Idul Fitri 2019

Transportation Minister has expressed his concern over a Rp 21.9 million (US$1,522) airfare
from flag carrier Garuda for a Bandung-Medan flight

an airfare available on online ticketing platform Traveloka.
“I will warn [...] Garuda;

it is misleading [the public] if
the Bandung-Kualamanu [Medan airport] route is Rp 21 million,

he visited to the Idul Fitri exodus monitoring center at the ministry.

He was referring to a business class ticket
from Bandung to Medan that transits in Bali and Jakarta.


VP corporate secretary explained that

the ticket was expensive because
it has to transit in several cities.

Garuda has no direct flight from Bandung to Medan.
the airfare still adhered to the price ceiling decided by the government.

it was unwise for Garuda to offer such high airfares.

He also considered the route odd.


“It is odd that

the ticket is for a flight from X to Y, then from Y to Z and from Z to A,”

he said, adding that

 he also called on the public to warn Traveloka for misleading information.

he did not agree that

Garuda and Traveloka had obeyed the price ceiling decided by the government.

He suggested that
Garuda offer the route of Bandung-Jakarta and then Jakarta-Medan.

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Jakartans line up for crisp small bills ahead of Idul Fitri

Handing out money to children

is part of the classic Idul Fitri tradition and

lines of people formed in the (Monas) area looking to get fresh banknotes in small denominations to give out as gifts.

Some 14 mobile outlets from a number banks:

state- owned banks

and city- owned banks

as well as private banks

the mobile outlets parked in the IRTI parking area to accommodate the demand.

Nuriyah, 35, arrived at 11:30 a.m. and

She quickly got into line with her husband and two children.

She wanted to change Rp 1.5 million (US$104) in Rp 100,000 banknotes

into Rp 10,000 and Rp 5,000 bills.

“This is my first time changing money at an official outlet,”

 The mobile banknote-exchange service in Monas is among 2,895 official outlets across the nation

provided by Bank Indonesia (BI).

“I used to use individual money changers on the streets.

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'Mudik' travelers were told to stay alert amid hot, unpredictable weather

With the annual Idul Fitri mudik (exodus) in full swing,

A long road trip requires lots of preparation and

apart from luggage and energy,

people should be knowledgeable of the type of weather they may encounter. 

Jakarta is entering the dry season,

with temperatures ranging from 24 degrees to 33 degrees Celsius,

the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).

 “For the next week, Jakarta is going to be sunny albeit a little cloudy,

and it’s definitely entering the dry season.

The same weather has been forecast in other regions, with a chance of rain. 

According to a weather forecast provided by the BMKG,

hot weather will dominate the exodus period,

especially in the southern part of the country. 

In the next seven days,

rain clouds are expected in X, Y, and Z.

the country will enter a high air pressure period from Tuesday to Monday,

while sea surface temperature will rise to between 28 degrees and 32 degrees Celsius.

Vacationers taking the sea route were told to be alert and prepared

as consistent high pressure in the Indian Ocean was affecting the sea level,

which may rise to between 4 and 6 meters.

This could lead to potentially rough seas on Saturday and Sunday in …

The BMKG predicted, however, that

despite entering the dry season, Jakarta would mostly be sunny and cloudy

with a chance of short-lived rain at noon and in the afternoon in ….

Meanwhile, Thousand Islands and North Jakarta are predicted to have slight rain on Wednesday and Thursday.

“For now, especially in Java as it enters the dry season,

people traveling to their hometowns are encouraged to drink a lot of water

to avoid dehydration,”

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Yogyakarta is set to implement a car-free policy along its iconic street, Jl. Malioboro,

after the Idul Fitri holiday season. 

it was planned to make Malioboro a strictly pedestrian zone

that could only be accessed by non-motorized vehicles

such as becak (pedicabs), andong (horse-drawn carriage) and bicycles.

The only motorized vehicles allowed on the street will be Trans Jogja buses.

“We will conduct the trial starting June after Idul Fitri,”

However, the exact date of the trial is still tentative

as the administration is still discussing the reroute scenario

as well as obtaining the necessary permit.

the change might cause confusion among citizens

as they adapt to the new route,

as Malioboro has been an important street to access many main streets.

“We will also anticipate the effect on the economy,”.

