Trip Report Arenui - Bucket List Trip to Raja Ampat, January 2023

[Cornbread O'Malley]

When we arrived in Bali from Singapore, we had to pay for a visa. Despite many attempts at home, we couldn't do the e-visa thing ahead of time; our card kept "failing". Just like it did at the Bali visa desk in the airport. Despite using several cards, they all failed. We paid in US dollars and got change in IDR.

On that, I think it's a scam, of sorts. The exchange must work out well for them, so they decline all cards and ask for greenbacks.

The website for the Indonesia eVisa is maddening. Sometimes it works on the first try, sometimes it takes many, many attempts. When I requested my eVisa my request went through on the first try. My friend, on the other hand, no luck. She got so flustered after a week of trying that I ended up submitting the request for her. It took me three days of trying before the system accepted the request. We requested our eVisas about two months before our visit to Bali and had flexibility to deal with the inconvenience.

 

[rmorgan]

That sounds like a nightmare and becoming an expensive flight. You should have used Scoot.

@chillyinCanada once posted her flight on Batik business class which baggage is included and ended up cheaper than economy class + paid baggage. May be you should consider that next time.

For me, I’ll avoid Batik, Lion Air, Wings Air, if I can fly with Garuda.

It was mostly amusing, but it would have been less funny had the ATM not worked. Business wasn’t available on this one.

 

[Dan]

The website for the Indonesia eVisa is maddening. Sometimes it works on the first try, sometimes it takes many, many attempts. When I requested my eVisa my request went through on the first try. My friend, on the other hand, no luck. She got so flustered after a week of trying that I ended up submitting the request for her. It took me three days of trying before the system accepted the request. We requested our eVisas about two months before our visit to Bali and had flexibility to deal with the inconvenience.

Yes, the eVisa is a bit tricky. You can upload JPG of your passport photo page in a section of the form, and it will ask you again to upload PDF of your passport photo page in the next section, including PDF of your flight itinerary. You also need to know the 5-digit postal-code of the hotel you will be staying in Indonesia. When you are successfully completed filling out the form, your credit card may not be accepted. I have enough practices in filling out of the form, it becomes no brainer to me.

The easiest way to get the Visa-on-Arrival (VoC) is just wait inline at the VoC booth upon arrival at CGK / DPS and bring $30 cash with you to pay the VoC fee that is good for 30 days.

 

[Luko]

bring $30 cash with you to pay the VoC fee that is good for 30 days.

That's 35USD actually, anyway bring 40USD they'll give you back some IDR so that you can buy a bottle of water and Sofell mosquito spray at the Indomart.
There's usually very few people waiting at the VoA desk, it only takes a couple of minutes. less time than doing the eVisa.

 

[Dan]

That's 35USD actually, anyway bring 40USD they'll give you back some IDR so that you can buy a bottle of water and Sofell mosquito spray at the Indomart.
There's usually very few people waiting at the VoA desk, it only takes a couple of minutes. less time than doing the eVisa.

You’re right, $35. I paid in Rp.500,000,- which was converted to $31.25 at the time. Those details just flew over my head.

Good idea to hand over $40 & get a change back in Rupiah for getting bottle water & mosquito repellent.

 

[rlh739]

Glad to know I wasn't the only person having issues with the e-visa.

The frustrating part is that after entering all the information and uploading images, the card would 'fail' at the end of the process. There was no way to re-submit the card information, many of the page's buttons were dead, and then they put a lock on your application for 24 hours.

I've been thinking that, having been to Bali, I won't ever have to worry about that again (hated Bali), but I guess one has to do this if landing in Jakarta to go to Sorong. Is that correct?

 

[Dan]

Glad to know I wasn't the only person having issues with the e-visa.

The frustrating part is that after entering all the information and uploading images, the card would 'fail' at the end of the process. There was no way to re-submit the card information, many of the page's buttons were dead, and then they put a lock on your application for 24 hours.

I've been thinking that, having been to Bali, I won't ever have to worry about that again (hated Bali), but I guess one has to do this if landing in Jakarta to go to Sorong. Is that correct?

Yes.

And you also need to fill out Electronic Custom Declaration (ECD) form and get ECD QR code to pass through Indonesian Customs (Bea dan Cukai) gate. You can fill it out online at no charge, 2 days before arrival from their official website:

Customs Declaration Form

Official Website Direktorat Jendral Bea dan Cukai. Electronic Customs Declaration Form

ecd.beacukai.go.id

It looks something like this:

Beware of other unofficial ECD service website that offer to help you fill it out for a fee.

If you have problem with filling out the form, you will be on another line to fill out the form in Bea dan Cukai computers with the help of Bea dan Cukai officer.

 

[rlh739]

And you also need to fill out Electronic Custom Declaration (ECD) form and get ECD QR code

Indeed. I did that before arriving into Bali. I had no problem with the ECD form or the Bali Tourist Tax. It was only the e-visa that caused me angst.

 

[cetacean]

Two comments to add to this thread:
- Although others have traveled to RA quite a bit more (like @Dan), I have been several times, and stayed at both the Swiss-Belhotel and the newer, Aston hotel in Sorong. Both are reasonable options, however we prefer the Aston both because it's newer, and the location is across the street from the airport, making transfers to/from easy (and short).

- Getting a visa on arrival (and clearing immigration) is up to 10x easier in Jakarta than Bali. When neither is busy, Jakarta is slightly better, but when Bali is busy (due to multiple inbound planes) it's not even a comparison - clearing in Jakarta is much (much) faster (including getting the visa on arrival). This in part because Jakarta is a larger airport, however it's also more modern - the process/lines just move faster.

- Last, when we fly to Sorong from Jakarta we fly business class on Garuda (by choice). With 3 photographers in our family (each diving with a housed mirrorless or DSLR system) we are overweight on almost every flight. Booking Garuda (business class) means we never have to pay for extra bags (if all 4 of us are traveling together we usually have 2 big dive bags, 2 bags of camera gear, and 1 bag each of clothing & other stuff, etc. - so 8 bags total, all usually close to the weight limits). Never have paid overweight on Garuda, and never have needed to worry about bringing 2 carryons each into the cabin.