Visiting bali

On a recent trip to East Bali, it occurred to me that if s person arrived in Bali with a day pack, containing a couple of shirt, shorts, pants, hat and not much else, they could let go of the worry about luggage and valuables. It also occurred to me, that is a person took a Perama bus out to East Bali, got dropped off and found a place they liked, things would happen for them. One place I visited this last time was Pasir Putih, the white sand beach in Perasi, just past Candi Dasa. If you showed up, chatted with locals and asked if anyone had a room for rent, you'd find somewhere no doubt at all.

Imagine the experiences you have after a month, hanging out with Balinese locals in Bali! The day times would be learning about their daily life and routine, plus exploring the lesser known areas. If your hosts were fishermen, you'd be able to tag along and experience how a Balinese fisherman actually operates. Local ceremonies would no doubt come along which you'd be invited to. Evenings would be a mixture of traditional village life, combining with elements of the 21st Century (motorbikes, TV, etc). The cost for your month would probably be amazingly low, considering in many remote places its all local shops and warungs.

How possible is this kind of experience? Its all possible, you've just got to ask for it. I have had situations just like this in many countries in the world, while travelling, hitch hiking etc. Now your guide book / travel agent isn't going to sell you this kind of experience for 2 reasons; 1) They can't make this kind of things happen, 2) there's no money it for them. This is actually great news for travelers, since where travel agents and guidebooks don't go, you will find the best experiences.

So for an awesome Bali adventure, leave your possessions at home, bring a small bag and a sense of adventure. That's my tip for visiting Bali.