Have A Holiday!

May 25th, 2011

View the original article here.

17 Comments on Have A Holiday!

1. vitta Says:
   May 26th, 2011 at 10:57 am

   it’ll be more helpfull if there is also an academic schedule (kalender akademik)…

2. Chris Says:
   May 26th, 2011 at 12:41 pm

   Hi Vitta,

   Thanks for your feedback.

   Most of the visitors to the Mau Ke Mana site (where this post was originally written) are visitors to Indonesia, and do not need to know when Indonesian school holidays are.

   In addition, my experience is it seems to change significantly from school to school.

   However, I understand that this might impact flight availability and prices, if there are many Indonesians travelling at the same times.

   So, there are usually Indonesian school holidays at the following times:

   - 1 week around Easter.

   - 3 weeks from mid-June to early July. (These are the “summer holidays”; the Indonesian school year follows the Northern Hemisphere).

   - 1-2 weeks before/after Lebaran.

   - 1-2 weeks around Christmas and New Year.

   In addition, government schools and public servants sometimes have a compulsory leave day before a public holiday falling on a Tuesday or after a public holiday falling on a Thursday. This gives them 4-day weekends, and is designed to “promote domestic tourism”.

   Other holidays are for: the first day of Ramadan/fasting (this year at the start of August), national and provincial elections (the next national elections are in 2014), local celebrations.

3. berlian biru Says:
   May 26th, 2011 at 2:16 pm

   A minor important point but worth knowing is that the night before Idul Adha everything shuts up early and getting a taxi after 8pm is like catching a unicorn. Two years running I have been caught out like that and it’s no joke being stuck in the wrong end of Jakarta at night with no idea of how you’re getting home. Given that it falls on a Sunday this year that will mean that Saturday night revellers could be badly caught out.

   On a further point for those of us working here, it’s an absolute bummer that four of the public holidays fall on a Sunday with no make up day off on the following Monday.

4. madrotter Says:
   May 27th, 2011 at 2:20 am

   well, every weekend bandung is packed with jakartans who love to spend their days here in traffic jams and factory outlets, during all the holidays and long weekends it’s a disaster zone, nothing moving, you’ve got to experience it to understand how horrific it can get here during those times….

   i used to love ramadhan, specially around idul fitri, the city almost empty, peaceful, no pollution, you could actually see the mountains, now i really dread that time of the year:(

5. Nissan Bandung Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 3:36 pm

   I aggre with madrotter, every weekend Bandung is filled with jakartans but i can say it in the positive way that it brings money to the people of bandung especially PKL(pedagan kaki lima)

   Bravo Kota Kembang

6. Oigal Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 5:10 pm

   Well think I said before, but Bandung was my chosen place to retire before the toll road went through. :-(

7. Odinius Says:
   June 22nd, 2011 at 10:25 pm

   Bandung now = macet nightmare on holiday weekends.

   Jakarta, by contrast, gets much less crowded, less polluted and nicer as a result.

8. Lai Peng Says:
   September 20th, 2011 at 2:10 pm

   Hi there,

   I’m planning to visit the education agents & schools in Jakarta for a working trip.
   Can someone advise if there is an official site that list the various school terms/holidays /breaks for high school/ senior high schools in Indonesia?

   All replies appreciate.

   TIA

9. Chris Says:
   October 2nd, 2011 at 7:30 pm

   Hi Lai Peng,

   I suggest you read my previous comment (#2) on this page for a general guide. I can’t find a list of dates on the Indonesian Education Ministry website or elsewhere.

10. Chris Says:
    October 2nd, 2011 at 7:44 pm

    Here are two other events coming soon that may disrupt people’s travel plans:

    1. THE EAST ASIA SUMMIT: 19 NOVEMBER 2011
    Held in Bali. Likely to be accommodation shortages in Nusa Dua, and traffic chaos in other parts of Bali due to VIP security needs. Domestic and international flight schedules may also be disrupted.

