Balinese Etiquette
The Rules of Balinese Respect
Respect is a big thing in many cultures and is expected to be shown by every person. It’s the same in Bali! Respect is a massive thing on the island and it is not the same as it may be in your culture. It’s a core value and is important in specific ways and needs to be understood. To show respect to the Balinese people and their culture, knowing what rules exist and how to behave after them is helpful. Let us show you how to be as respectful as can be to Balinese people, the environment and the surroundings in Bali and how it’s crucial.
How to Greet properly
For Indonesian people, the way you greet and address them is very important and shows your respect for them. Depending on the time of day and the age of the person, there are many different ways to greet and address every person. Just like in other cultures, you greet people throughout the day. Starting with good morning, good afternoon and good night. It’s all the same in Indonesia. This is important as it shows effort and care to the person, not only that but it will impress the locals and maybe you’ll learn something new! Here is how you greet someone depending on the time of day in Indonesia in Bahasa:
From 06 am to 11 am:
Good Morning = Selamat Pagi
From 11 am to 3 pm:
Good Day = Selamat Siang
From 3 pm to 6 pm:
Good Afternoon = Selamat Sore
From 6 pm to 6 am:
Good Night = Selamat Malam
All of these are pronounced exactly the way they are written. With this, you will easily adapt to the basics of the Indonesian way of greeting. You don’t have to speak Bahasa now but it shows respect for the locals, and their culture and will impress them.
How to Address properly
If you’ve been in Indonesia before or you stayed a couple of days already, you probably recognized that Indonesians ending sentences very often with “Ibu” or “Pak”. This is the way how Indonesians address someone and this is really important in Indonesia. The way a person is addressed depends on their age and gender. Just like calling someone Miss or Mister in English.
A person that is younger then you, is called “Adek” (pronounced Ah Deh K).
Example: Apa kabar, Adek? = How are you?
A male person that is same age or slightly older then you, is called “Bli”. You can translate it with “Brother”. It is similar to the saying “Bro” in English.
Example: Terima kasih, Bli. = Thank you very much.
Is this person femal, you would call her “Mbak “ (prononunced Ehm Bah K).
A man that is way older then you, is called “Bapak”. Bapak means Father, Uncle or Mister.
Example: Selamat siang, Bapak. = Good Afternoon.
Is this person a woman, you would call her “Ibu”, what meas Mom, Auntie or Miss.
Example: Selamat pagi, Ibu. = Good Morning.
These are important when addressing or calling someone. You need to get these right for them to come across as respectful. Believe it or not, in Indonesian culture it is an honour to be addressed as a Bapak or Ibu which is usually said to a person who is past their late 30s, this can also vary depending on societal norms and your relationship with the person you are addressing. The terms Bli and Mbak are used when the person who is being addressed isn't much older, even if they are the same age, you can address them this way, it shows respect. If you’d like to keep it short you could also address them as “Kakak” which means respected elder (even if they aren’t an elder) or translated to older sibling. These can get confusing sometimes, especially if you aren’t sure of age. The easiest way around it is to always call someone who is your age or 15 years older by Bapak, Mbak or Kakak depending on gender. And, someone who is over 15 years older than you should be addressed as Bapak or Ibu, but NOT Kakak. If there are mistakes, Indonesian people are known to be super friendly and understanding, so no doubt they will correct you in a nice way which will help you learn!
Respecting your Surroundings
Balinese temples and offerings are almost always found on each street in Bali, sometimes even multiple times! Not only are the temples and the offerings beautiful but they are also sacred. Small Balinese temples are found in almost every building in Bali as it is believed that this protects the building. Just like the famous Ulundanu and Lempuyang temples they are just as important and hold the same spiritual impact. There have been many cases of tourists arriving in Bali and disrespecting the temples on the road which leads to them getting in trouble. This is something you should definitely avoid since not only can you get into legal trouble but it's also disrespectful and inconsiderate towards Balinese people and their culture.
Another thing you will see often on the road is a Balinese offering known as “Canang Sari” which is a daily offering to symbolize gratitude and respect to the Gods. The Canang Sari’s are made out of bamboo leaves stapled together and topped with colourful rice, flowers, incense, fruits and sometimes even a cigarette. These offerings are often put on a temple, on the sidewalk or oftentimes in the middle of the road. To respect the Balinese culture, make sure to not step on the Canang Sari’s not only because it can be seen as disrespectful but also because you might burn yourself, so watch out!
There are so many reasons to visit Bali and its rich culture is for sure one of them. So as a tourist try to get in touch with the Balinese culture as much as possible and respect it. So let us give you some more Do’s and Dont's as Travel tips for Bali :
Respect the sanctity of temples and religious symbols
Try to avoid single-use plastics like plastic bags and plastic straws as much as possible and don’t litter and pollute lakes or public areas. It is known that Bali has a pollution problem, which is unfortunately one of the downsides of this beautiful island. So help protect Bali's environment.
Take off your shoes before entering someone’s home.
This is to the girls: Don’t tan topless! Indonesia is a really religious country and nudity is considered disrespectful.
Give and receive things with the right hand. The left hand is regarded as “dirty”.
Don’t touch the head of a Balinese. The head is the most sacred body part as it contains the door through which the soul enters the body.
Showing the bottoms of your dirty feed by putting your feet up on a chair is one of the most disrespectful things you could do.
These are just a view advice you can keep in mind when travelling to Bali.
But don’t worry, the locals know that you are a tourist. So, if you don’t know what to say or to do, just ask. They will appreciate your effort 🙂
And now, book your stay, go surf and just explore this beautiful place, that we are calling “Island of Gods”
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