Travelling solo through Indonesia as a woman - My experience
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Mount Batok (front), Mount Bromo (in the middle to the left with smoke coming out of the crater) and Mount Semeru (in the back) on the Indonesian island Java.
Traveling solo has many advantages such as complete freedom and flexibility to set your own pace, self-discovery and confidence through problem-solving, increased connections with locals and other travelers, building resilience and genuine cultural immersion, all while tailoring the entire experience to your personal needs and interests.
Traveling safely alone as a woman takes some smart planning: Picking a safe destination/country for solo travelling as a woman is crucial and the first step to an epic trip. I had good and bad experiences travelling alone, very much depending on the destination. Therefore, I would like to share my experience with other women who want to enjoy their solo trip to its fullest.
Indonesian society is a vibrant, diverse mix of strong community bonds, deep family values, and rich cultural, emphasizing harmony, respect for elders, politeness, and collectivism, though navigating a blend of traditional roots and modern influences, with a generally relaxed pace. Indonesians are known to be incredibly friendly and curious. Criminality in Indonesia is characterized by relatively low overall violent crime. Indonesia is the perfect destination for women traveling alone.
Bali
Rice paddy in Ubud, Bali, at sunrise.
I traveled the first time to Indonesia in 2022, seizing the moment to visit Bali with less crowds due to the still ongoing Covid-19 restrictions. I spent a few days in Canggu before moving to Ubud. It was my first time travelling in South East Asia. Bali was my first choice because the Balinese are well known for their hospitality and friendliness. After flying more than 18 hours, arriving tired in Bali, I had the sweetest welcome by my driver Putut who made sure that I felt at ease the moment I walked out of the airport. He was super friendly and had a bottle of cool water ready for me. Once in the hotel he made sure I had all my luggage at the reception and that I had my welcome drink before paying him. The hotel staff was wonderful.
The beautiful little homestay in Ubud.
The friendliness continued in the hotel and the restaurants I went to. At the beginning it was a bit overwhelming. I am not used to this amount of kidness and curiosity, living in Switzerland. Random people on the streets hooked me up in conversations. I first suspected scams but soon I realized, they were just being friendly and genuinely interested. Of course, some tried to sell me clothes, glasses, little trinkets, tours and their service as drivers. However, they were never instrusive (and I am saying this as an introvert!). Some tried to haggle and sell their sarongs and fans but in the end, a firm “no, thank you” or “thank you, I am just browsing, I will get back to you when I need your help” would make them leave me in peace. After all, I was on holiday, I had time, so I let myself get involved in conversations with the locals. It was sad or even shocking to see how unfriendly many western/white tourists reacted to the locals approaching, chasing them away.
The host in Ubud was wonderful: I stayed at a family-run homestay, located in a beautiful garden. They had their own temple, which is an understatement because it was whole temple complex. He organized everything for me, the pickup in Canggu, my trip to Mount Batur and they even invited me to a Hindu ceremony the family was taking part in.
I hired Gojek drivers for my day tours. When I managed to find an English speaking driver, I asked them if they would be willing to drive me around a day for a flatrate. They brought me to the most famous places but also showed me hidden gems and made sure that I got the most out of my day. They watched my bag while I was visiting temples, waited with a towel while I was swimming in waterfalls and took me to the best and safest restaurants.
There wasn’t a single moment in Bali, I felt unsafe. All the (male) drivers and guides were friendly, unintrusive and went out of their way to make sure I had the best experience. In my home country I would never ask a random unknown man to drive me around for a day. In Indonesia it is very common to do so and I never had a bad experience, not in Bali, not in Lombok and not in Java.
Lombok
Other than Bali, Lombok is a mainly Muslim island. Lombok is a completely different vibe from Bali. When I was there, there was already some tourism but not as crowded as it is now. In general it is much calmer, more rural and simpler than Bali. Same as in Bali, the locals are nice and caring. I remember practicing riding a scooter with my friend on a deserted road with very little traffic. She was waiting for me on the side of the road while I roder her scooter. Every car or motorbike passing, slowed down to check if we had a breakdown or ran out of gas and needed help.
The snorkeling trips I booked were perfectly organized. The drivers and the captains of the boats made sure I was safe. It was no issue to be on a boat a whole day with three guys, compared to other places, where this easily could have turned into a very uncomfortable situation. I did a day trip to the Secret Gilis with a fisherman who only spoke three words in English. However, he went out of his way to show me the most beautiful corals, the most colorful fishes and the most comfortable sunbed to relax on a tiny little island.
The waitors in the restaurant of the hotel realized I was travelling alone so they regularly checked on me if I was doing well and asked if everything was fine when I did not show up for breakfast one morning.
