Bandung is a large city in Indonesia. It is a beautiful city surround by volcanoes and tea plantations. The city is famous for its culture and places to visit. But despite the many places you can visit in Bandung, you should also know the things that you should be wary of. Since it is a large city, there are many dangers lurking. Below are the 13 Things to Avoid in Bandung. These things should help keep you safe while you are enjoying the city.
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1. Avoid Extremely Crowded Places
Avoid extremely crowded places when you are in Bandung. There are many scammers and pickpocketing in these places. But if you really want to visit the place then take safety precautions. Avoid walking among the huge crowd and take a quiet route instead. Other that, be aware for your belongings. Remember where you put them and protect them.
2. Don’t Go to Unknown Places
Never go to places that you know nothing about. You could increase the chance for pickpocketing. So make sure that you made your research on where you want to go while you are in Bandung. Avoid places that do not feel safe for you. However, if you are an adventurous one then always keep an eye out on on your surroundings.
3. Persistent Street Vendors
If you happen to run into street vendors, you can choose to avoid them. Some street vendors could be persistent. When you don’t want something, they might keep trying to keep you engaged. To avoid these street vendors, just keep walking and ignore them. Reading rules for tourists in Indonesia if you are a tourist might help you in Bandung.
4. Avoid Wearing Excessive Jewellery
While you are in Bandung, it is best to avoid wearing excessive jewellery. When you wear too many jewellery then you might attract robbers or pickpockets. Even though the jewellery might be fake, it is still not worth it to have someone traumatise you by stealing your property.
5. Wearing Backpack on Your Back
Carrying a backpack while you are venturing Bandung is useful. You can carry a lot of items with you. However, what you need to keep in mind the safest way to wear this backpack while you are out in public. Instead of wearing the backpack on your back, put it in front of your body. This way, you can keep watch on your back. Moreover, you lessen the chances of someone trying to take your backpack away from you.
6. Don’t Put Wallet in Back Pocket
It might seem convenient to put your wallet in the back pocket of your attire. Thus, you can take it easily whenever you want to pay for something. But this is not a very good idea when you are in Bandung. You should keep your wallet in the front pocket where it will be safer. Furthermore, you can also keep it inside your bag to avoid pickpocketing.
7. Avoid Taxi without Meters
Sometimes, it saves time to hail a taxi for your ride. It might be handy when Bandung is raining too. However, avoid taxi without meters at all cost. A taxi without a meter or a defective meter might try to scam you. The driver might increase the fare. So before entering the taxi, make sure that the meter works perfectly. Other than that, make sure that the driver’s ID is in full view.
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8. Avoid the Pollution
It is no surprise that pollution can appear in a city especially in Bandung. Avoid the harmful the pollution for your breathing circulation. Wear a mask while you are out and about in Bandung. This will reduce the chance of you breathing in pollution. Besides that, you can also avoid contracting illnesses from sick people in the city.
9. Unreliable Eating Places
You should only eat in eating places that are reputable. Avoid eating places that might seem dirty or unhygienic. Dirty eating places might give you unnecessary illnesses. Use the internet to find affordable but good restaurants. Also learn a bit about eating habits in Indonesia so you won’t be surprised.
10. Avoid the Beggars
Avoid the beggars in Bandung. Once you pity a beggar, the others will come right at you. That is because they know that you have the money to share with them. Never publicly give out money to beggars where there are many people around. Some beggars might even be scammers. There are a lot of cases of rich people pretending to be beggars in Indonesia. It has also become forbidden to give money to beggars in some region which you can read in unique laws in Indonesia.
11. Avoid Using Your Phone Too Much
Never use your phone too much while you are in public places in Bandung. Although you may need to look at your phone to get around places, keep it brief. You need to always be aware of your surrounding while in Bandung. Giving too many attention to your phone might reduce your focus on your environment.
12. Avoid Scammers
Avoid the scammers in Bandung. These are people who offer places to stay or transportation around the city. Only accept offers from reputable places. It is a good thing to turn into a skeptic when an individual approach you and try to give you something that is too good to be true. It might just be another scam. Also read the tourists scam in Jakarta to help you out.
13. Avoid Drinking Tap Water
Never drink the tap water in Bandung. There are no safe drinking water from the tap in Indonesia. You can only drink safe water through bottled water. Even if you boil the tap water, the taste might be gruesome.
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By following some of those things that you should avoid in Bandung, you reduce your chance of getting harm. Moreover, those things can keep you feeling more safe because you know you are already doing whatever you can to avoid danger.