• Expectations: don't set too many expectations in advance, as they will most likely not be met. Travel with an open and flexible attitude and let yourself be surprised!

• Plane tickets: A useful website to book flights is www.skyscanner.com, on this website you can easily search for the most flexible and cheapest tickets. A return ticket is often cheaper than a single ticket. Are you not sure when you want to return because you might want to travel? Then we recommend that you book a flexible ticket. This is often around 100 euros more expensive, but if necessary you can change the end date. However, it depends on the airline. The cheapest return tickets from Amsterdam to Indonesia cost around 600 - 800 euros. Tickets are often the cheapest a few months before departure (3 months).

• Luggage: Don't bring too much, almost everything is for sale in Indonesia! What is useful to bring: for the ladies: tampons are difficult to get in Indonesia, so it is useful to bring these in advance.

• Clothing: The largest religion in Indonesia is Islam. Therefore, during your internship or volunteer project, you are expected to wear long trousers (over the knee) and your shoulders are covered. A short sleeve is allowed. Therefore, when packing, also consider long trousers and T-shirts that cover the shoulders. Nevertheless, you can wear whatever you feel comfortable in during your free time.
  
  
• Bank cards: It is always useful to purchase a credit card in addition to your regular bank card. Not only for booking possible flights or accommodation abroad, but also for your own safety and convenience. It can sometimes happen that a bank card is skimmed or blocked, or that you lose the card. Of course you do not want this to happen, but unfortunately it does happen. If you only have a debit card and no credit card, you can no longer withdraw money abroad. With an extra credit card you always have an extra option at hand. Do not forget to activate your bank card outside Europe and/or the world when you leave. Otherwise you will not be able to use it in Indonesia. This can easily be done in your bank's app.
• Withdrawing money upon arrival at the airport: We recommend that you withdraw money as soon as you arrive in Indonesia. That way, you will have money in your pocket immediately. If you withdraw money, you will also pay extra for the PIN transaction. It is therefore more advantageous to withdraw the maximum amount at the ATM, which is often 2,000,000 or 2,500,000 Rupiah (approximately 130 / 170 euros). You pay cash almost everywhere in Indonesia. We also recommend that you withdraw money with your normal debit card because it has lower transaction costs than a credit card. Not all banks accept your normal debit card. The following banks often do accept it: BNI, Mandiri, CIMB.

• Travel and cancellation insurance: It is advisable to take out good travel and cancellation insurance for the number of months you are in Indonesia. *Please note: it is possible that your Dutch health insurance also covers you in Indonesia, in which case you do not have to include healthcare costs in your travel insurance package. Find out in advance whether you are also insured for healthcare in Indonesia within your current Dutch health insurance.

An advantage of living in Indonesia is that it is relatively cheap for western people. To have a clear overview of your expected expenses, we have made a cost overview for you in euros:

To travel:

• Your school institution: In the Netherlands there are various scholarship opportunities if you want to do an internship abroad. Universities also often have their own money or a subsidy for students who want to go abroad. Look and ask about the possibilities.
  
  
• Savings & Budget: If you want to go abroad, it is useful to create a budget for yourself. This way you can make a good estimate of what you need in terms of financing and create a guideline for what you need to save.
  
  
• Crowdfunding: If you are planning to do volunteer work or if you are going to do an internship for a good cause: then you can set up crowdfunding. It is nice if the largest part of the money raised directly benefits the good cause, but your good work can also be rewarded in this! How does it work? There are several crowdfunding websites. Do you want to do something with sustainability? Then go to OneplanetCrowd for example. Do you want to do something in a developing country? Think of a platform like Lend a Hand.
  
  
• Public transport card reimbursement: Do you have a public transport card? You can temporarily suspend this card to receive compensation for students studying abroad.

• Openness, flexibility, curiosity and respect for the local population are the key to a pleasant stay and internship period in Indonesia.
  
  
• Give yourself some time to get used to the new country. It is not strange if you feel homesick or experience culture shock in the beginning. You have to get through this. These feelings are of added value to your personal development!
  
  
• Meet the locals! Indonesians are very approachable and friendly. It adds so much more to your trip and stay if you don't just connect with other internationals and connect with the locals.
  
  
• Learning the Indonesian language will make your stay a lot more fun and easier! Do you also want to be able to speak a basic word of Indonesian? Then take lessons through us! (see the tab Bahasa Indonesia lessons)
  
  
• We definitely recommend traveling during or after your internship! You are in Asia now, so take advantage of it!
  
  
• A period abroad has a beginning and an end. So prepare for the end. Your local colleagues and the team have probably done their best to give you a good time! Of course you can rely on us and ask us all your questions, but… you are not alone! Support each other and go on a discovery together! First try to figure everything out yourself, google it or ask around in your area. The great thing about an experience abroad is that you really get to know yourself much better.