    2. THE SOUTH-EAST ASIAN GAMES: 11-21 NOVEMBER 2011
    Held in Jakarta and Palembang. Domestic and international flights into/out of these cities are likely to be fully booked in the days before, during and after the Games. Hotels are also likely to have high occupancy rates.

11. suraya Says:
    October 5th, 2011 at 8:07 am

    Hi all,

    Am planning to visit Bandung during the 27 November 2011 weekend. Was wondering if a public holiday falls on a Sunday in Indonesia, is Monday automatically declared a public holiday too, like in Malaysia? If it so, should I avoid visiting Bandung during a long holiday weekend like that?

12. Chris Says:
    October 7th, 2011 at 7:26 pm

    Hi suraya,

    Was wondering if a public holiday falls on a Sunday in Indonesia, is Monday automatically declared a public holiday too, like in Malaysia?

    Not usually, no.

    If it so, should I avoid visiting Bandung during a long holiday weekend like that?

    Since the new toll-road between Jakarta and Bandung opened in 2005 (halving the travelling time by car), almost every weekend Bandung is crowded with Jakartans. See previous comments about this.

    I don’t think the Muslim New Year being on a Sunday will change this.

13. imo Says:
    October 20th, 2011 at 12:59 pm

    i think it better for u to change word on the mosque loud speaker to something appropriate. this is understood all around the world. a call for preys. i found it in appropriate words. thank you

14. Oigal Says:
    October 20th, 2011 at 2:39 pm

    IMO, What is understood by you as a call to prayer is to many others a Mosque Loudspeaker which often due to over amplification, tinny speakers and general abuse that detracts rather than attracts.

    If you wish to see it done in a harmonious way, taking into consideration everyone’s concerns I suggest a visit to Singapore.

    Although to be fair, Loudspeakers, malls, screeches and noise seem to take on a life of their own in Indonesia. Personally I believe a microphone should be considered a weapon of assault in Indonesia.

15. Chris Says:
    October 20th, 2011 at 9:02 pm

    Thanks for your feedback Imo,

    My feelings are somewhere in the middle.

    Calls to prayer are supposed to be like bells on a Church; usually done for a short time (e.g. two minutes) before a specified time of service/prayer/reflection, and other special times. The call to prayer existed and presumably worked well long before the days of microphones, speakers and amplification; this suggests the excessive volume that is a common feature on Indonesian calls to prayer is a local custom, not a Muslim one.

    My other evidence of it being a local, not Muslim, custom: the music at my Church, which is also uncomfortably loud. I suppose one difference is the Church doesn’t unleash it on the entire neighbourhood; you have to be inside the building to hear it. Probably that would generate complaints from others.

    So for now, I will continue to use the word “loudspeaker” to accurately portray the core of the issue – not the act of worship itself, but the excessive volume and duration.

16. Lorraine Says:
    January 19th, 2012 at 11:54 pm

    Hi Chris,

    I wanted to know if I should expect shops and stores closing during public holidays in Indonesia in general and in Jakarta in particular. Do shops always stay opened or do they close on some of these national holidays?

    Besides, as a shopper, do you have any clue of the sales seasons and their duration in Jakarta?

    Thank you

17. Chris Says:
    January 20th, 2012 at 4:00 pm

    Hi Lorraine,

    Larger shops and malls generally open like usual during public holidays. The one exception is during Idul Fitri, when most smaller shops will close for about a week while their proprietors/staff return to their villages. Sometimes they do reduced hours on bigger holidays like Idul Adha and Christmas, only opening in the afternoon. Also, a lot of places close temporarily around sunset during Ramadan, so the staff can have their fast-breaking meal; for the same reason, there are no sessions at the cinema starting at 4 or 5 pm.

    I don’t know so much about sales seasons. The one I remember is Jakarta Great Sale; it is during the summer holidays (June-July) and the anniversary of the founding of Jakarta.

Comment on Have A Holiday!