It’s a full flight. The beginning of a long weekend for Singaporeans and Bali’s always a quick and good two-hour-flight escape for stressed out city folks.
There are lots of Australians too on the flight, connecting via Changi which, to no one’s surprise, has just been named “best airport to self connect” by Skyscanner.
I am seated next to a bloke wearing surf shorts and Quicksilver flipflops – he’s already so suntanned he positively glows. He sleeps throughout the flight and not that I am a voyeur or anything, he’s wearing one of those unfortunate low-waisted shorts and I can see frilly paper panties underneath. Hmm, I wonder what he will get up to when in Bali.
It being a very small world these days, I see a Singaporean friend on the flight. He’s attending a company retreat – with 30 of his colleagues.
“Lucky you,” I said. Retreat and Bali – what more could any bloke want?
“Nah, I am just so tired of Bali,” he moaned. “Been so many times, nothing new anymore.”
“Really? Have you been up north?” I challenged. My heckles are up, I am the self-appointed Great Defender of Bali.
“Yes, went golfing, it’s only good for golfing.”
That’s when I realised I wasn’t going to get anywhere with him and that even if I explained all the different things you can do – like, has he ever jumped off a cliff, apparently the thing to do these days, or has he ever done a shaman and secrets tour – he was not going to be receptive. I mean, I bet he’s never been to this island in Lake Batur where they don’t bury the dead but leave their remains scattered around.
This is the kind of guy who probably doesn’t even know that tours & activities sites like Viator, GetYourGuide, BeMyGuest or Voyagin exist. These sites are the best things to happen to online travel in a long time. I feel like kidnapping him and tying him to a seat to attend our WIT Indonesia event tomorrow.
You see, it takes all kinds of travellers to make our industry go round – those who just see places through their fixed mindset and those who allow a place to reveal itself to them through curiosity, discovery and immersion.
Bali, for me, is not so much about seeing and doing – and trust me, there’s plenty to see and do – but feeling the place.
Respect the fact that this island is one of the original cradles of Hindu civilisation, and that Balinese continue to practice their traditions despite the mega onslaught of commercialisation and development.
Respect the fact that while we think we know Bali, no matter how many times we have visited, we don’t and never will. Even my friends who’ve lived on the island for decades would never claim to know Bali – because to say that is like saying you understand the secrets of the universe.
I never get tired of this island no matter how many times I visit. That feeling when I just land at the airport – even though they make me walk through the duty free shop before I exit, so what, everyone’s got to make a buck – the eagerness of the driver to want to know why you are here. You know he’s angling for business – can I take you on a tour – so what, everyone’s got to make a living and why shouldn’t they make a living from tourism which has completely changed their home?
Everything is just a bit slow, laidback – during check-in, it’s best to check out your mind and just sit, smile and sip your welcome drink till they sort it all out. Those smiles, you can forgive anything.
For four years now, we’ve run our events in Indonesia, twice in Jakarta and the last two in Bali. It’s a different feeling running an event in a resort destination – you got to push yourself harder because it’s easy to slip into a Bali state of mind and before you know it, the event is about to begin and you’ve been dreaming of coconut trees and grilled chicken.
You need an attitude of “whatever happens, deal with it”. In the run-up to this event, we’ve had more changes of speakers, more revisions to the programme, than with any of our other events. Even now, less than 24 hours before showtime, we’re getting barrages of What’sapp messages …
Indonesians invented last minute and so this instant world we are in belongs to them. Because everything can now be really done last minute, it is. It’s truly Indonesia’s time in the digital sun.
Tomorrow we will learn about how truly social and mobile this country of 250 million people are. Having seen some of the presentations, I can honestly tell you, if you want a slice of the Indonesian market, you’d better reboot your thinking.
Like I wish my Singaporean friend would.
