7 things about living in Yogyakarta Local House that you Should Know


Everything is going to be easy after the start-up company like airbnb educate people in this world to monetize their room and be a hotel owner wannabe. Even for me who don’t have any experience to serve a guest at all, not just like my friend who get a hospitality and hotel school in Europe which is cost over than USD150,000. In 2013 when I sign up on airbnb and got my first guest from Belgium I exactly don’t know how to do check in and receiving my money and once my guest arrived I just see my wife and look her do teh same thing to me cause we really confuse about it.

Time goes by till in 2016 we almost serve over than 200 guests from over than 20 cities and countries around the world. We learn so much thing from this kind of business, from the real damn guests till the really good guests who belong to my best friend on facebook that still connected right now. Even now we are get used to serve guests but we still learn the hospitality directly from our guests. I’ve got a friend who belong to a food controller in a 5 star hotel in Miami Florida who tell me that the real hospitality sense is not coming from a hundred thousand dollars that you spend in a university but coming from the common sense from your heart. Even you’re not a brilliant student who got a Cum Laude award you still can grow your own hotel business a.k.a room rental business starting now.
Now I would tell you about few things that you should prepare and adapted when choosing to live in a local house in Yogyakarta. As I know the idea of airbnb is to serve a friend from across the world to stay and learn the local culture directly from the locals. Prepare your note, write it down or just share it on your facebook to tell your friend or anybody who want to visit Yogyakarta this year.
  • Toilet paper is an un-normal thing that placed on the rest room – Here in Indonesia using a toilet paper is not a common things to do you using a jet sprayer and toilet flush is quite enough. Some airbnb host already put a toilet paper on their bathroom but in case you choose a “new” host in airbnb or couch serving just get ready for this essential thing and always put it in your backpack.
  • Take a bath with a water in a bucket is the way of life – Our way to take a bath in by using a small bucket and put the water inside from the big water tub and splash it into your body. In my first 1 year experience of being an airbnb host I also don’t put a shower in my bathroom but after I know that using a shower is an international standard of having a bath so I change it right now. In case you stay in a local house that don’t provide a shower I suggest you to get used in very fast when get in to their bath room than try to take a bath like locals, use the bucket!
  • Hearing an “Adzan” praying call voice is a normal – You should know that over than 50% of Indonesian population is a moslem so that’w why you will hear five times praying call directly from the mosque. The worst thing is if you stay in a house that located only few meter from the mosque and you hear this calling for the Subuh Pray cause it will be in 4.30 a.m. a really good time that I sure you still sleep like a baby after your tired schedule yesterday.
  • An “always” wet bathroom is a common – Dry bathroom is not familiar in Indonesia’s house, don’t know why but over than 25 years I live in this beautiful country I always face that all bathroom is used to be wet. One reason that I belief is because that house is using by over than 2 person so when you get in to the bathroom so it always still wet.
  • Drink a beer or any alcohol drink outside is impolite – Different than if you go to Bali which belong to touristic city, since here in Yogyakarta drinking an alcohol is not common things to do even they are not moslem (Chatolic or Christian) but drink an alcohol is like a personal habit so when you buy some beer just bring it inside the room (if the house owner allow) or drink it in a cafes or restaurant that provide it as well
  • Be ready to become a “fake” celebrity wannabe – Only if you are a blonde hair person, be ready to be asked by someone to taking a photo together. You should know that this isn’t a racist act but some of use, I can tell you that we are proud to taking a photo shots together by “bule” a calling to foreigner which has a blonde hair. They gonna proud and show the photo to all friends and family that “Yeah we got a foreigner taking photo together”.
  • Motor bike rider is a street king – Motor bike population is growing fast because some of motor company sell their motor with very cheap installment. When you rent a scooter to sightseeing around just aware with your surrounding and always see your mirror when you want to change your direction. Other case if you want to cross the street just sway your hand and ask teh motor bike to stop (even it don’t gonna be happen) but this the best way cause zebra cross may not safe your life.
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Bima

Professional wedding photographer and blogger since 2010 who put a concern to write a story about photography, traveling, culinary, and hospitality services

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