Indonesia Observations

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Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago with more than 17,000 islands stretching across the Indian and Pacific Oceans. The country is bordered by Malaysia (on the island of Borneo), Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste. It spans a distance equal to one‑eighth of Earth’s circumference, sitting directly on the Equator. About 95% of Indonesia’s land area lies in the Southern Hemisphere, and about 5% lies in the Northern Hemisphere. Key islands include: Java (most populous), Sumatra, Borneo (Kalimantan) — shared with Malaysia & Brunei, Sulawesi, Bali and Papua.
Indonesia’s collective land area is about 735,358 square miles. This figure represents the total landmass across all of Indonesia’s 17,000+ islands, making it the 15^th largest country in the world by land area. That is equivalent to the land in Texas, California, Montana, New Mexico and Vermont combined. Indonesia’s terrain is one of the most varied and dramatic on Earth, shaped by its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire and being spread across 17,000+ islands. The landscape ranges from towering volcanic peaks (over 150 active volcanoes) to vast lowland plains, dense rainforests, deep valleys, and long coastlines. The highest point is Puncak Jaya in Papua at 16,503 ft and it has snow‑covered peaks year‑round. Indonesia has three time zones – Western, Central, and Eastern.
Indonesia’s history is shaped by powerful early kingdoms, centuries of global trade, long colonial rule, and a determined struggle for independence. Ancient empires like Srivijaya and Majapahit dominated the region and connected the islands to India, China, and the Middle East, while Islam spread peacefully through trade from the 1200s onward. The Dutch controlled the archipelago for over 300 years until Japan’s WWII occupation weakened colonial power and fueled nationalism. In 1945, Sukarno and Hatta declared independence, which the Dutch formally recognized in 1949. After Sukarno’s turbulent early republic, Suharto ruled for three decades of economic growth and political repression until his fall in 1998. Since then, Indonesia has transformed into one of the world’s largest democracies and a major Southeast Asian economy.
Indonesia has a presidential democratic republic, where the President serves as both head of state and head of government, overseeing day‑to‑day administration with the help of a Vice President and a Cabinet. The system is based on the 1945 Constitution, which gives significant authority to the executive branch. Lawmaking is carried out by a bicameral legislature consisting of the People’s Representative Council (DPR) and the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). The judiciary is independent, led by the Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court. Overall, Indonesia’s government blends strong executive leadership with democratic institutions and regular elections. The voting age in Indonesia is 17 years old, according to official election rules. Anyone aged 17 or older can vote in national and local elections. There is one exception: citizens under 17 who are married may vote, because marriage allows them to obtain an ID card (KTP), which is required for voting. Indonesia is known for having an equivalent to a mafia called the preman — a term for gangsters ranging from street‑level thugs to powerful crime bosses. Preman groups have existed for centuries and often intersect with political power which amplifies the corruption that exists within the government. Due to all of the corruption, one of our tour guides indicated he believes the government will implode and the islands will become individual countries.
Indonesia’s volunteer military, known as the Indonesian National Armed Forces (Tentara Nasional Indonesia, TNI), is a large, centrally controlled force made up of the Army, Navy (including the Marine Corps), and Air Force. It has about 404,500 active personnel and 401,000 reserves, with the President serving as Commander‑in‑Chief. The TNI was founded in 1945 during the independence struggle and has historically focused on both territorial defense and internal security, shaping its structure around Indonesia’s vast archipelago. Today, it operates under a doctrine of “Total People’s Defense”, emphasizing national resilience across more than 17,000 islands, and maintains a defense budget of roughly Rp 245 trillion (about USD $15 billion).
