Traveling as a minority in Bali

Traveling exposes us to new challenges, new ideas and new people. This can be stimulating and enjoyable. Sometimes the feeling of being a minority can make visitors uncomfortable, for a variety of reasons. Considering Bali is mostly Hindu, with a small percentage of Chinese and Muslims, if you are coming from a western country you will be a minority. People have all kinds of mental baggage and pre-conceived ideas, based on previous encounters and information from other sources. Often this can paint a picture that is false.

Balinese people seem to be relaxed and accepting of others. They have their own set of strong religious and cultural beliefs, but outside of that don’t have the need to ram them down anyone else’s throat. For a visitor to Bali who is concerned about traveling as a minority, I’d say no worries. Try to relax, don’t take offense at things you don’t understand and you will have no problem. People accept there are sometimes misunderstandings, but don’t like aggressive confrontations. As long as you keep your cool, nobody is going to give you a hard time.

For a European the scene in Bali is pretty straightforward, they know we are foreigners. That can be good and bad. We will get preference over locals in hotels, as the staff can identify us as people likely to have money to spend. In local warungs, we are likely to get worse service, as the staff can identify us as people who are the least likely to be repeat customers.

Asian travelers have it slightly different. Many Asian Americans get mistaken for being Japanese or Chinese Indonesian. Learning a few words of Bahasa Indonesia could really turn that into an advantage. As soon as you start into “I’M SORRY SIR, I DON’T UNDERSTAND YOU” your cover is blown.

In the Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, Ubud areas, people are very used to foreigners. In more remote parts of the island, or places that are simply off of the tourist trail, you might get a few lingering looks. This is usually never aggressive, although people might seem a bit more forward than in the west. In Bali ‘where are you going?’ is a form of greeting. In conversation questions like ‘where you stay?” and ‘what your business?’ are common even after a couple of minutes. Don’t feel threatened, its just the way of interaction out here.

Since living in Bali I have never come across a case where tourists / travelers have been targeted for bad treatment, because of the fact they are a minority. All of us foreigners are coming from a superior economy, into a depressed local economy, that is dependent on tourism. That sets off a dynamic where locals are used to seeing money flow one way. Its not like visiting Paris or New York.

Negro travelers might attract attention because Balinese are not used to seeing them. In Seminyak I’ve met people from Papua, in Eastern Indonesia, but they are few and far between. Ordinarily people are just curious and don’t harbor any ill will as they don’t have any history with you. Traveling as a minority in Bali should not pose any problems.