Q: What is the power supply in Indonesia?
A: In Indonesia the power plugs and sockets are of type C and F. The standard voltage is 230 V (as in Europe) and the standard frequency is 50 Hz. You will need a power plug adapter for your computer and telephone (same as the adapters in Europe). We may be able to provide you with one in Jakarta if you do not already own one.
Q: What kind of telephone should I bring to Indonesia?
A: You should try to bring an unlocked smartphone that can take a foreign SIM card. In other words, it should be a dual band GSM phone, that allows 900 and 1800 hertz frequencies.
Q: What kind of clothing should I bring with me?
A: Lightweight cotton clothing, long pants, walking shoes. For people working in Timor, do bring a sweater and light jacket. If you are flying to Flores, please remember that you can only fly with 10kg of luggage on local planes.
Q: How much money should I bring with me?
A: We suggest that you bring no more than $100-150 in cash for personal use. You will receive a per diem allowance once you arrive in Jakarta, and again once you leave for the field.
In addition, you should have in your possession an ATM card you could use for emergencies and other personal needs (like vacations).
Q: What kind of mosquito repellent should I bring?
A: Look for anything with at least 50% DEET as the active Ingredient. The more DEET the repellent has, the less often you’ll have to put it on. The level of DEET in repellent only determines how long the protection lasts.
Other options like with ingredients like picaridin, citronella, oil of lemon eucalyptus (or braceletes), do not seem to work on mosquitoes very well, and at least while in the village locations you should worry about malaria and dengue fever and never be outdoors without spraying yourself.
For example, Repel 100 Insect Repellent, Pump Spray, 4-Ounce, sells for about $8 on Amazon and has %96 DEET. Regular Deep Woods only contains 25% DEET, but their Sportsmen brand is 98% DEET. So read labels carefully.
Autan (sold locally in everywhere in Indonesia) is the only brand available, but it has such a low percentage of DEET (about 15%) that we question its effectiveness for longer than a couple of hours. We suggest you bring some heavy duty stuff for your time in the village, and also use your mosquito netting there as much as you can.
Please address all questions and comments related to the contents of this website to Gaby Hermon