Indonesia’s police, known as the Indonesian National Police (Polri), are a centralized national force responsible for everything from traffic control to counterterrorism. They operate separately from the military and have a strong presence in daily life, especially in cities and tourist areas. Polri is known for being highly visible, hierarchical, and broad in scope, handling criminal investigations, intelligence, immigration enforcement, and public order. While many officers are professional and community‑focused, the institution also struggles with corruption, inconsistent enforcement, and bureaucratic processes, which is a common public criticism. In recent years, the government has pushed reforms to improve transparency, training, and public trust. Indonesia is considered moderately safe. Violent crime rates are lower than in many Western countries, but petty crime, corruption, and fraud are more common. Crime varies by region. Indonesia struggles with bureaucratic and police corruption, especially in traffic stops, licensing, local government offices. Indonesia has extremely strict drug laws. Even small possession can lead to long prison sentences or the death penalty for trafficking. Many prisons operate at 200–300% capacity, leading to cramped cells, limited bedding, and strained sanitation. Daily life is basic: inmates often rely on family for extra food, toiletries, or money, and wealthier prisoners sometimes gain access to better conditions, which contributes to corruption inside the system. Drug offenders make up a large portion of the population, and rehabilitation programs vary widely in quality. Despite these challenges, Indonesia has been slowly reforming its system, adding new facilities and expanding rehabilitation and vocational programs, but progress is uneven across the country.
Indonesia’s weather is tropical, hot, and humid year‑round which can cause mold in homes, mosquitoes and occasional haze from fires (burning rice fields and vegetation). Temperatures are typically between 77–90°F and very little seasonal temperature change. There are two seasons: a wet season (roughly November–March) and a dry season (April–October). We were there in April and May and the feels-like temperature was usually around 102 degrees.
It is the most populous country in Southeast Asia with approximately 287 million people, making it the fourth most populous country. Outside Jakarta, life is calmer and more community‑focused. People take time to socialize, enjoy meals, and live at a slower pace. Indonesia is friendly and welcoming. However, it’s a conservative country overall. Alcohol availability varies by region. Public behavior norms differ. Communication is indirect and polite, which can confuse Westerners. Understanding the culture takes time.
Indonesia’s net migration rate is –0.7 migrants per 1,000 people (2024), meaning more people leave than enter the country. This is due to outbound labor migration. For decades, Indonesia has sent large numbers of workers abroad—especially to Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and the Middle East. This remains the government’s primary migration focus: protecting Indonesian workers overseas, rather than attracting foreign migrants. There are limited pathways for long‑term foreign settlement and strict immigration controls. Total immigrants in Indonesia based on 2024 data indicates 418,736 people coming from Malaysia, Timor-Leste, China, India, Thailand, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Afghanistan and Myanmar.
The national language of Indonesia is Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia). It is the country’s official and unifying language, used in government, education, media, and nationwide communication. Over 97% of Indonesians are fluent in it, even though most also speak one of the 700+ regional languages at home. Mike started learning Indonesian on Duolingo when we arrived. He said it’s an easy language to learn because the alphabet is similar. He did great with his Indonesian. People thought he knew how to speak the language fluently based on his greetings. Many of the locals learn English from talking with tourists. Since many tourists are Australians, the locals often have an Aussie accent when speaking English.
Indonesia is one of the most religiously diverse countries in the world. It is also the largest Muslim‑majority nation, with Islam practiced by about 87% of the population. The government officially recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. This framework is rooted in Pancasila, the national ideology, whose first principle requires belief in “one almighty God,” shaping how religion functions in public life and governance. We saw halal products. Halal refers to anything that is allowed for Muslims to consume, use, or do. Its opposite is haram, meaning forbidden.
We were able to observe the start of Ramadan in Egypt and see the end of Ramadan in Indonesia. The Muslim holiday at the end of Ramadan is Eid al-Fitr, which means festival of breaking the fast. It marks the completion of a month-long dawn to sunset fast by Muslims and is celebrated for three days, starting with morning prayers, family visits, new clothes, and charity to the needy. In Indonesia the holiday is called Lebaran.
Indonesia has Sumatran tigers, elephants and rhinoceros. Bornean orangutans, Sumatran orangutans, Javan leopard, sun bears and babirusa (wild pigs). Indonesia has some of the world’s richest primate diversity with proboscis monkeys, tarsiers, macaques, and gibbons. Komodo dragons (the world’s largest lizard), the reticulated python (one of the world’s longest snakes) and king cobras. Indonesia is a bird‑watcher’s paradise with Bali mynas, hornbills and maleos. Indonesia sits in the Coral Triangle, the richest marine ecosystem on Earth with manta rays, whale sharks, sea turtles, and thousands of coral and reef fish species.
