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Your Sustainable Indonesia DMC

Khiri Travel Indonesia, a sustainable Indonesia DMC, aims to replicate the vast diversity of this magnificent country in its services and products. From camping on uninhabited islands in a simple tent with a fresh fish barbeque to luxury helicopter flights over archipelago reefs; endemic wildlife in Sumatra and Kalimantan, or the dragons of Komodo; ancient Javanese and Balinese cultures; adventurous hikes in remote Sulawesi; and the beautiful beaches of South Lombok, Khiri Travel will take you to each of these locations – and as the first certified Travelife company in Indonesia – we always have sustainability in mind.

With the equator running through its middle, Indonesia spans an incredible width comparable to the distance from Manchester to Moscow. To deliver consistent quality over each of the many islands we serve, we have our own offices and staff in five of Indonesia’s main destinations, namely, Java, Bali, Sulawesi, Lombok and Flores. All corners of the country are represented by our office staff, guides and drivers.

Aini Wikamto

Managing Director

aini@khiri.com

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What Khiri Has Done In
Indonesia

Khiri Travel Indonesia strives to bring all of its travelers closer to the Indonesian people and discover their culture and traditions. What’s more, we are dedicated to ensuring that we have a positive impact on the destinations and communities that our clients visit. We support local projects and provide full-time jobs to local staff, rather than relying on freelancers, or outsourcing our business. Our suppliers are mostly small-scale family owned businesses, which we provide with knowledge and training to improve their services and develop their business models.

Indonesia Office

Jl. Panji Tilar Negara no. 5 Seruni, Ampenan,
Mataram 83115 Lombok – NTB, Indonesia
+62 370 647 390
+62 852 3971 7649 (Emergencies)
sales.indonesia@khiri.com

“In July 2015 we visited the beautiful island of Flores. I would like to thank you for assigning Peter Liwu as our guide during our 8 days trip by minivan from east to west. Peter has a thorough knowledge of the culture, the different tribes and nature of Flores, speaks English very well, and on top of that is a very nice person.”

– A Family from Netherlands

When to Go and What to Do
in Indonesia

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

January

Mekotek

Mekotek is a unique traditional village ceremony held only at Munggu village in Badung. Mekotek occurs once every 210 days on Kuningan Day, which is a Balinese Hindu festival day.

In this ritual, all the participating men in the village will be divided into several groups and dressed up in their traditional costumes. Then, each man will carry long wood sticks that will be used to stick together and form a pyramid shape. The group that finishes first will claim the victory.

Due to various poles involved, the sound of these poles hitting each other ‘tek tek’ is the Indonesian spelling of imitating the knocking poles’ sound. That is where the name “Mekotek” comes from.
This ceremony was performed to welcome the brave soldiers who came back from defending the Mengwi Kingdom in the war, and many villagers believe that this ritual is a prayer to God for safety and good health.

So, if you are within the area of Munggu village during Kuningan Day, don’t miss the chance of witnessing this unique experience.

February

Pasola Jousting Festival of the Sumba People

Pasola celebration is held every year on the Indonesian island of Sumba. It usually occurs between the end of February or the beginning of March. Pasola is a jousting festival where two participants sit on the horseback without saddles, charge at each other with wooden spears, and try to knock the opponent off the horseback. Which the word ‘Posola’ is taken from from ‘hola’. Even though it seems a little bit brutal, the meaning of this festival is to keep the spirits happy and bring a successful harvest season in the upcoming year.

March

Nyepi ‘The Day of Silence’
Nyepi is Bali’s major Hindu festival and celebrates as the Balinese New Year. Even though there is no specific date (since the schedule is according to the moon cycle), it is generally observed in March every year. ‘Nyepi’ translates to ‘Day of Silence’, and is also a public holiday in all parts of the country. However, it is only celebrated on the island of Bali itself. This is one of the most important and famous Bali festivals of the year, so it is well worth experiencing at least once if you are planning to Bali at this time.
The event is marked by inactivity to convince evil spirits that Bali is uninhabited. It also involves fasting, meditation, and prayers. Therefore, during this event, you will find everything closed in Bali. The night before the festival, some communities in Bali celebrates with ``ogoh-ogoh`` (a papier-mache monster) to symbolize negativity, which is paraded around the ceremony before lit up in flames. At the same time, some scrub and clean God's statues and while praying.

On the day of Nyepi, you will not be able to leave your hotel, turn on lights, or use any electronics. The Balinese believe that ghosts fly over the island on this day, and if they see complete darkness of the island, they will leave the island for another year because they think it is uninhabited.

Jakarta Jazz music
Jakarta Jazz music festival is one of the most popular international festivals in Indonesia. As the name suggests, this festival is held in Jakarta's capital city at the Jakarta Convention Center. It occurs every year in early March, and this festival draws attention from over a hundred musicians worldwide.

