national carrier of Indonesia. The have a global network of routes to bring visitors to Indonesia, and of course they have a domestic network which serves the major cities in Indonesia. They have, from time to time, offered heavy discounts (50%) on domestic flights for people coming to Indonesia via Garuda.

Lion Air

Very large carrier, covering about 20 cities in Indonesia, and international connections to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore.

Mandala Airlines

Covers major cities in Indonesia, including Jakarta, Bali, Yogyakarta and Surabaya.

Merpati Airline

Another large Indonesian carrier, with an extensive domestic network and international connections to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Has a reputation for very bad service.

Pelita Air

Small domestic airline, serving only about eight cities with scheduled flights, but also has an extensive charter business for both fixed wing planes and helicopters.

Ferries

The National Indonesia Shipping Company, officially known as PT Pelayaran Nasional Indonesia, but more commonly known as Pelni, operates a huge network of ferries and ships connecting Indonesia's thousands of islands. Many of the ships are small cruise liners, with a very high class of service. For those with time, cruising the Indonesian archipelago could be a very interesting experience.