Portrait of Balinese girls

5 Great Ways to Connect with Locals in Bali

In Bali it’s very easy to interact with the local people. In fact, it would probably be impossible not to. From the moment you arrive on Island of Gods, you’ll be talking with locals everywhere you go and stay: at hotels, restaurants and shops. On beaches and villages, at markets and temples.

An overwhelming majority of businesses in Bali are owned & operated by Balinese people. Even if you stay at upscale international resorts you’ll find yourself interacting mostly with local staff, gazing at Balinese artwork, listening to Balinese gamelan music and watching traditional dance performances.

Interacting with locals is a big part of my own travel style and a major reason that Bali, Indonesia, is one of my favorite places in the world. In this post I share some of the many ways I get into the local culture, make life-long friends with locals and manage to feel more like a world traveler than an outsider/tourist in Bali.

Yulia guest house rooms – Sanur Bali

Stay at locally-owned guest houses

Small family-owned guest houses, boutique hotels and even larger luxury resorts are plentiful all over Bali. I use those places for all my accommodation. I’ve recommended a few great budget stays in this article: My Three Favorite Guest Houses in Bali.

Besides enjoying the stunning traditional architecture, leafy gardens and great service at these places, you can talk with the owners and staff about daily Balinese life, perspectives, religion, arts, foods as well as get recommendations on what to see & do around the island.

I’ve made many long-term friends with owners and staff by re-visiting them repeatedly over the years.

Even if you’re into luxury travel, when you visit Bali, instead of booking into an international luxury chain hotel check out the amazing & unique luxury hotels founded by wealthy Balinese families. They include some of Bali’s most stylish, chic accommodations.

My article about Bali’s most unique locally-owned luxury hotels is featured on A Luxury Travel Blog here.

Balinese HIndu Temple Ceremony at Amed Beach

Attend Hindu festivals and ceremonies

Unlike the rest of Indonesia, which is primarily Muslim, Bali has a Hindu culture. Throughout the year an astounding array of festivals and celebrations take place.

Many are personal family celebration such as weddings, funerals, cremation ceremonies, teeth-filing rituals and various coming of age ceremonies. Others are annual Hindu festivals, some of them quite grand.

Major Hindu festivals and mass cremation ceremonies are easy for travelers to learn about and attend.

But travelers who stay at locally-owned guest houses & hotels, will quite likely be invited to attend small lesser-known festivals and personal family ceremonies. This is especially likely if you stay in one place for a week or longer. Even if you only stay a couple nights, you might be invited to join.

This is another great reason to stay at locally-owned accommodations.

Balinese warung

Eat at markets and local warungs patronized by Indonesians

If you eat at tourist and hotel restaurants in Bali, you’ll get a chance to talk with local staff, and probably in English. That can be interesting, educational and enjoyable.

But if you eat at local markets and ‘warung’s (small local restaurants) you’ll have a much more authentic Indonesian experience. It’s likely that locals at such places won’t speak much English, but in Bali food is generally on display, so you can just point to what you want.

You’ll be rewarded with the real versions of diverse local cuisines instead of the adapted tourist versions served at hotel restaurants. Plus interacting with locals who aren’t accustomed to dealing with westerners is an entirely different and rewarding experience.

diving with local guides in Bali

Join tours & classes created and guided by Balinese

Although most people don’t know it, Bali is an outdoor adventure paradise. In fact, that shouldn’t really be surprising considering Bali’s stunning & diverse tropical topography that includes several volcanic peaks, steeply terraced rice fields, gushing rivers, vast beaches, pristine coral reefs and pounding surf.

All sorts of half day & day trips and courses are offered by local Balinese businesses, all taught and guided by locals. There’s white water rafting, volcano climbing, cycling through rice fields, visiting local villages, learning to cook Balinese food, scuba diving, surfing lessons, learning Balinese gamelan music and dance, among other fun options.

These great tours and classes give you plenty of exciting and educational things to do with locals in Bali. You might even make life-long friends with your guides and teachers.

You can easily find a huge variety of tours and classes online, from your guest houses and at local information/tourist offices in Bali.

Hire a car with driver to explore the island

Many westerners enjoy renting cars in foreign countries to explore independently. But in Bali I honestly recommend not doing that.

Bali’s roads are incredibly narrow, traffic-clogged, steep and winding. And driving is done on the left-hand side of the road. For those reasons, it’s seriously much better to hire a car with a driver to chauffeur you around the island. Besides, in Bali hiring a car with or without a driver costs about the same.

Having a local driver not only allows you to sit back and enjoy the scenery, relaxing rather than becoming nerve-wracked, but your driver will tell you all sorts of interesting history, local legends and useful information about the places you visit. You’ll gain a much deeper understanding and appreciation of Bali’s unique culture and landscapes.

The driver might also invite you to his family home or to local neighborhood celebrations including weddings, funerals, cremation ceremonies, various coming-of-age ceremonies and Hindu temple festivals.

You might also enjoy:

10 Free Things to do in Bali

My 3 Favorite Guest Houses in Bali

My Guide to Scuba Diving in Bali

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