FactsofIndonesia.com

30 Things to Avoid in Indonesia You Must Know

Review by : Yuli SE., MM

Every country in the world have different habitual like when you go to Indonesia, and you come from others country such as French, Italy, England, USA, Australia and etc. You’ll find many differences. It can be part of habit, rules, religion and regulation.

There is something that you have from your hometown, and then you cannot bring in Indonesia because Indonesia is a multicultural country with variant culture, ethnics and rules. In this article, you’ll find information about 30 things to avoid in Indonesia. the writer explains in two parts, the first is about habit or culture, and then the second one is about scams.

Kissing in The Public Area

In some country like USA, Colombia, Germany or others. Two people have free opportunity to kiss each others. That’s very easy to find in many areas of those city. However, there is different norm in Indonesia. Don’t kiss freely your partner in public place especially. Indonesian people never do that. If you do that, you can get the punishment from judgement, included from the citizen. The other reason is about religion. In Indonesia, Islam is majority religion that have regulation to not kiss other people without marriage.

2. Driving in The Incorrect Track

In Europe, there are country such as French and England have habitual to drive start in the right side than left side. That is very different with Indonesia that always begin in the left side. Before you starting to drive your car or motorcycle in Indonesia, avoiding the wrong track. You can look others transportation. If others transportation moves in the left side, you should move in the left side. If you wrong, or fight back, you can get penalty.

3. Wearing Clothes Freely

In the Bali or your country, maybe you can free to wear dress such as walk in the street only use mini skirt and top. However, in the others place you should keep the politeness about how to wear dress. It can be place such as Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Solo and etc. Maybe some people will accept everything you wear, or understand because you come from others country, but it is better to wear polite clothes like what many people use.

4. Walking in The Night

In one country in the night you may walk around the place to find food or only travel, because many office and place open in the night. That is different with in Indonesia, in the night around 11 o’clock, many places such as shop, restaurant, cafe, office, will close. Because all of employee needs take a rest. It’s better to not walk in the night in Indonesia, because that’s the habitual. But don’t afraid, in the big city like Surabaya, Bali, Jakarta, you can find many places open in the night such as restaurant, cafe, and hotel.

5. Drinking Alcohol

In Indonesia, you cannot drink freely kind of drink that have permitted from government. It can be kind of drink that mix with alcohol. That’s very different habitual with others country that let the citizen to drink alcohol in the park, street and office. It is because in Indonesia, have regulation about drinking alcohol. So, avoiding to drink something mixed with alcohol when you walk in the street in Indonesia.

6. Sleeping with Boy/Girl without Marriage

If you are tourist, and then you want to sleep in the hotel. Don’t sleep together with your boyfriend in the same room or bed. In Indonesia, you’ll have problem if you stay together with other gender in a room. But you can do that, if you already marriage. That is different habit with other country that may be permitted boy and girl stay together in a home, apartments and hotel without marriage. In Indonesia, sometimes there will be a inspection by policeman to all hotel. For two people that haven’t marriage status and the live together will go to police office.

7. Consume Drugs

In Indonesia drugs is not permitted. If you are from country that make drugs is legal and free to consume drugs. Don’t bring the drugs in Indonesia. you can get very hard punishment. When you come in the airport, and then you bring drugs. You will get the problem that make you stay in long time in the airport. Besides that, when there is a people that offer you drugs, don’t accept it. You can get punishment if you consume drugs in Indonesia.

8. On Time Habitual

Actually, some western country people always on time in every activity. When they agree to comes at 9 o’clock, all of them will come in 9 o’clock. That culture is different in Indonesia. avoiding the angry emotion when you waiting for Indonesian people. If you have appointment with Indonesian people at 9 o’clock, they will come more than 9 o’clock. It can be 10 o’clock. But that’s the habitual different between Indonesia and others country that always on time to come in every activity.

9. Having A Feeling If All Ages are Same

Respect the old people. Don’t make the older people is same with you. In Indonesia, they are very respect with old people such as father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, uncle and etc. It’s very different with some country that make all of people in family is same. For example, there is habitual from a son to call the name of uncle directly. But in Indonesia, that’s impoliteness. You should call older people with sir, miss, madam or etc.