Badminton, soccer (football), volleyball, basketball, and indoor soccer are popular sports.
The manufacturing of food & beverages, textiles, electronics, automotive, and chemicals is the largest industry in Indonesia, accounting for 19% of the economic sectors. Wholesale and retail trade is 13%. Agriculture (rice, palm oil, coffee, rubber, and fisheries) is 13%. Construction of infrastructure expansion, city development and housing demands is 9.8%. Mining and quarrying of nickel, coal, tin and gold is 8.7%. Tourism and hospitality account for 2.5% as they are still recovering and modernizing post-pandemic.
Indonesia grows an exceptionally wide range of agricultural products, thanks to its tropical climate, fertile volcanic soil, and huge land area (30% of the land is used for agriculture). The country produces both food crops for domestic consumption and plantation crops for export, and it is a top global producer of several commodities: rice, maize, soybeans, cassava, mango, chili, shallots, bananas, citrus. Indonesia is a global powerhouse in several plantation crops: palm oil (world’s largest producer), cloves (largest producer globally), cinnamon (largest producer), nutmeg, natural rubber, coconut oil, cocoa, coffee, tobacco, and tea. As an archipelago, Indonesia also produces tuna, mackerel, snapper, shrimp, and seaweed.
Indonesia is one of the most affordable countries in Asia for daily life. Rent is inexpensive outside Jakarta and Bali’s tourist zones. Food, transportation, and services are extremely cheap. You can live comfortably on $800–$1,500 USD/month depending on the island. Our tour guide, Krishna, shared with us that 6 million Indonesian Rupiahs ($350) per month provides for a comfortable living in smaller areas of Indonesia. He indicated 15 million Indonesian Rupiahs ($875 USD) per month provides a good living in Jakarta. Our guide also shared there are three levels of health care. For level 2 they pay $25 per month for a family of four, which he said is adequate (they didn’t have to pay any out of pocket for the births of their two children). Our guide, Sureka, shared that 3 million Indonesian Rupiahs ($175 USD) per month allows a single person to live comfortably in Bali.
About 85% of households in Indonesia own their home making it one of the highest homeownership rates in the world. Many homes are self-built or inherited, especially in rural areas. Mortgage use is growing, but most ownership is still non‑mortgage. Middle class homes in major cities cost about USD $55,000 – $155,000. Urban land is expensive, and houses are smaller at 480–970 square feet. Middle class homes in medium size cities cost about USD $30,000 – $75,000. In small cities & towns, a middle-class home costs about USD $15,000 – $37,000. In rural areas middle class homes cost about USD $6,000 – $18,000. Many rural homes are self‑built, which keeps costs low.
We saw the following franchises: Starbucks, KFC, IKEA, A&W, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, Burger King, Dominos, Dunkin Donuts, lots of different hotel chains, Circle K, Wendy’s, Baskin Robbins, Dairy Queen. After KFC came, the locals called all fried chicken KFC and we saw local non-KFC restaurants advertise that they had KFC.
Indonesia is celebrating the following holidays in 2026: Jan 1 — New Year’s Day, Jan 16 — Isra Mi’raj (Prophet Muhammad’s Ascension), Feb 16 — Imlek (Chinese New Year’s Eve / Joint Holiday), Feb 17 — Chinese New Year (Tahun Baru Imlek), Mar 18 — Nyepi Eve (Joint Holiday), Mar 19 — Nyepi – Balinese Day of Silence (Hindu New Year), Mar 20 — Idul Fitri (Eid al‑Fitr), Mar 21–24 — Idul Fitri Holidays (multiple days), Apr 3 – Good Friday, Apr 5 — Easter Sunday, May 1 — Labour Day, May 14 — Ascension Day of Jesus Christ, May 27 — Idul Adha (Eid al‑Adha), May 31 — Waisak Day (Buddha’s Birthday), Jun 1 — Pancasila Day, Jun 16 — Islamic New Year (Hijriyah), Aug 17 — Independence Day, Aug 25 — Prophet Muhammad’s Birthday, Dec 24 — Christmas Eve, Dec 25 — Christmas Day
You must be 21 or older to legally purchase or drink alcohol anywhere in Indonesia.
