How are dreadlocks seen in Indonesia? Should I cut my dreads before traveling to Indonesia? Read on for my suggestions and experiences with dreadlocks in Indonesia.
I spent about 3 weeks in Indonesia, about half in Jakarta and half in several rural villages. Dreadlocks are sometimes worn by Indonesians, but they are not common in most of the country except in Papua. Since I didn't visit Papua, I only saw two Indonesians with dreadlocks. The first had pretty nice long dreadlocks that looked pretty clean (although he was wearing a motorcycle helmet so it was hard to tell...) The second had short, very matted and greasy hair. I think his dreadlocks were more a side effect of neglect than anything purposeful.
I asked locals whether they thought my own hair would cause any problems in the villages that we were going to visit. In general, they said it would be fine since I was just visiting the communities and not going to do long-term work. They also said that my hair would not be formal enough to get a good reaction from government officials. We met one Indonesian man (George, pictured below) who is the director of a non-profit organization and has hair (not dreadlocks) to his shoulders. Even he trimmed off a few inches of his hair before visiting government officials, so I would suggest anyone with dreadlocks consider cutting their hair if they need to impress government officials in Indonesia.
In the villages I visited, people were very curious about my hair, but weren't as hands-on as people were in other Asian countries I have visited. In one village in Sumatra, I think that people were actually more excited to talk to me and less shy because they were curious about my hair.
Bottom line - I think that having dreadlocks was actually beneficial to my overall reception in Indonesia, and I'm glad I had them. If you are just visiting Indonesia, don't cut your hair, especially if you are going to stick to large cities and tourist areas. If you need to impress government officials or if you are going to live in Indonesia long-term, get some advice from locals of the area where you will be living.
Post a comment and let me know what you think about this. If you have dreadlocks and have traveled in Indonesia, let me know about your experiences!
..Isaac..
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| Isaac and Kirstie at Lindu lake in central Sulawesi. |
I spent about 3 weeks in Indonesia, about half in Jakarta and half in several rural villages. Dreadlocks are sometimes worn by Indonesians, but they are not common in most of the country except in Papua. Since I didn't visit Papua, I only saw two Indonesians with dreadlocks. The first had pretty nice long dreadlocks that looked pretty clean (although he was wearing a motorcycle helmet so it was hard to tell...) The second had short, very matted and greasy hair. I think his dreadlocks were more a side effect of neglect than anything purposeful.
I asked locals whether they thought my own hair would cause any problems in the villages that we were going to visit. In general, they said it would be fine since I was just visiting the communities and not going to do long-term work. They also said that my hair would not be formal enough to get a good reaction from government officials. We met one Indonesian man (George, pictured below) who is the director of a non-profit organization and has hair (not dreadlocks) to his shoulders. Even he trimmed off a few inches of his hair before visiting government officials, so I would suggest anyone with dreadlocks consider cutting their hair if they need to impress government officials in Indonesia.
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| Isaac, Doris, George, Kirstie, Sara, and Miel at a restaurant in Jakarta. |
Bottom line - I think that having dreadlocks was actually beneficial to my overall reception in Indonesia, and I'm glad I had them. If you are just visiting Indonesia, don't cut your hair, especially if you are going to stick to large cities and tourist areas. If you need to impress government officials or if you are going to live in Indonesia long-term, get some advice from locals of the area where you will be living.
Post a comment and let me know what you think about this. If you have dreadlocks and have traveled in Indonesia, let me know about your experiences!
 |
| Isaac and Kirstie at a beach near Bengkulu. |
..Isaac..
Hi there,
ReplyDeleteI want to study south/east asian culture and language. I want to focus at Indonesia, so I will probably have to spend a lot of time there in my future. The problem is that I Always wanted to put of a natural look, and I would really love to have dreadlocks. But according to your article that wouldn't be a good idea. Do yoou have other ways how I can look more natural without dreadlocks? Is it a good idea to just have normal long hair, or just short hair. And what about a beard?
Thanks for the article btw. It was really helpful :)
Hi Ciske,
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you found this blog helpful. In answer to your question - I would suggest you get settled in Indonesia and get to know locals. Once you have some good contacts, they can give you really good advice about how dreadlocks or any other style you may choose will be received.
In general, if you will be interacting with mostly the same people all the time, then WHO you are will be much more important than what you look like. I've found people are willing to discard their first impressions as they get to know me. However, if you will be talking with new people all the time, then first impressions will be more important for you.
Finally, don't get tied into thinking that any hairstyle is more "natural" than others. Humans throughout history and in different cultures have worn many different hairstyles. Just about any hairstyle can be achieved with or without shampoo, combs, hair product etc. So just go with what helps you express yourself, and don't let anyone tell you that the hair growing out of your head isn't natural. I once had a woman tell me she thought my hair was weird because dreadlocks aren't natural for Caucasians. The next week she got synthetic hair extensions...
Best of luck, and have fun in Asia! It is a beautiful, hugely diverse place.
Isaac
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