Blind : An Illusion of Beauty in Pandemic Bali
Since Covid penetrated the country, I often go to Sanur. I already have a favourite spot there: the soft, empty chairs from the Hotel Sindhu café, right on the beachfront. There, I look pensively out to where the land, sea and sky meet. I contemplate nature, the meaning of life and death. From my favourite
From the Ground Up: Regenerating Bali’s Agriculture the Astungkara Way
Spearheading a new era of agriculture, The Astungkara Way heeds regenerative actions to redefine Bali’s farming system— and it all starts from the soil. The conventional farming practices of over-fertilising and frequent tilling have proven to not only be problematic and counter-productive, but ultimately undermines the nutritional value of the food we consume. The chemicals
The BaliCore Expedition: A 10-day, Coast-to-Coast Walk Through the Heart of Bali
The Bali Covid-19 Relief Expedition (BaliCore) will embark on a 10-day walking expedition through the heart of Bali from April 2 – 11, 2021 in order to raise funds for rural communities across the island who are impacted by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The cessation of international travel since March 2020 has created a devastating
Findings from ‘Sungai Watch’ Cleanups Expose the Biggest Polluters of Bali’s Rivers
Bali-based community organisation, Sungai Watch, released the first ‘River Plastic Report’, gathered from their regular river cleanups, and its findings make for an eye-opening read. Rivers are the connection point between life on land and the ocean. Starting in Indonesia, Sungai Watch aims to protect the world’s waterways through these mass river cleanups, whilst developing
What Bali Needs : The Stool and Chair Theory of Survival
I have been using this very simple theory of business stability for many years to explain why I created four different aspects to my own business, but as we look at the serious challenges that Bali faces in its recovery from the pandemic, I thought “maybe we should apply the same concept to Bali?” The
An Interview with Vice Governor Cok Ace on Bali’s Tourist Recovery
Dr. Ir. Tjokorda Oka Artha Ardana Sukawati, M.Si. commonly called Cok Ace (CA) is the Vice Governor of Bali. He has served alongside incumbent Governor of Bali, I Wayan Koster, since 5 September 2018. Cok Ace has served as Regency of Gianyar Regency (2008-2013) as well as in many tourism capacities , including the Hotel and Restaurant Association (
The Ongoing Challenges of Eco-Sustainability in Bali
Bali’s environmental challenges are well-known and ongoing. One of the main obstacles is how to manage household waste effectively. Every day the quantity of landfill waste dumped at Bali’s largest rubbish site, TPA Suwung, South Denpasar, is enormous, and beyond its capacity. Village administrations throughout the island are directed by the government to minimise the
Bali Groceries The Good Way: Eco-Friendly, Local, Delivered to Your Door
The pandemic has modified a number of collective behaviours, one of them being our shopping habits. With online purchases practically a snap of a finger away, the majority of businesses have embraced the readily-available digital platforms to keep up and running. If like us, you’ve been supporting small businesses, the current economic struggle has opened
The Decline and Replacement of Tourism in Bali
The Covid crisis has hit Bali hard and exposed something we knew to be a real possibility, an economy too dependent on a single sector. Bali’s economy was, and still is, 80-85% dependent directly or indirectly on tourism. Farmers, drivers and local shops are still dependent on tourists coming and eating, hiring buses and taxis
Sendok Kreatif: Creating Culinary Micro-Businesses for those Out of Work
Empowering people through entrepreneurship and marketing, Sendok Kreatif is more than a community born out of the pandemic-led lockdown. It strives to reignite the culinary spark of those left unemployed in the hospitality industry and to build a solid foundation in the digital world; for each one to eventually possess the vital purpose of a sendok or
Mixologist to Coffee Farmer: Wayan Arca and the Rise of Ulian Village
Ulian Murni is a farming village of 970 people, 150 hectares in size, found in the Kintamani area 40-minutes north of Ubud. Like most highland communities in north Bali, orange is the standard source of income for the native Ulian, perhaps even the greatest. These days, however, coffee comes as a tight second. Thanks to
Plastic Exchange: The ‘Plastic for Rice’ Movement Grows
“It’s spreading like wildfire,” says I Made Janur Yasa filled to the brim with enthusiasm; the kind we need in these trying times. Plastic For Rice is a barter scheme that aims to turn Bali’s environmental pollution issues into an opportunity to use plastic waste as a currency for food. The Plastic Exchange Initiative, as
What is the Purpose of Art?
Jimmy Knowles, a friend of mine in Connecticut, is a sculptor and many years ago I watched in fascination as he used a crane to get a huge tree trunk into position then attacked it with a buzz–saw. “Are you serious?”I asked, “what are you doing?’” “Creating, my boy, creating!’ he said. He hacked a