Tourists visit from Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, China and India. The #1 country that visits Bali is Australia.
Many locals we talked with do not travel to other islands or leave the country. Mostly because they can’t afford it.
Most places we visited in tourist locations and larger cities took credit cards. We needed some cash in Gili Air. $1 USD = 17,690 Indonesian Rupiahs (IDR)
Gas cost around $2.02–$2.75 USD per gallon. As of May 2026, Indonesia is not raising retail fuel prices, even though global oil has surged due to the Iran conflict. The government is shielding households by keeping prices fixed. State oil company Pertamina is absorbing the extra cost, but this will eventually hit the national budget. This is politically sensitive — raising fuel prices has historically triggered protests. There was discussion while we were there about going to a four-day work week to minimize commuting to work.
Flights between islands are cheap, and ferries connect much of the country. Weekend trips to Bali, Lombok, Yogyakarta, or Labuan Bajo are easy and inexpensive. There are good highways in Java, but rough roads exist in many outer islands. Sidewalks are inconsistent or nonexistent. Public transport is excellent in Jakarta, limited elsewhere. Jakarta has the most developed system, with buses, commuter trains, MRT, and LRT forming an integrated network. Other major cities rely more on buses, angkot (minibuses), and ride‑hailing (Grab). Ferries and intercity trains connect parts of the archipelago. Power outages still happen in smaller towns.
Locals are good about using their blinkers. You hear very few car or motorbike horns. Typically, horns are used only to warn someone of something. Taksi (taxis) will give a short beep when you are walking, in case you want a ride. In general, it seems that drivers obey speed limits. They drive on the left. In some cities, scooters and motorbikes dominate the roads, and traffic rules are flexible. Motor bikes pass cars on either side going the same direction. Travel times can be unpredictable. 84% of the locals drive motorbikes or scooters and most people wear helmets. Cars cost around $14,000 USD for a new car. Byd, Suzuki, Ford, Toyota, Hyundai, Honda, Nissan and Wuling (main production is in China with a full manufacturing plant in Indonesia) are common car makers.
Some busy streets have crossing guards to stop traffic for you to cross the street. Although traffic is heavy and crossing streets can be challenging, I was confident drivers would go around us or stop (unlike Egypt, Nepal and Morocco).
Grab is used (like Uber). We used the app and it was easy and convenient. The Grab cars are consistently nice. I researched to find out if the cars are company owned. They are not; however, the company has requirements regarding Grab driver cars.
License plates are different colors based on private, commercial, government, public transport, and diplomat vehicles. The first two letters indicate the provincial code and there is a regency or city code. Electric car plates include a blue stripe.
The minimum legal age to get a driver’s license in Indonesia is 17, but it depends on the type of vehicle. Some larger motorcycles and vehicles require you to be 18, 19, or 20 years old.
Indonesia’s school system is large, structured, and highly standardized, with 12 years of compulsory education and oversight split between the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Religious Affairs. The system includes early childhood, primary, secondary, and higher education, with both public and private schools. It’s adequate and improving, but not yet strong by international standards. Indonesia excels in access and expansion, but still struggles with quality, teacher capacity, and learning outcomes. There are large disparities between urban and rural regions. Teacher shortages exist in remote areas.
Indonesia’s healthcare system is a mix of public insurance, government clinics, and private hospitals, with quality varying significantly between big cities and rural areas. The system is built around universal health coverage, but access and standards differ across the archipelago. Serious health conditions often require flying to Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
Life expectancy is 69.4 for males and 73.8 for females.

General

Felt safe everywhere.
Many greet you with a hand on their heart or hands in prayer position. The people are gentle, polite, warm, friendly and smile more consistently than anywhere else I can remember.
Shopee is the #1 most visited e‑commerce site in Indonesia (similar to Amazon).
Sarah observed that every business and restaurant seems to have enough staff and we agree.
A few locals called Mike Grandpa and one called me Grandma.
Excellent customer service! They are proactive at providing what you may want. They are kind. One example. I ordered a drink at Starbuck’s and the machine used to make it was broken. I ordered something else. After the machine was fixed, the server asked me three different times if they could make my original drink request for no charge.
