Ever since 1902, when an outrigger pulled up on the beach at Labuan Bay and the first tourist arrived in Bali, people have come to this small island in search of paradise. Their conclusions: paradise found. As early as the 1930s, Bali's development was a source of concern for visitors such as Margaret Mead, the anthropologist, and artist Miguel Corvarrubias. Over the years, their concerns were echoed by others. Today, inevitably, the first-time visitor is told, "Sure, Bali's good now, but you should have been here in 19·", the year varying according to the date of the speaker's first visa. 
They are right on both counts - the island of Bali is a jewel, with its volcanoes and undersea coral gardens, its rice terraces and sun-bleached beaches, its countless temples and above all, its unique culture and generous people.
Bali is a dynamic culture and the Balinese have always been keen on new things. Centuries ago, they welcomed Hindu priests and princes and made the new gods and culture their own. Today, ideas come via television, film, radio, video as well as from tourists. Watch - on the beach, a young boy combines the fierce gestures of an ancient warrior dance with the sly moves of breakdancing; outside a trendy shop, a salesgirl in stone-washed jeans wraps a sash around her waist and makes her evening offering to the gods. The religion and arts remain intact largely because of the Balinese belief that the island is the property of the gods and that human inhabitants are simply privileged caretakers. The word for tourist in Bali is tamu (guest), a privileged and welcome visitor, deserving of hospitality and obligated to show respect and kindness to the hosts - the island's people and its gods.
Discover this paradise island for yourself. Get off the bus, walk off the beach, leave the hotel lobby. Walk through the fields at sunrise and watch young boys herding their ducks; wander country lanes in the afternoons as villagers bathe their cows, their cars and themselves in quick streams. Stroll along the beach at low tide, while women search the reef for seaweed; in the evening drop by the village bale banjar (meeting hall), where the local gamelan, or orchestra, plays and later visit a temple festival or just watch the moon rise and turn the palms to silver. Leave behind the camera, the list of places to go, things to do and stuff to buy. Walk down a dirt path where fishermen nod and call out: "Mau ke mana?" "Where are you going?" Answer simply: "Jalan-jalan", "Just walking". Pass women in bright sarongs carrying tall offerings of fruit and flowers atop their heads to temple. Walk slowly, slowly enough to hear the wind in the bamboo, the wings of a dragon fly, and the soft footfalls of grace.
(text by Suzanne Charlé)
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