At this point, you’re probably wondering: what, exactly, is a tarsier? About 5 inches long from nose to tail, the tarsier is the tiniest of all primates. Known for their huge, saucer-shaped eyes and basically for being adorable, they are also, unfortunately, endangered.

Although tarsiers are classified as primates, they are very primitive and look more like adorable, furry pocket-sized aliens than monkeys. They don’t adapt well to captivity at all, so you won’t find them in any zoos. If you want to see one, you’ll have to travel to their natural habitat.

Tarsiers are endemic to Southeast Asia, and can be found in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesia has a decent-sized population in Tangkoko National Park near Manado. With the help of a guide, you can look for tarsiers in the jungle at night (the only time they come out of their nests.) In fact, over on the Environmental Graffiti blog, there’s a great post describing just such an excursion. There is also incredible scuba diving close to the park, in case you decide you don’t want to spend your entire trip in the jungle.

To visit Indonesia, you need a US passport and an Indonesia visa. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months after you enter Indonesia, and you need to have at least one blank page in the back to accommodate the visa. Indonesia is very strict about this and will turn you away if your passport expires in less than 6 months, so apply for a passport renewal if necessary before you go.

Indonesia visas are available on arrival to tourists at most airports, or you can apply in advance. See Indonesia Visa Requirements for Tourists to see what documents you’ll need for the visa. Also, keep in mind that if you are entering Indonesia by land or flying into the Banda Aceh airport, you are not eligible for an Indonesia visa on arrival and you must apply in advance.

RushMyTravelVisa can help you get your visa quickly and easily. We’ll also take a look at your itinerary and let you know what visas are required for each stage of your trip, including any transit visas.

Apply for your Indonesia visa today!

It’s hard to believe that anyone would want to leave Indonesia’s gorgeous beaches if they didn’t have to, much less to explore a landscape that strongly resembles Mordor in Lord of the Rings. And yet, according to the New York Times, “volcano tourism” is rapidly growing in popularity amongst visitors to Indonesia.

As the name suggests, volcano tourism involves hiking in and around Java’s active volcanoes. Tourists may go for day trips, or they may stay in nearby villages, as the New York Times writers did on their journey.

What makes the volcanoes so appealing? The New York Times explains:

Exploring Mount Ijen and the other volcanoes that form the spine of Java offers travelers a chance to understand how geology has so deeply influenced the lives and culture of the people who reside in the highlands. Over the centuries, eruptions have buried villages, destroyed farmland and filled the air with black haze, contributing to the ancient belief that the volcanic gods must be appeased.

One of the most popular places to explore these volcanoes is in Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park. In addition to both active and dormant volcanoes, this park preserves several other interesting geological features. The Tengger Sand Sea is a sea of sand that covers the caldera of an enormous, ancient, long-dormant volcano. Inside, 5 younger volcanoes have formed: Mt. Bromo, Mt. Batok, Mt Kursi, Mt Watangan and Mt Widodaren.

The area around the volcanoes is also home to the Tenggerese people, a Hindu minority in this mostly Muslim country. Living and working this close to the volcanos inspires both fear and reverence. According to the New York Times, once a year the Tenggerese hold a festival in which they sacrifice both food and money to the volcano.

If you don’t mind a little fire and brimstone and you want to see these volcanoes for yourself, you need two things: a passport valid for at least the next 6 months and an Indonesian visa.  If your passport expires within the next 6 months, you need to apply for a passport renewal before you apply for the Indonesian visa. Once you have your passport in order, see Indonesian Visa Requirements for Tourists on how to proceed. Depending on how you plan to enter the country, you may be able to apply on arrival or you may decide to apply in advance.

If you need a visa to visit Indonesia, RushMyTravelVisa can make the process of applying in advance much faster. We’ll walk you through the application process and deliver your visa to the appropriate embassy or consulate for the fastest possible processing.

Apply for your Indonesian visa today!