The Yogyakarta administration has been working hard

to reduce the worsening traffic congestion,

however the geography of the city does not allow for the construction of more streets

or widening of existing streets,

Hence the car-free policy is considered to be the most viable option.(dianggap dirasa dipandang sebagai)

in order to anticipate the car-free policy on Jl. Malioboro,

the agency will add more parking spaces using empty lots along the area.

Yogyakarta to implement car-free policy at iconic Jl. Malioboro

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Although this year’s Idul Fitri exodus has been relatively less troublesome for those traveling by car and on buses,

many other vacationers heading to their hometowns have no other choice but to purchase expensive airplane tickets

or cram themselves into crowded ships.

He saw no other alternative but to travel by plane. 

He was bound for his hometown in Balikpapan

He said the high airfare was regrettable,

but it was a price he was willing to pay

as air travel was the only available option.

So, he booked a plane ticket, along with a train ticket, weeks before Idul Fitri.

“Tickets for the Palembang-Balikpapan route used to cost Rp 1.7 million [US$ 119],

but now it costs Rp

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This is expected to become a busy time for the country (diperkirakan)

as the annual homeward exodus for Idul Fitri,

locally known as mudik, gets into full swing.

The Ministry has estimated that

nearly 15 million holidaymakers from Greater Jakarta are to head to Central and West Java,

in the largest exodus stream across the archipelago.

There will  also be a major outflow from cities to rural areas

on islands outside of Java and also across islands,

but the volume of travelers on densely populated Java remains the largest.

The annual affair is usually bittersweet for the travelers

since their longings for their tranquil hometowns and

longing for reunions with parents, other relatives and childhood friends require long journeys.

About 60 percent of holidaymakers still prefer to travel by road

on buses or motorcycles, or in private cars,

while only 9.5 percent choose to travel by air.

Many are reluctant to travel by airplane

because of skyrocketing fares charged by airlines and travel agents.

This is when people rely on good road infrastructure and,

for the first time in the country’s history, Idul Fitri travelers are to enjoy a trans-Java network of toll roads

the toll road network link the western and eastern tips of the island.

Let’s hope that

the 933-kilometer road eases travel,

as it already did during the last Christmas and new year holiday

shortly after it was inaugurated.

There is much room for improvement from the last holiday.

Although the infrastructure significantly reduced travel time,

the half-ready rest areas made travelers carefully restrict their gasoline, food supply and toilet breaks.

The authorities seem to be better prepared now.

The Ministry is to impose one-way traffic on the trans-Java road:

All lanes are to be for eastbound traffic from Cikampek to East Brebes,

in addition to occasional counter flow from Cikarang to Cikampek,

on the days leading up to Idul Fitri

to keep up with the exodus stream.

Afterward, all lanes are to head west

on several days after Idul Fitri for the return trip.

those who use motorcycles are allowed to travel free of charge by ships and buses for their safety.

Those who take ships can even bring their motorcycles with them.

There are, of course, some concerns about the exodus this year.

For instance, some warned about potential chaos

that the one-way traffic policy may cause

when people try to travel against the exodus stream.

Some alternative routes have been prepared for them and

hopefully they will be good enough.

All in all, the government has tried to improve the exodus in the past few years.

Some unexpected problems may emerge,

but at this time, let’s appreciate everyone who tries to make mudik more convenient for millions of people.

Let’s wish for safe travel for the holiday

and hopefully we can return to work with a new spirit afterward.

Happy ‘mudik’ everyone

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Exodus takes place smoothly two days before Idul Fitri

Based on monitoring by the Transportation Ministry,

the seasonal exodus in a number of places –

 along toll roads and conventional roads as well as through seaports –

took place smoothly on Monday, two days before Idul Fitri.

the traffic along conventional roads had dropped drastically.

the traffic declined drastically in all of the places,

, the traffic declined by 75.09 percent compared to the same period last year.

He attributed the sharp decline in traffic along conventional roads to the completion of the trans-Java toll road,

because more people preferred to drive on toll roads

because of the shorter driving time.

The traffic along the trans-Java toll road was also smooth,

the police regulate traffic and maintain safety during Idul Fitri,

police have installed 664 cameras all across the country to monitor the main roads.

the vehicles along the trans-Java moved smoothly,”.

there was also no overcrowding at Merak Seaport in Banten or Bakeuheni Port in Lampung,

which people use to cross the Sunda Strait. (bbn)

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As the majority of Muslims across the country await the official government announcement regarding the date of this year’s Idul Fitri,

a small Muslim community in Wates village, Tulungagung regency has already moved on ahead,

celebrating the Islamic holy day on Monday.

