Eat, Pray, Love in Bali

Okay, now: Raise your hands if you want a Julia Roberts—er, Elizabeth Gilbert—experience in Bali. Inspired by her tale of reinvention and discovery, many people are coming to Bali right now to seek love, culture, and/or a spiritual epiphany. And luckily, the island is uniquely abundant in all three experiences. (If you’re on a budget, India and Italy can wait.)

EAT
Whether you’re dining on Indonesian, Sumatran, Javanese, or the less available (in tourist areas) traditional Balinese food—the key ingredients of which are coconut, pressed rice, and tropical fruits—dining in Bali is a spicy, flavor-filled firework of an experience. If you want to take it a step beyond restaurant-hopping, sign up for a cooking class at Best Bali Cooking Classes or at the restaurant Bumbu Bali.

Experiential Travel in Bali

While there’s a definite temptation to snooze on a lounge chair and appreciate the flowers, bird songs, and tropical drinks all day long, if you want a richer Bali travel experience, you’ll need to venture out onto the island. Experience the rich culture, the warmth of the native people, and the natural beauty of this beautiful island.

Gamelan music is older than the predominating religions of Indonesia, and carries a cultural significance much heavier than mere entertainment. Gamelan orchestras are a combination of flutes, plucked strings, and percussive “hammer-struck” instruments like xylophones. Gamelan orchestras accompany most of the traditional Balinese forms of music. There are many types of drama in Bali: Arja, which encompasses dance, gorgeous costumery, and singing, and is performed by a strictly male cast; Prembon, which is traditional mask dancing; Drama Gong, a new style of dance that was in invented in the 1960s; and Wayang, traditional puppet theater which traces its roots to the 9^th century.