A Locals’ Guide to Bali, Beyond the Tourist Crowds

To some, the Indonesian island has become synonymous with throngs of tourists, but you can still break away from the pack. Here’s how, according to four insiders.

BALI HIGH The daily kecak performance at a temple in the Uluwatu region of Bali is unique in that the musicians use their voices instead of traditional gamelan percussion instruments. Alamy

FEW ISLANDS serve up as varied a grab bag of holiday pursuits as Bali. On a landmass about the size of Delaware, you can seek out tranquility in the DayGlo-green rice paddies around the yogi haven of Ubud and adventure up the slopes of massive volcanoes. Along Bali’s southern beaches, nightclubs attract big-name DJs and ever-more-ambitious restaurants are popping up like mushrooms after a downpour. But the secret is out—and has been for a while. As tourist arrivals return to prepandemic numbers and more transplants put down roots, Bali’s ever-growing traffic and garbage woes have turned it into an overtourism poster child. Luckily there are as many dimensions to the Indonesian island as the number of gods worshiped in its Hindu temples. Know where to look, and you can still experience the island not only as it once was but also as it might be in a more sustainable future. Below, four locals point you in the right direction. 

 

Murni’s Warung has been a staple for local cuisine since it opened in 1974.

The Writer: Radit Mahindro

Author of ‘Paras,’ an upcoming book about Balinese hospitality 

Radit Mahindro

REAL DEAL: Murni’s Warung: The nasi campur (rice with meat and vegetables) here is the best on the island. The owner opened this restaurant in 1974, and still occasionally pops in to meet guests and share fascinating stories.

Read the full article: A Locals Guide to Bali, Beyond the Tourist Crowds

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From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know … And More
by Ni Wayan Murni
and
Jonathan Copeland 

From Tattoos to Textiles, Murni’s Guide to Asian Textiles, All You Need to Know … And More unravels the mysteries inherent in the ancient culture of textile making in an easy to read narrative from one of Bali’s most famous textile collectors.

• 357 pages
• Over 270 colour photographs
• Glossary
• Bibliography

Ni Wayan Murni

Jonathan Copeland

“From Tattoos to Textiles binds together the colourful threads of an extraordinary human story.”

Dr Fiona Kerlogue
Deputy Keeper of Anthropology with responsibility for the Asian and European collections at the Horniman Museum, London, Author of Arts of Southeast Asia and Batik: Design, Style and History

“What a treat to read such a beautiful, flowing, informative and passionate treatise on Indonesian textiles.”

Peter O’Neill OAM
Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

“From Tattoos to Textiles is both easy-to-read and informative.”

Professor Michael Hitchcock
Dean, Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Author of Indonesian Textiles

“This extraordinary book will not only enthral and enlighten readers but also energize the tradition of hand-woven textiles in Southeast Asia.”

Dr Linda McIntosh
Curator for The Jim Thompson House, Bangkok and Curator of The Tilleke & Gibbins Southeast Asian Textile Collection, Bangkok, Author of Ritual Thai Textiles, Status, Myth and the Supernatural and Art of Southeast Asian Textiles: The Tilleke and Gibbins Collection

“From Tattoos to Textiles tells a tale as old as Adam and Eve, as mysterious as Neith the Egyptian goddess, as intriguing as General George Washington, the first President of the United States, making his own clothes, and certainly a great deal more colourful than Chairman Mao’s cotton boiler suits.”

Stephanie Brookes
Travel Writer

“The 357 page eBook From Tattoos to Textiles with 270 color photos, is an informative guide to identifying hand woven ethnic textiles of Indonesia and how to tell the authentic from the fake.”

Bill Dalton
The Frugal Balinist, Bali Advertiser
23 July 2014

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When guests asked Murni for advice on where to go or what to do in Ubud or on what to buy, those inquiries gave birth to Murni’s Very Personal Guide to Ubud.

Written by a native Ubud resident – the village of her birth – this eBook sells for only US$2.99 .

Being digital, it can easily be carried around on your portable iPhone, iPad, Android or Kindle.

In a sense, Murni has been researching this eGuide all her life, confiding with her guests what businesses she likes to patronize; what arts and crafts, courses, cultural sites and secret places she recommends and what galleries she supports.

This 120-page guide, with its detailed descriptions and insightful observations, is all you need to experience the very best of what Ubud has to offer. Start reading Murni’s Very Personal Guide to Ubud in under a minute

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