Bali

February 21-22, 2026

Our two days in Bali were spent visiting temples, palaces and sampling Balinese culture and cuisine. Bali is the only Hindu majority (85%) island in Indonesia and it shows everywhere you travel. Art and architecture is not limited to just the temple sites. You see it everywhere you go.

Speaking of going, the traffic can be stifling. Motorbikes are the primary mode of transportation and there are tens of thousands of them. The government keeps the cost of fuel low. But not for cars and trucks. Watching riders squeeze between cars and large coaches while carrying goods and passengers is disconcerting.

Tourism and agriculture are the primary drivers of the economy. You can see rice fields inside the city and countryside. And all labor is manual from seedling to harvest. No rice is grown for export and the government also subsidizes the price of rice.

Temples and palaces are the hotspots for tourist activity and some of them are spectacular especially the seaside complex of Tanah Lot. We also visited a Monkey Forest where guides walk small groups (2-4) thru the grounds and offer assistance with photo opportunities with the residents.

We also had some culinary and cultural interactions at one of the palaces and at a Hyatt Regency resort where a Hindu epic drama, Ramayana, was performed. It is a story of kidnapping, rescue and the triumph of good over evil.

Bali was quite the culture shock from earlier stops in Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. Looking ahead, I’ll probably think it was tame by comparison with future ports.

Views from the coach