Beginner Backpacking Guide to Jakarta And Other Cities In Indonesia

Since this report is aimed primarily for novices, please remember that this may be a travel-style backpacking guide which could be acceptable for a city-hopping-wanderer.

You might choose to carry a hand bag sizes as opposed to a enormous carrier case, because this may save you a lot of messing around at airports.

The second issue is to understand how to package your stuff as straightforward as you can. I am a little shocked to learn that my sister packaged better than I did.

These records can give you an idea of what is the best equipment to have in your bag:

1. A whole lot of T-shirts (my recommendation is to locate a thin-absorbed material, Uniqlo sell one of these )
2. One Polo shirt (a shirt without a collar isn't acceptable in most official institutions such as immigration office etc.)
3. Enough panties and socks
4. Do not forget also to take a thermal shirt for colder regions or when you're traveling on trains or buses (I discovered that undercover trains are using air conditioning too much).
5. A waterproof coat (very convenient if you're seeing a colder city such as Malang, Bandung, or any other close-mountain area).
6. A folding baseball cap or a mountain hat (please stay away with a cowboy hat, it merely entice sailors focus )
7. A bunch of wet wipes
8. A bunch of wet tissues - can be useful to substitute a soap in a bath when you can not find one.
9. Two or three black bin liner - when you see a bathroom area of a bus stop and find out that there is nothing to hang your clothing. With a thin cotton cloth, at least a meter wide and two and a half days of your height.

Sew it and turn it into a great long bag that easy to take, open at one end only. The reason you need to make this sleeping bag is to prevent biting-insects.

Even though it rarely occurs in a stars hotel in Indonesia, but if you decide on a low-cost room such as bungalows or"losmen" with inadequate maintenance, you may thank me afterwards with this easy-to-make sleeping bag.

At the first arrival, check to Indomart and purchase some of them:

• Shampoo at sachets (IDR 1,200/each)
• A pleasant folding toothbrush using a container (about IDR 6,000)
• A soap bar (IDR 4,000)
• Sunblock or security lotion
• Small sachets of an insect repellent such as AUTAN (some place have lots of mosquitos)

These are compulsory stuff to your beginner backpacking trips when in Indonesia. If you're really into backpacking things, spending in a budget hotel will not guarantee you to supply those stuff.

For information, laundry service, generally speaking, is IDR 6,000/kg.

Hidden Wallet is Your Best
Keep your precious documents like passport, credit cards, and also a great deal of money on a hidden pocket. If you would rather wear a waist bag, I suggest picking also a hidden waist bag or a neck wallet

This way you can still have a pocket that easy to reach but difficult to slip from without you noticing.

Be cautious about public transportation like trains and buses - keep your belongings close and remain on sight. Also, bring your belonging whenever the bus stop for a rest. Always use an air-conditioned bus, in certain case the route isn't supported by air-conditioned bus, reserve two chairs so that you can stretch out or lie down on the seat.

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