Agama Tirta , the Religion of Water. This is what Balinese religion was often referred to before it’s official title of Hindu Dharma, as water was – and continues to be – an essential element in the rituals and even belief of the Balinese. Today’s episode is taken from one of Jean Couteau’s articles in

Why is Bali the way it is? How is there a solitary Hindu island in the largest muslim country in the world (by population)? Why is its brand of Hinduism different than what is found in India? Why is it called the Island of the Gods? To understand everything we see in Bali today, it’s

Myths, folklore and stories in general are powerful forces. They are vessels in which morals and life lessons can be shared to societies, thus guiding them in the ‘right’ way of being. Myths are an important part of Balinese culture, mainly through the medium of the shadow puppet performance or ‘wayang kulit’. It is the

Galungan is one of the most important ceremonies on the Balinese calendar. The exact dates of this auspicious day are calculated through the 210-day Pawukon calendar, where the Galungan period will last 10 days. What makes this ceremony so special? What is its history and origins? Host Eddy Speirs shares the legend behind Galungan and why

The way in which the older Balinese perceive time, and remember previous events, is not done in a measured and quantitative way – like we do in today’s world. In this story by Jean Couteau, ‘A Question of Time’, he illustrates the interesting way in which time is experienced by Bali’s older generations. Does it

Art has a long history on the island, and really was one of the early lures for tourism to the island back in the 1920s, since then the art industry has grown and grown and Balinese artists today find themselves on the global art stage.  To help us navigate the interesting art landscape in Bali,

This week, our Publisher Alistair Speirs takes over the airwaves and shares his thoughts and analysis of tourism, and the new vision that Bali, and in fact all of Indonesia, should embrace in order to re-open the industry in the most effective and efficient way possible going forward.  Listen to Episode 11: Available on your

“Rules for Life” have become popular book titles in the last few years, with psychologists, sociologist and even celebrities sharing their two-cents on what it takes to live a good life. With that, this latest podcast episode shares what the Balinese Hindu ‘rules for life’ are, focusing on the Purusa Arta, the four principle ‘objects

This episode’s topic is born out of the social unrest surrounding Black Lives Matter (or BLM), and has inspired us to discuss and explore the ideas of embracing and celebrating differences. Whilst BLM is centred around systemic racism in the US, many countries have their own form of ethnic, cultural or religious oppression. In Indonesia,

Being stuck at home for so long, the dreams of travelling are keeping many people sane. Something to look forward to. No doubt Bali will be high on the list for many — but what will a visit to Bali look be like, post-Covid crisis? Listen to this article on the NOW! Bali Podcast (Episode 8) Available

More tourists is always good, right? Not always. What if they don’t care about the local culture, or have no curiosity for the history? Then numbers don’t mean anything. So, how can we promote Bali to attract people who DO care? In this episode we explore what promoting Bali ‘the right way’ might look like,

In this special episode, NOW! Bali Publisher Alistair takes over for another opinion piece. He discusses how businesses who have been successfully profiting in Bali for so many years must recognise this as a time to give back to the island – or at least its people. Alistair shares his thoughts on business ethics and