Bali is the most famous island in south-east Asia, and I’m sure it won’t take much convincing for you to travel there. Made famous by Julia Roberts who liked to eat, pray and love there, nowadays the Indonesian island is a synonym for a tropical paradise.
Here is just a glimpse of the riches Bali has to offer:
Curious Facts About Bali
All Balinese share the same names
Your country probably has a few very popular names. But Michael, Jose, or Ivan, are nowhere near as popular as the Balinese names. How come?
Well in Bali parents don’t pick the name of the baby. There is a strict order on how to name your kids – the firstborn is named Gede, secondborn – Made, thirdborn – Nyoman, and fourth-born – Ketut. It doesn’t matter if the child is a boy or a girl! That makes for a hell of a lot of Gedes!
Be quiet! It’s a New Year’s Eve!
Unlike everywhere else in the world, in Bali, there are no big parties on new year’s eve. The day is called Nyepi and it’s a day of silence and meditation. On Nyepi no one works, no one travels, and everybody stays at their homes. The empty island is quite the difference from the usually buzzing streets of Bali.
The only people you can meet outside on Nyepi are the Pecalang – traditional security men who patrol the streets to ensure the prohibitions are being followed.
See Also: The Ultimate Indonesia Itinerary Guide
There is a kissing ritual
Called Omed-omedan, and it’s the day after Nyepi. All single youths with ages ranging from 17 to 30 years old are gathered on the street and made to kiss each other while the non-single villages pour buckets of water over them.
Apparently, many couples have met through this tradition.
You can look for Oompa-Loompas!
Yes, there is a chocolate factory in Bali open for tourists. And since it’s a tropical island chocolate factory, it’s made from bamboo! You probably won’t find Willy Wonka or Oompa-Loompas there, but you’d have a great time for sure!
Most expensive coffee
The world’s most expensive coffee – Kopi Luwak is made in Bali. But Kopi Luwak is not your typical coffee bean; it’s the poop of a catlike creature called Civet cat. Yeah, you’ve read this right – the poop! The Civet cats eat the ripest and finest coffee cherries but can’t digest the bean, so the crazy Balinese people decided to make a coffee out of it…and it worked!
If you are in Bali and you want to try the coffee, make sure you do your research and pick an ethical coffee place/factory. A lot of times the animals are abused and heavily mistreated in order to produce the coffee. Be an animal friend, don’t support abuse 🙂
The Balinese babies are considered to be little angles
Aren’t all babies considered angles? The difference is, in Bali, they are literally considered angels! Their connection to the spirits is protected by not letting them touch the ground for their first three months.
That’s all from me, I hope you enjoy the beauty and oddness of Bali!
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Thank you for mentioning the abuse that happens at many of the Kopi Luwak farms. It’s too easy for us to overlook things like this as tourists.
Sadly that’s true but I believe as long as many of us spend awareness of these issues, things are gonna get better 🙂