Indonesia: Bali & Lombok
Area: 1,919,440 km2 with approximately 17,508 islands (19.22% of Canada, 5.3x Germany, 742x Luxembourg)
Population: 237,424,363 (6.8x Canada, 2.9x Germany, 463x Luxembourg)
Capital: Jakarta
Currency: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR)
Time travelled: 15 days
Distance travelled: 4,555 km (3,988 km by plane)
Highlights in chronological order:
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Walking through the lush green rice paddies lined with coconut palm trees around Ubud
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Delicious food (especially fresh grilled fish and chicken satay)
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Getting a massage on the beach to the sound of the waves on Lombok
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Sipping coconuts by the beach and listening to locals play music in Padangbai
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Watching the Balinese perform their religious rituals every day
Bali and Lombok are only a tiny part of Indonesia, so we cannot speak for the country as a whole. The 2 islands are also pretty different, mainly because of the dominant religions practiced in each. Having been there in low season also makes a big difference in terms of weather and experience. Although our Bali trip was not the way we had imagined it, we still had a good time, saw beautiful places and had amazing food.
The People: The Balinese are very friendly and easy-going. They like to talk to foreigners and are curious where one is from. We don’t know if this interest in genuine, as often times it felt only like a question leading to a sales pitch. Their knowledge of geography is surprisingly poor. Except one lady, nobody knows where Canada is (or that it’s a country). We were asked if it was in Europe, in the US, etc. When we said it was a separate, independent country, we got a “Ah, ok, it’s a different island?”. With many people not actually leaving the island of Bali their entire life, we guess it’s difficult for them to imagine the world outside. They are very accepting and tolerant of other cultures however. They are dedicated worshippers of Hinduism and spend a great deal of time and energy towards that.
The Culture: We were surprised that although Bali has been exposed to tourism for many decades already, they still have the strongest culture we’ve seen so far. The Balinese life is centred on family and traditions. People, especially women, spend a good part of their day preparing offerings for the gods or worshipping them. They present little baskets with flowers and rice to the gods (to appease their anger) and to their ancestors’ souls so they don’t come haunt them. We asked our guide if his wife worked and he said she doesn’t. If she did work, she couldn’t prepare the offerings and go to the temples when there are festivals. Now that is a life! When making the offerings, the women also sprinkle themselves, the offerings and the small shrines with water in a symbol of purification. Every house has a small shrine, but some houses actually have temples built in the courtyard. Our second guesthouse in Ubud was a mix of temple and living quarters – quite an interesting combination.
The Food: There are so many mouth-watering delicacies on Bali and Lombok, that we were always looking forward to the next meal. It’s also great because not only are there many different dishes, but also a big array of tastes. Our favourite dish was Sate Ayam (chicken satay), barbequed chicken skewers served with a spicy peanut sauce. Beef Rendang, a beef stew cooked in coconut milk, was also good, as was Ayam Penyet, fried chicken with chili and garlic sauce. The grilled fish we had at the beach was also delicious. They also have good dessert such as Dadar Gulang (a green crepe filled with palm sugar and sprinkled with coconut and syrup) and Bubor Pulot Hitam (Black rice pudding). Last but not least, the fruits and coconuts were fantastic.
The Economy: Bali relies heavily on tourism. Every man is a taxi driver or a guide of some sort, it seems. Women sometimes have little shops or restaurants (warung), if they are not busy worshipping. Bali also grows rice, coffee and fruits, but it doesn’t seem to export too much. Ubud is an important centre for handicrafts, both for locals and tourists.
Transportation: Public transportation on the island is almost non-existent since everyone has a scooter now. Therefore, as a tourist you have to rely on tours and taxis. On certain routes there are some bemos, mini-buses, but the times are uncertain. The ferry to Lombok is also not on time, but it gets you there. There are fast boats to the Gili islands on Lombok, which are supposed to be nice, but we didn’t go.
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