Top 5 tips to live in Indonesia

1. Live close to where you work to avoid traffic (walking is also a good exercise)

2. Be friendly to the locals and make friends with as many of them as possible, as they will help you answer questions or do things for you (i.e helping you translate,accompanying you to do sightseeing etc)

3. Don't eat directly off the street if you've never experienced street food in Asia, there are plenty of food courts in malls or the building that you would be working in, usually down the basement/lower ground. Our spicy food is definitely not your average "spicy food", be alarmed. Always ask them which ones are spicy which ones aren't.

4. Be careful when hailing a taxi, many people would suggest you to take Bluebird or Express . They would tell you the color for Bluebird is blue and white for Express, but what they always forget is to remind you that there are plenty of blue or white taxis out there who are in disguise. You'd hail them too fast you actually forgot to see if they are real Bluebirds or Express, next thing you know you'd lost a lot of money.

5. There are plenty to see in Indonesia, we have beautiful islands all around and they don't cost you that much time to travel from one to another, visit as many as you could on the weekends and holidays, there are also plenty of different transportations to choose from. Indonesia is really beautiful, explore it!

One possible reason why there hasn't yet been any expat response to this thread is the over generalization of the question.

Indonesia is way, way too vast and diverse to come up with any meaningful suggestions that would be appropriate everywhere aside from what common sense would dictate, viz, be polite, respectful…yada, yada, yada.

That said, one “tip” from me that would be applicable regardless of where in Indonesia one is thinking of living would be…

If possible, spend a good amount of time in that desired area before making the final move and commitment.  Obviously this isn't always possible, as when taking a job here, but whenever possible, this is essential. 

Many areas of Indonesia have an overwhelmingly intoxicating effect on first time visitors.  Bali is just one perfect example.  Another would be the pristine, virgin and pure beach front areas of parts of southern Flores…but there are plenty more. 

It's very easy, and I can tell endless stories of folks on their first or second visit who have fallen prey to “throwing caution to the wind” and allowed themselves to discard their otherwise keen ability to be objective and reasonable. 

As the old lyrics from the Eagle's song “Hotel California” go, “this could be heaven (or) this could be hell.”

Or you can check out any time you like but you can never leave.............

Roy has it right - Indonesia is so diverse, the rules change from place to place.
You can happily hold hands with your girlfriend in a Jakarta shopping centre or a Bali beach (as long as your wife doesn't see you), but there is no way you could do that in many parts of Central Java (and a lot of other places), even when you're married.
Bali sees many women in bikinis, but a woman wearing one in PL ratu would be called a whore, or just get some seriously bad looks.

Five tips for living in Indonesia(or anywhere that's not your point of origin)

1.  Don't assume the us vs them mentality. It's an easy attitude to slip into and wear like armor. Shrug it off, as it will only embitter you and stop you from enjoying life.

2.  Get past yourself. You're cool and you're very brave to make a move overseas. Now accept that there are other very cool people and you can be receptive to basking in their coolness once in a while.

3.  Know your comfort levels. Whether it's food, noise or social commitments. Be willing to push past your comfort zone on occasion, but know when to retreat and recharge.

4.  Be willing to help, within reason.  Listen to that part of you that says 'enough'. Some folks, expat and local alike, see you as meal ticket, parental surrogate and shoulder to cry on.  Help but don't become an enabler.

5. Enjoy yourself. Bars and the couch will still be there. Get out and see the world while your legs, lungs and wallet allow you the luxury.

1.  Expect the unexpected!
2.  Appreciate the lovely locals (ignore the predatory females in local bars and hotels).
3.  Watch your husband (see 2 above).  The atmosphere here is brutal and many marriages break up because of this issue....middle aged men are extremely vulnerable to the sweet talk of cute young Asian women....
4.  Go with the flow...this is still very much a 3rd world country where sometimes nothing "works".
5.  EXPLORE!!  Indonesia is an amazing country with totally unexplored areas - fabulous beaches, amazing birding, great hiking (volcano trekking) etc.  Join groups of ex-pats who like what you like, they are out there and active!

