TIME ZONE: Three different time zones. The average is Pacific Standard Time + 16.AIRPORTS: Jakarta and Bali are the main international gatewaysAIRLINES: Singapore Airlines flies from the U.S. (800-742-3333), British Airways (800-247-9297) and Cathay Pacific (800-233-2742) also fly there.ENTRY REGULATIONS: Passport required, no visa for stays under 60 days. If you're entering via some unconventional route, contact the Indonesian embassy first.HEALTH: Vaccinations for typhoid, paratyphoid, polio, cholera and tetanus are advised. Hepatitis A vaccinations are always a good idea when traveling this section of the world.CURRENCY: Rupiah 15,375 = $US1. Banks give the best exchange rate. MasterCard and VISA are widely accepted, American Express to a lesser degree.ELECTRICITY: 220v AC, 50 Hz. Plugs are two-pin continental style. AIRPORT FEES: Vary from $7 to $10.AIRPORT TRANSFERS: Taxi, bemos (pick-up trucks with rows of seats), opelets (mini-buses), becaks (bicycle rickshaws) and dokars (horse- drawn carts) are all available. Some hotels offer free shuttles. LANGUAGE: Bahasa, English and hundreds of local dialects. Chinese, written or spoken, is banned.CLIMATE: Classically tropical. Wet season from November to April, dry season from May to October with variations depending on locale. Temperatures vary little either season.DRESS: Women should dress conservatively. WATER: Drink bottled (or well-boiled) water only. Avoid eating raw foods, especially from street vendors. TIPPING: Not customary, except in the larger hotels of Jakarta and Bali. A 10-percent service charge and 10-percent tax are added to your bill automatically. CUISINE: The basic diet is rice with vegetables, fried fish and the occasional portion of meat or eggs. Indonesia is known for its spices. Curries and noodle dishes are common. Rumah Makan are full-service traditional fare. Tourist restaurants offer Western fare. BEER: Heineken taught the Indonesians how to make their pilsner-style Bintang lager. LIKE A LOCAL: Don't eat with your left hand. As in other Muslim countries, the left hand is reserved for bodily cleansing. For more information about diving Indonesia, click onto the information bar below.