Bali, Under The Influence

[MUSIC, SOUND OF AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR BALI]

TOURISM ADVERTISEMENT: A mesmerizing getaway, a holy sanctuary, a captivating culture…

TARIRO MZEZEWA, HOST: Picture a woman in a long, flowing red dress. She’s on a swing in Bali, Indonesia, overlooking miles of scenic rice paddies. This image has been in pre-flight movies, TV ads, and especially across social media.

[SOUND OF ADVERTISEMENT DISTORTS]

In person though, what this really looks like is crowds of tourists lining up to get the same picture.

[SOUNDS OF CHATTER, PEOPLE YELLING]

Our producer Malika Inonk visited one of the most popular swing locations, in a district called Tegallalang.

MALIKO INONK [TRANSLATED FROM INDONESIAN]: Women came there to take their photos wearing very flowy dresses so that when they swing, you can see their dress blowing in the wind.

TM: Westerners have considered Bali an exotic destination for nearly a century. Tourism makes up more than half the island’s economy, and social media has only accelerated this craze.

[MUSIC]

MI: From the younger set of tourists who I talked to, they did tell me that most of their references came from social media, from either Instagram or TikTok.

TM: There are now more than a dozen rice paddy swings to help you, quote, “level up your IG game,” as one online article put it — with busloads of tourists waiting to stage the perfect video.

MI: These paddy swing sites at Tegallalang are seeing more visitors. One area that I visited said that they had had a thousand tourists coming in by noon.

TM: But recently, other kinds of videos have started to appear.

[NEWS BROADCAST]

NEWSCASTER: A video of a German woman has gone viral. She, last week, ran around naked at a traditional dance ceremony, tried to force her way into a temple…

TM: People are breaking the laws of the island and posting it online. Malika says they know they can get away with it.

MI: People think, if you want freedom and comfort, just come to Bali. Because in Bali, they are free to do anything they might not be able to do in their home country. So it makes the situation seem like Bali is a free place to do anything.

[THEME MUSIC]

TM: From WHYY, this is Peak Travel. I’m your host, Tariro Mzezewa. In this episode, we’re going to explore how social media has shaped the travel industry, particularly in a tropical paradise like Bali. We’ll learn how the images we post affect the places we visit, and how, as visitors, we can clean up our act.

That’s coming up, after the break.

[MIDROLL BREAK]

[MUSIC]

TM: Welcome back to Peak Travel. I’m Tariro Mzezewa.

[SOUND OF TOURISM ADVERTISEMENT, PEOPLE SINGING]

TOURISM ADVERTISEMENT: Bali is hardly more than a dot among the many islands of the Dutch East Indies, an island guarding its extensive culture so well that indeed it may be called the last paradise.

ADRIAN VICKERS: The really big development of Bali’s image as an international tourist destination began in the 1930s.

TM: Adrian Vickers is the author of Bali, A Paradise Created. He says popular culture in the west had a big role in forming Bali’s exotic reputation.

AV: There were a couple of feature films about, sort of, black magic and romantic ideas of, you know, the unspoiled paradise, presented both in movies but also in books.

TM: Tourists often misunderstand Bali’s Hindu religion. Instead of engaging with it meaningfully, they impose their stereotypical ideas of Balinese culture onto the island and its residents.

AV: And this thing that women traditionally went around topless, so, you know, the kind of western voyeurism immediately produced all these photographs of semi-naked women and that was part of the image of the island.

TM: Adrian says it’s no surprise that tourism to the island took off. It’s uniquely beautiful, and quickly developed a cachet with celebrities.

[MUSIC]

AV: Incredible nature, very unique Hindu culture, and so that really boomed. And there were a lot of famous people, the rich and famous, you know, Charlie Chaplin, and people like that, visited. And it was very much a kind of chic place to go.

TM: In the ‘60s and ‘70s. Bali attracted hippies from around the world. It was the beginning of the idea that people could come to the island and do things they couldn’t do at home.

