Bali holiday tips - part 2

It's hard to enjoy your Bali holiday from a hospital bed, so here's my second tip:

IN A FIGHT WITH THE LOCALS, YOU WILL ALWAYS COME OFF SECOND BEST!

There are a couple of things to keep in mind here:

Some of the altercations between locals and tourists are setups.

An Indonesian may provoke a tourist until they retaliate. If the tourist strikes the Indonesian they may be arrested and taken to the local police station. He or she may then find that they have to pay a fine or face court and jail.

Damages may also be expected to be paid to the victim and this is the scam. The payment the perpetrator makes to the victim will be divided up by all involved.

If the perpetrator refuses to pay and the case is slated to be heard in the Indonesian court system. The foreigner will await their court case in jail. And they will be considered guilty until they prove themselves innocent.

Indonesians do not fight alone and they do not fight fair. 

Even if the altercation is nothing more than two people losing their tempers, a tourist who strikes an Indonesian will quickly find themselves heavily outnumbered. They will risk being severely injured, and they will still face jail if they are arrested. Indonesians do not fight alone and they do not fight fair.

If you are confronted by an Indonesian for any reason, smile and apologise then politely walk away. An Indonesian will rarely launch a physical attack unless they attacked first (except in the case of Indonesian nightclub security).

Remember that assault is a major crime in Indonesia. Whether it is perpetrated on an Indonesian or another tourist, assault carries a hefty fine and a jail sentence for anyone convicted.