Chapter 10: The Conscious Guest: Supporting Local Life and Traditions

How to Support Local Businesses

The most impactful way to support the local economy is to make conscious choices that channel your money directly back into the community. Here’s a rewritten version with more specific, actionable suggestions:

• Shop at Local Markets: Move beyond the souvenir shops and visit traditional markets where locals buy their daily goods. This provides a more authentic experience and ensures your money benefits small-scale vendors. Look for markets like Badung Traditional Market (Denpasar), Ubud Art Market (Ubud), Sukawati Art Market (Gianyar), or Sanur Night Market for food.
• Eat at Family-Owned Warungs: A ‘warung’ is a small, family-owned business, often a roadside food stall or home-based eatery. By eating at these places, you are supporting a family’s livelihood directly. Try a nasi campur (mixed rice) at a local warung, or look for specific, highly-rated spots like Compound Warung in Ubud or Warung Sika in Canggu.
• Book Tours with Small, Independent Guides: Rather than using large international tour companies, seek out local guides. They are often more knowledgeable about hidden gems and cultural nuances, and your payment goes directly to them. Look for guides on platforms that connect you with local experts or ask for recommendations from your guesthouse or a local.
• Support Local Artisans and the Creative Economy: Look for products and art made by Balinese people. Organizations like Threads of Life, for example, support traditional weaving techniques and independent weavers. This helps to preserve cultural heritage while providing sustainable income.
• Practice Responsible Tourism:
  • Be a Conscious Consumer: Avoid buying products made from endangered or protected animals.
  • Respect Cultural Norms: Ask for permission before taking a photo of a person or a ceremony. Be mindful of temple etiquette, which often requires wearing a sarong and sash and not sitting higher than the offerings.
  • Stay Informed: Be aware that some activities, such as certain “dolphin tours” or “elephant parks,” may involve animal mistreatment. Do your research to find ethical alternatives.”

Eco-friendly Tips

Bali is a beautiful island, and keeping it that way is a shared responsibility. As a visitor, your small actions can have a big impact on the environment and local communities.

Be Mindful of Plastic and Waste

• Say no to single-use plastics: Decline plastic bags, straws, and cutlery. Carry your own reusable shopping bag and a set of reusable utensils. Many cafes and restaurants now offer bamboo or metal straws.
• Carry a reusable water bottle: Bali has a widespread problem with plastic pollution, and single-use plastic bottles are a major contributor. Many hotels, guesthouses, and restaurants offer free water refill stations, making it easy to stay hydrated without buying new bottles.
• Dispose of waste properly: Proper waste management is a challenge on the island. Never litter. When you are in your accommodation, ask the staff about their waste sorting and disposal practices. If they do not recycle, consider dropping off your recyclables at local collection centers like EcoBali or Sungai Watch.
• Join a beach cleanup: You can participate in a beach cleanup as a meaningful way to give back to the community and environment. Many local organizations host regular events that welcome tourists.

Conserve Water

Bali’s water supply is a limited resource, and the high demand from tourism puts a strain on it. Even a small effort on your part can make a difference.

• Take shorter showers: Simple but effective. Limit your time in the shower to conserve water.
• Re-use towels: Hang your towels to dry instead of asking for a new one every day. Most hotels have a policy of only washing towels that are left on the floor.

Support Local & Be Ethical

• Choose eco-friendly tours and accommodations: Look for businesses that prioritize sustainability. Many tour operators, like Bali Eco Cycling, focus on low-impact activities and educating visitors about the local culture and environment.
• Be a responsible consumer: When booking animal-related tours, do your research to ensure the animals are not being exploited. Avoid activities like riding elephants or swimming with dolphins.
• Respect the culture: Engage with local traditions respectfully. Ask for permission before taking photos of people or ceremonies, and avoid entering sacred areas unless you are appropriately dressed and invited to do so.

Respecting Culture and Nature

A. General Obligations and Prohibitions for Foreign Tourists

The Bali government has established a new code of conduct to preserve the island’s cultural heritage and environment.

Key Obligations (Things You Must Do):

• Dress Appropriately: Wear courteous and modest attire when visiting sacred areas, tourist destinations, and public places. This is especially important for women, who should cover their shoulders and knees.
• Use Licensed Services: When using transportation or accommodations, ensure you are using legally registered providers. This includes staying in licensed hotels, villas, or guesthouses and using licensed tour guides when visiting cultural or natural sites.
• Follow Traffic Laws: If you choose to drive a motorbike, you must have a valid international or national driver’s license, wear a helmet, and obey all traffic signs.

Prohibitions (Things You Must Not Do):

• Desecrate Sacred Sites: It is strictly forbidden to climb on sacred buildings, statues, monuments, or trees. Taking indecent or nude photos in or near these sites is also prohibited.
• Litter or Pollute: Do not litter or pollute lakes, springs, rivers, or the sea. The use of single-use plastics such as plastic bags, straws, and Styrofoam is also banned.
• Disrespect Locals: Avoid using profanity, engaging in aggressive behavior, or spreading hate speech and false information on social media.

B. Respecting Balinese Culture

Balinese culture is deeply intertwined with its Hindu-Dharma traditions. Showing respect for these customs is a way to honor the local community and its beliefs.

• Canang Sari Offerings: These small, woven palm-leaf baskets filled with flowers, rice, and incense are daily offerings placed on the ground, altars, and shrines. They are a sign of gratitude to the gods. Be mindful of where you are walking and never step on, kick, or disrespect a canang sari offering.
• Temple Etiquette (Pura): Temples are places of worship. You must wear a sarong and sash to cover your legs and waist. Many temples provide these at the entrance. It is considered disrespectful for menstruating women to enter the temple grounds. You should also not sit higher than a priest or the holy offerings.
• Appropriate Behavior: Avoid touching the head of a Balinese person, as the head is considered sacred. When handling objects or money, always use your right hand, as the left is considered impure. Public displays of affection are also frowned upon.

C. Caring for Nature

Bali’s natural beauty is its greatest asset. By being mindful of your impact, you help preserve the island for future generations.

• Mindful Waste Disposal: Always use designated bins for your trash. The ban on single-use plastics means you should bring a reusable water bottle, cloth bags for shopping, and refuse plastic straws.
• Conservation: Participate in local conservation efforts if you have the opportunity, such as beach clean-ups. Supporting local businesses that prioritize sustainability is another way to contribute positively to the environment.
• Respect Wildlife: Do not engage in any illegal trading of endangered flora or fauna. Observe wildlife from a respectful distance and do not feed wild animals, as this can disrupt their natural behavior.