Asia · PreGoYa
A vast archipelago where Muslim-majority customs and Balinese Hindu traditions sit side by side. Here is what to know before you go.
What to know
Most of Indonesia is Muslim, while Bali is predominantly Hindu. Customs shift noticeably between regions.
Why
Respectful behavior depends on where you are, not one national rule.
Do
Avoid
What to know
The right hand is used for eating, giving, and receiving. The left is considered unclean.
Why
This distinction is rooted in traditional notions of cleanliness.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Meals are often eaten with the right hand, especially in traditional settings. Sharing is normal, and hosts frequently insist you take more.
Why
Generosity with food is a core expression of hospitality.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Tipping is not mandatory but is common in tourist areas. Small denominations help, since change is often scarce.
Why
Service wages are modest and small gratuities genuinely supplement income.
Do
Avoid
What to know
Outside the resorts, villages and temples operate on their own rules. In Bali, daily offerings (canang sari) sit on the ground and must be stepped around carefully.
Why
These are living religious practices, not decorations.
Do
Avoid
The things travelers most often get wrong — rated by how much they matter.
Why? The small daily canang sari offerings are sacred, even underfoot.
Why? The left hand is traditionally considered unclean.
Why? It is respectful to be discreet while many are fasting.
Why? The small daily canang sari baskets are sacred offerings, not litter.
Indonesia is not one culture but thousands. Treating each island and community on its own terms — Muslim, Hindu, or otherwise — is the single most respectful thing a traveler can do.
Written by PreGoYa · Last updated · pregoya@foxmail.com
Common questions
Not required, but appreciated. Leave 5–10% in tourist restaurants if no service charge is added, round up taxi and driver fares, and tip hotel porters a few thousand rupiah per bag. Warungs do not expect it.
Outside Bali’s beach resorts, modest dress is expected — cover shoulders and knees in towns and villages. Temples require a sarong and sash, usually available to rent at the entrance. Beachwear stays at the beach.
Using the left hand to give or eat, stepping on temple offerings, entering temples without a sarong, and eating openly in front of fasting people during Ramadan.
Yes. Bali is majority Hindu while most of Indonesia is Muslim, so customs differ sharply. Bali has temple dress codes and daily offerings; Java and Sumatra have mosque etiquette and stricter modesty norms. Match the island you are on.
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