A Year in Solo, Indonesia
May 24, 2010 3:29 PM   Subscribe

Living in Java (Surakarta - Central Java) for a year. What should I know?

I'll be there in Aug 2010 - Aug 2011 and was wondering what general advice any MeFites could offer as to what to be prepared for, what to bring that I cannot find in Indonesia, etc. I've travelled Southeast Asia extensively but have never lived there. Thanks for your help!
posted by ageispolis to Travel & Transportation around Indonesia (2 answers total)
 
I lived in Bandung from 2006-2007, and basically everything you'd need is present in Indonesia. Some particular noteworthy things -

• Window screens seem bizarrely uncommon; ask for your house to be fitted with them when you arrive if possible. I had way way way fewer mosquito/bug bites than my colleagues.
Candi Sukuh is cool, as is the walk to get there and back from Tawang Manggu waterfall.
• The Periplus publishing house makes great English-language maps of the cities of the region.
• The absolute best place to start learning Indonesian, which as languages go is a joy to learn and use even at an elementary level, is the pocket-sized Instant Indonesian. It gets you going quick - just 100 key words!

MeMail me if you've got more questions - there are probably some more Indonesia-based MeFites with more current info here!
posted by mdonley at 3:53 PM on May 24, 2010


After a bit of time in Indonesia, I was craving Cheetos (which I rarely eat at home in the US, but for some reason I really wanted bright orange American-style "cheese"-flavored snacks), but could only get my hands on seaweed flavored Cheetos Net instead. This may or may not be relevant to your interests.
posted by illenion at 10:00 PM on May 24, 2010


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