5 things you shouldn’t do in Indonesia (especially for Western People)
Before you come to Indonesia, you should know this
Hello, ! How are you? I hope you guys are always ok and blessed by God. BTW let’s talk about my country, Indonesia.
Indonesia is the 4th most populated country in the world. With 270+ million people, we have diversity culture.
As an Asian (Eastern)country, we have different cultures, norms, habits with Western People (Europe, Africa, America).
If you have time to visit Indonesia, please don’t do some of these things :
1. Not Friendly
Friendly for Western people and Asian people has different means. As an Indonesian, smiling at others is hospitality. If you visit Indonesia, don’t look flat to the natives. Because not smiling isn’t friendly for us
2. be surprised or shocked by Adzan (call for Pray) from Mosque
According to Wikipedia, we have 86% Muslim population. We as muslim called for 5 times a day for praying. And you can alway hear it everywhere and everyday. But if you go to Bali (Hinduism majority), Manado (Christian majority), East Nusa Tenggara ( Chatolic Majority), you will hear rarely.
3. Forget to say Thank You
Politeness and etiquette are important when interacting with Indonesian people. Don’t forget to say the magic words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you’, and a genial smile would never hurt. If you have the time or feel up to it, talk to your local driver or tour guide, even if it’s just small talk — they’ll appreciate the friendly gesture.
4. underestimate the power of local phrases
Most of the time, you can get by with just English, perhaps with a little bit of hand gesture at times. Learning a few local phrases are not meant to help you communicate, they are mostly to show respect. Your driver, guide, or even local friends will like you more for just saying an awkward ‘terima kasih‘ instead of ‘thank you’, and you’ll be surprised at how warm and friendly Indonesians can be once they welcome you as one of their own.
5. Drink alcohol or play card games in public places
There is an exception in tourist places with a lot of international visitors like Bali. But in most other places in Indonesia, where the law and norm are highly influenced by the principles of Islam, drinking alcohol and playing card games (which is often associated with gambling) are things you should keep to yourself. It’s not forbidden or illegal to do both, but be discreet to choose an appropriate time and place. For example, drowning yourself in beer when at a bar is perfectly up to you, but don’t bring a bottle with you when strolling down the streets.
