While resource books on Indonesia don't seem to be able to agree on the exact number of islands the country is made of, they all agree that it must be at least some 13.500 islands *( satellite imaging has shown that the Indonesian archipelago 18,108 islands) and that Indonesia's climate is tropical with two distinct seasons or monsoons: the dry season and the rainy season. A tropical climate means high temperatures throughout the year and high humidity levels. What this technical language means is that, at sea level, you should count on temperatures up to 35 degrees centigrade during the daytime, all year round. At higher elevations the temperature drops accordingly. Locations like Prapat in Sumatra and Bogor, Puncak Pass, Bandung, Kaliurang, Tretes, Batu and Malang on the island of Java are well known for their cool climates. They are popular weekend resort areas for the residents who live in the hot lowlands of Medan, Jakarta, Jogjakarta, Semarang and Surabaya.
The high daytime temperatures and the high humidity make walking a tiring activity. Sunbathing, so popular during the summer season in moderate climate zones in Eroupe, Australia and the Americas borders on self-destruction in Indonesia and other tropical countries. You will soon discover that Indonesians hate to walk outdoors in the early morning or in the cooler evenings, only for short distances his or her right mind will dress in swimming gear and lie down in the sun on the beach or near a swimming pool. It will take only five minutes or so to get some serious sunburn. Indonesians, and many other Asians, value a light complexion. This is to indicate that they don't have to expose their body to the heat of the sun, such as farmers and laborers.
Tourists from abroad, on the other hand, like to seize the opportunity to catch every ray of sun and they also like to walk long distances, just as they would in their home countries. Frequent offers from becak and ojek drivers to take a ride with them can be explained as an attempt to make some money on the part of these drivers, but also because they can't make sense of this strange habit of walking apparently for fun, during the heat of the day.If you really must get that valuable tan, be very careful. Don't lie in the sun for more then ten minutes at a time and do so only with a very good sunscreen. Between 10 AM and 4 PM the sun is too strong, so you might as well schedule those hours to do some shopping or sightseeing. At any time of the year you can dress in light clothes, with cotton having the best capacity to absorb perspiration. Sunglasses come in very handy.
Although it may rain sporadically during the dry season, most of the rain falls during the five or six months' rainy season. Rainfall varies from some drizzle to heavy downpours. Contrary to some beliefs, these downpours don't last only half an hour. More commonly they last for several hours, accompanied by lightning and heavy wind gusts. However, typhoons or tornadoes do not occur. When it rains, umbrellas will not to keep you dry; fine spray will soak you up to your eyebrows. The best strategy, when you are caught in a rainstorm is to take shelter and wait until it's all over. Children have a different opinion and they will jump at the occasion of running through the rain or to go swimming in the pools of rain in the streets.In some locations in Indonesia, such as in the city of Bogor and in the rain forest on the islands of Sumatra, Kalimatan and Papua it rains almost every day all year round.
In the more arid eastern provinces of Indonesia, east from the island of Bali, the dry season lasts longer. The islands of Sumbawa, Sumba, Timor and Flores have a rainy season that may last only two or three months.
The heat outside is tempered indoors by air conditioning or at least by electric fans. It is often said that air conditioning has made a significant contribution to the economic boom in Asia in the 1970s and '80s allowing work productivity to jump dramatically, allowing people to work longer hours, without getting exhausted. Maybe that is why the siesta in Indonesia's and in all of Asia's cities is definitely a thing of the past. But obviously air conditioning is only available inside buildings, cars and trains and that means that when you go outdoors, you will be exposed to rapid and frequent temperature change of up to ten degrees Centigrade, sometimes even more. These rapid changes may be the cause why you easily catch a cold in a tropical climate. As far as you can influence the air conditioning in your hotel room or in your house it may be worthwhile to se it at between 25 and 28 degrees, instead of 17 degrees.
When you look carefully you may observe that Indonesians, when they are on muscle power, prefer to move slowly. We walk very, very slowly, not just to enjoy the scenery or the shop windows, but because walking slowly is less tiring. Foreigners on the other hand always walk too fast to be comfortable in a tropical climate. For us it's hard to understand why. Are you short of time? In that case, schedule fewer activities or leave home earlier. Or are you angry (because foreigners often walk with frowns and with red hot faces)? In that case slow down, take life as it comes and enjoy it. Or are you trying to avoid the many street vendors who try to lure you inside their establishments? In that case simply say that you already have a dozen or do so of similar stuff and that enough is enough.
Indonesia's hot and humid tropical climate is very conducive to range of life forms, including some insects and bugs that you may not want to hear about, but that we are going to talk about anyway. Briefly.
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