Gili Air
I remember reading warnings about the local alcohol mafia on Gili Air published by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Well, I managed to land in the middle of a moonshiner circle when I visited Gili Air and it was… harmless. Let me add that I do not drink and I warmly recommend not drinking any moonshine anywhere in the world. Let aside it tastes disgusting (I only had a small sip out of politness - I will get to that story later), consuming moonshine is a serious health hazard. However the moonshiners were just a bunch of bored locals that wanted to have some fun in the evening. They were the friends of the guy that ran the hotel I stayed at. Every night they would gather on the beach and drink together. Were they alcoholics? Yes, some definitly. Did they invite me? Absolutely! Did I go? Yes. Did I drink their moonshine? No! Absolutely not.
When I arrived on Gili Air, I was greeted by a flock of locals offering me a welcome drink. I quickly clocked that it was moonshine and out of politeness I drank half a cup. It was a disgusting pink drink that did not even contain that much alcohol. Later in the evening, my host invited me to join a group of locals at the beach for a few drinks. I do not drink but I still joined. Well, those were the infamous moonshiners of the Gilis. I pretended to sip on the glass that was passed around. They all eventually got drunk, inculding the two British tourists that joined. One night, my host dragged one of the girls who passed out drunk to a hotel room so that she could sleep there and would not hurt herself stumbling around on the beach. Even around the local moonshiner mafia I did not feel unsafe for a second. However, please do no drink moonshine and drink with moderation, esepcially in a Muslim country like Indonesia.
Java
Java is much less touristic than Bali (and even Lombok). I often was the only Western/white tourist when visiting places and attractions. Most other tourists were either domestic tourists or visiting from neighbouring countries such as Malaysia. There are some Javanese cities that are rather conservative. However, the locals were as approachable as the Balinese. In Yogyakarta, a guy started to talk to me in the middle of the street. It was the usual Batik shop visit “scam” (not really a scam), where they take you to a Batik exposition that only lasts that night, in the hope that you will buy something. They do not tell you that it is a shop which is permanently there. I did not fall for the scam but the guy was nice and I ended up hiring him several times as my driver. He organized another guy for me when he did not have time to take me to Goa Jomblang, Goa Grubug and Pindul Cave. He went out of his way putting together an amazing trip to Borobudur Temple and Candi Prambanan with a surprise visit to Mount Merapi and a fun Jeep Tour inbetween.
I dressed very modestly while travelling through Java. I always covered my legs, either with long pants or a long skirt, and I wore shirts with long sleeves and no cleavage. I did it out of respect for the locals and to protect my skin from the hot tropical sun.
The only unpleasant encounter I had was in Malang: A drunk guy started to court me. However, it happened in the middle of a big square with many people around. Eventually I just walked away. Ten minutes later, when I was waiting for me Gojek driver in my full protective motorcycle clothing and a turban, a few elderly ladies having a picnic on the lawn were complementing my outfit, especially my turban.
To sum it up
Indonesian society is a vibrant, diverse mix of strong community bonds, deep family values, and rich cultural traditions shaped by numerous ethnic groups and religions (predominantly Islam), emphasizing harmony, respect for elders, politeness, and collectivism, though navigating a blend of traditional roots and modern influences, with a generally relaxed pace and emphasis on relationships. Indonesians are known to be incredibly friendly and curious. Embrace their friendliness and their curiousity by being friendly and curious yourself.
Dos and Don’ts when travelling solo as a woman in Indonesia
Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, long pants/skirts, no cleavage, wear hair in a bun or use a turban. Dress for the location you visit, especially when visiting temples or other religious sites. Inform yourself about the dresscode.
Leave the string bikini at home, bring a swimsuit and a rash guard instead. It protects from the hot tropical sun and potential reef cuts.
Be patient: Indonesians are very relaxed, and do not like to be rushed. However, most dealing with tourists know that punctuality is appreciated so they try to be punctual. Traffic can be brutal in Indonesia so if you driver is late, he mostly is stuck in traffic.
Do not visit temples when you are on your period.
Never ever drink moonshine. If you drink, drink in moderation and only branded alcohol.
Absolutely do not do any drugs! That is a serious crime in Indonesia and is severly punished. For drug trafficking the death penalty might be applied.
When partying, take the usual precautions, such as never leave your drink unattended, have a solid transportation plan back to your hotel etc.
If somebody offers you their service as a driver or a guide, agree on a price upfront. Since Indonesians use WhatsApp for everything, find your agreement by text message, so that you have proof that you agreed on a certain price. Other than that, just be street-smart.
Use Gojek. Let your driver know if you feel like they are driving reckless.
Tip your Gojek driver, your waitor, your guide, your maid, you get it…
Smile and be polite, humble and curious. Stop and chat with the locals. You will make a lot of new friends and learn about Indonesian culture.
Be street-smart. Indonesia in general has a low crime rate but there still can happen some petty crimes. Do not carry large amounts of money, keep your passpart locked in your safe in the hotel. Pickpocketing or bag snatching might happen in touristic areas, like everywhere in the world and watch out for scams.
Let me know your experience travelling solo as a woman in Indonesia. How was your trip? What did wish you would have known before travelling through Indonesia?
