This assignment discusses Bali as a holiday destination along with its various geographical and tourism facts. Moreover, discussion has been made regarding my own cultural identity in terms of values, beliefs and cultural norms. The cultural and social characteristics of Bali have been analyzed along with its influence in the popularity of the destination.
Bali Island is one of the islands in Indonesian archipelago and lies approximately 600 miles in the east of Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, and roughly 1,000 miles in the north of Western Australia. Bali is situated in the Southern Hemisphere which is only few degrees of latitude under the equator.
The climate of Bali is tropical all year. The season in Bali is wet from October to March and dry from April to September. However, there are possibilities that it can rain any time including the wet season. Moreover, its average temperature floats around 30°C. Therefore, best time to visit Bali is from May to July when the climate is suitable for all the visitors from different parts of the globe. However, it completely depends on the traveler who can either be a surfer or explorer which can result in different preferences.
Mobility explains how people reach Bali. The highest numbers of visitors to Bali are from Australia, China, Japan, UK, India, etc. Other visitors are from Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, etc. Their travel time vary in accordance with the distance of the country to Bali. A flight from Australia to Bali takes nearly 6 hours. Similarly a flight from Japan to Bali takes around 7 hours depending upon the distance. They get there through Ngurah Rai Airport where flight directly lands from these countries. Some visitors reach Bali through a seaport via a cruise ship. For travelling around in Bali, local transportation is available such as cars, taxis, motorcycles, scooters, tourist shuttles, bicycles, etc. Infrastructure is being developed for the tourists (Adnyana, Anwar, Soemitro & Utomo, 2015).
The tourism regions within Bali include South Bali which is the most visited region by the tourists so far. Another is Central Bali with central mountain range. The Southeastern Islands in Bali has gained popularity for diving activities and its offshore islands. North Bali is famous for black sand beaches. Also, the West Bali region is famous for Bali national Park. Bali is a special attraction for tourists due to the number of inland and offshore attractions that are on the rise. The western side of this island has the best surfing beaches in the world. On the other hand, the eastern side of this island is a wonderful spot for families with gentle seas and attractive white sand beaches.
The atterations in Bali include Uluwatu Temple, Tanah Lot Temple, Mount Batur, Ubud Monkey Forest, Seminyak and many more. There is a unique blend of modern facilities related to tourists along with wonderful shopping and rich heritage and past of this tropical paradise (Sanders & Willson, 2017). Water rafting is a popular activity with trips on Telaga Waja, Ayung, Unda Rivers, etc. The minds of the tourists are refreshed by having a look at the beautiful scenery along the way. These attractive features make them popular among the tourists as different regions offer different things.
The cultural and social characteristics of Bali makes it unique. Every stage of Balinese life includes a number of rituals and ceremonies. Traditions in Bali comprise of the values, beliefs and customs practiced by the people of the nation. Balinese women are free to wear clothes of their choice. The local language spoken in Bali is Bahasa Bali. However, around tourist areas, the commonly spoken language is Bahasa Indonesia (Macrae, 2015). The language of Lambok is also spoken by Balinese. Indigenous beliefs such as ancestor worship and animism play vital roles in the belief system of Balinese. Bali is multi-religious where Hinduism is the predominant religion and Muslim, Christian and Buddhist are in minorities. Everyday food in Bali consists of vegetable side dishes and rice along with chicken, tofu, fish or tempeh. For ceremonial feasts, ebat, turtle meat or chopped pig is prepared by men. Other specialties in Bali include bebek betutu and babi guling (Kruger, 2014). Popular drinks of Bali include Kopyor, Teh Panas, Kopi Bali, Brem Bali, Balinese Wine, etc. This results in the positive impact on the host guest relationship as this open culture allows them to socialize easily.
I am from Afghanistan and my cultural identity is slightly different from others. I am a Muslim by religion which obligates me to pray five times a day. Islam is the most practiced religion of Afghanis. Friday is considered to be Muslim holy day when offices and shops are closed. We Muslims fast during the month of Ramadan from dawn to dusk by not smoking, eating, drinking or chewing gum and are allowed to work only for 6 hours per day (Commisceo Global, 2017).
The traditions of Afghanistan require women to dress properly for avoiding unwanted attention. They are required to be modestly dressed otherwise their husbands are not respected. Children in our culture dress like westerners and men are required to wear shoes and conservative suits.
The most important aspect of our culture is family. The roles of men and women are defined along the traditional lines. In our Muslim world, the family is highly protected and is sacred. Our culture defines honor as the worth and reputation of an individual and the people associated with that individual. The protection of the honor of the family is the responsibility of head male.
The official languages of Afghanistan are Dari and Pashtu. Pashtu is the national language of the country while Dari is used for government transactions and business. Pashtu and Dari are spoken by 35% and 50% of the Afghan people (Commisceo Global, 2017). A number of other languages are spoken in Afghanistan such as Pashai, Baluchi, Nuristani, etc. and bilingualism is a common feature.
People belonging to Afghan are normally fond of non- vegetarian food. The national dish of Afghanistan is Kabuli Pulav. Fatty dishes are given prime importance in our nation of freezing winters and harsh landscapes. Our food is neither too hot nor too spicy and we are also renowned for using nuts and dried fruits. Afghan cuisine is mainly influenced by the cuisine of India, Persia and Mongolia. There is flair of rice with the use of yogurt as topping or dressing.
Hospitality is the most vital feature of our culture which in turn guides our behavior. This requires us to serve our guests with the best we have. This concept is often related with gaining honor. Our cultural behavior guides us to greet by shaking hands whenever we meet someone. The cultural norms are such that men and women never shake hands or directly speak to one another. Even men and women are required to avoid making eye contact.
