Travel Tips for Jayapura, Indonesia
Travel Tips
When travelling from Vanimo over the border to Jayapura, it is advisable to ensure you have a valid passport and approved Indonesian entry visa. There is an Indonesian consulate office located in Vanimo town where travellers can submit their applications. It is good practice to allow sufficient time for processing of your applications, best to submit your application for the return entry soon after arrival in Vanimo to avoid disappointment. You can phone or email the consulate with contact details available on the Indonesian visas website. If you are entering PNG from Indonesia you will be required to have a valid entry visa before arrival.
The Indonesian consulate in Vanimo is open from Monday to Friday, 9 am – 4 pm. Visas that are submitted in the morning, are generally ready after 2 pm on the same day but you need to check with the consulate directly as services are subject to change without notice. It is a relatively quick process.
Forms can be submitted on behalf of travellers with prior notice of arrival into Vanimo to allow for form collection. Each application must be accompanied by the applicants’ passport and two extra passport-sized colour photographs.
The PNG-Indonesian border is open every day from 9 am to 4 pm. The best days to travel across the border are when the Batas border market is open (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday) as there are plenty of buses travelling from the border to Vanimo on these days. It is usually very quick to cross the border but delays can occur, usually approximately 15 mins
A bus from the border to Vanimo costs K10 kina per person. If you have lots of luggage, expect to pay an extra K10-20
If travelling to Jayapura from Vanimo, a bus costs K10 to the border, and then a taxi to Jayapura costs K120. It takes a good 2 hours to get from the border to Jayapura.
There is a currency exchange open every day in Vanimo Town.
With advance notice, Vanimo Surf Lodge can arrange pre-booked public transport to OR from the border for approximately K550. The lodge can provide private transport for 1-6 passengers subject to driver availability travellers for a flat fee of K550 each way.