First of all: no, Bali is not the only thing we could offer
here. The faces of the land is an immense delight, and the diverse cultures, as well as
their colorful traditional ceremonies and customary life really are adorable. But Indonesia is an equatorial
maritime country; it has more than thirteen thousand islands
separated by seas and straits, and each part of the land has much more of an
adventure and experience i could really jumble in one summary. Nor even, i may
say, our 742 range of different ethnic languages and dialects. But let's start
my list of the best and worst thing you may run into in Indonesia.
Best of Indonesia
Traditional Hospitality
Photo by Tanenhaus
As individual as it could get for modern people in big
cities as Jakarta or Bandung, i may guarantee that you will, at some point,
experience surprising humble welcomes and treatments in places and from people
you might not expect. Maybe, a glass of jamu—a
traditional herbal nutrition drink—at a remote house of an old Javanese farmer
in your intercity trip? Be prepared, also, to kindly respond to the common
invitation for an overnight stay in their modest wooden houses.
Edible Adventures
Oily and red. Picture by Mama Tamy
Be it spicy, greasy and savoury as can be; Indonesia’s
traditional food ranging wide throughout the archipelago, and it’s charming.
Indulge your journey experience with Nasi
Padang’s playful combinations of spices in West Sumatra, or maybe a
Sulawesi tender grilled fish (yes, you may pick your own fish in Sulawesi’s
floating market) in a hot soy gravy. Now, pay close attention on what you’re
eating and how they’re made: somehow, you could learn a lot about the rich
culture from foods they are serving.
Inexpensive Indulgence
Indonesia provides a thrifty way to spend money on your
travel. Cheap city hostels in Jakarta or Lombok village homestays? Check.
Budget-friendly food feast in a great portion and a nice domestic beer in Bali?
Check. Low-cost transportation from Bandung to Surabaya? Check! Be sure, of
course, you have double-checked what all
those budgeting options could really offer you from a trustworthy reference.
But then again, this third-world country still has some
unpreparedness in welcoming foreign travelers to its cities. Here are things
you may have to prepare yourself just in case:
Complicated Administrations
The immigration sections in the airport could be the first
thing you can learn about adminitrations in Indonesia. But that is not the only
problematical encounter: ticketings in tourist places, tourism informations,
emergency calls and their operations, and don’t forget the dealings with police
if you’re out of luck: they tend to over-complicate things. Learn yourself some
basic Bahasa Indonesia just in case you bump into those mumbo-jumbo.
The Not-Really-There Tippings
How are we notorious, mostly even to ourselves, with under
the table transaction cultures spreading viral in every general service you may
find the need, here in Indonesia. You will surely have to allocate some of your
budget in small changes of Rupiahs for those, say, charges over car-parking
(which could literally be anywhere you’ll find it somehow laughable), the
seemingly sincere young men helping you out with your dead rented car, or any
other false generosity. You can always politely decline their helps, but then
again— it’s a confusing hospitality.
Living in The Sprawl
As the most populous island in the world, you may find it
hard to establish silence and peaceful mind in Java. Say, Jakarta, with its traffic
trouble every single day. People here may have their own way in facing their
demon everyday in the streets, but this bedlam could be rather depressing if
you’re new to it. Malls and tourist places are as crowded as the city slums,
people jumble themselves up in commuters and public buses—prepare yourself well.