Around 100 members of the tightly knit religious community performed Idul Fitri prayers at a mosque in a local village. 

Members of the community wore the typical Muslim attire,

not unlike most other Muslims who are affiliated with Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

However, the community members did not allow the press to take pictures of their Idul Fitri celebration at the local mosque.

the Idul Fitri prayers performed by the community members were not different from the prayers typically performed by other Muslims on the Islamic holy day. 

“They perform their daily prayers in the same way [as other Muslims],”

Huda said, adding that

he could not tell whether the group was affiliated with a local Sufi movement.

the small community had become well-known among local residents for

 always observing the fasting month of Ramadan and Idul Fitri

during times that differed from the dates set by the government.

“They’ve been here for a long time.

The community was originally led by Ahmad Al Mudlor,

who was then replaced by his son Ahmad.

the group’s Idul Fitri observance had defied several religious rules. 

“It was not done in accordance with our established guidelines,”

Small Muslim community in East Java observes early Idul Fitri

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Homebound travelers are going to distribute some Rp 200t in regions: Minister

Tourism Minister has said

some 20 million homebound travelers are estimated to distribute about Rp 200 trillion (US$14.05 billion) around the country

when they celebrate Idul Fitri in their hometowns.

“The movement of 20 million people help improve the welfare of people in the regions,”

He said in a statement on Sunday.

He explained that

during Ramadan,

the number of domestic tourists decreased by some 50 percent to 10 million people,

but during the long Idul Fitri holiday,

the number of homebound travelers reached 20 million.

It meant that

during the period of Ramadan-Idul Fitri the number of travelers reached some 30 million.

“During Lebaran, it is estimated that

each person will spend some Rp 800,000.

If there are 20 million travelers, they will spend some Rp 200 trillion,”

he concluded as quoted by kontan.co.id.

Millions of people have started heading to their hometowns,

while the Religious Affairs Ministry is scheduled to hold a meeting on Monday evening

to decide when Idul Fitri will fall.

Meanwhile, the country’s second-largest Islamic organization, Muhammadiyah,

M has decided that

Idul Fitri will fall on Wednesday.(bbn)

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Lebaran, or Idul Fitri, the biggest Muslim celebration in Indonesia,

Lebaran is just around the corner.

The holiday marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadhan,

so you know food plays an important role,

perhaps even more so than with other celebrations.

 In the tradition of Indonesian society,

one of the foods served during Idul Fitri is ketupat.

Ketupat is a compressed rice dish cooked in diamond-shaped parcels

It was made from coconut fronds.

It has a very bland taste and

It is normally served with other dishes such as rendang, a dried beef curry.

Ketupat is easy to make at home, with the exception of the parcels, which require a bit of skill.

The best place to buy ketupat parcels are at traditional markets.

Some foods that use ketupat among others kupat tahu (Sunda), grabag (Magelang), kupat glabet (Tegal), soto Makassar (Makassar),

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Idul Fitri, also called Lebaran in Indonesia, is about to come.

People will observe local traditions such as visiting family and close relatives to strengthen relationships (silaturahim) —

The local tradition  is preceded by the annual mudik tradition,

Mudik is an exodus to people’s hometowns in the last week of Ramadhan, and

going to cemeteries to pay homage to ancestors.

There will be many Idul Fitri gatherings, known as halal bihalal,

halal bihalal is an Arabic phrase that,

despite being lexically incorrect,

refers to an event or ceremony in which people exchange apologies and forgiveness.

Indonesian popular greetings will include “Minal ‘aidin wal-faizin, mohon maaf lahir batin,”

which is somehow unique to Indonesians and

means “may we be among those returning [to the pure, natural state of humans]

and coming out victorious [over ego, lust and other negative desires, through fasting];

forgive me physically...dan mentally

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Muslims across Indonesia will be observing Idul Fitri, or Lebaran,

marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadhan, most likely on July 5.

As usual, millions of Indonesians — rich and poor, men and women, young and old —

millions of Indonesians will cram into busses, ferries, trains and motorcycles,

and pour out of the major cities to return to their hometowns,

in a movement popularly known as mudik, 

to celebrate Lebaran with families, friends and relatives.

