29 Things You Should Never Do in Indonesia

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Never Buy From A Suspicious Source

Source: https://cdns.klimg.com/

In any case, be it buying that tempting cheap Arak from the corner stand or buying bottled water from that suspicious looking street vendor. You should NEVER buy anything from a suspicious source. If the shop or the seller looks sleazy in any way, it would be best to not buy from there. Saving a couple of bucks is just not worth it.

In Indonesia, Arak is a colorless alcoholic drink distilled from palm flowers. Arak, is typically the cheapest local spirit available, unregulated arak production has caused the deaths of numerous locals and tourists. Locals often make this bootleg liquor due to strict laws or high taxes meant to stifle alcohol consumption. This local unregulated arak, ends up in small shops, bars and restaurants across the country so business owners can earn more by using cheap alcohol. Several tourists have been killed by bad arak over the past few years, the worst case occurring in 2009 when 25 people died from a single bad batch. In 2011, Jamie Johnston, a 25-year-old Australian suffered kidney failure, facial paralysis, and brain damage after drinking a methanol-laced arak cocktail. If you don’t know where the shop, bar or restaurant got their Arak from, better stay away from this potentially deadly liquor. There are other alcoholic beverages available in Indonesia anyway.

Tourists seem to assume that ALL bottled water is safe to drink. But have you ever wondered where does bottled water come from? Generally, it’s filtered tap water or spring water from the nearest polluted river. If you have to drink bottled water then make sure it’s from a reputable brand and that the bottle has not been tampered with.