“…middle aged men are extremely vulnerable to the sweet talk of cute young Asian women....”

There are a whole lot of other reasons why western men are attracted to Indonesian women besides their beauty and “sweet talk!” 

Be extremely careful who your sponsor is and get references if possible. My sponsor brought me in on a limited stay permit and come the time to exit after 1 year, they cut me loose, refused to cancel the permit or provide an EPO so I could exit Indonesia. Immigration refused to let me exit at the airport when I turned up with my ticket and I am now in limbo with the agents rep charging me what he feels he can get for a service that should have been provided by the sponsor. Not happy at all.

2.  Appreciate the lovely locals (ignore the predatory females in local bars and hotels).

That's about as true as any statement can get.

The vast majority of Indonesians are friendly and welcoming to expats, but there are problems.
Some ultra nationalist/religious types hate anything that doesn't conform to their views, and some women are gold diggers (some men as well).
These women try to attach themselves to foreign men, especially white men, regardless of the man being married.
Okay, I'm as handsome as a Greek god, so I can understand their interest (A lie, I know they're only interested in my wallet ), and they'll do anything to get at the cash.
Many hang around in bars, but they'll also try it on in shopping centres or where ever they see you.
That innocent sounding, "I want to practice my English" is commonly a lie.
I engaged a few in conversation at first, but that was when I was unaware of how bad they can be, but it always ended up with them chatting me up, so I just took to making an excuse and disappearing.
One girl, sexy and about 20 years old, openly asked if I wanted to take her to bed whilst I was shopping in Glodok electronics, BSD plaza (A great shop). I explained I was just there to buy a USB hub, and she wasn't very pretty anyway, so she gave up and buggered off.
My advice, after many failed attempts to get at me from such women (and one man), is mention how busy you are, and how much time you spend with your wife. That gets rid of most.

To give you an idea as to the worst of them, one woman got hold of my wife's number, bombarding her with calls and texts, all asking my wife to arrange a date for me and the evil little cow.
I had to toss the SIM card away.

Unmarried men also have their problems here. Indonesia's AIDS problem is lesser than many countries, mostly confined to prostitutes, injecting drug users and people who meet other people in bars for casual sex.

As for  cute Asian women - yep, Roy is bang on right, there are millions of really pretty girls out here, sexy as hell, all with bodies I need a cold shower after seeing, but we married chaps have to stand clear - it's bad news to eat forbidden fruit, regardless of how nice those melons look.

Bravo.  Very true.  My friend's wife and kids left back for their country as the husband fell in love with an Indonesian girl.  They survived living in other countries as expats until they arrive in Jakarta.  Six months all it took.  Crazy!

@ > Fred
@ > myjak

Hello,

Be careful not to get off track.

We would like to see your Top 5 tips to live in Indonesia.

Thank you,

Marjorie

Top tips, apart from avoiding affairs with gold diggers and keeping your marriage intact.

1 - Respect the locals and the country - if everything is better in your home country - don't moan, book a flight home.

2 - Watch out what you say to whom on the net. Indonesia has very serious defamation laws.

3 - First job when you arrive. Go to a local supermarket and check out the prices of all the basics - that way you'll get a good idea of costs and get ripped off a lot less.
Also - a million Rupiah may be very little to you, but it can be a lot to many - Don't flash cash around, or you might just meet one of the few downsides of Indonesia. Street crime is still a minor thing, but there are some problems. The police are active on this issue, trying to stamp it out.

4 - Learn how to shake hands. Sounds silly, but local people shake hands as women would do in the west, An Aussie handshake will shock the locals. There are different handshakes for different religious groups.
Always wait for a woman to offer the handshake. Some will just hold their hands 'prayer' style. If they do that, just copy.

5 - Don't live in a bule bubble (an expat lifestyle). Get out and enjoy the country, meet the locals and find out what a lovely place Indonesia is. (it's an amazing country - get out and find out for yourself).
Go for weekend breaks, but stay in cheap local hotels, not 5 star places. You'll find out more in a few weekends that many do in a couple of years.




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