The cultural and social characteristics of Bali and Afghanistan are quite different from one another. However, Muslim region is found in both the places which can result in easy establishment of host- guest relationship. The language differences can result in difficulties in communication between the people of these locations. Non- vegetarian is preferred in both the places which can provide comfort to Afghanis at Bali. The people in Bali are very friendly and sociable and their communication style include salutation, smiling with a display of emotion into their communications. There is a difference in the fact that women in Afghanistan are required to avoid showing their skin by covering themselves properly while in Bali, there are no restrictions on women in the selection of their dress code. Men and women should avoid making eye contact in Afghanistan but there is not the case in Bali. In Bali, women are also allowed to smile at men. They are even allowed to wear shorts and tank tops. Religions and customs are given equal importance at both the places. Religious ceremonies require the visitors to dress properly. Guests are offered the best they have at both the places. Spicy food is liked by people in Bali which opposite from the preference of the people belonging to Afghanistan as their food is neither hot nor spicy.
In other words, the people in Bali adopt an open culture which allows them to easily make good relations with the guests from other countries. However, the people from Afghanistan may face difficulties to some extent due to the open culture of Bali. Also, the traditions set for women in Afghanistan may lead them to face discomfort in Bali. However, Balinese are good at making their guests comfortable with their sociable nature. Therefore, such differences may impact the host- guest relationships.
Over a period of time every city in the world has considerable changed. Bali focuses on the fact that the existence of people requires constant change and development (Sutawa, 2012). Also, it aimed at creating a balanced sustainable development in all the areas including tourism. With the passage of time, it became a fact that mass- tourism has become a part of Bali (Bali, 2018).
With the rapidly changing society, the new generation does not want to work in rice fields any longer. Slowly and gradually the agricultural society or Bali changed into a service oriented society. The famous lush green rice terraces, beautiful sandy beaches and traditional Hindu culture created a global reputation of Bali and made it a tourism hotspot by pulling in approximately 3 million holidaymakers in the year 2012 (Parker, 2013).
The special characteristics of Bali comprise of its natural attractions on land and sea. It is also famous for the special places. The Balinese culture focuses on the town of Ubud which is located in Central Bali. It offers access to temples, Balinese music and dance shows, other sacred places, famous Monkey Forest Sanctuary and artisan shops. There are more than 10,000 Hindu temples throughout Bali. Among the temples are Elephant Cave or Goa Gajah and the Pura Besakih in Besakih. Terrace rice paddles which are Bali famed are scattered all around Bali including areas near Ubud. These are the remarkable creations of man meshed in an emerald green natural setting.
Bali has gained popularity due to a number of reasons. The essence of exotic, authentic culture is captured by Bali. Architecture, artwork and dance are mostly are locally consumed in the religious ceremonies. A mesmerizing effect is created by the terraced rice paddies. Bali also has a world class nightlife which is very rich. There is a broad scope of music and quality venues. There is also no end to good food in Bali. Fiery spices, fresh seafood, tropical fruits, organic vegetables and top cooking talent has been imported from all across the world. Beautiful food and beautiful location constitutes an amazing pair. The history of Bali which has provided it with names such as Bali Dwipa and the Island of Gods creates mystery in the minds of people and slowly and gradually resulted in its popularity. Some popular movies such as Road to Bali, Eat Pray Love which have gained worldwide popularity also have resulted in the popularity of Bali as a holiday destination.
The Bali tourism is at the changing phase. The global mobility to Bali is also being influenced by changes in transport. Most of the countries are now having flights that fly directly to Ngurah Rai Airport which has subsequently increased the visitors in Bali. This is the most preferred option by the visitors as it takes less time and has increased the number of visits. The number of people reaching Bali through a seaport by a cruise ship is reduced over time as it is time consuming. In the coming years, Bali is planning to meet the gap in arrivals via boat through a luxury cruise terminal for Benoa Bay. This will significantly increase the number of visitors and popularity of Bali in future.
Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that Bali is one the most amazing holiday destinations with beautiful sceneries. Its cultural and social characteristics also make it a favorable spot for holidays. Its popularity is growing over time with changes in global mobility. The comparison of the social and cultural characteristics of Bali and Afghanistan provides that Bali is capable of maintaining strong host-guest relationships due to the sociable nature of its people.
References
Adnyana, I. B. P., Anwar, N., Soemitro, R. A., & Utomo, C. (2015). Critical Success Factors of Public-Private-Community Partnership in Bali Tourism Infrastructure Development. Journal of Sustainable Development, 8(6), 208.
Bali. (2018). Efforts for a sustainable Bali. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.bali.com/sustainable-bali.html
Commisceo Global. (2017). Afghanistan Guide. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/afghanistan-guide
Kruger, V. (2014). Balinese Food: The Traditional Cuisine & Food Culture of Bali. Tuttle Publishing.
Macrae, K. (2015). CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE CULTURE OF BALI. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.butterfield.com/blog/2015/08/05/cultural-considerations-what-you-need-to-know-about-the-culture-of-bali/
Parker, E. (2013). Tourism tales from Bali: Growth and sustainability. Retrieved April 21, 2018 from https://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/15/tourism-tales-bali-growth-and-sustainability.html
Sanders, D., & Willson, G. (2017). Tourism in Bali: A review for tomorrow. CAUTHE 2017: Time For Big Ideas? Re-thinking The Field For Tomorrow, 562.
Sutawa, G. K. (2012). Issues on Bali tourism development and community empowerment to support sustainable tourism development. Procedia economics and finance, 4, 413-422.
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