Traveling to Ubud, Indonesia

I have been staying in Ubud, Bali since January 28, 2019. Actually, I am here in Ubud because I am taking an internship program at Kopernik – I will tell you more about Kopernik in my next post. By the way, Kopernik is an amazing organization!

Bali is such a beautiful island. This island is also well-known as the Island of Gods or a Heaven on Earth. Bali is located in Eastern Indonesia, near Madura and Lombok Island. The tourism industry is the main driver to enhance the social and economic structure in Bali. There are many tourists here. I think there are too many! To be honest, sometimes I am worried that foreign culture might change the original culture of Bali.

I think most Balinese are Hindus. They speak the Balinese language, which is totally different from the Bahasa language. Even though the local people speak the Balinese language, they are capable of speaking the Bahasa language. For your information, Indonesia is a diverse country, which has many local languages, ethnicities, and local cultures. Each location in Indonesia has a different culture, social structure, distinctive food and drink, and also language.

Photo 1. Dancers wear unique masks and costumes, and others sit near a large torchlight while shouting and dancing together in a harmony.

Among Indonesians, people also recognize Bali as one of the famous islands in Indonesia – some other islands are Lombok, Karimun Jawa, and Raja Ampat. Ubud, one of the unique cities in Bali, seems quite different from the other cities in Indonesia because most local people in Ubud still want to keep their local traditions. If you have been to Bali, you would recognize it too.

Ubud locals are strict with online transportation (i.e., Uber and GoJek). They do not like these kinds of transportation because they think that these modes eliminate financial opportunities for local transporters. Besides online transportation, they also forbid convenience stores (i.e., Indomaret and Alfamart). I would say that they are trying to protect their local cultures, nurture their local nature, and bring the best opportunities, whether social or economic, for locals.

When I first stood on my feet on this island, I was amazed by the cultures of Bali. My point of view is that some parts of the Balinese people are quite similar to the Japanese. I think it is because they love nature, they praise their beliefs & traditions, Balinese is the indigenous tribe on Bali island, and also Banjar (Balinese families/communities) have important roles in their lives.

Photo 2. A beautiful scenery at my office during my internship at Kopernik in Ubud, Bali.

If you want to visit Bali, please make sure to respect their traditions. Even though they seem very friendly, they will be very furious when foreigners don’t respect them. Ultimately, Bali is a nice place. This place is so beautiful that offers various exotic foods and drinks, many lush trees, unique dresses & traditional dances, etc. I am sure these will enrich your exploration on Heaven Island.