Bali Sojourn

26th to 30th March 2026, Blog Post 19

Typical example of the built environment, ubiquitous along the roads we travelled.

While our distinct identity instils our lives with meaning, we “see”, as we travel, many other lasting civilisations built on shared stories, values, purpose that bind people together through multiple generations.

Bali: A different paradigm. Reference points, context, meaning entirely disconnected from what we know to be true, regard as severely offensive.

“Swastika” is an ancient sacred Hindu symbol representing good fortune, prosperity, protection from negative forces. “Kaffir” is a leaf used for flavoring food. Our guide’s name: “Yudha” means strong, courageous, steadfast in Sanskrit, unrelated to the Jewish: Yehuda / Judah. I didn’t enjoy watching Balinese traditional dances until told that the storytelling, emotional nuance is all in the intricate hand and finger movements which lead the eye darts, sharp neck and feet moves. Then suddenly we could tune in, and it meant something.

As we drove past ubiquitous temples, completely dissimilar landscape, architecture, symbols, statues, it took time for the penny to drop that life here for local people is genuinely fundamentally different from anything we are used to. Not just facades for tourists! Daily offerings to gods, in small woven palm-leaf baskets holding flowers, rice, incense, fruit are central, visible everywhere. We soon learnt how important, in the face of mass tourism, their rituals, village scale social life, art such as weaving and woodcarving, is to them.

An intense five days. Lots of driving. Royal Palace: Bali’s painted history on wooded panels covering walls and ceilings. Silver jewellery making. Expansive Water Palace. Traditional village with women still making batiks, other handwork. Awesome morning cycling through ancient villages. Rather scary navigating traffic on narrow roads! Special visit on cycle route to guide’s family home and community. Villagers preparing intricately designed decorations for forthcoming festival. Later, broad-based villager participation at elaborate ceremonial dinner where we ate their flavourful dishes, watched them cook, weave, dance, sing, play musical instruments. Enthralling!

We donned sarongs at sacred archaeological site, visited Sacred Monkey Forest, drove two hours to UNESCO World Heritage Rice Terraces. Magnificent! Early spectacular sunrise on beach at our hotel, 4 ½ hour Balinese cooking class, extensive afternoon massage.

Unforgettable experience!

Our guide Yudha explains the Balinese stories elaborately painted on the ceiling above at the ancient Kerta Gosa royal court of justice in Klungkung. Note his headgear, called an “udeng”, standard for men across Bali.

An overview of the Kerta Gosa royal court of justice complex.

Balinese woman wearing and selling inter alia batik clothing in Tenganan village, an old traditional settlement inhabited by the original indigenous people of Bali.

An overview of the Taman Ujung Water Palace: Historical garden complex formerly royal retreat.

Multiple varied monuments at traffic circles and intersections in Bali linked to mythology & spiritual symbolism. This is but one of many, taken from a moving bus. The sign means: “Climbing to the top of the statue is prohibited”.

We watched for a few minutes women and men preparing elaborate decorations for a festival. They then carried this one to their vehicle and our bus couldn’t pass until this “penjor” was properly secured and driven away.

Our cycling guide explains how, after babies are born at Bayung Gede village, the placenta, which is regarded as a sacred living entity (and not as medical waste) is placed inside a coconut shell then hung on the branches of a bukak tree.

We cycled along quiet back roads starting at Bayung Gede village.

Rooftops at Bayung Gede village reflecting a mixture of wooden shingles, clay tiles, corrugated tin sheets and thatch.

The village headman’s son at Puri Taman Sari explaining some of the traditional foods and cooking methods demonstrated by the women in the photograph.