Health
International health certificates for smallpox and cholera are not required, except from travelers arriving from infected areas.

Customs
Indonesian customs allows on entry a maximum of two liters of alcoholic beverages, 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and a reason able amount of perfume per adult. Cars, photographic equipment, and tape recorders must be declared to customs upon entry and must be re-exported. Prohibited from entry are TV sets, radios, narcotics, arms and ammunition. Advance approval has to be required for carrying transceivers and all movie films and video cassettes must be censored by the Film Censor Board. Fresh fruit, plants and animals must have quarantine permits. There is no restriction on import or export of foreign currencies. However, the export or import of Indonesian currency exceeding Rp 50,000 is prohibited.

Tipping
Major hotels usually add a 15% service charge to bills. Where it is not included a tip of between 5% to 10% of the bill would be appropriate if the service is satisfactory. Airport porters expect Rp 2,000 for a small bag and Rp 3,000 for bags weighing more than 20 kg. tipping taxi and hire-car drivers is not mandatory, but if service has been satisfactory a basic Rp 1,000 tip is sufficient for a taxi driver, Hire-car drivers would normally expect a larger tip.

Clothing
Dress is normally informal in Indonesia due to the warm, humid climate and clothing of light fabrics are recommended. Traveling in highland areas is noticeably cooler, however, and carrying a light sweater may prove useful. Accepted attire for men is a shirt and long pants. A jacket and tie are required for official calls or for more formal occasions. Long sleeved batik or hand-woven shirts are acceptable for evening functions. For ladies, dresses, blouses, and long pants are appropriate. Shorts, halters or tank tops should only be used at sports facilities or on the beach.

Office Hours
Business offices are usually open either from 8.00 am to 4.00pm or 9.00am to 5.00pm, with a break for lunch between 12.00 noon and 1.00pm, but on Saturday many business offices are closed. Government office hours are from 8.00am to 3.00pm from Monday to Thursday, 8.00am to 11.00am on Fridays and until 2.00pm on Saturdays.

Banking
Normal banking hours are from 8.00am to 2.30pm from Monday to Friday and until 12.00pm on Saturdays. Some bank branches in hotels, however, keep longer hours. Jakarta has several international banks but money can also be changed at hotel cashiers, and authorized money changers. Daily exchange rates are published in newspapers The US dollar is the most readily accepted currency. Most major tourist destination areas have foreign exchange facilities, but for travel to remote areas, it is advisable to change money and travelers cheques in advance. Credit cards are acceptable only at major hotels, restaurants and travel agencies.

Shopping
Major cities in Indonesia have shopping complexes. Supermarkets and department stores are places where prices are fixed. shops are usually open all week including Sundays. Shopping hours are usually between 9.00am and 9.00pm for department stores and supermarkets in the large cities with shorter hours on Sundays. In smaller cities, shops may be closed between 1.00pm and 5.00pm. Bargaining is customary in small shops and markets, the art of which is to start at half the asking price and slowly increase your offer until a compromise is reached. Remember it helps to smile while bargaining.

Sports
Traditional sports in Indonesia include bull races, bull fights, rowing and unique ram fights, all of which are held as part of special festive ties. Silat, a martial art, can be performed as a dance or an exercise and is comparable to Karate or Kung Fu. However, the most popular sports in Indonesia are soccer, badminton, and table tennis. Golf is becoming more and more popular and a number of excellent golf courses can be found across the archipelago. Most major hotels have their own tennis and squash court, swimming pools, health clubs and those at seaside resorts provide equipment for sailing, surfing, scuba diving and windsurfing. There are also a growing number of dive shops which provide necessary equipment and professional services.

Time
The Indonesian archipelago is spread over three time zones. Western Indonesia Standard Time, which covers the islands of Sumatra, Java and Madura, West and Central Kalimantan is 7 hours ahead of GMT; Central Indonesia Standard Time covers East and South Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, and is 8 hours ahead of GMT; finally Eastern Indonesia Standard Time, which covers Maluku and Irian Jaya is 9 hours ahead of GMT.

Electricity
Power supply is usually 220 volts/250 cycles in large cities, but 110 volts is still used in some areas. Normal outlets are plugs with two rounded pins. It is advisable to check electricity supplies before using any appliances.