Millions of Indonesians are packing bus and train stations, airports and highways as they head to hometowns to celebrate Thursday’s Eid al-Fitr festival with family.
The Transportation Ministry expects the largest movement of people in Indonesia’s history.
The agency is projecting the number of travelers heading home could reach 193 million, or nearly 72% of the population — up from 124 million, or 46%, last year.
Indonesia is the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. And every year, there is a vast exodus of people from urban centers across the vast archipelago to more rural hometowns to celebrate the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The homecoming tradition is known as “mudik.”
In the capital, Jakarta, thousands of people have filled bus and train stations every day over the past week. More than 1.1 million people are expected to depart the greater Jakarta area to return to hometowns.