Tips for everyday life

Shaking hands

This might very well sound silly, but cultural differences have shaped the way people shake hands.

The first thing to realise is the western style of handshake (men) is not acceptable here.
A strong grip is seen as aggressive, so stick to a lightweight effort similar to the way your would shake hands with a lady in the west.

Muslims will then put their hand to their heart, mouth or nose to signify acceptance of the person, but don't be offended if they don't do it as this is a Muslim thing, so doesn't normally apply to non Muslims.

Some ladies with more conservative religious views tend not to shake hands with men at all, preferring a prayer style hands together gesture and a bow of the head, but some will touch finger tips.
This isn't extremism, just being conservative, so don't get scared or offended. The trick is to see what the lady does, then follow suit.

Children will normally kiss your hand or place it to their forehead. I was seriously shocked the first time it happened, but that's the norm here.

Teachers - It's pretty common for the whole class to line up and shake hands with you on the way in/out of the room. You'll get used to it.

Avoid passing things with your left hand

Toilet roll is less than popular in Indonesia as the vast majority of the population are Muslims, and the Muslim holy book lays out a way to clean after the toilet.
It says you must use water when available, and 'leaf' only when water isn't available, this explaining the little hoses that are normally next to toilets.
Before  the hose was invented, you would splash water with your right hand, rubbing off anything sticky with your left.
Thus, the left is considered unclean.

This is fixed in Indonesian culture, so you avoid passing anything to anyone with your left and, should there be no choice, say, "Maaf kiri" (Sorry I've used my left).
Of course, modern hygiene and more powerful cleaning hoses means this is largely a thing of the past in cities (At least the richer parts), the old washing technique is still pretty normal in much of the country.

HOTELS

Reviews of a few hotels can be found here.
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.p … 28#3282278

Hotels are likely to ask for identification as part of the check in but many no longer bother.
A few hotels ask you to leave a form of identification when you check in, but I would strongly advise you not to leave your passport or other valuable documents as they are of great value on the black market.
A photocopy should be enough for them

I usually use my SIM as ID. I have used an SKLD in the past - same total lack of problems.
I have never had it rejected and no one has ever asked me for a credit card when booking a room.
You may also use your KITAS/KITAP, SKTT or KTP - Any official ID should be fine.

I've seen tourists asked for their passport but that's tourists, not expats with local documentation.
For tourists, I strongly suggest keeping your passport hidden away and giving a photocopy to the hotel.

Added - I've stayed in a wide variety of hotel rooms from very basic backpacker style to several of the very nice Aston hotels (and they are very, very nice - terrific breakfasts - I strongly recommend Aston hotels).
None have asked me for anything other than local ID but all have asked for paymentin advance.
Many were booked via a website, you can often get good discounts that way.

Many such booking sites are on the net, but I've only ever used Agoda and Traveloka.
My preference has always been Agoda but others prefer one of the many other sites. The reason I stick with Agoda is they were extremely helpful the one occasion I had a problem. As I know they were so good, I tend to stick with them.
If you're out and about, google maps will display all local hotels for you, and link directly to booking sites, usually listing the price offered by each one.

Renting a house/apartment

NEVER even consider any property priced in US $.
Apart from being illegal to price in anything other than the Rupiah, many of these places are massively overpriced and aimed at ripping off expats unfamiliar with real pricing.

When considering any deal, always think about local salaries and ask if a local could afford it. If not, it's either very top end or you're being ripped off.

One year in advance is normal here. Many want a two year contract, but I would suggest that's a bad idea, and you can usually get it down to a year anyway.
Make sure the area isn't prone to flooding.
Check monthly payment for security, water, and electricity. (Some places are seriously expensive)
Why an apartment? Houses in a local complex are commonly a lot cheaper and better places to live.
(Jakarta) Make sure you live near work/kids' school - Jakarta's traffic jams can add hours onto your day.

