Bahasa Indonesia is the national and official language of Indonesia and is used in the entire country. It is the language of official communication, taught in schools and used for broadcast in electronic and digital media. Most Indonesians also have their own ethnic language and dialect, with the most widely spoken being Javanese and Sundanese. Some ethnic Chinese communities continue to speak various Chinese dialects, most notably Hokkien in Medan and Teochew in Pontianak.

While generally is not widely spoken, an acceptable level of English can be understood in a number of major cities and tourists’ destinations including Bali, Batam, Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Yogyakarta. Moreover, most hotel and airlines staff can also communicate in English on a basic to moderate level.

Indonesian pronunciation is relatively easy to master. Each letter always represents the same sound and most letters are pronounced the same as their English counterparts. The following are examples of some of the common phrases in Bahasa Indonesia that can be useful in conversation:

• Good Morning = Selamat Pagi
• Good Day = Selamat Siang
• Good Afternoon = Selamat Sore
• Good Evening/Good Night  = Selamat Malam
• Goodbye  = Selamat Tinggal
• How are you? =  Apa Kabar
• I’m Fine/Good/Great  = Baik-baik (as an answer to Apa Kabar)
• Excuse me = Permisi
• Sorry = Maaf
• Please = Silahkan
• Help! = Tolong!
• Thank You = Terima Kasih
• You’re Welcome = Terima kasih Kembali
• Yes = Ya
• Tidak = No
• Mr/Sir = Bapak
• Ms/Ms/Madam = Ibu
• Miss = Nona
• How much/many = Berapa
• How much is it (price)? = Berapa Harganya?
• Where is… = Dimana….
• How to get There = bagaimana caranya kesana?
• I want… = Saya Mau…
• I don’t want… = Saya Tidak Mau…..

The official currency of Indonesia is Rupiah which is issued and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia. The currency code for Rupiahs is IDR, and the currency symbol is Rp. By law, all transactions are required to be conducted in rupiah, and Information of daily exchange rate can be found in newspapers or from the internet and online apps. Credit cards are widely accepted in hotels, large restaurants, and large stores.

Indonesian banknotes come in denominations of IDR1.000, IDR2.000, IDR5.000, IDR10.000, IDR20.000, IDR50.000, and IDR100.000. Coins in circulation include IDR1.000, IDR500, IDR200 and IDR100.

You can exchange foreign currency in major cities throughout the archipelago at banks and money changers. Most tourists’ resort has money changer facilities; however if you are travelling to a more remote areas it is advisable to exchange your money beforehand. If you need a large amount of foreign currency, and you don’t have a foreign currency account at your bank, it is best to order the money the day before. Local banks keep a limited amount of foreign currency in their smaller branches.

ATMs on the international Plus/Cirrus or Alto networks are common in all major Indonesian cities and tourist destinations. Limitation withdrawal is depending on your respective home bank. Machines are loaded with IDR50.000 denomination notes or IDR100.000 denomination notes, as indicated on the machine; however keep in mind that the bigger notes can be harder to split, especially in rural non-tourist areas. It is also best to withdraw some money from ATM in major cities before venturing into more secluded destinations.