We found restaurants and hotels to be hygienic. The food presentation is beautiful! They often line plates with fresh banana leaves and garnish with fresh flowers. They often do not provide all utensils with meals, only what they think you’ll need. I would have to ask for a knife at times. Many restaurants use metal, glass or paper straws. The servers always ask if you are done (even if there isn’t anything left in the dish or glass) before taking it.
Bathrooms are generally decent, clean and have water, soap and toilet paper.
Overall things are clean without a lot of litter. There are designated areas where you see garbage piles.
Each of the islands has a different culture. On Borneo, people have built buildings to house swiftlet birds. They use a loudspeaker to lure the birds into the building. The birds build nests made from solidified saliva, which locals harvest and sell to China for bird nest soup (an expensive delicacy). They also have palm oil plantations.
Locals tease that “Indonesians don’t walk”. The people working at a restaurant that we ate at knew we were going to walk 20 minutes home, and they told us three times they would arrange a ride home for us.
The electric wires are easy to see in most places and often look similar to how they did in Kathmandu.
When we asked people what comes to mind when they hear “America”, we heard things like Trump, the military, that it is the most modern country, and the US wants to take over other countries. One of the people we asked told us, “Uncle Sam.” He was 21 years old and remembers hearing on the news “and now in the land of Uncle Sam” when the news station was reporting something happening in America.
Headhunting had been practiced for centuries among several Dayak groups in Borneo. Dutch and British colonial administrations spent the late 1800s–early 1900s suppressing the practice. By 1924, the major inter‑tribal conflicts involving headhunting had been formally resolved.
There was a boating accident in December 2025 on a boat like the one we were on in Komodo National Park where four of the 11 people died. There was a Spanish family of six and the father and three sons died. The mother and daughter survived because they were in the area at the top of the boat. The boat was traveling at night; the boat had engine failure, there were high waves and a strong current which made it difficult to maneuver the boat. The waves forced the ship to fall to the side, and it sank. The waves, current and it being at night impacted rescue efforts. There is a law now that boats can’t travel in that area at night.
Many of the buildings have a natural earthy feel with construction elements from bamboo and palm tree thatch.
We saw a lot of Birkenstock knock offs in markets. There are a few authentic Birkenstock stores.
Some of the bars serve their beers in a koozie because it’s so humid.
Foods that we liked served at local warungs (eateries): Gado Gado, Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mei Goreng (fried noodles), Satay (grilled meats on a skewer served with delicious sauces). Almost every meal is accompanied by kerupuk (crackers that come in all kinds of varieties from light and airy or crunchy and are made from rice or tapioca). Squash drinks (fruit concentrates mixed with water) were popular. The ginger herbal drinks are delicious, hot or cold.
Due to the purple sap in the rind, some hotels in Indonesia and Southeast Asia restrict guests from bringing mangosteens inside as it may stain linens and furniture. There are also restrictions in some places on the fruit called durian as the smell is pungent.

Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia. It Is considered the largest city in the world, on some lists, with 42 million people. We were there during the Lebaran holiday and they say that half of the people leave the city to visit family in other parts of Indonesia. We don’t feel like we got to experience Jakarta’s day-to-day life fully.
The city ranks 11^th in the world for number of skyscrapers with 149 over 492 feet tall and 3,600 high rise buildings.
The areas we were in had lots of green trees and plants.
We saw people selling children’s swim vests in the middle of traffic.
You can rent colorful bikes and wear an accompanying hat to ride bike in the square by the Jakarta Museum

We were at the food court at the mall during Ramadan. It was packed. Muslims got their food and sat at their table waiting to eat until the mall made an announcement that the sun had set.
In areas there were bus lanes, motorbike/bicycle lanes.

Bali

MASSAGES! MASSAGES! MASSAGES! We had 90-minute massages a couple of times a week that ranged in price, including the tip, from $12 – $18 USD each.
Bali is 90 miles by 50 miles. The island population is about 4.46 million. The town of Ubud has a population of about 72,000 people and Seminyak has about 6,000 residents with a daily population of about 30,000 people which includes tourists and workers.
The island is special. It is brimming with spirituality, has calming energy and can be very serene in areas.