AV: In those days, you could get marijuana, before it became illegal, and you could get magic mushrooms, but you could just live this idyllic life on the beach, and live fairly cheaply because it was Indonesia. So, the hippie travelers came, and then they started writing about it.

TM: Then in the mid-2000s, an American cultural phenomenon put Bali over the top.

[TRAILER FOR EAT, PRAY, LOVE MOVIE]

TRAILER: When some guy who, yes, looks a little like Yoda hands you a prophecy, you have to respond.

AV: With the Eat, Pray, Love movie that became the great yoga center, and all of these, you know, and not, kind of, local Balinese yoga, but sort of imported yoga styles from California.

TM: Time and time again, Balinese people have seen their own culture exploited and overshadowed by the interests of tourists.

AV: The Instagram thing and TikTok, they’ve changed the nature of those destinations. So there are places that nobody much knew about before, certain waterfalls or certain temples that were very much lesser known, that became the most photographed temple. And everybody had to then, of course, get their photos taken in that same place.

[MUSIC]

TM: Niluh Djelantik is one of the most trusted voices on the island when it comes to these issues. She ran for office on a platform of creating a better kind of tourism for Bali. Because, she says, the disrespect recently shown to local people is untenable.

NILUH DJELANTIK [TRANSLATED FROM INDONESIAN]: Our cultural traditions and local wisdom are constantly trampled upon by these foreigners.
TM: Niluh said she’s seen video after video of disrespectful tourists — like the one of the German woman taking off her clothes in a temple.
ND: Never have we seen the behavior of foreigners intentionally and consciously taking off their underwear and then entering places of worship. They take off their clothes and then casually post it on social media, engage in indecent activities, and much more.
TM: She’s shocked some people come to Bali to act this way.
ND: If you don’t do it in your home country, why do it in our country? As simple as that. Because this not only embarrasses and humiliates the people of Bali, but also disrespects the dignity of the Indonesian people.
TM: And she’s frustrated that even with our modern ways of communicating, the problem seems to be getting worse.
ND: Why today, with all the technology we have, is it becoming even more difficult? What’s wrong?
[MUSIC, SOUND OF ELECTRIC GUITAR PLAYING]
ROBI NAVICULA [TRANSLATED FROM INDONESIAN]: The problem is not just tourists behaving recklessly, but why are they doing so?
TM: Robi Navicula is another prominent voice on the island. He focuses on protecting its fragile ecosystem. When he makes his case, it’s loud.
[SOUND OF ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
RN: I am the founder of the band Navicula, a rock band based in Bali. We’ve been around since 1996, and Navicula’s concept revolves around combining music and activism on social and environmental issues.
TM: Malika says Robi shares Niluh’s mission to create a better kind of tourism.
MI: He wanted to promote tourism that is sustainable, not only for the environment of Bali, but also for its people, for the local people there and their culture.

TM: He’s noticed that all the attention that visitors bring actually reminds local people of what makes the island special.
RN: Because even now, we also see young people coming to Bali. So if other people are interested, why aren’t we proud too? So, one of the positive impacts of tourism is the external appreciation, which then leads us to be proud to preserve it.
TM: But Robi is also wary that social media has changed what people value about his home.
[MUSIC]
RN: Gradually, there was a shift from the idealism of preserving nature and culture to materialism, including in the tourism industry. Due to the rapid growth of this industry, sometimes the speed exceeds the planning. In the past, people liked authentic, original attractions that were not overly techy or artificial. Now, many things, in my opinion, are too fabricated, too artificial. So, if we used to appreciate real flowers, endemic flowers, typical Balinese flowers, now it feels like there are more flowers, more vibrant, but they’re all made of plastic. It’s more about the visual look on Instagram.
TM: Next on Peak Travel, a tourist to Bali weighs in on her experience of the island.
[MIDROLL BREAK]
[MUSIC]
TM: This is Peak Travel. I’m your host, Tariro Mzezewa.
VAL LOVE: My very first trip to Bali was in 2015. And the way that I got to Bali is because at the end of 2014, I was in a deep meditation and the word Bali came to me. Now, I didn’t even know where Bali was on the map.

