Responsible travel: local businesses and animals

Responsible travel in Indonesia comes down to three habits: spend with people who live there, ask before visiting any animal attraction, and follow local customs. None of these costs more effort than a good itinerary already takes. They make the trip richer for you and fairer for your hosts.

This page sits in our booking responsibility guide, because the choices start at booking time.

How can you support local businesses?

Eat at family-run warungs, small local eateries, and buy crafts straight from the makers. Your ringgit then reaches the people who did the work.

Hire local guides and drivers, and ask your agency which suppliers are locally owned, especially on Bali. Staying in a locally run guesthouse for part of the trip is another simple choice.

How do you pay fairly?

Agree prices before a service starts so nobody is surprised. Tip for good service in the way locals do, and carry small notes for it.

If you bargain at a market, keep it friendly. A few rupiah matter more to the seller than to you.

What should you ask about animal attractions?

Ask where the animals live, how they are cared for and whether they are made to perform. Look for places that observe animals in the wild or that run real rescue and rehabilitation.

Be careful with attractions that offer photos with wild animals, rides or close handling. If an animal looks distressed, thin or confined, leave and say why to your guide.

Which questions help you decide?

• Does the animal choose to interact, or is it held for visitors?
• Is there a limit on visitor numbers?
• Does the place explain its care and where animals come from?
• Would the animal be able to live differently if the place did not exist?

If answers are vague, treat that as information. Your agency can suggest alternatives, such as a nature walk with a trained guide.

How do you show respect at temples and villages?

Dress modestly, covering shoulders and knees, and follow the signs at each site. Ask before photographing people or ceremonies.

Greet people with a smile, and use a few words of Bahasa Indonesia, which is close enough to Malay that Malaysian visitors pick it up quickly. Small gestures like this are noticed and appreciated.

What can you do before you book?

Tell the agency what matters to you: local suppliers, small groups, no animal shows. Ask them to put it in the itinerary in writing.

A guide that explains the places you visit adds depth too. Combine these habits with the checks in our questions to ask before paying a deposit, and you plan a trip that is kind to people, animals and your budget.