Bali - the tourist capital of Indonesia

Rob and Clare - 2002

Our trip to Bali was only months before the tragic bombings that killed many tourists. It is only now that the crowds are starting to come back, which can only be good for the Balinese people. You may be constantly haggled to part with your money, but they are only trying to make a living. Let's keep supporting them, and don't give in to the terrorists.

You might only think of beaches when you think of Bali, but it doesn't take much to leave the busy seaside resorts and get a feel for the other side of Bali. This image above of fields of rice paddies could have been taken anywhere in Asia.

After a week soaking up the sun and pounding the pavements shopping, we packed up our backpacks and headed north to discover a bit more about the Balinese. These ladies in the picture on the left were off to the temple as part of some festival. They sure went to a lot of trouble - lets hope they get to eat the fruit afterwards. We found a nice spot in the north, where we were able to go snorkeling on an old wreck, just metres off the beach. We think the place was called Lipah Beach.

I didn't know that cock fighting is a legal thing, and goes on in the streets. It is pretty barbaric when you see it up close. The long blades the put on their legs make it a quick and deadly fight. It is a real show. The owners spend quite a bit of time revving up the birds so that when they are released, they got at it hard. The noise prior to the fight of the locals haggling over bets reminded me of a two-up ring in Australia.

This very old man was discovered in a little village in the north of Bali. He didn't speak a word of English, though he was more than happy for us to take his photo. I am sure he has seen a lot in his time, and seen a lot of changes to Bali.

related pages

• photos from Bali in 2002
• more of our trips in Indonesia, mostly in Bali
• other Rob and Clare travel diaries