More ----

1 - make sure the place is sound, checking the roof timbers for termites where possible.

2 - Try to visit a potential property when it's raining so you can see if the roof leaks

3 - Use agents sites to get ideas, but try to contact owners directly as that will likely get you a better price.

4 - Most property owners assume the tenant will pay for any damage or repairs that need doing whilst you are there, regardless of who caused the issue.
Confirm this is the case and argue your point before you pay up.
Most will ask for security deposits but many will rip you off by not repaying them at the end of the contract. I NEVER pay the final month electricity bill so they can't rip me off for as much.

5 - Make sure the electricity, water and rubbish/security bills are paid up to date or you're very likely to have serious problems with the suppliers/be forced to pay the bills before you get connected.

6 - Try to visit the house at prayer time so you can check how loud the calls from local mosques are.

7 - Turn taps on to make sure the water looks clean and the pressure is right. Check the water meter with all taps off to make sure it isn't moving. You pay for leaks after the meter.

8 - Be sure the mains supply is protected with a trip switch ON the meter. Some houses have illegal supplies so make sure the meter is real and the trip switch is there.
I find a token meter is best so you never get a wrong electricity bill.  You can buy tokens at minimarts, ATMs, and local banks' phone apps.

lukereg wrote:

Try and get a top up meter so you can control the burn! Electricity levels are set by the power company and if you want to change it up or down you would need to return the level to its original when you leave and also pay for the change.
Also check the breakers so that they don't trip if an AC is running with the rice cooker, iron, hair tongs as normally the breakers are very low.

With water if you have piped access then check the pressure and the tank where the water is stored. Hope that the water is clean and does not smell obviously remembering not to drink it. If the water is direct from a ground well then ask about how deep the pipes to it run and also about the dry season and if the well will run dry. On the flip side you don't pay any water fees.

Don't forget you will need to pay for rubbish collection and security maybe as well as making friends with the local community by joining in with paying for random things like bags of cement,  brushes or whatever is required for a community project.

Check also where gas and water can found and if they deliver.

The higher the wattage available, the more you pay for all.
If you never run high power stuff, lower wattage is fine, but you'll need more if you try to run the AC, microwave and rice cooker at the same time.

To find a house.
The easy way is to google.

Indonesian language.
House - Rumah
For rent - Disewa.
Also - Rumah dikontrakan

Google Rumah disewa <Place name>

But that isn't the only way.
All the large estate agents have web sites, but also check out ...

http://www.olx.co.id/

A lot of places to be found there.

The last, and commonly leading to a better deal, is walk around the streets in the area you want to move to. Lots of houses have a small hand written notice in the window, advertising the place is for rent.
These don't always show up on websites, and you deal directly with the owner, so no agent fees.
My last three places were found that way or via OLX.

Mains electricity - Importing home electronics

The local mains is 220vac/50hz.[/b]
Most non-USA electronics will work here without issue, but check before you plug anything in.
I understand much bought in the US is 110v only, so won't work here unless you buy a step down transformer or replace the power supply.
If your home country voltage is 220 or 240 volts, that's fine but check the frequency is 50Htz Some 60 Htz equipment may have problems.

As for importing, if it goes in hand luggage, no one is likely to even ask you about it but shipping electronics over is a bad idea. The transport costs and import duties are likely cost more than replacing with new stuff.

All standard home electronics are available easily here so it's unlikely you'll have any serious problems getting any normal stuff.

Electronic toys

Computer shops - large and small -are everywhere (including in supermarkets) but I prefer to use a dealer.
It can be hard to know which shop to use so I tend to decide if I can trust the salesman or not.
Does he know his product, do you get good vibes off him and does he look like someone you can trust?
As with many things in Indonesia, electronics shops tend to cluster.
(Jakarta) Public address equipment, cameras and similar bits tend to be in Glodok but for computers, more cameras and top end hifi, head to ITC mangga dua.
There are many other good shops around but they lump together in these places, so you tend to get better prices. Other towns tend to have a street full of electronics shops - It's just a matter of finding them.
If it's a special or more difficult product to find, call the manufacturer and they'll help you along. I did this when I wanted to buy my Fijifilm camera. The office staff were extremely helpful and told me where to find an official dealer with stock.

