Bali, 2026

“This is a new form of colonialism.”

“As an Indonesian, I am appalled that I’ve been denied the right to participate in an event in my
OWN country.”

After the infamous scandal of Entourage Club, a running club in Bali organised by, ironically, two Dutch founders, the Balinese have finally spoken up.

I have conflicting feelings about Bali. I hear the call to this spiritual centre that makes me come to visit it again and again, wanting to find peace and immerse myself in their culture. Then, once I step into the busy areas of Canggu and Seminyak, I’m reminded once again of the overtourism that dampens my attraction to this island. The peace and quiet, the mild demeanour of its people, are increasingly overtaken by the overwhelming number of tourists, often from the West, waving their currency and screaming ‘cheap’ ‘cheap’ ‘cheap’. I have even encountered a few tourists marking their territory, proclaiming “we built this island with our money”, which I find off-putting.

My sojourns to Bali have always been straightforward. As part of SEAblings, I come here to reconnect with my heritage (although admittedly my DNA links should bring me to Sumatera) and enjoy the religious tolerance South East Asia is uniquely known for. The temples, the water features that are both mysteriously spiritual and cleansing, the nature and breathtaking views, all of this makes Bali one of the most enchanting places in the world.

Before I visited Tirta Empul temple again, I asked my tour guide, Yogik, “Can I enter the temple dressed like this?” I was deeply concerned about disrespecting places of worship when I thought I was underdressed. “It’s okay,” he assured me, “just wear the sarong they provide.” I held on to the Malay idiom, “Di mana bumi dipijak, di situlah langit dijunjung.”

Tirta Empul was abuzz with tourists from all over. Like me, they came with deep curiosity of the religious rituals of Balinese Hindus. Sounds of the ringing bells, the chants, the smell of incense – all this lent to the calming atmosphere pervading the temple.

As I walked down the staircase to another area of the temple, an ugly sight stood out like a sore thumb. A ‘bule’ lay flat on the pagoda, exposing his legs with his arms spread out. He looked ridiculous and disrespectful in a place of worship. And it is behaviours like this which shed light on why the Indonesian immigration has been cracking down on tourists and deporting them back to where they came from.

It is a basic form of respect and decency to act appropriately when we are in other people’s home. If it’s illegal in your country, chances are that it’s illegal in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia as well, no matter how accommodating and polite the people may be. It’s common sense to remember, you are entering other people’s home as a guest, and the hosts are not your paid servants.

But I didn’t allow misbehaving tourists to spoil my holiday. I still rode on a Gojek to Seniman Coffee in Ubud before starting my day, getting my work done before I got on the tours. Their coffee was still one of the best I’ve tasted, with a wide variety of beans from all over the Indonesian islands. A few ‘digital nomads’ have made Seniman their place of work, firing up their laptops and taking video calls from the café. As a remote worker myself, I found Seniman Café fitting as a place to do some work, as the café wasn’t overly crowded in the morning with lots of seating spread out, giving enough space for patrons to not cross into each other’s personal space.

I revisited the places I went to the last time I was in Bali: Tanah Lot, Bali Cappu-chino Coffee Farm, Seminyak and Kuta. I made a brief stop at Potato Head Bali, hoping to catch the sunset. But the blaring music and the disco crowd made it feel awkward for a woman my age to be there.

One place I haven’t been to in my previous trips to Bali is Desa Penglipuran, a UNESCO world heritage appointed as the cleanest village in the world. I walked through the cobbled stone streets, each side flanked by traditional Balinese homes selling knick-knacks and traditional drinks. Apart from the clean streets, Desa Penglipuran provides a picturesque backdrop for taking photos to post on social media. Apart from temples or the cliffs of Uluwatu, this is one place I’d recommend tourists to visit to catch the gorgeous sunset.

Visiting hot spots like Bali or Phuket in Thailand made me realise that places in South East Asia possess some of the most valuable treasures. Apart from the captivating views, abundance of minerals as well as fertile soil for agriculture – all of this and more should be recognised as God’s blessings bestowed upon us in South East Asia. And with the recent unwanted incidents by ‘migrants’ and overstaying tourists who flout the law, it’s only natural for locals to reach a point where they can’t take it anymore. There’s much money to be made from tourism, but if the price to pay is disrespect, with the dignity of the locals being stripped, then money would be secondary to pride. I do agree wholeheartedly with the sweeping enforcement made by officials in Indonesia and Thailand to make sure that tourists, coming in with the money, respect local laws and not try to commit a second wave of colonialism.