Visiting Indonesian Homes and Places of Worship: Etiquette Questions
In Indonesia, the safest etiquette is local and situational: remove shoes where the household or venue does, use the right hand for giving…
THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE GUIDE
Bella Sungkawa
Explore published guides and stories by this contributor.
Indonesian and Regional Languages: What Visitors Should Understand
Indonesia’s national language is Bahasa Indonesia, but it is not the everyday first language for most Indonesians. Visitors will also hear regional and…
How to Read Indonesian Prices and Calculate Shared Travel Costs
Indonesian price tags use a dot as the thousands separator and often omit the word rupiah, so 50.000 means Rp50.000, not Rp50. Read…
What Is Ulos? An Introduction to Batak Textiles and Their Cultural Context
Ulos is a handwoven textile of the Batak peoples of North Sumatra, traditionally made from cotton on a backstrap loom and closely tied…
Buying Indonesian Crafts: Questions About Makers, Materials, and Provenance
When buying Indonesian crafts, ask three questions before you fall for the object: who made it, what it is made from, and how…
Five Days in North Sulawesi: Planning a Realistic City-and-Island Itinerary
A workable five-day North Sulawesi itinerary pairs Manado's city sights and food with the Minahasa highlands and one Bunaken Island marine day, while…
How to Estimate an Indonesia Travel Budget When Prices Keep Changing
Estimate an Indonesia travel budget as a range that you update, not a single number you set once. Separate fixed trip costs from…
Java or North Sulawesi: Comparing Two Very Different First-Trip Routes
Choose Java if you want a first trip built around cities, temples and volcano landscapes with relatively established transport. Choose North Sulawesi if…
How to Check Whether an Indonesia Travel Guide Is Still Up to Date
A current-looking Indonesia travel guide can still be wrong. Check when the specific detail was last verified, follow the claim to the operator…
Bunaken Travel Guide: Choosing a Base, Planning Transfers, and Visiting Well
Plan a Bunaken trip by treating Manado as the arrival gateway and choosing between Bunaken Island and Siladen for a reef-focused stay. Fly…