There is a lot of traffic. It can take a long time to go a few kilometers. Motorbikes go around the cars into the oncoming lane, so they get places faster than cars. They also drive on sidewalks when the traffic is heavy – which is extremely annoying and stressful when you’re walking on the sidewalk!
Hiring drivers/guides is common. We spent $56 USD for an 8.5 hour tour. It included the car, gas, English speaker driver/tour guide, and tip.
We were told few women drive cars. We saw a lot of women driving mopeds/scooters/motorbikes.
It seems like there is a tattoo parlor on every street! Many hotels indicate guests will be charged if there is tattoo ink on their linens. Some of the hotels would look at our hotel room before we were able to check out.
Balinese Hinduism is meaningfully different from “mainstream” Indian Hinduism, even though they share the same ancient roots. The differences come from Bali’s geography, local spirit traditions, Indonesian legal requirements, and centuries of cultural blending. The two share the same foundation but are expressed differently.
Balinese Hindu temples are found in every village and most houses have their own, and many businesses also have one. There are statues everywhere on the island. Our tour guide, Sureka, was calm and peaceful. We talked about it. They believe in karma, which plays a role. He said when he gets stressed, he reflects inwardly to identify his role in the stress. He said their beliefs help them to be peaceful. They have festivals and holidays that remind them of the importance of turning inward and to have trust and faith in the process, so they don’t worry or experience “what ifs”.
The smell of incense is common. In Balinese Hinduism, the rising smoke is believed to carry prayers, intentions, and the essence (sari) of the offering to the gods. Incense embodies the Balinese belief that the divine is present everywhere; daily life and spirituality are inseparable; and gratitude must be expressed continually, not occasionally.
The island celebrates many holidays and ceremonies. One of the most interesting holidays is Nyepi which marks the Balinese Hindu New Year, but instead of celebrating with noise and parties, Bali does the opposite: the entire island goes silent. It’s a day dedicated to self‑reflection, purification, spiritual reset, and cosmic balance. For 24 hours (6 AM to 6 AM) Bali enforces four strict rules: no fire or light (no electricity, no cooking, no bright lights, homes stay dark, streets are pitch black – even hotels dim their lights and cover windows); no work (everything closes – shops, restaurants, beaches, gyms, bars, offices; only emergency services operate); no travel (no cars or motorbikes, no walking outside, no leaving your home or hotel, airports close completely – this is the only major airport in the world that fully closes for a religious holiday); no entertainment (no music, no TV, no internet, no socializing, no work calls – it’s a day of total stillness). Nyepi is one of the most unique experiences on Earth. The island becomes silent enough to hear insects and wind. With no lights, the night sky explodes with stars. Streets are empty. Beaches are deserted. Even dogs seem quieter. Many travelers say it’s the most peaceful day they’ve ever experienced. Nyepi usually falls in March, based on the Saka lunar calendar (I wish we would have been there to experience it!). The night before Nyepi, Bali erupts in massive street parades, giant demon statues, drums, fire, dancing, and noise. These demons represent negative forces. After the parade, they are symbolically destroyed or burned — cleansing the island before the silence. When Nyepi ends people visit family, temples hold ceremonies, the island feels refreshed, traffic returns, and shops reopen. It’s like Bali takes a deep breath and starts the year renewed. The holiday is intended to restore balance between humans, nature, and the divine. The silence is believed to confuse or repel negative spirits, reset the island’s spiritual energy, and encourage introspection and humility.
Many statues and temples are decorated with black and white checkered items (representing the duality of good and bad) and yellow (representing “Mother” and the earth) and white (representing “Father” and the sky).
Women menstruating are prohibited from entering temples due to the Hindu belief in cuntaka (spiritual impurity or taint). Menstrual blood is considered impure, and entering holy spaces during this time is believed to violate the sanctity of the temple, potentially causing bad luck, sickness, or spiritual disturbances (like fainting or possession) for the individual and community.

It is common for restaurant servers to ask for your name and call you by name as they serve you.
Most restaurant servers ask if you have any food allergies. Several years ago, there was a high-profile death of an Australian woman and her daughter that was ruled as an allergy.
