If you want to visit Bali and you’d like to be respectful of Balinese culture not just while visiting temples but also while interacting with the Balinese people on a day-to-day basis, you need our guide.
We’ll walk you through the basics of the island’s culture and what’s considered rude and what’s seen as very polite, and we’ll answer your questions on everything from whether or not to shake hands to whether romantic gestures can get you into trouble.
About Balinese People And Tolerance
People have been visiting Bali for a long time now, and if you asked most of them, they’d tell you that the average Balinese person is very tolerant of fault from their visitors.
In fact, Balinese people are very grateful when visitors make an effort to take their customs and traditions into account.
However, in the last few years, many Balinese people have been revising this approach thanks to the casual thoughtlessness and ugly behaviour of tourists.
Sadly, they don’t even keep this behaviour to touristy areas but have desecrated popular temples and even ruined a religious event.
Public displays of nudity are not welcome in a temple, and drunk driving is considered impolite everywhere on Earth. Screaming at the police over an expired visa or a traffic offence is going to get you into trouble, and so on.
This led to the governor of Bali taking the unusual step of releasing a list of do’s and don’ts. We’ll share this list with you now.
The Official Do’s And Don’t’s In Bali According To The Balinese Government: Balinese Etiquette By Law
Do’s
You should respect the temples and their sacred structures, including statues and religious symbols.
You should respect the local customs, arts, wisdom and traditions and the people taking part in them, especially in rituals and ceremonial processions.
You should dress modestly, appropriately, and respectfully at all public places, tourist attractions, and places of a sacred nature.
You should be polite when going about daily life this includes when shopping, eating, visiting tourist sites, temples, etc.
You should use the service of a local licensed guide when you are visiting temples and sacred sites as well as other tourist attractions.
You should only use officially authorized money changers.
You should use the Indonesian Rupiah in day-to-day transactions.
You must comply with all traffic laws in Indonesia (these are mostly the same as the laws in everyday life in your country)
You should only stay in licensed accommodation.
You should respect any rules imposed at local tourist sites.
Don’ts
Don’t enter or trespass into sacred territory. This includes holy spots, and for women, it’s considered polite not to enter these sites when menstruating.
Don’t defile any sacred place in Bali or take nude or indecent photos there.
Don’t litter in public or in any natural environment.
Try not to use single-use plastics.
Don’t swear or act with disrespect towards any government or local community official or your fellow tourists – this includes activity on social media.
Don’t conduct business or work without the legal right to do so
Don’t take part in illegal activity, including drug use or trading in endangered species or cultural artifacts.
A Quick Introduction To Hindu Culture
Bali is different to the rest of Indonesia because it has a mainly Hindu population.
This means that their way of life and what’s considered to be kind or polite may differ wildly from your experiences in the rest of the country. Though it’s fair to say – common sense goes a long way.
You should also know that even knowing a small amount of the language (Bahasa Indonesia) will endear you to pretty much everyone around you and can certainly help overcome any misunderstandings that may arise between you and local people.
That doesn’t mean that you need to learn Balinese fluently; just saying good morning, thank you, etc., goes a long way. You may even get a better price on goods if you do.
About Gestures In Bali
There are some basic cultural rules about the use of gestures in Bali:
Don’t point at people if you need to beckon someone.
To come to you, place your hand out and waggle your fingers with the fingers pointing down.
Don’t stand akimbo in front of locals. It’s seen as an act of extreme aggression.
Queuing and letting pedestrians cross the road are seen as entirely optional things, and it’s not rude to ignore either of these social conventions from your country.
Don’t be surprised when people are very late for a meeting – time doesn’t mean as much in Bali as it does elsewhere. You get used to it eventually.
Take off your shoes when entering homes.
Don’t wear sandals or thongs to a government office. Wear enclosed shoes, long pants and something that covers your shoulders.
Don’t be surprised if a local suddenly starts a conversation with you, and don’t be surprised if a long chat leads to an invitation to come to dinner.
About Money & Balinese Poverty
Most Balinese people are poor by Western standards. They earn less than $300 a month, and they cannot dream of travelling the world or staying in expensive hotels.
This often leads to a perception that all foreigners are rich. There is simply no local equivalent of our “middle class,” though there is an emerging Balinese middle class – it’s not quite the same thing.
It’s polite not to brag about how much you earn or spend in front of people who live very modestly. This ought to be common sense, really, but it often isn’t.
About Nudity & Dressing Modestly
This is a funny area of Balinese life and not consistent at all. It’s fine for a Hindu to bathe naked in a sacred river, but woe betide anyone foolish enough to strip naked on Seminyak Beach.
In fact, you are not allowed to go topless on a public beach in Bali, and that’s despite the fact that this is, without a doubt, the most liberal part of Indonesia.
Men are not supposed to go shirtless in Bali, but this rule is frequently broken in the most touristy parts of the island.