The word mudik is derived from the word udik meaning rural areas.

Many Indonesians living in major cities, either for work or study, come from rural areas.

At least once a year, they return to their hometowns.

According to the Transportation Ministry,

the number of pemudik (homeward-bound travelers) will increase by 11 percent

compared to last year. The number is expected to reach 28 to 30 million people. (diperkirakan)

For many Indonesian Muslims,

it seems incomplete to celebrate Lebaran without mudik, 

when they struggle along very congested roads between their places of residence

and the hometowns from which they come.

And, especially on the day of Lebaran,

aside from reciting takbir (praise to Allah) and saying prayers at the mosque, in public squares or in open fields,

Indonesian Muslims usually gather to greet their families and neighbors to ask forgiveness from each other.

One popular greetings is “Selamat Idul Fitri. Mohon Maaf lahir dan batin,” 

which means “Happy Idul Fitri. Forgive me for my physical and emotional wrongdoings.”

“To err is human, to forgive divine,” thus goes the famous quote from the writer Alexander Pope.

As humans, we make mistakes.

We commit sins. Nobody is perfect.

But, God will always forgive us, and

people are acting in a divine way when they forgive.

In our relations with other people, intentionally or unintentionally,

we sometimes or even often do them wrong.

Thus, we need to ask for forgiveness. But we also need to forgive others for any wrongdoing.

One important Islamic teaching involves forgiving one’s mistakes and even forgiving one’s enemies.

We cannot expect God’s forgiveness for our own mistakes and sins

unless we forgive those who wrong us.

The Prophet Muhammad is well known for his very forgiving character.

 He was always ready to forgive his enemies.

For example, there was an old lady who used to throw rubbish in his way day after day.

But, on one occasion she did not throw rubbish in his way.

So, the Prophet decided to go and find out what seemed to be the matter.

She was ill in bed.

And to her amazement, the Prophet Muhammad came to visit her and to forgive her.

The Prophet once said:

“Whoever apologizes to his brother and that apology is not accepted,

then the person who refuses to accept the apology bears the sin of one who takes the property of another unjustly.”

In terms of mental and physical health,

 those who forgive live healthier and happier and enjoy better psychological wellbeing.

One study has revealed that

forgiveness is associated with lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and improved sleep quality,

which really has a positive impact on health.

And some Duke University researchers report a strong correlation between forgiveness and strengthened immunity among HIV-positive patients.

According to the researchers,

people who forgive tend to have better relationships, feel happier and more optimistic,

and overall, enjoy better psychological wellbeing.

No doubt we all want to live happy and peaceful lives, forever and ever.

Why not start by learning to forgive each other?

Happy Idul Fitri. Mohon maaf lahir dan batin.

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Although the vast majority of people traveling during Idul Fitri head out of Jakarta on their way back to their hometowns,

there are some people who have decided to travel in the opposite direction.

Christina traveled with her husband and her two daughters to Jakarta by car from Cibinong.

she would like to introduce the capital to her children.

“We would like to let our children know about the trendy MRT station

and some other tourist attractions in the capital such as Kota Tua.

the holiday was an opportunity to educate her children about the historical background

as well as the development of the capital

because it was less busy.

Christina and her family were not alone in their thinking.

The vacant streets have provided tourists and Indonesians alike

with plenty of options to explore.

Nessa came to Jakarta from Malang by train with her family

She decided to travel to Jakarta for the week.

“We are here to celebrate Idul Fitri with our family who live in Jakarta,

as well as visit tourist attractions,”

However, it’s not just tourists who are exploiting the exodus.

 Jakartans such as Rosmian are enjoying the relief from the continuous congestion and chaos.

“It usually takes more than one hour to commute from my house in Bekasi to my office,

but it only takes 15 minutes using Transjakarta during this holiday.

Rosmian, works as a banker in Cawang,

His brother lives in Medan

she’s taking her brother around the city to visit X, Y, and

also try out the new MRT with her brother 

because he has never taken the train before.

Her reasons for exploring the city echoed the sentiments of many people remaining in Jakarta.

“As people go back to their hometown during the Idul Fitri holiday,

it is a good time for us to explore Jakarta.

Quiet Jakarta attracts out-of-towners