Batikwalla

1. Batikwalla Batik When Traveling Dress Like the Locals When travelling, most people, especially the more fashionable, will automatically dress like the locals. This may seem a little strange to point out, but it is definitely a point that should be made. Now, for the most part this is really easy to do, especially when traveling through English speaking countries. It starts to get a little trickier, not to mention more fun, when you travel to more exotic locations. I will use Indonesia as an example. It's hot, it's humid. The unaccustomed traveler would understandably reach for the nearest pair of shorts and a tank top. But take in a deep breath and survey your surroundings. What do you see? Yes, a whole lot of sarongs! Spend just a few minutes in Indonesia and you will see that batik sarongs are everywhere. If you head to any Indonesian temple and you are wearing shorts, the temple keepers will kindly ask you to don one of their sarongs that they provide specifically for the tourists. These are just on loan, so don't try walking off with it. I accidentally almost did. It was kind of amusing to be have this Balinese man running after me in a batik sarong skirt, trying to get my attention even though he didn't speak a word of English. Which brings me to my next point. If you get yourself a batik sarong, you won't have to borrow one of the public ones when you visit a temple and need to cover up your legs. Also, you won't commit the same faux pas as I did, walking off with a loaned out sarong.