Mengapa tidak?
Why Not…
…pick up printed batiks from the market — any market —
immediately on arrival. Vow to wear at least one per day as one part of every single outfit. Tie them into napkin halters, headscarves, cocktail dresses… make them up into blouses, trousers, jackets…the possibilites are endless! Be sure to keep an extra in your bag so you’ve got something to throw on as a scarf-cum-sarong to cover shorts or bare shoulders to stylishly keep your modesty at bay when popping in and out of temples.
…make a point to stop in at the Ubud-based Threads of Life textile gallery to do some good and pick up exquisite hand-woven and hand-dyed objet d’art curated with care from the over 1,000 women the fair trade firm commissions from across 11 islands in Indonesia. Spend loads and make friends with the staff so they give you an opportuinty to leaf through their museum quality textile archive, so you can hone your eye for printed detail.
…embrace the serene spirituality of the whole Indonesian experience and choose three books you think no human should die without reading, inscribe a meaningful message or simpe haiku on the first page and pack in your probably-too-full-anyway suitcase. Once in Bali, head to Ganesh,
the local specialist in Indonesian New, Used, Rare and Out of Print books as well as contemporary Indonesian music. The main emporium is in Ubud, but if you’ve ventured off the beaten path they have just opened a second location in Sanur. Drop your literary gifts off for their Books for Bali Project and then go while some time away searching for a rare out-of-print manuscript that I recommend you purchase rolled so you can deal with framing at Island Art on your return… just wait, the golden karma will blow back toward you eventually.
…Leave Bali for one of those can’t-make- this-up experiences that takes you across Indonesia away from the crowds to Thousand Islands just north of Jakarta, or Tanjung Leseng, in Banten; be spontaneous and choose a local travel agent to make the arrangements. In fact, throw caution completely to the wind and leave your bulky luggage at the hotel in Bali and take only two batiks and a bathing suit with you. With over 13,000 islands in Indonesia even the fussiest travellers are sure to find something.
— Rachael Barrett