Is tipping expected in Indonesia?

5/10/2014 1:14:12 PM

I traveled Sumatra and Java for months and I NEVER was asked any tip.

The thing is that I speak some Indonesian, so they know that I won’t buy the “you are supposed to tip” line.

That said, I’ve never been in Bali and they may have a very different culture about tipping. Some bad habit taught by occidentals 😉

In the end, I tip only those people who sell coffee for 3000 rupiah (25 cents) and don’t ask for anything else.

5/13/2014 1:23:04 PM

Based on my experiences and conversations in Bali so far (specifically: Ubud, Denpasar, Sanur), it appears that tipping works something like this:

Restaurants

  • You’re generally not expected to tip, but there are exceptions:
    • At some restaurants, a 5% “service fee” will be added to your bill.
    • As printemps noted, you will encounter a sort of “share the wealth” mentality if you appear to be wealthy or are in an area heavily frequented by tourists. You should leave a 5-10k tip in these cases (no more than 20k though; keep reading).
    • Do not leave a huge tip, even for really good service. It will be viewed as charity, and you will not leave the positive impression you were hoping for!

Taxis

  • Taxi drivers generally do not expect tips. In Bali, taxis are not metered; you negotiate the fare beforehand. So there is no “round up” tipping or anything of than nature.
  • If the driver goes above and beyond (assists with luggage, etc.), a 5-20k tip is appropriate.

Other Services

  • I’ve heard that you should tip at spas and hairdressers, but I haven’t been to any since I got here, so I cannot comment.
  • Other service providers will not expect a tip.
3/28/2014 12:20:52 PM

I’m Indonesian. To my knowledge, tipping is not common in Indonesia (no unwritten rules or the like). But yes, sometimes they expect a tip, especially when the guest (local or foreigner) is considered rich. Most Indonesians assume that people coming from developed countries are rich. Even when they are not, the currency exchange rate makes them rich in Indonesia 😉

3/26/2014 2:34:22 PM

There’s a useful breakdown for tipping in different scenarios at this web site (whototip.net).

I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this information (not sure where the web developer got his info) but it appears to be pretty thorough.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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