April

Ubud Food Festival

Ubud Food Festival is one of the most significant culinary events in the country. It attracts tourism and organization all over Southeast Asia. The festival is a three-day event that takes place in mid-April in Ubud, Bali. During the three days of celebrations, there will be numerous well-known restaurants, food producers, and local as well as international chefs, with talks and workshops as part of the festival program. The organizations and the committee came up with a dedicated festival for food enthusiasts, driven by the passion for sharing the rich heritage of Indonesian cuisines with the world. Not only selling but there will be live performances, cooking demos, also meetings with top chefs and food experts from around the world. Visitors are welcome to join, so don’t miss out on the opportunity to taste your way through Ubud!

May

Waisak (Vesak) Observation of the Life of Buddha

Waisak is one of the most important Buddhist festivals in the world. While only one out of six Indonesians is Buddhist, this is still one of Indonesia’s main religious celebrations. Waisak, also known as Vesak Festival, is celebrated to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Gautama Buddha.

Every year, the schedule is different since it is planned according to the full moon day, which usually falls in May.

The event is a public holiday across Indonesia, although the main ceremony takes place at Java’s Borobudur temple. You will see thousands of monks and Buddhist devotees gather at Borobudur temple carrying holy fire and holy water during the celebrations.

On arrival in the Borobudur temple, people circle the temple three times in the clockwise direction before receiving blessings from the temple gurus. Then, they release paper lanterns into the sky to symbolize enlightenment of the universe.

June

Lampung Krakatau Festival
This celebration is very different from other festivals. It takes place in Lampung Province, and it is meant to commemorate the eruption of Mount Krakatau back in 1883. The eruption of this volcano destroyed over 70% of the island, and the sky was covered by a thick layer of blast volcanic ash spread over 4,500 km for almost a year after. The festival first began in 1991, and locals celebrate life on the island and Lampung Province to remember the day of the eruption.

You will see many local cultural performances, exhibitions, and even tours of the volcano during the event.

Eid-Ul-Fitr - Islam's Prime Festival
Eid is one of the most significant festivals as a vast majority of Indonesia's population is Muslim. It is a national holiday and is celebrated in the month of June. During the celebration, all employees receive their salary bonuses, and workers travel back home, and this homecoming is called Mudik or Pulang kampung. It is significantly observed in Jakarta and Bandung. Store owners decorate their shop and give out special discounts, while others decorate their houses and make delicious food like lemang, dodol, sambal, and cookies to celebrate the spirit of Eid.

July

Rambu Solo (Tana Toraja Funeral Festivals) - Sending the Dead to the After-life

Rambu Solo, also known as Toraja Funeral Festival, is another ceremony that allows you to experience the more traditional Indonesian culture. It usually occurs between July and September, celebrated all over the country by the Toraja people. One of the festivals is the Rambu Solo funeral ceremony, intended to send the spirit of the dead on their new journey to the afterworld. It involves many fascinating funeral rites performed by the family to reduce their misfortunes and any kind of bad luck to the family of the deceased.

Visitors are welcome to join and observe the whole ceremony.

August

Indonesia national day, Bidar Boat Race & Baliem Valley
Independence Day, or Indonesia's National Day is held annually on the 17 of August to celebrate and commemorate the most important day in the country’s history: the exact date that Indonesia declared independence from the Dutch colonists in 1945. This is a national festival that brings the whole country together, filling the streets with parades held in the capital of Jakarta in front of the President at the Presidential Palace. The country is decorated with gorlands and flags for this event.

Towns and villages conduct friendly competition and contests such as climbing poles, tug of war, sack races, and many more in order to win a prize. In the evening many cities have a firework shows as well.

This is one of the days that is worth visiting Indonesia for.

If you are in south Sumatra around this time, don’t miss out on the Bidar Boat Race.

Bidar Boat Race - Boat Race to Celebrate Independence
Bidar Boat Race festival is usually celebrated in tandem with Independence Day. The event is usually held on Musi River in Palembang in South Sumatra. The race takes place in longboats between 20-30 meters long made from hardwood trees. They are crafted and styled as traditional wooden canoes and painted throughout the year to be raced on this special day. Each boat carries almost 70 racers, including a commander and a gong striker.
Baliem Valley Festival - Mock-War Amongst the Papua Tribes
Baliem Valley Festival is a cultural event unique to the people of Papua that takes place in Papua Province, a set of islands in Indonesia’s eastern province, and is usually held in the second week of August. The festival involves mock tribal fighting, traditional regalia, dance, and Papua music as it is believed that war is a symbol of prosperity, ritual, and fertility blessing. During the ceremony, you will see different groups of people who live around the area come up and pretend to fight each other. It might seem a bit fearsome for the first-time visitor, but it is a way of experiencing traditional tribal culture in Indonesia.