That doesn’t mean that when you do it, people respect you. Quite the contrary, they’re trying not to laugh at you. It’s best to wear, at a minimum, a tank top anywhere but on the beach or by the pool.
Balinese women may dress modestly by Western standards, but in the tourist parts of the island, they may wear short skirts and revealing clothes, too. They’re taking advantage of the freedom extended to visitors.
About Physical Interactions & Touching In Bali
Never touch anyone in Bali with your left hand, and don’t pass anything with this hand, either.
It’s considered unclean because that’s the hand people wipe themselves with after using the toilet. Yes, this is inconvenient if you’re left-handed, but using your left hand can be a grievous insult.
The head is considered to be the most sacred part of the human body, and it’s rude to touch someone’s head in Bali, and it can even lead to a fight!
Anything below the waist (or navel, to be precise) is considered impure, and pointing with your feet is very insulting.
Public displays of affection are not allowed in Bali, and it makes people very uncomfortable. Save it for your hotel room, please. You’re fine to hold hands, though.
Religious Ceremonies In Bali
While most locals will be happy to see you at a temple, you should be aware that their religious ceremonies aren’t meant as tourist attractions.
You need to dress modestly in the temple, which means, at a minimum, a sarong that covers your legs and a shawl or top that covers your shoulders.
You can usually buy these things or rent them at the temples or somewhere nearby.
If you are invited to a ceremony, you should wear the religious clothing that the locals wear, and you should seek advice from your host as to what you should buy.
Finally, photography is fine at religious sites in Bali, but flash photography inside sacred places is just plain rude.
If in any doubt, ask somebody what’s the best way forward, and always keep smiling.
Social Customs In Bali
There are also some simple social customs to be aware of:
Most Balinese shower twice a day
Locals go to bed early, so try to visit people before 9 p.m.
Bring small gifts if invited to a formal occasion (cookies are popular and just fine)
Where you sit at a village ceremony explains your social status
Most people only use a single piece of cutlery to eat and hold it in their right hand.
If they use two pieces of cutlery, it will be a spoon and fork.
When served tea and cookies at a Balinese home, don’t start eating or drinking until the host asks you to do so
Balinese folks often don’t talk at mealtimes.
It’s normal for people to sit on the floor at home rather than on chairs.
If you visit someone’s home and they give you a gift, you are expected to give them a gift of at least equal value in return
Essential Phrases In Balinese Language
We also have some simple phrases to learn in Balinese that will help you speak to locals.
The good news is that Bahasa (or basa Bali as it is sometimes known) is a fully phonetic language. That is, you say it as it’s written. Easy, right?
Hello = Om swastiastu or halo
Good Morning = Selamat pagi
Good Afternoon = Selamat siang
Goodbye = Selamat jalan (if the other person is leaving), Selamat tinggal (if you’re leaving)
Thank you = Terima kasih
You’re welcome = Kembali or Sama Sama
Yes = Ya
No = Tidak
Excuse Me = Permisi.
FAQs
What Are The Don’ts In Bali?
As you can see above, there’s a fairly long list of don’ts in Bali. But really, they break down to not being rude, not being unpleasant, and not breaking the law.
This is pretty much the same underlying set of rules as anywhere in the world.
You just need to take a few minutes before you come to Bali to understand what people in Bali consider to be rude or polite.
How Can I Be Polite In Bali?
Mostly by acting like you would at home and remembering to use your right hand rather than your left hand.
There are also some other rules you can find above that will help you stay on the right side of the line with locals.
Can I Kiss My Girlfriend In Bali?
Yes, of course. There are no religious police waiting to break into your hotel room.
However, you should not kiss someone in public in Bali. That’s not very polite.
Do I Need To Cover My Shoulders In Bali?
Not all the time, but a shawl is needed at sacred sites if your shoulders aren’t covered, and you should use a sarong to cover your legs, too.
What Is Hello In Balinese?
It’s halo.
How Do You Say Please In Bali?
The Indonesian people and Balinese folks don’t really use the word “please” in everyday speech, but you can add the word “tolong” to any phrase as a similar signifier.
Oddly, it makes people really happy when you use this word, even if they don’t use it.
Final Thoughts On Balinese Culture And The Balinese People
The Balinese folk are kind, tolerant, and generous with visitors, and most of the time, you won’t have any problems here at all.
In fact, not speaking Balinese won’t cause you many problems because so many locals now speak English.
However, if you are genuinely rude or unpleasant, it may be a different story in the future, and people behaving badly to Balinese people or disrespecting Balinese culture may be arrested, charged, and even deported now, or they may go straight to deportation.
So, remember you are the guests of the Balinese people, and it’s just common sense to make an effort to be polite and respectful, just as you would expect a Balinese visitor to be if they visited your homeland.