10. Visiting Other People without Permission

In the some area in Indonesia, there is regulation to make a report for the government in that area when we have a guest and the guest want to sleep to our house. So if you want to visit your friend in Indonesia, and then you want to sleep in her/his home, you should make a report to the government. That regulation be valid to all newcomer. So, you cannot freely to stay at your friend home.

11. Touching Girls Easily

Indonesia is a country with Islam as majority religion. There is a regulation that man cannot touch a woman in Indonesia. sometimes, there is some people doesn’t follow this regulation. However, some people also follow this regulation, when you meet with people that follow this regulation, don’t shock if they doesn’t want to shack hand with you. Because they are very discipline to not touch with other gender. And you should respect with them.

12. Woman Smoking In Certain Area

There is some area in Indonesia that will taboo for woman to smoking. Sometimes, it can be some area in the small village. If you’re woman or girl, don’t smoking in the public place because that’s very taboo. The villager will see you stranger. You can smoke in the private area or place that is not many people know. In Indonesia, the smoking women is very unusual. So, don’t smoking in every place.

13. Driving Car So Fast In Front Off Praying Place

Sometimes, there is a time for people to pray in their place. It can be mosque or crunch. It depends on their religion. Don’t drive so fast if you drive in front of praying place. There is a habit in Indonesia to drive slowly when they pass a praying place. It can be part of respect and not to disturb the activity of religion. If you drive so fast, especially for motorcycle that have very noise sound. It can disturb their praying activity.

14. Sleeping in The Public Area

In the some country, people can sleep in the public area like park and street. In Indonesia, you cannot do that. That’s not usual in Indonesia. There is regulation to not sleep in the tourism area or public area. In the night, there will be some police drive around the city to looking for people that sleep in the public area. If they meet the people, they will bring in the police office. That’s why some places such as office, school, college and shop have night limit clock, and no one can sleep freely in public place.

15. Delivering Argument Without Thinking

Indonesia is multicultural country with variant culture, ethnics and religion that already explain in the first paragraph. In this case, you should pay attention to deliver your opinion. Don’t deliver your opinion with judge other ethnics or religion, because it can make a big problem. Indonesia is democracy country, but politeness to give the opinion is also important.

Scams to Avoid

In the other part, the writer also give 15 scams that should avoid in the tourism place in Indonesia. this is very recommended for you that have vacation in Indonesia. those scams, are:

Pay attention with taxi meter. If you go to some place by taxi without taxi meter or the bad condition of taxi meter, you will pay the high fee.
Pay attention when you choose ATM machine. In the street, because someone can get your ATM pin. Choosing the ATM machine in the official bank.
Avoid first Price offered. When you buy something in the tourism place, you have to avoid the first price that offered by seller. That is the higher price, you should offering a new price.
High price transportation. When you come to harbor or airport, there will be many people offer you transportation. You need to know the price before choose the transportation.
Money charger tricky. Knowing the rupiahs value is important to avoid tricky money charger.
Take care of your things. Bad people can steal your wallet in the public transportation. So, keep your wallet and valuable document.
Tricky cafe and restaurant. The first price is different with price after we eat the food.
Break umbrella service. If you want to borrow the umbrella because hot or rainy weather, look at the condition of umbrella.
Unlicensed tour guide. You should choose the good tour guide that will give you good information about tourism place. You can get from recommended travel agent.
Rotten fruit. There are a lot of outlet will sell fruit in tourism place. Please be smart when choose the best quality of fruit.
Drink and food mix with medicine. Don’t easily accept food and drink from new people you meet. It can be a scam to make you sleep and then get your valuable thing.
Message from deceiver. You’ll accept call or message from new number that want to get money. Sometimes they say they are your friend but don’t give your money.
Bad condition food inside. Sometimes the food like good, but when you eat the food you will shock because the food expires and you don’t know.
Bad hotel facility. There are a lot of hotel, you can look at many hotel. Don’t choose the hotel if you dislike the facility.
Additional money. Don’t give money for people that say they are important people in that area. Sometimes they will say they have relationship with government but it is dishonest.

Those are things to avoid in Indonesia whether you only stay for a short time or long time. These things happen almost everyday so I aware you to keep your safety and your belongings.