PLANNING YOUR VACATIONS AROUND INDONESIAN PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Indonesia has many public holidays – 16 days to be exact in 2018. Since they do not count towards your annual leave, it is a good idea to plan your getaways around weekends as well as these dates in particular.

While having so many days off throughout the year may not necessarily be beneficial for business and the economy, it is something I believe contributes to the relaxed working culture and laid-back lifestyle here in Indonesia.

The national motto of Indonesia is “unity in diversity” and it is very clear in the wide range of observances that the founders and leaders of this nation aimed to cultivate a country that prides itself on its diverse people, customs and religions.

Most Indonesian public holidays last one day. However, Lebaran – the Indonesian term describing the end of the month of fasting – officially lasts for 2 days. On top of that, the government also declares a couple of days before and after Lebaran as bank holidays and as such, many companies close for a few additional days. This gives locals and expats a great opportunity to do a bit of travelling but there is a catch: since so many people return to their hometowns to spend time with family, flight ticket prices are usually at their highest and main roads and highways may clog up, especially at the start and end of this holiday period.

Here is the list of Indonesia's public holidays:

• January – New Year's Day

• February – Chinese New Year

• March – Day of Silence

• March – Good Friday

• April – Ascension of the Prophet

• May – Labour Day

• May – Ascension of Jesus Christ

• May – Buddha's Birthday

• June – Pancasila Day

• June – Lebaran (2 days!)

• August – Independence Day

• August – Feast of the Sacrifice

• September – Islamic New Year

• November – Birth of the Prophet

• December – Christmas

• Happy holiday planning!