Initially, most journeys in the Indies were made by horse or palanquin. Carriages were only suitable in areas with paved roads. Even in the twentieth century the sedan chair was a popular means of transport in mountainous areas. For visitors, it was a tourist attraction in itself. Trains were introduced relatively late in the Dutch East Indies. Not until 1863 did Thorbecke’s cabinet grant a concession to the Dutch East Indies Railway Company (Nederlandsch-Indische Spoorweg Maatschappij), which resulted in the opening of the first railway in the Indies, between Semarang and Tanggung in Java in 1867. This was rather late: the first railway in the Netherlands, between Haarlem and Amsterdam, ran as early as 1839. Afraid to incur excessive costs, the government was more careful and budget-conscious when it came to the Dutch East Indies.

As of 1867, however, things moved fast, and more and more lines were added to the Indies railway network. In thirty years’ time, Java and Sumatra had more or less complete railway coverage. Partly as a result of this, a tourist industry emerged in Java and, subsequently, in Sumatra. Travel was increasingly for pleasure, no longer just for work or military reasons. The first motor cycle made its appearance in the Indies in 1883, the first car about a decade later. The bicycle also became a popular means of transport towards the end of the nineteenth century. And eventually, the aeroplane arrived. In 1927 KLM operated its first return flight.