September

Balinale
Balinale, also known as Bali International Film Festival, celebrates the works of local filmmakers and offers various event programs, including Indonesian and international independent films. This festival held annually during September in Bali. Throughout this festival, you will find workshops, seminars, documentaries, short filmd, and award-winning fiction.
The main attraction of this festival is the Balinale indie films which are often shown at the open-air cinema on the island. If you are in love with film, especially in the open-air environment, this is the one festival that should be on your list.
Malang Flower Festival
Malang Flower Festival is among the largest and most colorful festivals in Indonesia. This festival is supported annually to showcase exotic flowers from all across the country. The event was first held back in 2010 to commemorate Malang’s anniversary. The festival's highlight is the costume parade, where hundreds of contestants and dancers show off their elaborate costumes based on a floral theme on the street of Malang in East Java. Under the theme of magnificent flowers, the festival focused on manifesting all kinds of floral beauty, featuring the designs of participants who create most of the costumes out of recycled materials to keep the festival environmentally friendly.

During this event, you will hear local disco music blasting through the speakers and crowds of people lined on the roadside along the town square of Malang. There will also be a masks performance by Topeng Grebek Sebrang, the first performance to signify the start of the festival.

October

Nusa Dua Fiesta
Nusa Dua Festival is an annual festival that showcases a week-long agenda packed with national art, culture, sports, music performances, and exhibitions. The event held in and around the peninsula in Nusa Dua resort, Bali. This festival draws many attention from participants all across the islands in Indonesia.

During this festival, you will be able to explore many exhibitions and learn more about Indonesia’s rich heritage and culture. There will be many attractive mementos that you could buy as a gift for your friend and family. In addition, there will be a cooking competition held by the local chefs as well as a cocktail creation contest from the island’s best bartenders.

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is one of the largest festivals in Ubud. The festival is held annually, and each year it attracts thousands of speakers and writers from all over the world. Ubud has become one of the most renowned cultural and literary events in Southeast Asia. The atmosphere is filled with special literary workshops, book launches, youth programs, talk shows, and showcases of Bila arts and culture. The main attraction normally takes place at Indus restaurant and Nake Museum around Sanggingan, Ubud. A number of other literary events have also taken place in Jakarta, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Papua in the last few years.

For the best place to experience this festival, Ubud still holds the title. Visitors are welcome to join this event.

November

Galungan

Galungan is one of Bali’s major and most important Hindu festivals. This celebration is to commemorate the victory of “Dharma”, or good over the “Adharma”, or evil. The date of the event changes every year since it follows the 210-day calendar system called “Pawukon”, so it’s held twice a year. This event takes place for ten consecutive days, where the festival’s opening day is marked by the celebration of Galungan, which celebrates the gratitude to the gods and the ancestral spirits by inviting them down to earth to dwell in the home of their descendants. The closing day is called “Kuningan”, which signifies the deities ascending back to the heavens.

The festival is very important for the Balinese, similar to Nyepi or New Year when everyone returns and rejoices with their families.

The entire island will be made extra special during the festival with all kinds of traditional decorations. Most special is the tall bamboo pole called ‘Penjor’ decorated with young coconut leaves, fruits, and flowers set up at the entrance of every house and temple.

A ceremony called Ngelawang is performed during Galungan in every village. It is a ritual to expel evil and any negative spirit, which is performed by ‘Barong’ – a divine protector in the form of a mythical beast. The barong is invited into homes throughout the village to restore the balance between good and evil.

During the Kuningan closing festival, you will see a special offering made of yellow turmeric rice. This is the color of the god Wisnu, the protector and member of the Hindu trinity. Also, it is believed that at the event, the Supreme God Sang Hyang Widi is invited to earth to give blessing for all the people as a closure to the series of Galungan festivals. This is a fascinating festival to observe and be a part of if you’re visiting Indonesia in November.

December

Suwat Water Garden Festival

The Suwat Water Garden Festival, also known as the Water War, is held annually in the last week of December until the first week of January in the area of Suwat Village in Gianyar. This 3-day festival showcases multiple cultural performances and activities including a rice planting race, tug of war, duck and pigs catching competitions, and the crowd’s favorite water war. Similar to Songkran in Thailand, people use buckets, water guns, or anything that could scoop water from the river and splash it on others. This is believed to wash away all the bad luck from the previous year and start anew.

On the first day, people in the village make their way around their homes collecting trash, especially plastic waste, and whoever collects the most wins a special prize. Many also visit the temple to pray early in the morning. On the second day, you will see people gather at the local river to prepare for the last day event, followed by traditional games and activities in the middle of the paddy fields. The last day, called ‘Siat Yeh’, symbolizes washing and cleaning one another with a new spirit in the new year, which is when the water fight takes place.

This festival welcomes all the locals, visitors, and tourists. If you are around Gianyar at this time, join in and enjoy this festival!