My experience as a solo female traveler in Bali

People

Balinese people are warm and friendly. They will do everything to make you feel comfortable and to provide you with the best service. A particular thing about them is that they are very tolerant of tourists trying to witness their ceremonies and forget that it is still a private and religious gathering. Their behavior is related to their religious beliefs. Indonesia is mostly a Muslim country with 87.2% of the population. Bali is the only island in Indonesia where the Muslim religion could not thrive. The Balinese adhere to Hinduism, but it is not the same Hindu you will find in India. Balinese Hinduism has been heavily influenced by the neighboring Javanese culture and thus created its type of belief. 

Balinese families live like in the old times, altogether. This was something I particularly liked about them. They respect the community traditions and the elders of the village, who are believed to be very wise and offer spiritual guidance. Their houses are formed as cluster compounds inside a wall, where each extended family lives in its compound. Most houses have their own temple where every member of the family goes each morning and pays their respect to the Gods and the ashes of their ancestors. The Balinese people believe in reincarnation, and the deceased have to be cremated within the next seven years of their death, to liberate their souls and be reincarnated.

Not far from the temple, the Balinese houses also have an assembly hall, facing the public square, and serving as a site for festivals, markets, and other community activities.

My personal driver, that I had in Ubud told me that the Balinese population is divided into Castes. Although in Bali, most of the population belongs to the lowest caste. This means that there is no caste formality among the villagers. For instance, in Java, each caste will have different modes of speech to reflect their social rank. High castes will have courtly interaction, middle castes would be used between status equals, and low castes can be involved in the daily communication in the village.

The Balinese love children, you will never hear a Balinese adult shout at the kids. They are also very curious when you first interact with them, so don’t get annoyed or defensive if they will ask you very intimate questions like: “Where do you live, How many brothers and sisters do you have, Are your parents still alive, What they do for a living, Do you live with your family, Did you bring your family with you in Bali, How much money do you win, You must be very rich to travel all over the world, etc”. They are just being nice and it’s their way of getting to know you better. Answer them with kindness. 

Hindu Culture

I am a spiritual person, more than religious and the Balinese Hindu Culture suits me the most. I read so many times the book by Elisabeth Gilbert, Eat, Pray, Love, and I came to practice and love this culture. I could not wait of experiencing in person all those ceremonies and customs. And I had the pleasure of being invited to a cremation ceremony that changed my way of perceiving grief and loss.

In the Balinese Hindu, many religious ceremonies are not tourist events. On some occasions, tourists are welcomed. There are certain rules though if you are invited to one of those ceremonies. You should always wear a sarong when you attend a Balinese ceremony. Sarongs are given at any temple entrance, but if you are invited to a ceremony, or cremation, for instance, you need to have your own sarong. You can buy one in the many shops around or from the women in the street that will approach you to buy one for 100K IDR (6-7€/USD) and take it home as a nice souvenir.

GETTING AROUND AS A SOLO FEMALE

Although the traffic is very rough, getting around in Bali is very easy. I do not recommend you rent a car as you are not used to that traffic and it could be overwhelming. You can rent a scooter which is very practical and you can navigate better in between the cars. 

Here is what you can do if you Travel Solo for the first time to Bali:

1. You can book a personal driver for the day, that will walk you everywhere you need. I paid 400K IDR (27€ or 26 USD) and my driver was at all times with me, showing me around, entering with me everywhere I went and taking very nice pictures for me. They really go the extra mile to make you feel comfortable and deliver a bespoke service.
2. Take a taxi scooter. For instance, if you need to go for a relatively short distance and spend the day there, just look for locals that propose to drive you with their scooter. I usually paid between 50K and 80K IDR (3-6 €/USD), depending on the distance. They provide you with a helmet, as it is forbidden in Bali to ride without a helmet.
3. Use the Go-Jek or Grab app to book a taxi. There is a standard base fare for Bali taxis of around 0.44 €/USD (7K IDR), and an additional charge per km of around 0.47 €/USD (7.5K IDR).
4. Rent a bike and ride like Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love for total satisfaction.