Bali Is Cracking Down on Disrespectful Tourists, Here's What to Know
The idyllic travel destination's rules will now be enforced by a new task force.
Bali, Indonesia is officially tired of tourists coming to visit and acting absolutely craven. So, in a recent press conference, Bali Governor Wayan Koster reiterated the dos and don'ts of being a tourist in Bali, and has announced that a new task force will be dedicated to enforcing the rules, according to The Bali Sun.
There are 12 "dos" and 8 "don'ts," which will be circulated to tourists on cards upon arrival to Bali. The rules are particularly targeted toward western tourists, who have been party to desecrating holy sites, harming the local environment, and just behaving badly in general. Think lots of reckless driving, unwanted nudity, and rowdy drunks.
"We have a lot of tolerance here … but it's this behavior of: 'I am the more important person. Look at me,'" an Indonesian named Fatmawati living in Bali told the Washington Post. "It's disgusting. People are tired of it. I'm tired of it."
"Dos" include basic decency such as respecting sacred temples, not disrespecting art and culture, being polite, following traffic laws, and using Indonesian currency while in the country.
"Don'ts" include even more obvious no-nos, like don't trespass on sacred land, don't climb sacred trees, don't defile sacred places. The rules get pretty specific, and seem to speak to the overwhelming amount of disrespectful and downright foul behavior exhibited by tourists in recent years.
"I ask all parties to seriously understand, implement and socialize this circular letter to all staff and foreign tourists visiting Bali," Koster said, according to the South China Morning Post.
Personally, I have a much less patient view of people who behave like this while traveling: You don't deserve to travel for leisure! If you cannot figure out how to respect sacred temples, sacred land, and cultural traditions of a new place, simply stay where you are. That being said, I'm sure everyone in your hometown also doesn't appreciate your antics either.
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