Blog Details

What To Avoid Before Travel To East Java

What to avoid before travel to east java – Indonesia has unique and complex culture that makes tourism growing rapidly in this region. Tourists are interested to visit and experience the beautiful scenery, rich culture, friendly people and heartwarming hospitality. However, like the other destination in the world, behind those all of the wonderful things we need to be aware of few things that might be caused danger and discomfort for us as a tourist.

We will specifically talk about East Java this time. East Java itself is dominated by Muslim (more about 90%), and the second position is Christian with less than 2% of inhabitants. Since, Islam or Muslim being the largest believe exist in East Java, most of the culture also strongly influenced by a lot of Muslim norms and values. This religious thing significantly formed the social interaction and cultural practice among the region.

This religious makeup significantly shapes daily life, social interactions, and cultural practices throughout the region. Muslim culture influences the art, architecture, food and social manner within society. This culture blend bringing unique atmosphere in East Java.

Several place in west Java such as: Bromo, Tumpak Sewu Waterfall, and Ijen are famous tourism spot to visit. This guideline will help you to comprehend some points that you have to do and have to avoid to do as tourist, which hopefully could present you respectful and meaningful travel experience.

Also Read : What To Do In Kawah Ijen Banyuwangi

Norm and Cultures : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Most of people in East Java hold the politeness on the way they dress. Avoid to wear inappropriate clothes when you explore especially the religious spots like mosque, church or temple. Wear something that close your body properly.
2. Shoes off! It is common culture of Java to take your shoes off before you enter a home and several holy places. Be aware that you may have to ask permission before you take pictures.
3. The Java culture seems to be more conservative. Be careful of your action, don’t be too excessive in showing affection with your partner in public area. Kissing and hugging between couples in public space is not really common to do and consider as discomfort behavior for the locals.
4. Give and receive something by your right hand. In Java culture, giving and receiving something by left hand is consider as impolite action.
5. Avoid for unfinished or wasting food. People perhaps see this action as disrespectful. Take enough portion for you to eat.
6. Do not show or pointing something using your feet or head gesture. It’s classified as impolite and rude. Use your fingers instead of your feet or head.

Also Read : Guide To Madakaripura Waterfall Before You Go

Religious Practice : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Please noted that some activities or business might be stop for a while during the praying times. Avoid to interrupting it and be patient to wait.
2. When you find religious ceremony and interested in to see, please do not enter any space without permission. It will be better to ask permission and mindful the distance to respect the ongoing event.
3. Do not cross in front of someone who pray. This action is considered as extremely impolite and disrespectful. Instead of crossing, you can be patient to wait little bit or try to find another access.
4. East Java is dominate by Muslim that has five times ultimate time to pray. It always started with Adzan (Calling pray from the mosque by muezzin using loudspeaker) that you can hear during your sleep close to the dawn. If you stay close to the mosque, do not forget to prepare the earplug to reduce the noise.

Also Read : Get 3 Days 2 Night Travel With Kulojava To Bromo, Ijen and Tumpak Sewu

Transportation : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Do not renting any vehicle without checking! It’s better to always check car or motorbike condition before you rent. Check if the documents valid, also make sure the lights, tire, brake, horn and indicators are in good condition.
2. When you travel during big holidays such as Eid, Nyepi or Christmas, avoid to take a trip without advance ticket. The public transportation can be overloaded during this period, searching the ticket on the day of the trip might be risk to sold out.
3. Keep in mind that some of transportations will not arrive and depart on time. Do not booking ticket which has short gap timing between flights and other transportations.
4. Do not forget to prepare your transportation apps! Uber is internationally the most famous online transportation, meanwhile Indonesia is dominated by these two online transportations: Go-jek and Grab. Both of the apps offer the competitive price, you can compare the price to get the cheapest one.
5. Online transportation and public transportation can be not available in some places that far from the city center. So that you must find the local people who offer their service. But be careful, they can offer you overrated price. Do not accept their offer immediately! It is fine to do the negotiation.
6. Understand the bus type! There are different public bus type and service that operated in java.  They are economy and executive bus. The economy bus offers cheap price but usually takes time longer, since the economy one usually stops multiple times to drop or take passengers among the road. It can be no AC, but some are already provided AC. While the executive is way more expensive, it can be double or triple price. But the bus is more comfortable and faster.

Safety and Security : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Always be aware when you want to crossing the street by walk or by scooter, because the traffic can be crowded.
2. You can avoid to drive during the night! Especially in rural area with minimum lighting and bumpy road that might be dangerous.
3. When you choose to ride scooter, do not forget to always put your helmet on. Even you see some locals may be not aware of helmet usage, but it is for your safety. Protect your head and ride safely!
4. Please pay attention and follow the safety rules at tourism attractions especially when you do hiking, snorkeling, climbing, visiting waterfalls etc.
5. Avoid to involving in any violence activity and drug! Indonesia has strict law regarding to the drug usage.
6. Be mindful if you meet someone who offer you help, stuffs or service to avoid scam.
7. Make sure you keep your important things such as passport, money etc. save and properly.
8. Avoid to over packaging your stuffs. Moving and changing transportation from one place to another can be difficult when you bring too much baggage.

