Indonesia: 300 ethnicities, 17,000 islands, 270,000,000 inhabitants

Does a tourist have to be vaccinated before going to Indonesia?

Adéla Metlická Lustyková (Indonesian coordinator for the Czech tourism industry): It really depends on which part of Indonesia the tourist chooses. The vast majority of tourist destinations are safe. But since its area is really huge, of course you will also find places outside the tourist industry where you will come across some diseases. For example, in the interior of Papua, where there are still wild tribes of natives, it is advisable to have antimalarial with you. In contrast, Java, Bali, Flores are essentially as safe as, for example, the Adriatic. However, as anywhere in the tropics, it is a good idea to be vaccinated against both types of jaundice or against typhoid, especially if you are going somewhere on the edge of civilization. It is the same as, for example, in Egypt.

In Indonesia there are six official religions and many times more cultural differences. Each island has its own unique culture. Indonesians live in peace and relative peace.

In Indonesia, we will discover a number of coastal and inland ecosystems, such as coral beaches, sand dunes, coral reefs, mangroves or jungles. It is therefore not surprising that tourism in this country is on an unprecedented rise.

"Czech tourists are no longer an exception on the Spice Islands, as Indonesia was previously referred to by sailors," says Kenssy D. Ekaningsih, Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia.

For many of us Czechs, your island state is a place that cartographers used to describe with the term: "Here are the lions." How would you characterize contemporary Indonesia?

Kenssy D. Ekaningsih: Indonesia is spread over seventeen thousand islands and is home to 270 million inhabitants. The majority are Muslim, but we also have five other religions and countless ethnicities. It is a really diverse country from the point of view of a European. And big. To give you an idea: it spans three time zones. But with today's technical conveniences, it is not that far. Only sixteen hours of flight and stopover. Traveling to us from the Czech Republic is easy. For a short stay, you can get a tourist visa without any problems right at the airport. By the way, if you want to stay longer, you can stay in Indonesia for up to 60 days on this visa. This is also why our island community is a very popular destination for residents of many countries of the world who come to us for relaxation, natural beauty and culture. For example, to the most popular island of Bali.

From our point of view, sixteen hours of travel is a long way.

Kenssy D. Ekaningsih: Regarding the number of tourists from you, it has an increasing tendency from year to year. Last year, 29,000 Czechs visited our country, which is 24% more than the previous year. This year we would like to exceed 30,000 Czech visitors. We invite everyone who has a desire to see rich natural and cultural wealth. My team of representatives, as well as Adéla, regularly introduce journalists, representatives of travel agencies and ordinary people to what Indonesia has to offer. Practically, quite often they don't even show up at home on weekends, because they visit all major cities with lectures about Indonesia. We still have more ahead of us. We know that Czechs are passionate tourists. That is why we organize many events to bring our republic closer to potential travelers as not one, but many amazing tourist destinations.

INTERVIEW: Czech Indonesian woman speaks at Dubai airport

When you think of Indonesia, Czechs think of the island of Bali.

Kenssy D. Ekaningsih: Unfortunately, that is a bit of a shame. We can offer at least ten other equally popular islands that are worth your attention. Which, by the way, is also our current goal. They are not very well known in the Czech Republic, which we want to correct. We call them the Ten New Balis and plan to present them to tourists on a much larger scale. We have selected these ten new destinations in ten different corners of Indonesia. These include Mandalika on the island of Lombok, Java's Borobodur, Lake Toba on Sumatra, or also the island of Sulawesi, i.e. formerly Celebes. These destinations are starting to be as attractive as Bali. Indonesia is unique in that each island has its own culture and is also completely different from other islands. We really are a very diverse and interesting country. Culturally and linguistically. I can guarantee that there are few places in the world where you will see and experience in terms of natural beauty or cultural experiences what we have here.

We are talking about experiences. What experiences do your destinations attract tourists to?

Kenssy D. Ekaningsih: Those who really enjoy Indonesia are those who love the sea and water sports. A destination in Papua called Raja Ampat is amazing, where you will discover many coral reefs and islets, a paradise for every diver or snorkeler. Many even claim that the underwater life here is richer than in the Red Sea. There are also beautiful underwater terrains on Sulawesi. Divers also liked the places where manta rays come in large numbers from time to time. If you swim in the sea with them, it is something unforgettable.

Rafting on wild rivers is also amazing. But not only the water attracts tourists to us. Mountain climbing and trekking are starting to appear here on a large scale. Because we have many volcanoes that attract travelers. Hiking them is very popular. The Iljen volcano in East Java is unique, with mountain-blue flames on its summit. In and around the crater, sulfur fumes escape, which when in contact with air cause this effect. Especially at night, it's a wonderful and terrifying sight. Some trekkers even venture almost to the bottom of the crater. You will only see this in our country and then in far away cold Iceland.

HIGHEST MOUNTAIN: Puncak Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid

In Papua we have the Sudirman mountain range with the country's highest mountain, Puncak Jaya, at 4884 meters above sea level. Many mountaineers claim that it is much more difficult to climb than the 7000m in the Himalayas. Here, they have to deal with a tropical, then subtropical, then temperate and alpine, often snowy, zone. When you realize that Indonesia lies on the equator, you have a unique sight to see a snow-capped mountain in these areas.

What would you recommend to cultural tourists?

Kenssy D. Ekaningsih: We have over three hundred ethnic cultures in Indonesia. Each of them is completely unique, which is why it is interesting to visit villages spread across the country. A memorable place is Borobudur, the largest Buddhist temple in the world, one of the modern wonders of the world. It has the status of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and means something similar to Buddhists as Mecca means to Muslims. I would also like to draw attention to the memorable Prambanan in Java, also belonging to the UNESCO list, and I don't even have to mention the Boian culture. Many movies have been made about her and many books have been written. Balinese dances and Hindu temples are also a strong display of island culture. And so on. There is really a lot to choose from in our country.

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