Speak Indonesian, Experience Indonesia

If you really want to see the heart of Indonesia, don’t just look at the landscapes—talk to the people! Even though many of us speak English, trying out a few words of Bahasa Indonesia changes the whole vibe of your trip. But here’s the thing: what you see in the textbooks and what you hear on the streets of Jakarta or Bali are two very different things.

It’s a common surprise for travellers: you study the dictionary, but then realize the locals are using a completely different 'flavor' of the language! We tend to use a much more relaxed, informal version of Indonesian in our daily lives. Learning these local nuances is the secret to sounding less like a tourist and more like a friend.

And if your travels bring you to the cool air of Malang, that 'local flavor' gets a very literal twist. You have to know about Boso Walikan (reverse language). It’s a unique tradition where we flip words around—so Malang becomes Ngalam, Saya (I) becomes Ayas, and Makan (eat) becomes Nakam.

It started as a secret code during the independence struggle to outsmart Dutch intelligence; by reversing Javanese and Indonesian, our freedom fighters created a linguistic 'blackout' that left even the most fluent colonial officers completely baffled. Today, using it is the fastest way to get a smile from anyone you meet on the streets!

Ready to ditch the dictionary and start chatting? Check out my short videos below to master the Informal Indonesian you'll actually hear on the streets: