Asia

Indonesia

Flights

Flight & Hotel

Hotels

Car rental

Transfers

Return

One way

Multi-city

Departure

Return

1 passenger, Economy

Discover Indonesia

Do's and don'ts

Practical Info

Do's and Don'ts

Common Manners in Indonesia

Indonesia is made up of more than 1000 ethnic groups, each with their own culture and language. Although Bahasa Indonesia is used as the national language, less than 20% of the population uses Bahasa Indonesia daily at home. Due to this complex situation, Indonesians rely frequently on common manners to be respectful and polite to each other.

Despite its Westernised appearance, especially in the bigger cities, such as Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, and Bali, local customs are still highly prominent and must be respected by visiting tourists. Here are some common manners in Indonesia you need to know:

Dress Attire

DOs

DON'Ts

Dress up accordingly to where you are going. Indonesians call it as 'berpakaian rapi'.

Wear attires that are not for the time, place, nor occassion.

Wear clothes that are more loose fitted, cover your shoulders, and are at or below your knee.

Wear too revealing clothes, especially if you are not in Bali, Jakarta, or Surabaya.

Bring a sarung to cover up when visiting religious places.

Go against the dress codes and be aggressive when reminded by the locals.

Table Manners

DOs

DON'Ts

Say your greetings, such as Selamat Makan or Enjoy your food.

Don't dig in the food without saying your greetings or offering others to take it first.

Drink modestly in the assigned places, e.g. home, clubs, or selected restaurants.

Don't be drunk in public, especially without a guardian.

Eat only with spoons and fork or chopsticks or with your right hand.

Don't eat your left hand.

Dip your hands for a quick wash if given a water bowl with lime.

Don't drink the water if given a bowl with lime.

Finish your meal if you can or ask for a takeaway if no one is finished.

Leave unfinished food at the dining table.

Eat with your mouth closed and without making a chewing sound.

Be a messy eater by talking while you are eating.

Conversations

DOs

DON'Ts

Start the conversation with a polite greeting, such as 'Permisi', 'Pagi', and 'Halo'.

Call someone out aggressively, unless you know them personally, with 'Woi'.

Call someone older with an honorific, such as 'Kak', 'Mas (m)', 'Mbak (f), 'Pak (m)', 'Bu (f)'.

Call someone by their name alone, unless it's fine by the other person.

Visiting Houses or Becoming a Guest

DOs

DON'Ts

Knock and say your 'Permisi' before coming in.

Barge into the house or rooms uninvited.

Ask where you can put your shoes away before you enter the house.

Come into the house or the room with your shoes.

Be politely hesitant when offered drinks or food by the host by saying 'Oh, gak usah Pak/Bu. Nanti malah ngerepotin.' It's the equivalent of 'No, thank you. It's fine, I don't want to bother you.'

Eat immediately before saying thank you to the host or complimenting the offered complimentary.

Put a time bumper of around '15-30 minutes' for tardiness when meeting up with other Indonesians

Come earlier than expected as it will make you wait for others.

Inform your host of when and from where you are leaving. This helps them to estimate your eta against the traffic.

Leave your home without taking in the potential traffic or without taking your e-money, especially in the city.

Tipping

Tipping culture is not part of Indonesia's traditional manners. However, most online transportation services have implemented the tipping option. Please give based on what you feel the service or experience is worth. However, on average, the minimum tipping option is about 5% to 10% of your total bill.

Restaurants don't have a tipping culture, but they have a service charge on top of the minimum 10% restaurant tax. The service charge varies from 10% to 25% of the bill, depending on which restaurants you go to. If you are hesitant about your bill, ask your waiter to explain it further.

Manners to Adapt in Indonesia

Adopting these manners will help you blend in better with the Indonesians. If you are hesitant to follow them, always feel welcome to ask, as most Indonesians would be more than happy to answer and lend you a hand.

Find cheap flight to Indonesia

Now that you're aware of the 'Do's' and 'Don'ts' of pratical manners in Indonesia, plan a memorable trip to Indonesia. Compare and book flights deals on BudgetAir Australia!