Many tend to think of Indonesia as a third world (Not in the political sense) type country and, in some areas, it probably is, but not when it comes to places such as ITC, mangga dua.
If you fancy a top end British made HiFi, no problem - if your taste is a professional, TV quality video camera, there are several shops on the first and second floors of ITC with that equipment.
You should remember, ITC is a big place and the electronics section is at the back, so don't take a look at the front and decide this post is rubbish.
Six floors of electronic goodies await you.

ALWAYS check internet prices before going - many shops WILL try to rip you off.

I discovered Jakarta notebooks, an interesting electronic toy company.
I should note - I don't make anything from these people, I'm just a happy customer.

https://www.jakartanotebook.com/

Check out their prices - you'll save a fortune - I'm still using them to this day.

A WARNING - Guarantees are commonly not what they are in many western countries, many shops offer a day, a week, or a month, then you have to take faulty goods to a customer service centre.
In many cases (usually cheap items), guarantees are non existent, even when there's a guarantee card.

Don't drink the water

Tap water is dodgy here, at least as far as drinking goes, so we all use bottled water.
We buy a water dispenser for the house with "gallon" bottles.
They aren't actually a gallon, but that's the local name they're known as.

Various types are available, the most easily available being Aqua.
It's considered to be a high quality product with a good reputation, one I can say is deserved.
There are many other brands on the market, Vit being just one.
The empty 'gallon; is cheap to exchange as long as the one you're returning is intact - they won't accept broken ones.

Note. You have to buy a full gallon first, but then you just buy the refill. (Thanks Lukereg)
The refill should be of the same type as the bottle you first bought.
They're sold all over the place so are easy to get hold of, many shops offering a delivery service. You may even find your security guard selling water as a little side business to his job.

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Gas for cooking

Cooking gas is available in bottles.

Portable stoves use a small, internal bottle. These are by far the most expensive but, if you hardly cook in the house, they're very handy.
The stoves and bottles are available in supermarkets.

There is a wide range of cookers available to buy, but most use a small twin burner. These are cheap to buy and available in a wide variety of shops from electrical stores to large supermarkets. You can buy far bigger oven/hobs that look very similar to western kitchen appliances, but these are rarer. You'll find them in specialist shops.

You have to buy the first bottle, but only pay the refill price after that.
I prefer to have two in the house, one in use and one for when it runs out so you don't have to mess around in a rush when the flame goes half way through frying an egg.

Make sure you have a few spare rubber seals in the house as the bottles are commonly missing them, or they're in poor condition and leak.
These are available in supermarkets and many small shops.

NOTE - Most of the gas appliances have no safety features at all.
If the flame gets blown out, the gas will continue to flow.

Many shops specialise in gas and water but they aren't easy to find as they tend to hide and advertise little.
This is a typical wholesale place but anyone can walk in and buy.

Shopping

Many shops here don't price label their products, and don't always stick to the labelled prices anyway.

Alfamart and the other convenience stores tend to be priced up, and stick to the noted price, as do Giant and other supermarkets.
For new expats. Have a wander round an Aflamart and a Giant, that experience will give you a good idea what you should be paying for a wide range of goods.

A typical Alfamart looks like this and stocks most of the day to day items you're likely to require.
Pretty much all of their shops accept cash and most cards, but please don't shout at them if their internet is down and they can't accept cards - not their fault.



Local, small shops tend to buy at very poor prices, and make very little profit, so expect that Rp4,000 bottle of coke to be 5 or 6 thousand, and don't complain; these guys make almost nothing, and expats tend to be able to afford a little extra.

