Rethinking Bali’s Future: Do We Really Have Such Short Memories?
That’s a pretty strange statement to begin with at a time when everyone is talking about ‘New Year, New Me, New Start, a Fresh Beginning’ etc, etc. but can Bali actually make a new beginning? One that turns the corner to a bold new way of doing things? The Spanish – American philosopher George Santayana thoughtfully

A Time for Reflection: Can We Find Peace This Christmas?
Christmas is the time for those following the Christian faith to joyfully celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and to proclaim “Peace on Earth and Goodwill to All” which seems to be much needed these days, especially and ironically in the very area where Jesus was born, where there is such violence still continuing and

The History of Rafting in Bali
One of the must-do activities enjoyed by tourists coming to Bali is rafting in the rivers that run past Ubud, but it wasn’t always this way. In the ’70s & ’80s, Ubud was only known as an arts and crafts village, where tourists went to buy art or study painting or to learn or watch

The ‘Bali Promise’: Should Visitors Pledge to Behave in Bali?
You may have heard of, or possibly even seen, tourists behaving badly here in beautiful Bali. It’s kind of hard to understand why because everything is pretty good here (well, except for maybe the traffic…). There really is no reason to misbehave or be disrespectful. But it does happen and seems even to be on

Are the Changes We’re Seeing Positive for Bali?
I set out 8 years ago now to embrace the concept of sustainability and try to bring it to as many people as possible, first of all by education, though a series of very well-attended seminars and conferences, covering important subjects like Sustainable Fashion, Sustainable Buildings and Architecture, and How to Create Smart Cities. Then

The Delights of Driving in Bali
Do you know how Google Maps works? It is absolutely brilliant, but I have absolutely no idea how it operates! I imagine that there is GPS positioning that somehow tells my phone where I am, which also somehow knows when I tell my phone where I am and somehow when I tell it to go

Supply & Demand: The Future of Farming in Bali
With the rising success of Bali’s restaurant scene, the food and beverage industry are increasingly championing island produce and producers. Chefs and restaurateurs have bolstered their support of local economies and sustainability. This relationship has fostered innovation and improvements in the region’s agricultural industry. Yet, challenges arise for the future of farming in Bali, which

Designed to Last: Lessons from Bali’s Tourism History
Bali’s tourism industry seems to constantly be at a challenging crossroads. A perpetual tug-of-war between tradition and modernity, pulling at each other from opposite sides. Though ironically, both are equally necessary. It is rwa bhineda, the Balinese philosophy of duality, at work. Tourism has been growing for a century and despite how much of a

Our Publisher Looks Back at Fifteen Years of NOW! Bali
I perhaps should not tell you this, but I didn’t really want to start NOW! Bali. I was perfectly happy publishing two marvellous magazines called Jakarta Java Kini (JJK) and Hello Bali, but my partner at the time had other ideas and took over the company, leaving me with a bit of a dilemma since

Lessons from Japan
Many think of Japan as a high-tech, industrial powerhouse, perhaps waning in the shadow of China’s mega-economy, but nonetheless, still an example of efficiency and innovation. Behind that, diligence, dedication and sheer hard work. And we would not be wrong. Japan has not faded, it has only recently been overshadowed. Outside of the global economy,

Bali’s Own Version of ESG
Sustainability is, thankfully, all the rage these days, as people finally get to grips with their personal and corporate responsibilities to the planet and to the communities in which they live. Some people measure their personal carbon footprint to try to limit the damage they do to the environment through travelling by plane, train or

Homogenisation, Dilution and Disorganisation
Sounds like a food processing factory, doesn’t it? But that’s not what I’m talking about; it all refers to our much loved, but not much cared for, destinations, here in Indonesia, and to a great extent, all over the world. I used to be in the insurance business and we spent a lot of time

Branding the ‘Perfect Island’
Do you instinctively know if something is right or possibly more easily feel it when something is wrong? Do you stop and go “hmmm, that ain’t quite right”. Or are you a “shrugger” and just say it’s really not your business? I’m afraid I am very much one of the former. I spend a lot