You will find in this chapter some useful information for your journey :

Currency :

The currency of Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Currently the rates are approximately of :

10.000 to 1 US Dollar

14.000 to 1 Euro

For an updated exchange rate you may wish to visit for example : XE currency converter

Entry visa to Indonesia :

An entry visa is necessary to visit Indonesia, which you can obtain from the Indonesian Embassy of your residing country, or on arrival at Padang Minangkabau Airport. For a stay of 1 to 7 days the fee will be US$ 10.00 (or IDR 100.000). For a stay of 8 to 30 days the fee is US$ 25.00 (or IDR 250.000). For a visa on arrival please make sure you travel with either US dollars or Indonesian Rupiah in cash, as there is no exchange counter before the immigration desks. Visa on arrival is permitted for nationals of the following countries : Visa on arrival

whereas nationals of the following countries :Visa free  may enter Indonesia freely. In any case you should be traveling with a passport having no less than 6 months validity upon arrival in the country.

More information about travel formalities on www.my-indonesia.info

No visa is necessary to enter Malaysia or Singapore, in transit or for any stay of up to 90 days.

Airport Taxes :

Only requested upon exit of the territory. From Padang Minangkabau Airport to any other country the airport tax is currently worth 75.000 IDR.

For domestic flights the tax will be 25.000 IDR.

From Jakarta Airport, international flights will be charged 100.000 IDR, domestic flights 50.000 IDR.

Low Cost Companies & Luggage allowance :

Should you be traveling through Singapore with Tiger Airways, or Malaysia with Air Asia, or Jakarta with Air Asia Indonesia, please note that your luggage allowance is restricted to :

- 15 Kg

- 1 piece of check-in luggage only plus 1 piece of hand luggage.

It is possible to travel with excess pieces or weight, yet this will be chargeable ! Please check the respective web sites of these companies.

Vaccinations and risks :

No vaccination is necessary to visit us, Malaria is unknown to our region.

Malaria treatments should be considered only if you wish to visit the Mentawai Islands, the Nias and Aceh Provinces of Sumatra. If you plan to visit other regions of Sumatra or Indonesia it would be advisable to seek your doctor's advice for vaccinations and various treatments.

Our region is particularly quiet and peaceful : no rioting or violence here ! We ourselves have been circulating in Sumatra for the past 17 years without any fear or inconvenience of any kind.

Time differences :

Cubadak island is located at GMT + 7 hours. For example, we are during winter 6 hours ahead of most European countries, and 5 hours ahead during summer time.

Dressing code :

For us on the island, there is absolutely no particular dressing code ! Yet if you plan to visit villages, cities or markets... it is recommended to avoid sleeveless tops or mini skirts for the ladies. Men should always be wearing a T-Shirt or similar.