A popular destination for years now, Bali attracts visitors from all over the world. In this context, it's easy to think that tourism would drive the island's development. While it's true that it has advantages, it also carries many drawbacks. To reduce the negative impact of mass tourism, some local communities have taken on the challenge of making their villages into ecotourism hubs. Here's how.

Ecotourism as a solution against mass tourism

It's no secret that mass tourism comes with serious environmental consequences. Indeed, Bali's ecosystem is suffering from overuse! Between the construction of hotels, swimming pools, beach resorts, golf courses, and tourist shops, Bali is becoming fragile and its biodiversity along with it.

This is especially true because Bali is an island. With limited surface area, freshwater is a scarce resource! When you consider that it takes the same amount of water to supply 500 hotel rooms as it does to irrigate 33 hectares of rice paddies (SOURCE JED), you quickly grasp the scale of the damage. And that's not even mentioning the harm caused by improper waste disposal. Everyone remembers those shocking images of a swimmer snorkeling off Bali's coast, surrounded by a sea of plastic…

Another consequence of mass tourism: unequal distribution of wealth. It's important to understand that most of the financial benefits from Bali's tourism go to wealthy corporations located outside the island and hardly benefit the Balinese people themselves. Finally, mass tourism also threatens Balinese culture and its many rituals and customs. Facing this sad reality, some local communities have decided to counter it by offering a form of more sustainable tourism. A tourism that invites travelers to discover Balinese culture directly from the villages. After all, what better way to truly immerse yourself than by staying with local families?

A network of eco-villages for discovering Bali responsibly

      

These eco-villages, with administrative support from the Wisnu Foundation (a major environmental NGO in Bali), have launched an ecotourism network: the JED, Jaringan Ekowisata Desa. Created in 2002, this network offers several unique experiences.

You can, for example, stay in one of the 4 Balinese villages in the program (Kiadan Pelaga Village, Tenganan Village, Dukuh Sibetan Village, Nyambu Village), each with its own specialties and activities. On the agenda: discovering village life (temples, rice paddies, coffee plantations…), tasting traditional dishes, sharing and exchanging with locals about Balinese culture, learning local crafts (weaving, preparing offerings, wood carving…) and staying overnight with a local family in the village.

Beyond village exploration, the JED also offers visitors the chance to visit Perancak, at the Kurma Asih Sea Turtle Conservation Center, for a day trip. This conservation program run by the local community wages an intense battle against poaching and overhunting of sea turtles and turtle eggs. A chance to see these amazing creatures without causing them harm!

So, which experience would you like to choose to discover Balinese culture?

Florine Dergelet