Food, Health and Hygiene : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Indonesian foods are mostly spicy and have strong flavor. Be aware of it, if you are not “spicy person” you have to choose the menu carefully. Ask to the staff first about the spiciness before you make an order.
2. Prevent to buy food at street food stands if it looks dirty. It doesn’t matter to eat at small stands or small warung as long as they pretty aware with hygiene, and for sure it will give you cheaper price than eating at restaurant. So, be wise to choose the place.
3. Stay away from quite warung or restaurant! Choose the busy one in which the food served fresh.
4. Avoid to drink from the tap water. Drink the mineral bottle is more save!
5. When you want to drink beverage with ice, make sure that the cafe or restaurant make the ice cube from good water source such as purified water or mineral water for the hygiene.
6. Medical kit is essential!! Do not forget to always prepare your basic medical kits related to your health issues.
7. Please aware of vaccinations. Research before you start to travel if there is a must vaccination required to do.
8. Remember that Java is close to the equator line which means it has high level of UV radiation. Stay away to get too long sun bathing at noon (between 11.00am-3.00pm) to avoid sun burn and another skin problems. Apply your sunscreen gradually to protect your skin.
9. Java with its tropical climate is a good place for mosquito population. Protect your skin by using anti mosquito spray or lotion to avoid serious illness such as malaria and dengue fever.
10. Not all places provide well maintained toilet. Stay away from dirty public restroom except you are under the urgency. Bring your own toilet paper is better, because some of restroom not always provide.
11. Most of the toilet in Java is design as old Indonesian standard sanitary. Some hostel, homestay or guesthouse usually forbid their guest throw away toilet paper into the toilet because it can be stuck easily. They usually priced mini trash bin in every toilet. Make sure to obey your palace policy!
12. Since the weather is commonly hot and humid, it makes your body easily sweating and smelling. Do shower regularly and do not skip to apply deodorant to keep you fresh.

Nature and Environment : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. Make sure to keep your surrounding clean, by throwing garbage on available trash bin. If you can’t find it, always carry your trash with you, until you find the trash bin.
2. Try to avoid use plastics. It is better for you to bring your own bottle and shopping bag. The plastic pollution becomes the big problem for surrounding, river and beaches in East Java.
3. Avoid to damage the plants when you visit nature tourism spot. Don’t pick flowers or leaves! As might be there are some protected plants by government. Moreover, some plants you not familiar with, can caused danger because its poisonous.
4. Always priorities your safety by not touching or feeding animal, especially the wild one! If you want to observe, you can do it by maintenance a safety distance.
5. When you do ocean attraction such as snorkeling or free dive, please avoid to damage the corals by pulling or standing on them, because they are so fragile and it takes times to recover.

Money, Technology and Connectivity : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. You may travel to the region with lack of internet connection. It’s pretty common happen at small village, beaches or mountains. Do not rely 100% on online apps! Its better to download offline apps such as offline translator or offline map. It is good to search many information as much as you can before you decide to visit a certain place with lack of internet connection.
2. Avoid to use unnecessary things on your phone to save your battery. Bring power bank if you think the trip will push you to use a lot of navigation or taking a lot of documentaries.
3. Keep away from updating your real time location on social media! You must be aware that this action probably attracting danger or unwanted attention. Giving some space must be better!
4. You couldn’t always find the places that accept card payment. Some of small business perhaps receive payment by cash only. Do not 100% rely on your credit card and bring some cash.
5. Prevent to carry huge amount of cash! We never know something bad can happen anytime anywhere when we walk, ride or drive on the road. It will be good if you split your cash, and put some in a safe place. Just bring enough amount for spending your cash during a day or two days.
6. Keep away for exchange your money at airport or hotel because most of the time they offer bad rates. It’s way much better if you can find official money changer.
7. As many crimes might be happen on the ATM usage, avoid to use machine in quite place without any security. Find the ATM located to the direct bank for safety transaction.

Language Challenges : What To Avoid Before Go To Travel To East Java

1. English is primarily spoken among tourist area. But do not expect that all people who live near the tourism spot can speak English well. Some people might speak so well, but some not, the others perhaps speak little. It is good for you as a tourist to learn very basic of Indonesian language.
2. Avoid to use idiom when you speak with your tour guide or local people to prevent misunderstanding in communication.
3. Use the translator apps to help you communicate with local people. But be careful, sometimes the translator also make mistake.
4. When you find lack of English in communication among the local, you can use body language to make your speaking partner understand. But remember that the body language in East Java probably different from your country. Learn local language gesture to avoid mistake.

East Java is incredibly wort to visit by its nature, people and culture. By understanding this guiding, hopefully you can enjoy your visit in wonderful and meaningful journey. Well, see you in East Java! Do not forget to make warm connection and memorable experience!