Indonesia is a Muslim country, and the first thing I do before I land is remind myself that I am a guest. Religion, family custom and local etiquette matter here far more than they do at home, and almost every awkward moment I watched among tourists came from ignoring that. None of it is difficult. It simply needs a little attention before you go.
Rules that cost you nothing
On some islands alcohol is banned outright and pork is off the menu, so do not build an evening around either. Cover up before entering a mosque: shoulders and knees hidden, and shoes off at the door. Greet people, hand things over and receive them with the right hand only, a rule that is genuinely hard for left-handers and easy to practise in advance. The head is considered sacred, so never pat a child on it, and be careful with hugs unless you know the person well. Indonesians address each other by family name rather than first name, and when you walk into a restaurant it is normal to raise your glass of tea or water in greeting to everyone already sitting there.
Money and safety
Indonesia is a quiet place in terms of serious crime. What you will run into is petty theft and bad rates at currency exchange counters, so I change money before I travel or use a bank and the airport counter once I arrive. Everything else is ordinary travel sense: watch your bag at markets, agree on a price before you climb into a taxi, and keep a photocopy of your documents somewhere that is not your daypack.
Dishes worth ordering
The food is the reason I keep going back, and a short list will get you a long way:
- Satay: skewered meat grilled over charcoal, served hot with a sauce, eaten standing at a stall more often than not.
- Rendang: slow-cooked beef, tender and deeply savoury with a peppery edge that I have never found outside the archipelago.
- Indonesian rice: eaten at breakfast, dinner or as a lunch side, distinguished by a sweet, thick sauce poured over the top.
- Nasiravon: a beef stew whose meat turns almost black and picks up a nutty flavour from the spices.
- Bunbut soup: an old recipe, cooked here since the seventeenth century, made from buffalo tail and rich enough to be a meal on its own.
- Martabak pancakes: filled with chocolate, nuts and cheese, and the dessert I buy when I want something familiar and sweet.
What to actually do
Start on Java and work through its temples, then give yourself an afternoon in Jakarta for the puppet museum. Bali keeps most visitors busy on its own: the cave of the same name near the island's interior, home to flying foxes worth seeing at dusk; the elephant caves at Goa Gajah; the old Tirthaganga palace grounds and the Ulun Danu temple; and a swim under the waterfall near Singaraja, which beats any pool. One night on Moyet island, at the tiny lodge marketed as the most secluded in the world, is something I still describe to people.
Shoppers should head to Gianyar for Indonesian fabrics and to the Pasar Budung market in Denpasar for everything else. Animal lovers take the boat to Komodo, where the large varanas live. For scenery, the rice paddies around Lovina deserve a morning, and Kuta remains the centre of youth tourism with elephant rides to fill an afternoon. Beach days work best around Bali itself, Lombok and Lembongan, while Bintan earns its reputation for natural sights. Java and Bali are the two strongest bases for day trips.
Choosing your season
The dry season arrives in spring, with temperatures around thirty degrees and beach weather to match; spring also brings the biggest festivals, complete with carnivals and fireworks. June opens the real summer heat, thirty degrees even at night, so mountain resorts make sense if you dislike the full sun, and this is when tour prices peak. September sees visitor numbers dip because forecasts promise rain, yet the showers are brief and the coast stays usable, so a beach holiday still works. Winter is the genuine rainy season and the cheapest time to fly, with rain mostly at night, daytime temperatures no lower than twenty-five degrees and everything in bloom, though the humidity is high and you will sweat through your shirt.