Indonesia is a beautiful and unique country in SouthEast Asia. It stands out because of the diversity of its culture, its people, its religions, its languages, its rich marine life, its biodiversity, its food, and its 17000+ islands.
But what makes Indonesia even more interesting is that despite the cultural and religious diversity of its population, the country is very unified and there is a strong sense of belonging, of shared identity.
Find out more interesting things about the Indonesian culture below, plus tips on how to be a respectful traveller.
PS: one of the best ways to travel through this beautiful country is to do a sustainable, eco-friendly guided tour of Indonesia organised by G Adventures. They plan everything for you which is a big plus.
Indonesia was colonised by the Dutch for about 3.5 centuries, and was known as “Dutch East Indies”. This ended when the Japanese took over in 1942, and Indonesia obtained its independence when Japan surrendered the country in 1945.
Find the top places to visit in Indonesia here.
Everyone in Indonesia speaks Indonesian, but each ethnic group has their own language and traditions too. So it’s common to find that most Indonesian people identify themselves by their ethnic community and their family first, and only second as “Indonesian”.
Similarly across many Asian countries, reputation and face are important aspects of Indonesian culture. Therefore, people behave in ways that protect their dignity and self-respect, in order to build and save face. Inappropriate conduct or behaviour that makes you stand out are not recommended.
Being courteous, gracious, and soft-spoken is also a big part of Indonesian culture. It is a collectivistic society, and people operate with a group mindset, with a lot of importance placed on what others would say or think.
Respect is automatically given to the elderly. Age is a big factor in the sense that anyone older than yourself should be treated with esteem and courtesy, no matter what.
Indonesia is a secular country, meaning the laws are generally not subject to, or bound, by religious beliefs. However, as you will find in most countries, religion almost always influences politics, and most definitely influences the culture.
Islam is the most popular religion in Indonesia, but because Indonesia is a secular country, it does not follow Islamic laws. The province of Aceh is the only part of Indonesia that follows Sharia law and applies it to criminal justice. Drinking alcohol, committing adultery, and homosexuality are all illegal in Aceh, but not in other parts of Indonesia (although, generally speaking, the LGBTQ community does not feel safe or welcome in Indonesia). Other than Aceh, Islamic law is only applied in the context of civil law, i.e. marriage, divorce, inheritance, and religious endowments.
Bali is the only predominantly non-Muslim part of Indonesia. In fact, the majority of Balinese people are Hindus. Balinese Hinduism is a combination of Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.
Bali is one of the most popular tourist and digital nomad destinations. As such, we thought of giving some important facts about Balinese culture.
What is culture without food? Indonesian cuisine varies across the different regions and islands. In the west, in Sumatra, the cuisine has been heavily influenced by Indian and Middle Eastern styles, while in Java, the cuisine is mostly indigenous with a little bit of Chinese influence. Eastern Indonesian food, on the other hand, bears more of a resemblance to Polynesian and Melanesian cuisine.
Dadar Gulung is a popular snack, found mostly in Java and Bali. Main ingredients: grated coconut and palm sugar inside a thin pancake (the pancake is usually green because it’s made with pandan leaves).
Nasi goreng means fried rice. Fried rice is very popular all over Indonesia, and can be found anywhere from fancy restaurants, to street vendors, to local diners (known as warungs, or rumah makan).
Ikan bar literally means burnt fish, but in actuality it means grilled fish and other types of seafood. It is a classic dish, and can be found all over Indonesia.
Mie Goreng, also sometimes known as bami goreng, is common all over Indonesia, and is made with thin yellow noodles. This is regularly consumed as a breakfast food by locals. Mie: noodles, goreng: fried.
Pisang: banana, goreng: fried. Commonly sold by street vendors but also found in restaurants, pisang goreng goes by various names across Indonesia. It was originally introduced by the Portuguese as banana fritters, which was a breakfast food.
We hope this article helped you learn just a little bit more about the wonderful Indonesian culture. Now that you’re equipped culturally, find out things to do in Indonesia.