After our anniversary dinner, our server told us that what we paid for our wine, appetizer, two main entrees, and dessert was the equivalent of two weeks of pay for her.
Our tour guide, Sureka, told us land is expensive. It is about 500 million Indonesian Rupiahs to buy 100 square meters of land in the Ubud area. That equates to about $1.2 million USD per acre. Rather than buying land, when families grow via marriage and having children, it is common to add on another floor to the family home. There is a 4 or 5 story limit in Bali.
Ubud has lots of monkeys because of the Monkey Forest. You have to be careful not to look them in the eye or smile/show your teeth to them as they think you are being aggressive. You need to be careful carrying plastic bags as they associate the bags with food. A monkey in the Monkey Forest grabbed a woman’s purse and started throwing items from inside the purse on the ground. The man with her tried to kick it away and the monkey lunged at the man’s leg. Another man came and tried to grab the purse away. The monkey took the purse into the forest. They found her cell phone and passport in the woods. We saw the monkey run away with her wallet (not sure she’ll see that again!). We saw people who were letting the monkeys climb on them – uh, no thank you! And a monkey who jumped on a woman’s back – again, no thank you!
We saw many kites in the sky. We read that kite flying in Bali is a deeply rooted cultural and religious tradition.
Like other Southeast Asian countries, burning rice fields after harvest is common to quickly clear stalks, control pests, and fertilize the soil. This traditional practice can create significant smoke and air quality issues.
We learned that indigenous people who leave Bali often move to Holland. And not many foreigners move to Bali.
We tried Luwak coffee which is famous for being the “civet coffee” — beans eaten, digested, and excreted by the Asian palm civet (the size of a large house cat that looks a little like a monkey, cat and raccoon), then cleaned, roasted, and brewed. It’s one of the most unusual and controversial coffee processes in the world. Enzymes in the civet’s stomach change the beans’ chemistry, producing a smoother, less acidic flavor. We tried it and it was ok.
Balinese children are named in a way that’s completely different from Western naming — and even different from Indian Hindu naming. In Bali, your name tells people your birth order, your gender, and sometimes your caste. Personal names come last. Balinese names follow this pattern: gender marker > birth order name > (optional caste title) > personal name. Most Balinese do not use family surnames.
Balinese people file their teeth as part of a deeply meaningful rite of passage called Metatah or Mesangih — one of the most important ceremonies in Balinese Hindu life. It’s not cosmetic. It’s spiritual, symbolic, and tied to Balinese ideas about human nature, balance, and adulthood. Balinese tooth‑filing is meant to smooth away the six negative human traits (anger, greed, jealousy, desire, confusion, drunkenness) and help a person enter adulthood with spiritual balance. It’s about inner harmony, not appearance. The ceremony involves gently filing the top front teeth — usually the canines — to make them slightly more even. It is not extreme and does not create sharp or pointed teeth. The filing is symbolic, not drastic.
Many of the villas that are rented to tourists include tiny pools.
We went to a movie. It was comfortable. It was a late afternoon show which cost $4 USD per ticket. We had two medium popcorns for $10 USD total.
Australians account for the highest number of tourists in Bali. It’s common for bars to air Australian Football League games.
Russians have been moving to Indonesia—especially Bali—in large numbers since 2022, driven mainly by the war in Ukraine, economic uncertainty, and the desire to avoid military conscription. This influx has created both economic benefits and social tensions. Locals have named an area where many Russians have settled as Little Moscow. Several Uber drivers shared information with us regarding Russians blocking roads, selling drugs, selling women and being part of the mafia – we were unable to substantiate any evidence of these things when researching these claims.
Many of the flights to Bali are routed through the Middle East. We read that there are estimates that tourism is down by 800 tourists a day since the war started in Iran.
A pint of Haagen Dazs cost $24 in the grocery store.
We were intrigued by the eggs we bought in Bali. They tasted the same as other eggs we have eaten, even though the chickens were fed with sweet almond, olive, soya bean, lavender, eucalyptus, coconut, citrus oil and extract garlic.

There are interesting things to see all over Bali. It takes time to explore the island via a car as the traffic is heavy and it takes a long time to travel small distances.
The Bali airport is very nice and big.

Gili Air