Escape from Java
The culture of Bali contrasts starkly with the rest of Indonesia. Whereas many in the country follow Muslim, Christian, or Catholic tenets, the residents here are predominantly Hindu. This makes for a colourful island with traditions of its own.
It is also known as being a major tourist destination for Australians seeking a good time. The general uniform – Bintang shirt, Bintang beer, boardies, bikinis, and thongs. A vast contrast to the long sleeved shirts and pants I was used to wearing (I made someone very uncomfortable in Jakarta when part of my shoulder was visible).
My parents and sister made the trip over for a family holiday – enjoying the attractions of the local area while taking the opportunity to relax. Although I had previously distained the idea of popular tourist destinations, it was fantastic to enjoy them with my family. Taking a sickening boat ride around Penida Island proved challenging but thrilling (not so much to other passengers). We enjoyed the snorkelling and the chance to explore the island and local tourist spots such as the iconic Kelingkin Beach. Or rather, the lookout far above it where you can take amazing Instagram photos in the 10 seconds there aren’t any other tourists in the way.
Broken Beach to the west of the island was a particular highlight, where the colours of the sea contrasted with the sheer rocky face. Quieter than many other locations, we could travel the circumference and take in the natural formation.
Another popular (but enjoyable!) trip was the Monkey Forest in Ubud. The forest is filled with macaques, which were intense by funny. They were adept at opening backpacks and taking food (or the wallet of some poor guy). I had one cling to the straps off my bag and clamber up my legs. Advertised as a location where the endangered macaques act as “they would in the wild”, I do not think it quite lives up to the claim. It was significantly in much better condition than all other animal attractions I had been warned against. I certainly wouldn’t recommend a visit to any zoo in Jakarta.
A *motorised* bike ride around the surrounding areas meant we could see the famous rice fields including the renown Tegalalang Rice Terrace. Riding through fields with stalks as tall as me (not a high bar) is certainly not something I can do back in Australia!
Our guides also provided some information about Hindu traditions such as burial rituals. This process usually involves burial of the deceased until such a time when many can be publicly cremated. They also provided some first-hand details of what this looked like…
I definitely had to reconsider my opinions on Bali. While it was overcrowded with tourists – despite the emergence of COVID-19 and travel restrictions from China reducing the numbers – there are some beautiful locations that many care deeply about and strive to protect in the face of plastic pollution and changing conditions.
roads go ever on 