TM: Though travel can bring out the worst in some people, it can bring out the best in others — like Val Love, a spiritual coach from Harlem who leads retreats around the world.

VL: I am the gal that will go out and just be on foot. I actually go opposite of a lot of tourists. [Laughter] Because I find that the juice is off the beaten path.

TM: When it comes to posting pictures of the most popular spots, Val says she’s kinda over it.

VL: The swing of Bali, you know, we’ve seen lots of wonderful Instagram pictures of the swing. We know there’s a swing there, so we don’t include that in our trip coming up, because if you want to go on a swing, go on a swing. If you want to have a flower bath, have a flower bath, you know? That’s lovely. [Laughter] So beautiful, but I don’t know if the world needs another Instagram picture of a flower bath.

TM: And she tells her groups that being disrespectful to the community is unacceptable.

[SOUND OF ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYING]

VL: What we’re not going to do is complain, and we’re not going to be rude to people. It’s not allowed. And let me not think I’m supposed to be special or anything else. And let me do what the people here are doing.

TM: Instead of Instagramming, when Val travels…

VL: We get to know people. We get to know their experiences by living the experiences with them. We don’t look at them from the outside and judge. You know, in America, people like to warn you, “Oh, be careful when you go there.” “Be careful when you go there.” “Be careful when you go there.” But I have found that people, if you come in kindness, people receive you in kindness.

[SOUND OF ROBI HUMMING]

TM: It’s going to take support from residents, visitors, and government officials to maintain sustainable tourism into the future. Robi’s so passionate about this, he’s written songs about it.

[SOUND OF ROBI SINGING IN INDONESIAN]

MI: So the song is a call for all the tourism stakeholders in Bali, and it voices the need to take a step back and reevaluate their priorities for tourism in Bali. Is it just for making money, and how can we somehow incorporate preservation of culture and of environment? Because if they are lost, what is there to sell for Bali as a tourist destination?

TM: He’d like members of his community to just be themselves. And the visitors will come.

RN: Local wisdom from the community, the social order in Bali, if this is already considered, it will automatically preserve the culture. And when culture is preserved, it can become an authentic tourism asset, so everybody is happy.

TM: Niluh agrees. She says it’s obvious why we’re drawn to Bali. The better question is, once we’re there, how can we contribute?

ND: Why are you here? The answer is most likely the same. Because Bali is a place to do business with a comfortable climate. Because in Bali, people are more easy-going, and so on. Now, when we can ask, “What are you going to do next to give it forward?” That’s the homework.
[ROBI’S SONG ENDS]
[THEME MUSIC]
This is Peak Travel. I’m your host, Tariro Mzezewa.

Our executive producer is Tom Grahsler. Our senior producer is Michael Olcott. Our producer is Michaela Winberg, and our associate producer is Bibiana Correa. We had production help on this episode from Malika Inonk and Citra Dyah Prastuti.

Our editor is Meg Driscoll. Original music, mixing, and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Engineering by Al Banks, Charlie Kaier, Diana Martinez, and Mike Villers. Our tile art was created by Nick Rogacki.

Special thanks to the voice actors who helped bring this episode to life: Willy Pramana,
Dea Roviana, and Swara Wanda.

Peak Travel is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network. Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, the iHeart Radio app — or wherever you get your podcasts.

Executive Producer: Tom Grahsler
Senior Producer: Michael Olcott
Producer: Michaela Winberg
Associate Producer: Bibiana Correa
Additional Production: Malika Inonk and Citra Dyah Prastuti
Editor: Meg Driscoll
Original Music, Mixing, and Sound Design: Catherine Anderson
Engineers: Al Banks, Charlie Kaier, Diana Martinez, and Mike Villers
Tile Art: Nick Rogacki

Special thanks to the voice actors who helped bring this episode to life: Willy Pramana, Dea Roviana, and Swara Wanda.

Peak Travel is a production of WHYY, distributed by PRX, and part of the NPR podcast network.