I like Bali. It is busy as hell and there are tourists everywhere but the ‘vibe’ is very comfortable. The people are courteous and work hard to keep the tourists happy. Customer service is part of growing up.
We have been here twice. We haven’t seen anywhere that lacks travelers. Ubud has been on the tourist trail since the days of the hippies. Kuta is within walking distance of the Denpasar airport. Sanur is a beach destination and jumping off point for a couple of the islands to the east. We are now in Tulamben, it should be a nowhere destination but at least ½ of buildings are dive shops or dive resorts. Tourism is the main industry in each of the above places. I am sure there are areas ‘much less traveled’ but I think these too will be holiday destinations soon.
Even with all this tourist activity, the locals seem to carry on with their ways. A few days ago the entire island participated in celebrations of the full moon. As Debbie mentioned, there were parades where everyone is dressed in their traditional finery, the ladies carry offerings to the gods balanced on their heads and the long procession is accompanied by a gamelan band. Today there was another celebration in Tulamben. It was more of a local thing but still a lot of effort went into it.
The way people live and eat has changed in the last 100 years but there remnants of olden days. Most dress in western type clothes but it is not unusual for someone to be on the street in a sarong. Western food is readily available but the rice base diet of ancient times is still predominant.
Religion is far more dominant in Bali than say, Canada. It is not possible to move about by car or by foot without seeing a number of temples on your journey. Most of the people in Indonesia are Muslim. In Bali most of the population is Hindu. The people practice a unique type of Hinduism, Balinese Hinduism or Agama Hindu Dharma. This is a combination of Shivaism and Buddhism. 90% of the population participate in this highbred practice.
In keeping with hot climates, the pace of life is rather slow here. Nobody is in a hurry to get anywhere. The walk pace on the street is measured. The food in the restaurant is cooked when ordered not prepped in the morning and nuked when someone choses it from the menu.
If you want an Asian destination that is relaxing and friendly, go to Bali.
This is our last post from Indonesia. We have enjoyed our short time here and are already thinking about when we can come back.
