Indonesia questions about tipping/gratuities

[Scubagermany]

" It would be wonderful if my fellow liveaboard guests who are "haves" generously assist people like me in paying our shared crew enough to compensate for their low wages.

That is exactly NOT what I am trying to communicate.

And if you are one the boat as a guest you do not qualify as a "have not"

 

[Lorenzoid]

That is exactly NOT what I am trying to communicate.

And if you are one the boat as a guest you do not qualify as a "have not"

I was being facetious, brother.

 

[Angelo Farina]

Who is Ange?
Vexation, perhaps?

I suppose that Ange was a contraption for Angelo, that's me..
I sincerely apologize for having triggered the derailment of this thread about the "tipping culture" debate.
My post was simply providing info on the fact that in Asia tipping is not customary, and in some country (i e. Japan) it is truly offensive..
So kudos for the OP for asking..
I was really applauding him for this, it is what should always be done.
I had no intention to criticise the OP, who made an honest question, instead of assuming that "everyone is happy of a tip" and "the more I tip, the better", which unfortunately are assumptions which emerged from some of the posts...
Every place is different, what is highly appreciated in a place can be offensive and unjust in another place.
Securely such a "generous" approach is quite wrong in SE Asia, as most people who travelled there confirmed.
So, again, kudos to the OP for asking!

 

[JonnieB]

Woah
I tipped $40/day

You waaay over tipped...the minimum MONTHLY wage in most of Indonesia is about $160 a month. The op and others can use this as a reference in their tipping decisions.

 

[JonnieB]

I would take a couple thousand dollars in crisp new $100 bills and exchange these ONLY at authorized money changers in Jakarta and Sarong (or pay for larger expenses). These are the air-con shops, which almost always have an electronic bill counting machine...NOT all the open-air street side booths with sandwich boards touting higher rates and lettering that they too are "Authorized Money Exchange" shops. Technically it's illegal for businesses to accept foreign currencies for payment but many will do so, giving you international standard exchange rates. This is the video to watch for exchanging currency in Indonesia.
You should also DL and set up the Wise currency transfer app. It's widely used throughout Asia (and Indonesia) and is the cheapest and quickest way to make international transfers. Use it to transfer dollars to rupiah from a US based bank account for the lowest fees and quickest transfer (basically instantaneous).

I spend 3-4 months a year in Bali and this how I roll. Credit cards and ATM Cards are also widely accepted but fees can be high and withdrawal limits low. Good to have but I only use them in extremis.

 

[JonnieB]

I also try to avoid ATMs when traveling. I just got back from Indonesia and went to a currency exchange place before I left and changed $300 into rupiah to bring with me. My bank also told me that they could get rupiah (and many other currencies) with just a few days notice. There is a small fee but likely comparable to what you would pay at an ATM.

No it's not comparable to an ATM in a foreign, which will generally give the daily LIBOR exchange rate (or close to it), where as the US bank fee may be small but its exchange rate (for non-hard currencies) will be atrocious. The general rule is to never buy foreign currencies from US banks when traveling, withdrawn crisp new $20, $50, or $100 bills and exchange them abroad.

 

[Failed captcha]

I would politely suggest Americans to stop exporting and imposing their crap and unjust "tipping culture" to other countries.
In many places in Asia tipping is quite offensive, and should be entirely avoided!
In most places it is expected that you contract for paying LESS than the initial request, not that you add a tip...
So it is good to ask in advance, it is wrong to assume that tipping is expected everywhere, being so only in US and in touristic places where a lot of American tourists imposed this bad habit.

I hate this about my country. I go around speaking Spanish and just telling people I'm Mexican (not entirely false anway) so I don't get treated like a target. It made Italy so much better when Italians thought I was Mexican (and catholic) and I wasn't pickpocketed or scammed at all...

 

[also_anon_dc]

The general rule is to never buy foreign currencies from US banks when traveling, withdrawn crisp new $20, $50, or $100 bills and exchange them abroad.

Exchange them where? My goal is to have cash immediately when I land so I can pay for a taxi or tip a porter/driver. Won't the currency exchange in the airport also have fees and/or a poor exchange rate (if it's even open)?

 

[Dan]

Exchange them where? My goal is to have cash immediately when I land so I can pay for a taxi or tip a porter/driver. Won't the currency exchange in the airport also have fees and/or a poor exchange rate (if it's even open)?

Check my post #19 in this thread; Trip Report - Raja Ampat, Live Report, Nov. 7-Dec. 7, 2023

There are plenty of bank booths as you exit from the airport in Jakarta or Bali.

 

[JonnieB]

Exchange them where? My goal is to have cash immediately when I land so I can pay for a taxi or tip a porter/driver. Won't the currency exchange in the airport also have fees and/or a poor exchange rate (if it's even open)?

Yes you will get a poor exchange rate at the airport but it will still be better than the rate when buying IDR from a US bank in America. For this first exchange, only convert $20-$50, enough to pay for the taxi to your hotel and maybe a few incidentals at a mini mart after your long journey. Alternatively, if you arrive during the day, ask your driver to stop at an authorized money exchange on the drive to the hotel. The difference between a "good" and "bad" local exchange is only a dollar or two (or less) on a $100 conversion... it's only really a factor when changing $500 or $1000.