A wander round Bintaro exchange mall a while ago saw me in several technology/phone shops, many not having prices on accessories.
That means you have to ask the price, but I never bother messing about, so I tend to use shops that do price up products. I recommend everyone do the same.

It should be noted by new expats from western countries, the laws and rules you're commonly used to simply aren't bothered with here, especially in smaller businesses.
Even in larger businesses, guarantees are commonly a week or a month from store, then any problems are direct to manufacturer.
In many cases, guarantees on products are non existent, even when there's a guarantee card.

Advertising claims
Any laws on these tend to be pretty much ignored, so don't believe it unless you check it.
I was assured my Fujifilm HS55 was direct from Fujifilm Indonesia, but that's a lie as they don't have the 55 here. One of many direct lies I've been told whilst buying things.
I ended up buying one from a guy who told me the truth, so at least I had a level of trust in him.

You'll also find a lot of pirate products on open display, especially things like spare battery packs and chargers. The only way to be sure it's a Samsung charger is to buy it from a Samsung shop.

Price and rip off jobs.

It is a sad thing, but a lot of places massively overcharge foreigners/tourists for whatever they can get away with. Make sure you check a range of local prices and never agree to anything expensive until you're sure.
As for restaurants, make note of the menu prices BEFORE you order.
If the menu isn't priced, ask them to detail the prices or walk out. This is mostly a tourist area thing but can happen anywhere. One restaurant in Wonosobo used to have two menus, one for locals, the other with more 'inventive' prices for foreigners.

Pembantu (maids) are available easily but vary in ability.
We've had a couple of total duffers, but also some very good ones.
If you don't know anyone, your security guards probably will.

There are also lots of agencies available, and they'll commonly have English speaking people available but they add a premium for special skills.
Agencies will also take a percentage of the maid's salary and/or charge a fee , so be careful of that. If someone finds a maid for you, you'll be expected to tip that person for the service.

Monthly salaries start at about a million, and go up from there, but you should add free meals.
I've heard of people paying a lot less, but that's extremely unfair and I won't have anything to do with it.
If you get a good one, increase her salary from time to time without her asking for it.

Don't be surprised if a sixteen year old girl turns up with three years working experience - a lot of girls drop out of school as soon as they finish primary because their parents can't afford the cost of educating them. There is little by way of law to stop this problem so just accept it and make sure you treat her well. Refusing her just means she has to take her chances again.

If she's live in, you'll be expected to provide a reasonable room (many houses have maid's quarters built in).
You see houses listed as 3+1, meaning three bedrooms and a maid's room. The same goes for bathrooms. 2+1 meaning two toilets/bathrooms and one for the maid.

Schools

There are far too many Indonesian schools to even think about making any sort of list so this is only intended as a basic set of facts.
School types range from tiny village schools with almost no facilities through to top end places such as The British School in BIntaro.

School fees start from zero, moving to bottom lines that look like international telephone numbers.

Many schools are single religion but it's easy to find mixed places. Many schools default to Islam because so few (if any) students are anything other than Muslim.

The Indonesian national curriculum has no requirement for English until grade 7, but a lot of SDs add it anyway. The general standard is limited but a lot of private schools are producing students with very nice English skills.

TK - Preschool (2 years)
SD - Primary (6 years)
SMP - Lower secondary (3 years)
SMA - Upper secondary (3 years)
SMK are vocational school offering a wide variety of practical training for pretty much everything you can think off, all mixed in with Indonesian core subjects.

The middle end of the market varies more than a little in quality and educational goals. Many schools are opting for Cambridge examinations - Check point 1 in grade 6, CP 2 in 8, IGCSEs in 10, and A levels in 12.
Many schools have taken to teaching almost all subjects in English, sort of mixing the content, but giving extra lessons for conversion to the national exams in Indonesian. These lessons are usually in school but outside school hours and you pay a little extra.

The top end of the market has variety but a lot of these schools compete with the best in the world ..... but you pay for the service.