ACCIDENTS AND REGULATIONS
Sadly there has been another death in a rafting accident on the island which turned a holiday full of joy into a nightmare for the family and friends of the poor tourist who died. But did it have to be this way? Could it have been prevented? From what we hear, the answer is “yes”.
Surfing Bali
That title is a bit misleading . It’s really “ googling “ Bali in case you are getting your board ready ! When did surfing the web turn into a monopoly? Anyway what do you get when you google Bali? 313,000,000 possible websites. That is a very large number for a small island of only
Bali’s Secret Places
When I first came to Bali back in 1979, “Real Bali” stretched from North to South and East to West. Poppies Lane in Kuta was a sandy path leading you through cow pastures and palm trees to a quiet Kuta beach. Now it is motorcycle madness. Ubud was a distant, mystical village, somewhere to be
What does Bali Need? Quality Vs Quantity Part 2
Last month in this magazine, and on our online platforms, I put forward the challenge to the relevant authorities of choosing mass tourism against high value, high quality tourism and was immediately challenged by some good thinking folks who correctly said high value tourism doesn’t always equate with a good flow of income to the
If Music Be The Food of Love, Play On!
A long deceased playwright called William wrote that a long time ago in his comedic play Twelfth Night. But what does it mean ? I think it is saying that music makes love better, it feeds it , and builds it up so keep the music playing and love will blossom and soar! What a
Quality or Quantitiy?
It’s high season here in Bali and that means people, lots of them, and people means cars, and buses, and motorbikes. Do we really want them? Is the Bali infrastructure ready for them? Sadly the answer is a resounding, total ‘NO’. Why are they coming then? Well of course it’s everybody’s right to have a
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
What is it about the joy of discovery that thrills us so? Why do we get excited to reach the top of a mountain, the bottom of the sea, the depths of the forest, the middle of the plains? I guess it goes back to our original, almost forgotten, bond with nature. Our primeval being
An Evolving Culture
One of the things that makes Balinese culture so sustainable is its flexibility and adaptability. It is not a rigid culture, intent Ghormenghast style, on preserving rituals in stone at all costs, but allows change to permeate and move forward. This is reflected in Balinese dance, dress and architecture which I can see and (to some
Under the Keris (Part 2) : The Man’s Many Advantages
When people write on Balinese love, they like to underline the romantic side, often seen from the male’s perspective. People are said to elope out of love, to bypass the parents’ unwillingness to accept the union. This occurs of course, but there are also instances when parents force lovers to break their bond – which,
The Sea is our Life
Many years ago an intrepid adventurer called Thor Heyerdhal mounted an amazing expedition to cross the pacific on a raft called the “Kon-Tiki” to prove that people from South America, Peru in this instance, could have crossed the thousands of miles of ocean on rafts made with the basic technology of the time. He made
Before and After… Us
Do you have a personal goal? Or if you own or influence a company or organisation, a corporate goal? Grundfos the Norwegian (but Global) Pump manufacturer has one: “To deliver the world to the next generation in a better state than we inherited it” Pretty simple isn’t it? And you honestly know the consequences of
Staying Sustainable in Bali
Sustainability is one of the buzz words in business these days and it certainly should be . It’s closely linked to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) but not quite the same . CSR can be exercised by engaging with third parties who benefit from your company’s assistance (for example Ikea’s great program to put septic tanks
Under the Keris : The Social Constraints for Balinese Women
With tourism (and globalisation in general), women’s empowerment has certainly come to the Balinese table. We’ve seen the many Balinese women carrying heavy loads on their heads, noticed how their toplessness was exploited in Bali’s past, the expectations of family planning and ‘rearing’… yes, it’s certainly about time this member of society get some proper
